The Meaning of Easter during the Coronavirus Epidemic

Today is Easter Sunday, and I woke up this morning to see that even all of Facebook proclaims the good news -- Christ is risen from the grave! I started to think -- what does this powerful and joyful message mean for us today? 

We are celebrating a different kind of Easter this year. The great cities of the world are in lockdown – hotels, restaurants, bars, airports, theaters, sporting events and even churches sit in empty silence. Here in Finland, our province has been closed off from the rest of the country with police guarding our borders vigilantly round the clock, meaning many families are separated at a time when we would otherwise be gathering together. In the span of a mere few weeks, millions of people have lost their jobs and are confused about the future, while others brave the terrors of a still relatively unknown disease daily to save the lives of the countless patients in our nations’ hospitals and care homes. Many have lost friends, family and loved ones, and the fear of sickness is undoubtedly prevalent, whether we are able to articulate it or not. 

The message of Easter, that Jesus, the son of our almighty God, willingly went to the cross, ¨was wounded for our transgressions, was bruised for our iniquities,¨ (Isaiah 53:5) and rose in victory so that we would be granted eternal life, is one which we are well familiar with, but it takes on a much different meaning this year in light of our current circumstances. Jesus did not only go to the cross so that we would have a secure future after death – the Bible also tells us that ¨by His stripes we are healed,¨ and that He came ¨to heal the brokenhearted, and to proclaim liberty to the captives, to comfort all who mourn, to give beauty for ashes and the oil of joy for mourning.¨(Isaiah 61). That’s a lot of good news! This means that even today, we know that God is in control of our situation and our world, and that we can trust Him with our lives, even if we are afraid or don’t completely understand what is going on. 

The power of the resurrection is as relevant today as it was 2000 years ago, because Jesus never changes and His love and grace are totally beyond our comprehension. It is my prayer this Easter even as we sit in our homes, unable to attend church, that we would come to truly understand how deeply Jesus loves us and how much He longs for us to trust Him completely. This, my friends, is ultimately the message of Easter.

Christ is risen! Hallelujah!

My Encouter with a Wild Boar

While in Hong Kong over Christmas, I had the opportunity to spend a couple of days in a luxury hotel in Cyberport, located on the southern tip of Hong Kong island. The area is considerably less populated than the rest of the city and my hotel overlooked the ocean. It was the perfect spot for a calm and relaxing personal retreat on the final days of 2019 -- or so I thought.

On the afternoon of my second day, I decided to go for a jog by the ocean. I left the hotel, walked up the road and turned off at the paved path leading down to the sea. I heard some rustling on my left, coming from the overgrown brush along the path, but because I knew the path also leads to a dog park, I didn't stop to investigate. Eager to get to the sea and begin my run, I hurried on, but seconds later, a large, brown animal comes out of the brush and we are almost face-to-face. At that moment, I realized the two people I had thought were waiting for their dogs along the same path were actually park employees, carrying large backpacks and suspicious-looking poles. One of them cautioned me to be careful, but I truly didn't need any warning -- I was terrified and immediately slowed my pace, hoping to avoid any unwanted attention. At that point, I noticed there was a closed gate at the end of the path and within seconds, I made my way safely to the other side of the gate  A group of children were gathered there, peering excitedly over the closed fence at the wild animals. I later learned that the boars had been spotted and lured by food in an attempt to capture and relocate them elsewhere, and that they are generally not dangerous, unless provoked or in protection of their young. 

I had come on this retreat with my Bible and my journal, hoping to seek God for the upcoming year. I didn't even know Hong Kong had wild boars and in all the years my parents have lived in the city, they have never even seen one from afar, so my experience was somewhat out of the ordinary. Only hours before, I had been on that same path with my little 3.5 year old niece and I am truly thankful that she had gone home with grandma by the time I met the boar and that I was alone. 

Once my heart and pulse rates slowed down to normal, I gave up the idea of jogging, and found a vacant park bench by the ocean instead. That's when I realized -- sometimes on the path to finding the Lord and learning to hear His voice, we come face-to-face with adversity, with our worst fears, with seemingly insurmountable challenges. These often appear out of nowhere, taking us by surprise, and it is easy to become discouraged and give up altogether. However, the Lord has given us tools in which to fight even the most frightening battles, and people to fight alongside us. In addition, He has promises that He will never leave or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6, Joshua 1:5), and that is a promise worth remembering. The key is to stay on the path, rooted in the Lord and focused on our goals, because with God, there is always hope.

