“Water into Wine” (John 2:1-11)

Turning Water into Wine

George Gordon Byron, simply known as Lord Byron, is considered as one of the greatest English poets, one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement in the 19^th century. The following is the story when the young Lord Byron was taking an important exam in religious studies at Oxford University. The examination question for this day was to write about the religious and spiritual meaning in the miracle of Christ turning water into wine. For two hours all the other students were busy with filling their pages with long essays, to show their understanding. But the young Lord Byron just sat, contemplating and looking out the window. The exam time was almost over, and he had not written a single word. The proctor finally came over to him and insisted that he had to write something before turning in the paper. The young Lord Byron simply picked up his hand and penned the following line: “The water met its Master, and blushed.”

Life without Wine  

Today’s passage is a story about a wedding banquet. The Apostle John led by the Holy Spirit carefully chose this particular episode as the first story of Jesus’ official ministry. Today’s story goes like this: one day Jesus and his disciples were invited to the wedding as guests. In Jesus’ time the wedding celebration was considered to be the pinnacle of life. Instead of a honeymoon, the bride and groom had open house for a week. They were considered to be king and queen. Oftentimes all the people in town were invited to celebrate together. It was the whole town celebration. At the wedding banquet wine was essential. At that time to the Jewish mind, wine was a symbol for joy. So “without wine, there is no joy.” But in today’s passage something happened. The wine ran out. “They have no more wine!” the mother of Jesus said. Running out of wine during the wedding celebration brought shame to the family. But even more than that, it meant joy had run out.

A life without wine means life without joy – a joyless life. Of course, everyone wants to live a happy, fulfilling, joy-filled life. The question is, “How can we have this joy-filled life?” “How can we have joy?” Some people think that if we make a nice bucket list and cross things off the list one-by-one as we finish them, that would give us joy. Creating and completing the bucket list might give us a sense of achievement. But the thing is that joy doesn’t last long. That joy runs out.

Have you seen the film, “The Bucket List”? Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman starred in this film. Both of them are announced they have lung cancer. They decide to do everything on their bucket list before they die. They go skydiving together. They drive a Shelby Mustang together. They ride motorcycles on the Great Wall of China together. They attend a lion safari in Africa together, and so on. They do lots of fun and interesting things together. But at the end the time comes. Although they did everything they wanted, they didn’t find lasting joy. They didn’t have free, full life that they were looking for. Eventually, Morgan Freeman dies on the operating tables, and Jack Nicholson dies at the age of 81 in the film. This film is entertaining. It relieves our fear about death on some level. But it never solved anything. Nothing changed. Doing what I want to do is like drinking seawater. The more we do what we want to do, the more thirsty we become.

Life with Wine

If you are searching for joy, or if you feel like joy is running out in your life, today’s story is for you. Many of us in this room already invited Jesus into our hearts, but oftentimes we treat him as our guest, perhaps a special guest at best, but not as the Master. There is a clear limit and boundary for guests. They are not allowed to get involved in our private matters – such as our family matters and finances. In today’s story at first Jesus was invited as a guest. So at the beginning he couldn’t do any work there, even though he was the Son of God Almighty (cf. Mk 6:5). But later, we see some people who believed in Jesus and treated him as their Master. For example, look at the servants. At the wedding banquet there were six stone water jars, altogether holding up to 180 gallons of water. When Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water,” they filled them up, not to half, but to the brim (v. 7). They showed complete obedience. Then Jesus said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the master of the banquet.” And they did. They showed immediate obedience. You see there is no logical connection between turning water into wine and filling the jars with water and taking it to the host. But the key is to trust and obey. When we trust Jesus as our Master and obey him, he turns our water into wine. He turns our tasteless, insipid, sparkless life into rich, fulfilling, joy-filled life.

I had to admit that although I always grew up in the church and was so familiar with the Bible and God, Jesus was a guest in my life for a long time, for more than 20 years. I didn’t take Jesus seriously. I was the one who planed ahead – whether it was about school, work, or travel. I was the one who made important decisions in life. I prayed, but deep in my heart I had already what I wanted. I didn’t seek his guidance. I didn’t listen to him first. I didn’t wait at his feet. I did what I wanted first, and then I asked God’s blessings later. I wished my decision was God’s will. I was always wandering and searching for joy, but I never had it. But Jesus was so merciful, gracious, and patient. He rescued me out of many dangers, broken relationships, fatal illnesses. And eventually, I came to my senses and invited him to be my Master. Then, everything began to change one by one. I began to have a sense of purpose, direction, and goal in life. I began to have a sense of being at home, a sense of wholeness. Most of all, I found joy that never runs out.

Joy, Joy, Joy

At the wedding banquet Jesus turned water into wine at Cana. Jesus still turns water into wine today. Let me share the story of one man whose life turned from a life like “insipid” water to a joy-filled life – a life with wine. His experience is very personal and unique, but at the same time, somehow it is a universal experience for every Christian.

His name is Blaise Pascal. He was perhaps the most brilliant mind of his generation. At the age of 19 he invented the world’s first mechanical calculator. He achieved both wealth and honor at a very young age, but for some reason at the pinnacle he felt miserable. He felt something was missing. There was no joy, no peace. Though he considered himself a Christian, to him Jesus was only a guest. On November 23, 1654 he got a major horse carriage accident, but miraculously he was saved. He saw this as a warning directly from God. That night he humbly surrendered his life to Christ and encountered him in his room. In his journal Pascal said:

FIRE. God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, not of philosophers and scholars. Certitude, heartfelt joy, peace. God of Jesus Christ. God of Jesus Christ. "My God and your God." . . . Joy, Joy, Joy, tears of joy. . . Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ. May I never be separated from him!

That night to Pascal, Jesus became his Master. Since Jesus came into his life as the Master, he always carried this note in his coat until he died. Since that day, in everything Pascal put Jesus in the center of his life. He listened to the Master and obeyed him day by day.

So how can we have joy? How can we turn our life like “insipid” water to a joy-filled life? “The water met its Master, and blushed.” It is not until we meet the Master that we can have joy everlasting. As we ring out the Old Year and ring in the New, may we commit and recommit ourselves to Christ and put him in the center of our lives. Let me close with the prayer of Missionary C. T. Studd:

Give me Father, a purpose deep,

In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;

Faithful and true what e’er the strife,

Pleasing Thee in my daily life;

Only one life, ‘twill soon be past,

Only what’s done for Christ will last.

“The Wounded Healer” (Isaiah 53:4-12)

God’s Method

How would you describe the year 2021 in one word? Perhaps words such as “alienation,” “separation,” “isolation,” and “loneliness” might come to your mind. During this pandemic many churches and Christian organizations are constantly on a stretch to devise new methods, new plans, new task forces, to overcome loneliness and make the gospel relevant. But God’s method is always the person much more than anything else. E. M. Bounds rightly said, “The Church is looking for better methods; God is looking for better men.”[1] “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John” (John 1:6). It was the person John who broke the silence of the 450-year intertestamental period and prepared the way of the Lord.

“Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isa 9:6). As Israel was going through the darkest hour, God promised that he would bring his salvation through the person – the Christ Child. Psalm 2 also proclaims the same eternal truth. When the nations, the kings, the rulers conspire and plot against God, saying, “Let us break their chains and throw off their fetters.” But the One enthroned in heaven laughs and says to his anointed, “I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill. You are my Son; today I have begotten you” (vv. 6-7). In turbulent times the world’s salvation comes out of the Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.  

Jesus, God’s Wounded Healer

So we are eagerly waiting for the coming of the Messiah. We are anxiously waiting for the Day when he will give justice to his people and make it right. Our image of the Messiah is often more like a charismatic king, or an invincible general. But in today’s scripture, God’s Messiah is described as a totally unexpected figure, and he saves his people in an unexpected way. So what was the Messiah like? The Bible says, “He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering (sorrows), and familiar with pain” (v. 3).  Then, how did he bring salvation to his people? “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed” (v. 5). By taking up our pain and carrying our suffering. That’s how God’s Messiah brings salvation to his people.

When John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” Then Jesus, who had no sin, received the baptism of repentance by John. Gordon MacDonald invites us to imagine the scene of Jesus’ baptism if it took place in the twenty-first century. Gordon was a well-known, promising, beloved pastor at Grace Chapel in Lexington, MA for 12 years. In 1987 he admitted to an adulterous affair. He publicly repented. He experienced forgiveness of sin in a very personal way. In that context Gordon asks us to imagine John’s baptism occurs in our lifetimes, so we go out to be baptized by John. Imagine someone decided to get organized, so they set up a registration table, handing out nametags for each person who wants to be baptized by John. When a person registered for baptism, the person working the registration would ask, "What’s your name? And what sins do you need to repent of?" You’d say, "My name is Gordon and I’m an adulterer." So each person to be baptized would have a nametag with their name and their sin written on it. My nametag would say, "Victor" and then underneath would be words like “hypocrisy,” "pride," and "judgmental spirit." Then comes Jesus who doesn’t need a nametag, and he asks each of us to take off our nametags. As Jesus prepares for his baptism, he puts all our nametags on himself, mine and yours, my name and your name, my sins and your sins. And then Jesus goes into the waters of baptism, identifying himself with our sins. That’s why Jesus was baptized by John. Jesus became our sin, and we became his righteousness (2 Co 5:21).

What would you have on your nametag? Perhaps your nametag would have “unforgiving spirit” or "premarital sex" or “adultery” or “guilt of abortion” or “scars from divorce.” Whatever we have on our nametags, Jesus takes off ours and gives us a new nametag, on which is written, “God’s Beloved” (cf. Matt 3:17). All we need to do is to confess our sins and to trust in the Lamb of God who takes away our guilt and shame, sin and sadness. By his wounds we are healed.

 Called

Although God takes away our sin, he leaves us with scars – healed wounds – as a constant reminder of God’s grace, and as a source of healing for others. We are then called to be wounded healers. There is a world of difference between “open” wounds and “healed” wounds. Open wounds say, “Don’t worry because I suffer from the same depression, confusion, and anxiety as you do.” But it is of no help to anyone. Open wounds stink and do not heal. But healed wounds say, “I have been there. And I still see my pain and suffering from deep within today. But God has been gracious to me. I feel your pain.” Recently, Joyce has suffered from impotence in her estranged relationship with someone she loved. She tried to mend the relationship. But it was no use. She felt powerless, hopeless, depressed. Then, one day in an unexpected time and place Joyce had a chance to meet one Christian woman who shared her story. How Jesus healed her, how he lifted her out of the pit of despair, pulled her from deep, messy mud, how he stood her up on a solid ground. As Joyce was listening, she wept and wept. All of sudden, she began to see a ray of hope that says “With God all things are possible.” When we share our healed wounds with others, they become a source of healing.

But, when we share our wounds with others, it has to be done out of humility. It has to be beggar to beggar, patient to patient. In order to cultivate humility, we need to have a constant willingness to face our own pain and brokenness. Let me give you an illustration from one of the Talmud stories. Rabbi Yoshua ben Levi came upon Elijah the prophet while he was standing at the entrance of Rabbi Simeron ben Yohai’s cave … He asked Elijah, “When will the Messiah come?” Elijah replied, “Go and ask him yourself.” “Where is he?” “Sitting at the gates of the city.” “How shall I know him?” “He is sitting among the poor covered with wounds. The others unbind all their wounds at the same time and then bind them up again. But he unbinds one at a time and binds it up again, saying to himself, ‘Perhaps I shall be needed: if so I must always be ready so as not to delay for a moment.’[2]

In this story the Messiah, the Wounded Healer, is sitting among the poor, binding his wounds one at a time, so he can look after his own pain and suffering, and at the same time, he can be prepared to heal the wounds of others, while the others are preoccupied with their own wounds and problems. We too are called to be wounded healers. If we don’t see and bind our own wounds, those untreated wounds will stink. If we only see our wounds, we will burden others with our pain. But when we bind our wounds one at a time, we will see our own brokenness and stay humble, and with humility we will make room for others to be themselves and to come to us on their own terms.

Life as a Wounded Healer

We cannot save anyone. We cannot heal anyone. Our life, as a wounded healer, is simply to invite people to the Light where their wounds can be seen and healed. It’s to guide wounded people to the Healer, as we humbly share our pain, our brokenness, our hope with them. 

In his book The Wounded Healer, Henri Nouwen says that the message of the wounded healer is here and now: “The master [the Liberator] is coming – not tomorrow, but today, not next year, but this year, not after all our misery is passed, but in the middle of it, not in another place but right here where we are standing.” [3]

Whatever you are going through, wherever you are, today is the day of liberation. The Messiah is coming. The Wounded Healer is coming. Come, let us adore him. Come, let us be healed and help others heal. Amen.

 

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[1] E. M. Bounds, Power through Prayer (Christian Classics Remix), 1.

[2] Henri Nouwen, The Wounded Healer: Ministry in Contemporary Society, (The Crown Publishing Group), 81-2.

[3] Ibid., 95. 

“The Prodigal Father, the Prodigal Sons” (Luke 15:11-32)

Rembrandt’s Return of the Prodigal Son

Rembrandt van Rijn is considered as one of the greatest painters of all time. Known as the “painter of light,” he had a profound knowledge of the human heart and a deep faith to express profound emotions and eternal truths. Biblical stories inspired Rembrandt throughout his life. Today’s scripture, Luke 15:11-32, is one that perhaps inspired him most and became his last great painting, The Return of the Prodigal Son. This painting is more than 8½ feet tall, and the figures are life-sized. At first sight, the spotlighted prodigal son immediately draws our attention – his bare feet, ragged clothes and shaven head. But then, the light swells and ascends to the father’s illuminated face, across his brow, and then shoots like an arrow across the picture to the face of the other son – the elder son, who remained at home. The more we listen to this parable told by Jesus Christ our Lord, the more we realize that the prodigal person is not just one, but three: the younger son, the elder son, and the father.

