Prinsep Street Presbyterian Church · Prinsep Street Presbyterian Church 03 May 2020 1 Silent...

Prinsep Street Presbyterian Church

03 May 2020 1

Silent Meditation

Call to Worship

Opening Song 10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)

Prayer of Confession (Let us collectively confess our sins to Godand ask for His forgiveness.)

Leader: Lord, we dare not presume upon Your mercy and grace as we come beforeYou. Yet, we know we will receive mercy when we are repentant.

People: This mercy You promise to show us is made possible by Your Son,who willingly offered up Himself as a penalty for our sins.

Leader: It is in His righteousness that we dare come before You with our sins,desperately in need of You to relent of Your anger and remove our guilt.Forgive us our acts of disobedience in thoughts, words and actions.

People: Restore us to Your joy by removing the guilt of sin from ourconsciences. Renew the work of Your Spirit in us; continue His workof transforming us, conforming to the likeness of Christ.

All: Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.For we pray in Christ’s Name. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon (Our need to know forgiveness.)

1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God throughour Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith intothis grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

(Romans 5:1-2)

Songs My Faith Looks Up To TheeGive Thanks With A Grateful Heart

Offering

Doxology & Thanksgiving (Hope draws its conclusion from the past tothe future producing a doxology.)

4th Sunday of Easter

Order of Service03 May 2020

8:45 a.m.

Let us give to the Lord our undivided attention by putting our handphones on silent mode.


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Pastoral Prayer & The Lord’s Prayer (sung)

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, onearth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; forgive us our trespasses, as we forgivethose who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thineis the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Scripture Reading Proverbs 17: 27 - 28

27 Whoever restrains his words has knowledge,and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.

28 Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise;when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.

Reader This is the Word of the Lord.

Congregation Thanks be to God.

Sermon Let Our Mouths Be Fountains Of Life Rev Kelvin Chen

Celebrating the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper

Communion Hymn Jesus Keep Me Near The Cross

Invitation to the Lord’s Table

Hymn of Response Lord, Speak To Me, That I May Speak

Benediction

Threefold Amen

Postlude and Silent Meditation


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CHURCH NEWS

1. PSPC Online Holy Communion

As announced on last Sunday (26 April), PSPC will be conducting Online HolyCommunion TODAY (3 May). Congregants who had been baptised or confirmed inPSPC or in any branch of the church of Jesus Christ may prepare the bread and juiceaccording to the communique on pages 4-6 to partake Communion during the onlineservice.

2. Postponement of PSPC Annual Congregational Meeting (ACM)

On 5 April 2020, the Elders and Deacons Court (EDC) issued a communique seekingthe agreement of PSPC Communicant Members:

“To postpone the ACM to the second half of 2020; the date will bedecided and notified by the EDC. Should the Covid-19 situation persistand restrictions on public gatherings continue on the new ACM date,the EDC intends to adopt an alternative means of conducting the ACMand will thus explore ways of doing so.”

As of the deadline of 26 April 2020, the EDC did not receive any objection from anyCommunicant Member. Therefore, the postponement of PSPC ACM is official. TheEDC is thankful to all Communicant Members for your understanding and willmonitor the situation to decide on a suitable date for the ACM.

3. PSPC Online Worship Services and E-Bulletins

With the extension of the circuit breaker period until 1 June 2020, PSPC’s 8:45amEnglish online service and 11am Mandarin online service will continue to bebroadcast via our church website (www.pspc.org.sg). The weekly e-bulletins are alsoavailable for download from the website as well. The EDC will continue to monitorgovernment advisory to determine when to resume physical gatherings.

4. Primary 1 Phase 2B Registration Exercise

Parents who wish to apply for the Primary 1 Phase 2B registration to Kuo ChuanPresbyterian Primary School or Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary School for the 2021intake are requested to write to Veronica ([email protected]) for further details andapplication forms. The application deadline is 15 May 2020.


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PSPC COMMUNIQUE ON ONLINE HOLY COMMUNION

The Synod Theological Response and Review Committee has issued a guideline onthe various options which churches can take regarding the administration of HolyCommunion during the circuit breaker period. In order for congregants to continue toreceive the spiritual benefits of Holy Communion during a prolonged suspension of worshipservices, PSPC will administer “Online Communion” on 3 May 2020 (CommunionSunday); the Mandarin Service will do so on 10 May 2020. This communique sets out thesacramental theology of “Online Communion”, provides instructions on how to prepare theCommunion elements at home as well as guides congregants on how to partake in thesacrament.

