From the Pastor |
We are living in a time of suffering and trial. And while Christians in America might not truly grasp what it means to suffer for the sake of Christ… although we have never truly been persecuted for our faith… We have experienced increasing conflict in society over our values and beliefs… we often face hostility from others and even from other Christians for what we believe.
But whether or not we have faced the persecution that others around the world, and the early Christian Church faced… we do understand and know suffering. That is why I think it is so appropriate that our lectionary has given us so much of Peter’s first letter. Peter was writing to a persecuted church… offering encouragement and reminding them that they have a tremendous hope in Christ… so “hang in there!” Better days are coming… whether in this life or the next… it will get better. He reminds them that Christ, himself, suffered for their sake… for our sake… so we cannot except our faith to shield us from suffering… we certainly do not deserve better than our Lord. During these days… during this time of crisis and isolation, of sickness, death and fear… Peter’s words are the reminder we need. He calls for believers to stay strong… to not give up… even though you suffer… hold fast to the hope they’ve been given in Christ. “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand… Cast all your anxiety on him… Be alert and of sober mind.” He says that evil will surround you… just waiting for you to let your guard down… Resist evil… and know that you are not alone. “[stand] firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” Humble yourself before God… Christ demonstrated how humility leads to victory… so be like Christ. Put your trust in God… and if you hold onto the hope that comes from Christ… God will lift you up… in due time… God will restore you… support and strengthen you. That is an amazing promise… and it is made possible because of the promise Jesus made to his disciples when he ascended… He said “wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about… in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit… you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.” It was this Spirit… this power Paul spoke of in his letter to the Ephesians. The “Spirit of wisdom and revelation… his incomparably great power for us who believe.” Paul’s prayer is that believers… Christians might experience and listen to God’s Spirit of wisdom so that they can learn and become open to the Glory of God. So that “…the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people.” The “eyes of your heart…” It is a common phrase in churches… but it is not a common image in our lives… The thing we need to remember is that in the Bible… the heart is not just the center of emotion. It is not simply and organ pumping our life blood through our bodies… The heart… is the center… the seat of all physical, intellectual and spiritual life… it is the center of our physical life… our emotions and morals and values… it is our intellect. Paul wishes for God to open the physical, intellectual and spiritual center of the believer. To enable them to see our reality through the eyes of God’s Spirit in us. To know and understand the hope Christ provides… the riches of his glorious inheritance that we are invited to share. To understand the immeasurable greatness of God’s power. It is that same immense power of God that raised Christ from the dead… it is the power that put him above all things… above the rule and authority… the powers and dominions of this world. The Spirit is the power of Christ’s resurrection manifested in the lives of followers of Christ. It is the power that flows in us and through us… it is the power that resides within us. It is the transforming power that changes lives. Every child of God is gifted with the power of the Holy Spirit… gifted to play a unique and valued role in the body of Christ... If we let it! I really believe that these two readings go together so well because in order to humble ourselves before God… in order to remain steadfast in faith, we need to let go of all those things that get in the way of God’s Holy Spirit working within us. All those things that keep the eyes of our hearts from seeing the fullness of God’s glory… the power of the hope we have in Christ. We need to release our pride and our selfishness… we need to cast off the fears, the anxieties, the anger and hatred… we need to let go of the pain and focus on the hope. We need to allow the Spirit room to enter in to provide the wisdom and revelation of God… The Spirit is the Lord’s great power offered to those who believe and we need that power to see us through… to give us the hope we need to remain steadfast in our faith and to resist the evil that is around us every day. The Holy Spirit helps us experience God’s presence and gives us the power to be faithful followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the power that guides us… teaches us… supports and strengthens us. The Holy Spirit is God’s way of staying in touch daily with his people as they share the good news of Jesus Christ in word and deed, and it is this Spirit… this power that will see us through to a better day. Because through the Spirit, we see the world not only as it is, but as it will be, and having the Holy Spirit with us also gives us the ability to live as people of that future now. Embracing hope, love, joy and peace even in the midst of suffering. You know… even in these days of “staying at home”… There is an immense weariness, a deep sense of frustration and anger that permeates our society. It is at times like these… times of suffering and pain… of uncertainty and fear… that we can become overwhelmed…. We can lose perspective and lose sight of what is important… We lose sight of God. We fail to feel God’s presence with us and we feel lost and alone. But as Peter reminds us… we are not alone. There are many brothers and sisters who feel just as we do. It sounds strange, but have you ever noticed what a comfort that thought can be. It can be comforting to know that we are not alone… that someone has felt what we feel… knows our pain and can relate… We are not alone… we have one another… and we have God. And if we take the time to cast our anxieties… our fears… our pain… on God. We will make room in our hearts… in our physical, intellectual and spiritual centers for the Holy Spirit to fill. Then we will know that we are truly NOT alone. God is with us each and every moment of every day. God’s presence is visible throughout the world and if we place our hope and trust in God… we will be restored… supported… strengthened and we will find peace of heart, soul and mind. The closer we are to God, the more committed to serving Him, the more power the Spirit provides to us. Spiritual power does not want to change things through external force, but rather by inspiring inward renewal and change, and it is meant to be shared. So as you go through your week, remember to take time… Look at the world around you and rejoice that the creator of the universe knows your situation. God understands your fears, your hopes, your dreams and your pains. Cast your cares, your stress and anxieties away… put them in God’s hands and let God’s Spirit of wisdom and power fill you… restore you… strengthen you and guide you through these difficult times. And always remember whose you are, and rest in God’s holy presence. Amen
