“I am determined to be a Bible Christian not almost but altogether.” This remains my goal in my Christian life. I grew up in Sembawang—Jalan Sembawang Kechil to be exact—where Sembawang Tamil Methodist Church stood before it shifted to Yishun. It was there in the Sunday School I accepted Jesus as my personal Lord and Saviour. Since then, the Methodist Church has been the ground of my Christian foundation, where I have grown my roots in the knowledge of Christ.
I love the Aldersgate season. Through the series of special talks and services conducted then, I have come to better understand the Wesleyan way of approaching God. The songs we sang at the services have brought much meaning to why and what I am doing as a child of God. It was during these meetings, many years ago, that I came to understand what holiness (scriptural and social) is and my role in building social holiness in the community that I am part of. Personal holiness starts in redemption by Christ and works towards transformation by the Holy Spirit, so that I can be shaped to look more and more like Jesus.
And as God’s chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation and God’s special possession, we need to move as a community whose presence and practice influence and impact the family, neighbourhood, nation and the world.
To me, being a Methodist is to be the salt of this earth and light to this world by demonstrating faith working by love. This is what I share in the various Bible study sessions that I conduct at Sunday School, with the youth and in WSCS. As a Christian community, we need to strengthen ourselves by standing firm in the word of God; we rally fellow athletes to complete the race by encouraging each other, comforting the injured, and cheering the weak and tired to continually walk steadily on the highway of holiness and the path of righteousness. With Jesus as our chief Shepherd, we strive to become not almost but altogether Christians.
Mrs Gnanamany Philip worships at Pasir Panjang Tamil Methodist Church. She is one of the advisors of the GC WSCS. She was also one of the chefs for Simply Good: Healthy Family Meals, a recipe book by GC WSCS. / Photo courtesy of Gnanamany Philip