Sunday, January 26, 2025
3rd Sunday after the Epiphany

Lunar New Year
(No EM Sunday Service.) 

Scriptures: Luke 4:14-21
Message: “n/a”
Preacher: n/a href=”https://www.slpcenglish.org/multimedia-speaker/rev-lian-chin-siong/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Rev. Lian Chin-Siong

*** Announcements for the Week of January 19^th ***

• THE YOUNG PROFESSIONALS CARECELL
  The Young Professionals CareCell will meet in Room 801 at 19:30 this coming Friday (1/24).
• JOINT SUNDAY SERVICE ON JANUARY 26
  There will only be one joint Sunday service in the 10^th floor hall at 10:30 am on January 26. It will be in Taiwanese. Therefore, there will be NO EM service on that Sunday. EM will be back on February 2.
• ANNUAL CONGREGATIONAL MEETING
  On February 16 (Sun), the SLPC Congregational Meeting will take place in the 10^th floor hall after the second Taiwanese service is ended. All SLPC members are strongly encouraged to attend.
• GUPOZENG SEMINAR
  On Sunday, February 9, there will be a seminar in the topic of “When AI Is More Human Than We Are“. It will take place in the 10^th floor hall at 12:30 PM. It’s free admission. Registration is needed for refreshments. Click this link to register.
  
• WELCOME TEAM RECRUITMENT
  EM’s Welcome Team is recruiting! If you would like to serve and engage more in EM, the Welcome team is a good place to start. Contact its team leader, Mandy, if you can lend a helping hand. Thank you.
• OFFERTORY RECORDS VERIFICATION
  SLPC encourages its congregation to verify his/her offertory records through SLPC’s Line OA member service. Contact James for help on access.
• OFFERING ENVELOPES
  Please use the dedicated envelopes for different kinds of offerings: tithe, building fund, thanksgiving, seasonal, special occasions, and etc.
• SLPC PRAYER MEETINGS
  SLPC will host prayer meetings in Taiwanese and Mandarin in the 7^th floor chapel every Thursday night from 19:30 to 20:30. Ministers of SLPC will lead the meetings. We encourage brothers and sisters to attend.
• THE ELECTRONIC CONNECT CARD
  The electronic version of the Connect Card can now be accessed by scanning the new QR Code below.
  
  Or by clicking this link: https://forms.gle/AJqmNU2HkizjJXNH6
• SCAN OR CLICK TO SIGN-IN EVERY SERVICE
  Please scan the service QR Code around the Chapel entrance or on the bulletin, or click the Sign-In link that will be posted in the EM Family Line group chat each Sunday morning for attendance.

***Special Notice***

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

The Taiwan CDC has loosened its policies on the COVID-19 restrictions. However, it’s an enclosed space inside the church. As a result, please observe the following guidelines when inside the church premises:

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. If you don’t feel well, exhibit symptoms of cold, or have been in close contact with people who are contracting COVID-19, please consider to stay at home and participate the online service instead.

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

Thank you and let’s worship God together on Sundays!

Electronic Sunday Bulletin
EM encourages its congregation to use the electronic version of the Sunday bulletin to save paper.  Please click the following link to access the eBulletin:

https://reurl.cc/zpe96k

Or scan the following QR code.

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.

Chosen in the Face of Prejudice: Embracing Identity Amidst Adversity

Rev. Dr Amos Massey

“Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our ancestors – in order that you may settle in the land of Goshen, because all shepherds are abhorrent to the Egyptians.” (Genesis 46:34)

In the above verse, Joseph instructs his family to present themselves to Pharaoh as livestock keepers, emphasising their longstanding occupation. This approach reveals the cultural dynamics, as shepherds were viewed unworthy and with disdain by Egyptians. This situation serves as a sad reality on racial justice and discrimination.

People in India too, face racial discrimination based on ethnicity, race, colour, language, and also based on physical appearances. For example, the northeast Indians feel insecure in their own country when they face questions and statements like “what are you doing in our country? Can you speak my language? If you are in Bangalore, you should speak Kannada.

Therefore, tens of thousands of migrants returned to the northeast driven by the fear of racially targeted attacks. It is because justice and fairness are difficult for political and economic reasons in the northeast state when compared to other states of India, and when they go outside from their state in search of jobs and education. So, racial prejudice plays a dominant role in the hostile approach to the migrants and racism is at the root of the hostile environment.

Joseph’s guidance illustrates a strategic response to societal prejudice. By identifying as livestock keepers, the Israelites could secure a distinct place in Goshen, away from the Egyptian population, which would help preserve their identity and faith. This separation was not merely practical but also a safeguard against assimilation into a culture that did not honour their God.

The narrative invites us to consider how we respond to racial discrimination today. Just as Joseph sought to protect his family from prejudice and brought a protective measure, Christians are called to advocate for justice and equality.

To determine what the scripture has to say about advocacy, the question we need to ask is: “Who are ‘God’s people on the move’ and what is our responsibility, as Christians, towards them?”

Peter in his first letter in the New Testament writes to God’s people on the move, forced to escape brutal persecution because of their faith. From his description, we can tell that even in their new home, they were still experiencing suffering and conflict. They were nobody’s choice for new neighbours. They were unwanted individuals, strangers in the world, at odds with the culture where they were now living.

But Peter’s opening message to these Christians is astonishing: “You have been chosen by the God, you may be unknown to the people around you, they might not understand who you are, but God has always known you and chosen you.”

Can we imagine how profoundly reassuring this was for these rejected/excluded/discriminated ones? Despised by the society around them, hounded from their homes, they were nonetheless chosen by God.

Similarly, Christians today should build inclusive communities that celebrate diversity rather than perpetuate division. This involves not only standing against discrimination but also actively promoting understanding and reconciliation among different racial and ethnic groups.

By reflecting on these principles from Genesis 46:34, we can better understand contemporary issues of racial justice, ensuring our actions align with the biblical call to love and respect all individuals.