Glen Rhodes United Church

2012-03-06T06:15:00.002-08:00

To Be or Not ToBe?

Mark 8: 31–35

Jong Bok Kim at Glen Rhodes UC, Mar. 04,2012

During this Lenten season, you offer us, God, theopportunity to test our choices and our focus. We struggle with the difficultand yet important choices and paradoxes that lie at the heart of life. May we recommit ourselves to take up thecross for the sake of the gospel along the path towards the joy of Easter. Amen.

I have permission to tell this story. A couple of months ago, I visited Dick, (nothis real name,) at home as his health had recently deteriorated. He was a member of my previous pastoralcharge, Beverley Hills United. When Ileft that congregation two years ago to come here, he was a man of greatstrength, boasting a big stature and being very active in many outdooractivities including sailing. I wasshocked to hear that he had become so ill so suddenly last fall. I think he is one of those who would neverhave imagined themselves lingering in a hospital bed before they die.

When I arrived at his home, I found Dick sitting onthe chesterfield; he greeted me with a smile. He certainly was not the same person he used to be. His face was swollen, his body thin, and hewas attached to an oxygen tank to relieve his laborious breathing. It was obvious that he was quite ill. He must have been thinking seriously aboutthe end of his life. That was why he had asked me to come and see him thatday.

Dick is well educated and intelligent. So, after some social conversation, I feltfree to ask him what he believed about death and life beyond death. As Iexpected, he welcomed my questions and openly talked about his own expecteddeath. He said he was not afraid ofdeath, not because he believed in the afterlife in a traditional way, butbecause he felt blessed with many wonderful things in his life. Belief in a heaven or hell did not offer himany comfort at all, but he felt comfortable with the thought that he wouldreturn to the earth in one form or another. Then, our conversation moved to hisplans and wishes about his funeral. Thiswas one of those moments when I feel deeplyprivileged as a minister.

According to the writer of the Gospel of Mark, in thepassage we read this morning we hear about Jesus’ death. Is he seriously ill? What is going on? Well, today, Jesus and his disciples are nearCaesarea Philippi. For the first time, Jesus teaches that he will suffer anddie. Jesus is not sick. He is still strong and there is much workahead of him to be done. But today, heis talking about his death. This is thelast thing his followers want to hear from him at this time on their journeytogether. They are shocked.

Peter particularly is upset; he cannot accept this;this is not what is expected of God’s messiah, and Peter takes Jesus aside and rebukes him. Peter takes Jesus aside, perhapsthinking that Jesus is not well but just tired or overwhelmed. However, Jesus’ response is extremely harsh, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are settingyour mind not on divine things but on human things (v.33).” The time has come for Jesus and his disciplesto make serious choices. Jesus rebukesPeter in return and challenges the entire crowd to consider what it means tofollow him and trust in God’s saving love.

What follows is Mark’s gathering of phrases about themeaning of true life handed down orally over the last four decades, such asthose about “forgetting oneself.” Mark has clearly recordedthese sayings with an eye toward the concrete sufferings endured by Christiansin his time. The sayings, which begin “If any want to become my followers,”refer to the ongoing reality of Christian life at the time: a disciple musttake up the cross (v. 34b); he or she must be willing to lose his or her life(v. 35); and he or she must not deny Jesus when challenged by others (v.38). “To Be or Not To Be?” is thequestion those first followers of Jesus had to answer in those days.

How do these sayings of Jesus sound to ushere and now? If we were asked to riskour own lives in order to join the church, how many of us would say yes? If we were asked to be willing to lose ourown lives by taking up the cross, how many of us would be happy to come tochurch these days? Well, I fear I wouldbe among those who flee as far away from church as I could.

Strangely enough, these harsh teachingsof Jesus did not chase his followers away from the growing faith community inthe first century. Rather, historicallythe church owed much of its growth to the countless martyrs who chose to lose theirlives for the sake of the Gospel. Christianitygrew and grew, converting even the Roman Emperors, and eventually dominatedmuch of the Western world for two millennia. This is the paradoxical truth of Christian history.

Until last year, Dick had never thoughtseriously about the end of his life. Instead, he believed that he would be the last one among his churchmembers to be buried. Now, he realizedthat he would probably become the first person to be buried since his churchclosed last year. I cannot imagine howdifficult it must have been for him to accept the reality of his dying.

When diagnosed with a deadly cancer, Steve Jobs, thefounder of Apple Computer, accepted the reality of his dying in atransformative way. In his famous Stanford Universitycommencement address, he shared his insight about death like this:

Rememberingthat I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to helpme make the big choices in life. Because almost everything – all externalexpectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these thingsjust fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important.Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trapof thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reasonnot to follow your heart.

Mr. Jobs was not talking about death, but actuallyabout life, how to live truthfully. Mr.Jobs could not have addressed the paradox of life any more eloquently.

I came here two years ago as your Intentional InterimMinister. As my term will end this June,we have a few more months to work together. We are very pleased with the progress of our interim work and lookingforward to the final recommendations of our Joint Search Committee with greatexcitement and anticipation now. We hopethat we will be able to make a decision to call a new minister before the endof this month and begin anew our journey with the new minister this July.

Our interim work is time-constrained. From thebeginning, we set up a time line for our ministry and worked togetherdiligently to keep up to our schedule. We had to be keenly aware of the limitedtime we had to complete our work. Our journey is intense. There is no time to waste. There is no timeto make excuses. There is no time to play games. There is no time to blameothers. There is no time to worry about failure. We must focus on what needs tobe done.

Two years have gone by so quickly. However, we have achieved a great deal sofar, working on the conflicts of the past, identifying who we are andenvisioning our future together, changing the structure for our leadership tomeet new realities so that we will be well prepared to begin our journeyanew. I wonder if our keen awareness of theend of our time together has helped us achieve this much. I wonder if we have lived out the reality ofthe paradox of life together.

As we enter more deeplyinto the experience of Lent, we are called to reflect upon what it means tolive faithfully. Often we are called to make difficult and costly choices. Lentcalls us to contemplate life’s agonies and paradoxes. It is a time to think about the choices wemake for our faith journey together. MayGod bless us on our Lenten journey towards Easter. Amen.

2012-02-28T08:22:00.001-08:00

RememberingAfricville in Nova Scotia

Mark 1: 9-15

Jong Bok Kim at Glen Rhodes UC, Feb. 26,2012

You teach us your paths, O God. You lead us in your truth. You are steadfastin your love for us, and merciful in welcoming and sustaining us. May we bestrengthened to walk with you on this Lenten journey. Amen.

Last week, I was privileged to attend our UCWmeeting. I felt privileged not because Iwas the only man in the gathering, but because I learned a lot about the lifeand work of our UCW. Initially, I wasdrawn to this meeting by the announcement that a guest speaker would addressBlack History Month. As I expected, thepresentation of the speaker, Ms. Allda Arthur, from “Women of Promise,” awomen’s organization, was educational and informative.

Before the presentation, our UCW reported on manytopics like their work with other sister organizations, regional and nationalUCW events and their financial contribution to the Presbytery. They also discussed the preparation for theWorld Day of Prayer, an ecumenical worship event organized by women’s groupsaround the world each year. This year,our congregation is honoured to host this event in our sanctuary this Fridayafternoon at 2 o’clock. Our UCW willshare the leadership with other women from neighbouring faith communities. Every one is welcome to this service.

Hearing about what our UCW had been doing recently, Iwas impressed at the wide range of their work and the depth of theircommitment, not to mention their ongoing contributions to our Food Bank andDrop-in programme. They are a smallgroup of women, but mighty.

Further, I was also impressed with theirorganizational skills. When theyfinished the meeting with a prayer, I looked at the clock on the wall. It had taken only forty minutes including thespecial presentation. And then, theywere happy to gather around a table for refreshments and moreconversation. They are not only mighty,but also wise. They are women ofwisdom. If anyone of you are interestedin learning how to organize a church meeting more efficiently, I encourage youto go to our UCW meetings and learn from them.

On the other hand, I was humbled by our UCW’s choiceof topic and way of organizing it. Theywanted to celebrate Black History Month together with the neighbouring blackcommunity. They invited Allda to speakabout it and extended the invitation to her friends. So, our UCW was joined by more black womenfrom the neighbourhood that day. The meeting was held in the Barbara Christie Room, but their celebrationwent well beyond that small room.

That meeting inspired me to mark Black History Monthtoday. February is the shortest month inthe year and yet we have many special services in February. We move from thechurch season of Epiphany to Lent with Transfiguration Sunday in between. Glen Rhodes Unitedobserves two Sundays particular to us, Sensuous Sunday and the Anniversary ofour becoming an Affirming Congregation. However, regardless of these traditional events, Alda opened to usserious reasons for celebrating Black History Month.

Allda was soft spoken, but her message was powerful:Black history is everyone’s history! It is not just about what happened to theblack people in slavery in the States. It is about the real stories of black communities in Canada, how theysuffered from discrimination for generations and yet, how many becamecourageous enough to stand up to and overcome the injustice and contribute tothe continuing transformation of the lives of all Canadians today.

During her presentation, Allda mentioned briefly thedemolition of the historic Africville in Halifax. She grew up in another part of Nova Scotia, so she was not part of Africville, but sheknew clearly what that community meant to black people in Nova Scotia. As the term Africville was entirely new to me, after the meeting, Ispent some time searching the web and was rewarded with the volume ofdocumentation about it.

According to the historical sources, Africville certainly did notstart off as a slum. At the turn of the last century, it was a community ofyoung, hard-working people with much potential.
Its history can be traced back to 1800 when descendants of American slavessettled on the northern edge of Halifax.It was initially known as Campbell Road but, because of its black population, it wasquickly dubbed Africville.

Throughout its history, the people wholived in Africville were confronted with racial isolation. The community wasnot, then or ever, serviced with proper roads, health services, water, streetlamps or electricity. Instead all it received from the city was an open dump,an incinerator, a prison, railway tracks and a slaughterhouse on its doorstep.The impoverished conditions of Africville became a source of deep shame for the City of Halifax so city officials decided to demolishit. They ordered all the residents to leave by 1967. The Africville residents were stunned to learnthey had to move; some of the families had lived there for 150 years.

A CBC video clip captured angryAfricville residents protesting the eviction order. In the video, a resident made it clear whowas responsible for the deplorable living conditions in Africville; the cityhad made it a slum and now labeled it a scar on the face of the city. A question by a CBC reporter, a white man, inthe same clip was insensitive too, “Why don’t you just move to a better placeto live?” The resident raised his voice,“Where? This is my place. This is my home. I grew up here and my children still playhere. Why should I move?”

The actual relocation took place mainlybetween 1964 and 1967. The residents were assisted in their move by the city,but the city literally moved the Africville residents by the city dump trucks.This image forever stuck in the minds and hearts of those residents and clearlyillustrated how badly these people were treated before, during and after themove.

Part of Africville is now occupied by ahighway interchange. Having faced numerous protests and much criticism, thecity of Halifax created Seaview Memorial Parkto preserve the site from further development and placed a sundial monumentwith the list of the founding families. In 2002, the federal government declared Africville a national historicsite. This official recognition came 35 years after Halifax officials razed the community in thename of "urban renewal," uprooting its 400 residents.

The story of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness for40 days is always the gospel story told on the first Sunday of Lent. Mark’saccount is very brief, only two verses long, and he ties the temptationdirectly to Jesus’ Baptism. Jesus hears the affirmation, “You are my own dearson,” and immediately is faced with the implications of such awareness. Itcompels him to head out into the wilderness to sort things out.

Lent is a time for self-examination— for checking ourfocus and sorting out our priorities. We reflect on God’s promises, God’scovenant with us, and recognize our failure to live up to our part of therelationship. It is time for confession, seeking God’s guidance. It is time forstruggle and renewal of our commitment. It is time for beginning overagain.

February isBlack History or African Heritage Month in Canada, a time to remember thestruggles and sufferings of black brothers and sisters across the country. It is also a time to honour the historicaland present contributions of peoples of African descent. This month could alsobe a time when we as a congregation make a commitment to become more culturallysensitive, racially inclusive and justice-conscious.

As part of our celebration of Black History Monthtoday, I would like to invite you to join me in the Litany for Black History Month found in ourbulletin on page 3.

2012-02-21T06:56:00.000-08:00

Celebrating 16 years as an Affirming Congregation...

THIS IS MY STORY - AND HOW IT DEVELOPED.

How did it all happen…from those memorable simple days in the country…surrounded by parents and relatives, wanting to go to school with the big kids when I was three, carrying books like theirs, and following them up the road till a neighbor phones mother to tell her I’ve been seen. She got her morning run just about every day and no amount of discipline seemed to change the situation. The only result was I got to start school a year early…still carrying the Eaton Catalogue.

Those days soon passed and I was going on the bus to Junior High with 1500 students, and I quickly got introduced to dances, constantly being asked if I’d found a girlfriend yet. Finally, I could say, “yes.” What a gleeful day that was but I wondered what all the fuss was about. It was no big deal and brought me no excitement.
I took a special interest in all those team sports and always looked forward to gym days, especially volleyball and basketball. I wasn’t tall enough for the main team so always got to play in the “B” league. I felt uneasy in the locker room because of the urge to stare, as it somehow felt wrong to me, and I started hearing the demeaning terms applied to guys that did that.

In Junior High School a special interest in acting developed as I got to perform in one-act play festivals and in three years at high school my talent was put to use in several play competitions. My singing voice was noticed by the music teacher in his glee club, and he chose me for comedy roles in his operettas. By my graduation year in high school I was the comedy star in his final operetta. In the final two years of high school I spent a lot of time searching libraries, hunting down theatre courses and schools offering drama courses. Finally, there was a MacLean’s article on Ryerson which talked about their special courses, and one even centred on broadcasting and theatre.

