St Matthew’s Church probably has the most stunning sanctuary wall behind its communion table in Singapore. No, it is not one with stained glass or a cross. Nor is it a reredos. It’s a massive, ceiling-to-floor glass wall that displays the glory of God’s creation.

The Vicar, Rev Aaron Cheng, dressed up for the children’s church, quipped, “If the sermon is not engaging, the members will be counting squirrels”. I laughed.

I became acquainted with Aaron when he was the youth pastor at Church of True Light. He is a teachable, approachable and cheerful leader, full of faith and a man of action. He was also very supportive and encouraging of my ministry. I therefore considered it a joy to accept his invitation to preach at St Matthew’s.

It was the first Sunday of Lent, and I was allowed to choose from the lectionary passages of that day. I chose to preach from Psalm 32, a penitential psalm of David. I titled it, “The Joy of Living in Forgiveness”. From the muted responses of members, I surmise they were either deep in thought or were looking for squirrels! haha.

This church has a long, interesting history. It was formed in 1902. It began as a ministry for Cantonese-speaking members. The church was relocated in the 1960s to Neil Road, and its kindergarten was popular with the residents in the Everton and Spottiswoode housing areas. Its final relocation was in 2005 when it moved to Eng Hoon Street in Tiong Bahru.

After the service, the long-serving People’s Warden, Edwin Lim, told me of some families with three generations in this church. I concurred, as I had observed a balance of seniors, middle-aged, young people, and children in the congregation. I could see they were a warm, hospitable and close-knit community. For those seeking community instead of the anonymity of large churches, this friendly family church is heaven.

St Matthew’s is therefore a historic, long-standing church with a new, young and experienced leader. It has been around for a long time. I even heard of a period of renewal when Rev John Tay was a priest there when they were on Neil Road. Now they have a new Vicar, and he is probably the youngest one they have ever had. It will be exciting to see what God will do in and through this church in the years to come.

I wanted to have lunch at the famous Tiong Bahru yong tau foo stall, about a two-minute walk away. However, Edwin mentioned that they have new owners and the food was not as good as it used to be. I gave it a pass and had my lunch at the ABC Brickworks hawker centre.

If you want to know more about St Matthew’s interesting history, watch this YouTube video HERE.

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