Church News (Page 26)
Look to God for Help
By Rev Dr Clive Chin This past week the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced the new name of the novel coronavirus that has infected more than 60,000 people and responsible for the death of more than 1,350 people worldwide. Its official name is COVID-19. But does the name of the virus really matter? Apparently, WHO was intent on finding a name that did not associate…
Work and Vocation
By Ps Ho Wei Liang It is undeniable that work takes up a significant proportion of our time, whether we are students, workers or homemakers. With work being such a major part of our lives, there is an important and pressing need for us to adopt a healthy concept of work as part of our Christian vocation; it is not the whole. The other domains include the Christian call to…
To Be Mature in Christ
By Pr Herna Kong In many cultures, one is considered an adult when one turns twenty-one. Now, can we apply this consideration to one who has been a Christian for twenty-one years? Can he or she be immediately considered spiritually mature because of that? The answer is a NO. One’s spiritual maturity is not determined by how long one has been a Christian. It is not…
REUNION
By Ps Ho Wei Liang Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God” (Rev. 19:9). The Lunar New Year is fast approaching. It is a wonderful time of catching up with family and loved ones. The eve of Lunar New Year specifically is a time of family reunion,…
The Blessings of the Cross
By Rev Dr Edward Goh The cross was an instrument of execution, perfected by the Romans to inflict torture and humiliation. Prior to crucifixion, its victims would be scourged by whips with bones or glass attached, ripping off the flesh, leaving sinews and bones exposed. Some would die from such scourging. The criminals were then made to carry their cross beams to the…
The Message of 1 Corinthians
By Rev Dr Clive Chin Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians was written around AD 55 to a spiritually troubled church. The church was actually comprised of various house churches, but Paul refers to them collectively as the church. Corinth was a major port city, with many temples devoted to Greek and Roman gods, and an affluent economic centre. It is no wonder that…
“New Year,” New Rhythm
By Ps Ho Wei Liang Today marks the first Sunday of 2020, the beginning of a new year and a new decade. This is at least true for the major part of our world today in which most countries have adopted the Gregorian calendar for civil purposes. But let us pause to think for a moment. Have you ever wondered how much our lives are determined by the calendar we adopt?…
Number Your Days Wisely
By Pr Herna Kong As we are reaching the close of the year, we will do well to number our days wisely because we do not know how many of them we are still left with. The gift of each day to us is a blessing from God. We can use it and live it only once. Once it passes, we cannot get it back, so every today is an opportunity, and it is precious. It is no surprise then…
Celebrating Tradition
By Dr Agnes Tan During this time of the year, our church celebrates a service called A Festival of Lessons and Carols. Let me share with you the story behind this special service. In 1880, Edward White Benson, the first Bishop of Truro in Cornwall, England and later the Archbishop of Canterbury, created a new service called The Nine Lessons with Carols for…
“Be Like Christ in His Incarnation”
By Rev Dr Clive Chin An important message of Christmas is that God is with us. Jesus Christ came into this world and became one of us. The evangelist writes in Matt. 1:23, “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). For followers of Jesus Christ, that means we are to be like Christ in his incarnation.…