I applied and got accepted much to the surprise of my parents…because of things like I “didn’t have the brains” and “we didn’t have the money so I’d have to get a job too.” The deal was done and with a restriction of only two dollars a week after room and board I went successfully through the first year.

That was the beginning of coming to terms with my sexuality as I met several guys all too eager to inform me how like them I was…and here’s what happens. It sounded ‘way too scary and more of a change in lifestyle than I was ready to make. In a way it was a relief to have that information, and find out there were so many like me, though I knew I’d be sent out of the family if they were to discover the truth that I was gay.

From that point of learning and subsequent return to my homeland there were many pitfalls along the way. I had knowledge and found myself in the midst of secret societies of gay guys but not ready to open up and admit the truth because they might tell the rest of the community. I note here that, to be caught gay was a more dangerous situation in the 60s & 70s…not unlike the situation we saw in “Brokeback Mountain” and I went through a couple similar suspicious episodes with an uncle who was attacked when he picked up a hitch hiker and, only a few years later he was found dead in his home. Though suspicious the family had no desire for an autopsy. The doctor wrote “cardiac arrest” and left it at that. They work together, those country folk.

At this point I was getting established in my short lived performing career…here in Toronto and on tour in several productions. I was successfully paying my rent, performing in touring shows and in venues throughout the city. Every touring show put together some gay men who enjoyed their lives on the road…and in Toronto it was easier to increase your social life and expand career opportunities.

In the mid-eighties our friends and acquaintances started suffering those mysterious symptoms which worsened as the decade continued. Friends and acquaintances were dying at frightening speed, and word on the escalating devastation put us in terror. The education bombarded us and life became a celibate existence for most, while more and more cases broke out. It’s a relief now to hear about the controls in place against the HIV infection and tests of vaccines being run on humans, in search of a prevention serum.

In all that time I was without a church, but none of the ones I attended during the 80s after I arrived were inviting for some reason.

I was introduced to Glen Rhodes in the late 80s but went on a series of tours outside the city. When all that had ended I went back to the apartment search, and in that process, ran into the Glen Rhodes friend who knew there was an apartment in his building and introduced me to the manager. Next time I came back, I was shown the apartment and the next month it was mine.

Glen Rhodes had just voted to become an Affirming Congregation which made it even more interesting as a place to worship. It was only a year later my friend admitted to me he thought he might be HIV positive and was going to get checked. A few days later he called me to say he was positive, and he was going to permit himself to be used for every medical test and procedure to bring about any kind of cure available.

One of the first things I did while attending Glen Rhodes was to join the Diversity Committee and attend the monthly Affirm United meetings set up by national office for Affirm Congregations. These meetings were put in place as informative conversational gatherings to exchange current material on the GLBT groups who needed guidance.

The Affirm Committee had difficulty in maintaining a regular progress of topics and local attendance dropped off as we were learning the various topics of interest. National Office then decided to close that department and our leader got a church to operate, so the monthly meetings stopped, just as word of an international conference of GLBT positive religions around the world presented their program for WOW2000, to be held in the summer at the University of Northern Illinois in Dekalb.

Thanks to our leaders and ministers for being so adamantly interested in providing the highest level of education on these elusive topics. A large representation of United Church people met there…six of whom were from Glen Rhodes. It was an overwhelming experience which I shall never forget, with people far wiser and far more informed, than I could ever have imagined and many facing challenges I could never endure.

I discovered the Shower of Stoles…some 200 stoles collected from donors who were practicing clergy until they were discovered to be gay, lesbian, or trans people…and were stripped of their commission and excommunicated from the church. We had a small collection on display here when we celebrated or 10^th Anniversary.

WOW2000 brought us face-to-face with long forgotten and ignored discrimination truths we still carried with us. It was tough love we were forced to hear on the final day of our conference, which came to light in our first service and put before us almost every day after that, with the Canadians expressing surprise we should be accused. We’re not as bad as ‘they’ are…but lo and behold, we’re still carrying our prejudices buried deep in our heritage and we practice it without knowledge…and at WOW2003, in a whole day devoted to detailed study on the topic, the white population got well and truly educated to their inherited “position of privilege,” especially the men. We have no idea how deeply we’re buried in our given and accepted privileges which we receive and accept without question…but both givers and takers should perhaps be aware of what we give and what we take.

It was in Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, at WOW2006 three years later we came to terms with our age old discriminatory personalities. A whole day of face-to-face discussion, dramatized situations showing some unacceptable action and talking which we hear, and say, on regular basis. Our job was to discover why and how the situations presented should look in future. I came away with a whole new understanding how some of my comments should be adjusted.

My education isn’t over but I feel much better prepared to face the work we need to do…and feel the need to find a way to get going on that work.

As we always say…”a lot of work to be done.”

Sunday Reflection Feb 12/2012

2012-02-14T06:58:00.000-08:00

Introduction:

Today, we celebrate Sensuous Sunday. It has been our tradition to celebrate our physical, bodily senses just before Valentine’s Day in February. According to the lunar calendar, the “Lunar Spring,” what we call “Ip-choon,” in Korea, my native country, started a week ago yesterday, Feb. 4^th. So, Korean people have already begun to look for the signs of Spring. Here we were thrilled to see some signs of Spring last week. We basked in the sun, felt brisk air on our skin and breathed in deeply the crisp air a few days.

However, we are still in the middle of harsh winter. At this time of year usually everything looks dark, cold, and gloomy like this weekend. Our bodies are wrapped with thick coats, scarves, hats and winter boots. Our senses are blocked due to the cold weather. As a result, we hardly sense anything except for the coldness of the air and the thickness of our clothes. So, it makes sense to set aside a Sunday in the middle of winter to celebrate our various senses – hearing, seeing, touching, tasting and smelling – altogether, giving thanks to God.

Before sharing my reflection, I would like to invite Gerald to come forward and talk about why he is glad to be alive, what makes him tick, keeping in mind our five senses.

…………

Theological Reflection:

God Talk with Jazz

Matthew 6: 25–34

Jong Bok Kim at Glen Rhodes UC, Feb. 12, 2012

God of Melody, Harmony and Dissonance! May our song reflect the shape of our living. May our song glorify you and empower our brothers and sisters in faith. Amen.

Last weekend, I went to Emmanuel College to take a two-day Continuing Education course, titled “The Song of God in Our Midst: Music and Spirituality in the Key of Jazz.” I was drawn to this course for two reasons. First, it was offered by the systematic theology professor, Tom Reynolds. He came to Emmanuel five years ago after my graduation and people speak so highly of him, I was looking for an opportunity to study with him. Secondly, I was curious about the title. I am not musical and absolutely ignorant of Jazz. God talk with Jazz? What is that? My curiosity took me to the course.

I did not know Tom was a professional Jazz pianist. Friday night, he played the piano along with a double bassist and a drummer. During the two-hour performance, he took several short breaks to explain the basic concepts of Jazz, conversing with the other two performers. Their talks helped me understand the key features of Jazz. Among those, that of improvisation intrigued me most. The Jazz musicians that night had music notes, but used them as basic structures to manoeuvre, not something to follow precisely as in classical music. So, they had freedom to improvise on the original tunes anytime.

According to Tom, freedom, or liberation, is one of the characteristics of Jazz. However, it does not mean that Jazz players are free to play anything on a whim. They have to play together in harmony as a team. It means that they have to communicate well with each other during their performance. For instance, last Friday night, the three shared taking the lead and the other two accompanied them. While playing their own instruments, they used a variety of body movement like nodding or making eye contact or finger pointing, in order to know who was leading now and who was next.

George, the double bassist, described Jazz as a higher form of communication. To be a good communicator while playing, he said that he divided his mind into four parts; three equal 30% of his attention went to each player including himself and the rest of 10% went to what was next. It was fascinating to hear about this kind of communication. They engaged in such active and lively interaction with each other through their bodily senses. They seemed to be playing such sweet music effortlessly, yet they did it by being intensely attentive to their senses.

Having said that, Jazz players must have confidence in their senses; they have to read and follow their own deep feelings and emotional reactions in order to do the improvisation. They must not be afraid to make mistakes. They must be willing to be vulnerable. They must not worry about what will happen next. Further, as they play according to their partners’ improvisations, they must place confidence in their partners’ senses. Not knowing where their music will go, they have to work together as a team in good faith. In addition, their feelings and emotions will be affected by the reactions of the audience. It means the audience also plays a role in the Jazz musicians’ improvisation: together with the audience they create lively Jazz music through the deliberate interaction of their senses.

Today, according to the writer of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says, “Do not worry about your life.” Jesus is not forbidding followers from securing what is essential to wellbeing. Jesus is speaking about not allowing worry or anxiety to monopolize one’s energy and focus – “Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?” (v. 27). Jesus first calls the disciples to look at the birds that are flying over them by the Sea of Galilee, that don’t accumulate food into barns but trust that there is abundance. Therefore, says Jesus, what God does for birds, God will do for you. This is not about not working, birds certainly work for their food. The issue is about trust, rather than fear.

And in case the disciples don’t get it, Jesus moves on to the next example; people worried about what they should wear. Jesus points to the flowers that cover the hillside, remarking that they are more glorious than what King Solomon would have worn. The power-hungry Solomon did not trust God, but rather his own glory. Jesus then makes the final point. Life is not about striving for material goods, but rather working for God’s reign of justice and peace. It is about seeing the world as God intends it to be and then living that way. “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

As I said earlier, Jazz performance is highly visceral; too much thinking causes too much worry and anxiety. Jazz musicians try not to think as much as constantly feel, from deep inside, listening to the ever-flowing rhythms and melodies and creating beautiful harmony. Good Jazz musicians worry less about mistakes or what is next when they improvise, but trust what they sense from deep inside so as to be ready to respond to their partners’ improvisation with confidence. Perhaps they have learned how to live out what today’s passage from Matthew teaches us: “Seize the moment! Smell the roses!” Since last weekend, while driving, I have enjoyed the Jazz from Tom’s CD. Do you think I have become hooked on Jazz?

Traditionally in the Christian West, our bodily senses have been regarded as inferior to our spirituality or relegated to stumbling blocks to our spiritual pursuit. As a result, we have rarely enjoyed opportunities to give thanks to God for the wonder and mystery of our bodies. Let us take this opportunity today to appreciate and give thanks for our bodily senses as gifts of God. Let us continue to celebrate our senses sharing a variety of bread and wine at the common table provided by Jesus, the Christ. Amen.

2012-02-07T06:24:00.000-08:00

The MostStressful Jobs

Isaiah 40: 21–31; Mark 1: 29–39

Jong Bok Kim at Glen Rhodes UC, Feb. 05,2012

O God, our strength, lift us up on wingsas a mother eagle supports her young. When we are weary, restore us to yourpurpose and fill us with your hope. Amen.

Last week, there was a video clip fromCNN about the most stressful jobs. According to research, enlisted soldiers, firefighters, airline pilotsand police officers are among the top ten high anxiety-inducing jobs. They were evaluated by many factors such asdeadlines, working in the public eye, physical demands and risk to one’slife. So, the outcomes were notsurprising.

Stressful jobs? Most of us here will agree that ministry isone of them, the ministry of working with many clients at the Food Bankdownstairs every week. We have allexperienced stress in our working lives. How can we deal with it? Someexperts say that meditation is essential to alleviate all sorts of stress. Well, we believers may have the edge overothers when we deal with stress. What isthat edge? Today’s readings from bothIsaiah and Mark offer us an answer.

Combined with last week’s story of the man with an uncleanspirit in Capernaum,today’s passage from the gospel of Mark gives us a glimpse of what a day was likefor Jesus. The story we read last week tells how, on the Sabbath, he enteredthe synagogue, taught with authority, and healed a man with an unclean spirit.Today’s passage continues with a story from the same day.

Mark fills the first chapter of his Gospelwith a report of a frenzy of activity. He records Jesus’ baptism, the callingof the disciples, teaching in the synagogue and casting out unclean spirits.Even when seeking rest at the home of Simon and Andrew, Jesus is called upon toheal Simon’s mother-in-law. Immediately crowds begin to press in around thehouse, demanding more words and deedsof power from Jesus: “And the whole city is gathered around the door (v.33).”

After all of this demanding work untillate at night, Jesus barely finds time for rest in the early hours of the nextmorning. He goes out to a deserted placeto pray in the midst of his hectic days of work. Finally, he is left alone, but, alas, not forlong. His disciples “hunt for him (v. 36).” Then they grab him and say, “Everyoneis searching for you (v.37).” Right awaythey get Jesus back on the road to preach and cast out demons throughout Galilee.

Somehow, in that brief time for prayer inthe early morning, Jesus finds renewed strength and energy to continue thejourney of love and service. I wonder how he managed to renew his strength byprayer alone in such a brief period of time. We do not know what he prays to God about. We do not know what words he used. There is no direct quotation of his prayer intoday’s story. Let me try to guess whathis prayer might have been like.

The story continues. The townspeople crowd the door of the housewith all those who are ill or demon-possessed. Jesus cures many who are ill and casts out many demons (vv. 32-34). But the concluding words of this story catchmy attention: “He would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him(v. 34).” Here, Mark reminds us of thehealing of a man with an unclean spirit in the synagogue, the story we readlast week. Coming out of him, the demoncried out, “Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One ofGod.” The demon knew who Jesus was andwhat he was going to do (v. 24).

