Baptism - A New Kind of Beginning

Genesis 1:1-5; Mark 1:4-11

January 8, 2012

Our worship theme for this month of January is Beginnings. We said last Sunday that beginnings are both difficult and exciting. It is difficult because it brings change and change is unfamiliar. Beginnings require us to let go of the familiar and comfortable. But it is also exciting because it brings new experience and new things that that enrich our lives.

Today we celebrate the baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ. When we were born ‘twas the start of physical life; baptism is a new kind of beginning. It is the beginning of a life in relation to Jesus Christ. For Jesus, Christmas or his birth was the beginning of his earthly life. His baptism is a beginning of his earthly ministry.

As all of us know, baptism has many meanings and symbolisms. Among them include:

·         Initiation into the church of Jesus Christ;

·         Branding - claiming the name of Christ as our main identity;

·         Washing of our sins

·         "Insurance hell" - there are those who believe that without the benefit of baptism, especially infants and babies, will go straight to hell;

·         New beginnings, renewal and transformation

·         Dying and Rising in Christ

But I will not talk about these meanings today. I am going to talk about the baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ and its benefits for us. There are at least 3 important things that happened during Christ's baptism that continues and overflows into our own baptism.

When Jesus was baptized, our lesson, tells us that the heaven was opened and the Spirit of God descended upon Jesus. This is the testimony and blessing of the Holy Spirit. This Spirit that descended to Jesus is the same Spirit that hovers over the waters during creation as the book of Genesis testifies. It is also the same Spirit that is given to us at our baptism. This Spirit is the Creator, the Sealer of our salvation and the Sustainer of our lives.

This Spirit gave Jesus the spirit of gentleness, the power to combat evil powers, perform miracles, conquer sin, heal diseases, and bring about salvation through the cross, and his triumph over death. The same Spirit is given to us to help live a life after Jesus'. St. Paul made this so clear when he enumerated the fruit of the Spirit that believers may manifest in their lives: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, generosity, gentleness, and self-control.

At the baptism of Jesus, along with the descending of the Spirit is the voice of saying "this is my beloved Son to whom I am very pleased." There is a story of a pastor preaching to people whose lives have been messed up. At one point of his sermon he quoted from Rudyard Kipling's poem "IF":

"If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you; If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, but make allowance for their doubting too: If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies; Or being hated don't give way to hating, And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream---and not make dreams your master; If you can think---and not make thoughts your aim, If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those two impostors just the same: If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds' worth of distance run, Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, and---which is more---you'll be a Man, my son!"

Towards the end of the quote, the pastor became emotional and his voice choked and there was silence. Then a voice from the back asking: "But what if we cannot keep our head high ... , what if we can't trust ourselves ... what if we become tired of waiting ..., what if we can't forgive..., what if?..." This question may resonate to many: What if I am a lousy parent, what if I am a problematic son or daughter, what if are more of a failure than a success, what if? ..."

Because of what happened to Jesus at his baptism, even if we mess up our lives, I believe God still says to us, "You are my beloved son or daughter to whom my soul delights." Those of you who are parents, your children need to do anything for you to delight in them. This is exactly a reflection of the love of God over us, and more, because God is pleased with us. And we cannot do anything about it except to accept this marvelous gift.

The third important lesson that happened during the baptism of Jesus is the reason why he submitted himself for baptism in the first place. We know that we need baptism to wash away our sins. This is not true with Jesus. The Bible tells us that Jesus was without sin. But we, as Christians, believe that Jesus is the Suffering Servant that the prophet Isaiah foretold. The suffering Servant is the one to carry our sins that we might be forgiven and be reconciled to God. Jesus receives baptism as an acceptance of his being the Messiah, the Suffering Servant, the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. At Jesus baptism he accepted to be the pack mule, the pack horse, to carry the sins of the world to the cross because we cannot do it. Jesus is the pack mule, pack horse to carry our sins to the cross so that we do not have to break our back carrying it anymore. All that we need to do in order to receive this GIFT is to believe that Jesus did all this because God loves us so much.

Last Christmas I received a gift from Phyllis and Bob Stake - a movie based on the latest book of Mitch Albom, "Have a Little Faith." This book is about his childhood Rabbi, Albert Lewis and Pastor Henry Covington. Albert Lewis asked him to do the eulogy when he dies. Henry Covington is a drug dealer turned pastor.

In one of Mitch Albom's meetings with Albert Lewis, he saw a book written by his Rabbi, "What is your glory?" He asked about it and the Rabbi tells a story one day when he was in the beach and a person came up to him and asked: "What is your glory?" To which he responded, "Teaching." After narrating the story, Albert turned to Mitch and asks, "What is your glory?" ). This question begs us to find and identify the most important piece of ourselves.  What precisely defines us? What exemplifies us best? To what should we aspire?  What is the one thing or things that we do that give us meaning, satisfaction, joy and make a difference to others and the world?

It was said that St. Irenaeus was the one who said:  "The glory of God is the human being fully alive." When we live out our baptismal vows, God is glorified. God's glory is you and me, growing and doing the work of God's love. When we live out our lives according to our baptismal vows, God is not only glorified; our glory shines through, too.

The other term we used for Baptism is Christening. We make Christians through baptism. And this is what Tony Campolo says of who is a Christian: "A Christian is one whose heart is broken by the things that break the heart of God. A Christian is one who is angry over the things that anger the heart of God. A Christian is one who has joy over the things that bring joy to the heart of God." So be it. Amen.

BEGINNINGS

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

January 1, 2012

Beginnings are both difficult and exciting.

"Beginnings" is our worship theme for January 2012. "All beginnings are hard," writes Chaim Potok in his novel, "In the Beginning." Think of a child learning how to crawl, speak, or walk. There were many mistakes and many failed tries. Think back when you were beginning to learn how to read and write. Or when you just got married and just started a family. Or, if you were an immigrant, think of that time you arrived in the US, without a ready work or means of living, and only few dollars in your pocket. Or, think when you were learning a game or a dance. These things do not come easily.

Beginnings are hard. Beginnings could be overwhelming even frustrating. Beginnings can make or break us. It could drive us into despair and fatalism.

Beginnings can make us fatalistic

Fatalism is the "acceptance of every event as inevitable," according to Webster's dictionary. And such view is more pervasive than we may realize. Albertg Nolan writes in Jesus before Christianity: Fatalism is the prevailing attitude of most people, most of the time. It finds expression in statements like, ‘Nothing can be done about it', ‘You can't change the world', ‘You must be practical and realistic',... ‘You must accept reality. A fatalistic person says: What is the use? We will lose in the end... We cannot make a difference. We are victimized by fate, circumstances and environment.

When beginnings stir has to excitement

But beginnings can also be very exciting and fun. Ask a child learning how to write or read or play. When they come home from school, they run to their parents and with thrill in their voice they share with how exciting and wonderful their new experiences were. Ask some senior citizens who found excitement in learning how to use computer and later able to join a social network. Their eyes are full of life and their stories about their new experiences are endless.

I have always been fascinated with circus especially the trapeze artists. They leaps and backflips, from one one bar to another, swing from one rope to another, jumps from one corner to another. And yet this is only possible when they let go of a stable bar, or a strong rope, and be willing to risk to dance into the air and catch another rope or bar or a catcher in the opposite corner. Beginnings are hard because it  involve holding on and letting go. For children they must release the helping hand in order to learn to walk and to run, to dance and to play.  For youth, they must have the courage to leave the security of home and parents and learn to navigate the challenges and demands, opportunities and pains in the adult world. When we become older adults, the journey is reversed-we must surrender some of our independence in order to protect our safety and well-being with interdependence. Such transitions, such beginnings are never, ever easy because they require letting go, turning lose of what once was but never again will be.

Last weekend we hosted several friends coming from the US and from Winnepeg Canada. One family brought with them their 3 children who are full of energy 24 hours.

I observed that Orientals and  Westerners have different way of caring, protecting and rearing our children. Westerners usually do not allow their children to run around the house, churches or other places. They want their children to be always supervised. In fact, we do not want our children to run around or make noises in the church especially during worship. Orientals are quite different. They are also protective but in a different way. We allow our children to run around, and make noises even in our worship services.

One of the 3 kids I mentioned earlier bumped one of her fingers to something sharp and caused it to bleed. Immediately I went to get a band aid. While I was binding the wound, I was advising her to be more careful. The 5 year old girl responded: "You know bleeding is a part of life. You just have to deal with it." Such, I believe, is the attitude of a person who has learned to accept the difficulty and the thrill of beginnings.

Going back to the circus, way back in the Philippines, the first time I saw a circus I was so fascinated. In the course of my conversation with the artists I learned that the real hero is not the one that jumps, backflips, or swings; it is the one who catches their hands/arms and see to it they were held securely. In our beginnings when we decide to let go, the real hero is not us; it is God who promise to catch us and never let go. To let go is a vote of confidence and trust to the God who promise to be with us every step of the way. It is my prayer that in this New Year 2012, we are ready to give God a vote of confidence and trust, so we can begin to enjoy the thrill, the excitement and the fun of life.

There is one thing more that I would like to talk about related to New Year and beginnings - the concept of time. In the Bible there are two words for "time": "kronos" and "kairos." Kronos is the time that is measured by the ticking of the clock, the fleeting of the calendar's leaves. This is where we got the word chronology. Kairos is the opportune time, the right time to do good, to love God and neighbor. Our kronos can become our kairos.

Time is one of the two building blocks of the universe, the other one is space. I have heard people saying "Time flies and we remain." I think it is more true to say, "Time stays and we fade." We cannot control time but we can ride with time.

There is a definition of time that I love the most: "Time is nature's way of keeping everything from happening all at once."  There is truth when people say, "timing is everything." Timing is what makes a good joke from a bad one. Timing is extremely important is cooking. Little time of cooking gives you a raw meet. Too much time of cooking may give you a charcoal meat. Timing is everything in terms of diagnosing our illness at an early stage. Timing is extremely important in taking our medicines on time and in appropriate dosage. In terms of money, we need to know when to invest and not to invest. Timing is important in your spiritual life as well. It is critical to live our lives with an acute awareness of God's timing for us.

Our Old Testament lesson today talks about time. The truths revealed in this lesson are not opposites; each of these pair of truths is two sides of the same coin. They are together. These are the different phases and truths of life that we need discern and deal with grace they come. These truths can be interpreted literally or metaphorically. Listen again to these truths of life:

·         There is a time to be born and a time to die

·         A time to plant and a time to uproot and harvest

·         A time to kill and a time to heal

·         A time to breakdown and a time to build up

·         A time to gather stones and a time to scatter/throw away

·         A time to mourn/grief and a time to dance

·         A time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing

·         A time to seek and a time to lose

·         A time to laugh and a time to weep

·         A time to save and a time to give away

·         A time to tear and a time to sew

·         A time to be quiet or shut up and a time to speak up

·         A time to love and a time to hate

·         A time of war and a time of peace.

A person who can master how to balance these truths of life will live a full and exciting life. A person, who knows how to balance these truths of life, will know the essence of timing. Short cut is not what we need. What we need is knowing the right timing.

Speaking of short cuts, I would like to share with you my experience way back in the Philippines. From our house there is a long way and short cut going to school. Going to school, the long way was about 3 miles and the short cut is about half. The long way, though a dirt, it was relatively smooth, free from weeds and wide enough for motorize vehicles. The short cut is only a footrail. There are many weeds, go through mini canyons, and you ascend or descend in a 60 - 70 degrees scale. During nights when there was no moon and the clouds cover the stars, I was so terrified. Many times I did not have shoes or flip-flops to protect my feed. I walked and ran not minding thistles of weeds. When I got home, I had to spend hours to remove the thistles embedded at the bottom of my feet. Many times, the short cut is the longer way.

To close, as we begin 2012, I would like you to pull out the yellow insert in your bulletin. Please think of the things that you need to let go as the old year passes. What you write is between you and your God. When you come for communion, I ask you to place it in one of these trash cans and I will shred them after the service symbolizing your determination to let go of the pains and failures of 2011 so you can embrace fully the opportunities and challenges of 2012. I also ask you to pull out the green insert with a sketch of a suitcase. For this, I ask you to think of the blessings and gifts, the hopes and dreams that you bring into the New Year. This one, I would like you to keep it, put it in your pocket, or place it somewhere in your house, may be in your refrigerator, where you see it often to remind you of these wonderful blessings you are bringing and to have throughout the New Year.

Happy and Healthy New Year to all.

THE JOY OF WAITING

Isaiah 40:1-11; Mark 1:1-8

December 4, 2011

Today is the second Sunday of Advent. Since I was not here last Sunday, I thought of reminding you of about Advent using the Advent wreath. ADVENT means coming or appearing. Advent means preparing our hearts for the rebirth of Christ in our lives. Advent is also a time to reaffirm of our blessed of hope: THE RETURN OF CHRIST at the end of the age. There 4 candles around the wreath and one at the center. Four represents the four corners of the world: East, West, North and South. Three are purple or blue, one is pink. Purple tells the royalty of the coming Christ. And since we are not worthy to receive the Royal Son of God except by humility and repentance. Blue means peace. Christ the Prince of Peace is bringing us the gift of peace. Pink is the color of JOY that was given to Mary, to the Shepherds and to everyone who longs for peace and goodwill to all. The center candle, called the Christ candle is white representing the purity of the Son of God and the joy he brings to everyone. The wreath is in the form of a circle which symbolizes eternity. God's Son is eternal, his message is eternal, and his salvation is eternal. All around the wreath are greens and red ornaments. Green means life and growth and opportunity; Red symbolizes the blood of Christ shed for the redemption of the world. It also symbolizes the courage of the saints and martyrs and the church throughout the ages.

The title of my meditation today is "The Joy of Waiting." Joy is one of the most misunderstood words. Most people equate joy with happiness. The truth is they are different. Happiness is based on circumstances; joy is within. Happiness is short lived; Joy is more lasting.

Fred Buechner distinguishes between happiness and joy: We can get a sense of happiness in our life, he says, from things that we do. A satisfying job can give us a sense of happiness. Money in the bank might give us a sense of happiness. A pleasant vacation or good health might give us a sense of happiness. But, joy is different, he says. Joy is something that is as unpredictable, he says, as the one who bestows it.

There is a difference between happiness and joy. Happiness we can try to achieve. Joy, we can only receive. It is the same difference as between contentment and peace ...... achievement and fulfillment ...... affection and love ...... optimism and hope .......a cure and getting healed ......or making a commitment and getting saved. One we can try to do; but the other we can only receive.

In the Bible JOY is one aspect of the 9 unified fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Joy then is a manifestation of the Spirit of God dwelling in our hearts. Hence, we cannot create, achieve or formulate joy; we can only receive and radiate it in and through our lives.

Now how about "waiting?" Waiting is not popular at all to most people. Waiting is considered a wastefulness of our precious time, boring and dry. Others associate waiting with idleness and passivity. This understanding is not Biblical. In the Bible waiting means trusting in God and doing and obeying God. Waiting in the Bible is full of action. Henri Nouwen, one of my favorite spiritual formation mentors, talks about the spirituality of waiting. He cited the people in the first and second chapter of the gospel of Luke as waiting people manifested in productive actions. Zechariah and Elizabeth were waiting for the fulfillment of a promise and waiting for the birth of their son, John the Baptist. Zechariah while waiting was active in his priestly responsibilities. Mary was waiting and very active in daily chores including visiting Elizabeth. Anna and Simeon were actively waiting for the Messiah going into the temple every day.

Waiting is full of action because it is not based on a wish; it is based on something that is already there. Waiting is based on a seed already planted waiting to sprout, blossom and bring much fruit or flower. Zechariah, Elizabeth, Mary, Anna, Simeon and others were waiting for something that they already believed in. Only a pregnant woman can logically say: I am waiting for the birth of my child. Only a parent with a child in school who can say, I am looking forward to the day when my child will graduate. Waiting then also implies that we are in a certain location where we are rooted and planted.

In the process of waiting, it is full of activities and action. Parents waiting for the birth of their child would be very busy sewing baby clothes, preparing the room, purchasing toys. A person waiting for somebody at home will keep an eye for the coming of the one he or she is waiting for.

In our lessons for today, the prophet Isaiah talks about waiting as preparing the highway for the King. He talks about leveling the mountains, lifting up the valleys and make the highway plain. The image is clear; the King deserves a smooth ride not bumpy and tiresome coming. Mark made it clear that a way to prepare for the coming of the King is through repentance. Repentance means going to the right way or direction. Repentance is living a new way of life of compassion, humility, justice, mercy, respect, acceptance and inclusion, forgiveness and reconciliation. Waiting means living a life as God meant it to be.

But we are not the only one waiting. God is also waiting. God is waiting for us to be in partnership with him in accomplishing his purpose.

In my 4 Christmases with you, we always struggled to fulfill our share with the mission of the global United Methodist Church. There was even a time that we were short of our apportionment close to $50,000.00. There was even a year that we were not able to raise enough money to meet our apportionment. So we made a last minute appeal and by God's grace, your hearts overflowed with generosity and you gave even more than we needed for that year. In the 4 Christmases, we struggled to meet our obligations to our denominations but at the end of the day, somehow we were able to pull the strings together and paid in full our apportionment. It is my prayer that with the grace of God, we will do it again. It is when we say we cannot do it that the grace of God abounds the more. As St. Paul said, it is when we are weak, that we are strong. May we sing again one of our Praise songs: "Let the weak say I am strong in the strength of my Lord; Let the poor say I am rich because of what the Lord has done for us."

