Posted on 21-Sep-2015
Written by Corporal Yap Ming Yang of 12th Kuala Lumpur Company
Photos courtesy of Sergeant Jack Lim
KEPONG, KUALA LUMPUR - On the 12th July, a total of about 24 members of the 12th Kuala Lumpur Boys’ Brigade Company gathered at Wesley Methodist Church Kepong, the sponsoring authority of the said Company, to help run the Sunday Service. The members consisted of mostly Lance Corporals and a few Privates arrived at the church as early as 8.15am. These were the members from the worship team and the star of the day – the drumline team. The worship team, led by Sergeant Ong Wil Sern and Corporal Brian Eu, came early to have a final practise and run through of songs as well as to set up their instruments. The other NCOs and members also prepared for their own duties respectively. Everyone was thrilled to bits as this was the first time we were invited to conduct a Sunday Service in our home ground!
Our Captain, Mr. Nicholas Yeap was the liturgist for the service. The preacher of the sermon was none other than our respected Chaplain, Rev. Christoper Rao. The boys were wide-eyed when the principal of Wesley Methodist School Kuala Lumpur, Madam Chia Loy Tian accompanied by Madam Doreen Ti, the school Christian head, walked into the church hall giving us a warm smile. I wasn’t sure if any have had complained of having butterflies in their stomach though.
As the usual churchgoers started to arrive at around 9.52am, they were greeted by several ushers standing at the entrance and in the church aisle who led them to their seats. As they were seated, everyone took some time with the Lord, praying before the service. The service began right on the dot at 10 am. The emcee invited the congregation to stand with the marching in of the Colours. As the Colour Party made its way to the front, accompanied by a familiar tune ‘Underneath the Banner’, the boys arose and saluted. The Colour Party was led by Sergeant Nicholas Ng, Sergeant Ong Wil Sern and Sergeant Jack Lim.
The next itinerary was the declaration of God’s Word. Mr. Yeap led the congregation to recite the Scripture passage which was taken from Psalms 115:1-13. The worship team led by Corporal Brian Eu then took to stage leading the congregation in a time of praise and worship. They sang four songs, namely “Forever”, “Everlasting God”, “Mighty to Save” and “How Great is Our God”. Lively and mighty voices of the audience filled the entire church compound and everyone could really feel the presence of God in the church.
Following the lively session, the ushers led by Lance Corporal Teh Ming Yang proceeded to collect the offering. Reverend Christopher Rao then led the congregation in reciting the Offertory Prayer before singing the Doxology ‘Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow’. A video presentation, prepared by Sergeant Jack Lim, showcasing how 12th Kuala Lumpur has gone from strength to strength for the past one year, was played. Sergeant Jack then came forward to share his personal testimony about his BB life, and how he overcame the challenges he faced to become a sergeant today. The audience was encouraged as they listened to how he has come to know Christ and grown to be more mature and more responsible through the Boys’ Brigade ministry.
The order of the Service continued as the Junior players from the drumline team took to the stage performing one song. They have been practising to perfect the beats for the past one month despite the busy school schedules. This was the first time the Junior players performed and they had indeed done the Company proud! The drum beats were as loud as thunder. Overall, it was an excellent demonstration of how far the 12th Kuala Lumpur Drumline team has come since its inception about two years ago in 2013.
Scripture reading was conducted by Corporal Samuel Siew who read from Judges 2:7-10. He then handed over to Chaplain who led the congregation to sing the Hymn of Preparation ‘Spirit of the Living God’. Reverend Christopher Rao then led with a prayer and preached on one of the recent issues, the Legalisation of gay marriage in the United States. He was concerned about the consequences of this happening. His sermon was titled “Disciplining the Next Generation” reminded the parents that they should teach their children to be God-fearing and to follow God throughout their lives. He closed by sharing a personal story about a worship leader whom he knew at a church in Kuantan. The worship leader inspired his daughter to use her voice to serve God in the worship ministry. Indeed, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
After the sermon, the Hymn of Dedication, ‘Take My Life, and Let It be’ was sung. At the same time, the ushers handed out the offering bags for the second time to collect donations for the Kundasang and Ranau residents in Sabah. The church encourages everyone to be community conscious as it is better to give than to receive.
Holy Communion was conducted next. The session was quite long as everyone remained in the attitude of worship and prayer until the session was over. Then, the congregation sang ‘Onward Christian Soldiers’ as the Colour Party marched out. Reverend Christopher Rao then gave the Benediction, signifying the end of the Sunday Service. The emcee followed up by giving the weekly announcements. The service ended at approximately 12.00pm, and the congregation proceeded to have lunch and fellowship outside the sanctuary. The members, however stayed back to pack up their belongings and stack up the chairs. Everyone worked together to help to load the drums and cymbals into Captain’s truck and some cars. The members then went their own separate ways; some followed the officers back to school to unload the drums and some headed straight home. In a nutshell, BB Sunday was a great success, thanks to the members who came together to work as one. We praise and thank God for His faithfulness over the church and the Company! Not only it has been a good eye-opening experience for the Privates, it has been a good testimony to the school as well.