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.

25th July 2021 Pentecost 9 (Ninth Sunday after Pentecost) Jesus’ Love and Care (Scripture Reading: Ephesians 3:14-21, John 6: 1 – 21) By Heeyoung Lim I’ve had the experience of feeling better and working efficiently by only changing my desk to a position I can see out the window during this lockdown. Just like small changes can make a positive change in our lives, there are times when our life and faith need renovation or construction. I sincerely hope that a change of life and faith that pleases God can follow during these arduous times. We do not need to have room in our heart where hidden sins are kept, and sinful desires are grown. I believe that we become obedient to God’s words when Jesus is dwelling in every corner of our life through our faith. Paul’s kneeling posture before God contrasts to common practice of standing to pray and represents humility and godly worship. (Ephesians 3:15) Our Father God hears and answers our prayers. Paul’s four prayer topics are inner spiritual strength, deep faith, abundant love (love of Christ), and God’s fullness. (16-21) Inner spiritual strength is not about positive thinking or mental renewing. God is the giver of spiritual growth and insight. It is important to ask God to increase our spiritual growth. The promise of salvation is not the end on our faith journey. It means that our faith needs to be grown and deepen. Faith that rests on only the promise of salvation can easily lead to spiritual stagnation. Paul prayed for deep faith. Mature believers are strengthened by the Holy Spirit and filled with the fullness of God. They also comprehend the abundance of God’s love and grace. We need to search the love of God until love becomes the roots of our existence. May we pray continuously that the Lord would strengthen us with power through His Spirit in our inner being, that Christ would dwell in our hearts through faith, that we would experience the love of Christ, and be filled to the fullness of God. God should receive eternal glory for what he has done for us. God is glorified through our sincere response; His family, the church, is the centrepiece of God’s work in the world today. Paul’s prayer is full of hope for spiritual blessings and faith growth, and his praise is grounded in gratitude for the power at work within us that can accomplish abundantly more than we can ask. (21) Beyond our small hopes and imaginations, God is at work, fulfilling His plans. The strengthening of our inner person by the Holy Spirit allows us to let Christ be at our heart. When Christ occupies our heart, we can live with confidence in His love and care. Whenever we remember His love and care, we are able to love others with the love of Christ. The sense of being loved gives us the ability to relate to and love others, so we can experience with others the love of God. This ability to know God’s love leads to the fullness of God in us. That is Paul’s prayer for us. (19) We can participate in His kingdom on earth because Christ’s life, power, love, and His presence inhabit us. God’s presence with us sustains us in all circumstances, but we often forget the abundance we have, and we frequently misuse that. Today’s text shows us the ways in which Jesus provides for us, and the ways that cooperate with His abundant blessings. John 6 tells us two miracles: the feeding of the 5000 and Jesus’ walking on the water. We remember that God fed Israel during their wilderness wanderings with ‘manna’ which was bread from heaven. (Exodus 16) It was provided by God because the people were complaining. John 6 opens with the feeding story which is told in all four gospels. Philip and Andrew did not know what to do when they need food for the 5000, but Andrew brought and introduced a boy with the bread and fish to Jesus. We can never tell what He is going to do with it, but we can respond through what we have. We are called to respond to Jesus’ work among us and extend His abundant gifts to others. What are our five loaves and two fishes? If Jesus involves in and touches something we have, everything is possible in Christ. The smallest would transfer to the biggest in Jesus’ hands, and our normal story would transform to God’s miracle. We will be witnesses of Jesus’ miracle and God’s abundance whenever Jesus touches our own loaves and fishes. Jesus not only fed the crowd, but also saved them just as God led and fed the people in the desert. He echoes the miracle of the Exodus when God parted the waters of the Red Sea. God provides more than we need – food, healing, blessing, grace, faith, and salvation. Jesus has not come to be people’s king who will give them what they want. He is the only way to the Father and the only source of spiritual food. I believe that God will move us safely to next destination in the middle of our faith journey. His disciples were more than halfway across when they saw Jesus walking on the water. Jesus knew their problems with faith and fear. The disciples in the boat were felt God’s powerful presence when Jesus walked on the water. Jesus told them not to be afraid while they were frightened. He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” (20) “Then they glad to take Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.” We do not know the next destination or the name of land we are going, but we will be joyful if we invite and follow Jesus all the time. Jesus comes to the disciples, across the waves, walking on the sea. He speaks to them and

