Week 9 - SAC

After a week of incisiveness, I finally settled on visiting St Andrews Cathedral. I've been there many times, but never for a full service. It turns out that it was a pretty good idea.

Michelle had to put up with me being late (oops!), and we had to scramble sheepishly into the church when the songs had started. Funnily enough though, we bumped into Wayne and Michelle, who were visiting SAC as well! I wasn't too surprised; I knew how Wayne likes his traditional stuff (hymns!).

I just realized I wrote of two Michelles in one paragraph without differentiating them. Ok la if you know then you know. : p

SAC, as expected, was very traditional. I got a bit confused with all the page flipping and trying to find the right book for the right moment. Hymn singing was great, although I did find it a little challenging to sight read the notes and the words, and to dwell on their meanings and give glory to God with all my strength and brainpower at one go. Challenging, but great.

As with most other traditional services, a great amount of decorum and order is observed in the service. Yet, the humility of the leaders and God's people shine through; evidenced in how they performed their tasks; important and with reverence, yet without pomp. And using Singlish now and again helps, nothing quite sets us at ease as a few choice words at the right moment. Good lah. : )

We had communion there. It was practiced via intinction, which is breaking the bread and then dipping it into a cup of wine (real wine!) to partake of it. I suppose that I would be expected to feel different, being in such a grand church, kneeling at the front in such an old place; in fact perhaps I even expected to feel different, perhaps filled with more reverence and awe. The truth was that it was the same. The same humbling experience I got from earnestly wanting to partake of communion, from every church that I had been to. Thank you Jesus. : )

The sermon for the day was spoken by a guest speaker (strike 2! augh), the head of Singapore Bible College, Dr Albert Ting. He basically spoke a message on something I had heard before, although not in the exact manner I had heard it. I can't remember if it was Ps John Bevere or someone else... but anyway. It was on the fight that the Israelites had with the Amalekites, not too long after the Exodus out of Egypt.

In it, Moses had to raise his staff on a hill overlooking the battle, to signify God's sovereignty; when the staff was up, the Israelites were winning, when his arms dropped, they began to lose. The story was then used to show principals about leadership and work being done in a church. Notes below!

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1 - Moses the leader. Holding up the mission, purpose and will of God. Making sure the will of God is being done. He needs to be visible and exposed. Never go up alone! Bring along an Aaron and Hur, people who will support and pray along and for you.

2 - Aaron and Hur. Assistants to the leader. Support and ensure the success of the leader. Being a good assistant is to be loyal and supportive. That said, these people must be wise. They must support the leader especially when he is weak, instead of criticizing him. Help him to focus on his strength and to do his job.

3 - Joshua, the executor. His job is to carry out the mission and obey the leader. Everyone has been gifted with God's blessing. The more important thing is the need to be submitted to the leadership of the church, as God has ordained.

The leaders must lead, challenge! The assistants must support, advise! The executors must work, obey, and be passionate!

We are all in this together! We all need to work, and be participants in this ministry of God's. And then the joy of serving will be there.
~~~

After the service, Michelle and I uh... partook of the complimentary nourishments that were provided to the congregation of the foreign national service. : p ummm. yeah. Hey God provides right??

Not much else, save that later that day I was asked to be the co-ordinator for Tristan and Huiling's wedding, as well as Vincent's wedding dinner. Uh!