Why would Jesus object to such testimony?Some interpreters have suggested that the answer lies in the link between theinterpretation of the term “Son of God” and the term for exorcist or miracleworker. Although, according to the gospel message written with the hindsight oftwo generations of story-telling, Jesus has come to destroy Satan’s power, hehas not come to do so by exercising miraculous powers. Jesus must suffer anddie; his enemies will ridicule him with the fact that he is unable to savehimself from crucifixion (15:31-32). According to this interpretation, Jesus,the Son of Man, as he calls himself, comes to suffer and die, not to win theflattery of the crowds through working miracles. I am encouraged by thisinterpretation.

Leaving Peter’s house in the darknesswell before dawn, Jesus goes to a deserted place to pray (v. 35). What does hepray to God about? My guess goes likethis: it is through his prayer that he makes sure of the purpose of hisministry; he comes to do God’s will, not to seek his own advantage orpopularity through miraculous works; “not mine, but thy will be done.” (Matt26:42) Through his prayer, he findsrenewed strength and energy from God to get back to work.

When I visited her last week, Dora sat inher wheel chair in the door of her room. I was glad she was able to recognize me immediately, exclaiming, “O, youare my minister!” I said, “Yes, I am,Dora. It’s been a while. How are you doing?” Her response surprised me: “I am useless,sitting here everyday doing nothing. Ireally miss the church. I wish I couldgo back to work at church. It isterrible not doing anything here.” Then,the tears rolled down her cheeks. I didnot know what to say so I just held her hands and sat beside her for a time. Given her age – ninety eight this year – andphysical condition, I was utterly amazed by her never-ending passion for herministry. Where did she get suchenduring strength and energy? I wonderif it wasn’t that she had found it in serving others and God downstairs for somany years.

As many of us know, Dora was one of thosewho started the Food Bank and Drop-in programmes downstairs almost threedecades ago; she dedicated herself to those programmes until she was no longerphysically able. She committed herself, not to her own fame or popularity, butto God’s mission in our midst. Shebecame exhausted physically, but not spiritually. She still wishes to serveGod.

The bad news though is that the demandsof our programmes have never stopped increasing while our resources have beenshrinking. According to Donna, Chair ofthe Mission andOutreach Committee, last year we served over 3,000 breakfasts at our Drop-In,1,300 Community dinners and distributed over 7,000 hampers to our Food Bankclients. She told me that she had tolook after five Community Dinners by herself last year and foresees she mayhave to do the same this year because there are not as many volunteers orcoordinators as there used to be. Donnais working full time. It is worrying tothink what would happen if Donna is no longer available.

Nonetheless, the last Community Dinnerwent exceptionally well. Coordinated byEllie a couple of weeks ago, the baked ham dinner was well prepared andserved. The kitchen was packed withstaff from outside our church and later joined by the Boy Scouts, led as usualby Warner. Guided by Ellie, a group ofyoung volunteers from Kimbourne Park United gathered to clean the tables. It has been a while since we have seen suchsupport and cooperation at the Dinner. Ithink that experience gives us an example of how to do it in the future. I mean we need more support from outside,especially from neighbouring congregations and faith communities. Among the eleven East End United Church congregations, weare the only one which has run a Food Bank programme. Let us remember that this is God’smission. We should not be shy to go outto our friends and invite them to join us in this hands-on mission of God.

In today’s reading from Isaiah, theprophet calls us to remember our source of strength, -- the one God who hascreated the universe and rules everything within it.

Even youths willfaint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted;
but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:28-31, NRSV)

Through our prayer, may we be assured ofthe purpose of our ministry and “mount up with wings like eagles” to continueour journey of love and service in our community and beyond. Amen.

2012-02-01T08:48:00.000-08:00

Guest Speaker: Rev. Peter McNaughton JANUARY 29, 2012

EPIPHANY 4B Deuteronomy 18:15-20

Mark 1:21-28

Our readings for this morning are perhaps unduly appropriate for a Sunday when we commission and covenant with the Joint Search Committee that is undertaking its work on behalf of this congregation, and Presbytery.

And I say this because there are a couple of themes coming out of them that I wish to explore with you. One concerns the notion of false prophets; another the issue of speaking with authority; another recognizing the word of God, especially in today’s society, and finally, one that is perhaps more relevant to the congregation than a Search Committee—the desire of the Israelites to have a prophet appointed so that they don’t have to deal directly with God. Which, to my way of thinking at least, kind of raises the question of why congregations need Ministers in the first place. But it is a question that, with the looming shortage of Ministers in the United Church at least, many congregations will have to address. And some reflecting on that question provides an opportunity to re-imagine how we ‘do’ church; an honest – and painful attempt at answering that difficult question forces congregations to focus on what it is to be church and what it is to follow Christ. I was talking with someone in the social time following the December fund-raising concert, and that person mentioned to me ‘this is our last chance; we know we’ve got to get it right this time’—a reference to Glen Rhodes’ financial situation. So—no pressure on you as Search Committee members! But hopefully, that kind of reflection will only need to happen under less-stressful conditions. Because I firmly believe you have a purpose here—and that there are boundless opportunities to be ‘church’ in this area.

In some ways it is kind of a pity that the lectionary bounces around, from pillar to post as it were, at least with respect to the readings from Hebrew Scripture, because we don’t get a chance to do a lot of in-depth study. Last week we had a glimpse of Jonah, the reluctant prophet; today we’re back in time in history and next week you will be into Isaiah. But there is a bit of a link between last week’s theme—which was on call, and today when we begin to explore how we act on God’s calling as Ministers. There’s also a sub-theme, as it were, these last two weeks relating to the exile.

This notion of exile is an interesting one—my dictionary refers to it as being expelled, or long absence from one’s native land. Which is, probably, a technically accurate definition, but one that – to me at least -- doesn’t address the emotional state that comes from being in such a situation; the emotional state when you find yourself in a strange situation—when the world you knew is no longer there-- ungrounded; rootless—with nothing firm to grasp; to anchor you. And I sometimes wonder if the church today isn’t in a form of exile. Anyone who is familiar with United Church history knows that, in its early days, it helped shape social policy in Canada. Today, we seem to be more of a lonely voice crying out in the wilderness. And some are feeling confused by this; and wondering what our purpose is—not unlike the Israelites so long ago. This is not to say that there is no vibrancy; no life within us—because we are still making a difference—but we do it differently now. As we have moved into a more secular and multi-cultural society that big booming voice we once had now seems to be smaller—but it is still there.

If we were doing some more in depth study, we would read through more of the Deuteronomistic History (Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, 1 & 11 Samuel, 1 & 11 Kings) which endeavours to show the Israelites why they ended in exile—and which just might provide us with some insights as to why we’re in the situation we’re in today. In those days, the prophets played a major role in speaking God's word, calling the people back to the first commandment, which is to worship God alone. It was this failure by kings and people which, according to the writers, led to the demise of the Davidic kingship, loss of land and temple. However, in all fairness it is difficult to apply the test of future fulfillment – if the prophesy does not come true, then it is not authentic -- when one is hearing the prophet's warning in the midst of a crisis – sort of like that quip from my days in working in Government —when you’re up to your backside in alligators, it’s hard to remember that your initial objective was to drain the swamp.

Going back to Israel’s history, it is easy in hindsight to say the people should have listened to one prophet and not another. To apply this criteria today is equally difficult because those who feel called to proclaim God's word presumably believe that what they are saying is the authentic word of God – how do we know which prophet, or, for that matter, which politician to believe, and thus to follow? Much of American politics is dominated by issues of what passes for faith—the conservative evangelical movement is very influential. And we catch glimpses of that here in Ontario, and Canada as well, as anyone who has seen Charles McVety on the news can attest.

Daniel B. Clendenin, of the Journey with Jesus Foundation, in a now somewhat-outdated blog posting provides a delightful commentary on Pat Robertson, a one time Presidential contender, who, “after claiming that God caused Ariel Sharon's massive stroke as punishment for conceding land to the Palestinians, later claimed that Satan caused Dick Cheney's shortness of breath that briefly hospitalized the Vice President. Why? "Because he is dedicated to defeating the evildoers in Iraq, and that angered the evilest doer of all, Satan." On that same show Robertson extended condolences to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who needed fifteen stitches in his lip after "a motorcycle accident that I'm pretty sure was caused by Satan. ‘ Satan, Robertson advised, ‘is no match for a Republican’ ." Which, I am sure, is great comfort to Americans.

I happened, purely by accident, to catch a glimpse of the Republican Primary Debate in Florida on Thursday evening. I caught a portion of Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich answering a question about how their faith would impact their presidency. Stupidly, because I wanted to watch something else, I did not stay tuned, but I did catch the beginning of Newt’s answer, which was, in essence that one needed to turn to God for all things, because no decision a President makes can be made without Divine guidance. Hmmmm I thought as I reached for the remote—so God will speak directly to Newt and guide him on all his decisions—wonder how much listening he’s done so far.

Okay, so it’s easy to poke fun at those on the extreme. But all this raises the question, which is relevant to the Search Committee, of how we determine authenticity in someone who claims to be a prophet, or, in our case, a Minister. And again, I will turn to Clendenin for some guidance. And although his message is not meant primarily for Search Committees, his insights are, I think, relevant. He begins by saying: “Start with your sanctified common sense. Also, remember that speaking truth does not mean you never offend someone. (He continues) The Scriptures for this week then suggest two other principles that should guide us”.

“First, people who speak truly for God operate with a healthy sense of the audacity of what they are attempting. They are acutely aware of the presumption inherent in claiming to speak for God.” He continues: “Who in their right mind would hazard such a claim given the combination of human frailty and divine inscrutability?! Every sane preacher who has ever mounted a pulpit has experienced the dread and adrenaline shock of his preposterous task—in some stumbling and bumbling way to speak a word that is true to God. And I would extend that concept to much of our current political rhetoric. I can’t tell you how many times, when I’ve heard the Prime Minister authoritatively stating that ‘Canadians want such and such’ and thinking uuuhhhh, this Canadian –and I’m sure many others, doesn’t want that. I just want to take a moment to insert part of the epistle reading for today, from the 8^th Chapter of Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth. Paul writes: “³The question keeps coming up regarding meat that has been offered up to an idol: Should you attend meals where such meat is served, or not? We sometimes tend to think we know all we need to know to answer these kinds of questions—but sometimes our humble hearts can help us more than our proud minds. We never really know enough until we recognize that God alone knows it all. But knowing isn't everything. If it becomes everything, some people end up as know-it-alls who treat others as know-nothings. Real knowledge isn't that insensitive.”

Which leads in to his second point in which Clendenin begins by turning to Paul, who “insisted that concrete deeds of love accompany genuine claims of divine knowledge: "Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up" (1 Corinthians 8:1). In Mark's Gospel we read that people were amazed at Jesus' authority and his "new teaching." But in marked contrast to how the religious establishment operated, writes Mark, Jesus’ was an authority that authenticated itself by fostering human healing and wholeness (Mark 1:21–28). [The fourth century Christian theologian] John Cassian called this "integral wholeness," and we wish it not only for ourselves but for every human being.”

Clendenin continues; “Here too the ruthless realism of the monastics can save us from foolishness that masquerades as wisdom. Those grizzled monks experienced every sort of pompous pronouncement, spiritual fraud and pious pretense. They knew what it meant for a deluded believer to be "deceived by his innumerable revelations and [wrongly] believe that he was a messenger of righteousness." Their antennae were especially sensitive to what Cassian called "specious authority" and loveless judgmentalism.” Now, hopefully that latter isn’t likely something you are likely to encounter in your search, but his next sentence throws out some aspects for consideration in your new Minister: “Rather, they counselled an unqualified compassion toward human weakness, a consideration for frailty, and heartfelt empathy for those who struggle. Christians truly close to the heart of God "never frighten with bleak despair those who are in trouble or unsettle them with harsh words." They gladly, fully, and freely proclaimed that God alone was "the gracious arbiter of hidden strength and human infirmity." They looked "with a kind of overwhelming wonder at God’s ineffable gentleness." So should we.”

Now, heeding Clendenin’s advice, I’m not going to stand here and say that just because I am wearing a clerical collar and fancy robes, and thus have some sort of ‘authority’ conferred upon me by the church, you should blindly follow everything I’ve jut said. But it speaks to me, and frankly, I wish that what he says could be heard by more people – because I am concerned that we, as a society, are in danger of losing our way. So much of our political and social agenda seems to have been taken over by simplistic formulas, by fear-mongering and authoritarian appeals to our personal self-interest, not the interests of society as a whole.

And this is why the United Church is so important to our Canadian society. We are the church of social justice; of compassion for those in need. We are the church that clothes the naked, cares for the sick, and visits those in prison, that feeds the hungry and gives water to those who thirst, the church who welcomes the stranger. And it is precisely those actions that give us our authority—and give you yours as you continue your ministry.

2012-01-24T06:07:00.000-08:00

Looking Ahead,Not Down

Mark 1: 14-20

Jong Bok Kim at Glen Rhodes UC, Jan. 22,2012

As you called from their daily work the four who werefishing, so, God, you call us in the midst of everyday life. We would hear yourvoice and discern your call. May we respond to your call by looking ahead to thenew way of life. Amen

This winter has been unseasonably mild and warm, althoughwe had a few days of it this week. Ithas been reported that our city has used only a third of the usual amount ofstreet salt so far compared to the same period last year. This is good news for our environment as wellas our city. The city has reportedlysaved around 3 million dollars so far just because there has not been much snowon the streets.