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We are continuing our look at 1st Peter, a letter written to provide comfort and encouragement to Christian believers who were suffering for what & whom they believed in. And today, Peter calls on the followers of Christ to remain faithful and not give in to fear. To hold in their hearts the truth that “Jesus is Lord”, and to continue to live out their faith in spite of their suffering.
For “… if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed.” After all, it was Jesus himself, in his Sermon on the Mount, who said “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” [Matthew 5:10] So Peter reminds them, “Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated,” because in Christ you are saved. The same Christ who also unjustly suffered and died so that those who believe could be brought back in to a right relationship with God. The righteous suffered for the unrighteous… the sinless for the sinners… Then he implores them to “Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence. Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame.” Peter was adamant that suffering should never deter a Christian from sharing the hope found in Christ. Always be ready… because if you are always ready to defend the hope you have in Christ… to witness to your faith… your focus is on that hope, and it will be easier to remember that God is with you… that you are saved… and that knowledge will help you to endure whatever suffering comes your way. By focusing on the hope that comes from faith we find our rock… our strength and help in times of need, and we CAN endure. Besides… if we are always ready… if we are prepared to defend our hope and our faith… our hearts and minds will be focused on Christ and we are then able to provide a wonderful testimony that could benefit others as well. Followers of Christ are the living examples… the living witnesses of what the gospel message is all about… their words and actions can make a difference in the life of another. Peter knew this… he knew how important Christian witness was which is why he stressed 2 things when talking about it: First, share your defense… your witness with “gentleness and reverence”… not with arrogance, condescension or abuse… but with love… even with those who persecute you. Don’t get angry or defensive… do not try to force your view on another… speak truth. Speak love… in all things, work for good, even in the face of evil and persecution. And the second thing Peter stresses… “Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame” In other words do not give others a justifiable reason to accuse you of doing wrong… of being evil. Or as John Wesley put it in his 3 general rules: DO NO HARM… Do good… and stay in love with God. What a fabulous idea… too bad throughout history Christians have not only failed at that… but actually excelled at the failing. I do not have enough time today to list even some of the horrible atrocities that have been done in the name of Christ over 2000 years… There have been wars… violence… witch trials and persecution BY Christians… Threats, extortion, lies… colonialism… slavery and genocides… sexual abuse… the list goes on and on and on and on… Phew… it’s a good thing that things like that are all in the past. That Christians are known worldwide for being loving and caring children of God…Right? Yeah… right! If only that was true. Unfortunately, even today, there are far too many reasons that Christians… especially in our own society… have a negative reputation with non-Christians. They consider us to be “Hypocrites”… “Judgmental”… “Intolerant”… even “Horrible”! And let’s face it… there is a valid reason for it. Those titles have been earned. Christ taught that we are to love our neighbors and one another… and yet there are far too many who claim the name ‘Christian’ who look down on or even lash out and hurt those who are different… whether it is people of a different race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age… there are too many brothers and sisters in Christ who radiate greed, selfishness, prejudice, intolerance, and hatred. Christians in our society cry out for religious freedom but then I have heard (with my own ears) those same people proclaim that Muslims should not be allowed to serve political offices and that (and I quote) “The only good Muslim is a dead Muslim!” There are many ‘Christians’ who protest vehemently against abortion… claiming the title “Pro-Life” who are also willing to bomb clinics and murder the doctors. Pro-life activists who are also unwilling for their tax dollars to support education, welfare programs, food stamps, and housing… who vote against caring for the least and the lost. Many of these same ‘Christians’ are now protesting against the orders to stay at home or wear a mask in public because it infringes on their rights… even though the measures are meant to save lives… who are among those who are looking to re-open our nation so we can save the economy… after all our grandparents are willing to sacrifice their lives to keep the American economy going. Even today, there are far too many Christians who fail to live the faith… to live the law of love… who fail at practicing what they preach! In fact, there have been far too many Christians who have actually caused great harm to others. It amazes me how many people believe that being a Christian means we will only experience good things… that if our faith is strong enough, we will avoid all suffering and pain, and we will prosper in this life. Well, if that is the “gospel message” you believe… I am afraid you might be a bit disappointed… because we actually have no such guarantee.