If you are entering 2020 with a heavy heart, here is a song that reminds us to bring our burdens to the Lord, because He desires to turn our mourning into dancing and our sorrow into joy.

May your 2020 be filled with much peace and joy!  

The Comfort Zone

A few months ago, I received a phone call from the music editor of one of our national newspapers, asking if I would be interested in writing music reviews -- in Swedish. I laughed involuntarily, because up until that point, I had never written anything in Swedish except short text messages and the occasional e-mail. To my mind, the proposition sounded rather ludicrous. I explained all this as cordially as I could, but the editor wasn't so easily deterred, so I promised to sleep on it and give an answer in a couple of days.

My answer ended up being a somewhat lukewarm, ¨I could give this a try, but I am really not sure if I am going to be any good at it.¨ Looking back, that answer reflected my fears all-too-accurately, but it was hard to pinpoint, even for myself, what exactly I was so terribly afraid of. I then realized my biggest struggle was going outside of my comfort zone and doing something completely new, and of which I actually knew very little about. The very thought that failure could well be possible was not very appealing to me, but the only way I was going to know for sure was to try.

Let's face it -- there is something very comforting in the familiar. Whether it is a well-worn pair of jeans, a favourite breakfast cereal or chilling with your best childhood friend, we tend to gravitate towards that which we know. Doing something new is scary and venturing into the unknown is equally terrifying, so most of us stay within well-traveled waters.

Since I have moved countries several times, learned a couple of foreign languages and succeeded in adjusting to a new culture, I actually get asked pretty often how I dared to step into the unknown. I gave the question some thought, and wrote down a few things I try to implement when going outside of my comfort zone:

1. Know yourself. Analyze your strengths and weaknesses so that you can make informed decisions when leaving the safety of what you know. If you struggle working with little kids, but love the elderly, then you want to keep this in mind when job hunting. This knowledge can also help you compensate for any weaknesses -- for example, I know I am not very good at getting certain administrative tasks done which involve going to an unfamiliar place. Recently, I wanted to be sure I would vote in the governmental elections, so I asked to meet up with a friend, who ensured that we both voted. And yes, I know this doesn't sound very grown-up of me, but the point here is that I voted!

2. Ask for advice. When I need to make larger decisions in my life, I often ask people who know me for their opinion. I usually try to choose people who care about me, are well aware of my strengths and weaknesses, and/or have experience in making similar decisions. At the end of the day, the choice to venture into unknown territory is my own, but it helps to discuss it with others and get another perspective.

3. Break it down. Sometimes a task might feel totally overwhelming (such as moving to another country!) and that feeling can turn to fear. However, writing a list of things, along with a corresponding timeline usually helps me to see that not everything needs to be done right away and that smaller goals are indeed manageable. The other advantage to having a list is that it minimizes the chances of inadvertently forgetting to do something!

4. Think outside of the box. There is nothing wrong with re-sizing your comfort zone by doing things a bit differently! A friend of mine once confessed that she had been set up on a blind date, but was too terrified to accept -- my solution was to turn it into a double-date that I also got to take part in, and it ended up being a really enjoyable evening!

5. Be a lifelong learner. If we constantly challenge ourselves to do things that are outside of our normal routine, we become accustomed to it. Whether it is a new language, new foods, a new travel destination, a new hobby, or a new hairdo, we can find small ways to expand our horizons, so that when a larger life transition comes our way, we are in the habit of tackling the unknown.

5. Cultivate a healthy attitude towards failure. I realize almost everyone is afraid of rejection and we try to avoid situations in which we might fail by staying within the safety of known territory. However, the world is full of examples of successful people who were not recognized until much later in life. Realize that your identity is not in what you do, but in who you are.

Finally, remember that we have differing comfort zones -- for me, navigating my way around an unfamiliar city is totally outside of my comfort zone, but calling up a new acquaintance and inviting them over for tea isn't. Be gracious to yourself, breathe, and then dare to say yes to the world outside of the comfort zone. 

Please feel free to add to my list by writing in the comments below!