The Younger Son

First, the younger son. One day he said to his father, “Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me” (v. 12), then he packed all his belongings and left for a distant country. Let us take a pause, and think about the implications of a son’s request for his inheritance while the father is still living. Has anyone of you made such a request in your life? Never! Why? Because the request means, “Father, I want you to die,” or “Father, I cannot wait for you to die.” And the son’s leaving to the distant country is an act of rebellion.  

When Adam was created, from the beginning he could hear the voice that says, “You are my Beloved. I am well pleased with you.” But Adam wanted to be a god himself and chose to rebel against God and moved to a distant country. Adam’s rebellion. God said to Israel, “You are my Beloved. You will be my people, and I will be your God.” But the Israelites were not satisfied in God and constantly ran after other gods to satisfy their desires. And God said to them, “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns that cannot hold water” (Jer 2:13). Israel’s rebellion. If we really pay attention, we can hear the voice say, “You are my Beloved. You are my joy.” But we too constantly seek our security and happiness in a distant country – in someone or something other than God. “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.”

But God’s grace is greater than our sin, stronger than our rebellious heart. In Rembrandt’s painting the younger son is dispossessed of everything, except for one thing, his sword – the short sword hanging from his hips. This is the symbol of his sonship, the sign of God’s grace. Although he became a drunkard, beggar, outcast, the sword was a constant reminder that says, “Remember, who you are! You are still the beloved son.” Then, finally he came to his senses and resolved to turn back. That’s the power of God’s grace.

The Elder Son

Then, there is the elder son. When he heard the news that his younger brother was back, and his father has killed the fattened calf to celebrate, he became angry and refused to go in (v. 28). Outwardly, the elder son was faultless. He did all the right things. He was obedient, dutiful, and hardworking. People respected him, admired him, and praised him. But inwardly, he was lost as much as his younger brother. All of sudden, it became so obvious that he was resentful, unkind, harsh, judgmental, self-righteous. This elder son is also the prodigal son.

When Jesus was sharing this parable, there were two types of audience groups. Luke 15 begins this way: “Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them” (vv. 1-2). The younger son symbolizes the lost (the tax collectors and sinners), and the elder son represents the self-righteous (the Pharisees and the scribes). In this context Jesus tells three parables in a row: the parable of the lost sheep, the parable of the lost coin, and the parable of the prodigal son. All these three parables have the same message, that is in verse 10, “There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

But the elder son refuses to join and celebrate together. Instead of rejoicing over the father’s mercy and generosity, he grumbles, compares, and is jealous. He doesn’t know his father’s non-comparing love. In God’s household, all people are uniquely and perfectly loved. But the elder son believes, “If my younger brother has favor from the father, then he must be more loved by the father than I.” I don’t know about you, but for me, I see myself in the elder son. When I hear the news that another church is thriving, it’s hard for me to rejoice with them. When another colleague does a wonderful job and gets acknowledged, I easily feel excluded and resentful. But Jesus says, “In the house of my father there are many places to live” (John 14:2). The mark of the Father’s sons and daughters is joy. It is to go in and rejoice with the Father, with our brothers and sisters – especially with the undeserved siblings.

The Father

Lastly, the Father. In this parable we see how deep the Father’s love is through his two distinctive actions: one is waiting, and the other is running. The Father waits. As Father, he wants his children to stay safely at home and to enjoy his presence. But as Father, he also wants his children to be free, free to love. That freedom includes the possibility of their leaving home and going to a distant county. But when they did, the Father is always waiting, always hoping, never giving up on them. A friend of mine once shared her spiritual homecoming. She always grew up in the church, but then she drifted away from God in her teenage years. She was wandering. In college she attended a prayer meeting by her friend’s invitation. During the prayer time, she wept. After a while, she saw a vision. Right in front of her, Jesus was standing with outstretched arms. She asked, “Where were you when I cried out for help?” Jesus replied, “My daughter, I have been waiting for you with outstretched arms for 20 years.” The Father is always waiting and looking for his children with outstretched arms.

Not only does the Father wait, but also he runs to his homecoming children. While the younger son was still far off, his father saw him and ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. In Jesus’ time, however, a Middle Eastern man never ran. If he were to run, he would have to hitch up his tunic so he would not trip. If he did this, it would show his bare legs. In that culture, it was humiliating and shameful for a man to show his bare legs. The question is what motivated the Father to shame himself? Kenneth Bailey, author of The Cross & the Prodigal, explains that if a Jewish son lost his inheritance among Gentiles, and then returned home, the community would perform a ceremony, called the kezazah. They would break a large pot in front of him and yell, “You are now cut off from your people!” The community would totally reject him. So probably the Father ran in order to get to his son before he entered the village, before the community gets to him, so that his son would not be humiliated and rejected. The Father had taken the full shame.[1] He loved his son lavishly and extravagantly.

The Father’s love goes out to both sons. When the elder son refuses to go in, the Father stops the party and comes out to him and gently pleads with him. He does not defend himself or even criticize the elder son’s behavior. He simply invites his son with great affection, “Son” (teknon, “an affectionate form of address”), you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.”

Love Came Down

This story is open ended. Both – the rebellious younger son and the resentful elder son – needed to come home. Both needed forgiveness and reconciliation. Without reserve, the Father brought out the best robe and killed the best calf to celebrate. And both were invited to the party.

Today we too are invited – whether we are the younger son, or the elder son, or both. Our Father throws a party for us with the best garment and with the lamb who is slain. “If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us will he not with him also give us everything else? Who will separate us from the love of Christ? … Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:32, 35, 38-39).

Love came down at Christmas. Jesus still comes to us today, waiting for us with outstretched arms, running out to us to find us and bring us home. Sisters and brothers in Christ, let us come home running.

 

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[1] Mary Gregory, “Is Rembrandt’s ‘Return of the Prodigal Son’ the greatest painting of all time?” Catholic Digest (March 28, 2019) https://www.catholicdigest.com/amp/from-the-magazine/way-of-beauty/is-rembrandts-prodigal-son-the-greatest-painting-of-all-time/ 

“A Life of Repentance” (Luke 3:10-17)

Prepare the Way of the Lord

Advent begins today. It’s a season of patient waiting, hopeful expectation, and soul-searching. The English word “Advent” is from the Latin adventus, which means “coming.” Advent begins the fourth Sunday before Christmas and ends Christmas Eve. Christians celebrate Advent in diverse ways. Some light candles. Some sing carols. Some give gifts. Some hang wreaths. Some do daily Advent devotional readings. Many of us do all of the above. At the center of all our Advent activities is Jesus – our hope, our peace, our joy, and our love. The purpose of celebrating Advent is all about adoring Christ and preparing for his coming or second coming. My prayer is that God may use today’s message to prepare our hearts for Christ’s return.