I mean… let’s face it… we live in a crazy, mixed up, violent, sinful world. It is a world that seems to reward deceit and greed while scoffing at truth and righteousness. A world full of heartache and pain… illness, poverty and injustice… a world that honestly makes being a follower of Christ difficult at the least… and at worst, very dangerous. Even today, in the 21st century, it can be dangerous to be a Christian. At least in much of the world. Did you know that there are at least 60 countries where Christians still face persecution? Millions of Christians face the possibility of imprisonment, or abuse from their government and neighbors. Many still… like Stephen I our reading from Acts… face death because of their faith. But that is not usually something we even think about here in America… It is NOT our reality. How many of you consider your faith to be dangerous? Difficult? Yes, sometimes. Inconvenient? Yes, at times. Embarrassing? Yeah… Sometimes it can be. But dangerous? … Yeah… not so much. Persecution is not our experience. When it comes to persecution, American Christians tend to cry “persecution” when someone suggests saying “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas”… or when asked to make a wedding cake for a gay couple when they do not approve of or believe in gay marriage. Or like the past 2 months when government leaders and health officials called for all gathering places to be closed… including churches. Many Christians cried out that it was “persecution” that went against their right to Freedom of Religion. If that is persecution… we are truly blessed. Persecution was what Stephen faced in Jerusalem. When he was put on trial for speaking the good news of Christ. When he was dragged outside the city gates and stoned for his faith. Persecution is what the early Christians faced from the Jewish leaders and the Romans… Persecution is what Christians in other countries today face when they have to meet in secret… when they are beaten, ridiculed and imprisoned for their faith. Persecution is not something we have really had to face in this country… Yet, even though we are blessed with the freedom of religion that we enjoy here… it is still difficult to be a Christian. Why is that? I think it is because our faith is still very demanding… Our freedoms have made us complacent and tend to fill us with apathy… we try to follow Christ while blending in because we do not like that our faith makes us different… outsiders in this society… and as I said before… our faith does not offer any guarantees for our lives in this world. But Jesus never promised that the faithful would NOT suffer. In fact he actually said the opposite. Jesus said “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me.” Matthew 16:24 “…they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of my name.” Matthew 24:9 We like to think our faith will protect us from pain and suffering… but it doesn’t. We are not immune to suffering… we are not exempt from trials and tribulations. It is true… Scripture, and history show us, again and again, that Christians do indeed suffer for their faith in Christ Jesus… even we can suffer for our faith… but the gift we have been given through our readings this week is the assurance that, even though we might suffer… if we put our trust in God… we can find peace and joy in God’s care. As we live our lives in this crazy, sinful world… even as we experience pain… we know that God is with us. God has provided the way that is always steadfast and sure. For Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life.” john 14: 6a By following Jesus, there is always a way forward… we have a guide who will never leave us. When we are unsure of where to go, Jesus knows the path and if we remain with him… if we follow him and trust in him to see us through… we continue to move forward with confidence. “If you really know me, you will know my Father as well… Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” John 14: 7a, 9b Jesus came so we could truly know God… He dwelt among us and showed what it was God cared about and the extent of God’s love. He lived with the poor, healed the sick, fed the hungry… he sought out the weak, the lost and the outcast… he humbled himself to act as a servant… humbled