My Next Generation Lutherans (NGL) Journey – A Testimony (1)
Tan Wing Ter (JCC)
When I first received Bishop’s message regarding the publicity of NGL back in February, it was proposed as a month-long internship programme where we had to come to church for 4 days in the week. Back then, I wasn’t sure if I was ready for such a high commitment. Funnily enough, now that the weekly meetings will be over soon, I feel like time passed by way too fast and the programme was so short! I believe that is a testament of how well the sessions were done by the Pastors and the overall smoothness of the programmes by the entire committee. Thank you for all your hard work over the past month and the preparations made even the months before.
The reason why I was interested in NGL wasn’t actually because I was considering the call to enter full-time ministry, but to first answer the question, “Why am I a Lutheran?”, and perhaps even the question, “Am I a Lutheran?” as I wasn’t a hundred percent sure I fully understood what Lutheran beliefs were. I know I believe in and love God, but being a Lutheran? That was a concept I hadn’t really explored as a 2nd Generation Christian. And even after the past few sessions, I dare not say that I have a complete understanding of Lutheranism right now as there’s so much to process and discern. Not to mention, the Book of Concord is really long. But I’d like to share some of my greatest takeaways over the past weeks, how that has strengthened my faith and, by extension, better equipped me to serve.
During the 4th NGL session, Rev Andrew spoke about self-righteousness VS Jesus’ righteousness. He explained that as Christians, we sometimes make the mistake of trying to overcome sin by our own strength, placing a premium on sanctification. But in that process, we run further away from God’s grace and turn towards ourselves, forgetting that His grace is enough, and we have already been justified by Jesus’ blood on the cross. That is not to say that we should not seek to be Christ-like. Rather, it is recognising that we, throughout our lives will always be both saint and sinner – a sinner because of our fallen, fleshy human nature, but saint because of Jesus’ righteousness. I remember the moment this clicked in my brain when Rev Andrew explained it. It immediately felt like a huge burden was lifted off my chest. Perhaps somewhere along in my walk with God I had forgotten how I even came to know Him in the first place – by His grace and His grace alone. I realised that this allowed me to experience joy in the Lord’s word, instead of constantly worrying and obsessing in my head if what I was doing or believing or saying is right.
And that ties in very nicely with my second takeaway, which is that Baptism is a gift from the Lord. For some reason, I had always associated Baptism with being a standard rite of passage into becoming a Christian. Well, that’s not completely wrong, but it’s not really complete either. Rev Fredric shared that Baptism is actually God’s action for us. There are moments in our walk with God where some of us wonder if we are truly saved, or we encounter doubts about our own faith. Yet, God has given us the gift of Baptism that we may hold onto something outside of ourselves, which are His promises in His Word. This reassures our hearts that are so prone to going astray that even though we may not be enough, His promises and grace are far more than enough.
I thank God that He has reminded me of his goodness and graciousness that this world cannot provide, and as I step into a new stage of life entering my first year
in University, I may live with peace in my heart even with so much change going
on. A peace not from within, but from above.
I also walk away from NGL with greater curiosity in my heart about Lutheranism and our differing beliefs with other denominations, because I am genuinely interested in why others believe in different theological concepts. And perhaps more importantly, how all these differences shape our own journey with God and into the ways we live our lives.
I hope that this curiosity will serve to strengthen my faith and conviction, allowing me to better answer questions from my cell kids and also ignite meaningful conversations with those around me. More importantly, I hope that it will help me develop a rich inner life with the Lord, which ultimately serves as the foundation in every capacity I choose to serve in. And I pray that for all of us here too.
Thank you for making my journey at NGL exciting, insightful and most importantly, a means by which I grew closer to the Lord. Thank you!