For week 11, I’d like to share Rev. Taunao Vavia’s sermon from the 13th anniversary commemoration service for United Reform Church PNG (URCPNG) .
CELEBRATING THE 13TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE URCPNG
Theme: Positive Thinking enable us to reach our destiny
Sub-theme: Commitment to God is our priority
Date: 09/03/2025Venue: Tubusereia Church
Today marks an important milestone in our still young and growing Church, the URCPNG. We have experienced many joys and many sad events throughout that journey. But let us hold firmly to the dream that we could, and have eventually become an independent and autonomous Church within the family of Reformed Churches around the world.
The Bishop has made a very positive start to our Church this year by providing an inspiring theme to kick-start the year:
Positive Thinking enables us to reach our destiny
And of course, in our journey throughout life, one must display positive thinking and attitudes to reach our destiny. One must always be optimistic and not pessimistic in their approach to life in general. One must be able to say that a glass half full of water is full rather than empty. Like Caleb and Joshua, we must be able to stand up against popular opinion and say we can do it. Then Caleb silenced the people and said, “we are able to do it.”
I have thought hard about what to share with you today to mark our URCPNG 13th Anniversary. I have gone through all the themes in my time as President and Bishop of URCPNG, and I believe the best possible theme to present this morning is the one I presented in December 2014 as
a prelude to the 2015 theme, which was:
Moving on in God’s mission.
As we move on in our journey in life, let us be positive in our thinking if we want to reach our destiny or goal. What then, is moving on in God’s mission? The theme talks to us on the subject of ‘moving on’ or carrying on despite what we have experienced so far. In our case, for example, we have experienced ups and downs in the course of trying to establish ourselves as a truly autonomous independent Church.
Of course, there are still challenges out there that we have to face, but the bottom line is that we have become, after 13 years, an autonomous independent Church, recognised locally and internationally.
What about God’s mission? This is a question that is both universal and individual, universal in that all of humanity is involved one way or the other to carry out God’s mission in the world, individual in that the question is directed to the individual Christian to carry out God’s mission in the world.
So, when we put them together, ‘Moving on in God’s mission’ is carrying on from where we have left off despite our hardships and failures, to a future that is filled with a horizon of hope and prosperity in the work God has entrusted upon us.
Let me take you back in history to the time of our forefathers, when there was still darkness, and the brave missionaries came to plant the seeds of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They had no way of knowing whether the people would accept the Gospel or not. They came with a positive mindset with absolute faith in the God who would sustain them in their endeavours. Did they succeed? Of course they did, with flying colours. Despite the numerous deaths and setbacks, they succeeded in taming our wild country and setting the course for us to achieve independence and prosperity.
The pioneer period saw the arrival of missionaries from the Pacific like the Loyalty Islands, Niue, Cook Islands, Samoa, and of course European and many other overseas missionaries. They came and did their work and moved on. And then the locals themselves took on the work, and they also did very well. They completed their work and moved on.
Then the Papuan Church Assembly was established, and the Papuans themselves took over the role of leadership and carried it out to the fullest of their ability, and they moved on. In the fifties and sixties, Australians like Frank Butler and others came and did their part in establishing the work of the mission, and Papua Ekalesia was born on November 23, 1962.
Five years later, on 19th January, 1968, the United Church in PNG and Solomon Islands was born. From one era to the next, they moved on, leaving their legacy for the younger ones to continue in the great work of the mission of God in this land. On 3rd October 2009, there began a series of events that would set the ball rolling towards the incorporation of what is now known as the URCKI or United Reformed Church Kadeboro Inc.2009 to 2011 can be said to be the initial stages in the formation of the URCKI. While 2012 was the actual incorporation and the running of the church, 2013 and 2014 saw the Church struggling with court cases. In 2015, a major ceremony was held in Tubusereia for both the UCPNG and URCKI to reconcile, but it did not go according to plan. We moved on, and life continued.
From 2015 to 2025, we continued with meditation processes, and eviction notices on property were issued to the Bishop and other properties in the Church. On the fifth of January, 2025, the joint mediation committee of both the UCPNG and URCPNG in consultation with the Hon Keith Iduhu worked out an MOU to foster closer working relationships between both parties.
Although some parties on both sides still argue about the terms and conditions of the MOU, the most important thing is that it brings peace and goodwill to the people. As I have mentioned earlier, we have moved on, now let us grasp with a positive mindset the importance of the MOU in the context of peace and reconciliation for the mission of God to take place.
And what is the mission of God for us? I believe the mission of God for us is seen in the context of Isaiah 61: 1 – 2:
Isaiah 61:1-2 NIV
[1] The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, [2] to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,
and Luke 4: 17 – 21:
Luke 4:17-21 NIV
[17] and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: [18] “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, [19] to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.” [20] Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. [21] He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
In Isaiah 61: 1 – 11, we see the prophet describing the year of the Lord’s favour where everything turns out good.
In Luke 4: 16 – 21, the Isaiah passage is paraphrased with Jesus saying something very significant in vs 21, where he says, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing”, in other words Jesus is telling the people that He is the anointed one that Israel has been waiting for.
When we read between the lines, there is something very significant about these verses that call for us to re-examine them. “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.”
I think that in a nutshell is the work that the Lord has entrusted to us – to proclaim good news to the poor in spirit, poor in health, poor in life, in fact most of everything that is out of reach for a man is caused by poverty that ensnares him, taking hold of his entire life.
The Lord has anointed us to be bearers of this good news to men. Not money, not possessions, not even the powerful can lead us to that perfect life in Jesus Christ. But with positive mindsets we can bring people who have been ensnared by life’s many ills and handicaps, to Jesus who provides at least some relief from their predicament.
