29th August 2021 Pentecost 14 (Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost) Hearing and Doing God’s Word (Scripture Reading: James 1:17-27, Mark 7:1- 8) By Heeyoung Lim We are on a journey of faith and mission together walking with Jesus. In today’s world, especially COVID situation, we are often isolated and under lockdown. Jesus is leading us into new ways of being church through God’s Word. I hope we can show the gospel in practical ways, and I pray our church will be more caring, welcoming, loving, and spiritually alive congregation even in this difficult new environment. James encourages us to take a leap of faith in trusting God to lead us to endure trials and to overcome temptations. He began by addressing them as “my beloved brothers”, and then challenged them to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. This is hard work, especially for those who are quick to judge and impatient with others. A person with perseverance holds up under pressure and looks at God in all circumstances. James is keenly aware of the power of human speech both to build up and to destroy and concerned about anger which is an emotion that can be destructive. The commands refer both to our relationships to one another and to God. We cannot hear God if we remain distracted with resentment or hatred. Today’s text warns against pretending instead of listening, deceiving instead of obeying, and talking instead of serving. (James 1:17-27) The command to be quick to listen requires for an eagerness to hear and obey God’s Word. (19) God wants His people to triumph over their trials and to live in obedience to his commandments. May we obey God’s Word whenever we hear it and separate ourselves from sin. We try to obey God’s word, but there would be gap between what we say and what we do in our lives and differences between our faith and actions in our faith journey. Today’s passage invites us to encounter faithful action and persistence. May we continue our faith journey in God’s reign by thinking of the connections between hearing God’s word and doing it. Our relationship with God is the context for faithful living and the set for genuine responses. It is the reason for speaking and acting. The Letter of James expresses the belief that God is the giver of all and all good has its source in our God. “Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (17) Our loving relationship with God is based on God’s deep and unchanging love for us. The letter of James invites us to reflect on following God’s word and receive the implanted word which may refer to the good news about Jesus. (21) It tells us, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” (22) It challenges us to do more than listen to God’s word and invites us to believe that God loves us unconditionally and eternally. Our acts of love and generosity reflect our faith that every gift comes from God. The gospel can be described as a living seed rooted into the human heart at regeneration. Although the gospel powerfully influences in the human heart, it grows by obeying it and renewing their commitment to the Lord. The gospel has power because it actively provides a chance to transform individuals into committed disciples of Jesus. In Mark chapter 7, Mark points out that the gospel is a matter of the heart and highlights the emptiness of religious performance. The religious leaders discovered that Jesus’ disciples did not wash their hands before eating. They were upset because Jesus’ disciples were not following the “rules” for ceremonial washings that added to the law and handed down from generation to generation. (3) They were asking Jesus, “Why do your disciples not walk according to traditions of elders?” (5) Jesus gave them the answer by quoting from Isaiah 29:13. He called the religious leaders hypocrites and said, “This people honour me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” (6, 8) He continued to tell them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand.” Jesus responded by differentiating between the commandment of God and the tradition of the elders. The observance of religious rites does not produce “righteousness” in a person. Doing religious activities on the outside does not mean being Christian on the inside. Jesus teaches that our relationship to God is not based on religious formality but sincere faith in Him. Jesus made it clear there was a big difference between human traditions and God’s commands. True worship must come from the heart. They were concerned about surface piety and purity, while Jesus was concerned about internal purity. Jesus teaches that the purity of a person is not determined by external actions but an internal heart attitude. He invites us to live out gospel from our heart. The power of God not only sustains us but also strengthens us to overcome barriers in our life. In today’s text, we see Jesus, the sacrificial servant, setting people free through the gospel’s power. Every barrier can be overcome by the gospel’s power and Jesus transcends all barriers such as racial difference, or religious traditionalism. He has come to set us free. Religious acts do not produce personal holiness. Our faith is pleasing to God and seeks His grace. Religious legalism can lead us away from God. We can ask the Lord to make our worship of Him meaningful rather than mechanical. God wants to communicate with us, and He wants to hear our prayers. May we search ourselves to see if we have any prejudices about race, culture, gender, or people. We can ask God to help us look at people as Jesus sees them. May

