Sunday, October 20, 2024
22nd Sunday after Pentecost

Scriptures: Job 38:1-7, 34-41
Message: “Answer Me”
Preacher: Rev. Lian Chin-Siong

*** Announcements for the Week of October 13^th ***

• WORD AND BREAD SMALL GROUP
  The Word & Bread small group will meet in Room 702 after the service next Sunday (10/20).
• GUPOZENG SEMINAR ON 10/20
  The Gupozeng Bible Studies (牛埔庄講義所) will host a seminar in the 10^th floor hall at 12:30 PM on Sunday, 10/20. The topic is: “The Life Philosophy of Co-Existing with Pressure (與壓力共存的人生哲學)”, and the speaker is a renowned writer, Ellen Huang (黃越綏老師). Registration is needed for light refreshments, and the deadline is 10/16. Click the link below to register:
  https://reurl.cc/bYaolX

  

• EM RETREAT
  EM will host a 2-day-1-night Retreat in the SuangLien Elderly Center (雙連安養中心) from 11/23 (Sat.) to 11/24 (Sun.). Registration ends on Sunday, 11/3. Please click the following link to register: https://forms.gle/mVMVUzt7tmvHSUPK8
• YEAR-END BAPTISM
  The year-end baptism will be on Sunday, December 29. If you or family (friends) would like to be baptized or reconfirm your faith at SLPC, please register with Rev. Lian. Teenagers and adults must attend 6 Sunday baptism classes first, which will start on 10/27.
• 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. Pastors 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/QEgv05

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.

Oppressed Land

Preman Rajan / Church of the American Ceylon Mission

How long will the land lie parched and the grass in every field be withered? Because those who live in it are wicked, the animals and birds have perished Moreover, the people are saying, “He will not see what happens to us.” ~ Jeremiah 12:14

My grandpa’s house was in a war zone in Batticaloa (Sri Lanka). It was a green eco-farm, with a vegetable and fruits garden. It was heaven when I was a child. After many years, I was able to visit there in 2011 after the end of the genocidal war. When I visited there the place was chaotic, the piece of land was full of broken building crumbs, used militant parts, and human wastages. It was messy and polluted. Eventually, I started to clean the piece of the land. I removed all the building crumbs, militant wastages, and other rubbish. It took nearly one week for me to bring it as clean land and I also spent a sum of money from my wages. For me, it was not just a cleaning process, rather a liberating process from the hand of human oppression.

After a few months, I visited there again; it was amazing, full of the glory of God, heavenly feelings. After the cleaning, grasses and bushes started to grow and flourished colorfully. Also I noticed some bees, butterflies, and birds enjoyed their life. I understand that the land should be liberated from human conflict and human occupations. From that day, I have been hearing the cry of the land in my context. Most of the land is being militarized, industrialized, capitalized, and made inorganic.

In the name of development, economic growth, national security, civilization and religion, many parts of the land have been forcibly occupied, destroyed and made toxic. There are the violent behaviors and attitudes of human beings; we are violating God’s given responsibility, doing sin against God’s purpose and its creation. As the book of Job says, “My land has cried out against me” (Job 31:38), nowadays the land is crying out against us, because, in the ground we remove its plants, mining its resources and killing its biodiversity. Furthermore, in the name of religion, race, caste and culture, we make the natural land a battlefield, throwing hazardous bombs and chemicals.

Let us mediate the following prophecy; “How long will the land mourn, and the grass of every field wither? For the wickedness of those who live in it the animals and the birds are swept away, and because people said, ‘He is blind to our ways.’ ” (Jeremiah 12:4).

Let us realize our wickedness that violates God’s purpose and kills the land through our lifestyle. Now, we are called to liberate the land which is mourned and crying out.