Paying and meeting our share with the mission of the Methodist is one of partnering with the work of God in a very special way. Local missions, we are able to do be there physically. We are human beings and we are limited by time and space in terms of our ability to participate in the mission of God. But through our apportionment, we can multiply ourselves. In a way, our apportionment can make us be in two or more places at the same time. Our apportionment enables us to minister the needs of people in places that we cannot go or even places that we don't want to go. So it is my prayer that you be generous and let God accomplish his work through the United Methodist Church.

So where is the joy of waiting? The joy of waiting is found by doing what we need to do right where we are. The joy of waiting is found in the truth that the promise of God will be done. The joy of waiting is found in our partnership with God in accomplishing God's purpose and works today. The joy of waiting is found in the truth that God has already given us the greatest Gift of all: Jesus Christ.

The joy of waiting is like a pregnant mother. Nine months can seem like forever for a mother-to-be. In the first trimester, hormonal changes sometimes cause lingering morning sickness. Emotions rise to the surface, prolonging afternoon blues. Then a changing appetite stretches out evening hours with late-night cravings for pizza, chocolate, and dill pickles. During pregnancy Mom outgrows her clothes and spends long hours looking for a new wardrobe. The last trimester turns normal activity into a chore as the final watch begins. The waiting is sometimes challenging and the labor may be painful, but I still yet to find a mother who is not joyful during her pregnancy. Of course the fullness of her joy comes when the baby comes out and holds him/her with her loving arms and kisses and embraces the new born child endlessly. This is the joy of waiting. At times, it is painful and yet full of joyful anticipation and hope.

May this joy be ours today by letting the Spirit of God rule and direct our ways. Amen.

WHAT IS FREEDOM?

Freedom is oftentimes misunderstood my many people. Many believe that freedom is doing anything that you want without control or restrictions. This is license. In real life and according to the Bible, freedom is not without limit and control on anything and at any time that we would like to do something. Real life tells us that our freedom ends upon meeting with the rights of others. In other words, freedom is allowed, as long as we don't hurt anyone or intrude into other's turf, or violate others' rights. The Bible also defines freedom as exercising love for God and neighbor. We can do anything as long as it fulfills love for God and neighbor. This only happens when we surrender our lives to God. Life before we accept Christ as Savior is not freedom at all; it is being enslaved by sin, that is, giving in to our selfish and carnal desires. When we are not with God, we are in the bondage of sin. When we do everything we want at any time is letting the power of sin control us. We become free only when we return to God. We cannot will to love God and our neighbor without God's help. We are created by God and for God; it is only when we accept this truth that we find true freedom.

How do we illustrate this truth? The image of a kite might illustrate this freedom that we have when we surrender to God. A kite could not fly unless it is played and controlled by the owner. The kite flies and soars freely with the direction and control of the owner or player. The moment the string is cut off, or the owner/player stops directing, the kite immediately falls down on trees or straight to the ground. Such is our life of freedom in God. Apart from God, we are nothing (John 15:1-5). Apart from God we are left to the mercy of sin and cannot will otherwise. It is only when we are connected to God that we can fly and soar and enjoy life. It is only when we are attached to the vine that we can live, flourish and bear much fruit. Freedom is not the ability to do what we want; it is the power to the right thing. That's the reason why when we accept Christ, we become free indeed. Jesus' life, death and resurrection embody a life that is totally surrendered and fully connected and anchored with God.

MAKING FAITH IN CHARGE

Noah Ben Shea wrote in his book, The Journey to Greatness and How to Get There: "Imagine your life as a wagon filled with everything you represent. To pull that wagon through life, you are going to need horses. Now, imagine that your fears and your faith are the horses you can call on. Of course, each of us has more fears than faith, so let's say we have eleven horses of fear and only one horse of faith. If we put any of the horses of fear at the head of the team, they will be hesitant to lead, unsure of their capacity, and afraid they will not be able to do what is expected of them. And your wagon won't go anywhere. But if you put the one single horse of faith at the lead of the team, the horses of fear will follow. In fact, your fears, when led by our faith, will provide the strength to pull our wagon. The challenge for all of us is to put your faith and not our fears in charge."

Psychologists tell us that of all the emotions known to human, none is more common than that of fear. Along with love, hate, joy and the other basic emotions, fear is universally known. Fear has been common in every age of human's history and in every stage of human's development. No one is exempted or spared. So we ask, "What is fear?" Webster Dictionary defines fear as "Painful emotion marked by alarm; dread; disquiet; anxious concern; solicitude." It also includes feelings of uncertainty, lack of self-assurance, and need of help. The general reaction to fear is negative, for men universally consider fear undesirable and evil.

The Bible tells us that everything that God created is good, in fact, very good (Genesis 1-2). This means including "fear." There must be a purpose why fear was given to us by God. BenShea, I believe, is correct when he said that we only need to do is to make faith in charge of our life not fear. When we do that, fear will become a fuel to help us become better people rather than something that turns us into our base self, or worse, evil. When fear is led by faith, it becomes a challenge to be prepared for. When fear is led by faith, it makes us humble realizing that we are not God. When fear is led by faith, it makes us do all we can and leave the rest to God. When fear is led by faith, we dare to risk, venturing even in doing things that has never been tried before. Fear led by faith, becomes our check and balance so that we would not forget that we are only creators but we also won't forget that we have a Creator to depend upon. Fear led by faith keeps our faith on the ground and our minds reach out to limitless possibilities because in God, nothing is impossible.

PRAISING FAITH
Matthew 17:1-9

There is no better definition of faith than the one from the Bible: "Faith is the assurance of the things hope for and the conviction of the things not seen." In "The Message" Bible, it goes this way: "The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It is our handle on what we can't see."

Also from the Bible, particularly from the book of James, are the three kinds of faith. One is the Demonic faith. As all of us know the Devil is not an atheist. The Devil believes in God, that God exists, but trembles. Trembling can mean positive things like excitement and thrill. It could also means - being threatened, fearful. The Devil is like that -  the Devil doesn't obey; the Devil wants to take the place of God. Anyone who is insecure or threatened, he or she wants to destroy, remove anyone and anything on his or her. Two, a Dead Faith. This is the faith that is purely in the head. We may able to recite the apostle's creed, memorize many verses of the Bible or even the whole Bible, come to church every Sunday but that's all that we do. Such faith is dead. This faith believes that there is God but believers don't live out their faith. They give their love and loyalty to themselves or to some other power, prestige, ambition, desire and personalities. Three, a Dynamic Faith. This is the faith that believes in God in heart and mind. This the kind of faith that enjoys God in worship, in witness, and in service. This the faith that trusts wholeheartedly, obey consistently and deeply, and works tirelessly to honor God. These are the faithful people whose joy and devotion is to glorify God in everything that they say and do. This is the true Biblical understanding of Faith. Paul explained this very profoundly. Faith is belief in the head, trust in the heart and commitment in the works of our hands and feet.

There is a story of a professor who wanted to show the relations between faith and work. He brought his students into the lake. He asked them to get into a boat and launch into the deep. While they were out into the lake the professor asked his students to row only on one side. As expected they keep on moving but only in circular. The professor said, Faith must show itself in works in order to be real, powerful and meaningful. Work is the products of faith. Faith without works will only make us circle within our selfish self. It is only when we put our faith to work that we can move forward with direction, purpose and meaning. In this month of March I would like to discuss with you, at least 3 major works of faith; of a dynamic faith.

Today we will begin with a Praising Faith. To me this is the most important work of Faith because it desires no other but to love and enjoy God. This kind of faith reveals who God is. This is what you see in the life of Jesus. Jesus' life is a life of prayer, worship, quiet time with God, reflection and reading of the scriptures. John Wesley calls these activities means of grace. But Jesus' experience in his baptism and transfiguration were special moments when God revealed Godself. In both occasions, Jesus heard God clearly saying: "This is my beloved Son to whom I am well pleased. Listen and obey him." I also believe this happened in a special way when Jesus was crucified. Jesus was so assured that his death is the salvation of the world that's why he shouted: "It is finished ... My Father into your hand I commit my spirit." Jesus received full assurance of and from God that he is God only Son to whom anyone who believes will not perish but have everlasting life.

Have you ever experienced in your life this wonderful, amazing moments when God becomes so real to you and you do not need any other assurances or affirmations from other medium like a fellow human being? Deep down in your heart and in your soul, you know such experience is no other than God Godself and your life will never be the same again. This kind of experience is so good that sometimes, like Peter, James and John, we are tempted to just dwell in such wonderful revelation. In a way, we are saying to Jesus, "Let us build booths here because this is so wonderful!". That's the reason why when we feel comfortable in the circle within the church and do not share it with others outside the four walls of the church, in a way, we have given in to the temptation to build a booth for ourselves. I know, we know better that because we know the answer of Jesus to the request of Peter, James and John, "Big No." we have to go down to the valley because there are still others who need to have this experience of the reality of God." It is the will of God that all God's children may know God and have their own transfiguration where they will see God directly, experience wholly and completely in their head and heart, in their mind and spirit, in the way they live each and every day.

A Praising Faith also longs for fellowship and unity with other believers not only today but throughout the ages. I believe this is the meaning of the appearance of Moses and Elijah in that most sacred moment of Jesus' transfiguration. There were James, Peter and John - the representatives of the present believers. There were Elijah and Moses - representatives of the faithfuls of God in the past.

We, too, need our Peter, James and John. These three were the so called inner circle of Jesus but these three were also the leaders of the disciples (the church if you will). Peter, James and John represent our small group and at the same time the church to whom we all belong. We need our small group to share not only our pains and hardships in the valley of life but also the joy and ecstacy in our mountaintop experiences. We need our small group where we can be vulnerable and yet feel safe; there is no fear of judgment only unconditional love and understanding. We need the whole church to share our common works of worship, witness and service. We, too, need our Moses and Elijah - our mentors of faith and life's journey, both living with us or now with God. These are the people that continually inspires us through the witness of their lives and works. In the understanding of the writer of Hebrews, these are the people who serves as our inspirers and cheerers. They are part of our lives, and we are part of theirs.

Theodore Jennings, which I had the privileged to learn from him as his student and an advisee for my dissertation when I was doing my Doctor of Philosophy at the Chicago Theological Seminary. He has a book on the Apostle's creed. He said that the "communion of saints" is not the same as "the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church."  He insists that it would not make sense to just repeat the same thing in a creed that every word matters. Jennings believe that the communion of saints include all people from all faiths who truly love the living God of the universe. Our communion is not only with the saints of the Christians; it is with all the saints of all the living faiths of the world - past, present and future!

Very recently, we have the phenomenon of mega churches. And I bet, there are moments of your lives when you long to be a part of a big church that is famous not only in numbers but also in power, prestige, and wonderful worship and witness in the world. Well, friends, all of us are part of the universal church of Jesus Christ throughout the ages. We are not only belong to a mega church; we belong to a church of the multitude that no one could count.

In the Tuesdays with Morrie, there is an episode where Morrie narrated a story about a wave. It is about a little wave, bobbing along in the ocean, having a grand old time. He's enjoying the wind and the fresh air-until he notices the other waves in front of him, crashing against the shore. "My God, this is terrible," the wave says. "Look what's going to happen to me!"

Then along comes another wave. It sees the first wave, looking grim, and it says to him, "Why do you look so sad?"

The first wave says, "You don't understand! We're all going to crash! All of us waves are going to be nothing! Isn't it terrible?"

The second wave says, "No, you don't understand. You're not a wave, you're part of the ocean."

Friends, you are not only part of the 12 million present members of the world wide United Methodist Church, or the more than 70 million heirs of the Wesleyan communion, or the more than half billion Protestant Churches, or  just a member of the largest religion (2.5 billion), that the world has ever known, the Christian Church. You and I belong to the unnumbered multitude of believers of God from generations to generations. You belong to a cloud of witness both great and small, young and old, men and women, of all colors and cultures.

Above all, you and I, we belong to God, the living, loving, and wonderful God of the universe! Amen.

SERMONS

1) Simple Sacrament

2) Simply Enough

3) When Not to Tithe

4) Living a Simple Life

Simple Sacrament

Luke 12:13-21

August 1, 2010

Today, we start a new theme: "Simplicity and Generosity." You must have heard sayings like "Keep it simple stupid (KISS)." Or the better form of it like, "Keep it simple and short" or "Keep it short and sweet." Or the saying, "Simple of simplicity is beautiful." I would like to tie this theme with generosity. History and experience tell us for many people, times of scarcity and economic difficulty can be an opportune time to return to simple living. It is also the experience of many that when life is quite difficult, many people become more generous. As a case in point, during the depression, life was difficult and yet that generation was dubbed as the generation of the builders. And many of those who grew up during the depression they were one of the greatest savers and the best givers in our American history.

Our gospel lesson today starts with a question from someone in the crowd to Jesus:  "Tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me." To which Jesus responds, "Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions." "...for life doesn't consist in the abundance of possessions" is the crux of the matter.

What do you think is the primary purpose or usage of wealth? (Give sometime for the congregation to talk about the question and then say some of their answers. People's answers may include: share it with others, reserve for rainy days, use it for cruise or vacation, etc.).

I do believe that the primary purpose and usage of wealth is to build relationships. The story is about a man who worked hard and resulted in great produce. Just like the one who asked the question, they seem not greedy people. The one who asked the question seemingly just wanted to divide their wealth between him and his brother. The so called rich fool seemingly did not even plan or dream to become rich. His great produce was a natural result of his hard work. What was wrong in the request and what the farmer did in expanding his barns? I believe what these two people missed is that they let wealth got in the way between them and the people around them including a brother.

The farmer built more barns to accommodate his produce. To me this symbolized stopping to build life. He hoarded his possessions rather than using it to build relationships with other people.

Please take your Bible and join me in reading Deuteronomy 14:22-26. (Give time for people to find the passage and then together read.)

"Set apart a tithe of all the yield of your seed that is brought in yearly from the field. In the presence of the Lord your God, in the place that he will choose as a dwelling for his name, you shall eat the tithe of your grain, and your wine, and your oil, as well as the firstlings of your herd and flock, so that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always. But if, when the Lord your God has blessed you, the distance is so great that you are unable to transport it, because the place where the Lord your God will choose to set his name is too far way from you, then you may turn it into money. With the money secure in your hand, go to the place that the Lord your God will choose; spend the money for whatever you wish - oxen, sheep, wine, strong drink, or whatever you desire. And you shall eat there in the presence of the Lord your God, you and your household rejoicing together." (NRSV, emphasis added).

Wealth must be used to build relationships; to build life. Jesus exemplified such life spent building relationships and making life work living. Jesus spent his life accepting and loving people. He loved parties. They called him a glutton and a drinker (Matthew 11:19). He spent picnicking with his disciples and others. Many of his parables about the kingdom are about wedding, banquet, and abundant feast. The farmer did the opposite. He ceased to live a life worth living for. To Jesus the essence of life is relationships - relationship with God and with other people. That's loving God and loving the neighbor is the summation of the Law. Love is meant to be shared not to be isolated or stored. Wealth is meant to serve building life and relationships.

The message of Jesus' life, death and resurrection is about relationships. And the Sacrament of Holy Communion tells us the story of Jesus' life. The Holy Communion tells also our life story lived in the presence of God.

According to Henri Nouwen, that great priest and professor who chose to live with people with disabilities at Day Break Community in Canada, rather than teach at Yale or Harvard Universities, in his book, "The Beloved" there are four simple words in the communion that really matter. These four words are: Taken or chosen, blessed, broken and given. Let us look at, first of all, taken or chosen.  Jesus is God's chosen beloved Son, Messiah, the Savior of the world. This is the story of Jesus' life. He was chosen by God to save the world, blessed by God, broken for our healing and given that we might live and have eternal life. This is also our story because in Jesus Christ we become chosen people of God, we are blessed by God, healed our brokenness and in our joyful response to God's love, we are given so that others may also live.

Being chosen doesn't mean excluding others. It only means that by responding to God's pursuing love we allow ourselves to be God's instruments and partners in letting others know that they are also chosen if they only choose to recognize such truth.

Being chosen means that we are worthy, that we are good enough, that we are precious in God's sight. Many of us sometimes doubt this and we say: I am not as good as so and so, ... I am not as gifted as Jane Doe ...I am simply not good enough. This truth becomes even more apparent to people with disabilities like those whom Henri Nouwen lived with. Many of these people with disabilities are looked down by normal and decent people. Many times they received messages from normal and decent people by words and/or actions that they are not good enough, that they are not worthy, that wish they disappear and be gone.

The truth is all of us are worthy, important and precious in God's eyes. The psalmist says that we are the apples of God's eyes. Let no one take that truth from us. Let no one look down on us. If God declared us to be "precious and special" let no one take it away from us.