22nd August 2021 Pentecost 13 (Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost) Put on The Whole Armor of God (Scripture Reading: 1 Kings 8:22-30, Ephesians 6:10 – 20) By Heeyoung Lim The earth is the LORD’s and while humanity has been entrusted with care of God’s creation. We are only stewards, not owners. The earth itself is a witness to the glory of God and the Lordship of Christ, but it suffers from many things that are normally linked with human sin and fault. In addition to the difficult situation of COVID-19, there are so many difficulties such as violence, wildfires and earthquakes occurring all over the world, and the world is being destroyed and torn by human induced climate change and selfish and greedy people’s mistakes. I hope we can make a better future by saving energy and water, tree planting, using environmentally friendly products, and living in harmony with creation. God commands us to look after and protect whole creation in accordance with God’s word. I hope we can have our own stories and actions for our environment and sustainability and participate in God’s work. Every effort must be undergirded with prayer. David was promised that someone from his house would a dwelling place for God. 1 Kings 8 tells of the fulfillment of that promise and emphasizes that the temple is a place of prayer. Solomon stands before the people in public prayer and opens the temple as a place of prayer for all people. At the centre of all prayer is a conviction about God. God’s presence is not limited to any physical place, but He graciously reveals Himself in special ways in His house. That is why biblical prayer begins with adoration of God. Our prayer needs to be based on what God has chosen to reveal about Himself and what He has spoken to us, not on what we like to think or imagine about Him. (1 Kings 8:22) God is never far away, and the presence of God equips our faithful lives. Today’s Ephesian text gives advice on how to live the new Christian life and Christian spiritual warfare. (Ephesians 6:10-20) Christians faced daily harassment, discrimination, and suppression by their neighbours and the authorities at that time because Christianity was illegal until A.D. 313. Christians must go through transformation while they grow spiritually. They must shed old selves and licentious lifestyle and put on their new selves of godly righteousness and holiness. (4:22–24) Christian 1 individuals, families, and communities become exemplary, living in love, forgiveness, and thankfulness. In this spiritual warfare with sin and evil, God in Christ through the Spirit supplies to Christian’s power and strength, and Christians are “to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power”. (6:10) Christian life in the predominantly pagan world became challenges to the “Ephesians.” One of the major challenges that early Christians experienced in their transformation was about power. We must prepare ourselves inwardly for the outer struggle. The outer struggle against the injustice and powers will test our inner resolve. God never ceases to offer new opportunities to grow and deepen our sense of commitment in faith community. Our inner heart and resolve might be tested or shaken while we are struggling against injustice and powers. However, suffering and struggling can be parts of the process of faith development where spiritual growth occurs and can be ways of deepening into a mature faith. Fighting and the victory in the spiritual warfare may be opportunities for spiritual growth where followers of Jesus stay alert to evil, pray and love, influence one another’s growth, and look after one another. God’s unconditional love and spiritual resources are found among us and in nature. His love and spiritual power enable us to stand firm and endure in tough times. These spiritual resources are “truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, and faith” that are found in the human-divine relationships and in the natural environment. (14-16) Spiritual resources are expressed in music, arts, and through our lives. Expressions of spiritual resources can be seen in the care of world and nature, in acts of love and justice among the people, and in the compassion and commitment of faith communities. It is very inter-relational and helps in spiritual growth. Today’s text invites us to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. God wants us to put on the whole armor of God, specifically, “stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (14-17) The weapons are mainly defensive, equipping us to withstand attack. The belt, the breastplate, the shoes, the shield, and the helmet are all to enable us to remain safe under attack. As we can see from the fact that 2 the sword is an offensive weapon, this passage does not just suggest passive resistance. Paul is challenging his readers to take the fight to the enemy. The Bible tells us to take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. The best weapon we can use against our enemies in spiritual warfare and life fields is the Word of God. There may be attacks of doubt, despair, and temptation in our lives, but faith in Jesus as Lord of the Resurrection will protect us and the Word of God will give us all victory. We do not wrestle against human, but against the forces and authorities, against rulers of darkness and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (12) We do not have to fight each other because humans are not our enemies, they are our neighbours we need to love.

