Life

I attended two Sunday services today. My neighbourhood church is being constituted into the local conference as a full-fledge church and service was arranged to be held at 4.00pm and so I decided to go back to my old church downtown KL for its 9.00am service. Since the inception of a new pastor into that church, I have been looking forward to hearing him speak as I heard he is good, especially in his expository sermons.

However, it was not meant to be. Attend I did but time was spent with two church members sharing their experience in going on a short mission trip to Northern Thailand, short as in a one-week trip. So by the time the pastor took the pulpit, all the time he had was enough for him to close the testimonies with a few words on mission. And this is not the first time I am missing on his sermons. Looks like I have to try harder.

But about short mission trips, I am not sure yet of my take on them though. It may have its purposes but I question whose needs we are meeting, being just short mission trips. I know I am being very cynical lately and I may not be right about such things. But one thing the pastor say is right, the church needs to be more involved in mission and the next trip they are planning will be one equipped with medical personnel to bring the much needed help and assistance.

Come 4.00pm, we attended the inaugural service of Life Methodist Church Puchong. The sermon was given by Rev Ong Hwa Teik, from Exodus 20:1-17, the Ten Commandments. These commandments were given by God to the Israelites as among the first imprints of their lives as a nation. There are the laws and there must be obedience.

As far as the church is concerned, having called itself Life Methodist Church, must realize the life that is in Christ within and without. Pope John Paul II once said that we live in a culture of death. The events, the happenings, the massacres, the murders and even the violence that we exposed ourselves to in the name of entertainment, give proof to that fact, we really live in a culture of death. Life is indeed very cheap.

But not to God. He is life and life is his to give, and us to receive. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and only in Christ, we have life abundant. Do we receive that life? Do we live out that life in Christ? Do we mirror to the people around us to life that is in Christ?

pearlie
Picture by Martin Boose