These are the words of our Lord Jesus:
“To love God with all your hearts, with all your understandings and with all your strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
Last Sunday, at our AGM, we thank God for His faithfulness in sustaining and keeping our church for all these years. This year is our 60th anniversary! We reminded ourselves on the need to hold steadfastly to our brethren distinctiveness and relevant traditions like Word-based and laity centric. We reiterated and encouraged all present at AGM, to be faithful, available and teachable. We do not need many capable ministry workers but we need many, many more simple ministry co-workers who will play important integral parts in the overall ministry scheme of things.
Mark 12:33 challenges us on the issue in living the Christian life on commitment and condition of our hearts. Actions may be temporarily deceiving, but ultimately our outward behaviour will reflect what’s inside, because our internal attitudes form who we really are. Those inner attitudes are also what God deems most important.
John MacArthur’s book on “The Pillars of Christian Character” dwells on the essential attitudes of a living faith. And MacArthur examines the attitudes of genuine faith, obedience, humility, selfless love, forgiveness, self-discipline, gratitude and worship. A simple and readable 180 page booklet which comes with a small group/personal guide at the end. Strongly recommended as a Small Group Bible study material guide.
One interesting account mentioned in the book. That the venerable St Paul Cathedral in London stands as a monument to it’s acclaimed architect Sir Christopher Wren. While this cathedral is Sir Wren’s best-known achievement, an interesting story is connected with a lesser known building of his design. Wren was tasked to design the interior of the town hall in Windsor (West London). His plans called for large columns to support the high ceiling. When done, the authority expressed one problem: the pillars. They wanted more of them. So Wren did exactly what he was told and put in four NEW pillars. But these pillars support non-weight, and in fact, never even reach the ceiling. They are fakes! They are there to look good.
Lesson:
We are at times decorative pillars. We implement attractive styles of worship and teaching, along with “innovative ” organizational formats designed to attract more people. Substance has been replaced by shadow. Content is out, style is in. Meaning is out, method is in. The church may look right, but it bears little weight.
So, let’s be watchful for ourselves less we become fake pillars ourselves.
Elder Andrew Lim
Ref: Pillars of Christian Character (John MacArthur)