15th August 2021 Pentecost 12 (Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost) Give Thanks to God in The Name of Jesus Christ (Scripture Reading: 1 Kings 3:3-14, Ephesians 5:15 – 20) By Heeyoung Lim After David’s death, the role of leadership passes to his son, Solomon. Intimate relationship with God is required to lead the people of God. He sought relationship with God by going to worship. This was not a private ceremony but a national act of worship with the massive number of sacrifices such as a thousand burnt offerings. Solomon, as a king, made the Lord a priority. In response to Solomon’s worship, the Lord appeared to him in a dream with an amazing offer: Ask for whatever you want me to give you. (1 Kings 3:4) It was a divine revelation and God’s offer was a remarkable generosity. Solomon’s response was a mixture of gratitude and humility because he focused on God and his own weakness. He felt incompetent because he does not know how to carry out his duties. He faced a responsibility that overwhelmed him and realized himself the king of the people God has chosen. He made a request that brought pleasure to the heart of God: Give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people. He wants to provide good leadership with a posture of servant leadership for God’s people. Solomon is very much aware of his own inadequacies as far as serving in the role of king. He asks for the ability to fulfill the role of governing God’s people well. He does not ask for wealth or power, he asks for wisdom that he might lead the people in accordance with God’s desires. His hope pleases God so that God gives him even the riches and honour he did not ask for. God provides beyond our expectations or even deserving. We are called to serve God and community with God’s wisdom. May we be equipped with God’s wisdom. A theologian, Dora says, “We need to seek wisdom and equip ourselves to build communities in which every person is valued; where the reality of justice and peace is experienced by all; where the vulnerable are protected, where power is used for the good of all.” It can be our wishes and prayer topics. Today’s text continues our lives are to be lived in constant imitation of God and explores what it means to have wisdom in our lives. It draws the distinction between wisdom and foolishness. How do we discern what is wise and what is foolish in the choices we face? It is not always easy to live a transformed life even when we want to because the world is filled with dangers and deceptions. We can get tripped up by people and temptation without even being aware of risks. Therefore, we must be fervently in our efforts to stop committing evil sins. We must be very careful to live our life rooted in God’s wisdom, for our own wisdom is biased and limited. God wants us to live in accordance with His words and to use our time wisely. The time we are given is not our own, it is God-given. We are often not good at time management. When I was a Uni-student, I tried a time audit for myself for 4 months. I was shocked by the differences between the plan and actual use whenever I reviewed how I spent my time. However, through that experience, I was able to see how much I was wasting my time in vain, reflect how much I trying to seek God, and change into a person who can use my time a little better. Having turned away from the old self to the new, Christians are called to being of the body of Christ. Verse 17 says, “not get drunk with wine … but be filled with the Spirit”. Unwise behaviour harms the body of Christ, and it wastes the precious time left before Christ comes again. Paul tells us about how to commune with God, how to live for Him, and how to serve and obey Him. He contrasts between how the god of Ephesus is served and how the God of heaven is served. (18) We can discern God’s will and serve Him faithfully by being filled with the Holy Spirit. In Acts, in the miraculous instances of the filling of the Spirit which resulted in speaking in tongues and other extraordinary activities. In Ephesians 5:18, when we are commanded to be filled with the Spirit, it has no extraordinary events occurring with it. “Be filled” in this verse means directed, influenced, and governed by the Holy Spirit. The second half of this passage emphasizes living wisely with giving thanks to God and speaking to others with music from the spirit. “Speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (19-20) It describes that there are three characteristics of the person filled with the Holy Spirit, which are the way of speaking, importance of music, and attitude of gratitude. Paul urges his listeners to be “singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts” (19) True worship begins in one’s heart and the centre of one’s being. God delights to respond to our prayers that come from the bottom of our hearts. The Scripture tells us that thanksgiving is a way of shifting toward the will of God or opening to God’s guidance. The attitude and practice of thanksgiving in worship and life keep our mind and direction to God. Praising God is our privilege and responsibility at the same time. God is the only one who deserves our praise, but today the Bible tells us to respond to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. This list indicates that singing is an important part of worship in our community of faith.

