4th April 2021 Easter Sunday Service Title: He Has Risen (Scripture Readings: Isaiah 25:6-9; Mark 16:1-8) By Heeyoung Lim Happy Easter! Jesus is risen. God is praised for his wonderful deeds in many Bible verses. In Isaiah 25, the focus is moved into the future. The prophet Isaiah praised God for His future deeds which could be compared to the great history of salvation. We do not know when and how God’s will be done, but we know God has plans for us and carries them out for God’s people in perfect faithfulness. In today’s text, Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all people, a banquet that is open to all people and nations. Verse 8 says “He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; He will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth.” The Lord has spoken. No longer will the nations hide themselves while mourning over the victims lost in the battle of the last days. The Lord will destroy the power of death and wipe away all tears. God will invite all who are left to feast joyfully. Death, the last enemy, will be conquered, it will no longer threaten the world; mourning will vanish; joy and thanksgiving will last. God is giving us reasons to be joyful. This promise was revealed in the resurrection of our Lord. God’s people can join in praise for his coming kingdom on earth, for his protection of the helpless, and for his victory over death. We can be glad and rejoice in his salvation as in verse 9. In Mark 16, three women who were at the foot of cross wanted to anoint Jesus’ body Saturday evening, but they were on their way to the tomb just after sunrise due to darkness. (Mark 16:2) They did not expect to see him alive; The purpose of anointing was an expression and act of love and devotion. The women had a question; “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” But the stone had been moved back when the women arrived at the tomb. Mark does not tell us who moved the stone. When they looked up, they saw that the large stone had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. He said, “Don’t be alarmed, you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here.” This is good news. They were invited by the angel to see that the tomb was empty. (6) The angel said, “go, tell his disciples and Peter.” (7) When male dominated law and culture discounted the witness of women, Jesus gave mission to the women who were coming to Jesus. The women were God’s instruments for spreading gospel, they were called to discipleship even though they failed to communicate due to their trembling and astonishment. Resurrection is the heart of Good news. We can say that Jesus has risen. The disciples needed reassurance and encouragement during these times, especially Peter. Peter needed to know he had been forgiven and restored. John’s Gospel described how Jesus concerned and cared for His disciples. (John 21). Jesus encouraged and empowered his disciples by appearing and commissioning. Resurrected Jesus empowers us by being, praying, and commissioning to continue spreading the good news. Jesus received Peter’s denial, but Jesus forgave him and cared for him. God’s gracious hand of forgiveness can bring us back. To do this, ‘coming to Jesus’, ‘removing stones,’ ‘forgiving others’, and ‘going and telling’ are necessary in our faith and life. We are responsible for telling the “good news” of Jesus Christ. The good news is not to hide, but to reveal and it is not to contain, but to convey. The tomb Jesus was in on Friday was empty on Sunday. We can see His final victory in the resurrection. The resurrection of Christ is the heart of the gospel. Resurrection is Good news and an actual historical event. Jesus fulfilled His gospel mission by rising from the dead. Disbelief and hardness of heart can be stones that block us from God, it keeps God from working through the believer’s life. God has the power to “roll away” the stones that block us from living life fully. The resurrection of Jesus teaches us that in the darkest circumstances there is always hope. The hope of resurrection came from the tomb. Jesus’ death and the place of death were not the end. We can assume that the behind the scenes from the tomb by angel’s appearance and good news. “He has risen, He is not here.” Jesus no longer stays in the tomb. Jesus was doing during those three days in the tomb even if people were not able to see God at work. (4) This does not mean He is not working, and the emptiness does not mean nothing. The emptiness of tomb means hope and a new start. God is not disappointed when we make a mistake, He is disappointed when we fail to believe Him. We may have doubt in our lives, but Jesus encourages us to rectify previous wrongs and begin again in the power of the resurrected Jesus, our crucified Jesus has risen. In verse 8, “Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” Jesus had already promised them what the angel describes to the women. Jesus is always a step ahead of our fearful journeys. Always waiting for us in Galilee. Always holding us together. He is guiding us back to Himself and reminding us of the calling: “Follow me.” Jesus’ resurrection renews our fellowship, binds it together instead of allowing it to break. The resurrection of Christ has the power to transform. I hope we will be transformed in the power of resurrection. Jesus has risen! Everything has been changed from sadness to gladness, from despair to hope,