1. Sacramental Theology of “Online Communion”

The doctrine on Holy Communion (also known interchangeably as the Lord’sSupper or Eucharist) is a major component in sacramental theology. Within theconfines of this communique, it will suffice to provide a brief survey of the variousmain doctrinal positions on the understanding of Holy Communion. At onespectrum is the Roman Catholic position of Transubstantiation which believes thatthe bread and wine are substantially changed into the physical body and blood ofChrist while retaining the outward appearances of bread and wine. At the otherspectrum is Memorialism which believes that the bread and wine are merelysymbols to help believers recall Christ’s sacrifice and do not convey any furtherspiritual benefits.

The Presbyterian Church in Singapore is in the Reformed Tradition that holds theposition of “Spiritual Presence”, i.e. Christ’s body and blood are spiritually presentin the bread and wine to convey spiritual benefits to believers. This positionemphasizes that it is the Holy Spirit who nourishes believers when they partakeCommunion by faith. Our theological forefather, John Calvin, put it this way, “Forthe sacraments I claim only that they are instruments which the Lord employs forour sake – instruments which would be pointless and vain without the work of theHoly Spirit, but which take full effect when the Spirit is active within.” (Institutesof the Christian Religion on ‘The Sacraments’)

Therefore, Reformed sacramental theology is intrinsically linked to the role of theHoly Spirit. In conducting an “Online Communion”, the presiding Minister isphysically separated from congregants by time and space. However, since thepower of the Holy Spirit can transcend chronological and spatial constraints,believers are similarly nourished by faith through an “Online Communion”.


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Calvin wrote, “We must hold in regard to the mode, that it is not necessary that theessence of the flesh should descend from heaven in order to our being fed upon it,the virtue of the Spirit being sufficient to break through all impediments andsurmount any distance of space… Therefore, in the sacred Supper, weacknowledge a miracle which surpasses both the limits of nature and themeasure of our sense, while the life of Christ is common to us, and his flesh isgiven us for food.” (Tracts and Letters 2:577, emphasis mine)

Notwithstanding the spiritual benefits of “Online Communion”, it is still presidedby an ordained Minister to safeguard theological orthodoxy. Furthermore, we needto be reminded that Holy Communion is meant to be a communal meal that is tobe celebrated as a gathered community, not as a household or as an individual.Even Communion for homebound members are usually conducted in the presenceof a visitation team who represents the congregation. Hence, this administrationof “Online Communion” is a special dispensation for extreme times such as thecurrent closure of Places of Worship. When worship services can be resumed, weshould all look forward to a communal celebration of the Lord’s Supper.

2. Preparing the Communion Elements

The administration of “Online Communion” requires congregants to make priorpreparation of the Communion elements of bread and grape juice before the startof the online service on 3 May. The key is the posture that congregants shouldadopt in the preparation process. The Apostle Paul exhorted in 1 Corinthians11:27-32 to partake the Lord’s Supper in a worthy and reverent manner. Byextension, the preparation of the Communion elements should be done in areverent and prayerful posture as well:

As per PSPC’s practice illustrated on page 5, congregants can take a pieceof bread and slice it up into small cubes that are about 2cm by 2cm.

Congregants can pour grape juice such as Ribena into cups. The bread and grape juice can be put onto a plate/tray in an area where the

household gathers to participate in the online service.

2cm by 2cm


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Since uniformity is not possible when congregants are required to prepare theirown Communion elements at home, we need not be overly concerned with theexact kind, quantity or brand of bread and grape juice so long as our sacramentaltheology is sound, that we focus on Christ’s spiritual presence with reverent faithand do not succumb to legalism. Again, Calvin advised, “Whether believers takethe bread in their hands or not, whether they divide it among themselves or eacheats what he has been given; whether they give back the cup into the minister’shand or pass it to their neighbour; whether the bread is leavened or unleavened…– that is unimportant and of no consequence.” (Institutes of the Christian Religionon ‘The Lord’s Supper’)

3. Partaking Online Communion

After the sermon and Communion Hymn in the online service, the Minister willconduct Communion as per PSPC’s liturgy. Only congregants who had undergoneBaptism or Confirmation in PSPC or in any branch of the Church of Jesus Christmay receive Communion. Congregants are to partake by faith and in a reverent andprayerful posture. The head of the household may distribute the bread and juice.

C. Conclusion

In sum, Reformed sacramental theology informs us that the administration of “OnlineCommunion” by a Minister and received by congregants in a reverent manner with faith inthe transcending work of the Holy Spirit will convey spiritual benefits. May God the Father,the Son and the Holy Spirit, continue to sustain, nourish and bless PSPC through word andsacrament. Amen.