However, I have to confess that these days I amgetting anxious to have a series of abundant snowfalls so I can gocross-country skiing before this winter is over. Some of you remember that I came to churchone Sunday morning last year, walking with a cane. That happened almost a year ago, after myleft knee was injured by a bad fall during a cross-country skiing trip. Thanks to vigorous workouts, I feel fullyrecovered now and cannot wait to go skiing again. But I have had no luck yet and my skiing gearis collecting dust in my garage.

I am still a beginner skier; there is much I have tolearn about cross-country skiing. Thismorning, I would like to share with you an insight I gained from the bad fall Ihad last year. One of the fundamental skiing skills I have to master is shiftingmy body weight between the two skis alternatively without losing my balancewhen I slide and glide. In order tokeep the proper balance, I have learned how critical it is to “look ahead”instead of “down.” It is easier saidthan done. I always tend to look down atmy feet or the skis, being afraid of falling. Then, I lose my balance and fall. Contrary to my instinct, the more afraid I am of falling, the more oftenI fall. So, I still struggle to raise myhead and focus on something ahead and not on my fear of falling.

When I read today’s Gospel reading from Mark, I wasreminded of this critical tip for cross-country skiing, “Look ahead, notdown.” As Jesus walks by the Sea of Galilee, he sees people going about their everydaywork, hauling in the daily catch of fish. In the midst of the ordinary, Jesus calls fourfishers, two sets of brothers, with the words “Follow me.” And immediately –a word that Mark uses often to express the urgent need to proclaim the gospelin troubled times such as those faced by the first readers – Simon and Andrew,James and John leave their boats and their nets and follow.

The story of Jesus calling the four fishers in Mark isso brief that it might be called “telescoped,” that is, an event which may havetranspired over a longer period is presented as swift and complete. As a result, many questions can beasked. Who were these fourindividuals? Did they know Jesus? Had James and John heard of Jesus from Andrewand Peter? What did Jesus see in themthat prompted him to choose them?

In particular, what did they think as they droppedeverything and left their work and their families? They went with Jesus,apparently, without question. Whatcompelled them to go? We will neverknow. That part of the story is no longer available to us. What we do know isthat they decided to give up their fishing to live the less secure, morenomadic life as a disciple of the Rabbi Jesus.

From this time on, everything would be different forthese four. They are required to leave behinda past way of life, trusting in the One who calls into an unknown future. Inother words, they are called not to “look down” to the past or current way oflife, but to “look ahead” to the new way of life. According to Mark, they follow Jesus immediately. However, I imagine it took a lot of courageto “look ahead” and follow Jesus, not fearing that unknown future.

Last Sunday, Kathryn kept us updated about the work ofour Joint Search Committee. We were gladto hear that their work had gone well so far and that our advertisement aboutsearching for a new minister was in the January edition of the United ChurchObserver. We are waiting for moreapplications to arrive until the end of the month. Speaking about the difference between secrecyand confidentiality, she assured us that the committee would work hard to makethe whole process transparent and fair and, at the same time, keep us informedabout the process. Also, she announcedthat next Sunday we would have a covenanting service with the Committee, thePresbytery and us as a congregation during the morning service. The Rev. Peter McNaughton, Secretary of the Presbytery, will come to preachand lead the covenanting. We are lookingforward to it.

One and a half years ago, when we began this journeyof Intentional Interim Ministry here, we were not sure about what was ahead andhow things would turn out. Not many ofus had a clear idea of what interim ministry was all about. Even though I had completed special trainingcourses, I had no experience of interim ministry either. It was my first appointment as an interim andonly my second pastoral charge since ordination. I was far from an eloquent, experienced andconfident interim minister. From thebeginning, some of us openly expressed some concern and worry about thisministry. Many of us, myself included,were afraid of “falling,” looking down to what had happened in the past.

Now, we are excited to look ahead to the calling of anew minister soon, hopefully within a couple of months. In retrospect, we have managed not to fall,but to balance ourselves so as to arrive at the point where we can see thefinish line of our interim work. According to the Manual, Interim Ministry is an intentional, time-limitedministry. Its primary intention is towork toward specific goals identified by the Presbytery and thecongregation. In other words, we set upgoals to work on within a couple of years, something to look forward to fromthe very beginning of our interim work. I think that setting up those specific goals has helped us to lookahead, not down, all the way along.

As a congregation, we have experienced a great deal ofdifficulty caused by the sudden disruption of ministry following the medicalleave of a minister. One of the importantgoals for our interim work was, therefore, to establish a stable, long-termpastoral relationship by calling a new minister. How would we achieve this goal? What would we need to do? Was there anything we could dodifferently? It was not an easy task. Some of us have struggled with many flashbackmemories of what happened in the past. Old wounds were reopened. But weknow that we needed to do that in order to move on and begin our ministryanew. The Transition Committee, theJoint Needs Assessment Committee and the Joint Search Committee have kept usaware of the purpose of our interim work and helped us look ahead toward thefuture, not down to the past.

Our interim work is not done yet. There is still much work to do. The good news is that the finish line is notthat far away and we can see it more clearly now. We hope to celebrate that when we call a newminister in March.

Today, Jesus tells the four fishers that their newwork will be to “fish for people.” Their work will be to tend to relationships,to care for others and to invite them to hear the good news that Jesus isproclaiming. Now, we too are called to“fish for people,” leaving behind a past way of life and looking ahead withcourage to an unknown future. May webring this call of Jesus into the interim work that lies ahead. Amen.

2012-01-17T06:35:00.000-08:00

“Come and See”

John 1: 43-51

Jong Bok Kim at Glen Rhodes UC, Jan. 15,2012

God, you call us out of the world to be your peopleand send us back to the world as your disciples. May our hearts and minds beopen to recognize your call to us to live in ways that reflect your vision andpurpose. You are calling us, O God. We are listening. Amen.

I was glad to receive a phone call from afriend in Koreaearly this month. She called me to wishme a happy new year. Since I had nottalked with her for a long time, I asked how she had been doing. She said that she had not been wellrecently. She had had a nose bleed foralmost a month. She had no idea what waswrong; her doctor could not explain it. She had to visit the clinic almost everyday to stop the bleeding. But the medical treatment seemed to work onlyfor a few hours. Of course, she foundthe experience quite stressful because she had to spend most of her day lyingdown, in spite of the needs of her busy job at the office.

Being so sick and tired of visiting theclinic, one day she decided to try something different. Instead of going back to the clinic, shestayed home and prayed all day long to God for healing. Her prayer wasanswered. Her bleeding stopped thatnight and has never reoccurred since. Needless to say, she was so happy to get back to work after theholidays. In the end, she said to me,“Isn’t that amazing?” I took a momentand said, “Well, of course, it is. I amglad to hear that you are okay now. But,you know what? I am more amazed by yourbelief that God healed you as soon as you prayed.” I hoped that my blunt response did not offendher. We are both Christians but afterlistening to her explanation of her faith, I found that our understanding of Godis quite different from each other.

In the Gospel reading today, among thefirst of Jesus’ disciples, we meet Philip and Nathanael. Jesus finds Philip and invites him todiscipleship, “Follow me.” (v. 43) Then Philip finds Nathanael and bearswitness to Jesus, just as Andrew did with Peter earlier in verse 40. Philip’switness is in two parts. First, he identifies Jesus as the fulfillment of allScripture. Second, he identifies Jesus by naming his father, “Jesus, son ofJoseph from Nazareth.”(v. 45)

However, Philip was surprised byNathanael’s response: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (v. 46a) Philip does not arguewith Nathanael. Instead, he extends the same invitation to Nathanael, “Come andsee.” (v. 46b) Philip invites Nathanael to see for himself that the fulfillmentof Scripture is indeed embodied inthis human being, this son of Joseph from Nazareth.

When he sees Nathanael coming to him,Jesus greets him as an “Israelite,” indicating Nathanael is a model offaithfulness. Jesus may be praising Nathanael because he accepts Philip’sinvitation even though he has questions. After his short conversation with Jesus, Nathanael is moved by his recognitionand confesses his faith, saying, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are theKing of Israel!” In response to Nathanael’sconfession, Jesus does not criticize the grounds of Nathanael’s faith, butsuggests that Nathanael is only at the beginning point of his faith. The“greater things” Nathanael will see will be occasions for deepening his faith.

According to John, Philip follows Jesusbecause he comes and sees the fulfillment of Scripture from the son of Josephof Nazareth. In contrast, Nathanaelfollows Jesus because he comes and sees Jesus’ insightful recognition ofhim. Each accepts his call to be adisciple after they “come and see” Jesus. Each one becomes a disciple basedupon his own experience of Jesus. Eachof them experiences something different in Jesus and bears witness in his ownway. Each disciple comes to Jesus with different expectations and needs and seeshis or her expectations and needs are met.

My friend who called me from Korea the otherday believes in Jesus Christ because she expects him to listen compassionatelyto her prayer and work a miracle. Whenthings turn out the way she wants, she experiences Jesus as answering prayerwith a miracle. When things do not turnout the way she hopes, she ignores the experience or blames God or her own lackof faith. My experience is different. I do not believe that Jesus is “divine or amiracle worker,” but I meet him first of all as a human being like you and me.He came to us as a little baby born of Mary on the first Christmas, not as asuperhuman riding the clouds from heaven; this sweet little baby lying in amanger grew up to be a radical subversive preacher; he was the friend ofsinners, not the religious elite of his day; his friends were ordinary folkslike fishermen, political dissidents like the Zealots, social outcasts like thetax collectors or prostitutes, foreigners like the Samaritans and the disadvantagedlike widows and children. Everyday I“come and see” Jesus working with people in desperate need of acceptance,forgiveness and help. These experiencesof him eventually led me into ministry.

One Sunday morning last month, as many ofyou know, we were pleasantly surprised to have a dozen unexpected guests joinus in the morning service. They weremembers from my former pastoral charge, Beverley Hills United. I was deeplyhonoured by their surprise visit. ThatSunday, I was reminded of my six-year-long journey with them as a newlyordained minister.

Like many urban United Churchcongregations, Beverley Hills United had a proud history: it had onceaccommodated over 500 worshippers on Sundays along with a big choir of ahundred and the Sunday School packed with over 150 children. As time went by,the demography of the neighbourhood changed drastically. A once predominantly English speaking Whitepopulation in the neighbourhood was replaced by new immigrants who had no ideaof the United Church of Canada.

When I arrived in 2004, I found the people atBeverley Hills United deeplydistressed following the failure of five-year long, exhausting, amalgamationtalks with a neighbouring congregation. What was next? They were anxiousabout their future. They had a hugebuilding and a multi-million dollar property; they did not have enough cash orpeople to maintain it; there was no more possibility of amalgamation. In the following year, they formed a jointtask group with the Presbytery to explore various options for theirfuture. Over the years, the wholecongregation engaged in a series of conversations with the task group throughmany meetings and workshops. One of theoptions they considered seriously was to sell the property to a developer andbuild a high rise residential complex with a moderately sized sanctuary forworship on the ground floor.

As their minister, I walked with them,first of all, listening to them with compassion, and then challenging them withrespect. It was not an easy journey;tension was real and emotions ran high. To make a long story short, I feltaffirmed when they decided to welcome a thriving ethnic congregation, Ghana Calvary Methodist United Church, to their buildingand voted overwhelmingly to transfer the whole property to them for just onedollar in 2009. I appreciated theirdecision because it was historical, exemplary and courageous. I was certain that they were able to“come and see” God’s challenges for them in that time and place and to transformtheir fear of loss into the courage to follow Jesus’ footsteps embracing God’scall in their midst. Beverley HillsUnited was officially closed in June last year.

Today, Philip and Nathanael invite us toengage in active interaction with Jesus, saying, “Come and see.” Philip and Nathanael have their differentneeds and expectations met when they encounter Jesus. Now, let us bring our own needs andexpectations to Jesus. Then, we will see“greater things,” even as Jesus promised. Let us celebrate and enjoy thevariety of God’s grace in Jesus Christ we all “come and see” today and in thedays ahead. Amen.

2012-01-10T07:08:00.000-08:00

We All Have TwoNames

Mark 1: 4-11

Jong Bok Kim at Glen RhodesUC, Jan. 08, 2012

Loving God, you seal your claim upon us with word,water and Spirit. You empower us to respond in faith, even as we live in themystery of being your beloved children. Amen.

When I was young, I had two names, Jong Bok and DooWhan. It was due to a mistake of myfather: while I was already known and called Doo Whan in my family and in thevillage, he had registered my name as Jong Bok. There is a long story behind my father’s mistake. At any rate, the problem arose when I went toschool. I was called Jong Bok at schoolbut after school, every one called me Doo Whan. Of course, I complained to my mother. As a believer in Shamanism, she took her headache to a shaman in the village. According to my mother, the shaman solved theproblem by blessing the name Jong Bok through a religious ritual. After that, my mother enthusiasticallyadvocated this blessed name on my behalf. It took a while until my new name was accepted in the village.

Today is the Baptism of Jesus Sunday. At baptism,Jesus is named as God’s beloved child. Today, we are invited to reflect on the naming of Jesus and its meaningfor us. As the passage in Mark opens,John the Baptist appears in the wilderness, preaching a gospel of repentance.Jesus comes to John to be baptized. As Jesus emerges from the water, the Spiritof God descends and a voice comes from heaven. Jesus’ baptism by John in theRiver Jordan marks the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry in the Gospel ofMark.

According to the Revised Common Lectionary, which wefollow, this year we are going to read the Gospel of Mark almost every Sunday.Let me introduce this Gospel briefly here. The Gospel of Mark was written in Greek for a struggling group ofChristians who lived in typical Greco-Roman households of the late firstcentury CE, possibly in Rome.