John the Baptist was one of the prophets who prepared the way of the Lord and helped others to do the same. So how did he prepare for the coming of the Messiah? He prepared the way of the Lord by proclaiming of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Luke 3:3). The very first message of John the Baptist’s preaching is this: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Mark 3:2). So how can we prepare the way of the Lord? According to John the Baptist, the answer is by repentance.

In the New Testament, the word ‘repentance’ comes from the Greek ‘metanoia,’ which means ‘to change one’s mind’ or ‘to turn around.’ To repent is to have a change of heart. According to today’s scripture, Luke 3, repentance can be described as “a radical change in one’s spirit, mind, thought, and heart, a complete reorientation of the whole of one’s life. It is the necessary first step in the way of the Lord. It is accompanied by the confession of sins and the act of baptism, and is followed by a life filled with fruits worthy of this change.”[1] We will explore what repentance really means step by step according to this definition.

The Baptism of Repentance

First, repentance is accompanied by the confession of sins and the act of baptism. When John the Baptist proclaimed the message of repentance, the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins (Matt 3:5-6).

What is baptism? What is the purpose of baptism in the Christian life? Baptism symbolizes washing away of sin. When we are baptized, we publicly announce that we are sinners who need a Savior and that we choose to follow Jesus as our Savior. When we are baptized, our old self is totally buried with Christ in water, and our new self is raised with Christ from water. When we are baptized, we die to sin and live to God. During the services of baptism, confirmation, or reaffirmation of faith, we are basically asked the following three questions:

1.     Do you renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness, reject the evil powers of this world, and repent of your sin? I do.

2.     Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves? I do.

3.     Do you confess Jesus Christ as your Savior, put your whole trust in his grace, and promise to serve him as your Lord, in union with the Church which Christ has opened to people of all ages, nations, and races? I do.

Baptism is the act of faith that renounces our old way of life and receives new life in Christ. So is repentance. Repentance is to turn from our ways and to turn to God. Repentance and baptism always go hand in hand, and they are the first step in the Christian life, in the way of the Lord.

The Fruit of Repentance

Second, repentance is to be followed by a life filled with fruits worthy of this heart change. In John’s time people just wanted a short cut, an easy way out to pardon and forgiveness. So they came out to be baptized by John, and they thought, “One and done!” But John the Baptist said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance” (vv. 7-8). Repentance takes time, practice, and experience. True repentance takes a lifetime of practice; the fruit of a lifetime of walking with God.

Repentance is a lifestyle, not an event. Most of you know the story of Martin Luther nailing his Ninety-Five Theses to the door of the castle church in Wittenberg. The first of these theses was this: When our Lord Jesus said “repent,” He meant that the whole of the Christian life should be repentance. You might be heard somebody say, “Well I repented twenty years ago when I received Jesus, it’s done and dusted. No, it’s not done and dusted for Jesus. It is the whole of the Christian life. This inner transformation, this circumcision of the heart, this baptism of the heart must take place day by day for all the days of our life.

The fruit of repentance is always “love” – more love to God, and more love to our neighbor. The crowds asked, “What should we do?” John the Baptist answered, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” Tax collectors asked, “What should we do?” He said to them, “Collect no more taxes than the government requires.” This time soldiers asked, “What should we do?” He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely – be content with your pay.” In a word, where you are called, love your neighbor as yourself. That is the fruit worthy of repentance.

The Baptism with the Holy Spirit

But still, some of us may wonder and ask, “What should I do?” As a pastor, as a parent, as a grandparent, as a widow, as a retiree, as a teacher, as a student, as a farmer, as a social worker, what should I do? We need practical guidance. We need a guide. John the Baptist was aware of his limitations and said to the people, “I baptize you with water, but… he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (v. 16). Jesus said to his disciples, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26, ESV). We need the Holy Spirit to live a life filled with fruits worthy of repentance. We must be baptized with the Holy Spirit, as well as baptized with water.

How can we then be baptized with the Holy Spirit? There are three steps in this path. The first step is to repent and receive Jesus. When the people heard Peter preaching, they were cut to the heart and said, “Brothers, what should we do?” Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). We must renounce all sin, “the hidden things of shame” in our life (2 Cor 4:2) – our sense of pride, hidden dishonesty and deception. Then, we must receive Jesus as our Lord and surrender ourselves to him. “I am no longer my own, but thine. Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.” This is the first decisive step in receiving the baptism with the Holy Spirit. The second step is to ask. Jesus said, “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:13) Upon those who are thirsty God will pour His Spirit. What does it mean to thirst? When my children are thirsty, they keep asking, “Water! Water! Water!” until they receive it. In the same way, when we thirst spiritually, we will ask, “The Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit!” The intense desire for the baptism with the Holy Spirit is the second step. The third and last step is faith. Jesus said, “So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer (“according to God’s will,” cf. 1 John 5:14), believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24).

Are you baptized with the Holy Spirit? Renounce all sin and receive Jesus as your Savior and your Lord. Specifically, ask God for the baptism with the Holy Spirit, and take it by simple faith. Then, you will receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit today.

A Life of Repentance

In the New Testament, the phrase “baptized with the Holy Spirit” is used synonymously with “filled with the Holy Spirit.” In other words, the baptism of the Holy Spirit is not “one and done.” It’s a lifestyle. We need to be filled and filled afresh with the Holy Spirit day by day. If we read Luke 3 carefully, we realize that a life of repentance and a life filled with the Holy Spirit are synonyms. The fruit of repentance and the fruit of the Spirit are the same.

During thanksgiving my family and I visited our friends in Belfast, living near the ocean. There was a foot bridge nearby. It was early morning. The street lamps shone bright and clear on the bridge. Across the bridge there was a beautiful harbor trail – many boats and ships along the way. During my morning walk I crossed the bridge and enjoyed the trail very much. And I realized that a life of repentance is like crossing a foot bridge. God built a bridge between him and us through Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is lamps on the bridge to guide our feet. And we are invited to cross the bridge and enjoy fellowship with God. But still, we need to be willing and actually cross that bridge – not just once, but every day, every morning, for all of our life. Then, when the Day comes – the day when we have to cross the long bridge, we will not be caught by surprise. We will be ready. We will have so sweet, so familiar fellowship. And we will hear the Master say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Come and share your master’s joy!” Amen.

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[1] St. Athanasius Orthodox Academy, 2008. “The Orthodox Study Bible”, p. 1269. 