2nd April 2021 Good Friday Service Title: The Last Seven Words of Christ By Heeyoung Lim 1. Luke 23:32-35 “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Forgiveness is Christ’s way in every situation of life. Jesus had proven his ability to forgive sins in his healing and salvation ministry (5:24). He had taught that forgiveness comes only to those who forgive others (6:37; 11:4) and that forgiveness has no limits (17:4). He had called for love of enemies (6:27-28). He watched those who mocked and crucified him, but he forgave and prayed for them. (34) 2. Luke 23:39-43 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” (42) Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (43) One of the criminals who hung there insulted at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” He will be with Jesus in paradise. Jesus has a place in paradise for believers, He is leading us to the Kingdom of God. 3. John 19:25-27 “Dear woman, here is your son” & “Here is your mother” (26-27) Looking down Jesus said, “Woman, here is your son.” It means, “I am no longer your son. But then he said to the beloved disciple, “Here is your mother.” What is Jesus saying? “Mother, I’m giving you a new son. Son, I’m giving you a new mother.” Jesus was forming a new family on the cross. Jesus said to His disciples before He complete His mission on earth. “A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another as I have loved you,” Jesus tells us on the cross at His moment of deepest grief, Jesus is calling us to live as if strangers are our brothers and sisters. From that hour the disciple took her to his own home. Church is where we are gathered with first time strangers in Jesus’ name, and called to look after brothers and sisters in Christ. Jesus was telling His disciples about new family on the cross and He wanted us to love and look after each other as whole new church family. Our families are a wonderful source of love and grace for us, but sometimes tragic stuff happens in our families. Mary suffered from the most painful moment watching her son of the cross. We may also see our suffering family members at the cross as Mary experienced before. However, we have a new family in Christ looking after each other. 4. Mark 15:33-34  Jesus cried with a loud voice, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (34) The darkness lasted for three hours from the time Jesus was crucified until the moment of his death. This darkness of the skies expressed the agony and grief of heaven over the death of the Son of God. The darkness at Calvary was an announcement that God’s beloved Son was giving his life for the sins of the world. Jesus made seven key statements when He hung on the cross. Mark recorded just one, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus cried out in agony as he bore the sins of the world and was separated from his Father for the first time. Jesus expressed the pain of abandonment by God. Yet, in all this pain Jesus just submitted to God’s will. Jesus is our Saviour who gave His life for us. Jesus fulfilled His mission through his death on the cross and separation from his Father. Jesus, the sacrificial servant, completed His mission by enduring injustice, abuse, crucifixion, and death. 5. John 19:28-29 “I am thirsty.” (28) All the steps that brought Jesus to the pain and death were in the design of His heavenly Father. The cry I am thirsty refers to Psalm 69:21. “Enemies poisoned my food, and when I was thirsty, they gave me vinegar.” If we were too much busy with difficult tasks at work and intense sports or conversations with someone, we may suddenly feel exhausted or become thirsty. Jesus went through this in a far much more intense way than the experience of any of us during those three hours of darkness on the cross. He had been forsaken by God; He had experienced the suffering even to the last breath. He felt the pain both spiritually and physically. They offered Jesus to drink, but He refused to do it at the first, He asked for a drink later. (Mt 27) He suffered from dehydration more than anyone, He tried to keep His clear mind and aware of what He was doing for people’s salvation on the cross. He knew he was about to die. He felt pain and thirst when He shed blood for six hours on the cross. 6. John 19:30  When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. Jesus gave one last cry. ‘It is all done.’ ‘It is complete.’ He has finished the work that the father had given him to do. He has loved to the very end; he has accomplished the final task. Jesus’ work is now complete. Jesus did not stop His ministry for us until it is all done, but we shamefully often hesitate or stop our love and mission. I hope we will do our mission given by God until the very end, and I pray that we can say “It is all done.” Before God. 7. Luke 23:46-49 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” (46) And having said this he breathed his last. 47 Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!”  Jesus expressed His faith and relationship to God through His last word. He breathed his last and died.

