From the President's Office
What the Covid Easters teach us?
April 2021 Issue
Greetings from BTS. The passion week has begun Christ has risen. Hallelujah.
Easter last year was on April 12. On April 7, a new norm called “circuit breaker” was born and public church worships were shuttered. In the history of Singapore, it was probably the quietest Easter. Do you remember how you celebrated Easter last year?
As for me, I was secluded in a 2 floors Missionary Compound in Los Angeles with 22 other families. There was a courtyard in the middle. We were not allowed to visit with each other. We desperately wanted to worship Christ but churches have all been shuttered for more than a month already. Streets were desolate. But our hearts were strangely warm. After some time of praying, we decided unanimously to worship Christ on Easter Sunday by standing in front of the door of apartments. We emailed song choices to each other. One black brother went to the middle of the courtyard and started playing the guitar. And we sang to the Lord with all our strength. In Chinese. In Korean. In English. In Spanish. After that we shared a short homily together, broke bread and partook of the cup in front of our apartment. Together. And in the midst of the Pandemic, I had probably the most intimate memorable worship of my life. From that Easter worship, a prayer movement started in that compound that all 22 families dived in. Before that, the prayer meeting in that place was only 3 persons.
What did I learn from that experience? We do not need a worship band to worship. We do not need a beautiful building. We do not even need a prescribed program. We need a heart that yearns after God. A heart that wants to return to him – together. And from that yearning to return, revival will flow. Covid Easter 2020 reminds me of a simple lesson: Revival follows return.
‘Revival follows return’ was the theme of the last Easter message I heard in Singapore before my short-lived retirement. It was preached by my friend and mentor, Ps Edmund Chan in 2019. He pointed out that one of the most neglected yet remarkable instructions of our resurrected Lord to the disciples was “Go to Galilee”. Why travel 120km from the center ‘Jerusalem’ to rural ‘Galilee’?
Because Galilee was where they were first called. It was the place where Christ became real to them. To return to Galilee was to return to their first love. Over the 3 years, bad habits, and mission drift haunted them. They dreamed of a political liberation. They craved for political power. In his death and resurrection, Jesus Christ called them to return to Galilee – to return to their first love. Have a spiritual reboot. Start afresh. Let the wrong dreams die. Only when they repented and returned to Galilee, they were given a new dream, only then were they renewed, only then were they given the Great Commission. Only then were they recharged to go back to Jerusalem with a cause that consumed the rest of their lives. The 1st Easter teaches us the same simple lesson: revival follows return.
We are now into the Passion Week 2021. Our churches are re-opened. We are eager to return to celebrate Easter physically together. My prayer is that in our eagerness to return, we will never forget the key lesson from last Easter (when we had nothing). All that we need to encounter Christ this Easter, is a simple heart that yearns for Him, to return to Him. And from that heart, revival will flow into our lives.
May you experience revival this Easter in the presence of our resurrected Lord.
Rev Peter Lin
President
PS: In appreciation of your friendship and partnership at the BTS lecture and over the years, we have produced 3 passion-week short 6 min. video sermons to commemorate and celebrate with your family on the trials, crucifixion, and the resurrection of our Lord. Please click these links:
Passion Week Devotion Sharing – Maundy Thursday (premieres on 1 April)
Passion Week Devotion Sharing – Good Friday (premieres on 2 April)
Passion Week Devotion Sharing – Easter Sunday (premieres on 4 April)
PPS: We have also included the YouTube link for the recent BTS lecture. Please click this link:
