January 2008
Vol 7 Issue 1
Behold, I make all things new
Rev 21:5
Dear brothers and sisters,
As we move to Jakarta for the third time, we look forward to rejoining the community that we cared for and nurtured some years ago. In the course of my work as Executive Director of the ASEAN Foundation, we also look forward to visiting the ten countries of the ASEAN region more often, thus giving us a chance to also renew fellowship with the CFC communities in these countries. It will be a new life for us once again. And we thank the Lord for making his promise true, “Behold, I make all things new”. This New Year, let us leave behind the community’s period of lamentations and break-up and focus on the Cross of Christ, the source of mercy and love, the source of renewal and redemption.
May you all have a blessed and happy New Year!
With our love and prayers,
JUN and JEAN
May 2008
Vol 7 Issue 5
Today salvation has come to this house
Lk 19:9
Dear brothers and sisters,
On 21 May, Jun gave a talk on the story of Zacchaeus during the MC Teaching Night of CFC Jakarta -- with all leaders, HH and up, invited to attend. The talk was delivered in English with a Powerpoint presentation in Bahasa Indonesia, thus avoiding the need for interpretation or translation. The written text is seven pages. This reflection is a two-page summary of the talk. We hope that you enjoy reflecting with us. If anyone wants to have a copy of the full 7-page talk. we would be glad to send a copy. May we all draw inspiration from the story of St. Zacchaeus!
With our love and prayers,
JUN and JEAN
September 2008
Vol 7 Issue 9
He sent ahead of him in pairs
Lk 10:1
Dear brothers and sisters,
We started our reflection on Luke’s Travel Narrative with Jesus leaving Jericho and meeting Zacchaeus (Lk 19:1-10). This was followed by the incident that occurred as Jesus entered Jericho when he healed the blind beggar, Bartimaeus (Lk 18:35-43). Then we went to the beginning of the Travel Narrative (Lk 9:51) and proceeded progressively from there.
As we struggle to remain faithful to our covenant with the Lord in this community, our thoughts are, of course, filled with images of events that happen in the community and of people who have touched our lives. We miss friends who have decided to separate. We have not given up hope for unity. We continue to pray that God will extend his mighty healing hand to touch the hearts and minds of the pair who can truly make a difference if they will meet face to face, just themselves, like Paul and Barnabas, and become truly friends and brothers once again. We ask all of you to pray with us.
With our love and prayers,
JUN and JEAN
December 2008 1st Issue
Vol 7 Issue 13
Teach us to pray
Lk 11:1
Dear brothers and sisters,
We are sending to you the first issue of the Letters of Aquila and Priscilla for December 2008. In this issue we talk about prayer. When we pray, we seek God’s heart and enter into His presence. Through prayer, we are able to talk to God and to listen to Him. Brothers and sisters, may we all continually try to keep our link to God through prayer.
With our love and prayers,
JUN and JEAN
2008
February 2008
Vol 7 Issue 2
Obedience is better than sacrifice
1 Sam 15:22
Dear brothers and sisters,
The Lord has called us once again to Jakarta – for the third time. For us, it is clearly His will and, without hesitation, we obey. The Lord in turn is blessing us with, among many things, the gift of a CFC community in Indonesia that is alive and well. Brothers and sisters, please join us in our prayer that everywhere, where our community is, brothers and sisters in CFC are always listening to the voice of God and obeying what it is that He wills for us.
With our love and prayers,
JUN and JEAN
June 2008
Vol 7 Issue 6
Lord, let me see again
Lk 18:41
Dear brothers and sisters,
As we celebrate the 27th anniversary of Couples for Christ, it may be an opportune time to reflect on the story of Bartimaeus, the blind man of Jericho, and see something of him in ourselves. Many of us have been blinded by the demands of a growing business or career, or raising a family, or meeting mortgage payments. Perhaps we are blinded by ambition or by intense desire to remain in leadership or by soured relationship. If we are in this state, then we should pray with Bartimaeus, “Son of David, have mercy on me! Lord, let me see again!” As we celebrate our anniversary, we pray that our Lord may give us the grace to see that he is the way, and the truth, and the life.
With our love and prayers,
JUN and JEAN
October 2008 1st Issue
Vol 7 Issue 10
Rejoice because your names are written in heaven
Lk 10:20
Dear brothers and sisters,
The long Idul Fitri holiday in Indonesia provided us with ample time to read and reflect on the Scriptures. As we continue our reflection on Luke’s Travel Narrative, we reach the point when the disciples returned from their mission and were excitedly reporting to Jesus the wonders they had witnessed. Like the disciples, we also marvel at the little miracles that occur in our lives. We rejoice at our successes in life. These are all good. But Jesus reminds us to rejoice in that one thing that really matters – that our names are written in heaven.