28th March 2021 Palm Sunday (Children Time) / The Sunday of Passion Title: It Is Time to Awake and Get up (Mark 14:1-11, 32-42) By Heeyoung Lim Who crucified Jesus Christ? Judas, the Jewish leaders, and Barabbas contributed to His death directly and indirectly, but the people cried out for His crucifixion. God could have prevented it from the cross, but it was not God’s way. God allowed Jesus to be crucified to die for all people, He also allowed Jesus Christ to be crucified by people who praised Jesus before. Why Jesus had to die by crucifixion? It was the most publicly humiliating way to die in those days. However, it was the only way because Jesus was the only one who could do it. In today’s text, the religious leaders wanted to get rid of Jesus, but they decided to wait until the feast was over because they did not want the blame for killing Jesus and they wanted the Romans to do their dirty work. Verse 11 indicated that the religious leaders gained some unexpected help from one of Jesus’ own disciples, Judas. This may have convinced them to move ahead with their plan during the celebration of the Passover. (Mark 14:1) Mark14 concentrates on the theme of Christ’s suffering, which is highlighted by Judas’s betrayal, Peter’s denial, and enemies’ injustice, but we see the incredible love that Jesus has for us. Jesus was about to enter the most painful time of his ministry. Why He would be betrayed into the hands of his enemies by one of his own disciples; be forsaken by His disciples; be wrestled by being separated from his own Father in bearing the sins of all mankind. Why He would be rejected and denied by people; and face the injustice of his enemies. Why? Because Jesus “so loved the world” that he was committed to giving up his life for us. We can see the power of committed love. While Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment of nard, and she broke open the jar and poured the ointment on His head. (3) The Gospels of Mark and Matthew do not report this woman’s name, but the Gospel of John tells us it was Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus (John 11:1-2). Mary is mentioned three times in the Gospels; each time she is at the feet of Jesus. (Luke 10:38-42; John 11:31-32; 12:1-8) Martha had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. (Luke 10:38) When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” (John 11: 32) Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. (John 12:3) Mary loved Jesus and surrendered to Him. In Mark 14 and John12, some were there who said to one another in anger, “Why was the ointment wasted in this way? They scolded her. And one of his disciples, Judas, who was later to betray Jesus, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.

In John14:6-9, Jesus said, the opportunity to help the poor would always exist, but He would not be with them much longer. He defended Mary’s actions by saying, “Leave her alone; why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me; She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial.” Jesus received Mary’s gift for which was a meaningful act of love and devotion. In this context, Mary’s expression toward Jesus was appropriate, the motivation for Mary’s act was love and devotion. It was a reminder of Jesus to his followers about his upcoming crucifixion and burial. (6) In today’s text, we can see the insensitivity of the disciples in comparison to the sensitivity and great love Mary had for Jesus. Mary showed that Jesus deserves our best. The more we love Jesus, the more we will show it by what we offer to him. Jesus said, truly I tell you, “wherever the good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.” What a blessing! Jesus experienced blessing during betrayal. Regarding the betrayal, the religious leaders sealed the deal by giving Judas what he loved most, money, with the amount of thirty silver coins. (Matthew 26:15) His betrayal also was the fulfillment of a prophecy about the Messiah in Zechariah 11:12-13. (“So, they paid me thirty pieces of silver.”) We are moving onto the story of Gethsemane; Jesus was one hundred percent God and one hundred percent man. Mark reveals for us the complete humanity of Christ as he faced the most severe testing of his faith. The Garden of Gethsemane was one of Jesus’ favourite spots (Luke 22:39; John 18:12). He often went there to pray, but he faced his fear of his upcoming suffering by praying for strength to do his father’s will. (32) Jesus took with him the three disciples Peter, James, and John to pray. They had accompanied him to Jairus’ house (5:37), and they had been with Jesus on the place of Transfiguration (9:2). They had been with Jesus during the best of times and the worst of times. Jesus said to the three disciples, “Keep awake” when He was experiencing the intense emotional, psychological, and spiritual suffering. He knew what was about to happen to Him on the cross. Not only would he suffer great physical agony but he would bear all of the sins of the world. He would become the sin bearer instead of sinners; he would be forsaken by his own