“Yet I” (Habakkuk 3:17-19a)

The Heart of Worship

Matt Redman is a world-renown worship leader and songwriter. Many people attended Matt’s home church, Soul Survivor, in Watford, England, simply because they wanted to listen to his music. The senior pastor and the congregation felt that there was a dynamic missing. One day the pastor did a pretty brave thing. He suggested to the worship team that they would get rid of the sound system and band for a season and gather together with just their voices. His point was that they’d lost their way in worship, and the way to get back to the heart would be to strip everything away. Initially, it was hard, embarrassing, awkward. Many people stopped coming to church. The bubble burst. But eventually, the congregation began to join in a capella songs and heartfelt prayers. They encountered God in a fresh way. The song “The Heart of Worship” written by Matt Redman simply describes what occurred at that time:

When the music fades, all is stripped away, and I simply come

Longing just to bring something that’s of worth that will bless your heart…

I’m coming back to the heart of worship, and it’s all about You, Jesus.

It’s all about You, Jesus.

Getting to the Bottom of Your Joy

In his sermon Getting to the Bottom of Your Joy, Pastor John Piper asks the following question: “What’s at the bottom of your joy?” “What is the feeder of your happiness?”[1] All of our joys have a foundation, except one, the one that has no foundation, that’s the bottom. What does it mean by that? Let me give you an example. Recently, Lydia got a good report card. That made her very happy. Suppose Lydia and I have a conversation something like this. I would say, “Lydia, why are you happy about making an A on a test?” She would say, “Because it helps me to get into school to be an author.” Then I would ask, “Why do you want to be an author?” She would reply, “Because I want to help children that way.” I would ask, “Why does that make you happy?” If we continue this “why – because” conversation, we eventually get to the bottom of what makes us happy. At the bottom there are only two possibilities of our joy: making much of me, or making much of God. Self or God.

It’s quite possible to do good and enjoy worshiping God while I am still at the bottom. It’s quite possible to enjoy worshiping God, because at the bottom, this God that I am worshiping is committed to making much of me. For example, I’ve always wanted to be wealthy and I’ve always sought it in the wrong places. My hard work, or the lottery, or whatever. But now, I went to church, and I heard there’s a way to have what I’ve always wanted, Jesus, is the way, and I sing, and I sing, he’s the way to give me what I always wanted: money. In this case God is not at the bottom. I am at the bottom. So what’s at the bottom of your joy?

Oftentimes, it’s hard to know what’s really at the bottom. Perhaps we just don’t want to know it, or we just assume that God is probably at the bottom. In his great love God often uses suffering to uncover what is at the bottom of our joy. Not only that, God uses suffering to strip everything away, and to remove self at the bottom and replace it with God at the bottom.

“If” to “Though”

The Prophet Habakkuk struggles. At that time the Babylonians were preparing to invade Judah, God’s chosen people. This was a direct judgment from the Lord, because the Israelites had experienced rapid moral and spiritual decline. But Habakkuk questions God’s justice, asking, “How could a good and just God use a more wicked nation in Babylon to punish a less wicked one in Judah?” At first, Habakkuk complains and informs God how to run his world. ‘If God is good,’ the prophet says, ‘he would not punish his chosen people, especially through a more wicked nation.’ ‘If we are God’s chosen people,’ the prophet says, ‘he would be committed to giving us peace and security instead of judgement.’ But by the end of the book, Habakkuk is a changed person – he has learned to wait and trust God. Through his suffering, through prayers in many sleepless nights, he has learned to trust that God knows best and will make it right in his time. He has learned to exult in God and treasure God as the bottom of his joy in the midst of trouble.

The key phase of the book is, “The righteous will live by their faith” (2:4). You see there are two types of faith. There is an ‘if’ faith, and there is a ‘though’ faith. Now the 'if' faith says, “If all goes well; if life is prosperous and happy, then I'll have faith in God, then I'll be alright.” That's the 'if' faith. And there is a 'though' faith. The 'though' faith says “Though things go wrong; though evil is temporarily triumphant; though sickness comes; though healing doesn’t come, neverthless! I am going to trust God anyway. I am going to have faith anyway” The ‘though’ faith says, “Though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling… The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge” (Ps 46:3, 7).

Habakkuk begins his spiritual journey with an ‘if’ faith, saying, “O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not listen?” (1:2). But he ends his journey with a ‘though’ faith. “Though the fig tree does not blossom, and no fruit is on the vines; though the produce of the olive fails and the fields yield no food; though the flock is cut off from the fold, and there is no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the God of my salvation” (3:17-18).

God’s Gifts to God Himself

One of my mentors, Pastor Tim Keller shares with us how God is growing his faith in the face of death.[2] Earlier this year he wrote a small book, On Death, relating a lot of what he says to people in such times. But about a month after the book was published, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He spent a lifetime counseling others before his diagnosis. But he didn’t dare open the book to read what he had written. He asked himself, “Will I be able to take my own advice?” Since his diagnosis, the prayers of the Psalms gave voice to his feelings, “Why, O Lord, do you stand far off?” “Wake up, O Lord, why are you sleeping?” “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?” He felt like a surgeon who was suddenly on the operating table.

As death becomes his personal reality, Tim Keller is surprised by what happened to his joys. Since his diagnosis, his wife Kathy and Tim have come to see that the more they tried to make a heaven out of this world – the more they grounded their comfort and security in it – the less they were able to enjoy it. For instance, Kathy finds deep consolation and rest in the familiar, comforting places where they vacation. Some of them are shacks with bare light bulbs on wires. Tim finds deep satisfaction in professional goals and accomplishments – another book, a new ministry project, another milestone at the church. But now, since his diagnosis, they are not able to do those things that they used to enjoy very much. But to their surprise and encouragement, Kathy and Tim have discovered that the less they attempt to make this world into a heaven, the more they are able to enjoy it. Yes, they had to give up so many things, slowly and painfully and through many tears, but they have found that the simplest things – from sun on the water, and flowers in the vase to their own embraces and conversation – bring more joy than ever. And most importantly, they have learned to savor God himself instead of God’s gifts. They have learned that when we turn good things into ultimate things, when we make them our greatest joys and consolations, they will necessarily disappoint us bitterly. Tim Keller says, “I can sincerely say without exaggeration that I’ve never been happier in my life, that I’ve never had more days filled with comfort. But it is equally true that I’ve never had so many days of grief.” I think these are the words of the person whose self at the bottom is replaced by God at the bottom of his joy.

Yet I Will Exult

What are you going through today? We don’t choose what we go through, but we can choose how we go through it. No matter what we face, we can choose to trust God who is able. We can choose joy in him. We can choose to say, “Nevertheless. Though. Yet. I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength.” May the Lord help us to trust him, love him, be satisfied in him, savor him, treasure him as the bottom of our joy. Amen.

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[1] John Piper, “Getting to the Bottom of Your Joy,” (Passion 2011), DesiringGod, https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/getting-to-the-bottom-of-your-joy

[2] Tim Keller, “Growing My Faith in the Face of Death” (March 7, 2021), The Atlantic Magazine, https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/03/tim-keller-growing-my-faith-face-death/618219/ 

“Watch and Pray” (Luke 21:34-37)

The Second Advent

Author and businessman Stephen Covey found that effective people had something in common. He wrote a book titled “7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” Among those seven habits, the habit 2 is this: “Begin with the end in mind.” This pass week we had a funeral service for Priscilla Clark. During the service I invited us to stop and imagine our own funeral. And now I want you to do the same. Imagine the people closest in your life – your family, your friends, your coworkers, and your church family members – speaking at your funeral about your life. What would you want them to say? What character would you like them to have seen in you? Contemplating the end helps us to see life in perspective.

