Currently, I'm experiencing a certain amount of angst with respect to group dynamics. I need to exercise a fair amount of patience and learn how to manage my emotions around certain individuals. I am grateful that although it's taking a while, I have learnt some important life skills.
For one, I can now have a conversation with a prissy girl without offending her in the first 5 minutes. For another, I've learnt that there's nothing wrong with being a pragmatic tomboy who likes people more than their things! :-P
I had a thought provoking conversation a few days ago with a new friend, where I expressed my angst. He advised me to move to another DENOMINATION. Talk about TRANSFERENCE! I protested, I said that I'm too accultured. I'd rather suffer in silence than move to another denomination. :-P
I think, the culture shock would be even more angsty. I've never known any other church culture. Sunday school since I was 9 was in a Methodist Church. I attended Methodist Girls' School. I went to Anglo Chinese Junior College. I've been a member of the Methodist Church as an adult since 2000, when I got back to Singapore from Brisbane.
Even while I was studying in Brisbane, I went to an ethnically Chinese church where most of the people there had roots in Hong Kong,Indonesia, Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore. So... ya. Pretty much like being in a Methodist Church in Singapore. There were even guys in my Australian church who had gone to ACS and St Andrew's while they were in Primary School! Their parents decided to relocate to Brisbane cos of NS issues.
So... yes, I think if I moved denomination, the culture shock would kill me! I sometimes wonder if I'm a bigoted Methodist. I really don't know any better!
For one, I can now have a conversation with a prissy girl without offending her in the first 5 minutes. For another, I've learnt that there's nothing wrong with being a pragmatic tomboy who likes people more than their things! :-P
I had a thought provoking conversation a few days ago with a new friend, where I expressed my angst. He advised me to move to another DENOMINATION. Talk about TRANSFERENCE! I protested, I said that I'm too accultured. I'd rather suffer in silence than move to another denomination. :-P
I think, the culture shock would be even more angsty. I've never known any other church culture. Sunday school since I was 9 was in a Methodist Church. I attended Methodist Girls' School. I went to Anglo Chinese Junior College. I've been a member of the Methodist Church as an adult since 2000, when I got back to Singapore from Brisbane.
Even while I was studying in Brisbane, I went to an ethnically Chinese church where most of the people there had roots in Hong Kong,Indonesia, Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore. So... ya. Pretty much like being in a Methodist Church in Singapore. There were even guys in my Australian church who had gone to ACS and St Andrew's while they were in Primary School! Their parents decided to relocate to Brisbane cos of NS issues.
So... yes, I think if I moved denomination, the culture shock would kill me! I sometimes wonder if I'm a bigoted Methodist. I really don't know any better!
Objectively, I don't have an issue with being a Methodist, what I do have is an inability to deal with certain types of people. And these types of people will exist everywhere, in and outside of church. So logically, even if I switched denomination and became an Anglican, the fundamental problem of me having difficulty dealing with these types of people would still remain!
Let's examine some CORE Methodist values though. I don't have my handbook with me, but let's see how much I can come up with viscerally.
1. Esprit de Corp
2. Pragmatism
3. Education for all
4. Social Responsibility
5. Systematic Execution
I remember Pastor Malcolm Tan from Barker Road Methodist Church quoting John Wesley, quoting St Augustine:
In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.
Sounds good to me. So yes, I think I'm here to stay. Sorry :-P.
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