18th July 2021 Pentecost 8 (Eighth Sunday after Pentecost) One in Christ (Scripture Reading: Ephesians 2:11-22, Mark 6: 30-34, 53-56) By Heeyoung Lim Ephesians 2:11-22 continues the theme of unity, with an emphasis on peace between two different groups. In verse 11, Paul contrasts the Gentiles’ hopeless condition before salvation with the Jews. The Ephesian church has experienced friction between Jewish and Gentile Christians. Hostility and hatred towards each other created a wall of separation between them, but Christ abolished the wall by making them one before Him. In Christ both Jew and Gentile have been united with God and each other. God wants us to be at peace with one another; He wants us to be reconciled to each other. To tell another of our saving experience is to tell of God’s grace in Christ that brought us eternal salvation. Any boasting words from our mouth should speak about Christ and the gospel, not about us. Life separated from Christ is death, no matter what it may seem to be now. If you want hope for eternality, accept Christ’s salvation, serving in love. You cannot be joined to Christ and separated in hate and mistrust from other people. (22) God did not leave the Gentiles in their hopeless condition but showed mercy and love. Christ abolished the distinction between Jew and Gentile. All people are now considered the same before God. His death on the cross made this wonderful thing possible. (13) What is the relationship between salvation by grace and being created for good works? Salvation comes only through God’s mercy in Christ and the believers do good works in response to God’s mercy. Christ is the one who gives us peace with God, for He himself is our peace. God wants peace to be both horizontal and vertical, between individuals and groups. He wants us to be at peace with one another; and He wants us to be reconciled to each other, to be at peace with Him. (14) Today’s story is about spiritual union between the two. We are brought near to God by the blood of Christ and made one with others. (13-18) I believe we are part of God’s holy temple. (19-22) What does it mean to dwell in God? God lives in you through the Holy Spirit and Christ joins all believers together in God’s peace and love. We can describe the difference between our life in Christ and before Christ. We are living in the place where God dwells as well as a threatened world. We all sometimes want to get away from it all, to retreat to a peaceful and quiet place, and shut out the busy world. What do you do? I love listening to music and reading a book. In between today’s verse we have the feeding of the 5000. The Lectionary handles the feeding miracle next week, so that we are given just the few verses which precede the feeding and summary of activities which follows both the feeding and Jesus walking on water. Mark 6:30-34 begins with the return of the twelve from their mission. In verse 7-13, they were sent out to heal and to teach and have returned. Verse 31 tells that “Many were coming and going, and they had no time to eat.” The disciples were again besieged by people, went through the countryside, telling everyone that Jesus was present. They became so busy that they do not even have enough time to eat. This overload of pressure has affected them deeply, both physically and spiritually. That is why Jesus took His disciples away to a deserted spot. Jesus knew what ministry felt like to heal people, to preach from town to town with crowds following Him. He knew what it was like to get caught up in God’s work rather than caring for daily needs. He had compassion for the disciples and encouraged them to come away from the crowds to get some rest. (30) They got into a boat and sought to reach a quiet place, however too many people saw them leave. (32) Jesus felt compassion for the people, viewing them as sheep without a shepherd. No animal is as dependent upon a shepherd as a sheep. Without the shepherd to lead, sheep wander aimlessly and get lost, even die of thirst. Without the shepherd, wolves can devour the sheep. Jesus viewed the people as helpless sheep. He led them and pointed them to the kingdom of God. Herod and other religious leaders however were lost. Jesus continued preaching, teaching, and healing the crowds because of His compassion and love. In the last part of today’s text, news of Jesus’ previous miracle brought those with sick out to Him. Jesus revealed himself as a true shepherd through teaching, feeding, leading, preaching, and healing. He provided divine hospitality. In verse 56, all who touched Him were healed, but his ministry did not end here. Jesus and His disciple’s ministry will be much longer and harder. As we know, Jesus saw the needy people as sheep without a shepherd. He did not treat them as an interruption. He offered God’s love and healed them. Jesus is our good shepherd; He will lead us in all aspects of life. May we be alert and open to opportunities to love and serve the Good shepherd. However, it is important for us to see here that Jesus encouraged His disciples to stop and care for themselves. Jesus also encourages us to care for ourselves. Why do we keep busy when we need to stop and rest? Why do we choose not to rest at times? By not resting, we may be in danger of burnout. Was it to call the people to repentance and live God’s ways of love, peace, and justice? There would be valuable motivations and various reasons for the Lord and others. Do we emotionally and repeatedly feel ups and downs in COVID-19 pandemic? During our current lockdown, we really need good

