Questions from a Matured Heart

This comment was posted by one of our readers. We post it here with permission.

Dear Administrator,

I give permission to have my comments posted as you see fit. However, I want to stress this and appreciate if you would add it to my comments - that I am not against BOD or any of the pastors and neither am I part of the TT team.

Dear Hong Meng,

Thank you for sharing the history of Calvary Church. However, I believe the motivation that caused you to write this article is actually in connection with the announcement of the Thanksgiving Dinner to be held on October 2008 at the Sunway Convention Centre for the Calvary Family.

My comment is this: I think that whether Calvary Church is 40 years or more, is not the fundamental issue that should be focused on. In the light of the current state of affairs in the church, concentrating on this issue could be a distraction from the main issues that are still not addressed. Besides history is always written from a person's perspective and many times, historians find out that history can be faulty in certain points due to the writer's point of view. Documentaries that we watch in ASTRO, do at times speak about how the truth of a matter is far from the history that we popularly know.

Even in the Bible, the Synoptic Gospels stands as good examples (at least that is what I think I caught from my pastors at BCM.) Each book was written to specific audience and what values that they held dear to their hearts and minds. It also took in their culture which really is not much different in how we deal with the world today. What the apostles did was to enter the world of the audience and explain GOD's truths and principles as they would understand. Let me explain that the authors did not bend God's fundamental truths but used illustrations, object lessons and explanations that their audiences could understand.

I am sorry, Hong Meng, but I fail to grasp what point you are trying to bring across to us in detailing the history. What I fear, glancing from the comments that have been posted in response to your article, is that people have now been left with an even poorer image of Sr Pastor. I am not supporting him but if we were to walk in another's shoes, do we want people to do this to us? In my heart, I hope that this was never your intention and from what I know of you, I don't believe it ever was.

The real issue that I think should be questioned is this:

Why is Calvary Church holding a Thanksgiving Dinner when the church has not settled many outstanding issues and conflicts that are present today?

Can anyone tell me if the steps that the BOD mentioned at the EGM are already in motion? I believe that it has been almost what a month or so since the EGM?

Yes, we are to constantly give thanksgiving to God - because thanksgiving is a form of worship. But then, is the Church forgetting the attitude and spiritual criterias that comes with corporate worship? When we give thanks personally, we come before God and acknowledge that all things have come from Him, that He is working all things in our lives. Generally, but not a must, a visible and acceptable expression that follows from a heart that gives thanks - is to lift our hands, sing our songs of praise and worship and also to give of our belongings. I believe that many will agree that these elements are present in both personal and Corporate Worship.

Yet,are we forgetting something else? That love for our brother and making peace is a very important part of the Corporate Worship of which Thanksgiving to God is part and parcel of. Do read the articles from bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Library.sr/CT/PERSONAL/k/803/Offerings-of-Leviticus-Meal-Offering.htm and cgg.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Library.sr/CT/PERSONAL/k/809/The-Offerings-of-Leviticus-Part-Four-Peace-Offering.h...

So, right now, my question is this:

Why are we having a Thanksgiving Dinner when there are so many issues outstanding at the moment?

Does one throw a party if there exist conflict in that house? Sure, there will those who say don't look to the circumstances but look to God. Yeah, but are being overly theological (and perhaps overly spiritual?) in saying this. Theology is given to us so that we may internalize the truths of God and put into practice in our daily lives?

So, with questions unanswered and parties not yet answering them satisfactorily; when there are shadows of doubts lurking in the corridors of Calvary Church and in the hearts and minds of the people - will someone please explain why we are having this Thanksgiving Dinner?

To be frank, the issue at hand is about the proper handling of money - in terms of accountability, transparency and integrity. And "giving to God" is one of the outward expressions of worship to God in thanksgiving - how can the members be expected to reconcile this?

Someone please help me understand this?

Next, when there is such a crisis in church, shouldn't we be putting on our "spirit of mourning" and appealing to God to intervene and end the crisis?

When Israel went through "civil war" after Solomon's death - was there a celebration party of thanksgiving? I know that some people will talk about Jericho and so - hey, but I have also been taught by my pastors, that singular events cannot be considered "normative" events.

Again, this is my 2sens worth - I apologise again if I have sounded harsh and this writing offends anyone. I do not write to spite but to ask questions that float in my mind - than let them fester in my heart and to gossip with others.

God bless everyone!

Diana