Rev Darryl ChanWith PSPC Session[Announced in church bulletin on 26 April 2020]


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SERMON OUTLINESpeaker: Rev Kelvin Chen

Text : Proverbs 17: 27 - 28

Title : Let Our Mouths Be Fountains Of Life

Introduction

1. Two Ways to Use Our Tongues

2. Taming Our Tongues

3. Let Our Mouths Be Fountains of Life

Conclusion


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REFLECTIONS

With the introduction of the circuit breaker, staying home has also meant having moretime to read. With time at hand, I picked up a book that had been sitting on my shelf forsome time – Tim Townsend’s Mission at Nuremberg.

Mission at Nuremberg tells the story of how an American chaplain was sent tominister to the worst of war criminals. With the progressive defeat of the Axis powers, Hitlerhad taken his life knowing that the Third Reich which he set up was crumbling apart. WhileHitler may have gotten away easy, his comrades didn’t. A number were caught and had tobe tried in what we know call the Nuremberg Trials. Some of the war criminals caught weresenior officials with the highest-ranking being Hermann Göring, the Reichmarshall of NaziGermany. The number of people who died under these war criminals was just horrifying.When Robert Jackson the chief prosecutor during the trial got up to speak, he said:

“The wrongs which we seek to condemn and punish have been so calculated, somalignant, and so devastating that civilization cannot tolerate their being ignoredbecause it cannot survive being repeated.”1

How bad was it? According to Jackson, 33,771 Jews had been killed within a two-day period near Kiev with another 56,065 at Warsaw.2 On top of these killings, prisonerswere also frozen and rewarmed using animal heat. “The victim, all but frozen to death wassurrounded by bodies of living women until he revived and responded to his environment byhaving sexual intercourse.”3

It was to people who masterminded such monstrosity that a chaplain by the name ofHenry Gerecke had to minister to. Yet on the day of the trial, one by one, each of thedefendant came forward to plead not guilty. Fritz Sauckel, the labour minister of the Reicheven had the nerve to say, “I declare myself in the sense of the Indictment, before God andthe world and particularly before my people, not guilty.”4 This was the same man who in aletter to Alfred Rosenberg, the head of the Reich Ministry for the Occupied EasternTerritories, “demanded ‘the ruthless application of all measures’ to acquire two millionRussian workers”.5 The reply received was that “‘Recruiting’ methods were used whichprobably have their precedent only in the blackest periods of the slave trade. A regularmanhunt was inaugurated.”6 By the time the War ended, 1.2 million POWs in forced labourhad died.

1 Robert H. Jackson, “Opening Statement before the International Military Tribunal,” Robert H. JacksonCenter, 1945, accessed April 11, 2020, https://www.roberthjackson.org/speech-and-writing/opening-statement-before-the-international-military-tribunal/.2 Tim Townsend, Mission At Nuremberg: An American Army Chaplain And The Trial Of The Nazis.(William Morrow, 2015), 157.3 Jackson, “Opening Statement before the International Military Tribunal.”4 Townsend, Mission At Nuremberg, 155.5 Ibid., 172.6 Eugene Davidson, The Trial of the Germans: An Account of the Twenty-Two Defendants before theInternational Military Tribunal at Nuremberg, 1st University of Missouri Press pbk. ed. (Columbia, Mo:University of Missouri Press, 1997), 512.


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How does one minister to a person like that? Any normal person reading this cannothelp but feel utterly horrified. What more having to meet someone like that in person tominister to them? Yet as Townsend’s account tells us, Gerecke did just that. He went andministered to the people there. Initially, he was met with some hostility. A number hadrefused to attend chapel but over time, Townsend tells us that people started to respond.Sauckel, who expressed interest in attending chapel right from the start, even asked aboutCommunion. Gerecke - being a Lutheran - was of course, hesitant. “Mr Sauckel, you don’twant to go through the motions. You want to let the motions of God’s Holy Spirit go throughyou.”7 I suppose that must have been Gerecke’s way of saying, “I need you to take time andactually repent before taking the Lord’s Supper.”

But over the course of his chaplaincy, Gerecke saw a change of heart and the followingaccount is probably what confronts me the most:

“Each time the chaplain visited, the two men (Gerecke and Sauckel) ended their timein prayer, kneeling on the floor by the cot. Many times, Sauckel asked for God’smercy and wiped away tears as he called himself a sinner. Sauckel would take hisBible study seriously during the months of the trial, often bringing the catechism tocourt with him to read during sessions.

Eventually, after one Sunday church service, Sauckel asked Gerecke if he could takeCommunion. “All right, Mr Sauckel,” Gerecke told him, “I’ll be down to see you.”When Gerecke arrived, Sauckel was on his knees, praying on the cement floor of hiscell.