21st March 2021 Fifth Sunday in Lent) Title: The Hour Has Come (Jeremiah 31:31-34; John 12:20-33) God’s desire is in the sincere relationship with his people. This desire causes that God enters new covenant with them. The new covenant that God will make with His People. When his people fail to keep their part of the covenant, God restores and renews his covenant relationship with them. God will work a transformation of the heart of each believer. The Lord can heal, save, and restore even when it seems there is no remedy, no hope. When God chooses to forgive our sins, He no longer holds our sins against us even though we have done what God is not pleased. It is possible when God relates to us in His love. God showed us the ultimate method by which he will reveal himself in redemptive history through Jesus. God will work a transformation of the heart of each believer. In God’s new covenant everyone will be priests who can have relationship with God by a genuine experience of salvation and assurance of forgiveness. The new covenant that will be written on the hearts of the people. In this new covenant, obedience to God’s Words, and acting in accordance with God’s will, become part of our internal character. Especially Peace with God in this new covenant is essential for fellowship with Him. People of faith invest in the hidden future with long view even though it may seem foolish in the present circumstances. The birth, life, and death of Jesus are prophesied in the Old Testament and achieved in the New Testament. In today’s text, some Greeks asked Philip “we wish to see Jesus.” Philip and Andrew told Jesus. And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. (21-23) The hour has always been coming, but now it has come. (23) It is an hour to which his whole life has been leading, an hour in which he is to be glorified. Clearly the “hour” is the time of Jesus’ completion of His mission. It is the time of his absolute surrender to the God. Jesus was on a mission in the world because God loves the world (John 3:16). In John’s Gospel, it is not By Heeyoung Lim 1 enough just to come to Jesus or “want to see” Him. His followers are invited to come and be with Jesus regarding the “hour”. Jesus wants us to have our ears unblocked and our vision opened by Jesus’s crucifixion and resurrection. He said that the seed of grain must die before it can bear fruit (24). It means that the grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die that it may produce fruit. If the grain of wheat refuses to let go and die it will remain simply a grain of wheat and will produce nothing. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. (25) Even eternal life for the many comes through the sacrifice of the One. Only the seed willing to die can live and grow. Loving life is a sacrificial process in our family, church, and communities. It can be expressed as the process of love rather than the process of growth because the purposes of dying and producing fruits are love and life. In verse 26, Jesus said, “if anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honour him.” What a blessing! In the text, now my soul is troubled. And what should I say ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Along with the time of dying, there is also a time for judgment. (27) Jesus came to this hour for this purpose. Jesus said “Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” In this passage, we can also see Jesus’ emotion and willingness when he prayed that God would be glorified through his death. Then, God spoke from heaven with a promise to do what Jesus has asked. Jesus’ ultimate concern is the glorification of the Father. Glory originates with the Father and shines through the Son upon believers. We will also share the glory of God in our lives. In fact, glory is part of our everyday lives and suffering is also part of our journey. (28) The greatest manifestation of God’s glory happened at the cross, for there God’s greatest work occurred. Jesus told them clearly that judgment was coming, and deliverance from that judgment was faith in His work on the cross. The reference to Jesus being lifted centres not on exaltation but death. (30) The cross forms the 2 centre of the gospel. By the cross, life and love are offered to Jesus’ disciples. Jesus says the voice came not for his own sake but for theirs (v. 30); but the enemies of God never hear God’s voice (5:37). Our Lord raised the issue of the hour even when the world did not recognize Jesus because the time of death had arrived. How should we pray in our physical, emotional, and spiritual crisis? Jesus prayed in verse 28, “Father, glorify your name.” and the dying son of man said, “But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.” The lifting up is simultaneously all three events: crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. In verse 32. There were no boundaries of race, colour, and culture in the gospel. However, Christ is not affirming that the whole world would be saved, He is showing that all who are to be saved will be saved when they believe in Jesus. Jesus’ action is not a private action. His cross and resurrection, suffering and transformation, and life-giving

