Word from our Pastor
August 2020
Dear Friends,
What a joy to enter into another month. Over the months of lockdown we have been looking at various dimensions of our lives in the light of the scriptures. We saw Family as the Place of Nurture, of Worship, Missions, place of Healing, and relationship between the church and the family. Last month we looked at the whole dimension of Lamenting. Biblical lament and how relevant it is to our present-day context.
The Bible says, we are created by God in his own image. Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Gen 1:26-27) Not only created in God’s image but as the Psalmist praises God, we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. (Psa 139:14) Human beings are made intricately and supremely different from all other creation.
Human beings are made intricately and supremely different from all other creation.
God created human beings as complex beings. We are physical, psychological beings, spiritual and social beings. The Bible does not look at us as mere spiritual beings or physical beings but as a whole with all these different characteristics. Often these different aspects interplay and we respond in different ways to our environment.
God created human beings as complex beings
Though created in God’s image and made wonderful, since the fall of humankind, we are unable to function fully as God’s image bearers. Sin has touched the deepest core of our beings which includes our mind. Therefore, our psyche is also affected and has its flaws and failures and we respond to our environment in unhealthy ways. This is seen in the unhealthy domination by our negative emotions. This further affects our bodies and even our spiritual life.
Though created in God’s image and made wonderful, since the fall of humankind, we are unable to function fully as God’s image bearers. Sin has touched the deepest core of our beings which includes our mind.
This month we will look at the ways of overcoming our negative emotions substantially. We will see how we can then respond positively to our circumstances. It is possible to overcome these negative emotions considerably. We will look at Anger, Fear, Anxiety and Sadness which leads to Depression. We look at all these emotions with hope and triumph.
We are very thankful to God for all our guests who shared God’s word with us through these last three months. Mr. Paul Moses, Mr. Joshua Kirubaraj, Mrs. Esther Collins, Ms. Rebecca Swamikan, Dr. Ravi Koilpillai, Rev. Michael Peppin, Dr. Jayakumar Christian, and Rev. C. A. Benjamin. Thank you!
Let another month of partial Lockdown draw us even more close to this wonderful God who is working behind the scenes to mold us into becoming Christ like. Our vision doesn’t just focus on just becoming a community, but a community that is increasing in maturity by becoming more Christlike. Christlike in our emotions, in our behavior and in our attitudes towards one another and the world in which God has placed us. The ultimate purpose, ‘Glorifying God’.
God Bless You as you stand firm in his Word and his love.
In Christ
Pastor John R. A. Simeon
(On behalf of the Pastoral Team)
Recommended for you
