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Thursday, January 01, 2004
Sonic Movement : Glenn Lim Interviewer : Dawn FungA pivotal figure in the underground, alternative music scene, Glenn Lim also is the most elusive interviewee in the whole world. We finally got to meet at Starbucks at Holland Village, at the usual time of eleven, at night. We chat a bit on the history of Singapore's Christian music scene, Glenn's divine break with the law, and pioneering for Jesus.  "I gave up my music. I gave up my lifestyle completely. I gave up everything because I placed God as priority back then. But God had other plans. He started giving me back..." THE WAKE UP CALL It took Christmas to open Glenn's eyes to the needs of the people in the music scene. Asked to organize a gig at Takashimaya on Christmas Eve, it was his first such celebration outside the church after becoming a Christian. However the indifferent response to their hard work changed the direction, and heart of Glenn. "That Christmas gig in 1997 or 1998 opened my eyes opened my eyes to the "lostness" of the scene. My old friends were there, ten thousand people were crowding around the atrium and fights were going on simultaneously - people with bottles and Jack Daniels' basically they were having a party of their own. My heart really broke because I realized that the very reason why Christmas began. Jesus came for these very people outside the church, the lost people. I had lost touch with what was happening in the secular scene. I made a commitment to do something worthwhile with the Christian music talents and resources that we had." AN AWAKENING "In 1998, Awakening Productions became a platform where Christians who were inclined to fringe activities, including various forms of art, could use that to reach others in a non-intimidating manner. That means that you could organize a gig using Awakening Productions with no Christian connotations. The Christian connection comes from the people in administration, the bands and the artists. It was a way to reach out to the secular industry." Today Awakening Productions has a foothold in the secular music industry. It works closely with different arts and government organisations. For example, in 1999 Awakening Productions organised a fringe arts festival for the youths called Hype with the National Arts Council. Every year they are commissioned by Esplanade to plan the three day alternative music gig, Bay Beats. In 2004 there will be other partnerships with the Substation and the National Park Boards. These events align with social causes like anti-terror and drug awareness, as well as allow disaffected youths to participate in the music industry. "We are blown away by how God is using us to influence positively the musical diet of Singapore. For example, in Bay Beats, we get to manage the events and decide who can go onstage. That means overseeing over 150 bands that play over the three to four days. They report directly to us. The sense of authority that God has given us in the music scene is unheard of and we take it seriously. We truly believe that we've been called into the music scene to make a difference and to contribute to a healthy environment." Awakening Productions also had its share of difficulties, some issues faced came from those outside and inside the church. "Some non-Christians began to suspect us and accused us, "Why are you mixing religion and music? We don't like that." There was a talk about mutiny, to release an anti-Christ album against us because we were Christians. Some in the church accused us of backsliding, going down the edge, doing the devil's work. It was a real battle out there. It was then that I felt that we should raise up another platform." Sonic Edge was raised to capture the language and culture of the streets and to express church in modern youth culture. Mark DeYong, director of the wildly successful Parachute Festivals in New Zealand, was the one who inspired the birth of Sonic Edge. Sonic Festival, a culmination of different forms of worship by Christian artists. From Glenn's own experiences and observations, "These festivals are huge and break barriers...Worship is not a musical style, it is a lifestyle." A PERSONAL TOUCH For Glenn himself, God had a specific calling on his life. Diagnosed with reactive behavioral syndrome, he became known as a youth at risk where as a fringe kid, Glenn took to the limit anything that came his way. Music, especially on the electric guitar, grew to be his outlet. He grew from part time playing in pubs during NS to a full time sessionist and then assigned to countries for work. Glenn's drug abuse also increased with his work profile. "I was doing well, they fed and paid us well and still I could not fill that void. Crossing the border to Singapore, I'd carry a stash which I could sometimes sell for a profit.I remember New Year's Eve in 1994. I was caught at the checkpoint. Two custom officers stopped me and said, "Excuse me, could I bring you to the strip search room?" When you get charged for drugs in Singapore, you get charged in three ways. The first for possessions, the second for getting caught red-handed during transactions which is trafficking and the third, for illegal importation. Mine was the third, which carried the Singapore life sentence of 24 years and 24 strokes of cane. That very night, I remembered 3 am, I called my parents. I had already disowned them in a sort of way because I could not stand them. They broke down and cried. The next day they bailed me out. I knew of someone from Teen Challenge and got myself admitted into the one year resident programme. I got a lawyer to help me mitigate. We could only plead for leniency because I was caught red handed, guilty as charged with the evidence there. In Teen Challenge I accepted Christ." Three months later, on the day of Glenn's trial