Wing Tang was born in a non-Christian family but she encountered Christ when she was in her school’s student fellowship. In the past, she relied on her wisdom for academics and work, and her life was rather smooth. That was until two years ago when she experienced struggles with relationships and lost her job. During that time, she questioned God about why the more she trusted Him, the tougher her experience. But, God transformed her through the women’s Pure Desire group and the GROW course helped her draw closer to God. She was able to reconnect with her parents after 2 years and she was able to forgive because she prioritized God’s forgiveness over her personal unforgiveness. She is thankful that God has transformed her into a more joyful, peaceful and beloved daughter.

I remember the middle schooler’s anguish as she said, “You can’t do this! I need this!” We were living in Hanoi and attending a small international fellowship that was entirely run by volunteers. I was co-leading the youth ministry and between the other leader and I, we couldn’t manage a weekly meeting and so we proposed meeting every other week. For this Grade 8 girl as a lone Christ-follower at a very secular international school, youth group was an oasis, refuge and high point of her week. (We got the message!)

Scripture says the same to us in Hebrews 10:25, but in a positive way: “Let us not give up meeting together.” Nevertheless, the sentiment behind these words is just as true: we can’t stop meeting together because we need it. Community is essential to being formed in Christ-likeness.

That being said, we are in a unique time and given our situation and the best decision for health and safety is to not meet in-person for a time. Still, this passage in Hebrews chapter 10 contains several spiritual practices we should do:

“Let us draw near to God…” v.22 One silver lining in this situation might be the gift of time. (My kids get an hour and half of extra sleep in the mornings! Can I get an Amen?!) Draw near to our Father with extended or deeper time in the Word and in prayer. Try the ONE devotion app for your Quiet Time. 

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess…” v.23 The King of Kings is Lord over the Coronavirus so pray with hope for people who are infected, and pray for the medical staff treating them. Pray with great confidence and hope “for He who promised is faithful.”

“Let us … spur one another on toward love and good deeds…” v.24 Your act of love or kindness inspires others to do the same! Challenge one another - even be competitive about it (in a good way). Brett’s call for mask donations in the sermon is a good example. 

“… encourage one another…” v.25 The passage crescendos to keep meeting together, and we will this Sunday, online! Until then, encourage someone. Send a Whatsapp or email of appreciation or prayer for them, or do an act of service to bless them. Be encouraged in Him today! 

We pour a lot of love and effort into making the Sunday experience a memorable and meaningful one for you and your family. We strongly believe that a church community and gathering should be at the core of all believers' spiritual habits, but that it shouldn't be the only time we care for our soul during the week. With that belief, and during this unique time in our city, we wanted to share with you some resources outside of a Sunday service that will help you grow in your faith. 

Every time we turn the leaf to a new year, we are hopeful that things will be different. We make New Year's resolutions, we gather together with family members, and we give blessings to one another, and we do all these things with reserved anticipation that this new year will be better than the last. 

However, just one day into this year of the rat,

… there is still discord in the city.

… and a virus that harkens us back to 2003. 

We are reminded that the turning of the calendar doesn’t guarantee anything. Certainly, we can relate to the sentiments of Solomon when he says, “what has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” (Eccl 1:9) Not the most uplifting message right? However, to those of us struggling to find meaning in all this suffering, there is hope and encouragement to be found in the words of Solomon. 

In fact, the message of Ecclesiastes is not fatalistic. Quite the opposite, it is a call for all of us to enjoy every moment as a gift from God, because it is all temporary. “However many years anyone may live, let them enjoy them all.” (11:8a) Life’s brevity actually brings meaning to every moment, so we should enjoy it!

This is not a licence for us to sin, but it is a call for us all to begin thinking about the things in life that bring us joy. It seems counter-intuitive, but perhaps the attitude we can adopt in such a time as this is an attitude of gratitude. Perhaps in the midst of this strife and confusion, trying to enjoy every moment of life will help us acknowledge that our sovereign God is in control. 

In 2005, the late David Foster Wallace shared this parable:

There are these two young fish swimming along, and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says, “Morning, boys. How’s the water?” And the two young fish swim on for a bit, and then eventually one of them looks over at the other and goes, “What the [heck] is water?”

Growing up, we all construct narratives to make sense of our experience, trying to understand why the world is the way it is and what our place is in it. It’s a practice, story telling, that we continue subconsciously daily as adults as we navigate our identity and significance, and eventually, legacy.

It’s here that it’s important to recall a great truth Paul adopts in Acts 17:28… 

“For in Him we live and move and have our being”

We all craft stories, but Paul reminds us that once in Christ, all our stories must fit within God’s story as the author and sustainer of life. Read this passage in Acts 17, and you’ll be reminded God created you, and designed the time and place you would love so that you could know Him. So any attempt to understand yourself or the environment around you with God would be a mistake.

So here’s the important practice we can adopt.

If we daily tell ourselves stories about who we are, then daily we should ask if what we’re saying or thinking about ourself, our relationships and our purpose is true. Otherwise we simply become the fish who don’t know they’re in water.

My favourite children’s author, Mo Willems, says this. “If you find yourself in the wrong story, leave.”

So today, start by pausing and asking God to reveal what you are believing about yourself and others. And if it’s not God’s truth, His story, then leave it. Then ask Him to help you adopt His way of seeing things, because only then can we find true life.