11th July 2021 Pentecost 7 (Seventh Sunday after Pentecost) Spiritual Blessings in Christ (Scripture Reading: Ephesians 1:3-13) By Heeyoung Lim “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 1:2) This is Paul’s greeting for the saints of Ephesians. Our daily greeting can be transformed into a godly greeting of grace and peace when we are in Christ. May we have peace and comfort in Christ even though we are surrounded by the negative reality of the world. We are confronted with so many things in the world that seem to be out of order. Many parts of it are broken and torn by human being. Reordering and fixing are necessary in God’s hands. God is at work, calls and uses us for His great ministry. We have been born into and grown up in a fallen world, so we have learned the ways of the world, but we are in Christ when we become a Christian. We are no longer who we once were, but we often do not see who we really are. Ephesians1 helps us see who we truly are as Christians. If we could see ourselves more clearly as who we are in Christ, we would be able to live more consistently like Him. May we live by the inclusive love and ways of Jesus Christ even in new forms of life. The prophetic words and actions that resists against injustice, on the other, works for communities of peace and justice, in the name of a gracious, righteous, and loving Christ, has led Christians to ministries and worship that witness reconciliation and restoration. Paul tells the Ephesian Christians about praise be to God. God the Father chose us and adopted us as his spiritual children. (5) God the Son redeemed us, forgave us of our sins, enlightened us to know His will, and has given us an eternal inheritance. (7) God the Spirit sealed us, made us secure in Christ, and led us for our redemption. (13) Christians need to be spiritually enlightened so they may understand the glorious plan of God for the whole world and the greatness of God’s power. God reorders and renews the universe through His encompassing plan of salvation. Everything is in His unconditional love and powerful control. Through the ministries of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Christians have been given every necessary spiritual blessing. God promised the riches of their inheritance in Christ. Spiritual blessings lie on the will of God to provide grace and peace to His people, but we sometimes do not remember His grace or miss out His blessings. We have received the blessing of being chosen by God and adopted by Him as his spiritual children. An adopted child who is brought into a family has the same rights as a child born into that family. God did this through Jesus. All our sins are forgiven in Jesus because we have believed in Jesus as our Saviour. However, this does not mean that true Christians never sin. It means our sin is paid for by the death of Christ. His death paid the price for our release from sin and death. This is our spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. This redemption and the forgiveness were accomplished by the death of Christ on the cross where He shed his blood and died to save us. Making forgiveness possible was a major accomplishment in God’s eyes, since it required the sacrifice of blood and the death of his Son, Jesus. (7) This decision for us came out of God’s grace which He lavished on us with all wisdom and insight. (8) We are predestined to become Christian believers, but responsible for our action because of free will at the same time. We can take both rather than choosing or following one between these two theological perspectives. Here we have some Bible verses about God’s salvation and human election. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). “First of all, I urge that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone. (1 Tim. 2:1) “This is good, and pleases God our Saviour, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth”. (1 Tim. 2: 3-4). “The Lord is not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9). This is God’s will towards people and the world revealed throughout some Bible verses and spiritual blessings in Christ. The blessings need to be shared in our lives. We do not know the result, but we can commit ourselves to the spread of the gospel message. May we participate in the God’s plan of redemption for those who still do not believe in Jesus and forgive someone who has mistreated us in the love of Christ. Making it possible would be difficult, but I am sure it is time to lavish on others with all our wisdom and love God has given us. God wants us to be holy and blameless in His sight as in verse 4. We are in Jesus who is holy and blameless. May we be holy and blameless in God’s sight. In the Holy Spirit, we are sealed until the day of salvation if we believe in Jesus until the very end. This will be for when we are still alive on earth, after we die, or at Christ’s return. This spiritual blessing is to bring praise to God for His grace in our lives (12). We can see ourselves as someone very precious because of all God has done for us. As we shared, the Bible tells us to praise God the Father who chose us and adopted us as His spiritual children according to God’s