himself to even die on a cross… but then he won victory over death by rising again. Jesus promised to go ahead to prepare a place for his disciples… for us… so that we know that even death is not the end… that one day we will reside with him in God’s great kingdom. If we know Jesus… we know God. How awesome is that? Through Christ we know what God is like and we know that God is with us, even in our vulnerability, our uncertainty, and our fear. The assurance this brings is amazing. Faith might not stop suffering from happening… but it can see us through even the worst that this world can dish out. There are 2 common responses when people are faced with challenges in our world. Some allow fear to grab hold… they focus on the crisis and work frantically to try and figure out what to do… the future is riding on it and honestly this path can lead to hopelessness. Then there are others… Christians who use their faith like an escape hatch… they focus on their promised future in “heaven” and ignore the problems of today… this path is fairly easy because it is passive and requires no work on our part… they just wait for God to change the brokenness of our world. That “Left Behind” mentality. However, the Scriptures call us to a different response altogether... Even while Christians are called to put their trust in God to care for us… even while we recognize and acknowledge God’s promise for the future… even as we find peace of heart, soul and mind in the assurance of God’s love and grace… we are called, by our faith, to work. To work in partnership with God, continuing the wonderful works that Christ had begun. That is what Christ meant when he said “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these…” John 15:12A Our Christian faith calls us to welcome all people to experience God’s love, compassion and mercy through us. Christ has shown us that it is by living and working for God’s kingdom that we are truly able to find the assurance and peace that we are looking for. We cannot do this if we separate ourselves from the world… we must actively serve the world in Christ’s name… to be active participants in God’s work wherever we are… at home, in our neighborhoods, offices and schools… trying our best to live as followers of Christ in whatever ways we can, whether large or small… to actively shine the light of God’s love into the community around us. This may mean that we put ourselves at risk of ridicule, misunderstandings and even persecution by those who wish to maintain the “status quo”, and our work may seem thankless and we might even find ourselves facing discouragement and disappointment. But even so… trust that God is at work in the world… in our communities… in our lives… Look around and see the signs of God’s love and grace in this crazy world. They are clearly visible if we simply look for them. The assurance that our faith provides can give us hope… and as we live as followers of Christ… people full of trust and hope, we can actively bring hope to the world. There are very few things in this world that are certain… I’ve been told that only death and taxes are certain… But that is NOT true… there is something else that is certain. God’s love for us… The power of Christ’s love for us… love that will see us through any trial… any suffering… That is certain. God’s love and care is reliable and never-ending. It cannot be lost or cancelled… and Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. God is our rock, a strong fortress to keep us safe. This is the assurance that our faith brings… the hope that sees us through, and the work that faith calls us to do makes us participants in God’s saving work in our world… calling us to do even greater things. Amen Last week we heard the end of Peter’s very first sermon given on the Day of Pentecost. What a sermon that was too. Peter… a simple and sometimes rash fisherman from Galilee… stood there, speaking to a huge crowd of people… letting them know that once this man named Jesus comes into your life, you can forget about everything you thought you knew. Up will be down and first will be last and if you think you know how things will turn out in the end, think again; because, once his love begins to fill your heart, anything is possible. Anything!"
