City Harvest, FCBC...the mess churches are in

If  not for Breakfast Network I wouldn't have bothered to end up at Lawrence Khong FCBC page. I partially and painfully read his two notes and the comments they attracted (note1, note2). BH pleaded "No theological arguments on this wall ok?"

In an earlier post as usual I was lazy I wrote, "I can't tell you how to be separate and also inclusive. You know it when you see it and Pope Francis is the most prominent example of that but there are countless such believers going about it very quietly. One such guy wrote and published his story: The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical."

You can be separate and also inclusive if your legalism is smaller than your compassion. You can be as evil as you can imagine but God's grace will always be greater. The world look toward the churches to exhibit this and is regularly disappointed. I am not complaining, it just is. This would be my response to those comments at FCBC facebook page.

The evidence of compassion is not to explain and argue how you have acted correctly which was how Lawrence Khong responded. I was looking for grief, sadness and loss. Think one lost sheep out of hundred and the shepherd went looking for that lost one. Think the story of the Prodigal Son and the Father stood by the door waiting for as long as needed for that one to come back. Really, that's all Lawrence Khong needed to say. The whole church wait for her to come back. Of course this didn't happen or they would have given her the compensation after firing her. She would not have any reason to complain to MOM.

If you are known more for your "loving" discipline than your compassion, know that even unsaved people are not blind enough not to be able to tell.

Churches made their choices how they want to organize themselves. If you choose to ape what is un-Christlike you live with the consequences. Good and evil, black or white is all mixed up like weeds among the wheat. Try to separate the two like Lawrence Khong and his members were doing and you just tie yourselves in knots. The experienced Bertha Henson warned that she would not accept theological arguments. That's wise.

The Missionaries of Charity saw the light and decided they would not be like the rest. I reproduced the last five minutes of the movie, "Mother Teresa of Calcutta".



Today the trial of Khong Hee and his compatriots continues. I don't think I can spare the time to follow the stories in the papers but I would read the short synopses and comment if Breakfast Network cares to provide them.  Nevertheless the following from ST today at the end of their story caught my attention.

Meanwhile, it has once again been accused of soliciting donations for the leadership's legal fees.

A staff member has supposedly made a recording of Ms Ho reminding church staff to give to the legal fund, and presented it to the authorities.

The Commissioner of Charities' Office said it is looking into the matter.

Last year, it gave the church a warning after a donation form was circulated. It said neither the church nor its staff were allowed to get involved in raising funds for the accused's legal expenses.

Update: August 27, 11am

Damn private sector envy, i.e., if you are good you ought to be rewarded like they do in the big firms. Everyone was afflicted including the government which is now trying to wean itself off that.

Trouble with Ho Yeow Sun was she was no good. I still remember my friend in SPH telling me how puzzled he was when the church bought a ton of newspapers....it was to support the singing pastor's wife.

Update: August 27, 11:10am

I was waiting for wifey this morning and had some time to read. Call it coincidence or more, the writer of  "The Romance of Grace" explains what is happening with Lawrence Khong and many at FCBC or for that matter at churches across the world most succinctly. If these people aren't interested to receive grace at least don't make it hard for others who are keen.

Update: August 27, 2:05pm

I become aware of this from Singapore Daily about some churches supporting CHC in prayer.

I am quite close to the mark about these guys. I was right to lump Kong Hee and Lawrence Khong together. Of course legally they are separate but morally they are peas in a pod.

Here is quoting Lawrence Khong in the article.

Lawrence Khong, Chairman of LoveSingapore shared that the motivation behind praying is love.

“Because we love God and because we love the Church,” he tells City News. “There is only one Church in this city–many congregation make up this one Church and CHC is one of the many. We are family and we are the Body of Christ. When one part (of the Body) hurts, every part hurts.

“This is a time of severe testing for the entire Body of Christ. We are all on trial before a righteous God who is all-loving, all-knowing, all-powerful. So, we would much rather talk more with our righteous God and less with others, especially on social media.”

SIGH!