The author was a third generation Christian whomeditated on the story of Jesus and the call to discipleship in the difficulttimes around 70 CE when the temple in Jerusalemwas destroyed by the Romans. Even though we traditionally call the author“Mark” and think of him as a companion to Peter and Paul, the Gospel wasoriginally anonymous. It was named “according to Mark” in the late second orearly third century because the Gospel offered a faithful meditation on thestory of Jesus in the spirit of those who first followed Jesus.

Mark’s Gospel, written about 40 years after Jesus wasthought to have been crucified and the shortest of the Gospels, has sixteenchapters. Its opening verse is a summary of the whole Gospel: “The beginning ofthe Good News of Jesus the Christ the Son of God” (Mk 1:1). This describesMark’s Gospel: its focus is on Jesus as God’s Good News, revealed in the firsthalf, chapters 1—8, as the “Son of God” and in the second half, chapters 8—16,as “the Christ.” The halfway point ofthe Gospel is noted by the central question which Jesus asks his disciples:“Who do you say I am?” This samequestion has been asked of every disciple throughout the ages, includingourselves.

The story of Jesus’ baptism is also an attempt toanswer the question of who Jesus is. Each of the Four Gospels includes a story of Jesus’ baptism. Unlike theother Gospels, Mark tells us that only Jesus sees the heavens open and theSpirit descend like a dove. Only Jesus hears the voice from heaven: “You are mySon, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” No one else is recorded in Markto have seen or heard anything. Hisnaming was not shared with others. Perhapsthis is why, throughout Mark’s Gospel, the disciples are slow to understand whoJesus is.

We are no one if we have no name. Our name tells us who we are. Sometimes our name defines who we are. Naming is important in our lives. Having said that, I read an interestingletter from Gary MacDonald, one of our UnitedChurch overseas personnel working forAmity, the service arm of the China Christian Council, in a school in a ruralarea of

China

. This letter is available to read on thewebsite of the United Church of Canada. He shared a couple of stories he collected from assignments written byhis students about the meaning of their names.

Here is one.

On the night of my birth, the elders in my familystand waiting outside the door. As I take my first breath in this world themidwife announces the birth of a girl. Loud groans of disappointment accompany my first cry. As the first child in a peasant farmingfamily, all hopes were on the birth of a boy. As I lie at my mother's breast, everyone is discussing what should bedone with me. Most of the possibilities are not in my favour. The finaldecision rests with my grandfather, the elder of the family and a shaman. After much thought he suggests that perhaps Imight be kept even though I am a girl. If I were to be given a special name, that might change the family fate.In fact, I do remain in this family and I am given a name — a very specialname. As fate would have it, one year later a boy is born in that same bed withthose same people waiting outside the door. From that moment on, even though I am a girl, I have found favour in thefamily. My name is “Leading Forth Brother.”

Here is another story:

We were always very poor. None of us, my two sisters, my youngerbrother nor I had ever gone to school. One evening I suddenly heard my parents discussing the possibility ofsending one of us to school. After theharvest there was enough money to buy clothes, pencils and notebooks for onechild. Which one of us would it be? Myparents decided that my two sisters were now big enough to help in thefields. My brother was too small. Could it be true that I was the one who wouldgo to school? I could hardly believe myears. My parents and grandparents sat around the table to come up with a name forthe child who would be going to school. Without a proper name I could not be registered. I said my name, my beautiful name, over tomyself again and again. I had aname. At nine years of age I would nolonger be called Third Daughter. I had aname! A real name! At that time, having a name was more excitingto me than even the thought of going to school.

When I was young it was a luxury to have twonames. However, I was told that mygrandmothers on both sides did not have their own names. They were named only by their family namesfollowed by the names of their hometowns. They were among the Korean women who, generation after generation, hadnever had their own names. That hasbecome history in Koreanow. I was astounded with the stories inGary’s letter from China. That history is still reality in other partsof the world. I wonder how manychildren, especially girls or women around the world, do not yet have their ownnames.

For Christians today, baptism is also a time toreconsider who – and whose – we are. At baptism, Jesus is named as God’sbeloved child. Jesus’ ministry grows from this revelation. We, too, are namedas God’s beloved children at our baptisms. God delights in us, also, andempowers us to be part of a community that helps to make God’s reign and visiona reality.

God says to each of us, “You are my belovedchild.” Let us be assured that we haveanother name, “the beloved.” Through ourbaptism, we enter into a relationship with God as special and different fromall other relationships. Believingin the power of our baptism, let us join together in a litany of “Affirmationof Baptism,” as printed on page 3 of the order of the service.

2012-01-04T07:15:00.000-08:00

Homily - Glen Rhodes United Church January 1, 2012

The Rev. Malcolm Spencer

SIMEON AND ANNA

At the temple

We read today the presentation of Jesus in the temple and the events following his circumcision and information on the customs of what sacrifices were offered for a first born male. Luke was very concerned that Jesus had all the appropriate rituals for Jewish males at that time. The story would be rather colourless - a devout young couple doing what was expected of them and this would have been the entire story but two older persons change the picture and add the entire colour.

First we meet Simeon and he is introduced as a devout man who has struggled a long time with his yearning, shared by many that the Roman occupation was not healthy for the country and not respectful of the native Jewish population. Of course by the time Luke wrote this gospel rebellions had been breaking out and ruthlessly put down. Simeon was keen on the welfare of the city and we are further told he was moved by the Spirit to go to the temple that day. Often we wander into places we never planned to go but they seem to turn out to be the best places to be. Jean Vanier got out of the Navy and had to work out what he wanted, as a son of George Vanier famous Canadian General and our Governor General at one time, he was expected to go into industry or something like that. He was moved spiritually at the time and sought out Fr. Philippe in Paris as a spiritual director – a year later they put together L’Arche and the rest was history.

Helen Keller was led to a therapist and someone else to leave a life of seclusion as a blind and deaf person and venture out and become famous even political – few people knew that she watched by the FBI for many years for her support of workers movements.

Like Simeon they trusted that vision of new life to come. Simeon was older than many men who lived at the time and looked for a sign to assure his hope and spotting Jesus he takes the baby in his arms and sings this beautiful song. We call it by the first words in Latin: the Nunc dimittis.

Here rendered in the new living translation:

Sovereign Lord now let your servant die in peace
As you have promised
I have seen your salvation
Which you have prepared for all people
A light to reveal God to the nations
And the glory of your people Israel

He blessed the family and spoke to Mary about how difficult the road may be for promising a sword that will pierce her soul.

Here we wonder why this is said to a young woman but one of the values of older people in society is that they often can talk easily about issues in life than younger people because they know that there is survival.

He introduces the hope and struggle it would be for this boy of promise and he sums up the mission of Jesus – he feels now he can die in hope that the messiah has come.

After that we meet the widow Anna who has been praying in the temple and fasting and doing all the things to give her a devout soul but whom also yearned for a sign of hope for a new opportunity for the people - she also recognized who Jesus was and she also looked for the redemption and consolation of Jerusalem. She was 84 and full of energy, she wanted to tell everyone who could hear about the hope she had found and the good news of the coming of the Saviour. She was like many older women who take on religious duties and social concerns and seemed to have enthusiasm about the activity and are open to hope for the new. I was always amazed at the Raging Gammas phenomenon in Canada who took and still take on social issues even on street corners and rallies where they are the by far the oldest but not the least enthusiastic folk. Jesus and his parents were greeted by two seniors who yearned for a better world. They saw this would happen with Jesus. For us we learn from these seniors some lessons for our lives of faith. Perhaps we can take some of these on our New Year’s Resolutions for 2012.

First can we open ourselves to wander some to places where we might find hope and find encouragement whether by choice of chance and be more open to the Spirit in our lives and secondly can we show that enthusiasm for our faith and hope we know to help those who have little faith or little hope.

Look closely at these two lives Anna and Simeon and how they found Christ, how do recognize the signs of Jesus in our lives?

A blessing for the New Year and may it be a Happy new Year.

Prayer:

Thank you loving God for the gift of yourself at Christmas and may we look to know you better and love you more in the coming calendar year and realise how near you are to us and in eyes and heart of those around us. In Jesus Name we pray, Amen

2011-12-25T07:10:00.000-08:00

DECEMBER 25, 2011 CHRISTMAS DAY

Rev. Malcolm Spenser

The Humble Birth

My earliest memories of Christmas centered around the barn at home. We had to milk the cows on Christmas Eve and get to church late and had to sit at the front of the church. Then Christmas Day was spent with aunts, uncles, cousins and Grandpa and Grandma and we had food and singing around the piano, carols and of course presents. There was often snow to shovel as well. In a prairie winter you can expect anything.

Our Christmas celebrations then and now are not all like the first Christmas which took place in a lowly stable with animals and another group low on the social ladder of the time – shepherds, who often slept outside with the sheep, but it was to these persons that the angel spoke and they came to see the babe Jesus. So at the coming of Jesus to the world animals and shepherds and his young parents, no doubt frightened and worried yet relieved to have a son - a bit like being born in a taxi these days - no midwife and friends of Mom there. Jesus came to us in a lowly way as we all start life - as a vulnerable child among the vulnerable of his day.

When Octavian became Emperor of Rome he was titled Augustus and called son of God, saviour of the world and even had a month named after him in the new 12 month calendar right beside his kinsmen Julius, July and August our summer months named after them. While the names are still around the Roman Empire is gone. But Jesus was born for us, born humbly and without any fanfare of young parents no doubt pleased to have a safe birth but anxious for the future – Mary cradling this baby holding in her hand the fruit of her obedience forced to bear him in these rough conditions yet his a great moment of hope. We can bring to life Jesus in the humble setting of today. His birth was accompanied at the margins of society and today, like then the people in power had given up on justice and equity and these days on the environmental issues yet young voices shut out of the economy and the super-rich powerless and yet got the eye of the press and the public given birth to hope in our time and we see these same young people donating time for kids at Christmas with toy and food drives. Jesus grew up to feed the multitude to live out the word of walking humbly with God. That is the real meaning of Christmas - the poor can take hope, the ones with nothing will be filled.

The early church did not celebrate Christmas like we do. They looked to the season of Epiphany, the Greek for showing: this was a celebration Jesus the incarnate son of God came amongst us and lived with us as one of us, we still celebrate that season after Christmas in order to follow Jesus’ life from his Baptism until his decision to go to Jerusalem.

But when the Church figured out to evangelize was not the best way to destroy pagan temples and celebrations, rather it was better to turn them into churches and

Christian festivals, so Saturnalia the Roman feast of the shortest day when you looked for the light to return and partied for a week became a time to celebrate Christ’s birth. Sometimes it feels like we live in a 6 weeks contemporary Saturnalia with parties singing and shopping.

The real Christmas is in the heart of us who follow Mary in delivering good news to a world of woe. That is what makes Christmas great –we enter a celebration of the loving God coming to us in the form of a vulnerable child to invites us in to carry the story of this manger birth in our hearts all the time – remembering it when we are vulnerable and as we comfort the vulnerable in our times and place.

Prayer:

Help us find compassion and caring within both for ourselves and others this Christmas. We ask this in the name of the babe of Bethlehem, Jesus our Saviour. Amen

2011-12-20T06:59:00.000-08:00

Virgin Birth?

Luke 1: 26-38

Jong Bok Kim at Glen Rhodes United, Dec. 18, 2011

O God, in the birth of Jesus you come among us embodied in human flesh to bless and to love. Come now and be among us today. Empower us with new understanding of your coming in Jesus, the perfect love. Amen.

When I was young, my mother used to tell me about a dream she had when I was conceived. In her dream, she saw a big golden dragon ascending to the sky from the sea at dawn. The next morning, she knew she was going to have a boy. This is what we call, in Korean, a “Tae Mong,” a conception dream. People in Korea still believe that the conception of a baby is made known through an unusual dream usually by the mother, yet sometimes the father or other relative of the family. When they see mythical creatures like a dragon or a phoenix or an exotic flower in their dreams, they begin to talk about who is going to have a baby in their families. When they see something powerful like a dragon, they predict that it is going to be a boy; when they see something beautiful like flowers or birds, it is going to be a girl.

While reading today’s passage from Luke, known as the Annunciation, I was reminded of Korean conception dreams. “He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary." “Round yon virgin mother and child." We say and sing these words in church. Once a year we even blast the words of the carol over loudspeakers in shopping malls. Some passers-by may shake their heads in amusement or amazement over this “primitive mythology." Some Christians, especially theologians and preachers, sometimes fight bitterly over it. But what does it mean? Why all the fuss?

The doctrine of the virgin birth is certainly of great importance in the history of Christendom. Much ink has been spilled about the meaning of the virgin birth. But it should be pointed out that the story of Jesus' birth is recorded only in Matthew and Luke which were written almost half a century after Jesus died. It is not mentioned at all in Mark or John. Paul never mentions it in any of his letters, some of which were written much earlier than any of the four Gospels; nor do any of the other New Testament writings. Does this not indicate that many of the first Christians, including Paul himself, could be real Christians without talking about, perhaps without even knowing about the story of Jesus' miraculous birth?

My mother’s conception dream made me feel great. I felt I was special; I was not born by accident; I was born, surrounded by a mystery associated with an ancient myth; I felt like I was born into this world with a certain purpose or plan. As I grew up, I knew what this was all about. Its point was clear: I was assured I was a valued human being. In fact, it offered me great confidence in who I was and helped me a great deal go through my troubled adolescence.

