13 & 14 June 2026 (Pastoral Page) RESET TO STAY IN THE GAME

by Asst Ps Elaine Ng

As you read this, the largest Church Camp in our church’s history is taking place in Melaka, Malaysia. For most of my working life, I always looked forward to church camps as a mid-year spiritual retreat to relax, renew and recharge so much so that in my former workplace, my colleagues (the pre-believers too) used to expect me to go to Camp in June and wondered what I did at such retreats. I have found camps a great time to (re)connect with old and new friends and also with our Abba Father through daily times of worship together, learning together, praying together, eating together, and playing together. Camps have been a time of “reset” to prepare myself to face the second half of the year with important reminders of whose I am and who I am. A deeply loved child of God the Father, who is to love Him and love others through Christ and in the Spirit.

The English camp theme is Living at Godspeed. When you hear the word “speed”, what do you associate it with? I’m guessing that it will have something to do with the rate of motion and often a high one such as “Fast” or “Rush” rather than “Slow” or “Decelerate”. So, what is Godspeed? Here then is one of the many mysteries of God. As we can see through His Word and also from our own experiences, God can move very fast, sometimes with unexpected immediacy, and also very slow, sometimes painfully so. I am very much looking forward to what our speaker, Mark Buchanan, will be sharing at Camp and also during the post-camp sessions which we are all encouraged to attend. The videos of the camp and post-camp sessions will be made available later.

Earlier, I mentioned the word “reset”. I enjoy pickleball tremendously and in pickleball, experienced players know that winning is not only about speed or power. One of the most important skills in pickleball is the “reset.” In pickleball, a reset is a soft, controlled defensive shot used to take the pace off your opponent's aggressive drive and drop the ball gently into the kitchen (the non-volley zone). When the rally becomes fast and chaotic, a good player learns to slow the game down with a reset so that they can have a better opportunity to get back into the game. It has been hard for me to master the pickleball reset technically. It requires me to hold back from hitting regularly and to trust that my paddle will do the work for me by absorbing and using the force generated by the opponent. When I can’t reset the ball successfully or consistently, I end up losing the plot and point all too quickly. So learning to reset consistently is something that I am working on.

In many ways, our discipleship journey begins with a spiritual reset and requires periodic resets. Life today is fast-paced and exhausting. We fill our schedules, chase achievements, and carry burdens silently. Yet Jesus continually invited weary people to come to Him for rest. Following Christ is not about running harder, but learning to abide in Him daily and to take extended time periodically to rest in Him. Discipleship teaches us to pause, pray, and allow God to reshape our hearts. As we have been learning through this season, we should not be embarking on this using our own will power but learn to yield to the Holy Spirit to empower us to do so. Using the pickleball example, it is to trust the paddle to do the work of resetting. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” I wonder how many of us find it hard to trust God, that what He promises He will do. As followers of Christ, may we learn to “master” this reset so that we are able to stay in the game for Him!