The second word is blessed. The word "bene" means good, "diction" means saying. Benediction means giving good saying - saying that give life. Henri Nouwen told a story about one of the residents of Day Break who asked him to bless her. Hername is Janet. Immediately Henri made a sign of the cross on his forehead. After a moment, Janet said to Henri, "It is not working. I need a blessing that works." Janet put her head close to the chest of Henri and instantly Henri wrapped his arms around Janet and said: ""Blessed are you, Janet. You know how much we love you. You know how important you are. You know what a good woman you are. You are important. Can you claim that and live as the blessed one?" When the rest of the people gathered heard the blessing that Janet received from Henri, all of them said: "We want to be blessed, too."

I believe that if we say blessing to others more often rather than curse, our world will be a better place to live in and we become better people.

The third word in the sacrament is broken. Jesus Christ was broken for our sake so that our brokenness may be whole again. The tendency of some of us when we have problems, when are in pain, when we are in trouble is to isolate ourselves. It was because of our brokenness that Jesus Christ came. St Paul said, "For our sake him (Jesus) to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21). In truth we are all broken. But let not our brokenness isolate or separate us from each other. Let us bring together all our brokenness that we might be healed and become whole again.

There is a Buddhist parable, I believe, about a widow who refused to be comforted because of the death of her husband and only child. She wanted to die. She went to the Buddhist for an advise. The Buddhist told her to go around the village to find a person without a problem and then come back. The woman obediently obliged. After few months the widow returned to the monk but now different. She was no longer grieving, whining and lonely. The monk asked why she is different and did she find a person in the village without a problem. The woman said: "I did not find a person in the village without a problem. In fact, some of them have more problem than me. Everywhere I go I ended up consoling and comforting them in their problems. The more I helped people, the more I realized that my problem are being lifted away from me."

Indeed, it is in acknowledging and  bringing our brokenness together that we can help each other heal and become whole.

The final word is given. Jesus is given that we might live. Jesus is given that the world may live. All of us, in some way, positively or negatively, we live in lives of people we know and touched. The negative values that we have like addiction, may continue to live on in the life of our children. I pray that it is the positive values that we have like compassion, love, peace, respect, justice, etc. are the one that we share with the people we love and the people we meet in our life's journey. When we die, the good side of our life will live on in others.

This giving of ourselves if easily seen in the life and example of great people among us like Ghandi, Martin King, Jr., Mother Teresa, John Wesley, George Washington, etc. But let us not forget that this is also true for everyone. Our influence to people we meet and close to us may be greater that we first thought of. Let your life be given, like Jesus, so that others may find life.

I would like you to do one thing. Turn to your neighbor and let us begin blessing each other. (Give time for people to find a partner). I would like you to repeat after me -

______________ God loves you and so am I. You a wonderful person. You are God's chosen one. You are beloved child of God. You are very important. Don't ever forget that. Let no one one put you down or diminish your worth. God says "you are precious and beloved of mine." That's all that matters. Now do your best to claim your being beloved child of God.

During this recession, I often people talked about their net worth. Some say their net worth is negative because they lost their job, their investment, their home, etc. Folks, the simple message of life is that anyone who spend his or her life building relationships, their net worth is always positive. Your worth never diminish by acts of people, situations or circumstances. God says: You are my child, you are blessed, you are broken and yet you are given for others. You are precious and special to me.

Do you hear God in your heart. You are unqiue, special, precious and important. You are chosen and loved by God in Jesus Christ. Let no one take that away from you. Anyone one understands this truth will live a life for others and for God. Everyday will be day of rejoicing and thanksgiving to the God who gave his all that we might life and have it abundantly. Amen.

SIMPLY ENOUGH

Luke 12:22-40

August 8, 2010

Last week we affirmed the simple message of life - it is about relationships. As such, we must invest our lives, resources and labor to build relationships. Jesus exactly lived a life of joy, meaning and purpose. Indeed, a life that is beautiful is a life that is simply lived every day.

Today we declare another simple message: Simply Enough. That is, for those who believe in God, for those who learn to live simply, there is enough. In one of the recent issues of Harper's magazine it featured a hunger conference held in Rome. The Conference found out every day 25,000 people starve to death or die of hunger related diseases. If you multiply this by 365 days that would be more than 9 million people die every year due to starvation and related illnesses. The article says that the core conclusion of the Rome hunger conference is that there is enough food in the world today to feed everybody. Hunger today is not caused by a lack of food but by the reality that some people do not have the money to buy food. We do not have a food problem; we have a money problem.

Do you remember what Jesus said? You cannot serve wealth and God. St. Paul also correctly observed: "The love of money is the root of all evil." And the Conference declared that money or wealth is our problem. A minority group controls wealth while the vast majority do not have money so even if there is enough food available, there is hunger because of an uneven sharing of wealth needed to avail food. And sometimes, we prefer to let food go rotten than share it with others who do not have money to buy them. Government systems all over the world are also not making food distribution a priority. In fact, they are more restrictive than facilitative.

I have been watching The Filipino Channel and one news item that caught my attention is the presence of tons of rice that are hoarded to rot while millions of Filipinos could hardly eat. In America, too, we waste so much food everyday. When we go to the restaurant we order food that sometimes we are not able to consume. As expected, these food were thrown away and wasted. Retaurants throw away food everyday. Many Americans constantly throw away food from our refrigerators. And yet millions of Americans go hungry everyday.

Our lesson today remind us of the truth that if we only learn to live simply, there is no doubt that it will go a long way in enabling millions of people throughout to live humanely.

In verse 32, Jesus said: "Do not be afraid little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." This verse reminds us of Jesus as the Good Shepherd who gives his life for the world and the most loved psalm that declares, "The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want." Leonard Boff said, "a human being is fundamentally a being of desire." Human desire is infinite. Human desire is without limit.

The good thing, however, Jesus teaches us that we can control and/or change our desires. This is one implication of Jesus' teaching: "Where your treasure is, there your heart be also. We have the power to control our desires, thoughts, and feelings. St. Paul confirmed this when he advised the Church in Rome, "Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit." Again, the apostle reiterated this understanding when he wrote to the Colossian Christians: "Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth." (Colossians 3:2).

There is a story about Pope John XXIII. For me, John XIII is the greatest pope. He loved walking around the city of Rome with his red cardinal garb visiting the poor, the needy, the sick and the prisoners. Because of this the pope gained the nickname "Johnnie Walker red". Of course, this understandably upset Vatican especially those in charge of his security. When he visited people, he used to say to them: "You cannot come to me so I come to you."

This godly man was responsible in convening the Second Vatican Council that changed the Roman Catholic Church forever. The Roman Catholic Church becomes more open, humble and relevant.

We, too, can agree where to invest our lives and resources. We either choose the things of this world as our priority or choose the things of God as our primary and ultimate concern. Our text challenges us to invest on things that will last through eternity by using our resources to serve others and to expand the reign of God on earth where there is love, justice and peace for all God's children.

Please note that in other parables of Jesus, the Master is coming from a long journey or they are awaiting for the bridegroom to arrive for the wedding. In our lesson today, it is different. The Master is coming from the wedding. Therefore, it is about life after the wedding. The return of Christ is believed to be the wedding between him and the church. This could mean, then, the life after our life here on earth. It is clear that Jesus is challenging us to invest in something that will last forever. And nothing lasts forever except God.

When Saint Theresa of Avila died, they found these words on her book marker: "Let nothing disturb you, nothing frighten you. Everything passes, God does not change. Patience achieves all. One who has God will not want. God alone suffices."

Yes, we worry about our body, how we look and what we put on. We worry about what to eat or drink. We worry about our economy, our political uncertainty, about our future. But there are other things that we need: justice, peace, love, respect, hope. And I believe that the later are more important than the former. That's the reason why Jesus said: "And do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying ... Instead, strive for God's reign, and these things will be given to you as well." (verses 29-31).

Last Easter, there was a news of recovery in Wall street. Before the service, the pastor was so excited about the news of economic recovery so he said to the congregation: "The Stock market is risen" to which the congregation responded: "It has risen indeed." This is the other important lesson from our text today. Who do we really trust. The early church did not say: "My 401K has risen or my bank account is risen or my dollar has risen." The church through the years continuously declare: "Christ is risen." In other words, the faith of  the church is in Jesus Christ not in Washington. It means that in God we trust not in gold we trust. John Ortberg said in one of his recent sermons, "Never Waste Crisis." He said "crisis help us ask important questions. Whom or what we can trust? Where do we find and anchor our security? In what do we invest ourselves?

I pray that we be like the psalmist and please join me in reciting his faith and may it be our heartfelt faith also: "Whom have I in heaven but you? And there's nothing on earth that I desire other than you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." (Psalm 73:25-26).

Indeed, St. Paul was absolutely right when he said: "I can do all things in Christ Jesus who gives me strength..." In another place, he also declared: "If God is with us, who can be against us?" Of course, no one. Let that faith be ours, too. Amen.

WHEN NOT TO TITHE

(To Tithe Or Not To Tithe)

Luke 13:10-17

August 22, 2010

It has been said that President Franklin D. Roosevelt in one gathering and while shaking hands with guests, he smiled politely and said in jovial tones, "I murdered my grandmother this morning." As expected, the guests congratulated the President saying something like this:  "You are doing a good job, Mr. President. Thank you very much.. It's easy to think that President Roosevelt found the interchange both amusing and ultimately a bit sad because it confirmed his suspicion that people were not really listening. As the last of the guests were coming through a foreign diplomat shook Roosevelt's hand and heard the President say, "I murdered my grandmother this morning." The diplomat stopped for a moment and replied, "I'm sure she had it coming to her.

This is my suspicion this morning. Maybe no one would like to listen to the topic of giving or tithing. So I decided to talk this morning when not to tithe. I thought that would interest you and not turn off your ears to what I am going to say to you this morning.

But first let me review what we said in the first two sermons in this series. The first time we talk about the simple message of life - Relationship. Not only a mere relationship - it is a life of party. The second part we affirmed that there is enough resources for us to live an abundant life. The Lord is indeed our shepherd. The problem is us. We have difficulty trusting God as our Shepherd.

Now we are ready to look at when not to tithe. Here are some reasons and situation in which we should not tithe:

1)      We are not to tithe when tithing becomes an end in itself. This include giving tithes just for show - meaning, we give tithe to impress people, to get the attention and praise of people. This also include making tithes take the place of more important acts of discipleship, that is, to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8, Matthew 23:23). This also include making the act of tithing more important than God Godself.  

2)      We are not to tithe if we don't do it in humility. You remember the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9-14). One day they went up to the Temple to pray. The Pharisee in essence said in his prayer: "Thank God that I am not like this tax collector. I pray everyday, come to temple religiously, pay my tithe and obey the law." He was so proud of his own righteousness and spiritual accomplishments. The tax collector on the other hand, could not raise his face toward heaven because he was so sorry for his sins. He was beating his chest while he prayed: "God be merciful to me a sinner." Humility is a prerequisite of everything that we including offering our tithes because none of us is righteous; all have sinned and fall short to the glory of God.

3)      We are not to tithe if the work of God is not being done. If our church is not doing the work of the kingdom, we should give our tithes to churches that do the work of God. In 2 Chronicles 31, people were asked to give their tithes which they did. As a result there was a stockpile of surplus food and not being used. As we already learned, giving including tithes should be used to build lives: to make the walk, give sight to the blind, set the captives free, to preach good news to the poor and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord where will be economic reordering where everyone will have a share of the blessings of God (Luke 4:16-19).

4)      We are not to tithe if we do not trust God; if our tithe doesn't represent the faith and trust we have for God. This is one lesson we can learn from Malachi 3:6-12. People gave tithes, at least they claim, and yet they did not trust that God will use it. That's why God asked the Israelites to test him by giving faithfully their tithes and see if God will not pour out blessings from heaven.

5)      The other obvious lesson from Malachi 3 is: they did not give tithes freely and honestly. They withhold their tithes or if they did tithe, they gave the least of all their produce rather than the best. St. Paul's principle of giving freely and cheerfully should also be applied in the giving of our tithes (2 Corinthians 9), if not, we better not tithe because like us humans, God is not please to receive a gift given grudgingly.

If we want a more simple life...We have to recognize that everything belongs to God, that our "whatever's" matter, and that there are some good reasons NOT to tithe.

But for people who understand the true meaning of tithes, following are some of the blessings we receive when we use our tithes as an expression of our love and worship of the Living God.

First of all, Tithing makes us free - "Woman you ARE SET FREE from your ailment." This is what Jesus said to the woman in our Gospel lesson. When we give our tithes, we began to be set free from our enslavement of our wealth and material things. If we can let go of our ten percent, is a significant step for us toward our freedom from serving false gods like money and wealth.

It is interesting to note that the bent over woman in our text had been in such a situation for 18 years. Her suffering did not prevent her from practicing her faith as symbolized by her going to Jesus without specifically asking that she be healed. I know we have a lot of reasons, and good reasons, why we do not give our tithes. Some of these reasons include: There are many bills to pay and giving tithes will be too much to practice at this time. Some of you might say that you have a college student to support. Others may have been laid off or your salary were decreased. Maybe we follow the example of this woman, let us practice our faith even in difficult situation. After all that is the logical thing to do. If we believe that God is the One who can help us, we should go to him. When we do that, we should be willing to obey him.

There is a story of a person who accidentally fell into a ravine but was able to grab a little bush that's why he did not fall straight to the bottom. While hanging in the ravine he cried for help. A voice responded: "Let go of the branch you are holding on." When he heard the voice, he shouted back: "Is there another one up there?" He asked for help but only accept a help that he himself has only decided on. If we believe in God, let us be willing to yield to his. Giving tithe is one the instances where God says: "... test me ...; see if I will open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing." (Malachi 3:10). We become free when we let God takes control of our lives. That's why Jesus said: "When the Son of Man, sets you free; you are free indeed" (John 8:36).

Second of all, Tithing Blesses Others. When we give our tithes we are not only freeing ourselves from the control of materialism and wealth, we are also blessing many people. In our case as a local church of The United Methodist Church, we help people in at least two ways. One through our local initiatives and programs like the "School Supplies Give Away," the Mission Trip to Henderson, KY, through the "Good Samaritan Fund," through our ministries of counseling, teaching, preaching and visitation. The other way for us to help other people is through our apportionment and Advance offerings. Through our apportionment, we help do mission in places and to people all over the world. Through our hundred of Missionaries supported by our denomination, we reach out to many parts of the world even in the most far flung areas. Through our scholarship money we support hundreds of students have access to education. Through our UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) we bring help and hope to victims of calamities and to the poorest of the poor of the world.

Third of all, Tithing Glorifies God. When we tithe freely and with faith in God, it is a form of worship. Remember, in the Old Testament, giving tithes and offering is the core and center of worship. The giving of tithes express their faith and thanksgiving to God. The lady in our gospel lesson ended up glorifying God in a new way after she was healed from her bent over. I believe that she was glorifying God even before her healing. But there was a new surge of thanksgiving and joy emanating from a different level of faith after she was healed.

In Matthew 15:8 says, "They honor me with their tithes, but their heart is far from me." If our tithes are from the heart, it brings honor and glory to God. Tithes should be a vehicle and expression of the faith and love of the person to God. Such act glorifies God. You see, Tithes should not be a substitute for ourselves; Tithes should be offered cheerfully along with our hearts.

Isn't it wonderful when our giving of financial/material support to our children and loved is not divorced from our very selves? Spouses will never say, "I don't want your money, I want you." Children will not say, "I don't want your presents, Daddy or Mommy, I want you." There will be no complain, only appreciation and thanksgiving.

One more thing that I would like to make it clear here. They said that there 3 kinds of people in relation to giving in general and tithing in particular.

First, there are those who will say: It's all mine. I worked and earned everything that I have and I deserve every bit of it. And since I made it all by myself, I can do what I want to...and when offering plate goes by, they say, I can give if I want to, but I don't have to.  If I feel led to give a buck or $20, I will...but it's all mine, I can do what I want with it.

Second, there are those who believe that the tithe belongs to God, and the remaining 90 percent is theirs.  In obedience they give God ten percent, and with the rest, they'll do what they want to with the rest.

Finally, there are those who understood that all they have and are belongs to God. God still owns the remaining 90 percent. God only allows them to take care of the remaining 90 percent to use it in bringing more blessings of God to others. These are the people who recognize that they are not free to spend the way they want the remaining 90 percent. They fully understand that God still holds them accountable on the way they handle, use and invest the 90 percent as well as their lives. I pray that all of us members of Wesley Church embrace and take into heart this third understanding.

Let me close with a story of a Sunday School teacher who asked her class if they knew the difference between kindness and loving kindness. One little girl said she knew the difference. She told the teacher that kindness is like when you ask your mother for some toast and she gives it to you, but loving kindness is when you ask your mother for some toast and she gives it to you with butter and jelly on it. And that's the way God is. God, in his loving kindness, is an exceedingly generous giver and we can never outgive God. God gives us some blessing and more. God's blessing is new every morning for all generations. Let the giving of our tithes be an expression of our most heartfelt thanks to God who loves us beyond our understanding. Amen.

LIVING A SIMPLE LIFE

Luke 14:1, 7-14; Jeremiah 2:4-13

August 29, 2010

My people have committed a compound sin; they have walked out on me, the fountain of fresh lowing waters, and dug cisterns - cisterns that leak, cisterns that are no better than themselves. (Jeremiah 2:13 - The Message)

At the start of this series we said that the essence of life is about relationships. Relationship with God and relationships with our neighbors. Second, we said there is enough. God has provided enough. God has given enough resources for our needs. So the problem is not God, it is us when we refuse to trust God our Shepherd. Third we said that tithing is a good practice to support our work to build lives through meaningful relationships.