4th July 2021 Pentecost 6 (Sixth Sunday after Pentecost) Jesus Shares His Ministry (Scripture Reading: Mark 6:11-13) By Heeyoung Lim Mark 6 tells the story of Jesus’ hometown rejection and God’s mission through disciples’ teamwork. We are all individuals as well as members of groups or communities. A team player is someone who actively contributes to their group to complete tasks, achieve goals or win the games. Teamwork and team spirit are essential for all groups, communities, sports games, and nations. In many sports games, a good match or a win occurred when a team played well together, not when an individual does well alone. Team players listen to their co-workers and help other team members to achieve their common goals. They understand that their team’s success is their own success, and they share responsibility even when their team experiences difficulties. Jesus spent most of his time in Nazareth before his public ministry. He went home to Nazareth with His disciples after many ministries, but he was rejected and mocked by his own people. It was not just family visiting, He was invited by a synagogue to teach. The listeners were offended, not at what Jesus said or what he did but at who he was. (3) The people in his hometown considered Him as just Mary’s son, elder son, and carpenter’s son rather than the one who God sent. The power of God which Jesus possessed required the receptivity of faith, but they were in the absence of faith. It caused the hardening of people’s hearts against God. Verse 5 says, “He could do no mighty work there.” Lack of faith hinders Jesus’ power. Mark tells us about faith as a critical element in the healing mission of Jesus, but Jesus’s power and freedom cannot be limited by human faith. Jesus himself chooses when and how to use his power. He healed people through compassion not on demand or popularity. (5) One of theologian, Hendriksen said, “The spread of the gospel has the priority over personal likes and dislikes.” God’s mission has nothing to do with human popularity or demands, it has been given by God’s grace and love. In Mark 6, Jesus sends out his disciples to travel the countryside and moves on the Gentile areas, to heal the sick, and to proclaim the need for repentance for the forgiveness of sins. In today’s text, Jesus tells His 12 disciples what not to take with them on their mission, rather than telling them what to take. The disciples were recognised for what they do not take with them on their journey. How about us? Many of us are probably interested in what we do take or possess rather than “lightness”. Jesus adds instructions on how they are to travel for their mission of testifying and healing. He tells them to travel light without bread, traveller’s bag, and money. The lightness of travel will show trust in the divine authority. (8-9) If they meet the risk of hospitality and rejection in any place, they are requested to shake the dust from under their feet and then move on in accordance with Jesus’ commands. The experience of rejection from Jesus’ hometown could be a signal of what was to be faced in their work and ministry. Jesus prepared his disciples for potential rejection and extended His ministry first by sharing it with the disciples. Jesus had already chosen the Twelve to be with Him, and to be sent out to proclaim the gospel, and to have authority to cast out demons. Now, he sends them out in pairs to be witnesses. Jesus sent them out in teams of two. The reason may be that in Israel, the law demanded two witnesses for any testimony. (Deut. 17:6) The sharing of a common mission by two people would help bind the disciples into a more cohesive group. The strength of two is more than doubled. They were Jesus’ beautiful teams. Jesus gave the disciples authority over evil spirits. They did not go under their own authority but the power and authority of Jesus. The missions Jesus has given to them are inbreaking of the kingdom, empowering with Jesus’ authority to cast out demons, and anointing and healing the sick. Anointing with oil signifies the presence of the Holy Spirit. (12) It was a symbol of God’s grace being poured on them. It also signified that the one who applied the oil was a mouthpiece of God’s grace and healing power. The disciples’ mission was successful. (12-13) They carried out the command of Jesus. They brought first a message of repentance, forgiveness of sins, and the need for the people to turn to God. The second message they brought was that of physical healing. It was possible with Jesus. Jesus calls us to follow Him. We go wherever He leads because He is leading us to a place where He is with us. And he has promised his presence even in the dark at times. The darkness, whether it be through difficulties or suffering, can be connected to the growth and the beauty of the life and faith within us. Jesus wants us to follow Him individually and collectively. Jesus is aware of our needs and comes to us in our distress and our provisions always come from Him. Jesus calls us to be a part of His ministry to the world; He watches over us and prays for us. We may face the storms of life, but the waves will not overtake us because Jesus is with us. May we do not depend on worldly view but be confident in God’s power as Christians, disciples, leaders, stewards, and most importantly team members. Good stewardship demands that we do not waste God’s resources. Our priority of mission is to tell people to repent and turn to God. May we also bind their wounds, feed their hunger, satisfy their thirst, and cast out demons. Do we have a “quiet place” to be with Jesus