We are not sure if Mary told her boy about the story of Angel Gabriel’s visit when he was conceived. If so, there is no doubt that, like me, as he grew up, the child Jesus must have appreciated it. I never asked my mother, “Did you really have that dream? Didn’t you just make it up for me?” Whether she actually dreamed it or not did not matter. What mattered most was that her dream meant a lot to me. Likewise, the child Jesus would never have asked, “Mom, did it really happen?” Obviously, that would be the wrong question. Like about many other miracle stories or parables in the bible, it is important for us to ask good questions today, like, “What is the point of the story? What are the writers of the Gospel trying to say through the story of the virgin birth? What does that mean to us today?”

I found an interesting comment on the virgin birth from one of the commentaries. Karl Barth, one of the great theologians of the last century, has noted that the exclusion of a human father in Jesus' miraculous birth tells us something about ourselves as well as about God. Human history has usually been the story of human males, the story of the power and accomplishments of statesmen, warriors, explorers, entrepreneurs, philosophers and so on. But now in the most important event of all history the mighty male is excluded! It is a woman who is the agent of God's work in the world.

The birth stories of Jesus tell us that he was born as a real flesh-and-blood human being just like us. Jesus was born as we all are. He was once a helpless baby who had to be fed, whose diapers had to be changed, who had to develop and mature slowly. His birth stories emphasize that he came into the world in the same way every other human being does. He did not just appear out of nowhere like a ghost, a "heavenly body," or an alien from outer space. It insists in Jesus' real humanity by putting his birth in line with other marks of real human existence: born, suffered, died and was buried.

Jesus was born into a real world. The Christmas story is anything but the sentimental, harmless, once-a-year occasion for a "Christmas spirit" that lasts only a few days before we return to the "facts" of the "real world." Christmas is the story of God’s coming into the real world where we live all year long—a world where there is political unrest and injustice, poverty, hatred, jealousy, and both the fear and the longing that things could be different.

Jesus was a Jew. He was a Jewish human being. He was one of that group of people who, from the first century to the present, have been laughed at and joked about, excluded and persecuted and slaughtered in the millions, sometimes by people who called themselves Christians. Although the New Testament shows no interest in what Jesus looked like, we may be sure that he was not the blond, blue-eyed, pink-complexioned figure of much Western religious art and Hollywood productions. Men of the Near East look neither like Anglo-Saxons with long hair nor like All-American boys.

Belief in the doctrine of the virgin birth does not make or prove Jesus to be the Saviour or the Messiah. Even if it could be proven that his mother was a virgin, that would only prove that his birth was a medical anomaly. We Christians do not believe in Jesus because he was born of a virgin. On the contrary, because we have already come to believe that he is the Christ, we listen to the stories of his miraculous birth. The movement is from faith in Jesus to the virgin birth, not vice versa. Faith comes by seeing, hearing and experiencing what he does. We come to recognize Jesus as Emmanuel, God-with-us, not first of all by speculating about the meaning of birth, but by listening to the story of his life after his birth.

Jesus lived always in perfect love for God and other people. His friends and associates were not the good church people of his day. They were his enemies, not because he rejected them but because they rejected him. His friends were political revolutionaries like the Zealots, dishonest business people who were also traitors to their nation like the tax collectors, tragic women like the woman caught in adultery, social outcasts like the Samaritans. He did not minister to well people who did not need a doctor but to sick people who did.

Today is the fourth Sunday in Advent and we lit the candle of love. In fact, we began to celebrate today’s theme, Love, a week earlier. Last Sunday afternoon, some of us joined me in visiting several members who had not been able to come to church because of illness or age. In their homes and institutions, we were happy to share our stories and memories of our church. Certainly, it was time to share the love we have learned from Jesus, the one who lived in love for other people. Before sharing bread and wine during the Communion, we read together Mary’s Song, the Magnificat, one of today’s passages and remembered God’s love in Jesus’ coming among us as a baby.

I would like to close my sermon with a prayer from the Communion service. Let us pray.

God of Advent, we thank you for being with us here.
We anticipate your coming among us.
May we join Mary in singing joyfully of your love and care.
May our spirits rejoice in your coming among us as an infant lying in a manger.
God of Love, we give you thanks and praise for your gift of love.
You bring creation to birth and send prophets to awaken us to your Advent among us.
We thank you for those who, like Mary, have the strength and courage to give birth to
your love in the world, for those who, like the shepherds, dare to seek out the child of
Bethlehem.
We praise you that your everlasting light is shown to us in womb and tomb, in cradle
and cross, in tenderness and compassion.
For Jesus Christ, in whom you gather the hopes and fears of all the years, we praise
you, joining with all your people of every time and place, and with angels and
archangels who proclaim the holy birth:
Praise be to God, the Source of Love; Praise be to Christ, Love Incarnate;
Praise be to the Spirit, Love’s power. Amen.

Sermon December 11, 2011

2011-12-13T06:57:00.000-08:00

An Azalea on “Gaudete Sunday”

Isaiah 61: 1–4, 8-11

Jong Bok Kim at Glen Rhodes United, Dec. 11, 2011

God of true joy, you gave of yourself so that life might prevail. We are grateful that your mind and heart lie deep within the Earth. We hear Earth’s cries, voice and song. Awaken us and move us all to work for climate justice in the way of your love. Amen.

I have several indoor plants at home. I have never bought any of them. Some of them were given to me as gifts; others were rescued from somewhere. I have enjoyed them all, looking after them and learning about their characteristics. I appreciate them particularly at this time of the year when my garden becomes desolate after most of the plants have gone into hibernation. Among them, I am especially drawn to one of them, an azalea sitting in the bay window in front of my desk in the living room; it began to bloom last week. It is going to come into full bloom this coming week.

This azalea brings me joy at home as azaleas are quite common in the countryside of my native country, where their pink flowers cover the hills and mountains in April each year. I remember how it was when I rescued this one from my neighbour’s driveway on a hot day a few years back. It appeared to be dead and thrown out in its tiny plastic pot into the garbage. I picked it up anyway because of my personal connection with it. Amazingly, it revived and thrived after it was repotted. More amazingly, this variety blooms twice a year and brings me great joy at this time of the year against the backdrop of my bleak, snow-covered front yard.

There is no better time for this azalea to bloom than this week as we celebrate the third Sunday of Advent today, known as “Gaudete Sunday” from the Latin word “rejoice.” The Advent candle being lit this Sunday is a rose colour—a lighter shade of purple, the very colour of the azalea flowers I have at home – to denote the “joy” of this day. This pale rose-coloured candle is lit to emphasize the joyous anticipation of God’s coming among us.

The joy described in today’s passage from Isaiah is not the same as pleasure, or personal satisfaction, or even the emotional high we call happiness. This kind of joy is deeper than happiness, which can be very superficial and linked to temporary pleasures. Joy has to do with God’s presence, coming from an assurance that the challenges and struggles of life are all held within God’s loving embrace. The capacity for such joy in the midst of difficulty is a gift from God.

When returning from Babylonian exile, the people of Israel encounter a harsh reality. They find that Jerusalem is no longer the home they remember. Various conquering armies have over time devastated Jerusalem. They “mourn in Zion.” However, the prophet announces that God is eager to reverse Israel's previous misfortune. There is to be a new day for those steadfast and faithful to God’s promise. For the oppressed people Isaiah's prophecy represents the highest hopes and dreams that the faith community could envision. God lifts up and encourages the spirits of the downcast and disheartened. The reversal of fortune is a divine promise, offering hope to the people overwhelmed with such devastation.

Recently, while working with other church leaders from around the world at the UN climate talks in Durban, South Africa, Mardi Tindal, our Moderator, posted two of her video clips on the United Church website. She invited us to recommit ourselves to this critical issue of climate change and pray together for these historic international talks, calling upon world leaders to act on behalf of all humanity.

According to a document from KAIROS, the Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives Coalition, it is time for us to undertake decisive measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or face ecological destruction on a scale unprecedented since humans first walked the Earth. The impacts of human-induced climate change are growing in intensity, causing some 300,000 people to die every year. Last year, floods in China and Pakistan and other climate-related calamities displaced 38 million people, twice as many as the year before. Air temperatures above land last year were the second warmest on record. The world’s mountain glaciers shrank for the twentieth consecutive year. Greenland’s glaciers deteriorated more last year than any other year on record.

The Federal Environment Minister Peter Kent is reported to have said in public that “However acute the international pressure, we will not agree to taking on a second commitment period target under the Kyoto Protocol.” Once again, he made it clear that Canada would be among countries to break its legal and moral obligations under Kyoto. Some claim that the Canadian government’s opposition to curbs on emissions is due to Canada having become a “petro-state,” overly dependent on petroleum exports. Oil companies plan to invest $2 trillion in building and operating the Alberta tar sands over the next 25 years, raising production capacity from the current 2 million barrels a day to 5 million by 2035.

What has been going on in Durban so far is very disappointing. There is no hope for a new binding agreement among 194 countries to replace the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which expires next year. Political differences, the worldwide financial crisis and a divergence of priorities among rich and poor countries are blamed. It is far from the good news we hope to rejoice about. We are worried about the future we are leaving for our children. What can we say to the next generations about the dire consequences of this human induced climate change?

However, today the prophet Isaiah invites us to look beyond what seems like a hopeless situation and see what is yet to come. In the midst of ruin the exiles find in Jerusalem, there is promise of justice and a new beginning. They rejoice, though what they celebrate has not yet fully come to be. Their rejoicing, therefore, is a daring act. They are willing to make a claim on the future that transforms their experience of the present. It is a high calling to celebrate in the face of trouble, persecution or loss. It takes courage to expect joy in the midst of circumstances that are less than hopeful.

According to the Gospel of Luke, Jesus uses this Isaiah text as he preaches his first sermon in his hometown of Nazareth. What more powerful word could there have been to the world into which Jesus was born? Faced with economic, political, and military turmoil—all courtesy of a Roman occupying force—the faithful Jews were desperate for a word of hope-filled promise. Most people can endure any sort of circumstance as long as the future looks different from the present. This is the picture Isaiah paints for the prophet's faith community. Later, Luke receives this magnificent promise and proclaims the hope it furnishes in the life of Jesus.

What is promising in terms of climate change is that, in spite of the repeated failures to keep binding agreements among the nations, the awareness of the urgent need to action among ordinary people around the world has been growing. As a faith community, we would join them in envisioning a new world where all creatures in God’s creation exist in harmony, rejoicing in each other. As part of such envisioning, our congregation has already joined the Green Awakening Network, a collaboration of over 50 United Churches, other faith communities and local environmental groups in the Toronto region. As members of this network, we are encouraged to change our lifestyle responding to the challenge of climate change, reduce the carbon footprint of our building and become catalysts for action within the wider community.

Rejoicing is always about freedom and new life, even when they have yet to appear. We rejoice in God’s reign and participate in it through our acts of faithful living. Like an azalea blooming in the bleak midwinter, on “Gaudete Sunday,” let us choose to live with joy, rejoicing in the hope God promises.

I would like to close my sermon with a prayer Mardi Tindal asked us to pray together. Let us pray.

Living and loving Christ, You gave of yourself so that life might prevail.
We are grateful that your mind and heart lie deep within the Earth.
And that you know the whole Earth to be holy, all creatures to be kin.

We hear Earth’s cries, voice and song. As we listen and see, awaken us.

Come among us, as you came among your frightened disciples.

Bless us, so that our unexamined thoughts and assumptions are challenged

and move us all to work for climate justice in the way of your love.

Bless governmental leaders everywhere,
and put courage in their hearts to do the right things.

Inspire us all with a sense of our responsibilities,
leading us ever more boldly into what and who we are,
who you and Earth truly are.

All my relations. Amen.

Sermon December 4, 2011

2011-12-06T08:16:00.000-08:00

“Comfort, O Comfort My People!”

Isaiah 64: 1-9; Mark 13: 24-37

Jong Bok Kim at Glen Rhodes United, Dec. 04, 2011

We open our hearts to you, O God. As we continue on our Advent journey, may we hear your words of peace and become messengers of peace to others. Amen.

Last Sunday afternoon, we enjoyed the musical celebration, “Gift of Love.” Singing Christmas carols and popular Christmas songs and listening to professional soloists, we experienced the power of music in our lives once again. Thanks to Gerald’s superb leadership, all the music and songs have lighted up our life together for this blessed season of Advent.

Singing is not my gift; do not ask me to sing. However, I enjoy singing along with you. I like singing along to various kinds of music. Particularly, I love to listen to classical music. Like many of you, one of my favourite classical music compositions for this season is Handel’s Messiah. I always feel uplifted when I listen to the Hallelujah chorus. Sometimes, while driving, I try to sing along with it, “Hallelujah, Hallelujah....”

It is no accident that Handel chose the text from Isaiah 40 as the introductory recitative and aria for his magnificent oratorio, Messiah. It opens with the tenor, “Comfort, O Comfort my people….,” which we read from Isaiah a short while ago. These are words of comfort and hope for a depressed and desolate people in exile, who had longed for a Messiah to come and save them.

Isaiah is thought to have been written by at least two authors. Chapters 1–39, the words of one prophet, warn Judah that its covenant with God is in jeopardy, primarily by worshipping gods of other people. Chapters 40–66, written by at least one poet-prophet, are often described as “The Book of Comfort.”

Clearly, comfort comes to those who are prepared and who have waited. Let us listen to him again: “A voice cries out: In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.” (vv. 3-4) It sounds like we have to build a highway for God to come to us. At the outset of his Gospel, Mark introduces John the Baptist with the words from Isaiah: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” (v.3) Both the evangelist Mark and the prophet Isaiah ask us to prepare the way of the Lord by making straight a highway for our God.

