18 February 2024 marked the first day of Lent, and coincidentally it was the joyous celebration of Wesley Methodist Church’s 139th Church Anniversary. Lent commemorates the 40 days where Jesus fasted and prayed in the desert. There, He overcame temptation. You may not be aware of this but in the 40 days of Lent, the floral arrangements in Wesley are deliberately subdued to reflect Jesus’ journey in the wilderness. It is also a posture of reflection and penance to celebrate God’s faithfulness.
The hymns sung on this special day, ‘Great is thy faithfulness’ and ‘Jesus we look to thee’ resonated with the theme of steadfast faith. They echoed throughout our sanctuary, lifting our spirits in praise and adoration. Just like previous anniversaries, the Sunbeams Children’s Choir, clad in pure white, worshipped the Lord with their melodic voices. They looked like dancing angels as they sang “I will rejoice” and “Come let us sing with joy for the Lord”.
At every anniversary, we celebrate God’s goodness. This year, Pastor-in-Charge Pastor Ray launched a book project ‘Our Stories, His Glory 2’. This is a compilation of testimonies of church members, former pastors and staff of Wesley who recount their journeys of faith. Six testimonies have been published online at this launch, following which two testimonies will be published every month. By our 140th anniversary in 2025, all 26 testimonies will be published in a printed book. These stories express the faithfulness of God and help us become better disciples of Christ. They challenge us to make a difference to the broken world. Hopefully, they will help us to find our own story so that we may live for Christ.
In a gesture of gratitude, we also continued the tradition of a Wesley church staff dedication. The purpose is to remember and appreciate the staff for their tireless efforts and commitment to serve the Lord. Pastor Ray led the church in a prayer of blessing for the staff members.
The sermon by Trinity Annual Conference (TRAC) President Rev Stanley Chua, “Riding on The Wings of God’s Providence”, was about Joseph’s ordeal. Though Joseph was sold into slavery, God continued to provide for him. Joseph’s story is a testimony of the doctrine of providence. This is a firm reminder to reflect on God’s faithfulness.
Just like Joseph, we must learn to accept every situation that happens in our lives, trusting that God knows best and that He will direct our steps. We do not need to be afraid of the future but believe in God. Let us Wesleyans surrender our control to God for it will liberate us from the burden of trying to figure everything out on our own.
“He knows, He loves, He cares;
Nothing this truth can dim.
He gives the very best to those
Who leave the choice to Him.”
Taken from ‘Life is but a weaving’ by Corrie ten Boom
Praise be to God for bestowing Wesley 139 years of His grace and faithfulness!
For Sermon video, notes and reflection questions>> click here
Photos by Christopher Leong, CJ Goh, Desmond Yiong, Henry Lim, Julian Wee, SY Leong and William Choo
More photos are available here.
Read also: Christmas@Wesley 2023