Advent has the exact same purpose. Advent, which means “arrival’ or “coming,” begins with the end in mind. We begin this new church year, as we are expectantly waiting for the second coming of Jesus Christ. While Jesus was here with us on earth, he repeatedly said that the Day of the Lord would come unexpectedly as a thief (cf. 1 Th 5:2, 2 Pet 3:10, Rev 16:15). And today’s passage is one of them. Eugene Peterson in his Message Bible paraphrases it this way:

But be on your guard. Don't let the sharp edge of your expectation get dulled by parties and drinking and shopping. Otherwise, that Day is going to take you by complete surprise, spring on you suddenly like a trap, for it's going to come on everyone, everywhere, at once (vv. 34-35). 

Chronos and Kairos

Jesus also said three times, “Behold, I am coming soon!” (Rev 22:7, 12, 20) More than 2,000 years have passed since Jesus had said this. Then, what does it mean that Jesus is coming soon? It’s very helpful to know that there are two types of time in the Greek language – chronos and kairos.

Chronos is most familiar. It is the time of clocks and calendars – November 14, 2021. It is chronological, sequential, linear, quantified and measured. It moves in one direction: past – present – future. But another word for time is often used in the Bible – kairos. Kairos time is different. It is rhythmic, seasonal, circular, dancing back and forth, here and there, without beginning or ending. Kairos is God’s dimension – one not marked by the past, the present, or the future. Kairos is marked by the person of Christ: his birth, baptism, ministry, suffering, death, resurrection, ascension, sending of the Holy Spirit (Pentecost), and promised second coming (Advent).

“But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law” (Gal 4:4, NIV). “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom 5:6, NIV). “When the day of Pentecost had come… suddenly from heaven there came a sound like rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting” (Acts 2:1-2, NRSV). On God’s karios timetable, all his promises have been fulfilled – Jesus’ birth, death, resurrection, ascension, and sending of the Holy Spirit. And now, there is only one event left – the second Advent, the second coming of Christ. In this context, Jesus says to us, “Behold, I am coming soon!”

Watch and Pray

Christians are those who live in both times: chronos (Nov 14, 2021) and kairos (between Pentecost and Advent). To be more accurate, Christians are those who live a kairo life in a chronos world. But it’s so easy to be preoccupied or overwhelmed with our chronos calendar – work schedules, family schedules, doctor’s appointments, and the list goes on. That’s why in today’s passage Jesus says that we should constantly be on our guard so that our hearts will not weighed down with busyness, self-indulgence, self-pity and the worries of this life. Instead, we need to practice kairos time. Then, how do we learn to live a kairos life in this chronos world? In today’s passage Jesus calls his disciples to watch and pray. “Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man” (v. 36). Praying is the answer.

Then, what does it look like watching and praying in everyday life? We can find the answer in the very next verse: “Every day he was teaching in the temple, and at night he would go out and spend the night on the Mount of Olives, as it was called” (v. 37). During the day Jesus worked hard, teaching, preaching, healing, but then, at night he went to his prayer closet – the Mount of Olives. He also got up early in the morning and went to a solitary place and prayed there (Mark 1:35). And before important decisions or events, Jesus spent entire nights in prayer. He prayed to God all night before choosing the twelve apostles (Lk 6:12). He spent the night in prayer, as he so often did, on the Mount of Olives, before he was betrayed and arrested (22:39). Jesus’ chronos time was hectic most of his life (cf. Mark 3:20 – he couldn’t even find time to eat because of the crowds), but he was never in a hurry. Instead, he was able to find peace and joy from above in God’s kairos time. And his prayer life made this possible.

Praying in Advent

As we enter into Advent this year, I exhort us to examine our prayer life. If our prayer life does not shape our thoughts and our actions, we should ask ourselves whether we are praying right.

Though we know it’s important to pray, some of us in this room may wonder how to pray, or what to pray. As we pray during this Advent, I commend us to follow Jesus’ example. When Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father, he prayed specifically for two things. First, for himself, Jesus prayed that he may have complete trust in God and follow God’s will no matter what it costs. “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). As we pray for ourselves, let us cry out to God day and night that we may die to self and live for Christ.

Secondly, during his last hours Jesus prayed for his disciples (cf. John 17). He prayed, “Holy Father, protect them… so that they may be one, as we are one” (v. 11). “I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one” (v. 15). “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (v. 17). Jesus prayed for the disciples’ protection, perseverance, unity, and holiness. And Jesus’ prayer led him to sacrificial, meaningful actions. He laid down his life for them. During this Advent, let us set aside time to pray for others. As we pray, let us reflect on how God might use us to answer our prayer. The Spirit may be telling us to follow up with the person or contact him. Maybe the Spirit is telling us to repent of our negligence in the way we relate to that person. For instance, instead of praying, “God, please heal John of his sickness,” we may pray, “God, please heal John of his sickness. Help me to encourage him to draw near to you in this time of distress. As I send him a text message, I pray that it lifts up his soul toward joy in you.” Praying for others means giving our life to others. When we pray for others, we are sharing our life with them.

Advent is coming. The second Advent, the second coming of Christ, is coming soon. Are you ready? As followers of Jesus, we are called to live a kairos life in the chronos world. We are called to watch and pray at all times. As we spend quality time with God daily through prayer, and as we pray for others and love our neighbors with meaningful actions, we will be ready for the return of the King Jesus Christ and say, “Come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev 22:20) Amen.

“Every Day, Every Moment” (Micah 6:6-8)

All Saints Day

On the evening of May 24, 1738, John Wesley was attending a prayer meeting on Aldersgate Street in London when his life was transformed. As he was listening to someone read Martin Luther’s preface to the book of Roman, Wesley felt his heart strangely warmed. Dr. Timothy Tennent once shared his experience when he visited London to see Aldersgate. He reverently made his way to the street and, guided by a Methodist tourist map, walked carefully to the very place where Wesley was converted. Then, he was shocked when he found out that the historical marker was located on the concrete edge of multilevel parking garage. The worship place where Wesley’s life was transformed had long disappeared. There wasn’t even a gift shop where he could buy trinkets to commemorate his visit. Dr. Tennent said that he had expected an incredible location to mark this pivotal moment in Christian history. Instead, he found a mundane parking garage.[1]

In a similar way, we often search for God’s signs and presence in a spectacular way. But we typically fail to realize that God’s most remarkable signs and works often unfold in ordinary and mundane everyday life. On this special Sunday we commemorate all saints in church history. When we hear the word “saints,” we often think about spiritual giants, such as St. Augustine, Martin Luther, John Wesley, etc. But when we really think about those who have helped form and shape our faith today, they would be our grandparents, our fathers, our mothers, our pastors, our Sunday school teachers. It is their kindness, their patience, their generosity, their forgiveness, their real-life example, their presence, that has been shaping our everyday spirituality up to this day. Let us remember each of them on this day and be thankful.  

