It was a celebration of Christian unity, of a renewal of faith, of repentance, of thanksgiving and, above all, of God’s great faithfulness. Indeed, the participation of more than 800 Christians from various denominations at the inaugural Pre-Gawai Service at the Trinity Methodist Church in Kuching on May 18 was an occasion of great joy and renewed Christian resolve.

Jointly organized by the Iban and Bahasa Malaysia Service of Trinity Methodist Church, the Iban Methodist
Church and St Faith Anglican Church, the service was held in conjunction with the Gawai Dayak celebration. It was an occasion to offer thanksgiving to the Almighty Lord for the bountiful harvest and abundant blessings He had provided to the Dayak community in the past year.

Conducted in Bahasa Malaysia, the service bore the theme, “Dalam Kristus Kita Bersatu” ( In Christ we are United) which was chosen to remind Dayaks of the need to bury their differences, which have caused fragmentation and division in the community, and work towards forging lasting unity through Christ. It was a theme that appealed to the Dayak Christians to return to the way of the Lord and to seek peace and unity in Jesus.

The presiding ministers were Rev Trevor Tinda of St Faith and Rev Asson Ulli of the Iban Methodist Church.

Spiritual Awakening
Many hearts were moved and touched by the message at the service. Soon after the service that night, there were already requests for next year’s Pre-Gawai Service to be held on a bigger scale and for churches in the other towns and rural areas to hold similar services.

It was just a beginning, but a good beginning. And the mighty hand of the Lord was at work among the organizers from the two churches from the day they first met as they committed their purpose in holding the Pre-Gawai Service to the Lord.

A lot of prayers remained the prime driving force throughout the preparation time which paved the way fro the successful Pre-Gawai Service.

Worship
The evening saw a harmonious blend of tradition and contemporary worship. The service began with a praise-and-worship session, led by youths from St Faith, Iban Methodist Church and Trinity Methodist Church, accompanied by a church band from St Faith and tambourine dancers from the two churches.

The congregation rose to their feet and lifted their voices in deep reverence as they joined the praise-and-worship team in the opening song, “Ku Masuk Ruang Maha Kudus”; and as the title suggests, the song provided a most appropriate curtain raiser to the worship. 

Sharing the Word
There was also a time during the service for sharing of testimonies. Representatives from the churches took turns to share about God’s greatness and faithfulness through their life-changing experiences to encourage other Christians to renew their faith in the Lord and rejoice in His everlasting love and peace.

The message on unity of God’s people through Christ was driven home effectively by Pastor Patrick Taie (BM Service of Trinity Methodist Church) in his 20-minute sermon, based on Psalm 133: When Brothers Dwell in Unity.

The message left behind a searching question and a probing call to the Dayak Christians to rediscover themselves and to rise as a united community in Christ.

Special prayer for Dayak leaders
A special prayer for Dayak leaders (comprising political leaders, leading businessmen, senior civil servants, heads of NGOs and community leaders) was led by Rev Trevor Tinda. It was a solemn and revered moment of communion with God as he prayed for the Dayak leaders to repent and rededicate themselves to serve and glorify God, while beseeching His guidance and blessings to be upon them.

The inclusion of the special prayer was a matter of serious significance as it reminded Dayaks that their leaders must be continually supported in prayer so that they can lead the community in a manner that is both progressive and pleasing to our Lord.

Climaxing the service was Holy Communion which was jointly celebrated by Rev Trevor Tinda and Rev Asson Ulli. Worthy of note also is that the collection from the offertory was used to buy Iban Bibles which were later distributed between the Iban Methodist and St Faith Anglican Church.

Communication Subcommittee
Bahasa Malaysia Service
Trinity Methodist Church, Kuching