At the Foot of the Cross COME, FOLLOW ME The Sayings of Jesus According to the Gospel of Saint Mark Diocese of West Malaysia Archdeacon Eddie Ong (Editor) CONTENTS Foreword Archbishop-elect Ng Moon Hing 4 Diocesan Mission Statement & Themes 2011-2020 5 Why Lent? The Venerable Eddie Ong 6 Day 1 Ash Wednesday Archbishop Datuk Bolly Lapok 8 Day 2 Repent And Believe The Good News The Very Rev Dr Andrew Cheah 10 Day 3 Follow Me The Rev Tan Meng Poo 12 Day 4 A Testimony To Them The Rev Dato’ Dr Yeoh Beng San 14 Day 5 The Healthy Need No Doctor Mrs Rachael Edmonds-Jospeh 16 Day 6 The Sabbath De-coded The Rt Rev Dr Jason Selvaraj 18 Day 7 The Will of God The Rt Rev Aeries Jingan 20 Day 8 A Good Soil The Venerable Dr Stephen Soe 22 Day 9 A Lamp Under A Bowl? The Rev Philip Swan 24 Day 10 Peace! Be Still! The Rev Dr Vijendra Daniel 26 Day 11 Go Home The Rev William Chee 28 Day 12 He Touched me The Rev Ann Bucknall 30 Day 13 Go In Peace Miss Elisabeth Alfred 32 Day 14 The Barrier Rooted In Prejudice Mr Philip Nainan 34 Day 15 He Gave Them Authority The Venerable Eddie Ong 36 Day 16 Take Nothing The Rev Jacob George John 38 Day 17 Shake The Dust Off Your Feet The Venerable Edward John 40 Day 18 Come With Me The Rt Rev Peter Tasker 42 Day 19 Don’t Be Afraid The Rev Canon Claude Schroeder 44 Day 20 He Makes The Deaf Hear Mrs Melissa Raj 46 Day 21 Hunger For God Dr Sharon Ramendran 48 Day 22 You Are The Christ Mr Daniel Chai 50 Day 23 Get Behind Me Rev Canon David Devapitchai 52 Day 24 My Disciples Rev Prebendary John Reese 54 Day 25 Soul Forfeited Mr D Raja Singam 56 Day 26 Ashamed Of Me The Venerable Charles Fraser 58 Day 27 Servant Of All Pastor Nesam Ebenezer 60 Day 28 Male And Female The Rev Nick Loi 62 Day 29 Whoever Initiates Divorce The Rev Lee Kon im 64 Day 30 One Thing You Lack Mr Edward Clayton 66 Day 31 Total Trust The Rev Miles Toulmin 68 Day 32 Finishing The Race Well The Rev Jesvinder Singh 70 Day 33 A Ransom For Many The Rev David Cox 72 Day 34 Untie The Colt The Rt Rev Melter Tais 74 Day 35 God’s House of Prayer The Rev David Rajiah 76 Day 36 Recognising Religion & Responsibility To The State Canon Andrew Khoo 78 Day 37 Love The Lord Your God The Most Rev Datuk Bolly Lapok 80 Day 38 The Other-Centred Perspective On Life The Rev Dr Albert Walters 82 Day 39 The Teachers Of The Law The Rev Canon Richard Kirton 84 Day 40 No One Knows Canon Emeritus Teoh Soong Kee 86 Day 41 Perfume On MY Body Rev Canon Steven Abbarow 88 Day 42 My Body, My Blood Rev Joshua Ong 90 Day 43 The Rooster Crows The Rt Rev John Yeo 92 Day 44 Watch And Pray Ms A Annamaney 94 Day 45 Forsaken At Calvary? Rev Dr Paul Barker 96 Day 46 Preach The Gospel The Venerable Eddie Ong 98 Day 47 In Jesus’ Name Archbishop-elect Ng Moon Hing 100 Archbishop-elect Datuk Ng Moon Hing Diocese of West Malaysia Enriching Partnerships is the theme of the diocese this year. We are so appreciative to our fore-fathers in faith who have laid a good and firm foundation for us. Today we wish to enrich all the partnerships in the Gospel they have begun. One of the partnerships we treasure is this series of Lenten Meditation – At the Foot of the Cross. This is the 25th year that our diocese has produced such devotional material. It is now being produced in Chinese, Bahasa Malaysia, and Tamil as well. Our aim is to encourage more members to write and share their reflections as well as to engage every reader to develop a habit of devotion and meditation especially during the period of Lent. This year the emphasis is on the sayings of Jesus based on the Gospel of Saint Mark. It is our hope that after Lent, the sayings of Jesus and the momentum of devotion and meditation will carry on into their daily lives. Jesus is our faithful partner in our daily walk. He picks us up when we fall, warns us when we are about to go astray, admonishes us when we back-slide, restores us when we return to him, woos us when we are striving and pressing on towards the goal, assures us when we are uncertain, encourages us when we persevere, affirms us when we did well, forgives us when we repent, directs us when we seek him, anoints us when we take the second mile, loves and blesses us when we love and care for others, etc. “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.” (Philippians 