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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Yeon Shin
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