Greetings from UK

We had a wonderful Church Camp last weekend. We were richly blessed simply by being at the beautiful resort in Bintan, enjoying fellowship with one another, and receiving ministry from Revd Victor Teo. I have worked with him to prepare a series of Cell lessons based on his messages, and these will be available when our Cells resume in July.

As many of you know, I am currently in the UK co-leading an Anglican history tour. We have visited places that are somewhat off the beaten track for most Singaporeans—sites such as St Alban's Cathedral, the Bunyan Museum, and St Mary's Church in Lutterworth, where John Wycliffe served. We have also spent time in Oxford and Cambridge, two centres that played a significant role in the shaping of the English Church. Needless to say, these places come alive when accompanied by knowledgeable guides, for they are steeped in centuries of history.

Looking at the Church from a broader perspective of time and place has a way of changing one's outlook. Along the journey, I have found myself reflecting and praying about what MPCC might become in the years ahead. Our parish is very present, real, and local. In the grand sweep of Christian history, we may seem like a small drop in the ocean. Yet if we are the right pebble in the Lord's hand, who knows what ripples He may cause to spread through our little community and beyond?

One particularly moving stop was the Martyrs' Memorial site in Oxford. This was not my first visit. Years ago, I stood there with Bishop John Chew, who pointed to the spot and remarked that some had died for the Anglican Church. It was here that Thomas Cranmer, Hugh Latimer, and Nicholas Ridley were burned at the stake for their convictions.

Latimer is reported to have said to Ridley:

"Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, and play the man. We shall this day light such a candle, by God's grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out."

Indeed, that candle was not extinguished. Its light travelled far beyond England's shores and, in God's providence, reached our own. As we gather week by week at Tembeling Road, we do so as beneficiaries of the faith, courage, and sacrifices of countless believers who have gone before us.

May we never take that inheritance for granted. Rather, may we give thanks for those who faithfully handed on the gospel, and may we in turn shine the light of Christ for the generations that will come after us.