1: 3-5 ESV) Wishing you a meaningful and exciting year ahead in your walk with Christ! Shalom! +Ng Moon Hing DIOCESE OF WEST MALAYSIA (DIOCESAN STRATEGIC IMPLEMENTATION COMMISSION) Diocesan Theme 2011-2020 Mission Challenge Decade of Mission and Networking One In Christ Our Mission & Themes In response to the Gospel and the Mission Mandate of our Lord Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we seek to make disciples, to bring wholeness in the midst of our changing society and to grow our dioceses to the glory of God. 2011 Sowing the Seeds Enriching Partnership 2016 2012 Nurturing the Shoots Enhancing Ownership 2017 2013 Optimising God’s Vineyard Releasing Talents 2018 2014 Guarding the Yield Bringing in the Sheaves 2019 2015 Fostering Ventures Blowing the Trumpet 2020 ENRICHING PARTNERSHIP The ten year theme proposed by the Diocesan Strategic Implementation Commission brings us to “Enriching Partnership” for 2016. It is the continuation of Sowing the Seeds, Nurturing the Shoots, Optimizing God’s Vineyard, Guarding the Yield, and Fostering Ventures. There are many links and ventures we have started over the years that have given a fairly good yield on the whole. For 2016, the Diocese has decided to focus and embark on four major ventures namely (1) Partnership between Clergy and Lay Leadership, (2) Worship in season and out of season, (3) Empowerment, Advocacy, Green agenda, and (4) Discipleship Training. We are to pro- actively shape the Church to be relevant, true to its call and to bring her to the market place, instead of the traditional method of “Come and See” method. This booklet will help to shape the Church to be relevant by quoting several sayings of our Lord Jesus Christ. As the Diocesan theme is ‘Enriching Partnership,’ we have expanded the circle of writers to include friends from our companion dioceses, provincial dioceses and former mission partners. WHY LENT? What is Lent? The word ‘Lent’ originates from the Latin word quadragesima or Greek tessarakoste, which is the ‘fortieth’ day before Easter. In old English, Lent simply is springtime (or lenz in German and lente in Dutch). In the early years of the Church it was confined to a few days before Easter. But by the Fourth Century it was extended to forty days before Easter, a period associated with the forty days and nights that Jesus spent fasting in the desert just after his baptism. Lent is still observed for this duration today. When is Lent? Ash Wednesday heralds the start of the season of Lent. There are six Sundays in Lent, all of which are distinguished as celebrations of the Resurrection on which Christians feast. Six days are added to complete the original forty days of the season. Why Lent? The main purpose of Lent is to enrich our awareness of the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Perhaps the individual four letters, L, E, N, T, will assist us in appreciating the significance of his mission. Listening &Learning Lent is primarily about Jesus. We listen, learn, look, and recount our Lord’s sayings, commands, teachings, messages and acts. Through reading and meditating on God’s holy word (and for 2016, we look at the sayings of our Lord according to the Gospel of Saint Mark), we reflect on why the Saviour chose to suffer and even give his life through crucifixion. We also consider how our Lord dealt with powers of darkness, hypocrisy, and loneliness when he was in the wilderness, in the fields, on mountain-tops, by the lakesides, and at Golgotha. The hunger, thirst and pain that Jesus experienced are featured during Lent to invite our own meaningful practice of self-denial. Examination Lent is a contemplative preparation for seeking spiritual renewal. “I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent by self- examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting and self-denial.” (Liturgy of Ash Wednesday - Book of Common Prayer) Needs Lent exalts compassion-in-action in response to Divine love. Jesus said, “When you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honoured by others.” Instead, we are to take care not to practice righteousness in front of others. Thanksgiving Lent is a time of Thanksgiving to the Lord for the blessings of life.