QUIDDITCH.

It's my third year, and I just had a good game of quidditch–an annual game where students gather to unwind and have fun as a USP community. It's tiring running around with a broom between my legs, but I don't think I have had so much fun in a long time. It was an excellent time playing alongside the juniors, seniors and batch mates, and a break from all the stress that has been steadily building up at quite a quick pace.

USP is one thing that I have been incredibly thankful for, and God has been showing me the community's need for the gospel, just as all of us do actually. In all honesty, trudging through each semester in USP is not easy–workload is heavy, content is alien, sleep is a luxury. Yet every now and then I am put into situations where the difficulties seem easier to manage. A good and growing Christian community that I can talk to, some of my closest friends in uni are in USP, and a bunch of very encouraging freshmen who are ever so enthusiastic about uni life. Lots of people out there do not understand the problems and troubles USP students face, and we are often labelled as being 'elitist' and 'arrogant'. It takes one to know one, and to know, one has to be in it.

One thing that I remind myself each day before I set out for class from Cinnamon College. "Be yourself, behave as God has instructed because you are now in Christ." Uni life may be hard, but God is still in control and it is, in every bit, worth thanking for.  

IFG.

Today marks the end of my third Inter-Faculty Games, and perhaps the one that I enjoyed the most. Badminton is a game that I have been playing for more than half my life, and half of it being competitive and the only reason I played and trained was to win. It was not until university, or halfway through army, that I began to really enjoy the game, and not in so much of a competitive manner.

I have reached a point where I play the game not to win, but to enjoy every moment on court. Winning is a bonus, it is not everything that the game has to offer. Yes, I do get frustrated at times when I do not get certain shots right, but I have leant, too, to get over it quickly. The company that I play the game with was encouraging, and they will be among the most memorable bunch of friends I have made in NUS.

It was one good IFG.

I'm sorry, but could you please speak in a proper language?

Speaking in tongues has been one of the most controversial topics of discussion among Christians. Some churches claim that if a Christian doesn't speak in tongues, he or she isn't spiritual enough. They make it seem as though speaking in tongues is a must, and is part of being spiritual, and is also part of being a Christian. To be honest, I have not encountered anyone speaking or praying in tongues till very recently. 

What is speaking in tongues? In short, it is to speak in another language, possibly one that is not known to you. But in reality, what came across as speaking in 'tongues' was just a random murmur that I am not sure if anyone really spoke that as a language at all. It feels odd, sounds odd, and not in such a good way. Well, but who am I to judge if it's really the Holy Spirit at work? That's not the whole point of this post actually, because we are to small to fathom what God can do. 

The churches who place such a great emphasis on speaking in tongues seem to be missing the point, and it could be intimidating and misleading to a newcomer to church. In the New Testament, we find extensive talks about tongues, especially concentrated in 1 Corinthians 14. But with that in mind, we should also read chapters 12 and 13 to better understand the context and instructions that Paul was telling the early church in Corinth. Paul clearly indicated in the letter the significance of the gift of tongues and how should one view it. Not every Christian will receive the gift, but each of us is gifted by God in ways that are unique. For a church, the more urgent matters that should deserve way more energy and strength being put into are edifying fellow Christians and telling non-Christians about the gospel. Both aspects are grounded on the belief in Christ Jesus and his saving works on the cross. It is of less value if one could speak in tongues that no one could interpret, than to encourage a fellow Christian with an understandable language, and also of less value than telling a non-Christian about the gospel in an understandable language. 

As Christians, we have to be discerning and weigh out what is the more important thing to do, than to pray in tongues. Prayer is not a mindless activity, as much as you have received the "gift of tongues" by the Holy Spirit.