The second part of Isaiah is believed to have been addressed to the people of Israel who were in exile in Babylon. The Israelites who were in captivity far away from their homeland had desperately longed for years and years to go back home. They had dreamed of returning home day and night. They had yearned for so long to be saved from their miserable life of slavery. So, for them, the highway meant the way home, being rescued from their terrible captivity. The highway meant the way of returning home with great joy, being redeemed from oppression.

“Comfort, O comfort my people!” While many of us today might equate comfort with stability or lack of change, it is important to remember that our ancestors in the faith were living in a foreign land to which they had been taken by force. Although they were able to build homes, plant fields, marry, and have children, they were not free to leave. For them, “comfort” meant being released – set free. Leaving Babylon to return to a destroyed Jerusalem was not a simple act. The return would be through the wilderness, high mountains and deep valleys, between Babylon and Jerusalem. In the image of mountains lowered and valleys lifted a major change occurs. Therefore, comfort meant change, major social change, perhaps turning the whole world upside down.

Is it a once-upon-a-time story? Last week, the media drew our attention to the conditions of First Nations communities across the country, thanks to the public appeal by the chief from Attawapiskat near James Bay, a remote northern Ontario reserve, accompanied by a shocking video tape of their housing crisis. We had a picture of twenty-first century exiles living in one of the wealthiest countries in the world. This housing crisis is shocking and horrifying. Many of the overcrowded homes, consisting largely of shacks and tents, are without running water, adequate heating and proper hygienic conditions. Human waste is dumped into ditches. It is heartbreaking that children in the reserve suffer more than anyone else. It is also appalling that their land hosts the richest diamond mine in North America. In one case as many as 27 people are living in a home while up to 90 live in a construction trailer left behind by the diamond mining company De Beers Canada Inc. Both the federal and the provincial government are reluctant to take the responsibility for the situation. Later, Mr. Harper tried to blame the First Nations community themselves, the victim of the situation. “Comfort, O comfort my people!” What does comfort mean to them? I wonder if they will have to wait until “Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low” (v.4) before they will be comforted.

In the video, one mother said that a prison cell was larger than her home which she shared with her grandparents and young children. No wonder that aboriginal people are over represented in prison. In some Federal Penitentiaries, more than half the population is aboriginal. Now, the Federal Conservative government is trying to pass the controversial omnibus crime bill before the holidays. The bill is troubling as it proposes new and mandatory minimum sentences. For example, judges won't be able to consider individual circumstances like the horrible living conditions of the First Nations communities when imposing sentences. “Comfort, O comfort my people!” What does comfort mean to the aboriginal offenders behind bars? I wonder if they will have to wait until “Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low (v.4)” before they will be comforted.

When thousands of Egyptian protesters took over Tahrir Square, no one was concerned that they were violating local bylaws. Last week, ‘Occupy Toronto’ was ordered to obey the bylaws and get out of St. James Park. Some critics say that if the Occupiers want to take it further, they should join a political party. In theory, democracy is one of humankind’s noblest creations — a system in which people govern themselves. In practice, the results have been, well, disappointing.

Just look at what is going on in our city hall right now? We seem to have a mayor who knows only numbers and has no idea of what the life of ordinary people in this city will be like if so many essential services are cut next year. Is the election of such a mayor a celebration of democracy? Democracy is disappointing us in this city.

As the Occupiers note, the concentration of wealth in the hands of the top 1 per cent undermines meaningful democracy, blocking the will of the bottom 99 per cent. The Occupiers have drawn attention to nothing less than the fundamental dysfunction of our economic system, which massively favours a privileged elite at the expense of the rest and which led to the disastrous 2008 financial collapse, from which millions still suffer around the world including in

Canada

“Comfort, O comfort my people!” What does comfort mean to us? Today’s passage from Isaiah makes it clear that comfort means more than wishing for things to be all right. To comfort is to nurture and encourage, strengthen and empower for movement, change and action. The prophet Isaiah calls the exiles and us to build a superhighway, lifting up every valley and making low every mountain, so that God may ride in triumph and bring comfort to us.

The theme for the second Sunday in Advent is peace. It is only through our movement for change and action that we will be able to build a highway to usher peace into the present tension and turmoil of our world. The biblical concept of peace, Shalom, is relational; it involves a sense of unity and harmony with oneself, with others, with Creation and with God. As we continue our Advent journey, may we build a highway for our God today and in the days ahead. Amen.

Sermon Nov. 27/2011 - Signs of Hope Jong Bok Kim

2011-11-29T06:23:00.000-08:00

Signs of Hope

Isaiah 64: 1-9; Mark 13: 24-37

Jong Bok Kim at Glen Rhodes United, Nov. 27, 2011

God of Hope, you lead us from fear and despair into your land of promise. In this Advent season, we turn to you for hope in the midst of our challenges. As we remember the birth of the child Jesus and prepare in hope for the coming of Christ among us, we commit our lives anew to working with you for peace on earth. Amen.

Last Sunday, thousands turned out to welcome Santa Claus in downtown Toronto. It was “Occupy Toronto” of a festive sort, as thousands of Santa fans of all ages took over the downtown streets. This, Canada’s largest Santa Claus Parade, always signals the beginning of the secular holiday season in our city.

Well, as Christians, we start this season differently. For us, this is the season of Advent, a time of preparation for Christ’s coming—both in remembrance of the birth of the child Jesus and in expectation of the coming of Christ among us. For us, it is hard to imagine the Christmas season without the celebration of Advent. On each of the four Sundays of Advent, we focus on a different aspect of our personal and communal preparation for Christmas. The theme for the first Sunday in Advent is hope.

It has been said that hope means hoping when things are hopeless, or it is no virtue at all; as long as matters are really hopeful, hope is mere flattery or platitude; it is only when everything is hopeless that hope begins to be a strength. Today’s passages from Isaiah and Mark tell us that this is the case.

A time of national chaos frames the prophecy in Isaiah. The temple in Jerusalem has been destroyed and many of the people of Judah taken into exile in Babylon. The prophet appeals directly to God to come down and save the people. Calamity has come because the people have turned from God’s way. Yet, the prophet reminds them, God is the creator. God has awesome power, and has done great deeds in the past. God is their only hope.

The Gospel of Mark was written at a time when the young Christian communities were undergoing persecution, probably between 65 and 75 of the Christian Era. The Jerusalem temple was destroyed in the year 70, CE, and there was great suffering at the hands of the Romans at this time. Mark reminds these first readers of the gospel, and us, that God is very near. We must keep awake for we do not know when God will come to save us.

Last Wednesday morning, I attended the East End Mission Developer Steering Team meeting. As you may know, the East End project was initiated by the Presbytery a few years ago to support the ministries of the eleven United Church congregations in this neighbourhood. At the meeting there was a brief report of how the eleven congregations were doing these days: Dentonia Park United has sold its building and is moving to Hope United. Beach United is moving out of its building for a year while renovations take place. Cosburn United and Presteign Woodbine United have relatively new ministers and are redefining what it means to be church in their communities. Three are in the midst of JNAC processes. Three are facing significant financial and attendance problems. The conclusion was: none of the congregations is in good shape. It sounded hopeless.

On the other hand, also last week, I was so pleased when I opened an envelope containing the result of our congregation’s responses to the United Church Identity Survey which was conducted last May. The overall results are now available on the United Church website. A total of close to 7,500 people from the 22o pastoral charges across Canada participated in the survey, the largest in United Church history. The average response rate is 36%. Guess our response rate. Twenty-four of us did it. It means ours is almost double the average. Congratulations!

The purpose of the research was to build a portrait of our identity, values, and beliefs as the people of The United Church of Canada. The survey result will help to set the stage for planning, priority setting, and decision-making for the 41st General Council in August 2012.

Let me share with you some of the findings from this survey. We United Church people are deeply committed to our church and to our faith. We are engaged and committed. Although we are not evangelists in the sense that we try to increase our numbers by “converting” people, surprisingly two-thirds report that we have talked about our faith to a non-churchgoer! We say that attending worship services and making financial gifts are fundamental to our faith. We all put a high value on a church that is welcoming and supportive, where faith is translated into action, and where belief is not a matter of dogma but rather a journey of questioning, debate, doubt, and ongoing discovery.

Moreover, there is significant attachment to the denomination itself—as well as hopefulness about what the church and its people might be able to accomplish in the world. When asked about our views on renewal of The United Church of Canada in the 21st century, most opt for a prophetic role for the national church.

What to make of the age of United Church people? Many of us may be older, but we are in the full bloom of mature adulthood. We are at a point in our lives when we are able to truly step outside ourselves and attend to the needs of others - in other words, actively live out that commitment to community and social justice that is so central to our faith. In short, we represent a “community of broken but hopeful believers...a church with a purpose,” as our Song of Faith puts it.

The survey results strongly suggest that there is hope within ourselves as a church. Here is a little piece of good news. At the East End Mission Developer Steering Team meeting, I was surprised that our Food Bank programme was not widely known to other neighbouring congregations. For example, Cosburn United has always sent their White Gifts to an agency in the west, not knowing ours at all. I was pleased when the Rev. Linda Petrides, their minister, a member of the Steering Team, promised to support our programme, by collecting food items we need and passing their White Gifts on to us starting this year. I have already sent her information about our programmes including the Drop-in and Community Dinner. Indeed, there is hope when we work together as church.

Jim Wallis, editor of Sojourners, writes: “Hope means more than just hanging on. It is the conscious decision to see the world in a different way than most others see it. To hope is to look through the eyes of faith to a future not determined by the oppressive circumstances of the present. To hope is to know that the present reality will not have the last word. It is to know that God rules.”

We are called to be ready at all times to live out this hope, filled with expectancy for its fulfillment. Advent is about waiting and preparing with hope. The people of Israel waited with hope for the birth of the promised Messiah and the coming of justice and peace among them. Today we still wait and work for this promised peace on earth with expectancy and hope. Sharing the bread and wine today, let us celebrate our hope for Christ’s coming among us. Amen.

Concert and Silent Auction

2011-11-25T08:56:00.000-08:00

GIFT OF LOVE

A Sunday Afternoon Concert

A Collection of Christmas Carols & Love Songs

Sunday, November 27, 2011 - 2:00pm

Glen Rhodes United Church

1470 Gerrard Street East

Silent Auction & Refreshments

$20 (or pay what you can)

All are Welcome

A small selection of the many baskets in the silent auction.

Silent Auction Baskets...

A basket is a wonderful gift!

Sermon November 20, 2011

2011-11-22T06:51:00.000-08:00

Michelangelo’s Last Judgment

Matthew 25: 31- 46

Jong Bok Kim at Glen Rhodes United, Nov. 20, 2011

Reign in our hearts, O God, and shape us as your people. Help us to celebrate all the ways you reveal Christ to us – through our giving, receiving, serving, witness and worship. Amen.

Today is Reign of Christ Sunday. Christians in general observe it on the Sunday prior to Advent. The church year starts on the first Sunday of Advent. This means today is the last Sunday of the whole church year. We celebrate our hope of the final rule of our Christ on the last Sunday of our calendar. So, today’s lectionary readings provide an opportunity to explore what it means to live as members of God’s realm and to explore the new images of kingship and leadership that Jesus modelled.

From Matthew, we have just read what is commonly called the parable of the last judgment. Most of us have heard the story of the separation of the sheep and the goats interpreted as to whether we have fed the hungry, clothed the naked, and so forth. This story, however, brings to mind the stern sword-wielding image of Christ separating those on the right who are floating upward into rosy clouds from those on the left who are being dragged down by horrifying demons into all kinds of horrible torture. Such images remind me of some medieval paintings I have seen.

While preparing this sermon, I ‘googled’ the words, “last judgment.” Numerous relevant websites came up in a second; my attention was drawn by Michelangelo’s Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. Through its own website, the Vatican museum provides a view of the whole colourful picture of this magnificent masterpiece along with comments. Some of you may have seen it personally if you have visited the Sistine Chapel, but I have never been there.

I spent some time looking at this vivid masterpiece. I was struck by two things: the nudity and the particularity. By particularity I mean that the moment of the last judgment is portrayed in great detail. If you read today’s passage from Matthew, you do not need any further explanation to understand this masterpiece. Every detail in this picture speaks for itself. The muscular white man in the centre must be Christ who raises his right hand high as if in the moment of pronouncing the verdict. Next to Christ is a woman who turns her head in resignation waiting for his judgment. All the saints and angels surround Christ in varied lively postures, but all looking anxious to hear the verdict. At the bottom there are many grotesque demons and devils who prod the damned in their fall to hell.

By nudity I mean that most of the figures in this picture, whether men or women, are almost naked. I was not alone in being startled by this nudity. According to the commentary from the Vatican museum, this masterpiece, painted nearly five hundred years ago, caused violent reactions among Michelangelo’s contemporaries. For example, a commentator said that "It was most dishonest in such an honoured place to have painted so many nude figures who so dishonestly show their shame and that it was not a work for a Chapel of the Pope but for stoves and taverns." The controversies continued for years. Almost two decades after this masterpiece was completed, the Congregation of the Council of Trent decided to have some of the figures in the Last Judgment which were considered "obscene" covered. The task of painting the covering drapery, in fact, continued into the following centuries.