Today, we are going to conclude by looking at the simple life. What is a simple life? Can we truly live a simple life. Many of us our understanding of simple life is to deny ourselves almost everything and live for others. Only very few can do this - Mother Teresa, St. Francis for example. No wonder a lot of people frown at the church sometimes because it is too demanding. It seems asking the impossible.

The other understanding about the simple life is like a story of a person who went on a cruise. It was his dream to go on a cruise so he doubly worked hard to save some money. When he got enough money, he immediately bought a ticket. He thought to himself that he will not be able to afford buying meals during the cruise so he decided to bring with him lots of bread and peanut butter. Peanut butter sandwich was what he ate everyday while the other cruisers ate everyday in the cafeteria. Towards the end of the cruise, he totally got tired of eating peanut butter. With all the courage that he could master, he approached the cafeteria manager and asked to be allowed to eat those sumptuous food that they serve everyday. The manager said to him: Sir, food is part of your cruise package.

Jesus loved partying that's why he was called a glutton and a drunkard. Jesus being the eldest, he must have been the one who served as the man of the house after Joseph died. Some of his disciples were also people with significant means. The Zebedees, for examble, had business with hired persons working for them. Many of Jesus' parables about the kingdom is all about abundance and joyful feast.

Many Christians seem not reflecting Jesus' life. Many Christians seem to be lonely and missing the joy of living. Could it be because we do not really respond to the invitation of Jesus to have life and have it abundantly? A good life is available to us but we are like the story in the cruise, we are not enjoying the joy and blessings of life because we refuse to believe in God's promise so we end up eating our "peanut butter." The promise of God not too good to be true. It is available to all who believe and accept Jesus as Lord and Savior.

What do we mean then when we say: Living a simple life as Jesus did. LIVING A SIMPLE LIFE IS ...

A MANAGEABLE LIFE. The problem with many of us is that we make ourselves slaved of many things like cellphones, computer, etc. If any of stuff in your life begins to control you or interrupt your life, we must pause for a moment, pray and ask God to give you the power to take back your life. If you are bothered by people calling you all the time, shut off your cellphone. If you are getting addicted with your computer, spending more time with it than with your children or spouse, get rid of it. These things are made to serve us not the other way around.

When we multitask, we must be careful that it doesn't go beyond what we can handle. Let us remember, our brain is not capable of thinking two things at exactly the same time. Almost every Sunday, I come to Church at about 6:30 a.m. When I arrived here I open all the doors, see if there are things to be fixed or arranged in the sanctuary, place the bulletins and the altar flowers in the sanctuary. Many times I find myself trying to carry all these thing all at once. What happened one morning was the bulletins slipped through my hands and become scattered all over the floor. This happened because I was rushing up things.

The other area where our life becomes uncontrollable is in the use of our credit cards. Many people are in trouble because before they know it they already maxed out their credit cards. When this happens, you better cut that plastic card in a halves before it totally mess up your life. If you cannot do it yourself, ask the help of others like financial counselors.

A simple life is a life that is under control.

A SIMPLE LIFE IS A LIFE WITH CONTENTMENT

Here is one of the greatest battles in our lives: WANTS vs. NEEDS! Simplifying ones life occurs when we are able to distinguish between what is a "want" and what is a "need."

When you go to purchase something ask yourself: Is this a want or a need? Clearing the clutter is about CONTENTMENT. Contentment is about learning how to stop chasing what you don't have.

The other area of battle is knowing what is enough and how to live with what you have. The apostle Paul described a life of contentment: "I've learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I'm just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I've found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever, I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am." (Philippians 4:11-13 Message)

Once in a while I go and eat at Jimmy Johns. This is a restaurants where there are many writing displayed all around its walls. One of them is about the story of a Mexican Fisherman. This is how the story goes:

 The American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked.

 Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.

 The Mexican replied, "Only a little while." The American then asked, "Why didn't you stay out longer and catch more fish?"

 The Mexican said, "With this I have more than enough to support my family's needs."

 The American then asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"

The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos, I have a full and busy life."

The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing; and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat: With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats. Eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor; eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then Los Angeles and eventually New York where you will run your ever-expanding enterprise."

The Mexican fisherman asked, "But, how long will this all take?"

To which the American replied, "15 to 20 years."

"But what then?" asked the Mexican.

The American laughed and said that's the best part. "When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions."

"Millions?...Then what?"

The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."

We must decide what is enough and be content with it.

A SIMPLE IS PLEASURABLE.  We do the things we love and love the things we do. A simple is a life that is employed to do the things we love. To many of us, we are blessed with the opportunity to find and get the things we truly enjoy doing it. A simple life is finding your gifts and use it in your day to day living and in your vocations.

But how about if you are not lucky of getting what you have been wanting to have? Or the things that you love to do? In a situation like this, we must still learn how to love the things we do; to make the best out of your situation and circumstances.

I did not want to be a pastor but here I am working in the church. I could whine about it and talk all day about what "might have beens" of my life. If I do that, I will not find joy and meaning in what I am doing. But if I will believe that God has a purpose for making me a pastor then there must be something good, a blessing that that I can get from this situation. There are still times that I wanted to get out of ministry but I am still here even to this day. So I decided that until that day that I get out from the ministry, I will continue to enjoy you, wonderful people, and you cannot do anything about it.

FINNALY A SIMPLE LIFE IS PROFITABLE. It is a life that knows its priorities. It is life that is invested in the things that really matter. One day Jesus asked a big question to His disciples and the crowd: "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?" "What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul for?" (Mark 8:36, The Message).

So the question is: Where are you investing your life? Do you know what is really important? What are you trading your soul with?

 Those who believe in God, make God their priority. Salvation is their primary concern. If God is your priority you will spend time with him, do God's will, obey God's commands, believe in God's promise. With regards to giving, if God is your priority, you will not deny God his tithe. You will not make your tithes and pledge to God the first for you to cut when your pocketbook is tested. Remember that only the Church preach salvation by grace through faith. All other organizations may duplicate some of the things we do, but they don't have the message of salvation. Let the other organizations be a place for you to exercise your faith... to work out your own salvation and not a substitute of true spirituality.

A faithful Christian has this to say about making God his priority by giving his tithes first before anything else: "There are lots creditors who want a piece of me and my paycheck. There are all sorts of other concerns that compete for my attention and my money. But I write out my check to the church first, before I pay anything else. It is my way of saying that I belong to God before anybody else can get a piece of me".

Finally, I would like to close with a couple of themes in our lessons for today. Jeremiah accused the Israelites of committing a compound sin against God. They abundant God, the fountain of living water and dug up themselves with cisterns that cannot hold water. I would like you to know that we are still a cistern that cannot hold water. God accepts us just like that because of what Christ has done for us. The difference now is, even though we are cracked and hardly can hold water still, through the grace of God in Jesus Christ, God can use us now to accomplish his purpose if we let him to. There is a Chinese parable of a cracked pots. It goes like this.

"A water bearer in China had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.  After 2 years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself because this crack in my side causes water to leak all the way back to your house."

The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you've watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house."

Our gospel lesson provides us the way to become useful before our master. We must humble ourselves first of all. We should not think of ourselves more than we are worth. The second one is, be hospitable. Help those who cannot pay you in return. Exalt those who may not give you honor. Work as if you are doing it with the Lord always. Work as if you already receive the reward. We are redeemed by the grace of God. We are exalted because of God's love. We move and live and have our being all because of God's grace.

SERMONS 

1) Worship is Our Main Business 

2) Holy Gifts for Holy People

3) Worshipful Women

4) Passionate and Spirit-filled Worship

5) Many Ways to Worship

6) Unity of Word and Table

WORSHIP IS OUR MAIN BUSINESS

John 21:1-19

I had several choices for the title of this sermon. One was "The Main Thing". I have heard many people insisting on making "the main thing, the main thing." It is good advice to not confuse the main thing with trivial ones.  Another option was "The Heart of the Matter." This also is a good title since it underscores the core, the heart of our Christian life. Yet another choice was "The Affair of Our Lives." This highlights the focus of our life as believers. But I settled with "Our Main Business" because I thought it would resonate more to us here in America, considered by many as the center of capitalism and free enterprise. In business it requires vision, discipline, hard work, and profit in order to be viable. Our life as Christians can be likened to a business - we must have the vision, commitment to discipline, and love for work to bring about a great harvest.

It is but fitting to begin by defining what worship is. I have collected definitions through the years. Here are some of the best ones: Worship is...

•       Adoring reverence of the human spirit for the Divine

•       Response of the whole person to God's revelation

•       The outgoing of the human spirit toward God, recognizing the Divine as the source of all life and love and goodness and holiness and righteousness

•       Activities that draw us near and close to God

•       Communion with God through the directions and power of the Holy Spirit

•       The word worship means "worth-ship" - is ascribing worth to God and from God drawing worth into dependent souls

•       To feed the mind on the truths of God, to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to cleanse the conscience with the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, and to devote the will to the purpose of God.

•       Blessing God, but ultimately we are the ones being blessed. This is sort of a summary of us so that we can experience abundant, meaningful and joyful life.

Worship is the Main Business of every Christian and of the church. Consider the following ministries of the church which I learned when I was in my seminary days. The ministries that I am about to review is not necessarily in order in terms of importance. The first ministry is Proclamation (Kerygma). It is the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. No doubt it is important but what is the reason why we share the gospel? Preaching is important but worship is our eternal destiny. The second ministry is Teaching (Didache). What is the purpose of teaching? To teach people to know more about God so they can gratefully  worship the living God. Third, Evangelism, Sacrifice and Witnessing (Marturia). Marturia is the Greek word from which we get the English word "martyr". It was believed by many in the early church that martyrdom is the greatest witness of one's faith. Evangelism and witnessing are very important so people may be led to salvation but worship is the end goal of being saved. Fourth, Fellowship, Sharing and Caring (Koinonia). We are called to true Koinonia so that we can come to God together in true worship. Fifth, Service (Diakonia) and Self-Emptying or Sacrifice (Kenosis). Diakonia means  obedience and service to others in the name of Christ. One of the most common illustrations of Diakonia is a waiter or waitress in a restaurant. They are there waiting on you and very quick to respond to your need. There are even times that you do not need to ask before they do something for you like when something falls from your hand and someone is there to pick it up. We serve so that others may come to know the living God with the faith that they, too, will come to worship God.

The last ministry to share with you today is Worship - our work now and in the life to come. Here are the root words where we base the word worship or service. Proskuneo  means to prostrate or bow down in heartfelt reverence. Latria  means service. You put proskuneo and latria together you have "Worship Service". The other root word is Leitourgia - it is the peoples' offering of lives and labor to their God, Lord and King.

You notice that all the above ministries will end except worship. Worship will continue on even after this life. In fact, the Bible tells us that all that we do when we come to the reign of God is to worship day and night. Life is worship and worship is all of life in heaven.

Now that I have shown to you why I consider worship as themain business of our lives, I am now going to proceed in discussing what we offer to God through worship. When we worship it must be for pleasure. The Westminster catechism is absolutely right when it declares that the chief end of the human is to glorify and enjoy God forever. The philosopher Blasé Paschal also said, "Happiness can be found neither in ourselves nor in external things, but in God and ourselves as united to him."

The problem is that we become content with superficial bases of pleasure and joy. As John Piper puts it, the great hindrance to worship is not that we are pleasure seeking people - not at all - but that we are willing to settle for such temporal pleasures - family, friends, job, wealth, vacation, etc. In our gospel lesson today, Peter must have finally realized that Jesus is the source of his pleasure and joy. Peter and the others met Jesus for the first time in the sea fishing. They followed Jesus then but obviously, they did not understand  Jesus well. So when their faith was tested by the death of Jesus, their faith was blown by the wind. At the beginning of our lesson today, Peter said, "I am going fishing." To which the others also said, "We are going with you." To me, the disciples' action symbolizes a return to their own life. The test of their young faith was too much to bear. But Jesus never gives up on Peter and the other disciples. He appeared again to them in a familiar place and in familiar circumstances. After a miracle of great catch, Jesus confronted Peter, asking him three times: "Do you love me more than these?" "These" could mean Peter's fishing business; It could mean the net, the fish the boat and other material wealth displayed on the seashore. And since Peter has become the leader of the disciples, "these" could also mean the other disciples. As if Jesus was saying: "You can become a leader of the movement I have started, as a leader can you assure me that you, indeed, love me more than the others? I believe, at this moment, Peter got Jesus' message and so he said: "Yes, Lord. You know that I love you." And according to tradition Peter remained faithful to Christ even in death. Christ was his source of joy and pleasure and the chief end of his life.

One more thing needs to be said about worshipping for pleasure. It is not only us that finds pleasure when we worship - worship also brings pleasure to God.

True worship is not only for pleasure; it is also for truth (John 4:23-24). Truth is more than a concept or conviction like what the philosophers believe. Truth is more than the things we can prove with our 5 senses like what the scientists insist again and again. Truth is no other than seeing the glory of God in Jesus Christ (John 1:14; 14:6). Jesus is the truth. God's truth is not based  on or about things and principles and convictions. Truth is about Jesus. After all, only Jesus Christ embodies the real truth of God. If we want to know God, we must look at Jesus. John Piper writes in his book "Desiring God" that in worship we reflect back to God the beauty and the radiance of his worth.

Finally, true worship is in Spirit (John 4:23-24). Spirit includes the real you; Spirit means the Spirit of God. When we worship we lift up our spirits, join our spirit with the spirits of other believers past and present, and TOGETHER join our spirits with the Spirit of God. When Peter said to Jesus three times, "Yes, Lord, I love you", there was a joining of his spirit and the Spirit of Christ. I believe the other disciples did the same.

Worshipping in Spirit also means depending and yielding on the leading, guidance and corrections of the Holy Spirit. That's why in worship we must allow the Holy Spirit to move through our order of worship, making the Holy Spirit enrich our gifts and graces as we prepare for the singing and prayer and other parts of the service. The Spirit is the motivator, the director and the guide in all of worship and in the heart and actions of the worshippers.

People who have saturated their being with the meaning and purpose of worship will get something out of worship. There is a story of an elderly woman who went to church every Sunday even though she was deaf. One day, her daughter asked her why she still goes to church when she could not hear the singing, the reading of the Bible and the preaching. To which the she responded enthusiastically, "I got so much out of worship every time I went to church." Worship, indeed, is a matter of the heart. A heart that is prepared to worship God, receives blessing from God through worship. After all, God is the main actor in the service.

Let me close with the story of a man who confessed one day that when he was a boy his mom used to ask him to buy flowers from a local convenient store. On his way to the store, he had to pass many neighbors who knew him very well. He said that at first he was ashamed carrying those flowers as he passed by the houses of his friends. But later in his life, he realized that he loves his mom so much. Such love for his mom changed his life and attitude. He is no longer ashamed of carrying flowers in front of anyone. In fact, he claimed, that with pride he likes people to see him carrying flowers for his mom that he loves so much. May you and I be like that man, who was once reluctantly obeying his mom's request, but now he finds joy and pride in doing something for his mom. May our worship indeed be an expression of our love for God who loves us more than we can imagine or understand. Amen.

HOLY GIFTS FOR HOLY PEOPLE

Acts 11:1-18

"Holy Gifts for Holy People" is usually said as a clergyperson invites people to partake of the Holy Communion, Eucharist or Lord's Supper. "Holy Gifts" refers  to the bread and wine or juice. "Holy people" refers to worshippers like you and me.

In Biblical understanding  the word "holy" means being set apart for a holy purpose, redeemed, dedicated and owned exclusively by the divine. "Perfectness" is a secondary meaning.

Our Bible lesson today tells us about a transformation that happened with Peter and the early church. The Jews have understood that they are the chosen people of God. Most of them believed that only the Jews will be saved. It is in this sense they were holy. When the early church learned that Peter welcomed and associated with Gentiles (Cornelios and others), they were shocked. To many of them, it was unthinkable for Peter to welcome and associate with Gentiles. So Peter told them about his vision during his noon prayer time. He saw a vision of all kinds of animals and God asked him to kill and eat them. Peter refused because he said, all his life he never sullied or defiled himself by eating unclean foods. To which God declared to him "What God has made clean, you must call it profane."

I have heard some of you saying that you don't like worshipping in the fellowship hall because we have been doing many things in that space like eating, garage sale, dancing, etc. To some of us these things are not sacred enough and in some way affect the "worthiness" of the place for worship. On the other hand, I have also heard some of you who would say that the sanctuary is so sacred that we should not be bringing food and drink, or do a garage sale, or dancing in such a sacred place.

Did you know that when Methodism was young, they were accused of doing things that were not sacred? They frowned upon our ancestors who borrowed tavern and bar music (tune) and used it in the hymns that they composed. Most people believed such music was not sacred enough for worship. Next our ancestors went to the city square, street corners and even in the cemetery to conduct their worship services. Again, these were places that were not sacred for most people to hold services for the Lord. Our ancestors understood just like Peter that anything that can be used to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ is sacred enough. Our text says that anywhere and anything the spirit blows upon, it is sacred to the Lord.

