Sunday, April 2, 2023
Palm Sunday

Scripture:
Matthew 21:1-11
Message: “TBA”
Preacher: Rev. Lian Chin-Siong

*** Announcement ***

• BIBLE STUDY AFTER THE SERVICE
  There will be a Bible study session in Room 702 after the service. Light refreshments will be provided. Please come and join.
• RIVERLINK FELLOWSHIP SPRING PICNIC
  Date & Time: 9:30 am onwards, Saturday, April 22nd
  Location: Taipei Expo Park (花博公園)
  Fee: $100 per adult
  More details to be revealed later by leader, Jennifer.
• 110TH ANNIVERSARY EVENT – BEACH CLEANUP
  Date & Time: 9:00 – 15:00, Saturday, April 29
  Venue: Jinshan Beach (金山磺港金青沙灘)
  Address: Next to #326, Huanggang Rd., Jinshan Dist.,
  New Taipei City (新北市金山區磺港路326號旁)
  Fee: $200 (bus, insurance, lunch), 160 SLPC attendees only.
  Itinerary is as follows:
  8:40 Check-in, 9:00 Departure;
  10:30 – 12:00 Beach Cleanup;
  12:00 – 13:30 Lunch at The Brothers Restaurant (兄弟食堂)
  13:30 – 15:00 Free time at Jinshan Old Street (金山老街)
  15:00 Head home
  Register ＞online＜(or scan the QR Code below), at the office, or with James. Registration ends on April 16th or when it’s full.
  
• LAST SUPPER MEMORIAL SERVICE
  There will be a Last Supper Memorial Service in the 10th floor hall at 19:30 on Thursday, April 6th. The service will be in Mandarin and Taiwanese. In the service, there will be a Holy Communion, as well as hymns and songs presented from various choirs in SLPC, including EM Choir.

***Special Notice***

Hello brothers and sisters in Christ! May the peace of Christ be with you!

Here are the current COVID-19 safety measures employed in the church:

1. Please make sure you have your masks properly worn when entering and inside the church. Disinfect your hands with alcohol if necessary. Maintain social distancing whenever possible.

2. Food and drinks are conditionally allowed inside the church compound.

Let’s do our very best to adhere to these regulations as we worship God on Sundays!

Electronic Sunday Bulletin
EM encourages its congregation to use the electronic version of the Sunday bulletin to save paper.  Please scan the following QR code to access the bulletin.

Or, click on this link for the bulletin:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1F1WM652H2wmqYnT3OOZrsCnKtpC_QyWE

If you have any suggestion regarding the eBulletin, please let us know.  Thank you!

SERVE IN EM

Come and serve in EM!  You can join the Liturgy, the Audio/Video team, the Praise team, the EM Choir, the Homeless Ministry team, or the Kids Club.  Email: emcaresforyou@gmail.com for more info.

CROSS, A RESPONSE TO RACE AND CLASS

⁶ To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. ¹⁰ But if Christ is in you, then the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. ¹¹ If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you. (Romans 8:6-11)

I grew up on the outskirts of a city in Guyana. It is a small village of many ethnic races, people of different religious upbringings and even a distinct sense of social classes and identities. During my early school years, I would play with all my classmates, sharing food and other elements of good school life. Well, of course, there’s always the exception of that ‘one smart kid’ whose fundamentals are too rubric for play or engagement, but other than that, I had fun. Regardless of skin colour, money in my pocket, or awkward stuttering, I engaged well with others and thought less of any of these barriers.

Later in the years to follow, the brightly burning candle of engagement gradually became dim as the differences of race, class, and religion became glaring to my conscience due to the growing awareness. I found myself being in trouble most of the time. As to my village upbringing, I would have to structurally disassociate with groups and classes of people when I would be in uniform and neatly presented to the educational forums. It was the requirement to fit in. Absurdly hypocritical, it is that the ones I was forced to hate were the ones who became my partners out in the fields when the afternoon came. When the shirt was no longer tucked into the pants, or when I had to be neat and organised to hate.

Well, isn’t it what we fight for? High offices, suits, and ties? And firm structures?

A valid response from the Rastafarian community would be to say, “Fire pon that!” as the question of transformation comes into play. The idea of a transformation seeks to transcend beyond the norms of world disorders. Transformation is not being afraid to take the other step in the act of solidarity with minorities across the borders of separation.

On this day, we are reminded of God’s justice through the death on the cross and resurrection. As an example of transgression, the challenge comes to go beyond the common ground regardless of the outcome of the courageous vocation with which we are called.

Christopher Latchman,
Guyana Presbyterian Church