Whenever we attend a birthday party for family and friends, we will arrange a time to make a wish, cut cake and share delicious food.  There are no cakes and delicacies as when celebrate the anniversary of the NPAC family, so what thoughts and commitments should we bring to the anniversary worship service to participate in our church’s annual birthday celebration?

       First, I am reminded of the words of the psalmist: “Praise awaits you, our God, in Zion; to you our vows will be fulfilled” (Psalm 65:1). The making of a vow and its fulfilment are like the two sides of a coin. They are one piece, and each cannot go without the other. Therefore, at the anniversary worship service, we should not only give thanks to God for what He has blessed us with individually and as a church. We should all the more seek God for His grace for our faith to follow Christ and to meet the challenges we face. We should take the opportunity of the anniversary to come up with a blueprint of growth for the spiritual life of the entire community and, by faith, dedicate it to the Lord. We need to pray for God’s grace for our commitments together and move forward hand in hand. This way, we can look forward to counting the Lord’s blessings and recounting His good works again at the next anniversary. We firmly believe that the best way to participate in the church’s anniversary celebration is for all the different groups in the NPAC family to sacrifice thank offerings to God and fulfill our vows to Him (Psalm 50:14; 56:12) regarding past promises and what we have already received. This is an important training on our faith. It helps prevent us from being like the ten men with leprosy who, after being cleansed by the Lord, forgot His grace completely. In the end, only one came back to thank and praise God (Luke 17:11-19).

       We also can hear the psalmist’s commitment: “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked” (Psalm 84:10). The psalmist also made use of the sparrow’s home and the swallow’s nest to express his desire to live in the temple (Psalm 84:4, 10). Such expression will be like our prayer at worship services when we say: May Your Kingdom come! May our ministry let others see the sovereignty and grace of Christ Jesus.

       I remember that when I waited in the corridor to enter the worship hall of the Main Church for the worship service, a brother came up to me quickly. Holding my hands, he sincerely asked: “Are you preaching at this worship service? Are you taking care of the holy communion, family news or benediction?” Even if I replied “no”, he would continue to ask: “When is the next time you will serve in the worship service? How can I pray for you and your ministry?” I am often touched by what he does. I can see that he very much takes church ministries to heart. Not only does he consider serving God a must but he also remembers and cares about those serving in different roles and areas.

       Dear brothers and sisters, let us remember this: Only those who live in the courts of God and who are filled with the good things of His holy temple would be contented (Psalm 65:4). For this reason, our prayer for the church’s anniversary this year is this: May brothers and sisters of the NPAC family receive the blessing of “worship and ministry” before God. May we all be glad when we see what the grace of God has done. May we continue to make pledges to God and fulfil our promises, and be committed to be true to the Lord with all our hearts (Acts 11:23).