Micah

For today’s service I chose Micah 6, because this passage teaches about who are true saints in the eyes of God. It teaches about what God is really looking for in us. The Prophet Micah’s time was the golden age of the religion. It was never more of temple worship, but never less of God worship. It was never more of lip service, never less of heart service. It was never more of churchgoers, never less of true saints.

So the Prophet Micah by the Holy Spirit says to the hypocritical Israelites, “Would God be impressed with your worship service? Would he be moved by your giving?” Then he continues, “No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness (mercy), and to walk humbly with your God?” (v. 8) Eugene Peterson translates this verse in his Message Bible this way:

But he [God] has already made it plain how to live, what to do, what GOD is looking for in men and women. It's quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, And don't take yourself too seriously-- take God seriously.

According to today’s passage, true saints are those who say “Amen” to God, not merely in ritual, but in everyday life. True saints are those who humbly walk with God every day, every moment.

John Wesley

John Wesley developed the idea of this everyday spirituality, Micah 6:8. He divided it into two groups: works of piety (“walking humbly with God”) and works of mercy (“doing justice and loving mercy”).

First, works of piety. Wesley’s purpose of life was to walk daily with God, especially through prayer. He spent two hours daily in prayer. He began at four in the morning. One who knew him well wrote this way: “He thought prayer to be more his business than anything else, and I have seen him come out of his closet with a serenity of face next to shining.” Prayer gave Wesley power and made his labors lasting and fruitful. But as for Wesley, prayer was not a means to an end. Prayer, walking with God, was the end he was after.

Second, works of mercy. Wesley believed our love for God must be expressed in the form of good works for others. He believed that Christians are called to rise, not the standard of living, but the standard of giving. Wesley determined to maintain his standard of living at the same level and give away everything above that threshold. At first, he earned 30 pounds. With living expenses at 28 pounds, he gave away two pounds. When his earnings increased to 60 pounds, he gave away 32. As they increased to 120 pounds, he continued to live on 28 and give away 92 pounds. He continued this practice his entire life. Even when his income reached 1400 pounds, he lived on 30 pounds and gave the rest away. For Wesley, that was what it means to do justice and love mercy in everyday life. I am not saying we should forgo our emergency savings or our retirement savings. But the principle is timeless. As God’s stewards, we are still called to consider ways to maintain our standard of living in order to increase our standard of giving.  

My Grandfather

Surely, John Wesley is a shining example who did justice, loved mercy, and walked humbly with God. He was a true saint according to Micah 6:8 definition. How about from the people around us who have Micah 6:8 spirituality? For me personally, my grandfather is the first person that comes to my mind. He was the one who had “earthy” spirituality. He was a good pastor, good preacher. When I listened to his sermons on Sundays, I felt my heart warmed. But what I was impressed most was his life between Sundays. He always started his day with early morning prayer, walking humbly with God. And throughout the day he visited the sick, helped the poor, taught the Bible to many. When he went to the market, he didn’t bargain to cut the cost, caring for sellers. He always saved some emergency food for the poor. When the poor asked for help, he never sent them away empty handed. He was prepared. When my grandmother got sick with heart disease and Parkinson’s disease, he became her full-time caregiver for 15 years until she passed away. From him, I’ve learned that being a good husband and good dad is more important than being a good pastor. From him, I’ve learned that Christian discipleship is character formation, not biblical information. From him, I’ve learned what it means to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.  

 All the Good

There was a tiny British Methodist church facing a looming challenge. They had dwindled over the years until there were just eight people—and that was on the Sundays when everyone could attend. They had done all they knew to do to “reach out to young people” and grow the church, but to no avail. A time finally came when the matriarch and pillar of the church reached an age and moved into a nursing home in town. The congregation was heartbroken that their beloved friend and mentor would no longer be able to worship with them. The church prayed, listened, asked the question to themselves, “How can we as a church practice God’s love in this situation?” Then, they decided to move their worship every fourth Sunday to the nursing home, so they could worship with their friend and also with residents. The first Sunday in the nursing home, 70 people participated in the worship service; the second Sunday almost double that number participated. Then, the church decided to meet more regularly at the nursing home, finding growth through reaching out to the aging.[2]

So before we leave this room today, I want to encourage us to ask the same question to ourselves: “How can we practice God’s love in our context?” “What does it look like practicing Micah 6:8 – doing justice, loving mercy, walking humbly with God – personally and as faith community?” Perhaps each of us would have our own different answers, but I believe John Wesley’s motto can remain as our timeless principle:

Do all the good you can,

By all the means you can,

In all the ways you can,

In all the places you can,

At all the times you can,

To all the people you can,

As long as ever you can.

May God’s Holy Spirit sustain us, empower us, and fill our hearts with Christ’s love to do all the good until our last breath. Amen.

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[1] Timothy Tennnet, For the Body: Recovering a Theology of Gender, Sexuality, and the Human Body (Zondervan, 2020), 22-23.

[2] Laceye C. Warner, Amy Valdez Barker, Jung Choi, Sangwoo Kim, All the Good (p. 41). Abingdon Press. Kindle Edition.

“With, not For” (1 Corinthians 16:13-24)

Building the Beloved Community

Now we are on the last chapter of 1 Corinthians. In his first letter to Corinthians Paul focuses on what it means to be part of a gospel-shaped beloved community, the Church. Throughout these chapters Paul has dealt with many challenging and controversial questions and issues, such as divisions, sexual immorality, lawsuits among believers, marriage and divorce, food offered to idols, spiritual gifts, orderly worship, death and resurrection. We have seen that the gospel has the power to shape our faith community in personal, practical, and powerful ways. And Paul is now in conclusion mode. In this last chapter Paul is talking about future plans and is sending his own greetings along with greetings from other believers. So what can we learn from this portion of the letter? What does 1 Corinthians 16 mean for Christian lives?

In today’s passage Paul reinforces his central message of building the gospel-centered beloved community. Although Paul is talking about many different issues in his letter, his overarching theme is always building community characterized by agape love. Today’s scripture is no exception. “Let all that you do be done in love… My love be with all of you in Christ Jesus” (vv. 14, 24).

What is then a gospel-shaped beloved community? Probably, a better word for “beloved” would be “holy” – holy community. In the Bible, “holy” means “peculiar” or “different.” God wants his church to be different, counter-cultural, alternative. God wants his people to be a pioneer, an example, of what it means to live in love, unity, justice, inclusiveness, servanthood, forgiveness. “The world you live in,” Paul says, “is a works-based community. People do not love others unless they show themselves worthy or qualified. People do not recognize others unless they do something outstanding. But as for you, you belong to alternative community of God’s grace. By grace you have been saved. You should treat others in a loving way although they deserve the opposite. You should forgive and confess your own need for forgiveness rather than finger-pointing. Being loving is more important than being right. You should do everything with love.”

