Pastoral Message (Page 14)

Each week one of the pastoral staff prepare a message for the congregation.

Shared sacred space

During our previous Saturday’s Church Retreat, I was heartened to see representatives of our younger and older generations come together on a panel to give their views on Christian discipleship in our church. While we all honestly acknowledged that much more can be done in ORPC for intergenerational ministry, we must also understand that the…

What’s Wrong with the World Today?

“What’s wrong with the world today?” That was the question my Christian Union once posed to those on campus during Mission Week. The answers given were unsurprising, if not telling. They blamed inaccessible education, unequal rights, moral degradation, social injustice, poverty . . . . The list went on. If only we worked these things…

How Should I Respond!

If your superior were to give you a command to carry out a task that soundedfar-fetched, incredulous, and would subject you to social ridicule andderision, what would you do? Would you carry out the task?Well, this was the situation that Noah found himself in when he wascommanded by God to build the ark in a…

Determining to Grow

As a school teacher in the past, June and December have always been important to me as times of rest and reflection. They served as fallow periods, as time for me to consider where I’ve been, what I’ve been doing, as well as to pray and consider where God is calling me to grow in next.

Pray Without Ceasing

Luke 11:5-10 Monday is usually my day off when I try to get away and rest. By “get away,” I mean turning off my phone after answering early morning text messages. This last Monday, however, I received a slightly above average number of messages from members of the congregation. One concerned member mentioned about our…

The Right Offering

“Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but…

Blessed to be a Blessing

Have you ever taken stock of the blessings you have? Think about everything that God has blessed you with, both material and spiritual. Most of us have far more than we usually acknowledge. Here in Singapore, compared to the rest of the world, we are blessed materially beyond belief. And as Christians, regardless of our…

Beloved, and Yet Afflicted

With the COVID pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and the troubles we have encountered, we may wonder why God allows suffering in a world He has created in Genesis 1 and pronounced as good. Isn’t God sovereign, wise, and loving enough to stop all the sufferings in our world and to do so now? Perhaps,…

In the Beginning

I’ve always wondered what it would be like to observe God’s act of creation in the opening chapters of Genesis. Surely, it must have been an awe-inspiring sight. Imagine watching the stars burst forth in brilliant radiance, the mighty waters stilled and parted, and abundant life spilling across every corner of creation—who wouldn’t want front…