a miraculous thing happened. The judge said, "I've never done this before in my entire life or the history of Singapore courts. I'm going to consider your appeal and drop it to a first possession charge and with that possession charge, a minimum of 6 months." That 'holiday' brought to remembrance the vow that he had made to God - "I am going to serve you from this day onwards. You come and take over my life." He stayed on in Teen Challenge where he progressed to a full time staff. I gave up my music. I gave up my lifestyle completely. I gave up everything because I placed God as priority back then. But God had other plans. He started giving me back. Matt 6:33 says, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." It started with a morning devotion worship, and then chapel. God gave him opportunities to lead worship, from a band and organise Teen Challenge's first charity concert. It was his first Christmas outside Teen Challege that gave him the impetus for Awakening Productions. Today, with the recognition and help of Church Of Our Saviour (COOS), Glenn is a full time pastoral staff there. "One of my favourite mandates is from Gensis 50:20 'You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives'. God doesn't stop at redeeming, he reverses the process, even from minus ten to a positive ten. He can do so much more. I've seen the this principle over and over again in the lives of many people. I know this guy in the scene who was so angry and you could see that he had always something to say. And I said, "This guy, if he comes to know the Lord, he'll fight so hard for Christ." We were there for him in a crisis and not long after that he accepted Jesus. Now he channels that anger for Christ and is a warrior for Jesus." Glenn's view of youths today is that God will turn these Sauls will turn into Pauls because He is able to redeem anything. His advice to youth workers and leaders is not to write off God's grace by writing off the extreme generation. THE EXTREME GENERATION "We tend to view these youth at risks with our earthly eyes. We have to see them through Jesus'. Jesus saw their potential - invest even in their lives because you never know. Like me. No one wanted to invest in me. I was a loser guy, smoking and pothead...My heart is for the young people to rise up to their calling. Maybe the reason why it is expressed in all these vices is because they have a specific DNA wiring and calling which they have not found yet." Glenn is adamant that youth workers and pastors not accomplish their goals through a short term youth rally. He sees young people today crying out for authenticity in a superficial world. The key to reaching them is relationships. Bands who call themselves Christians must be likewise offstage and build relationships with those they are reaching out to. "There are times when I really begin to embrace the call of God in my life was when I had real relationships with those people who thought I mattered. It was not programmes or activities and not performance oriented- the post modern generation is a generation that craves authenticity. Love must be authentic." Authentic relationships are not done in a day. In the parable of the sower, only one soil type bears crop. One in four soil type conditions. But the seed is still the same seed. The issue is the soil conditions. What we need to do is more plowing of the ground. Especially in the hardened soil conditions. The kids are hardened. You need to plow. So there are seasons. I believe our ministry in Awakening and other fringe outfits have been called to plow so that we can change the spiritual climates first. It is a long haul because relationships are hard. There are many barriers and we need to tear these barriers down and build trust." CURRENT AFFAIRS I asked Glenn where he is now at this point of his life. He grinned and acknowledged that God had been speaking to him about his age and doing the three Es of Empowering, Envisioning and Encouraging. "I look at how Moses empowered Joshua. 'Act your Age' means to know your place. I cannot go on jumping and prancing on stage forever. I cannot organize gigs singlehandedly forever. I have to empower other people. And I have to mentor them. These are the ones who will reach their generation. That is my season. I'm not as excited as before when I see doors and opportunities open. I'm more prayerful now whereas five years ago I would have thanked God and jumped into it. Sometimes you see all these things and you are so excited by its scale. But God might not be there. With Awakening Productions and Sonic Edge Ministry, Glenn plays a pioneering role in the church. I asked him about the difficulties of laying foundations. "You have to deal with a lot of setbacks and the lack of support. Everyone who starts a new thing has to face setbacks because there are no models that you can refer to. Setbacks tend to seep our your faith level and if I didn't have the support of my church and pastors I would not be here. If not for my church backing there would cease to be an Awakening Productions. My wife has a crucial part to play apart from being my spouse. Sonic Edge is not her ministry, she does her dance ministry but because she is my spouse, she is inevitably there, to counsel some of the girls. I would not have reached this far if not for her, and I guess it would be dangerous and very difficult for single guys to start out a ministry like that. It would cause us to be vulnerable. Because she is my wife, she would be there in any case. Two people become one. And we work as a team. So it is regardless of ministry and calling. Whatever affects me affects her as well. She is part of what I do." Last words, Glenn? "Read your bible and stay true." --- First published 271203. Visit glennlim.net Photo taken from glennlim.net
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