Sunday, May 4, 2025
3rd Sunday of Easter
Outdoor Worship at LinSen Park(林森公園)

Scriptures: John 21:1-19
Message: “(TBA)”
Preacher: Rev. Lian Chin-Siong

*** Announcements for the Week of April 27^th ***

• EM CAFÉ
  EM Café will open for business in the 7^th floor café area at 19:30 this coming Friday (5/2). Bring company and enjoy coffee and fellowship.
• OUTDOOR WORSHIP
  EM will have an outdoor worship in LinSen Park (林森公園) next Sunday (5/4). We will convene at the park at 10:30 am. As a result, there will be NO EM service in the chapel.
• GUPOZENG SEMINAR
  SLPC’s edification group, the Gupozeng (牛埔庄) Bible Studies will host a seminar in the 10^th floor hall starting at 12:30 PM this afternoon. The seminar is about how Donald Trump is affecting the world from Taiwan’s point of view. The speaker is Yu-Jen Kuo (郭育仁), vice president of the Institute of National Policy Research (國策院). The seminar is open to everyone.
  
• WHOLE CHURCH PRAYER MEETING
  SLPC’s whole church prayer meeting will be cancelled once on Thursday night, May 1, because of the Labor Day holiday.
• 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.
• 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://shorturl.at/z6wi3

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.

WE ARE ALL DONKEYS

Rev. Lian Chin-Siong

Palm Sunday is a celebration often marked by waving palm branches and singing songs of Hosanna. But have you ever wondered what that day looked like from the perspective of the donkey that carried Jesus?

Recently, I was invited to speak at a children’s joint worship service. I had heard that in previous years, themes like the Passover meal had been used. This time, I proposed a different focus—Palm Sunday through the eyes of the donkey. From the start, I knew I wanted to speak in the first person, as if I were the donkey. That led me down a path of reflection, wondering: What would it be like to experience that sacred day from the donkey’s point of view?

The more I pondered, the more I realized—we are all like that donkey.

First, the donkey was used because “the Lord needed it.” That phrase reminded me of a commitment I once wrote on a response card at a Bible camp: “Be a suitable utensil for Christ (2 Timothy 2:21).” God has continued to shape and prune my life so that I might be useful—not according to my own plans or preferences, but in line with His purposes.

Second, Jesus riding a donkey symbolized humility and peace—unlike worldly kings who arrive in splendor and power. The donkey was chosen not for its strength or beauty, but precisely because it was ordinary, overlooked, and unused. Isn’t that true for so many of us whom God calls? It’s not our achievements or status that qualify us, but our availability and willingness.

Third, I also reflected on where the donkey came from: not from the heart of the city, but from a village near the Mount of Olives—a significant location, close yet on the outside, at a crossroads, overlooking the Temple. Sometimes, God calls us from the margins, not the spotlight, yet places us at the center of His redemptive work.

And finally, I imagined the donkey—looking back years later—remembering that glorious day. Not proud of being seen, but forever changed by having carried the King. That one moment of being used by God would have marked him for life. From that day on, he would recognize the Shepherd’s voice. He would no longer be deceived by those who wanted to use him, because he had felt the gentleness of Jesus.

I told this story to the children as an older donkey recounting a childhood memory. We even sang a song I wrote, “Uncle Donkey’s Song,” and they joined in with joy and enthusiasm. Parents, too, were moved.

And it all comes down to this simple truth:
We are all donkeys.
We’ve all had moments when the Lord needed us.
And once we’ve carried His presence, we are never the same.

Let this be a reminder: You may feel small or overlooked, but when the Lord uses you—even just once—you will never be the same again. Amen.