8th August 2021 Pentecost 11 (Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost) Walk in The Love of Christ (Scripture Reading: Psalm 130, Ephesians 4:25 – 5:2) By Heeyoung Lim Psalm 130 is a hymn that records the unknown psalmist’s confession of sin and God’s pardoning grace. This penitential psalm is for worshippers who are already justified by faith and have received forgiveness of their sins. Out of the depths of severe distress, the psalmist cried out to God and waits for the Lord. He confessed his sins, seeking forgiveness from God, and he encouraged others to do the same. When we have unconfessed sin in our lives, God waits for us to seek His grace and forgiveness. The writer cried to God, “If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand?” Nobody can stand if the Lord keeps a record. The psalmist’s source of discouragement came from sin within rather than from outside. (Psalms 130:1) When desperation filled his heart, he pleads with urgency. True repentance is accompanied by always has a sincerity, brokenness, and remorse. His cry for mercy is a confession of sin, seeking forgiveness from God. The psalmist continues, “I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in His word, I put my hope.” (Psalm 130: 5) He waits for full restoration and trusts in God’s word which promises blessings. He waited for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning. (6) Psalm 130 invites us to put our hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with Him is full redemption. (7) I believe that God’s people live and rest in his unconditional love and divine peace. We trust in God’s unbreakable covenant and hope based upon the immutable love of God. God is not absent in our despair. May we repent, be patient and remain confident in the love of God. May God’s steadfast love be upon you. May we never do anything to grieve God, for we love God. Therefore, let us turn from the things that grieve and towards things that bring God joy. Today’s second text leads us to focus on serving and pleasing Christ. Ephesians 4:25 begins by exhorting us to stop lying and instead make truth telling a habit of life. We should not deceive one another; rather by speaking the truth, we keep unity in the body as members of the one body. We may not always be able to keep from getting angry, but we strive not sin when we do. When we do get angry, we must be extra careful to not harm others and deal with it before the day is through. If we are not able to control and manage the anger, it may give the devil an opportunity to gain control over our attitudes and relationships. It can be a foothold that leads to greater anger and more sin. (26-27) Christians are not to steal, which is a timeless and universal value. We work and serve instead of stealing from the Lord and others. We live and work to worship, love, and serve Christ. The Bible describes God’s expectations for our lives. God’s work must be done God’s way through us. We are to live in such a way that our lives will be so distinctive, that neighbours and co-workers will want to know why. Verse 29 says, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.” (29) We are to speak only words that build up and encourage others. Words of a mature Christian seek to help those who listen. The unity of the body of Christ may be preserved and enhanced through our response and obedience. This is not to say we can never say anything negative. There are times when we must talk about unpleasant things, particularly in solving problems with others. All find it necessary at times, to tell the truth or offer advice even if it is unpleasant. Whether we are solving a problem or not, our intent is always to build up, not tear down, to unify, not divide. (30) Today’s text tells us that each of us must rid ourselves of six sins: bitterness, rage, and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. (31) Rather we should be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (32) We are to put on three virtues: kindness, compassion, and forgiveness, for Jesus showed us the love and forgiveness, modelled for us by Christ. God’s commands will bring challenges, but they remind us of the amazing possibilities for those who have been re-created in Christ, brought into the church, and called to live out the gospel. When we live together in the love and forgiveness of Christ, the church will be built up, people will become holy, and Christ’s body will be unified. God’s love and forgiveness transform us to live life to its fullness as the Body of Christ. The Bible calls the church to transform its culture into that of the kingdom of God. It is just more than just getting along and doing something; it is being the Body of Christ. The church is to be motivated and governed by God’s love and witness to the love of Christ. I believe that our church will be a place of living love where Christ’s love rules. Paul reminds us to follow God’s example and walk in the way of love as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us. (5:1-2) In today’s world there is an emphasis on achieving goals quickly. Many people like to do things quickly and can take short cuts, but our faith journey as followers of Jesus does work step by step. The theologian Martin Luther said, “This life, therefore, is not godliness but the process of becoming godly, not health but getting well, not being but becoming, not rest but exercise. We are not now what we shall be, but we are on the way. The process is not yet finished, but

