Over the last couple of months I sense that there is a “changing of seasons” in our church.  Let me elaborate.  While meditating on this term, I reflected on what the scriptures talk about, when the words ‘time’ or ‘seasons’ are mentioned.  In the New Testament the words for ‘time’ are ‘chronos’ and ‘kairos’.

• The word chronos refers to the general process of time or chronological time.
• The word kairos refers to the right time, the opportune time or the strategic moment.

As I was taking in the beautiful sights of the Alpine and the serenity of Lake Lucerne whilst passing through numerous towns in Switzerland, God began to reveal an important truth to me. We have always separated the concept of chronos(chronological time) from kairos(right time). God is showing us that they are simply different phases of the same process.  Kairos, in many ways, is an extension or continuation of chronos.  As the process of God’s plans unfolds, chronos becomes kairos.  The new is connected to the old and in fact, is often a result of the old.

I reflected on the building project of our church over the last 3 years, more specifically Project Grace.  At first I wondered what hindered us from getting the next property for our church. As I pondered over the numerous properties that we evaluated, starting from the site where our ex-neighbour Berean Assembly used to worship; to the Jurong West site which City Harvest was willing to sell us at $6.0 mil but which we had to forego as we could not get a partner for this project; and then to the more recent site – Plaza Theatre at Textile Centre, I began to realize that our church is going through a chronos time.

Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary. – Galatians 6:19

This understanding of God’s timing is indeed a great encouragement to me as I reflected on the journey to purchase the next property for our church.  I sense that God is more concerned with His Church i.e the people, than the Church building.  There will be a change of seasons very soon.

Much of life in the chronos season seems tasteless, even bad, but God is able to combine these ingredients of our lives in such a way that a shift occurs and a banquet results. (Edward Rowell’s “Fresh Illustration for Preaching & Teaching” Christianity Today 1997, P118)

Life is a series of changes – a process of going from the old to the new – from chronos to kairos.  Growth, change, revival are all processes.  Life sits on a time continuum.  Not understanding this, we tend to belittle the chronos times of preparing, sowing, believing and persevering.  Our preference is to always to live in the kairos times of fresh and strategic opportunities.   However, it is important to realize that our actions and attitudes in the chronos times are factors that determine whether or not God can shift us into the kairos times.  It is in the chronos times that our lives are molded and with the right ingredients added. The old and the new are inseparably linked – different yet part of the same process.

Understanding this will enable us not to grow weary or lose heart in doing good during the chronos times.  Yes, I believe we will move into our new building soon, but this shift in seasons must first come.  God is preparing us as a church and He is more concerned with our spiritual lives than with a physical building.  Knowing that we are cooperating with God and giving Him what He needs to bring about the new, we can rejoice, rather than despise, small beginnings.

We won’t despair about prayer meetings that go on for several years, during which a group of committed brothers and sisters meet every Sunday morning interceding with little apparent fruit.  We won’t despair even if the Project Grace team has to trudge on for another three years before we get our new property.  Our faith is based only on the truth of God’s Word and our obedience to it – Then we shall reap if we faint not.

-Paul Chan