Speaking of music, here is a quote from Michael Hamilton, who is the coordinator of The Pew's Scholars program and concurrent assistant professor of history at University of Notre Dame concerning music and its place in our life of worship:

"The Bible has four different gospels. No single one of them tells us the whole truth about the life of Jesus. Likewise, no single musical style brings to full flower more than a few of the many possibilities of communing with God. It is said that when King George II of England heard Handel's Hallelujah chorus for the first time, it was not the glory of the music that to the astonishment of the audience pulled him to his feet. It was rather the glory of the Lord surging through the conduit of music and it is much the same". He goes on to say, "When my neighbor Elise Hudson lay in a coma for several days, she responded to no one, not even her closest family members until her pastor sat beside her and softly sang the simple gospel songs that she had sung all her life. The power of God surged through that music and to the astonishment of the hospice workers, it woke her one last time before she went home to be with the Lord." Further, Hamilton goes on to write, "It is fruitless to search for a single musical style or even any blend of musical styles that can assist all Christians in true worship. The followers of Jesus are a far too diverse group of people, which is exactly how it should be. We need rather to welcome any worship music that helps churches produce disciples of Jesus Christ." I don't think I need to say some more about music in worship. I just want to add, however, that I believe in the truth that there is such thing as Christian music; we only have Christian lyrics or words.

The Bible tells us that God created the world and everything in it and everything that God created was very good. It may not be perfect but it is good and sacred enough for our holy God. God has chosen ordinary things as sacred symbols for us. Water - the symbol of our baptism and our new life in Christ. Bread - the symbol of Christ's body and the abundant life that Jesus wants all of us to have. Wine or Juice - symbol of Christ's blood. Life resides in the blood so when Jesus said this is my blood, it means our redemption in Jesus Christ. And God wants all people to eat and drink Christ's body and blood. Water, bread, wine, and fire (candles) seem to have been accepted by most of us as holy.

There is one more thing that I would like to bring to your attention. It is about money. Money is considered by many if not most religious people as not holy. In the Old Testament, offering (of wine, food, farm products) which are the equivalent of our offering of money now, was the center of worship. The first thing that the Israelites (Abraham, Jacob, etc.) did whenever they migrate to some other place, or after a harvest, and then later every Sabbath day, was to worship God by offering something valuable to them: wine, animals, harvest, and so on. Offering (of money and any valuable material) is an act of worship. Have you ever thought about that? When we give, we give out of our need to worship God - not because the church needs money. The later is only a secondary reason. If you make the later as your main reason why you give to the church, then your offering would bring you no greater satisfaction than when you use your money to buy your phone or computer, or money that you use when you go shopping, or even playing in a casino.

For Roman Catholics, the center or highlight of their worship is the celebration of the Eucharist. For Protestants, the highlight of the service is the preaching of the Word. But for our Jewish ancestors, the heart of worship is offering. Professor Alan Powell in his book, "Giving to God," reminds us that the "The offering is an act of worship, an instance in which we are invited to give up something that we value - our money - as a sacrifice to God. In that way, it is the high point of the liturgy. We come to church to worship God and at no other point in the service are we provided with so pure an opportunity for worship as this." Maybe it is high time for us to reclaim this rich tradition of giving: WE GIVE BECAUSE IT IS THE HEART OF OUR WORSHIP. 

The last thing that I would like to talk with you this morning is not about sacred things but about sacred people. I want you to think of yourself as Gentiles. As we all know Gentiles were unclean people. But because of God's grace and unmerited love, we are made sacred before the eyes of the living God. The writer of I Peter declares: "Before we were no people but now we are God's people - and not only ordinary people - we are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. God's own people ... called ... out darkness into God's marvelous light." You are holy people. All people are holy because they are created in the image of God and the Spirit of God is blowing if not dwelling in each one of us.

The next thing that I will say may be controversial to many of you. But I ask you to think from the perspective that all of us are sacred and holy people. You must have heard the new immigration law in Arizona. This law enables the policemen to question and arrest any person whom they "reasonably" doubt of their legal status in the US. What are the "reasonable suspicions" on the status of a person here in the US? In the context of the United States, who are those that may be reasonably suspected with illegal status aside from those who actually commit a crime?  Would it not be those who have foreign accent, those who speak broken English and those who look Hispanic or Asian?

A person who goes and buys dinner for his/her family and forgot to bring his legal documents, may be arrested. A person who went to buy some milk for his/her baby but forgot to bring a legal document with him maybe arrested. The family will wait until their dad or mom may or may not be released from prison. There should be a way to differentiate a responsible parent whose only wish is to feed and take care of his/her family from a drug smuggler and a human trafficker. This law will give authority to misguided law enforcement officers to harass, intimidate, and violate the human rights of people created in the image of God.

This law also enables anyone to file charges or sue law enforcement officers who may be suspected of not doing their job of questioning and arresting people who fit the profile of an undocumented immigrant.

We Americans should know that oceans, barb wire, walls or fences will not effectively deter the migration of people to America or to any destination for that matter. Our Pilgrim ancestors knew this truth. Death and persecution and perilous journeys did not deter them from seeking freedom and a better life for themselves and for their families. I suspect that the root causes of illegal immigration to the US include poverty and the uncontrolled violence that they experience in their homeland brought about by illegal businesses of drugs and weapons including assault weapons. Most of these weapons come from the US.

If we were to solve the immigration problem, we must have comprehensive immigration reform. We must mend our broken immigration laws. A qualified family should not wait 10-25 years before they can be reunited. Hardworking and responsible people whose only desire is to have a better future, should be given the chance to become part of the United States of America. This is what America has been known for. The selling of assault weapons to our neighboring countries should be stopped or at least controlled. The drug problem should be addressed also. America has become a profitable market for illegal drugs.

It is my prayer that what happened in Arizona will lead us to do something to address the immigration problem. Like in the past, when crises like this happen, the best in our people and leaders, especially at the Federal level, is brought forth to address comprehensively the challenge of immigration.

We need to speak up because we are all united in a "single garment of destiny". What happens to one group of people will affect all the rest of the world. We need to speak up because God wants us to share with the world God's will and vision for all his people - to have abundant life for all (John 10:10). Let us remember Jesus wants us to be the voice and strength of those "least members of Christ's family." (Matthew 25:40). In the Old Testament, God pays attention in a special way to those strangers, poor, orphans, and widows (Leviticus 19:10). If we don't, we may find ourselves in the same shoes as the Lutheran Pastor Martin Niemoeller who, reflecting on Nazi atrocities, he said:

First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out -- because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out -- because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out -- because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out -- because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me -- and there was no one left to speak out for me.

God calls us sacred - all people are sacred. As holy people, we are called to reflect the very life of our holy God who cares for all but with special attention to the aliens, orphans and widows. Let us live and act as holy people. Let us be bearers of love, not hate, peace, not oppression, justice, not discrimination, freedom, not repression. Uphold human rights all the time and do not undermine the dignity and worth of every human being. Amen.

WORSHIPFUL WOMEN

Acts 11:11-34

At the start of this series we said: Worship is the affair and main business of our lives. It is the thing that we do here on earth that will spill over into eternity. Last Sunday we said that while worship is the Heart of our Lives as believers, the heart of worship is the preaching of the Word, the Celebration of the Sacrament, and the Giving of offering and sacrifice. The first two is all about God. The content of our preaching is God. The main actor in the Sacrament is God. In the offering, it is our heartfelt response to the Word and the Sacrament. But there is one more important component of worship - we, the worshippers and people of God. We are all sacred before the eyes of God. According to St. Paul, the offering of ourselves as a living sacrifice is the ultimate expression of worship. Today, we attempt to look at the people who are worshippers and Fearers of God. Let us look at how they did it.

There are more women who are single parents, more women who are faithful to their family responsibilities, and recently I learned that there are more women entering and finishing college and graduate school. There are more women who weathered the economic recession than men.  Across the churches there are more women who worship every Sunday, more women who actually do the work of ministry. In the United Methodist Church, 70 percent of local churches have organized women organization; only 30 percent of the same have an organized United Methodist Men.

In our New Testament lesson today, Lydia, a woman, is the first Christian convert in Europe as per Biblical record. Lydia is called a "worshipper of God." In other translations, she is called a "fearer of God." I would like to believe that this not only true to Lydia but also to many if not all of the women who met by the prayer banks in Philippi for prayer. These women are worshippers or fearers of God. According to a commentary, fearer or worshipper of God could mean Jewish women who chose to join "The Way" which was the name of the early Christians. It is also possible that they were Gentiles who were attracted to the teachings of Christianity. Whoever these women were, they were the organizers of the church at Philippi led by Lydia. The Church at Philippi is one of the greatest congregations in the early church. If you read the Letter of Paul to the Philippians, you will realize that the letter is replete with praise and thanksgiving for the Philippian church. What did these women do to earn the title of "worshippers of God?"

The first thing we see in our lesson today is that Lydia (and the other women) "opened their hearts" to the preaching of Paul. I observed that women seem to be more attentive and receptive to spiritual things. Opening our hearts means that we hunger for truth of God. We long for time with God. Prayer, worship, Bible study, and other spiritual disciplines are the source of our strength and the oasis that sustain our hopes.

I still remember when I was beginning my ministry in the Philippines in 1983. It took us days to reach far flung places to preach the gospel. We were so tired but once we arrived in the place our exhaustion is replenished with determination and inspiration. The people were so warm and hospitable. They urged us to teach them about the word even through the night. We never saw them get tired of listening to our preaching and teaching. So I ask you, do you still have that hunger in your hearts for God and the things about God? Do you value your faith more than anything else? Lydia and the women at Philippi did find joy in hungering for the truth of God.

The second thing that these women at Philippi did was that they did not only open their hearts; they opened their homes. Lydia and her family were baptized. The jail guard and his family were saved and baptized. Lydia also urged Paul to stay in her house. Again, I believe that Lydia was not the only one who was willing to open their homes for Paul and the entire house church. I would like to believe that the house church at Philippi may have met from one home to another but more permanently in the house of Lydia. This reminds me of my experience again in the Philippines during the early years of my ministry. Many churches there have no parsonage nor can afford to provide housing allowance. In some congregations, they provided hospitality to me by assigning me to stay in one family. With other poorer congregations that I served, they had to rotate me to several families because it was too much for one family to feed me for a whole year. For more than one occasion, this arrangement was hard for me not because it did limit my privacy (and the privacy of my host, too) but because I realized that many times they serve me more than they can afford. It was our culture in the Philippines to serve the guest first. Many times, they served me even their only chicken or whatever "best" food they could provide for me. This caused me sleepless nights because it is against my theological understanding that I was there to serve and not be served. It took me sometime to convince my hosts to accept (as the culture has taught us all) not to treat me positively different from the way they normally care for themselves.  I offended them at first but little by little they came to realize that Jesus' values are different from many aspects of our culture. All my hosts, though they were in extreme poverty, were so joyful in hosting me. I felt that they considered it a privilege to host their pastor. They did their responsibilities joyfully because they believed in their heart that they were doing it for God.

Lydia's home (and I may add, the other women, too) became a sanctuary for the house church at Philippi. Their homes did not only become a venue for hospitality but also a place for worship, prayer and study. So I ask: is your home an extension of the sanctuary of God where prayer, worship, and study are being done regularly? I tell you what, Lydia and the other worshippers of God did it. And they found peace and joy in their lives.

One final thing that these worshippers of God did is that they became faithful in little things. At that time women had very limited rights and limited things that they can do. They were not allowed to be leaders in their congregation or community. And yet that did not deter them from doing whatever little thing that they can do. It was not a normal thing to organize or lead a spiritual group but Lydia and the other women did by opening their homes. Lydia and the other women, being in a Roman colony, they had limited rights like owning a property and establish a business. Lydia and the other women focused on what they can do rather than on what they cannot do, and that makes the difference. Paul and Silas were only allowed to stay at Philippi for two weeks but that did not deter them from preaching the gospel. God did great things to the church at Philippi because there were women who did what they had to do. God did great things to the Philippian church because Paul and Silas dared to preach the gospel even in a perilous situation in a very short time.

Paul also did what he could to elevate the level of women. He was the one who said that "there is no male or female in Jesus Christ" (Galatians 3:28), "we are no longer aliens but members of the household of God" (Ephesians 2:19). There are some places where Paul was being criticized of his attitude toward women but I believe over all he helped in elevating the status of women both in the church and in the community at large. Some of the passages of the Bible that seem to be anti-women were believed to be written by a later author who tried to write on behalf of the apostle (i.e. 1 Timothy 2:11ff). Even granting that these were genuinely Pauline, we must balance this with his other writings that lift up women's status. Given his time and situation, Paul did his job. In fact, I do believe that he was a little bit advance than his time on many issues including women's equality.

You and I are not called to save the church; only God can do that. Let us be like Lydia and the other women and like Paul who trusted women to be leaders of the church and thus God performed miracle. Indeed, God can do miracle if there are people who are faithful in doing whatever they can to allow the hands of God to do miracles through us. This was exactly what happened with the women behind the establishment of a Mother's Day in the US.  Julia Howard Howe author of the Battle Hymn of the Republic intended to establish a national celebration for women by organizing a Mother's Day for in Peace in 1872. She believed that a Mother for Peace day will heal the nation from the wounds of the civil war. She died without realizing this. Anna Reeves Jarvis, daughter of a Methodist pastor, started a campaign for a national celebration of Mother's Day. When Anna Jarvis died in 1905, her daughter also named Anna Jarvis promised to carry on the torch and two years after the death of her Mom (in 1907) a Mother's day celebration was held in a local Methodist church in Grafton, WV. In 1912 West Virginia adapted a statewide Mother's Day celebration. In 1914, the joint house of congress passed a resolution, and signed by President Wilson establishing a national Mother's Day every second Sunday of May, the Sunday closest to the death of Anna Reeves Jarvis. We now enjoy a national Mother's Day because of the work of these women who were faithful in doing what they can to bring something good.

God is not asking us to solve the problems of the world or to carry the burdens and meet the needs all around us. God is asking us to be faithful in doing what we can to bring change in our lives and in the lives of others. God is not asking us to feed all the hungry, shelter all the homeless, or change the course of our government. God is asking as to feed one hungry person at a time, welcome one homeless person at a time, and call one legislator at a time to vote against anything that ruins our moral fiber as a nation like the expansion of gambling in Illinois.

Lydia did all she can. The other women at Philippi were faithful in doing what they can. You and I can do also. This is possible if we desire and pray and live out our calling as fearers and worshippers of God. Let us learn from and be inspired by the worshipful women of long ago like Lydia. So be it. Amen.

Passionate and Spirit-Filled Worship

Ephesians 5:15-21

This skirt is too tight, I can't wait to take it off...

I hope we finish on time today, I've got a casserole in the oven that will burn if we go

overtime...

Oh no, the pastor is praying too long again...

I can't understand what he is talking about - he has an accent and putting the accent on the wrong syllable...

That screaming kid is driving me crazy ... Oh isn't that baby cute! She has such pretty curls ... Sit still! If you don't sit still and be quite I'm gonna take you out ...

Oh God, they are doing the communion by "drive thru" again...

The slides are too crowded and I cannot read the words, the fonts are too small and in golden color ...

The sermon is out of touch ... long ... not Biblical ... I think the pastor is playing politics ...

The arrangement in this worship service is like being in a restaurant ... I don't feel like worshipping

I have many things to do today ... buy grocery, a cake for my daughter's birthday, clean the house, bring Junior to the doctor ...

We visited our daughter in Colorado the other week and we went to a worship service that was chaotic dull, dry and boring. Most of the worshippers were old and few sung the hymns, the kids were running and shouting occasionally, the choir mumbled the words they were singing and some were out of tune.

We attended a church service and oh boy, it was great and alive. The singing was led by professional singers and the congregations were greatly entertained.

Now that was a good closing prayer - short and sweet!

These are some of the comments of people while they are in worship. Would you consider these descriptions of a person in worship passionate and spirit-filled? I hope not. Today we are going to reflect on what the Bible considers as passionate and spirit-filled worship. I believe one of the best passages of the Bible that teaches and describes what a passionate and spirit- filled worship is Ephesians 5:15-21.

Seemingly what many people considered as spiritually dead worship include dry singing, many distractions, chaotic children, long sermons, etc. On the other hand, seemingly many people too, consider as passionate and spirit-filled worship when the leaders succeed in arresting people's attention and parts of worship are entertaining and emotionally electrifying.

Now let's look at what the author of Ephesians considers as passionate and spirit-filled worship.

Firstly, Passionate and Spirit filled worship begins with sincere personal attention and focus. Verse 15 says, "Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise ..." The KJV says, "Walk circumspectly." That word "circumspectly" means to look ("spect," like spectacles) around ("circum," like circumference). In other words, the foundation for passionate, Spirit-filled living and worship is personal attention and focus. We face distractions from within and outside ourselves. To combat this we must pay attention and focus on the Spirit and on what God wants and wills for us. Passionate and spirit-filled worship starts with you and me even before our time of worship at 8 and 10:15. It starts before Sunday. You may accomplish this through prayer and meditation and focusing your heart and mind to the object of our worship: God.

Secondly, Passionate and spirit-filled worship must be tempered and validated by the Scriptures. This means that the Bible should be our main guide in studying learning and accepting what it means to worship passionately and spirit-filled. Verse 18 says, "Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Here you have the elements and descriptions of a passionate and spirit-filled worship.

