Ever sat down at a piano and just noodled around on the black keys? It's surprisingly easy to make something that sounds...well, musical. That's the magic of the pentatonic scale! I recently discovered I could play a whole song using only the black keys, and it got me thinking about the power and history behind…
Hymns of Hope
Introduction to the series: Hymns of Hope Music moves me. It's a gift from God, a source of joy, and a constant source of wonder. As someone who also happens to love the precision of mathematics (yes, I'm a data scientist!), I've always been fascinated by the way these two seemingly different worlds connect. So,…
What happen when I asked Chat GPT to tell a children’s story…
Me: Can you write a children's book based on the bible verses 1 Kings 17:17-20? Title: The Miracle of the Widow's Son Elijah Resuscitating the Son of the Widow of Sarepta by Louis Hersent (1822) Once upon a time, in a faraway village, there lived a kind widow and her young son. The widow loved…
He Is Risen
What's a better time to come back to this faith journal than Easter time. As the weather cools down into the cozy season here in Melbourne, my morning devotion has cranked up a notch. I spent longer time reading the bible. Easter is the time when I spent most of my reading time in the…
Build to Shine
The golden lampstand in the Sanctuary stood as a reminder that Jesus Christ is the light of our world. This is why a small group is a BIG part of our church and so it should be for any Christian community. Isabelle and Keira are sharing how they get together as a small group called CARE group (Christ Attitude Reflected in Everyone) and how this small group is an avenue for them to exercise their faith.
Build to Grow
In the holy place of the Sanctuary there was also a Table of Showbread. Twelve loaves of bread especially baked were to be placed on this table and considered sacred. To many of us, the dining table is the place where family conversation occurs. This is where we catch up and connect with each other over a meal. By God’s provision, the table of showbread was placed in the Sanctuary to remind us that we need Him everyday just like we need to have our meals everyday.
Build to Commune
One of the items in the holy place of the sanctuary is the altar of incense. God instructed Moses to place the altar of incense in front of the veil that separated the holy place from the most holy place “where I will meet with you”, said God. The priest must burn the incense twice daily, each morning and again at twilight. It is most holy to the Lord (Exodus 30:10)
Build to Behold
God commanded Moses to build a bronze basin and place water in it for the priest to wash themselves. This was God’s wonderful provision for our cleansing. As we work together to clean and decorate the new church, we learned a wonderful lesson of cleansing. The old windows were wiped clean so all the natural light can shine into the Sanctuary -- as the curtains and blinds were cleaned and drawn up, the sun shone in and we were in awe. The clean up transformed the whole place. We truly need some cleansing and can be transformed by it.
Together We Build
As we walk into the Sanctuary, the blueprint God gave Moses to build, we would come first into the courtyard. The first item in the courtyard is the altar of burnt offerings. This week we look back at the weekend before the COVID-19 lockdown came into effect. As we spent that Sunday cleaning up the church, we remembered how we were to walk into the courtyard with our sacrifice.
Let Us Build
Our church used to worship at a town hall but during the pandemic we were unable to meet there due to government restrictions. As the town hall was not classified as a place of worship we began to search for a new place, a true place where we could meet when restrictions eased and people of faith could gather. God provided us with a place. Follow our journey as we prepare this place to be a house of God.
Faith Journal 