And then that “anything” began to happen. We are told that three thousand people were added to their number that day. 3,000! Our reading from the Book of Acts gives us a description of what happened with all those people who joined with the Christ’s followers. In response to what they had heard Peter say and what the apostles continued to teach, they started meeting together daily… not because they HAD to… not to run a business meeting or to pass the budget, but because they actually wanted to be together. “What's mine is yours” seemed to become everybody's motto! The early Christians… those people who chose to believe in and follow Jesus… formed a community. Holding things in common, giving away what you didn't need, and meeting together out of a gladness and generosity of spirit that simply filled your heart… Talk about Absolute craziness! It would have given their stockbroker apoplexy! Today… if we saw them we would probably call them a "cult" or maybe “Hippies”… or worse (given the political climate… “Socialists”! But honestly… it is what we are called to do… to live together IN COMMUNITY! The Gospel of John tells us that just prior to his arrest and crucifixion… Jesus spent time praying… that all who would come to believe “may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me...” (John 17: 20-24) Paul refers to us all as the ONE BODY of Christ. United. Together. Loving, sharing, caring! However, it seems that the idea of truly living in community simultaneously attracts and repels most of us. We long for the life-affirming benefits that a community can bestow… but we resist the demands that community makes on us. This is probably because we recognize that we have a lot to lose in such a situation. We are tempted to dismiss these verses as quaint or unrealistic, even as we long for this kind of love and unity in our lives. But God calls people to salvation through Christ; in doing so, God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, unites those same people and has created a vast worldwide community. And the truth is… we NEED IT! We NEED unity… we NEED community. We NEED a place where we can belong… a place where we can learn and grow in our faith… a place where we can go to feel safe… understood… to find strength and help in times of need… and where we can offer the same to someone else. Peter’s letter tells us why… “For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.” [1 Peter 2: 19-20] Or as I have heard it said… simply because “bad things DO happen to good people.” Suffering happens… not because we deserve it… but because… that is life! There is tremendous suffering in the world. Followers of Christ are certainly not immune from it… we are not spared all the pain and suffering… the heartache and illness… And in this life… sometimes we even suffer for doing what is right… for what we believe… Living lives of faith is not easy. Many times… it makes us different, and we, as people of the 21st century, face many challenges to our faith every day. And this year… 2020… has tested us all. We are much more isolated and alone… we live with the fear that we, or someone we love might contract this virus… we watch every day as the numbers continue to climb… those infected… those who have died… those who are unemployed… those who are in need. The numbers continue to climb… and we cannot even gather in our house of worship. The one positive that I have seen come out of this? Even though we cannot gather… even though many of us are truly alone… I have witnessed a true sense of community. Our county, towns and villages are coming together to help one another… churches and community groups have rallied together to serve on another. Even in our time of social distancing and isolation… we are experiencing a sense of community that has been sorely lacking in our country… our state… our towns and neighborhoods… even in our churches. It takes a community working together, supporting and caring for one another… to see us through these scary times… AND it takes a community to hold on to faith… to hold on to the belief that God is working to bring grace and peace, mercy, love and new life to every person in the midst of all the suffering and heartbreak, cruelty and hypocrisy of this world. Although he had done nothing wrong… Jesus suffered and died for you… for me… “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds [we] have been healed.” [1 Peter 2: 24] This is what we believe… this is our faith, and faith is something that thrives and grows in the sharing. Our faith community serves as an extended family for us. It’s our support system, encouraging, guiding and strengthening us as we continue our journey of faith. Our world focuses so much time and energy on our divisions, but we, as followers of Christ, are called to look past all those things that might divide us and embrace our connections; to find in them the resurrection life that Christ promises. The reality is that Christian faith has always been a community endeavor. We see that from the earliest days of the church… the Christian Community. The effect of such a community is that through sharing they were supporting and encouraging and strengthening each other’s faith! As someone once put it, “The resurrection is not a fact to be believed, but an experience to be shared.” Our faith simply cannot flourish if we think we have to be spiritual “lone rangers.” Faith flourishes in a community. There is something about faith that it needs to be carried out “in the presence of all God’s people” (Psalm 116:14) in order to thrive. I like the way Henri Nouwen puts it: “Christian community is the place where we keep the flame of hope alive among us… That is how we dare to say that God is a God of love when we see death and destruction and agony all around us. We say it together. We affirm it in each other.” This current Crisis has helped us find and reaffirm our commitment to being a true community of faith. To recognize that Christian fellowship and community is a key aspect of the Christian life. To realize that we are connected to one another… connected by faith and the power of the Holy Spirit. You are connected to one another… connected to every follower of Christ who is a member of this church… to every follower of Christ in every church… in every city or town… in every house, apartment and park bench... around the world! Through our connection, we are called to love one another… to support, encourage and care for one another. The ministry of God's reign that Jesus began during his life and secured by his death, resurrection, is not merely a thing of the past or some faint hope for the future. It is only together, in community, through fellowship, love and sharing that Christ’s life and saving grace can be fully known. So please… take time this week… reach out to your brothers and sisters in Christ and see how they are doing. Pick up the phone or send a card or email… if you are in need… reach out to your family of faith… Let us help one another… care for and support one another… share the love of Christ with one another and that love will grow and overflow… spilling out… over to others. |
Yeon Shin
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