The command is clear: "be filled with the spirit." Paul was not comparing drinking wine with being filled with the Spirit, he was contrasting them. Drinking alcohol leads to excess, debauchery or lack of self-control. But being filled with the Spirit leads to worship - a focus on God through prayers, singing, and thanksgiving. It is an act that is deliberate, heartfelt and not out of control worship; it is wise, circumspect, and reverent worship.

Please take note that the command to "be filled with the spirit" means that it is a gift. The Bible doesn't say, "make yourself at home, fill yourself with the spirit." Only God can fill us. This happens by trusting in Jesus, desire to be filled, humble yourself, pray for God's will. One more important truth about this command to be filled with the Spirit is to realize that this should be done continuously. Being filled with the Spirit is not a one time event. It must be done again and again. Why? Because of two obvious reasons: First, the Spirit of God is not stagnant. The Spirit continuous to blow anywhere and anytime she wills. St. John says that God still works today (John 5:17). Second, as we are filled by God's Spirit, we also grow in our life and witness for God. In addition, there are times that our sensitivity to the presence of the Holy Spirit is being dulled by internal and external factors. It has to be sharpened again and again so that our passion and energy for God will be sustained.

Thirdly, Passionate and Spirit-filled worship means participating actively in the church. As you see this command to be filled with the Holy Spirit is done only in the context of the church - we can be filled with the spirit by being an active part of the Church. Just like the gifts and fruit of the Spirit, these are not given to individuals in isolation. It is given in the context of the body of believers and it is to be used not for personal gain but for the common good (Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12). We are filled by the Spirit not by performing solo but in concert with other believers. We are filled by the Spirit not by being entertained, or emotionally electrified, or in spontaneous and uncontrollable feelings and actions but by understanding the will of God. And the best way to understand God's will is to know God's Word both written and Living (our Lord Jesus Christ), through participation in the church in prayer, thanksgiving and in reverent worship.

People filled by the Spirit -

·         Do not only grow in their knowledge of the love of God, they also do their best to make known God's love;

·         Grow in their faith in God, in other people and in themselves;

·         They become transformed and changed people after the likeness and characteristics of Christ;

·         Prayer becomes their breath and life;

·         Always thankful and generous;

·         And their life is spent in worshipping and praising God.

May we be filled with the Spirit!

Jesus said, "Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matt. 12:34). In other words, the mouth says whatever the heart is full of. If you carry a bowl or jar and it gets jolted, what spills out? Whatever is in the bowl or jar. In the same way, as we get jolted in our daily life, that which spills out of our mouth will be whatever we are full of. If we're full of pride and self-importance, what will spill out? Pride and self-importance! But if we're full of the Holy Spirit-if we're full of the grace of Christ, if we're full of the Word of God, if we're under the influence of the Spirit of Christ-what will spill out? Naturally, from our heart will flow the holy love of God, the righteous graciousness of Christ, the fruit of the Holy Spirit: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity,faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control!

Next time you or other people make a comment on whether or not a worship service is passionate and  spirit-filled, I hope that you can make an informed judgment based on what the Bible says. If we were to be filled with the Spirit - (1) We must focus and give our personal attention to the things of God,  (2) Grow in our understanding of the will of God, and (3) Participate actively in the life and work of the Body of Christ, the Church. Above all, may we be full always with the Spirit of God and let it spill to others as our faith is jolted along the way of witness and service, worship and fellowship, learning and growing in the likeness of our Lord Jesus Christ. So be it.

MANY WAYS TO WORSHIP

John 4:7-42; Revelations 4:1-11

Their worship is so reverent: the windows and doors are full of beautiful stained glasses, the sanctuary is clean and orderly, the air is filled with the aroma of candles and incense, the organ music and singing were majestic, the preaching is deep, and the fellowship is authentic.

Oh boy, what a worship: The praise team was amazing, the place is neat and free from antiquated symbols, the air is clean and fresh, the set up is informal and people are relaxed, the preaching is down-to-earth.

These are some of the comments and descriptions of how people worship. These different ways to worship God is common across cultures, races, ages, gender and sexes. I do believe that these forms of worship are more linked to one's personality than theology and view of God.

How many are familiar with the Myers-Briggs personality scale or MBTI for short? (Hands) For those who are not, the scale is derived from the work of Karl Jung, a Swiss psychologist and further developed by Isabel Myers-Briggs. This is the most familiar and accepted instrument today of determining the personality indicator for every person. This instrument is an excellent help in understanding the similarities as well as the differences of people. The first is familiar: the introvert / extrovert scale or indicator. The introvert is a person who draws strength by being alone or in company of few people. They are not comfortable in groups and interpersonal relations. The extrovert in the other hand, draws strength by being in groups and crowds, and is very expressive and outgoing. The second familiar personality classification is the thinkers and the feelers. The thinkers look at things or issue from an intellectual viewpoint and to rationally deal with it. The feelers look at and deal with issue and problem from an emotional viewpoint and using the counsel of feelings to deal with it. The third classification is the sensers and the intuitives. The sensers are very concrete "show me" type folks who want to learn by doing and receiving understanding through their 5  senses. The intuitives are more abstract and symbolic-thinking folks who would rather figure things out in their head. The last of the four classifications is the judgers and the perceivers. The judgers are structured planners and typically are future-oriented. The perceivers on the other hand are your "live for today" and free spirit types who take life as it comes.

The Rev. Peter Richardson, an ordained pastor of the Unitarian Universalist Church has written a book, "Four Spiritualities", where he used the MBTI as a basis in understanding the different preferences of people on spirituality and worship. He calls this the four ways or paths to approach one's religious journey through life.

The first way is the PATH TO UNITY  and is favored by thinking - intuitive type of people. This type of people seeks understanding and clarity on issues and problems and meaning of life. The philosophers, sagers and thinkers belong to this category. When this people comes to worship they would like to feel smarter and wiser. Their need is to be challenged to think and sort out different, even conflicting views and understanding. Some of them have the capacity to sort out difficult things and explain them with clarity.

In our lesson today, this is illustrated by the encounter of the Samaritan woman with Jesus. She went to the well at noon time because of obvious reason: Because she was married several times and living in with somebody must have made her the talk of the town. She must have felt great shame in herself. There must have been some moments of great confusion and conflict within her. But after her encounter with Jesus, everything became clear. She resolved the conflict and shame within. She understood what was going on and she was ready to face her issues including the people who misunderstood and accused her of immorality and perhaps promiscuity.

The second way is the PATH OF DEVOTION  favored by FEELING - SENSING TYPE OF PERSONS. The needs and focus of people in this type are in the here and now and local. Anything that touches their life makes sense. They feel strongly on the needs of their local communities. As a result they volunteer in many activities and programs geared toward the common good. In terms of spirituality, these are the people who love the smell of the candles, a solemn atmosphere in the sanctuary. Anything that appeals to their 5 senses are meaningful to them. These folks are concrete, practical, interested in acting locally and in present-time matters of the heart. If they are theistically inclined, they see God as close "in the embrace of care and tears of ecstatic joy...in patient care at the bedside of the sick, in sustained acts of kindness and consideration." They would like to leave the service with a feeling being cared for and loved.

In the dialogue between Jesus and the Samaritan woman about worship, she highlights the fact that Jews worship in Jerusalem, the so-called City of David but for the Samaritans they worship on Mt. Gerizim in the former Northern Kingdom. Jesus told her that those who worship God must worship in Spirit and in truth. In effect Jesus was saying to the woman that there is no more right or wrong place to worship. Worship is a matter of the heart and since God is Spirit (everywhere) anyone can worship anywhere and anytime. Worship is no longer contained in a particular place or done in a particular way; worship has become local both in venue and in forms and expressions. As long as our hearts are attuned to God, there is right worship. In fact, that's what worship should be - something that is natural and "at home" to the worshipper.

The third way is the PATH OF WORKS  that appeals to THINKING - SENSING TYPE OF PERSONS. These folks are doers and producers; social activists. They find joy in working and serving and advocating for issues that benefit the common good. Faith and works are one to these people. Oftentimes they are not happy on the way things are but they know that they can do something to make a difference and to make this world a better and more compassionate place to live in. They value commitment, loyalty, order, fairness, justice and responsibility. They dream big things not only for their respective communities but for the nation and the world. When they come to worship they want to be empowered and equipped to do something for God and for the good of everybody. Their faith becomes their motivation and their strength to continue doing what is right and what is good for all. They would leave the service being inspired, encouraged, and energized.

Again, the Samaritan Woman after her encounter with Christ, she felt empowered to go back to the village and share the new insights she gained, her transformed person, and a desire to touch others' lives. She could have stayed longer with Jesus but she didn't. Her experience with Jesus Christ compelled her to begin working in sharing the joy and wonder of her new life. She left her jar and rushed to the village. She was no longer thirsty with physical water; instead she was thirsty to share her new experience and the joy it brings to her. She did not wait until she can learn everything from Jesus. She began right away. Worship should result in inspiring us to share our faith and new life with others.

The fourth way, according to Rev. Richardson is the PATH OF HARMONY which favors by  FEELING - INTUITIVE TYPE OF PERSONS. These folks are free spirit individuals. They view life as an experiment, with endless growth possibilities; they love exploration and discovery. In a way these are the people with sort of a sixth sense. They see themselves as part of a greater network and power. Everything is interconnected: people with people, people with creation and above all people with God. They folks  have deep sense of spirituality and great vision rooted in the belief that life is interconnected. You can see this type of personality in mystics, visionaries, and global thinkers and dreamers. When these folks come to worship they would like to feel bigger, enjoying wrestling with difficult questions of life and excited of the promise and possibilities of the future. They are mystical and see themselves as belonging to greater power and broader world.

This characteristics are seen not only in the Samaritan woman but also the villagers and even Jesus. The woman realized what is valuable and most important - the things that are eternal such as salvation and meaning of life. She was no longer ashamed and conflicted; she has become a person of conviction and commitment. She was fired up in fulfilling her calling. The villagers also experienced the same: They have seen and understood the message of the Samaritan woman. The villagers saw a greater reality. The villagers said to the woman: "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world." Jesus too had a new experience of this greater reality. Earlier in the story, the disciples went down to the village to buy food because, obviously, they were hungry including Jesus. In verse 31, apparently the disciples have returned and said to Jesus "Rabbi, eat something." Jesus answered back, "I have food to eat that you do not know about." He was no longer hungry for physical food; he was hungry to touch hungry, sick and empty souls that they might find wholeness, rest and peace.

This is exactly the experience of the writer of Revelation. Through worship he had the privilege to see a reality different from the world. The world has been bombarding us with the reality of death and evil, greed and selfishness, power and control, honor and prestige, pleasure and gain. Oftentimes the world is so broken and hopeless but Revelation sees a different reality and truth. God is still on the Throne. God is the one in control even though seemingly the powers of evil are gaining control in the world. The writer saw the 24 elders symbolizing universality, catholicity and unity of people before God. The world is saying it is ok to differentiate and divide people through polarization and bigotry. But God says I am making all things new where everyone would respect one another, become one family and be united for the causes of justice and peace, love and life, light and hope. The world says: Your God is weak and is not in control. The Bible says: "Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God almighty who was and is and is to come... You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created." God is in control and God is working so hard to make all things new. Are you ready to see the reality as God sees it? Or do you see reality as the world sees it? For those who trust and worship God know the truth that reality is not as they appear. The true reality is as sure as the love and justice of God who promised a new heaven and a new earth for all. Amen.

UNITY OF WORD AND TABLE

Acts 2:42-47 and Luke 24:13 - 35

Perhaps the two most cited Bible passages that describe basic patterns of worship, in addition to our Gospel lesson today, are Isaiah 6 and Acts 2:42-47. In Isaiah you have the Adoration and Praise, Confession and Assurance, The Challenge and The Sending Forth. In Acts you have: Singing, Prayer, Preaching, Fellowship and Sharing, Thanksgiving and Breaking of Bread, and Growth. In our Gospel lesson today, we have two elements of worship: The Proclamation/Teaching of the Word and the Celebration of the Eucharist. This is where the historic church (including UMC) based the four fold pattern of worship: The Gathering, The Word, The Eucharist and The Sending Forth.

Our Gospel lesson today gives us a clear pattern of worship as early as the time of Luke. As you know, Luke-Acts were written by the same person, the physician Luke. The first part of the reading is about the two disciples discussing about what happened on Easter Sunday. In the course of their journey, Jesus (who they did not recognize at first) joined them in their journey as well as in their discussion. Jesus taught them a lot of things and explained to them all that happened in that fateful weekend in the light of the Scripture. While Jesus was teaching them about the Bible and the events that happened, they felt their heart warmed up or as we, Methodist, prefer to say "they felt their heart strangely warmed." This is equivalent to the Liturgy of the Word. When the disciples reached their destination, Jesus pretended to go further but the disciples invited him to spend the night with them to which they prevailed. The next thing that happened is the breaking of the bread of which Jesus, the guest, became the host - the one who break and blessed the bread. It is very interesting to note that in the first part of the story, the disciples' hearts were warmed up while discussing scriptures and events of the day but they did not recognize Jesus. It was in the breaking of the bread that they recognized all along it was the Lord who was with them. This is the second part of the liturgy - the Eucharist/Communion/Lord's supper.

Outside the Bible, we have a description of early Christian worship by Justin Martyr: "On the day called Sunday there is a gathering together in the same place of all who live in a given city or rural district. The memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits. Then when the reader ceases, the (pastor) in a (sermon) admonishes and urges the imitation of these good things. Next we all rise together and send up prayers.

"When we cease from our prayer, bread is presented and wine and water. The (pastor) in the same manner sends up prayers and thanksgivings, according to his ability, and the people sing out their assent, saying the "Amen." A distribution and participation of the elements for which thanks have been given is made to each person, and to those who are not present they are sent by the deacons.

"Those who have means and are willing, each according to his own choice, gives what he wills, and what is collected is deposited with the (pastor). He provides for the orphans and widows, those who are in need on account of sickness or some other cause, those who are in bonds, strangers who are (visiting), and in a word he becomes the protector of all who are in need.
We all make our assembly in common on Sunday, since it is the first day, on which God changed the darkness and matter and made the world, and Jesus Christ our Savior arose from the dead on the same day."

In the middle ages, the celebration of the Eucharist was taken away from the people; only the liturgy of the word was retained. The Reformers tried to restore the weekly celebration of the Eucharist. To some it was acceptable. To others it was a challenge. As a way of compromise, communion was offered once a month or once in three months. The evangelical side of the church felt that the Sacrament's meaning and sanctity may be watered down if celebrated very often. Others, of course, disagreed saying that if it is a means of grace, we should partake more often. Today, more and more churches are discovering the unity and balance of word and table in their worship.

As you see the first part of the service referred to as the "Liturgy of the Word" includes scripture readings, prayer, singing and preaching. In the early church, this first part is open to all including non-believers with the hope that they be converted through the preaching. When this first part is over, the uunbaptized/ non-believers/non-members of the church were dismissed and only the church members/baptized were allowed to participate in the second part of the service, the "Liturgy of the Sacrament/Eucharist." It is believed that it was in this act of dismissing people at the end of the liturgy of the word that the name "Mass" was developed. Only the believers were allowed to participate in the "Mass" - the celebration of the Eucharist.

Let me make it as plain and as clear as possible that the Word and the Table are the two main and equal parts of the Christian Liturgy. The Word is not more important than the Table nor the Table more important than the Word. The two contains the fullness of the Christian Liturgy. Elevating the Liturgy of Word as more central than the Table, I believe, is the common mistake of many Protestant and Evangelical churches. Elevating the Table over the Word is the common mistake of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches.

In the liturgy of the Word, the Word here has at least three meanings: The written word which is the Bible or Scriptures, the spoken word which is preaching, and the Living Word who is Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word of God. The Living Word is not the same as the written or the spoken words. The latters witnessed to the Living Word. The spoken and the written derive their authority and power from the Living Word. Again, let it be clear that the Living Word is the authority, the power and the center of worship (not the written, not the spoken word nor the worshippers). Jesus is the Lord of worship.

In the liturgy of the Table, the names spell out the basic meanings and understanding about the Sacrament. First common name of the Sacrament is Lord's Supper. This name highlights the truth that this meal is Jesus', the Lord of the meal. Jesus is the one to be honored no other else. The second common name is Holy Communion which means that this meal is primarily a communion of believers and Jesus Christ, their Lord and Savior. Communion with Jesus is the basis of the believers communion with each other. Communion with Jesus is the main thing; communion of believers is secondary. And since communion with Jesus is primary, again, Jesus is the center and focus of the meal not the believers. The third common name is Eucharist which means "Thanksgiving" to God for what God has done for the world in and through Jesus Christ. The center and object of thanksgiving is God.

Like the Liturgy of the Word should not be equated with the Incarnate Word of God, Jesus Christ, the Communion/Eucharist/Lord's Supper should not be equated with Jesus Christ. The meal testifies to and for Jesus Christ and God. Apart from Jesus Christ, the meal is nothing. The meal derives its power and authority from the fact that it witnesses for Jesus Christ and God. Therefore, the idea of the elements (bread and wine) of the Sacrament as the real body and blood of Christ (Transubstantiation) crosses the line of faithful and sound theological understanding.