Be Holy… in the Wilderness

After God called and saved Israel out of Egypt, he said to them, “Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.” (Lev 19:2) How did the Israelites learn to be holy? They learned to be holy, while they were living in the wilderness for forty years. In the wilderness they learned to depend on God as they received their manna daily and directly from God. In the wilderness they learned to belong to each other in community as they took the same journey together. In the wilderness they learned that they were known and loved by God, not because they were productive or useful, but just because they were God’s beloved.

Probably you have noticed that the Corinthian church was filled with problems. But Paul looks at this broken local church and envisions beauty. Paul thinks the church as the classroom, or the wilderness, for learning to be holy as God’s people. In the church we learn how to get along in God’s family. We learn how to be connected and dependent on God and on each other. Sometimes we wonder why the church is filled with so many problems and challenges, and why God does not take care of them. Sometimes we feel like God moves so slowly. Theologian Kosuke Koyama shares his wisdom with us, saying, “God’s aim for his people is holiness, not happiness. There is a vast difference between ‘happy-end-religion’ and ‘trust-end-faith.’ In the wilderness, unable to exert control, our speed is slowed down, slowed to three miles an hour. There we find the God who walks at three miles an hour. We find love.” Koyama concludes[1]:

Love has its speed. It is an inner speed. It is a spiritual speed. It is a different kind of speed from the technological speed to which we are accustomed. It is “slow” yet it is lord over all other speeds since it is the speed of love. It goes on in the depth of our life, whether we notice or not, whether we are currently hit by storm or not, at three miles an hour. It is the speed we walk and therefore it is the speed the love of God walks.

Three Mile an Hour God

Recently, I have thought a lot about death and dementia as I ministered to Clark family. As many of you are aware, Ed Clark passed away about two weeks ago. His wife Priscilla who is living with dementia doesn’t seem to know about this, and the family doesn’t dare to explain it. Many questions came to my mind: “Where is God on this treacherous journey with dementia? What if the person forgets God? What does it mean to be part of the church when one can no longer participate? What is the role of the church in all this? What does salvation really mean?” I was slowed down. I was in agony. But in this wilderness God met me. And I met God who walks at three miles an hour. Bishop Kenneth Carder’s book Ministry with the Forgotten was particularly helpful. In his book Bishop Carder shares his shock and grief when his wife Linda began showing early signs of frontotemporal dementia. Over the next several years, as the disease affected her life more and more, his vocation changed from full-time bishop and scholar to full-time caregiver. Bishop Carder and Linda found themselves in the wilderness, slowed to three miles an hour and, eventually, nearly to a stop. But an amazing thing happened when they were slowed to three miles an hour. God met them in the wilderness.

The first thing he learned on this journey is that people with dementia or disabilities are our teacher and means of grace, if we are willing to receive their gifts. The supreme gift anyone, including people with dementia, can bring to the life of the church is his or her being. As I was listening to Bishop Carder’s story, I realized that for me, “presence” was often measured by the metrics – attendance, financial contributions, participation in church activities. To be present meant to sing in the choir, attend the Bible study, serve on committees, share in mission projects. Presence meant adding to the metrics. But, I learned from people with dementia that God’s economy is different. The essence of human identity and worth lie in God’s grace, a gift. That would mean each person, regardless of capacities, would be viewed as God’s unique gift to be celebrated. Bishop Carder says, “The very presence of people with dementia adds to the church’s rich diversity, thereby expanding the imagination and broadening participation in God’s life and mission.”[2] That was exactly what I felt and learned as I was visiting Priscila Clark, Barbara Kelley, and Dottie Frame the other day.

With, Not For

While taking care of his wife Linda, Bishop Carder served as volunteer chaplain in a memory care facility for four years. During those times he had known of only a half dozen visits from pastors of the residents. He heard one of the pastors say, “I really don’t feel that it’s a productive use of my time. I go occasionally to support the family, but I don’t feel that I can contribute anything to the person with dementia.” But from the wilderness Bishop Carder learned that the most effective ministry among people living with cognitive impairment is presence. The ministry of presence. From the wilderness he learned that pastoral presence is about being with rather than doing for. Dr. Benjamin Mast, a clinical psychologist, interviewed caregivers for people with dementia. The most common response is: “They simply want the church to be present in their lives through the journey with dementia. They do not want to be alone.”[3] Although he is writing about presence with homeless persons, Sam Wells’s words are equally relevant for those with dementia[4]:

You don’t sit and have a coffee with a homeless person because you’re trying to solve their problem—you do so because you want to receive the wealth of wisdom, humanity, and grace that God has to give you through them. You aren’t the source of their salvation: they are the source of yours. . . . Your every effort is to enjoy their being, and share your own, rather than change their reality assuming a script you’ve imposed from elsewhere.

The same principle applies to senior ministry, children and youth ministry, family ministry, every mission and ministry of the church. It is about being with, not doing for.

Marana Tha!

I don’t know about you, but for me, I have to confess that I feel powerless when I visit people with dementia. I read the Bible to them. I sing hymns to them. I pray with them, but they often don’t even know what I’m doing when I pray. But perhaps our powerlessness is the strength of our presence. As we simply to be with them, we may receive God’s grace through them, and they may also feel God’s love and comfort through our presence.

There were times in the wilderness when Paul also felt powerless because of his own weaknesses. But then, he heard Jesus saying, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9). From the wilderness he learned that such powerlessness or weakness is the very place where God’s grace grows. When we think about our local church, we may feel powerless. For we don’t know how to bring new people to church. We don’t know how to pass on our faith to the next generation. We don’t know how to raise new church leaders.

As Paul concludes his letter, the Corinthian church is still broken, still childish, still messy. But Paul’s final messages are very hopeful and encouraging. Why? Because Paul thinks about the church in the same way that Jesus does. Paul looks at the broken local church and envisions the universal Church that will always prevail. “On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it” (Matt 16:18). So Paul is sending greetings from other churches along with his own greetings, so that the Corinthian church may also see the big picture. “The churches of Asia send greetings… All the brothers and sisters send greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss” (vv. 19-20). The one who began a good work among us [the church] will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ (Phil 1:6). He will do it. Our part is to be faithful – be present with one another, especially be present with the weak and vulnerable. Then, we will be ready to see Jesus at any time, saying, “Marana tha!” “Come, Lord Jesus!” (v. 22)  

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[1] Kosuke Koyama, Three Mile an Hour God: Biblical Reflections (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 1979), 7. quoted in Kenneth Carder, Ministry with the Forgotten (p. 153), Abingdon Press, Kindle Edition.

[2] Kenneth Carder, 104.

[3] Ibid., 142.

[4] Ibid., 142.