City Harvest Church or City Harvest Inc?

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They are back in the news....for the wrong reasons as usual.

City Harvest Church announced recently that they have purchased a stake in Suntec City for S$310 million.

The church was recently asked by the Commissioner of Charities about this business venture.

City Harvest did not create a separate business entity for the purchase.

There are concerns regarding this arrangement because the church's income as a registered charity is non-taxable.

It seems like there is a loop hole whereby one can strive towards one's own ambitions by building a business empire using tax free money. By their teaching of tithing, they get regular and steady income streams which are tax free.

As the church's collection are registered as charity and thus tax free, shouldn't the money be used for helping the poor and needy?

Well, in the case of some so called mega churches, it seems like this is the best way to enrich themselves and thus the need to turn the church into a business enterprise........with returns to justify more money to be paid to it's leaders.

Certainly, these people need to reflect on themselves and people who goes to such churches, stop giving yourself excuses and no it's not God's grace that made the leader's rich...it's you and your money.

This brings to mind the story just before Jesus started His ministry and was lead into fasting and prayer for 40 days in the desert. Jesus was tempted when shown all the riches and kingdom He would receive in return for worshipping the devil....

Well Jesus made His choice......how about you?

Happy Easter !

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I read in one of the forum recently that someone claimed that celebrating Easter is "against God" and only Passover should be celebrated. How ridiculous!

HOLY WEEK COMMEMORATES the last week of Jesus’ earthly life. The Church helps the faithful to focus on Jesus by highlighting the significant events that preceded Jesus’ death on the cross. These are done with special liturgies on Palm Sunday (when Jesus enter Jerusalem), Holy Thursday (the last supper and washing of feets) and Good Friday (when Jesus was cruxified).

How can these be "against God"?

Easter mark the start of a new liturgical season. Though not part of the Holy week, it is the first day of a new liturgical season. The first celebration of Easter takes place at Easter Vigil, celebrated on the Saturday evening before Easter Sunday.

And on Easter, we celebrate the risen Christ, the resurrection of our Lord. As St Paul said: "If Christ had not risen, our faith is a delusion, is empty! Our life does not make sense! Christ redeemed us by His death and resurrection. We believe in Jesus who was handed over to death for our sins and raised up for our justification." (Rom 4:25)

As Archbishop Nicholas Chia said in his Easter 2009 message:

"Through Christ's death and resurrection our sins are taken away and new divine life has been given to us.

And so, dear friends, as we live the Easter mystery, we have the light of the Risen Lord in us ONLY when we recognise, respect and love each other as brother and sister in Christ. "Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the dark" (1Jn 2:8-9)

Christ is risen and He wants to light up our lives. Let us hare this joyful message with our fellowmen."

Why we need to support Catholic charities ?

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Regardless of one’s religious beliefs, the act of donating money or giving time and energy to a charitable cause is often hailed as something laudable.

What about us as Catholics? Do our social teachings have something special to say about giving money, time or talent to charitable causes?

First, though, it might be helpful to see what charitable giving is not. Charitable giving is not about gaining publicity or personal credit. Nor is charitable giving a means to compensate for wrongdoing, a way to help us to “score points for heaven”! Most importantly, charitable giving is not a way to escape from our responsibility for the well-being of others the whole year long.

In Scripture, we see the early disciples being “one in heart and soul”: “None of their members was ever in want, as all those who owned land or houses would sell them, and bring the money from the sale of them, to present it to the apostles; it was then distributed to any who might be in need” (Acts 4:34). What a beautiful description of a community!

Every Lent, Catholics in Singapore have an avenue to share our resources with those in need through the Charities Week collection. Proceeds go to organisations serving the needy in the name of the Church.

This is a good way of showing our solidarity with the less fortunate. But is there any special significance to channelling our resources, time and talent through Catholic charitable organisations?

Yes, there is. In his encyclical Deus Caritas Est (“God is Love”), Pope Benedict XVI reminds us that as a community of disciples proclaiming the Gospel of Love in a broken world, the Church also needs to have organised charitable works that Christians undertake as one body in the name of Christ. “For the Church, charity is not a kind of welfare activity which could equally well be left to others, but is a part of her nature, an indispensable expression of her very being.” (Deus Caritas Est, 25a).

So even though each of us can give individually to other religious or secular charitable organisations (and this is an important sign of our solidarity with them), there is a special significance in supporting Catholic charities. Catholic charities represent the organised charitable works of the Church.

In Singapore, our Catholic social organisations serve a wide range of needs, from helping the poor, the sick and the aged, to championing the causes of refugees and migrants. The Church’s social action work also includes those in which not many other organisations are involved.