Let me also add that the idea that this meal is just a pure remembrance is equally lacking in theological depth and breath. (This is the stance of many evangelical and free churches). This meal was instituted by Christ and asks us to do it as often as possible, therefore, there must be more to it than just a memorial or remembrance. Hence, I subscribe and insist to call this as a mystery. In fact, the word "sacrament" means "mystery."

In the attempt to understand this mystery of Christ's presence in this meal, many churches came up with the idea that Christ is with the elements (the doctrine of Con-substantiation). Other churches also insist that Christ presence is real (the doctrine of Real Presence) not only with the elements but in the hearts of the partakers or believers.

Having argued the truth that we need to maintain the unity of Word and Table in our worship and having explained the basic meaning and implications of these two equal parts of the Christian Liturgy, let us now look at more specifically how the early church maintained a balance in their worship to God. Let us turn to Acts 2:42-47 for insights:

In the early church worship, there is a balance between fellowship with God and with each other and fellowship between and among them. Our Scripture reading says, "All the believers were together ... Every day they continued to meet together ... They broke bread in their homes and ate together ..." (vs 44,46). In worship the believers had a chance to rub shoulders with fellow believers, to encourage one another, to pray for each other. When they got together they had a chance to laugh and cry and visit and eat with each other.

Also in the early church worship we find it both  formal and informal. It took place both "in the temple courts" and "in their homes." The early church were faithful Jews. The only difference is the understanding that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Messiah that they have been waiting for. The formal temple services were supplemented with more informal, spontaneous and intimate meetings in the homes. There they broke bread together, ate together, prayed together, laughed and cried together.

Another element in the early church worship is the balance of joy and reverence. There can be no doubt about their joy, for they are described as having "glad and sincere hearts" (vs 46). The Greek word translated as "joy" indicates an exuberant, overflowing joy, a joy that simply has to be expressed in things like singing, lifting up hands, clapping, dancing, and so on. Of course, they had plenty of reasons for joy: God sent His Son into the world, He died for their sins, He was raised for their justification, He rules from Heaven, and He sent the Spirit which renews and equips and fills with joy.

When we think about it, every worship service should be a time of joyful celebration for the mighty acts of God through Jesus Christ. In our worship it is unforgivable to be sad and dejected, with long faces, when God has done so much for us in Christ.

At the same time, those early Christians were dignified and reverent in their worship. We are told that "Everyone was filled with awe" (vs 43). God was in their midst, and they knew it. They bowed down before God in humility and wonder and awe and fear. And, as I already said, in their worship those early Christians were "praising God" (vs 47).

Finally, the early church worship was a balanced between word and table. There was faithful and devoted learning from the apostle's teachings and from the Hebrew Bible. The Scriptures became the light of their feet and the lamp of their path. The Scriptures taught them everything they need to know about God, bout living and about salvation. They delight in the law of the Lord day and night. And equally they were devoted and joyful in the celebration and breaking and sharing of bread in their homes and in other places they have gathered. Following the experience of the two disciples in our gospel lesson, the early church must have experienced a sustained warming up of their hearts whenever they learn from the teachings of the apostles and from the scriptures and at the same time experienced the living presence of Christ in the sharing of the bread and in the blessing of the cup.

As I end, let me confess that our church life is not complete and perfect. But our church life will be as perfect and complete as we desire and work hard toward wholeness. It is my prayer that each one of us whenever we come to worship on Sunday, our hearts' true desire is to worship God and no other else. On one occasion Thomas K. Beecher substituted for his famous brother Henry Ward Beecher at the Plymouth Church in Brooklyn, New York. Many curiosity seekers had come to hear the renowned Henry Beecher speak. Therefore when Thomas Beecher appeared in the pulpit instead, some of the people got up and started for the doors. Sensing that they were disappointed because he was substituting for his brother, Thomas Beecher raised his hand for silence and announced, "All those who came here this morning to worship Henry Ward Beecher may withdraw from the church; all who came to worship God may remain."

I would like to share with you a story of a father and daughter who were especially close to each other. They enjoyed spending time together. If the father went for a walk or made a social call, she wanted to go along. But then he began to notice a change. When he asked her to accompany him on errands, she made excuses. As the weeks passed, he became concerned about it. When his birthday came, she presented him with a pair of slippers she had made. Then he realized that she had been working on them while he was out of the house. "I like these slippers very much," he said gently, "but next time buy the slippers and let me have you all the days. I would rather have you than anything you can make for me."

Beyond any work we may do for God, time spent in God's presence must take priority because that's what we are made for. We are wired to worship God and to enjoy God forever.  God desires our fellowship first of all because when that happens we will also find our true self, our happiness and our lives will be blessed in manifold ways. If our worship is neglected, our work will be deficient and our life will not be full and complete. May the true desire of hearts indeed be like the psalmist who said, "One day spent in your house, this beautiful place of worship, O God, beats thousands spent on vacation islands and beaches." (Psalm 84:10). So be it. Amen.

Sermons

1. Bib or Apron

2. Volunteers or Servants

3. Relationships That Matter

4. Runaway Disciple

Bib or Apron

July 4, 2010 Sermon

Rev. Juancho C. Campñnano, PhD

Joshua 1:1-9; 1 Corinthians 3:1-9

The sermon today is inspired by the Boot Camp we attended in May. So what I would like you to do is to take out the inserted table napkin in your bulletin and use them as a bib. (Give people some time to place the napkin under their chin). Do you like how you look with those bibs? Please tell me the use of a bib. (Give time for people to share their answers which may include):

·        Bibs are for protection.

·        Bibs are for people who only want to be fed.

·        Bibs are for those who are not yet ready or willing to feed themselves.

·        Bibs are for those who are more interested in being served than in serving others.

·        Bibs are for those who insist that the church exists for them and their needs. Those who have not embraced the truth that the church exists primarily for mission like Christ, the Head and Lord of the Church, lived for others.

One study show that 88 percent of Christians in the US believed that the church exists for their personal and family needs. If this is true, and I am afraid it is, then most Christians in the US are wearing bibs. They are baby Christians who in the words of the apostle Paul are "babes in faith." Babies eat only milk and liquefied food. Babies are not capable of chewing and digesting solid food.

The Church at Corinth was a very rich church situated in one of the centers of power - culturally, economically and politically - at that time. The church was perhaps the most gifted of all the congregations of Biblical times. You have a very extensive list of spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12. And yet this church was also the most problematic of all the churches. They have problems of suing each other in civil courts; questions about virginity, homosexuality, speaking in tongues, and divisions abound in the church. Most of all, many of them questioned the truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. St. Paul was very concerned about this that's why he devoted the entire chapter 15 to preach to them the centrality of Christ's resurrection in the Christian faith. The Church at Corinth was wearing bib. They were spiritual babes who desperately needs to grow into maturity.

Now, I would like to request those who brought their aprons to please stand up and wear them. (Give time for people to put on their aprons. After putting their aprons on, you may ask them to sit down). Please help me enumerate the use and purpose of the aprons. (Allow people to share their answers which may include -  

·        Aprons are also for protection

·        Aprons are for those who have the heart to serve others like Jesus.

·        Aprons are for those who know that the church exists primarily for others.

·         Aprons are for those who don't mind getting their hands dirty.

·        Aprons are for those who know that there is a task and work to be done.

·        Aprons are for those who are growing in faith, and hunger to help others grow.

Jesus Christ did not call us to wear bibs; we are called to put on our aprons. For we are called to serve rather than to be served, to understand rather than to be understood, to be compassionate more than to be the recipients of love, to forgive rather than to be forgiven, to live and serve  others rather than to be served.

Those who are willing to wear their aprons understood that they are called to be servants of Jesus Christ. Being servants are more than volunteers. Who are volunteers? Volunteers -

·        Are not paid.

·        They participate  because they want it and convenient for them.

·        Help others because it makes them feel good.

·        Help because they want to be part of their community.

·        Help because they would like to please their friend, their leader, pastor and even God.

·        Help because they have a burden in their. They would like to help make this world a better place for everybody.

Don't get me wrong, volunteers are good but for us Christians, we are called to be more than volunteers, we are called to be servants. The Greek word doulos is generally translated as "servant or a slave."  In the first century a doulos was pure and simple a "slave." Jesus knew how a slave was treated, "Suppose one of you had a slave plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the slave when he comes in from the field, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'? Would he not rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'? Would he thank the slave because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy slaves; we have only done our duty" (Luke 17:7-10). All of us know what a slave is. A slave -

·        was owned by someone else. In our case as Christians, we are owned by God because we were with a price - the very life of the only Son of God, Jesus Christ.

·        has master to whom he gives absolute  loyalty.

·        desires to serve and please his or her master

·        was not free to do as he or she wished.

·        acts and moves based on the instruction from the master.

·        personal needs or wants are not a priority.

·        has a calling that he or she needs to fulfill all the time and not only when it is convenient for him or her.

This is exactly what Jesus meant when he said  "...whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:43-45).

Robert Greenleaf coined and defined servant-leadership in this way:

"The servant-leader is servant first. It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. He or she is sharply different from the person who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions. For such it will be a later choice to serve-after leadership is established. The leader-first and the servant-first are two extreme types. Between them there are shadings and blends that are part of the infinite variety of human nature."

Volunteers ask, "How much is required of me?" Servants of Christ, on the other hand, serve at the pleasure of their master, realizing their lives and the days by which they are measured already belong to Him. They go the extra mile; doggedly pursuing excellence because they believe their Master is worth the extra effort.

A volunteer feels gratified at a job well done. A servant feels gratified, but more than that, they feel joy for the sake of their Master. If we don't feel joy after serving the Master, maybe we have approached it as a volunteer and not a servant.

The church and Jesus Christ do need more volunteers who give away spare time. We need servants whose lives belong to the Lord. Paul said it well, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving" (Colossians 3:23-24). When I stand before the Lord on the Judgment Day, do I expect to hear him say, "Thanks for your time," or "Well done, my good and faithful servant?"

Our Old Testament lesson talks about Joshua who took on the leadership for the Israelites because Moses has been dead. If Joshua had the heart of a volunteer he would have said: "I am not fit for the job ... I can only give a part time leadership ... let somebody do it, I have other things to do." Joshua understood that he has to embrace the calling as servant of God. As God's servant, Joshua -

·        Took on the Challenge in picking up the mantle of leadership after Moses died ... no longer to look for a resurrected Moses or another person. He is now the leader. For us here at Wesley Church, we are not going to look for a Moses either in the past or in the future. We are the Joshuas of today, we must take on the challenge to be the church in the heart of Aurora committed to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

·        Changed strategy. Moses is already dead. The Israelites have been changed after going through all the events and challenges in the desert. Moses did a lot of miracles: parting the Red Sea, making water gush from a rock in the desert, etc. As we read in the book of Joshua, Israelites have to fight many battles, confront their internal problems, and strategize how to accomplish the purpose of claiming and possessing the promised land.  The vision has not changed but the strategy is. This is also true to us here at Wesley Church. The Vision and the Mission are the same to make disciples of Jesus Christ. However, how are we going to accomplish this, it would not be like the way they did in the past. We must figure out what would work for us today.

·        Trusted in God's promise - The promised Land. We too must trust God. We must not forget that we are pilgrims of this world. We are heading into the reign of God where love, justice and peace shall reign supreme. We are heading to that place that Jesus Christ is preparing for all God's children. We are called to do justice, to love mercy and to walk ever so humbly with our God. These are the values of the Kingdom of God that we are called to practice here on earth so that heaven will be done here on earth as it is in heaven.

·        Was given an assurance - "I will be with you like what I did with Moses." This is also the promise that Jesus gives to all of us: "I will never leave you nor forsake you. I will be with you till the end of time." We do not walk alone. God is with us. God is not asking us things that we cannot do. We can do it because it is God who will do it through us. Just like what he did with Moses and our ancestors of faith here at Wesley Church, God acted through them and in their lives. I pray that we allow God to work with us and through us so that God's will may be done.

Folks, we are called to wear aprons instead of bibs. Are you ready now to wear your aprons? And as you wear your aprons it means that you have embraced the heart of being servants of the servant Christ and not only his volunteers.  So be it. Amen.

VOLUNTEERS OR SERVANTS

July 11, 2010 Sermon

Rev. Juancho C. Campañano, PhD

Luke 10:25-37; Philippians 2:1-11

One Sunday morning the pastor preached on prayer. After the service, the parishioner went to the pastor and said: "Pastor, beginning today I aim to begin praying." "That's great!" the pastor responded. The following Sunday the pastor preached a powerful sermon on witnessing. Again, after the service, the same parishioner went to his pastor and said: "Preacher I am to begin witnessing today." "That would be wonderful!" was the reply. On the third Sunday, the pastor preached about service. Again, the same parishioner went to him and said, "Pastor, I aim to begin serving today." The pastor cannot take it anymore so with all firmness but with love he replied: "Sir, why don't you stop aiming and start shooting."

Many Christians know what they need to do to practice their faith more faithfully and consistently. However, many times too, they end up in good intentions and lack the will to live out what their faith every day.

We have been talking about the truth that God calls us to be a servant and not only a volunteer.  As a quick review of the difference between a volunteer and servant we said:

A Volunteer

·         Are not paid.

·         They participate because they want it and convenient for them.

·         Help others because it makes them feel good.

·         Help because they want to be part of their community.

·         Help because they would like to please their friend, their leader, pastor and even God.

·         Help because they have a burden in there. They would like to help make this world a better place for everybody.

A slave -

·         was owned by someone else. In our case as Christians, we are owned by God because we were with a price - the very life of the only Son of God, Jesus Christ.

·         has master to whom he gives absolute  loyalty.

·         desires to serve and please his or her master

·         was not free to do as he or she wished.

·         acts and moves based on the instruction from the master.

·         personal needs or wants are not a priority.

·         has a calling that he or she needs to fulfill all the time and not only when it is convenient for him or her.

If I were to assign a major theological theme of the four gospels, it would be as follows -

• For Matthew it would be the Great Commission where we are commanded and challenge to go into the entire world and make disciples for Jesus Christ who in turn will make disciples for the Savior.
• For Mark it would be about the Reign or Kingdom of God that is about to begin with the coming of Jesus Christ and we must be prepared so we will not miss the opportune time.
• For Luke it would be about inclusiveness and justice. Luke was the one who reported about the inaugural sermon of Jesus (Luke 4) that talks about the preaching of the good news to the poor, healing the sick, making the lame walk, giving sight to the blind, and the proclamation of the acceptable year of the Lord. Also in most of Luke's gospel account he highlighted the role and importance of women in the life and ministry of Jesus and almost all the time he would use a phrase like: "...and all were healed ... everybody came to Jesus ... all people were healed, etc."
• For John it would be about love. Love as the nature and motive of God in giving us his Son and love as the only commandment that matters.

But for the apostle Paul, one of the major theological themes and certainly with our epistle lesson today, is SERVANTHOOD. Servant hood is the one that gives joy to Paul (and I know to God, too). He said, "Make my joy complete." Today, we would say, "Make my day." Service is the mark of a disciple of Jesus Christ.

My daughter, Kharis Christi has been suffering a serious allergy that causes an ugly breaking up of her skin. We have been bringing her back and forth to many doctors. And one of those doctors that really showed genuine concern and compassion is Dr. Evans of Dreyer Clinic. Without my knowledge but I learned later, KC wrote a letter to him and I would like to read it to you because it helps us understand what Paul meant when he said, "complete my joy" -

Dear Dr. Evans,

I hope you remember me, K.C. Campanano. I visited you many times during my freshman year for occurring skin breakouts. I just wanted to take the time to thank you for your patience and determination you had while trying to treat me. My dad did take me to the University of Illinois on June 28^th and they prescribed me more medicines. Of what I understand, they gave me one ointment that is a step up from the lowest form of steroids, and an ointment that was a step down from the highest form of steroids. Before I went to the University of Illinois my dad took me to my pediatrician who use to treat me for my eczema when I was a little girl. She put me on 3 different pills, an antibiotic, zyrtec and a pill to help me sleep at night. Along with that, she also drew my blood, and I came out positive to being allergic to cats, trees, and dust. I am majorly allergic to cats, and now that I look back it amazes me that this whole time it could have very well been the cats that I have come to love very much.  My skin has taken quite a journey from when I first met you to now, and I appreciated and still appreciate the sincerity, patience and determination you had towards me. I know that it must have been just as frustrating for you as it was for my family and me. I've come to realize as I was sitting in the dermatology office of the University, that things could have been much worse for me, but I am glad that I am better. I am extremely excited to start my sophomore year with technically new skin! My friends are amazed at that I can stand a little taller, hold my head up a little higher and not take the little things for granted as much anymore. In a world where image is everything, it's nice to just relax and be content with the way that I look. I don't think that I could have had this success if you were to just haven given up on me. I also very much appreciate that when my options ran out at Dreyer, you did not just send me and my family off to fend for ourselves. You were able to give me somewhere else to turn, and some more hope to hold on. You will never know how much it meant to me that there was still somewhere I could go. I truly appreciate what you have done for me, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You are a terrific doctor.