10 Helpful Tips for Worship Leaders

This brief article was the result of an interview with Nelli Heinimo, whom I had the pleasure of meeting one Sunday when visiting a local congregation.  It first appeared in Finnish in Ruut and has been translated into English by my longtime friend and fellow musician, Hannu Ala.

Many thanks to both Nelli and Hannu, and to the countless number of worshippers I have had the pleasure of serving with over the years.  Thank you for your prayers, support, patience, knowledge and wisdom.

If you think I have forgotten something very important, feel free to write it in the comments below!

10 Helpful Tips for Worship Leaders

1. Your relationship with God should always be number one. Take time to worship and pray at home and come to church to receive and be with God even when you are not serving.

2. Develop your musical skills.  A few instrumental or singing lessons can go a long way.  You should have reasonable singing proficiency and preferably, ability in at least one instrument.  Music theory knowledge is also a big plus.

3. Church music doesn’t have to be professional.  In fact, I don’t think God really cares if the music isn’t flawless.  However, too many mistakes might distract people from focusing on Jesus.

4. Worship should never be a performance. Regardless of how big or small a meeting or event is, keep in mind that you are worshipping an Audience of One.

5. A worship team is not unlike a mini-congregation, led by the worship leader. Take an active role in conflict resolution and remind the team who you are serving and why.  Remember to also pray for your team.

6. Spiritual leadership is difficult if you don’t know your Bible.  Spend time studying it.

7. Even though you may receive invitations to visit different churches, it’s important to be rooted in your home congregation and to grow in your calling as a worship leader.  Honour your church leaders and collaborate with them.

8. Keep your eyes open when leading.  This way, you can see what God is doing in the congregation, and you can communicate with the band.

9. It’s helpful to realise that a worshipper is operating on a spiritual battlefield. The devil doesn’t want us to worship God.  Pray unceasingly!

10. There is a real need for worship leaders!  If God has put this on your heart, He will equip you.

10 tips till lovsångsledaren

Nelli Heinimo, Ruut-lehti
Svensk översättning Johanna Perret

Skulle du vilja ha en ansvarsuppgift inom lovsång i din församling? Fiona Chow delar här sina tips till lovsångsledare.

Fiona Chow har flera års erfarenhet av att leda musik i flera olika slags församlingar. Hon vill uppmuntra och inspirera finländare att prisa Gud. Här är Fionas tips till alla dem som upplever sig kallade att tjäna församlingen som musikansvariga, både anställda och frivilliga.

1. Håll alltid din relation till Gud på första plats.  Spendera tid ensam hemma för att tillbe, och gå med jämna mellanrum till församlingens möten bara för att ta emot och vara med Gud.
2. Utveckla ditt kunnande och satsa på det. Redan några sång- eller spellektioner kan ge mycket. Du borde ha en bra grund i sång och något instrument. Teorikunskaper är också till hjälp.
3. Gudstjänstmusiken behöver trots det inte vara professionell. Gud bryr sig knappast ifall musiken inte alltid flödar obehindrat. Men människornas upplevelse påverkas nog ifall musiken är väldigt hackig.
4. Lovsång borde aldrig vara ett uppträdande. Oberoende hur stor tillställningen är, kom ihåg att den verkliga publiken är endast Gud.
5. Musikteamet är som en liten församling som lovsångsledaren lotsar. Våga ta rollen som konfliktlösare, och påminn teamet under pågående konflikt varför och för vem ni gör detta. Kom också ihåg att be för ditt team.
6. Andligt ledarskap är svårt om du inte känner Bibeln väl. Använd alltså tid till att umgås med den.
7. Även om du åker runt och leder lovsång på olika ställen, är det viktigt att du rotas i din hemförsamling. Sök uppmuntran och skolning för din uppgift där. Respektera din församlings ledare och samarbeta med dem.
8. Håll ögonen öppna då du leder lovsång. Då ser du vad som händer i församlingen och kan kommunicera med bandet.
9. Det är bra att vara medveten om att lovsångaren fungerar på ett andligt stridsfält. Fienden vill inte att vi tillber Gud.
10.  Lovsångsledare behövs! Om Gud har satt på ditt hjärta att leda lovsång, kommer han också att lära dig hur.