Our Vision reads, “Preach, Teach, Live and Practice the Gospel of Jesus Christ and ensure that as many as possible receive salvation of soul body, soul, spirit and mind”.
And our Mission statement reads, “That the will of God be done on earth as it is in heaven. A mission of love, salvation and wholeness of life, and kingdom of heaven on earth”.
With the core values:
1. Love
We are a Church that preaches the greatest commandment given by Jesus Christ, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, strength and soul and love your neighbour as you love yourself”. Mark 12: 30 – 31
2. Wisdom
We are a Church that upholds God as the source and essence of knowledge and wisdom, Proverbs 1: 7 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline”.
3. Faith
We are a Church that is built on Faith and Trust by the providence of God and share a common faith in God with others. Mark 12: 30 – 31
4. Integrity
We are a Church of integrity always trying to serve all stakeholders with moral, ethical principles and values. Proverbs 11: 3
5. Family
We are a Church that embraces family values as the cornerstone of Society. Deut 6: 6 – 7; Eph 6: 1 – 4
6. Wealth
We are a Church that believes in the bountiful grace of God who alleviates poverty and prospers those who believe in Him. Deut 8: 18; Matt 6: 33
7. Transparency and accountability
We are a Church that takes full responsibility for both our actions and outcomes. Luke 16: 10
8. Commitment and dedication
We are a Church that is committed and dedicated to serve God, country, people and beyond in partnership with all stakeholders in spiritual and nation building. Deut 11: 13 – 15
With our vision and mission statements and our core values, we can see our God given mission as it is clearly stated in Isaiah 61: 1, 2 and Luke 4: 16 – 18. Let us remember the past as our heritage and look ahead with a heart of full of positivity and an optimistic attitude to carry out the mission of God.
Points
1. First of all, let us be clear in our minds as to what is said here, “Proclaim the good news to the poor”
What kind of good news? How will the poor benefit of this good news? Let me get this straight – proclamation of the good news to the poor in physical needs, in spiritual needs, in mental needs, in social needs. I say to the poor man there is available some money to buy food, clothes and other basic necessities. To the poor man this is exactly what he has been longing to hear in such a long time. In other words, the words seem to be like music to his ears.
Or the spiritually poor man, he may be rich in terms of money. But in reality, his life is ruined by all kinds of trouble – he cannot find answers to his problems. I think the good news would be Jesus Christ. The joy of accepting Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Saviour would be tremendous for him.
Or a person may be so depressed that his mental capabilities fail, what would be the good news for him? The good news would be something that would lift him out of depression and relieve him of his dilemma.
The socially poor man in dire straits, I believe that companionship and fellowship with other people would do a lot of good for him and that I think would be good news for him.
2. Bind up the broken hearted or recovery of sight for the blind.
This is a very real human problem that needs to be addressed more by the Church than any other institution. Bind up the broken hearted is a cry by the needy person in our society to help restore their health, their ills, the HIV victims, the disabled and those that fail to find medication for their sicknesses. Where are the health centres or clinics or aid posts where such people can go for their medical treatment?
3. Proclaim freedom for the prisoners or release from darkness for the prisoners.
The pressures from peer groups and other worldly icons have borne down on many young people today and it is like a prison for them. Not only are they ensnared in their need to keep up with the Jones so to speak but they are pressured by parents and the society at large. The end results can be very damaging to say the least. Where is the role of the Church in such situations? I think the Church can go a long way if it can find means and ways to assist young people with such problems.
4. Set the oppressed free or freedom for the captives.
The oppressed in our society today are mostly women and children and in rare cases men. The oppressed and violated women who cry for relief from their drunken husbands or the young children who are forced to run away from a home that is broken. I believe and am quite sure that the Church can really step in and assist in such situations.
As the agent of Jesus Christ, the Church or all Churches are empowered to carry out the mission of God in this world and I believe that it has the resources with which to tackle the issues that I have mentioned.
What resources am I talking about? We do not have the material resources with us, but think of it this way, we do have the human resources available for us to use. We actually have doctors, nurses, engineers, and accountants, you name it. We have them in abundance all around us. All we need is a little bit of positivity in our mindset to tap into this kind of human resources that we have at our disposal.
I have tried to expose all these things in my term as the founding leader of this church, but only a few of my colleagues have truly grasped my intentions. I only pray that for our church to progress, we must go ahead with a positive mindset and with positive attitudes to reach our goals and objectives. We must have leaders who display such attitudes to reach our goals.
The will and purposes of God must be fulfilled if we have any hope of actually being in the kingdom of God in Heaven. What are those will and purposes? It is simply to love God and love your neighbour. This is the most important commandment that you and I have to adhere to in our lives.
TO GOD BE THE GLORY!
Amen 🙏 God bless URCPNG, it’s clergy, leaders and all it members as they move on in God’s mission.
Deuteronomy 6:5-9 NIV
[5] Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. [6] These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. [7] Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. [8] Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. [9] Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
Deuteronomi 6.5-9 (Motu)
Iehova, emu Dirava, ba lalokau henia mai lalomu idoinai, mai laumamu idoinai, bona mai goadamu idoinai. Ini hereva, hari dina ai na haḡanilaimumu herevadia, na lalomu ai do bae mia; natumu danu ba hadibalaidia mai goadamu ida; ruma ai ba helai negadia ai, bona dala ai ba raka negadia ai, bona ba hekure negadia ai, bona ba tore isi negadia ai, ba herevalaidia.
Idia na toa ai ba halaodia, imamu ai bona bagumu ai. Emu iduara ihua-ihuana kahana kahana audia ai ba tore, bona emu ikoukou ai danuba tore.
Idau Hahine 