As part of her tradition, the Church has always had a preferential option for the poor, serving those most neglected by society and this is something we can be proud of. The Charities Week programme is an important channel for us to act as One Body by supporting the Church’s social organisations.

In giving with our whole heart, we pray that we might also be open to how else God is moving us to respond.

Source : Catholic News.

A Triumph Over Death

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In the 4th week of lent, the reading are as follows:
[2 Chronicles 36:14-17, 19-23] [Ephesians 2:4-10] [John 3:14-21]

In this week's reading, we see that faith tells us that the cross is neither tragedy nor defeat but a glorious triumph over death because “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.”

We already share in that triumph because God’s great love for us has brought us to life in Christ. God has also reserved a place for us in heaven that he might display the great wealth of his favour toward us.

Death has been robbed of its power, because in Christ, death leads to eternal life.en transformed into the Church. The Church becomes a place of worship when Christ gathers together his people, to join him in the worship of God the Father.

New Creation Church or New Creation Inc ?

Image via WikipediaI read recently 2 interesting postings from Blogpastor (you can check them out here).The 2 articles have generated some discussions and these are some of my observations.

The pro NCC guys are saying that God point them to One-North and everything is results of God’s grace.

The not pro NCC camp is questioning why a church is getting into business, investment etc.. and are these in line with God’s teaching?

So, depending on which camp you are in, the opinions can be quite different. From the various comments by both sides, there are a few pointers that may be worth thinking…..

Why is the stewardship of the church being questioned in the first place? Perhaps it is because of the large spending of $500 million which also leads to questions of the leadership of the church.

One of the comments questions the background of Joseph Prince whose supporters have provided some insights. Prince is really not his real name but he has to changed “to protect his family who are still Hindu and his father being a ex Hindu priest”. However, why is there such a need? Is there anything wrong being a Hindu or Christian?

Do we all converts to Christians have to change our name “to protect our family” who has yet to do so? What’s the danger? Can someone shed some light? Hope to see the logic of this someday…

What I think is more important is where did Prince get his training from? Is he a trained pastor or self proclaimed one? I don’t seems to find this information from the website. Or is the training of the pastor not important? Are we then sure that his teachings are correct?

Speaking about teaching, my personal contacts with NCC members seems to suggest that tithes are related to blessings. The more one tithe, the more blessings one will received and that one tenth is holy and tithe is a commandment of God but is it really so?

Tithing is not enforceable on all Christians and the entire argument and proof can be found here.

So if tithing is not enforceable, should the church make it clear to the congregation that they do not need to tithe but give freely? Or if they disagree, can they defend the enforcing of tithes?

Personally, I hope that the impression that blessings are related to tithes is not the accurate one though it seems to have been preached as such. Most of my friends going to NCC seems more interested in gaining prosperity and giving to church seems like a “sure win” TOTO for them. God’s blessings are really not for sale and it is Free and Free to all (both Christians and non-Christians). Not tithing seems to weigh heavily on their minds.

But if tithing is not enforceable on all Christians and yet it is one of the main income of the church, is it still morally right?

NCC members also argue that it was God who point them to One-North. But is it? And are they really spending the money to build a church? Or is it a front to building a business enterprise?

According to the Strait Times forum page of 27 Sept 08, I quote “ Rock Production has provided a legal undertaking to JTC that the venue will be managed strictly on a commercial basis and will not be converted into a religious facility.”

So is this a Church building fund or a business investment fund? I think the answer is clear.

I think the undertaking says it all and that is the reason that they are raising eyebrows. As Blogpastor has given the example, NCC could have build “a few” churches with that kind of investment. Sure, the ROI of building a real church building may be little and slow as it will depend solely on the appreciation of the land, building as well as the usable commercial space (if any).

But with such facilities, the congregation benefits with a place to worship that they can call their own, they have access anytime throughout the week, cell group have a place to meet and share, lesson and talks can be held, wedding and funerals wake can be conducted and some churches even have columbarium!

Perhaps, more answers on such decision will come to light if NCC reveal how the salary of the pastor are based upon and their current takings. Is it depended on the amount of taking of the church?

Hope this is not a case of LK 8:14 “As for the part that fell into thorns, this is people who have heard, but as they go on their way they are choked by the worries and riches and pleasures of life and never produce any crops.”

And for all temptations, remember Jesus too was tempted by devil in Mt4:1-11 :
8 Next, taking him to a very high mountain, the devil showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour. 9 And he said to him, 'I will give you all these, if you fall at my feet and do me homage.' 10 Then Jesus replied, 'Away with you, Satan! For scripture says: The Lord your God is the one to whom you must do homage, him alone you must serve.'

Hope some light will be shed soon.