July 2026

Dearly beloved in the Lord,
Grace and peace be unto you. We give thanks to God,
the Lord of the church for His con nued faithfulness in
the life and ministry of the Annanagar Methodist
Church. It is with humility and great joy that I along with
my family have moved to AMC to carry on the pastoral
ministry. I seek your earnest prayers for our ministry. We
are grateful to the ministry of Rev Dr Andrew B
Natarajan for his faithful ministry at AMC for the last
eight years.
Upholding Hands is the overarching theme for this
month. The theme is vividly portrayed in a father holding
up the hand of his li le child as they walk along. The path
seems rugged and dark, lonely and frightening. Yet the
child is joyful and confident all because the child’s hand
is held up firmly by the father.
Isaiah 41:10
says,
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you;

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” This was a
much needed assurance to the people of God in exile who felt rejected and abandoned by God. Nevertheless,
the state of despair and hopelessness was caused by
their own unfaithfulness and rebellion to the Lord. Yet
the Lord remained faithful and so He says in 41:9 that He
had not rejected them. Fear, dismay, feeling weak and
helpless was how the exiles in Babylon encountering life
in the far off land, Babylon.
To such a people came the Word of Assurance as to
the Presence of God:
I am with you.
It is a statement
that gives enormous amount of assurance that the
almighty God was present there right in their exile. Isn’t
that how we too feel at mes that God had abandoned
us at the most desperate me. But throughout the
Scripture from the beginning to the end, God promises
His presence to all them that with hearty repentance
turn to Him in faith.
We also have here the Word of Affirma on as to the
Person of God:
for I am your God.
It was important for
the exiles to know that indeed YHWH (I am) was their
God even in a far off pagan society. This affirma on of
who YHWH was essen al to the credibility and
dependability for God. Therefore when His presence is
assured, the reality of God’s nature, the self-existent and
eternal God also is affirmed. This is crucial for us to know
of the God whom we profess especially during the crisis.
This brings us to the Word of Authority as to the
Power of God: I will uphold you with my righteous right
hand. God’s “right hand” symbolizes His power and
strength. Think of the power of God’s hand as we see it in
many places in the Scripture: Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power, your right hand, O Lord, sha ers the
enemy
Both riches and honor come from
(Exodus 15:6).
you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and
might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give
strength to all
My Father, who has
(1 Chronicles 29:12).
given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able
to snatch them out of the Father’s hand (John 10:29).
The scriptures tell us that the hands that uphold us
are represen ng God’s presence, His Person and His
Authority. It’s per nent for us to ask as to who holds our
hands in our seasons of fear, doubt and anxiety. The Lord
promises His power to hold us up with His righteous
right hand. May each of us con nue to put our whole
trust in the strength and the power of God for a
triumphant life, Amen.
With Blessings,
Rev. Sam Sudalaiyandi
Senior Pastor.