“Mostly harmless.”

That’s how Planet Earth is described in the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series of novels, authored by comedic sci-fi writer Douglas Adams. The phrase is not meant to be complimentary; the series’ Earthly protagonists are rightly chagrined that their existence has been distilled to two words brimming with inconsequence.

We understand. Surely a life well lived should be one of impact; where what we do matters; where we leave behind a meaningful legacy.

Not one that is “mostly harmless”, barely registering any noteworthy act in our lifetime, let alone in the eternal scheme of things.

I wonder if the Church in Singapore will be viewed the same way, come our reckoning. 

Did we put our lives on the line for Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:15)? Did we hold nothing back to wage war on evil and injustice (Amos 5:24)? Did we endure persecution, hated to the end (Matthew 10:22), as we stood firmly by the offence of the Cross (Galatians 5:11)?

Or would it be said of us that we were … mostly harmless?

* * *

Salt that is no longer salty is worthless (Matthew 5:13). A dull knife is a pointless thing.

Why might a knife get that way? Because no care is taken to sharpen it.

In the sharpening of a knife, it is put to the grind with great force, generating intense heat. Sparks fly; it is a most uncomfortable process.

The intentional discomfort is needful. It keeps the knife useful. Without this process, it will eventually be unwanted and discarded.

Like the knife, the Church must ask: What is our purpose here? How does our Maker desire to wield us? What discomfort must we willingly undertake to stay sharp?

But I worry that that last question might prove the stumbling block. For the Church in Singapore is a very comfortable Church. 

Now, I’m not suggesting we should be uncomfortable for the sake of being uncomfortable. I’m not suggesting we should spurn all creature comforts – Turn off the aircon! Remove the cushions from the pews! – in 2025. Neither am I saying God doesn’t want to bless us.

Being uncomfortable is not about spurning physical comforts. It’s about being willing to shrug off everything that is keeping us from fulfilling God’s purpose for us – throwing off everything that hinders (Hebrews 12:1).

There are four fronts I suggest the Church in Singapore needs to guard against, where if we are not careful, we can get too comfortable, to our own detriment.

THE CHURCH IN SINGAPORE MUST BE CAREFUL NOT TO BECOME …

1. A dated church – too comfortable with the same old ways.

In the State of the Church in Singapore Study 2024: The Church and Seniors, the study authors (various theological colleges in Singapore plus Salt&Light) note that just as Singapore will soon become a super-aged society, the church here will likely soon become a super-aged church.

If this is merely a function of demography, we should take it with good grace. But if it is a question of vitality, then wake up, O sleeper (Ephesians 5:14)!

We thank God for the exponential growth of the past few decades. Many of today’s biggest churches were founded in the 1970s and 1980s in particular, thanks to the momentum provided by groundbreaking events on our shores such as the Billy Graham Crusade and the Charismatic Revival.

But it also means that many of these churches are now in their third or fourth decade of existence. Theirs was a boomtime fuelled by the Baby Boomer generation. Since then, have they been able to adapt to changing needs and narratives?

The consequence of a dated church is generational. First to vote with their feet will be the young adults; then, as they stop bringing their children, the children’s church will be impacted, then the youth church.

Soon you reach the point where the typical member is so old that any young visitor would not choose to stay; a church leader I have spoken to whose congregation is in this state has described it as a slow death, inexorable and depressing.

How do we avoid becoming a dated church? We must start having uncomfortable conversations.

Which of our church practices are non-negotiable, per Scripture? And which are merely man-made traditions and preferences? Which sacred cows are not so sacred after all?

Who are the true decision-makers in your church? What is their average age? Do they reflect that of Singapore – 42.8 years old, per the Department of Statistics. What would it take to get there?

Would you be willing to not merely hear out the next generation, but increasingly entrust them with the church – not in a superficial manner, but real empowerment?

2. A duplicated church – too comfortable with the same old faces.

The typical church in Singapore is majority Chinese-race, English-educated, and middle-class. The statistics bear this out: The typical Christian is almost twice as likely to live in a 5-Room HDB flat or larger than the national average, and more likely to hold a university degree.

I use the phrase “duplicated church” for the sake of alliteration; the truth is, we are too homogeneous.

Are we a homogenous church? Or are we a church for all?