                                                                                                Sincerely,

                                                                                                Kharis Christi Campañano

Indeed the things that complete our joy are not things - they are values that make life and relationships meaningful, meaningful  and beautiful. Like for parents, what complete their joy, I believe, is not the success of their children in gaining prestige, accumulating wealth and occupying position and power; it is whether they live a life that builds relationships where there is love, respect, fairness and understanding; it is whether they live a life that makes a difference to people especially those who need help the most and therefore make this world a little bit a better place than they have found. The greatest joy of a pastor like myself is not a pay raise; it is a host of parishioners who honestly and faithfully live out their faith and become more like Jesus every day.

So if Paul considers servant hood as the heart of discipleship, what and how it would look like the H.E.A.R.T. of a servant.

I propose first of all, that the heart of a servant is filled with HUMILITY. Humility is when we think not of ourselves more highly than others. Humility is also the willingness to put ourselves not at the center of things but Jesus Christ. This is what Jesus did. "Though he was in the form of God, he did not claim equality with God." There are times that we need to put ourselves last so that the will of God may be accomplished. One specific example that Jesus did to demonstrate humility was around the event of Christ's Last Supper. It was customary for the Jews at that time to wash the feet and anoint oil the head of guests. But this was the task of a servant/slave. Apparently, none of the disciples was willing to do this lowly responsibility. When Jesus realized this, instead of twisting arms of one of his disciples, he took a towel and began the work of a slave - washing the feet of his disciples. In a world where claiming personal rights, regarding many things as entitlement, exalting and promoting one's self, humility is not a desired value. But to be a servant, we must be humble as Jesus exemplified.

Second of all, a servant's heart is full of ENTHUSIASM. Enthusiasm means God within; it is God that gives the energy,  to those servants so they can sustain passion and commitment in fulfilling their call. Everything that they do, they do it with all their heart and strength. Servants are always ready when the master's need their service.

Third of all, a servant heart is always AVAILABLE. Servants are on call 24 hours, 7 days a week and 365 days a year. The difference between the Good Samaritan on one hand and the Priest and Levite on the other is a heart that is available to those in need. The Religious leaders (Levite and priest) they were so focused on their routine work and that blinded them to the more important task of helping those who are in need. They forgot that works, rules, routine are meant to serve and bring life to people not the other way around. Available servants welcome interruptions in their lives when opportunity knocks to the door of their heart. Servants are not only available, they are also ACCOUNTABLE. Servants have masters and owners. Servants are both accountable to each other and to their masters and owners. Through thick and thin, they stick together. As a church, we must remember that we are in the same boat. We will hold hands in good times as well as in bad times. We will work together by doing our roles and responsibilities no less than our best. No abandoning, neglecting or blaming. Together, we learn from our mistakes, together we rise and fall, and together we celebrate, rejoice and give thanks for every accomplishments and triumphs.

Fourth of all, the heart of a servant is focused on RESPONSIBILITY. The servant exist s and serves to please the Master. Servants take on their responsibility not grudgingly but cheerfully because they know their Master as generous, loving, and just. Doing their responsibility is not a chore; it is a way of life where they are allowed to use their own gifts and graces and realized their own potentials to the fullest. When we are allowed to use our own gifts and graces and are able to explore and discover our potentials, our life would be productive, fun and enjoyable. And when we enjoy what we are doing, we become creative, resourceful, and appreciative of whatever we have and do all we can to make the best out of it.

Finally, a servant heart is always feeling TRIUMPHANT.  Servants may have some lows and bad days but never give up. When servants find meaning and joy and purpose in what they are doing, their spirit will always be triumphant. Servants are triumphant because they know that nothing is impossible with their Master. Servants know that their Master is the Creator of the universe, the Redeemer of all creation, and the Sustainer of the world.

"Several decades ago, Mohandas Gandhi warned against what he called the seven social sins. He names them as:

·  politics without principle;

·  wealth without work;

·  commerce without morality;

·  pleasure without conscience;

·  education without character;

·  science without humanity;

·  worship without sacrifice.

"These social sins today ... are the accepted practices of the life of the nation." (quoted by Jim Wallis, The Soul of Politics)

Definitely, servants would fight these sins with all their heart and might until the reign of God where justice, peace and justice will be realized here on earth as it is in heaven. Billy Sunday used to say that he would fight the devil as long as he had strength, he would hit him as long as he had a fist, he would bite him as long as he had teeth, and if he lost his teeth he would gum the devil till he died. We need more servants of God with such attitude, courage and passion. I pray that everyone in this sanctuary is committed to be the servant of the Servant Christ. Amen.

RELATIONSHIPS THAT MATTER

July 25, 2010 Sermon

Rev. Juancho C. Campañano, PhD

Galatians 4:1-7; John 15:12-17

Today we conclude our series on servant hood. And I thought to conclude by talking with you the kind of relationships that we have with our God through Jesus Christ.

Just a clarification. Servant-Master relationship is applied only between us and God or Jesus Christ. Believers like you and me are equals; no one is higher before the eyes of God. Having said that, Martin Luther was right when he said and I paraphrased him: "A Christian is the freest person of all subject to none;  a  Christian is the most duty-bound person of all subject to everyone." We are equal before God, however, because we are one body under one head, one community under one leader, one family under one Heavenly Parent, one flock  under One Shepherd, our Lord Jesus Christ, we are subject and accountable to each other in so far as in obedience to our Savior and God.

Maybe, this is one significant reason why we may not be ready yet to reunite with our sister Church, the Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Church teaches that the Pope is the vicar, the representative of Christ as head of the Church on earth. It also teaches even today that the Pope is infallible in terms of theology and moral pronouncements. Heirs of the Reformation like us have been very clear in our belief: There's no substitute for Jesus Christ as head of the Church and otherwise except the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the One given in the place of Jesus Christ. We are also very clear in our teaching that all human beings err, including the Pope. That's why the motto of the Reformation was: "A reformed Church is always reforming." This still holds true today. We are sinners, individually and collectively, in need of redemption. We are sinners who are forgiven.

Now let us review the kind of relationships with God and our Savior Jesus Christ. Please help me name these three relationships that we have with God. Let's begin with the relationship that we have been discussing in the past few Sundays. (People were given a time to name the relationships. People were able to name two relationships but not the one we have been discussing in the past few Sundays).

Of course, you may not remember what we have been talking about. At first, I was disappointed but then I remember the story of a congregation who love their pastor for 30 years. One day, the congregation was asked: If you really love your pastor, can you name some of the sermons he preached to you? None in the congregation was able to name even just one sermon. At the end, the pastor stood up and said: Don't worry. I have been married for 40 years now and all those years my wife has been feeding me. But I tell you what: I cannot remember even one recipe she has. But without my wife cooking and feeding me, I would have been dead long time ago. I have been nourished by all her sumptuous recipes which I cannot remember. I hope that even you cannot remember what I said in the past Sundays, somehow, I would like to believe, it still nourished your soul and spiritual life.

So here we go. The relationship we have been talking about is SERVANTHOOD. We are called to be servants. A servant is more than a volunteer. A Servant has an owner and volunteer doesn't. A servant is 24/7 on call, a volunteer serves at his or her convenience. A servant has a sustained relationship because he or she stays with his or her master, a volunteer dedicate only a portion of his or her time. A servant serves at the pleasure of his master, volunteer serves at his own pleasure. A servant serves to please his or her master, a volunteer serves because it makes him or her feel good. These are some of the differences between a servant and a volunteer.  A servant - Master relationship is characterized by obedience. This is possible because we know our Master as good, perfect, holy and knows what is good for us.

The second Relationship that matter is FRIENDSHIP. Jesus said:  I call you no longer as slaves or servants but friends because I have revealed everything to you. Through Jesus Christ we have known who God is. If we would like to know God, we must look at Jesus. To know Jesus is to know God. He is the fullest and the most complete revelation of God who created heaven and earth and everything in them.

Friends are people whom we share all our secrets. That's the reason why when we quarrel with our best friends, they become our worst enemies because they know all our secrets. Friends are the people who share our problems and aches, too. Friends are there for us through thick and thin. But the reality is: Friends have their own separate lives. We cannot be forever. In fact, once we get married, have a family and have a job, very often we seldom see our best friends. So when Jesus said, you are my friends, in effect he is saying: You are my friends because I have revealed to you who God is and all the secrets and mysteries of heaven and eternity.

The third relationship that we have with God is: WE ARE CHILDREN OF GOD. Servants obey. Friends receive the greatest revelation, but only a child receives inheritance. As adopted children of God, we share with Jesus the inheritance of heaven and eternal life.

Sinclair Ferguson in his book, Children of the Living God, summarizes three important things that being children of God brings. First of all, our being children of God brings us security. If God is my Father-Mother and I am God's child whom shall I fear? For what do I need to worry?  I still remember when my children are growing up and even today especially my youngest. From time to time they participated in school or church activities like singing, acting, etc. Like many other children, they became nervous. I calm their fears and anxiety by holding their hands or just being close to them while they perform.

Second of all, our being children of God brings a sense of direction. As a child of God, we no longer live aimlessly and without purpose. We have standards and purpose to hold unto. In this time of economic recession, we may lose our job, our house or anything valuable to us.  But no circumstance or person or power can take away from us our sense of purpose and direction. You remember Moses don't you? He had a very colorful and remarkable careers before he became God's prophet and liberator. For 40 years he was a prince of Egypt. The next 40 years, aside from being a fugitive, he was a shepherd working for his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian. Then came the burning Bush experience. As a result he lost former careers but found purpose and direction in life. All of us must have our own burning bush experience that would define our purpose and direction in life.

Third of all, our being children of God brings us strong and reliable moral fiber and character. As such, we are no longer being shaped and molded, pushed and pulled by everything around us, drifting according to what everyone thinks or says. It is God's Word that shapes and molds us. It is the Word of God that we hear and obey every day. Unfortunately, many of us still allow people, circumstance, environment and situation shape our ethics and practice in life.

Take the issue of sex for instance. Many if not most of our people do not talk and teach about sex to their children. Many times in my ethics class in college, when I asked them where they got their ideas about sex,  most of them would point to media and peers, as their number one sources. Only a handful would point to their parents or a family member. I am afraid this is true in many social issues like abortion, war and peace, death and dying, and more. We let the "world" defines and shapes our moral life and practice rather than the Word of God.

As children of God, we use the Word of God as our manual. I would hasten, of course, to remind you that we are Methodist and when we say "Word of God" does not mean a literal interpretation or limited only to the Bible. "Word of God" as you know refers to Jesus Christ. For us United Methodists, this Word of God, is revealed through the Bible, Reason, Tradition and Experience. We use all these four in doing our theology and in practicing our faith in the world every day.

One more good news: These three relationships can be ours all at the same time. We do not need to lose one when we move up to the other two. We have the best of both worlds. We are servants of the servant Christ because it is to him that we give our ultimate allegiance and loyalty. We are friends of Jesus Christ because through him we have received the fullest and clearest revelation about life, love, salvation and eternity. Through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ we are redeemed by grace through faith. Through Christ we have become adopted children of God. And as such, we share in the inheritance of the wealth and blessings of heaven not only when we die but starting now. Let us praise God who made us God's children in Jesus Christ. Live like children of God. Make God happy and proud of you every day. Amen.

RUNAWAY DISCIPLE

June 20, 2010 - Sneak Peak Sunday Sermon

Rev. Juancho C. Campañano, PhD

I Kings 19:1-15

Question for discussion: Why do people runaway? (Give time to people to share their thoughts)

Here is one estimate of older kids and young people who runaway in the US every year. The estimate says that there are 1 - 1.3 million runaway American youth in a year. Among the reasons mentioned why these young people runaway include:

·        When they are abused or neglected,

·        For girls, when they get pregnant,

·        when they are failing at school,

·        thrown away intentionally by parents, and

·        when they think of suicide, etc.

It is not only youth who have the habit of running away. It has been said that there is a 300 percent increase of runaway dads in the past several years in America. More and more dads are being tracked down by the courts for their financial support to their children. Many fathers runaway from their responsibilities and troubles of life. Some fathers are physically present but absent in many ways. Sometimes they hide in their job, they spent more time in computer and internet, as well as in watching televisions than with their families. Many people believed that many of the problems of youth today are caused or related with the lack of fathers in their lives growing up.

This reality of running away by fathers and youth is a reflection of the larger American society's abandonement of its responsibilities especially to the children, elderly and other vulnerable segments of our society. In America, many children are dead before their 5 birthday, still others are born malnourished, and did not receive pre-natal care before birth and proper child care after birth. There is also an increasing number of abandonement and neglect and abuse among elderly across the country.

For the prophets Elijah, here are the reasons why she was running away from God:

·        Fear for his life after slaughtering hundreds of Baal's prophet at Mount Carmel (see 1 Kings 18). Queen Jezebel said to Elijah: "May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow, I do not make your life like that of one of them (Baal's prophet)" [verse 2).

·        Feeling of being alone and abandoned - Elijah thought that he was the only one left who is faithful and passionate for God. Elijah prayed  to God that he might die. He said: "I have had enough, Lord. Take my life, I am no better than my ancestors." Many Bible students believe that Elijah suffered a deep depression.

·        When his life appears to be boring - According to the text, Elijah was obviously expecting God to be in the attention-arresting and sensational events - like in the powerful wind, shocking earthquake and consuming fire. But God was not there. Elijah can no longer see the hands of God at work in and around him. He wanted to see again the expectacular power of God just like what he did at Mount Carmel with the prophets of Baal.

But even when we runaway from God, in truth, we can never runaway from God.

Question for discussion: Where and when do you experience the presence of God? (Let people talk or share their answers).

Based on our lesson today, God pursues us in -

·        The mountaintop experiences of our lives - God was with Elijah when he slaughtered Baal's prophets. In fact, he must have been so happy that in the name of Yahweh, he defeated hundreds of Baal's prophets. God is with us in times of success, accomplishments, pleasure and joy.

·        The Dark Valleys of our lives - God was with Elijah when he wanted to die. God was there providing food and presence. God is with us, too, in our darkest moments; in the lowest ebb of our lives. God is there when we are down, defeated, and crashed down. This is the message of the cross at Calvary. God was there with the crucified Christ.

·        The silence - God was in the silence, meaning in the very ordinary events and situations of our lives. In the King james version it reads the "still, small voice"; "in the gentle whisper" in NIV and "the sheer sound of silence" in NRSV. God is present in the most ordinary events and situations of life. We only need to listen more, to look harder, and to feel deeper for the all-pervading presence of the Almighty.

For isn't it also true that when we want to teach our children the best lessons life, we talk to them in calm, gentle, and stable voice? God is like that too. God wants us to pay attention to his presence and teachings by giving our full attention to him. We must focus whole being, if we were to experience the fullness of God's presence.

Indeed, we cannot runaway from God. The psalmist was perfectly true when he said: ""Is there any place I can go to avoid your Spirit? To be out of your sight? If I climb to the sky, you're there! If I go underground, you're there! If I flew on morning's wings to the far western horizon - you are already there waiting! You even see me in the dark; for night and day, darkness and light, they are all the same to you."  -Psalm 139:7-12

If we cannot runaway from God, What would our appropriate response be? (Give time for people to share their answers to this question)

In our text, we can deduce good lessons based on what Elijah did.

·        Eat, sleep, and get up. This was the instructions of the angel to the depressed Elijah. In other words, when we are down, we must eat, sleep, and take care of ourselves. God fed Elijah with a hot breakfast after a very deep and refreshing sleep. These advice to Elijah are effective way of combating and overcoming stress and depression. Of course, there are people who need more than rest, have a good dinner and exercise, but it must start with these resolves if we were to come out of depression and hopelessness. In fact, medication may not work well if we do not couple it with healthy eating, good sleep and physical activity. Help starts with ourselves. Benjamin Franklin was right when he said: "God help those who help themselves."

·        Return to our first love. Elijah was send by God to journey into the wilderness, particularly on Mount Horeb, the other name of Mount Sinai, the place where God gave to the Israelites the Torah (Law). It is always a refreshing and empowering experience every time we face tough challenges in life to go back to that place where we first experienced the presence and power of God. This place could be in the garden where blooming flowers are. It could be in a particular place of conversion and encounter with God like in a retreat, prayer meeting or revival service. Or it could just be in the quietness of spending time with God in prayer and scripture reading and meditation. Recently my wife has been telling me to go back to the seminary where we first met. I think, if we can return to that place where we met, we will draw so much strength and renewal.

·        Do our responsibilities faithfully. Be busy and make us of yourself. For if you make yourself busy, you will meet many people along the way. People who will support and encourage you. And people who have greater problems than you. These two types of people, we need them in the process of our recovery. God said to Elijah, go and  anoint Elisha as your successor, Jehu as King of Israel, Hazael as King of Syria.

We are in the midst of transition as a church. That's why today is sneak peek Sunday of what we would expect in the fall. We love our church. We know, with the help of God, we can do something to make Wesley that the church that God meant it to be - relevant and reliving the gospel in all aspects. There are some of us who may have asked, at least in out thoughts, the question of whether or not, what we are doing will turn things around. Out lesson today assures us that if we are faithful in doing our tasks as members of Wesley Church, with God's help, we will see new and great things to happen. For God is still working today - through you, me, - in the power of the Holy Spirit. May we all experience that awesome presence of God today and in the days to come. Amen.