1st August 2021 Pentecost 10 (Tenth Sunday after Pentecost) Unity in The Body of Christ (Scripture Reading: Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15, Ephesians 4:1-16) By Heeyoung Lim The whole Israel community grumbled against Moses and Aaron during their journey because of the lack of food. The Israelites exaggerated their current difficulties and even overstated and distorted how well they fared in Egypt. They forgot God’s grace of salvation and did not trust in God. However, God said to Moses, “I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites.” (9) Moses directed Aaron to gather the community to come before the Lord, who had heard their grumbling. While Aaron was addressing the community, the glory of the Lord appeared toward the desert in a cloud. The Lord’s response to this grumbling would be to give them meat in the evening and bread in the morning. The Lord told Moses that he would miraculously provide for the Israelites by raining down bread from heaven and that they were to gather it according to His order. God would also provide meat for them in the evening (13). Moses reminded them that the complaints were not to Moses and Aaron, but to God. In demonstrating His power to create out of nothing, the Lord revealed Himself as the Lord their God. God continually said to Moses, “At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning, you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.” The Lord commanded and Moses directed the people to gather as much as they needed per day for each member of the household. The Lord our God hears our prayers and even grumbling, there are God’s guidance and rule we need to follow even when He cares for each of us. Sometimes morning manna and evening quail seem to be hidden or ceased in our lives, but God wants us to see and concentrate on the grace and gifts instead of the desert we are experiencing. God asks us to live ‘todays’ to the fullest, trusting Him for our ‘tomorrows’. If we have not prayed and sought God’s wisdom for the trials we are facing, we may grumble and complain first instead of blessings and encouragements. There is no satisfaction and peace in disobedience, but there is security and appreciation in obedience. Unrealistic expectations and exceeding greedy almost always lead to complaining when something does not go our way. Little steps of faith bring larger steps of faith and our steps run towards the fullest of Christ. In today’s second reading, Paul describes himself as a prisoner for the Lord and urges Ephesians to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which they have been called. (Ephesians 4:1) Paul was physically in prison when he wrote Ephesians, but he had been living in freedom. He was OK because he had given up his freedom to follow Christ. We are not in prison, but we partly experience half freedom just like lockdown. There are many restrictions we should follow for our health and safety during lockdown. Just as athletes who participated in the Olympics sprint to win prizes, we need to do our best in our life and faith. Athletes who participate in Olympic Games may aim to win medals or to elevate the names of their countries as national representatives. May we be also one of national representatives of the kingdom of God. The goal of the race of faith can be the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. (13) Here are some Bible verses about life for the Lord. It is not only about the prize and competition, but also about Christian’s lifestyles and rules. “And in the case of an athlete, no one is crowned without competing according to the rules.” (2 Timothy 2:5) “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” (1 Corinthians 9:24) “And let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us.” (Hebrews 12:1) Paul said, “With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call” (2-4) We are called to do all, but it is not easy. For instance, it was not a piece of humility, but all humility. Patience is believing God’s timetable is good, no matter what it is. Somethings we want do not always come quickly. We can say that patience is one of characteristics of mature people. When we remember that the Lord is our God, it helps us be patient. Especially Paul calls for unity in the third verse and spends the next thirteen verses elaborating on it. The unity exists in Christ and is maintained by the Spirit. We can live in unity with one another since we are spiritually united in Christ with all other Christians. God wants us to live holy lives, put behind us the sins of the past, and live a Christian lifestyle that reflects the values of Christ. Each of us received a spiritual gift by the grace of God. That grace has not been apportioned the same. Each is different, it is not people’s choice. Rather Christ has chosen what and how to give grace to each member. It is not about discrimination or favouritism; it is about difference and choice that come from God’s way. Verse 7 and 11 tell us about the relationship between the call to unity and the spiritual gifts Christ has given us. Spiritual gifts are at the heart of Christ’s strategy for building his church. The gifts are given for the church and its ministries. This is for equipping the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.