Gerecke entered the cell and prepared the Communion kit against the wall. Sauckelgot off his knees, threw his hands in the air and cried out so loudly that every guardon the floor came rushing to Sauckel’s cell. “Gott sei mir gnädig, ein Sünder!”Sauckel yelled - “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”

“I believe he meant every word of it,” Gerecke said later. “He virtually crawled to thecommunion kit and partook of the Lord’s Supper. The first one to come back!”8

Reading this made me doubtful. Maybe Sauckel only did it because he was hoping toget a more lenient sentence? How was it possible that someone like Sauckel could justconfess and be forgiven? Maybe Gerecke penned this down because he didn’t want hisministry to be a case of no converts? If none of the prisoners converted, it would look quitebad on him, wouldn’t it?

True enough, on the day Sauckel got hanged, he screamed, “I’m dying an innocentman!”

7 Townsend, Mission At Nuremberg, 174.8 Ibid.


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In my mind I was thinking “I KNEW IT! No way would he have converted just likethat!” I felt quite relieved that my hypothesis was probably right. Perhaps he did have anagenda when he cried out to God for mercy earlier.

Are you thinking the same thing?

Because as those thoughts came to mind, I paused and felt disturbed about howrelieved I was. Was it because deep down, I believed that such people were so much worsethan me, that they were beyond the point of true repentance? Did I forget that conversionwas a matter of God’s work in our lives? Was I so much better than them as a person that itwas possible for God to work in me but not in them? By extension, was it because I believedthat unlike these people, I probably had more merits to deserve God’s forgiveness?

As I reflected on the Nuremberg Trials, it was Holy Saturday (11 April). The Saturdayof silence between Jesus’ death and His resurrection. A time where no explanation couldever suffice to remove the pain and rationale for the torture and killing of the King of theJews. I sat there in silence as I reflected on my own wrong doings. The reality of myexperience showed me that even now as a Christian, I was still so prone to seeing myself asdeserving of God’s costly grace when the truth was that I was far from deserving. Grace, bydefinition, is something you cannot deserve. It dawned on me how easily it is to verballysay that none of us deserve grace. Even easier if you went through Sunday school. Yet ourhuman experience, curved in on ourselves, reveals to us that deep down, we haven’t quiteappreciated the generosity and expansiveness of our God who took on flesh.

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all – Titus 2:11

Adriel YeoMinistry Staff


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INFODESK

This is a modified duty roster for the prerecording of the 8:45am English service.

03 May 2020 10 May 2020

Preacher

Rev Kelvin Chen Pr Mary Chhuani

Worship Leader

Eld Alex Lee Sharilyn Chien-Wong

Music Arrangement

Kee Kirk Chin and Family David & Sharilyn Chien


03 May 2020 12

PSPC E-GIVING INSTRUCTIONS

PSPC has rolled out the option of collecting offerings electronically. To enable the Church Office

to allocate your offerings to the right funds, please follow the details below when making your e-

Offering.

There are 3 Methods of e-Offering: Electronic Bank Transfer, PayNow via UEN number andPayNow via code in banking app. Choose the method that you are familiar with.

Method 1: Electronic Bank Transfer

PSPCBank Details

Bank Code Branch Code Account Number7171 100 1009051531

Method 2: PayNow via UEN number

a) Select PayNow from your banking app and log in.

b) Select Unique Entity Number (UEN), input T13SS0009A and click “Next”.


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c) Enter your offering amount and details of your offering under “Enter UEN/Bill Reference No” or“PayNow Ref No”. Click “Next” and “Transfer Now” after checking that the details and amountare correct.

Method 3: PayNow via Code in banking app

a) Select Scan & Pay from your banking app.

b) Scan the Code using your banking app.


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c) Enter your offering amount and Details of your offering under “Enter UEN/Bill Reference

No” or “PayNow Ref No”. Click “Next” and “Transfer Now” after checking that the details

and amount are correct.

For all methods, if you wish to direct your offering to a specific fund or recipient, pleaseindicate the details below in the Bill Reference Number section.

Details to indicate in e-Offering Type of offeringOffering CGF Church General FundOffering CBF Church Building FundOffering ASF Anniversary Seminary FundLove gift <name of designatedindividual or family>

Full amount given directly to designatedindividual / family

Support <name of designatedindividual or family>

Contribute to 20% support via missionaryorganization e.g. SIM, OMF etc.

EPJM, Love in Action, Chiang Rai,Chiang Mai, Angel Tree etc

Designated Funds

In the event that no details are indicated, offering will be treated as contribution to ChurchGeneral Fund. If no indication of love gift or support, amount will be treated as love gift toindividual or family.

Cheques are still accepted via making it payable to “Prinsep Street Presbyterian Church” or“PSPC”. They can be mailed to PSPC at 77 Prinsep Street Singapore 188649 should the needarises.

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