I'm back! It's been a horrendously hectic weekend, but the weekend itself wasn't horrendous at all, if you get what I mean. On Sunday morning, I preached in a Presbyterian Church (Gereja Grace Batu Pahat) in a little town down south called Batu Pahat, and managed to catch up with a dear friend and to meet a number of new friends. Since it was Mothers' Day, I spoke on the "motherhood of God" (well yeah, as always, I had some eyesbrows raised... but those eyebrows soon settled into their original positions when they heard my explanation, hahah). On Monday morning, I went to Singapore for some other appointments. And today, I'm back in Seremban.

But I'll be here for only three full days before I hit the road again. This Sunday, I'll be preaching in another Presbyterian Church (Hebron Presbyterian Church) in Johor Bahru before I enter Singapore again. On Monday morning, I'll be departing from Changi Airport for the ALCOE VI which is held in the Philippines. Will be away for five days, afterwhich I must be back in time for another speaking engagement in a Lutheran church (BLC) in Kuala Lumpur.

So what's going through my mind as I keep up with this pace? Two things. Firstly, I think this is all good and meaningful as long as it's done in the company of friends. I've developed a disdain for a "public" ministry that rests on a reputation (which I don't have anyway). Half the time, it feels like people are holding me in high regard based on things about me that they don't really know. As far as I'm concerned, ministry is all about friendship... ministering to friends and being ministered to by friends.

Secondly, it feels strange saying this, but it's been ages since I've missed my own local church community when I'm on the run. For as long as I can remember, my ministerial activity has been itinerantly mobile. Thus, I've never been able to develop really intimate relationships with my own local church. Neither did they seem very keen on such communal relationships. But since I moved to Seremban and participated in the life of the local church here, this community has become so much a part of my family. We actually miss them when we're away. Hence, whilst our minds have been very focused on our work away from home, our hearts have been very much with our local church community. And we were talking a lot about "our church" throughout our journey. This feels strange because I've hardly met people with such attachments in recent times, let alone experience it myself. But it's happening. It's beautiful when there's organic life behind and beyond the institution itself.

Busy days ahead. The little that has been entrusted to me has to be fulfilled to the best of my ability. And as I keep pace with the goals set before me, I must remember: this is a journey to Christ, with Christ, and for Christ.