Having too many of the same kind of people is no bad thing in itself – at least we have done well among this demographic! The problem is how this might affect the faith decisions of those who do not fit this carbon copy mould. If they walk into your church, would they fit in, or stick out?

How do we avoid becoming a duplicated, homogenous church? We must start having uncomfortable interactions.

James 2:3 warns against “showing special attention” to anyone because of their appearance and social status. If we want to diversify our congregational makeup, this is something we should take seriously.

For example, in my church, we’ve:

• Hard-coded into our narrative the importance of being a “church for all”, regardless of age or language
• Never placed any weight on a member’s social-economic status
• Insisted that any Chinese/dialect phrase uttered must be translated into English
• Diverted resources to grow our non-English ministries

Everyone of every race, language spoken, or income level is equal in God’s sight, but this is somehow not reflected in the church. It’s time to be truly a church for all.

3. A divided church – too comfortable in the same old camps.

How often does the Church in Singapore move as one?

We fail to agree on … almost everything. Baptism(s). Tongues. Worship styles. Bible versions. The separation of State and Church. Dress code.

There are possibly 500 to 800 churches in Singapore, depending on how you count them. When was the last time members and leaders of, say, 200 or more churches were involved in the same event?

If anything, in recent years, some of the rifts seem to have widened. Proponents of this style of preaching vs that style of preaching. This denomination vs that denomination.

But, as the Apostle Paul asks: “Is Christ divided?” (1 Corinthians 1:13)

How do we avoid becoming a divided church? We must start having uncomfortable reconciliations.

“I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.” (1 Corinthians 1:10)

With humility comes peace (Ephesians 4:2-3). With unity comes blessing (Psalm 133). With love comes powerful witness (John 13:34-35).

One of the prerequisites of Billy Graham bringing his evangelistic crusades to Singapore in 1978 was that every key denominational leader would have to be united in the project. To achieve this took hard work and great humility. But what reward, with tens of thousands of people coming to faith in that one week!

We were never called to be a people of many camps; we are one camp, built around the Tabernacle.

4. A distracted church – too comfortable with the same old priorities.

God is not meant to be an occasional consideration. He is meant to be our overriding consuming preoccupation (Colossians 3:1-3).

We are supposed to live with eternity in mind (Ecclesiastes 3:11), yet we seem to allow the here and now to dominate our decision-making. We throw all we have into our careers, relationships and past-times, and give Jesus the scraps.

Church is best for us when it knows its place. God, don’t you dare interfere with my job. Don’t encroach into my parenting. And stay away from my financial planning. Just be happy I’m there on Sunday mornings.

We are a blessed people, but we allow those very blessings to distract us from the God who blessed us.

We are the church of Laodicea. We see our relative affluence and think we’re doing a lot of God – but God says “I know your deeds … So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” (Revelation 3:15-16)

How do we avoid becoming a distracted church? We must start having uncomfortable corrections.

God did not mince His words with this church. “You do not realise that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked … Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.” (Revelation 3:17-19)

Jesus is coming soon. We only have so many years – Months? Weeks? Days? – left to make a difference. Every minute spent fixating on something with no eternal value is a missed opportunity to lay up treasures in heaven.

So here’s the uncomfortable correction: We are the comfortable Church. God help us.

We are dated, duplicated, divided and distracted. We are fine with the status quo. We are unmoved by the unsaved. 

Of course, I’m not speaking for everyone. There are many among you who are already living and dying for Jesus. We know this by the fact that Salt&Light still manages to daily spotlight Christians and churches who are doing amazing works for God.

But I don’t think that’s the majority position. There are at least 400,000 Protestants in Singapore, according to national statistics. If these were all on-fire, soul-saving, hell-storming world-changers, our numbers would not be plateauing.

Imagine what would happen if we all chose to feel uncomfortable about the fact that at least 80% of Singapore remains unsaved. Imagine if we all cultivated a divine discontent about the Gospel not yet reaching every corner of the Earth. Imagine if we turned that dissatisfaction into action.

And so that’s my prayer for myself, and my prayer for the Church in Singapore in 2025: May this be the year we allow the fires of revival to consume any part of the church that has become too comfortable to be used by Him. Lord, have Your way with us.