FIGHT FOR OUR PLANET – Homily by Geoff Serpell Introduction Mothering Sunday Today, my Friendship book of daily readings tells me, is Mothering Sunday. That is, in Britain. 140 countries celebrate Mother’s Day on various days. One lady said that “Women only make up half the population of the world today, but we gave birth to all of it!” From the little things like comforting us when we cry, to the major things like ensuring the continuation of humans, we would all be lost without mothers and their wonderful works. The other thing which our lives depend upon is the wonderful gift from God, that is what some call Planet A. Are we at war with our planet? Are we humans’ good stewards of our planet, or are we at war and destroying our livability, that is a safe habitat for ourselves, animals, and plants? What does our Uniting Church Synod say about this? In a report from March 2020, I quote: “The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has estimated that human activities have caused approximately 1 degree Centigrade of global warming above pre-industrial levels. Global warming is likely to reach 1.5 o C by 2052”. This will result in hot extremes in most inhabited regions, heavy rainfall resulting in considerable flooding and drought in some areas. There is the risk of extreme bushfires such as 2019-20. Such impacts may be irreversible with the loss of some ecosystems. We will see ice sheet instability in Antarctica and in Greenland. This will result in multi-meter rises in sea levels. Climate change will result in disproportionally higher risks for indigenous peoples, the agricultural industries and those living on islands and near the coast. In February 2021, The Uniting church Synod confirmed its concern and spelt out the harmful effects of natural gas, being a fossil fuel, and that Australia is the largest producer and exporter of natural gas. The latest analyses make the case again for governments, businesses and communities taking action to limit gas emissions to constrain the global average temperature increase to 1.5 o C. You may recollect the tragic scene along the Darling river in the west of NSW where around Menindie during their recent drought, about 1 million fish died and drinking water for the town had to be trucked 600 km from Adelaide. It was reported on March 4 in ‘The Age’, where an update of Australia’s official list of extinct and threatened species shows the nation has increased its share of the world’s extinct mammals from 34 to 38 per cent. Since colonization about 100 of Australia’s unique flora and fauna species have been wiped out. Needed is protection and conservation to include the ecosystems on which the threatened species depend. In ‘The Age’ on 6 March, it was reported that Vic Forests is to allow logging in 20 designated areas around Snobs Creek, which is about 20 minutes driving south from Eildon. Pollution in the creek is expected to threaten the viability of the trout hatchery. What are we doing about all this? At the Uniting Church at Brunswick, they in 2019, declared a Climate Emergency. That church recognized that we are in a state of climate crisis that requires urgent action for climate justice by all levels of government, business, the community, as well as by individuals. Brunswick [BUC]made a climate action commitment which included: Each member chooses a personal action, caring for God’s creation and ensure it remains healthy for future generations. Reflect on your household carbon footprint. This is made up of your energy use, travel, eating, and consumption habits, the efficiency of your household appliances, and where your financial investments are. The ABC TV program “Fight for Planet A” has a “carbon Counter” to help reduce your carbon footprint. There are many child-friendly and fun challenges here too. https://fightforplaneta.abc.net.au/carboncounter I have available for loan the book of the same name written by Craig Reucassel. Please form a queue at the end of the service. It is pointed out that our enemy is carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide increasing in our atmosphere. This acts as a blanket in the air and the gases combine to heat up our world. His book covers in detail, the problems, energy issues, transport including electric cars and buses, food issues, like how beef cattle have serious flatulence issues. Reucassel has guided many schools where children are shown how to sort refuse/garbage into various categories with a huge reduction in land fill items. Plastic is number one enemy for the environment where plastic straws, coffee cups which are not reusable and other plastics can find their way into the sea, ingested by fish and in turn eaten by humans. He is also into electric cars whereas governments are not supporting this or else taxing the electric cars extra tax. Buying “Green energy” is encouraged. Most power companies give you an option to pay a little more on your bill and they arrange to offset the effect of power used generated by fossil fuels by planting trees. Write your actions on a Climate Action Commitment sheet. On my family list would be the adding of solar panels and the planting of 200 seedlings a year on a conservation property out of town At the 36th Congregation of the Society of Jesus, Pope Francis made the call to care for creation and to reconcile our relationship with God and between one another. What was called an Ecological Examen [that is an examination of conscience] asked each of us to reflect on our personal relationship with creation, to acknowledge and amend our ways and to promote ecological justice in solidarity with those most impacted by environmental harm. This Examen is a tool for prayer, reflection, and action as individuals in our home, parish, school, university, or community to deepen our call to care for creation and the most vulnerable. We must care more for our common home, Planet A. Please ask yourself some of the following questions: –