May God give you the grace to trust that he has already written your name in the Book of Life!
God bless.
With our love and prayers,
JUN and JEAN
December 2008 2nd Issue
Vol 7 Issue 14
In a manger
Lk 2:7
Dear brothers and sisters,
As Christmas draws near, let us pause for a moment and reflect on its true significance. There is no doubt that the celebration of Christmas has become more and more dominated by secularism and consumerism. Thus, before we too get caught in the frenzy of shopping for appropriate gifts to give, we ought to pause for a moment and reflect on the greatest gift given to us at Christmas. Before we get lost in the recurring sounds of Jingle Bells and Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, we ought perhaps to ponder on the lyrics of Silent Night. With this thought, we leave for a moment Luke’s Travel Narrative and visit his Birth Narrative.
May the Babe in the manger be the center of our Christmas celebration!
A very Merry and Blessed Christmas to all!
With our love and prayers,
JUN and JEAN
March 2008
Vol 7 Issue 3
God is love
1 Jn 4:16
Dear brothers and sisters,
As we end our reflection on the passion and death of Christ and enter into Easter Sunday reflecting on the glorious resurrection of our Lord, we encourage you to reflect on the truth that God is love and that the most perfect manifestation of this is the sending of the Son to suffer and die that we may have life eternal. The truth that God is love is manifested in our community and felt in our own personal lives. We experience this again and again – and we are certain that you do too.
May the glorious resurrection of our Lord bring you abundant blessings as you continue to serve him with zeal, dedication and love! Happy Easter!
With our love and prayers,
JUN and JEAN
July 2008
Vol 7 Issue 7
But they would not welcome him
Lk 9:53
Dear brothers and sisters,
This month we begin our journey with Jesus through the Travel Narrative in the Gospel of Luke, which describes the travel of Jesus with his disciples from Galilee to Jerusalem , where Jesus will accomplish his Father’s will. Like the disciples, we travel with Jesus in the community of Couples for Christ with faith and hope that this journey will lead us to the new Jerusalem, the new heaven and the new earth, where the Father will welcome us. Through the power of the Holy Spirit we persevere in our journey despite rejections and disappointments, which we may have experienced even from some of those who brought or inspired or led us in this community.
With our love and prayers,
JUN and JEAN
October 2008 2nd Issue
Vol 7 Issue 11
Do this and you will live
Lk 10:28
Dear brothers and sisters,
As we said earlier, the long Lebaran holiday in Indonesia gave us an opportunity to have more time reading and reflecting on the Holy Scriptures. For this reason, we are pleased to share with you a rare second issue of the Letters for the month of October. We pray that God will continue to give you the grace to put into practice the chalk-mark of love that he has imprinted in your heart. May God pour out his blessings as you fully express your love of God by serving others!
With our love and prayers,
JUN and JEAN
April 2008
Vol 7 Issue 4
Do you also wish us to go away
Jn 6:67
Dear brothers and sisters,
God has been good to us! Jakarta is a great blessing from the Lord, a united community of believers serving together. And thus in our prayer and reflection, we continue to long for unity of the global community, to be with old friends again, to pray and worship together as one. Let us continue to pray that God may touch those few men and women who, if they really wish to, can begin the process of reconciliation towards being one community once again. May God bless us all!
With our love and prayers,
JUN and JEAN
August 2008
Vol 7 Issue 8
Nowhere to rest his head
Lk 9:58
Dear brothers and sisters,
As we continue our reflection on Luke’s Travel Narrative, Jesus teaches us that authentic discipleship requires that we disengage from our earthly home, from further responsibilities, and from past relationships. Without God’s grace, this is impossible to attain. Thus we look to our top leaders in the community as models of discipleship. But when they become the very cause of division and conflict, when they are unable to find the humility to really reach out to the other in Christian charity, we begin to wonder – will not the Lord say, with you, I have nowhere to rest my head!
With our love and prayers,
JUN and JEAN
November 2008
Vol 7 Issue 12
There is need of only one thing
Lk 10:42
Dear brothers and sisters,
The story of Martha and Mary is among the most well-known stories in the New Testament. It has become so familiar that sometimes its re-telling no longer touches us. Many have already decided to side with Mary. A few favor Martha. But this should not be so. The Gospel story is meant to unite, not to divide. It is our hope that further reflection into this Gospel story will be a source of unity. There should be room for both Martha and Mary in our community. But the one thing that is needed is to seek God’s presence. For God alone suffices.
With our love and prayers,
JUN and JEAN