I am not a critic of art. However, it seems to me that the nudity is one of the key images Michelangelo wanted to present to us in this masterpiece. He was a genius. This genius reminds us that we will become completely naked, totally vulnerable, in the final day of judgement. Not one of us will survive that judgment, if we are to be judged only by what we have done in life. How can we possibly feed all the hungry, give water to all the thirsty, clothe all the naked, take care of all the sick, and visit all the prisoners whom we have met throughout our life. It would be too much. It is an impossible demand. All of us would have to look forward to the end with stark horror. Who among us, no matter how moral or religious, would not be counted among the wicked for our failure to obey this too demanding command?

I am reminded of the book, “St. Augustine’s Confession.” I was curious about the real life of this saint. I had thought that his life would be quite a different one from that of ordinary people like me: surely his life must have been full of piety and integrity. On the contrary! It was quite the opposite. His life was not different at all from ours: his life was full of anxiety, regret, greed and jealousy. He even admitted that he had had a mistress for years and abandoned her in the end, seeking success in his career. If we were to take what Matthew says literally, we would have to find St. Augustine at the very bottom of Michelangelo’s painting of the Last Judgment.

After reading his book, I asked myself, “What made him a saint anyway?” My conclusion was that it was his courage in disclosing himself to others as he was. He chose to take off all his wrappings and be naked and vulnerable. He wrote his book when he was at the highest point of accomplishment in his life. Everybody looked up to him as an archbishop. He had great power as a religious authority in those days, but he was willing to talk honestly about himself. He was courageous enough to humble himself as a vulnerable human being. I believe that such courage must have come from his strong faith in Jesus Christ who spent his whole earthly life as a friend with the poor, not with people in power. For me, it was Augustine’s faithfulness that made him a saint.

If we are to think biblically about the future of the world, we have to get rid of such pagan mythology as pictured in Michelangelo’s Last Judgment. Rather, we have to think in quite a different way about what is going to happen on the judgment day. The whole picture changes as soon as we remember who the judge will be: not a vengeful or even unbiased “blind” judge, but Christ himself! The one who will judge sinners is the very one who loved and devoted his life to them. The judge who stands at the end is none other than the compassionate one who cares for sinners, tax collectors, prostitutes, widows and children.

A week ago, I was deeply touched by a documentary movie, “War in the Mind,” aired on TVO on the night of Remembrance Day. It was about the stories of Canadian soldiers and their families who are affected by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This hour-long film documented the struggles and battles they face against this disabling and destructive disorder which remains under-acknowledged by the Canadian military. This movie is still available to watch through the TVO website.

There were so many real heart-breaking stories in this documentary. However, the story of Senator and retired General, Romeo Dallaire, touched me deeply. It is well known that he himself suffered from PTSD after serving as commander of the UN peacekeeping force in Rwanda in 1993 when the Genocide took place. From the beginning to the end, he sat in front of the cameras as one of the victims of this mental illness as well as a champion of its recognition and fair treatment.

There has been a strong stigma against those who suffer PTSD: “They are mentally weak; they are substance abusers; it is their problem.” Against such stigma, this once highest ranking military officer chose to be vulnerable. When he talked about his own suicide attempt, following the horror of the Rwandan Genocide, it was as if he took off all his decorations and became naked in front of the camera.

According to this film, 58,000 US soldiers died in combat in the Viet Nam War. In contrast, 102,000 Viet Nam War veterans have died by suicide since. Twenty-four U.K. soldiers died in combat in the Gulf War; 107 Gulf War veterans have died by suicide since. On the other hand, in Canada, no government statistics are yet available for suicides following past missions. Senator Dallaire is campaigning to remove the secrecy which surrounds the issue, willing to be vulnerable. I admire his leadership and courage in doing so.

As a congregation, we have worked together in an Intentional Interim Ministry since I came here last year. The primary purpose of this Interim Ministry is to prepare ourselves to begin a faith journey anew with the calling of a new minister. Our transitional work has been going well so far and will reach the highest point when we call a new minister next Spring. Early this month, our Joint Needs Assessment Committee (JNAC) report was accepted by the Presbytery and a vacancy has been declared. So, today, we celebrated the disbanding of our JNAC, thanking them for their hard work.

Our Joint Search Committee began their work early last week and finalized an advertisement for the United Church Observer. Now, we are looking forward to the next step - receiving applications and interviewing the shortlisted candidates early next year. On this Reign of Christ Sunday, it is appropriate to reflect on the kind of leadership we need. It is time to explore leadership questions for the interview and be ready to ask the applicants good questions about their understanding of church leadership. May God guide us and bless us on this journey. Amen.

Homily, November 13, 2011

2011-11-15T06:46:00.000-08:00

NOVEMBER 13, 2011 - 22 AFTER PENTECOST

REV. MALCOLM SPENCER

THE LOST SELF

The talent as money at the time of Jesus was about $1000 or 15 years of wages for a labourer. Like large bills today people rarely saw them. This was the treasure entrusted to slaves that the master made and in typical exaggerated parable fashion it seems like he is giving over his fortune to his staff. Do you think anyone would really do it except for some banks recently that trusted other peoples money with a lonely trader making wildly speculative trades. We are unlikely to see that again soon. The point Matthew is stressing here is of generous, sharing boss who trusts others to look after his fortune. But the parable of the talents is really not about money just as the parable of the bridesmaids last week was about weddings. This story is a parable about the realm, the kingdom of God.

God created us with gifts of Gods self and trusted that we in our freedom would be aware of those gifts and use them. Tom Harper said of this parable in his book Water into Wine “…as we awaken to the truly amazing God given treasure we have been granted stewardship over, there is a debt of gratitude that swells up in our innermost being and we want to do our utmost to make the gift count”. P.157 This is what the parable of the talents is all about. The tragedy of the 3^rd slave was not that he had little to invest compared with the others. He was frightened and hesitant and that caused him to go and bury the money. That is often what happened in life we bury our hopes and aspirations and settle for far less. We often deny any divinity inside ourselves yet this is the constant theme of Jesus’s parables. If you have yes to see you can see the kingdom of God around you. You are mystery, we are given the gift of God’s sight and as Helen Keller found you don’t have to see or hear but you can discover that inner gift. Part of prayer of Richard of Chichester read:

Dear Lord Three things I pray

To see thee more clearly

To love thee more dearly

And follow you more nearly day by day

Unfortunately lots of people today claim they have a direct line to God and spread hate and violence but then there were plenty of religious extremists in Matthews day also but this is a parable about the abundance of God. There is a way of burying your true self in the false extremism as well as in apathy, fear and lack of trust.

When we bury our true selves deep down and cast ourselves out into the cruelty and suffering of the world we are like the slave who buried his one talent. His is the faith of living unawares of the abundant grace of God.

2. The other slaves seemed to know that reason the master gave them the stewardship of his resources was to invest them and trade them and have them double in value. Again Tom Harper commented on this parable saying that “ rather than a me in my small corner spiritualty we must seek one who is engaged with others for others…we have been given the task, and the responsibility for building the kingdom of God on earth … that is fully in our hands.”p157 When we dig deep and find our true selves the one created by God we find the joy of our master.

American surveys say that 2/3 of the occupy movement are under 34. Andrew Rawsnley in a column in the Observer a British Paper commented that the “protesters strike a resounding chord when they complain that financial elites are getting rewarded with special treatment while punishment for their mistakes is meted out to the rest of society.” He ended his column with this comment “Protesters or leaders? I know who looks more grown up.” Some say the young people are wasting their time- well our conscience is often wasting its time on us or is it- in our digging for the spirit of God within we will locate compassion, solidarity, energy for caring for the earth. These stores of the bible are meant to empower us to go out into our world with confidence and a loving heart able to use are ego not to rule our lives but to protect them and keep us knowing how precious we are in God’s sight.

That is how Deborah was able to call her general and go to war against a greater enemy. She knew the promise of God and that is yet another gift of the spirit of God inside us and that is courage. When we say the vignettes of Church history last week so well presented we remembered the courage of many who needed and received courage for the task that was at hand, That is how our faith came to us by courageous women and man who kept the tradition and began the works of compassion and care and prayer in troubled times.

The thing is that if we can dig out this gift of love God has planted in us we will become the most joyous, generous, daring, peaceful and justice filled people we can be, and unafraid to invest ourselves and extend the realm of God in our place and time. Next week is the reign of Christ Sunday when we celebrate the gift of Jesus lamb and shepherd to the world and after that we move into the advent season.

A good time to discover our true selves made in the image of our creator, made for love, made for others, made for finding our way back to God.

Help us find compassion and caring within both for ourselves and others. We ask this in the name of Jesus our Saviour Amen

Anniversary Presentation: November 6, 2011

2011-11-08T06:42:00.000-08:00

Glen Rhodes then, now and in the future.

EDYTHE

In an effort to make our church history come alive, we are going to present a series of snapshots of the history we share with our forebears in tabloid format. Here comes the first report now!

KATHRYN

Dateline: Pentecost, year 30, Jerusalem

Headline: “Followers of Jesus Full of Wind”

Crowds of tourists, in Jerusalem for the festival of Pentecost, witnessed an astonishing sight yesterday, a simple fishermen spoke to them in their native languages. “We were sitting together in this Upper Room,” one disciple said, “when suddenly there was this tremendous roaring sound of wind. After the wind, it seemed as if tongues of flame settled on our heads.” “It was weird,” said another. “We were sitting there looking like giant birthday candles. Then we found we could speak different languages, so we rushed out and started talking to people.” Others, however, had different explanations. “Maybe they’d all taken very fast linguistic courses,” suggested one onlooker, while another believed that they might be all drunk.

EDYTHE

Dateline: March 7, year 202, Rome

Headline: “Martyrs Lionized”

Two women, Perpetua (22) and Felicitas(16), were killed in Caesar’s Coliseum. They were sentenced to death today after being fingered as Christians by Perpetua’s father, a devout worshipper of Astarte. When the lions were let loose, Felicitas sang a psalm until a wild bear clawed her. “They just seemed too confident,” said one spectator, “death didn’t matter to them for some reason.” The manager of the Coliseum wasn’t available for comment. Apparently he was off looking for a soldier in his employ called Pudens. It seemed that Pudens had been converted to Christianity by Felicitas just as she was dying.

KATHYRN

Dateline: Summer, year 313, Milan

Headline: “Milan’s Newest Fashion is an Edict”

Roman Emperors, Lecinias and Constantine, have jointly declared Christianity acceptable and welcome in the Roman Empire. Christians are to be persecuted no longer. Having met in Milan, they call their new decree the “Edict of Milan.” “So who are we supposed to find for the Coliseum’s wild animals to kill?” grumbled a discontented official, who refused to be named. “Now that we are all supposed to be Christians,” commented another Coliseum official, “We’re allowed to throw pagans, Christian heretics, and Jews to the wild beasts. Good for economy, I tell you!” No Jewish rabbis, followers of Astarte or Arian Christians were available for comment.

EDYTHE

Dateline: 1054, Rome and Constantinople

Headline: “Church Has Splitting Headache”

The heads of the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church exchanged anathemas this year. This means that, after 300 years of fighting, the Christian Church is split in two. “I think they were out-Clast!” said one Roman bishop of the Iconoclast party when referring to the debate over the use of Icons in worship. “I think they’ve got rocks in their heads!” responded another bishop in Constantinople, referring to the idea that only the Roman popes gain ultimate authority through direct succession from the Apostle Peter whose name comes from the word “rock” in Hebrew.

KATHRYN

Dateline: October 31, 1519, Wittenberg

Headline: “Luther Nailed”

Martin Luther, a priest-monk upset with the growing corruption within the church, nailed 95 statements, called Theses, to the front door of the Wittenberg Cathedral. In part, Luther’s Theses, protest against the practice of selling indulgences. “Kind of funny, if you ask me,” commented Mike, a family friend. “I mean, Luther comes from a wealthy family, so all he has to do is buy enough indulgences to get into heaven. What’s the problem?” In his own defense Luther stated, “Some people think, ‘God helps those who help themselves,’ but God helps everyone, rich or poor. Forgiveness is by God’s grace, not because of our good works.”

EDYTHE

Newsflash: Dateline: 1611, England

This just in: The first authorized English version of the Bible has just been published by approval of King James and will be formally called the King James Version. An official in the royal publishing house stated that they even had a young playwright by the name of Shakespeare working on it. “I hear he’s doing rather well up in Stratford-on-Avon with his plays--nothing timeless, mind you, just popular stuff for the great unwashed public.”

KATHRYN

Dateline: June 10, 1925, Toronto

Headline: “United Alternative Formed”

In a bold move, three major Christian denominations, the Methodist Church, the Congregational Union, and the Presbyterian Church in Canada, reformed themselves into one denomination at a packed worship service in the Mutual Street Arena. By an act of the Canadian Parliament and formally covenanted at this worship service, the new church is to be called The United Church of Canada. Rev. William Patrick stated that, “The combined experience of the three churches in the United Church will produce a nobler model for Christianity.” “It’ll never last!” declared one coffee shop patron, “When you start using new-fangled technology, like those loudspeakers used at that Union service, you’re turning away from the tried and true. It isn’t the way we’ve always done things. What’s the world coming to?”

EDYTHE

Dateline: November 6, 1936, Moose Jaw

Headline: “She’s Rev’ed Up”

Today, in a revolutionary act at St. Andrew’s Church in Moose Jaw, Lydia Gruchy became the first woman ordained in The United Church of Canada. In 1934 a remit had been sent out to all Presbyteries, asking them if they approved of such an action. Seventy-nine said “yes,” and 26 said “no.” Still disagreeing with the ordination of women, one man grumbled, “How is she going to do the work of a minister when she still has all the housework to do? Can’t she just marry a minister and be a good help to him?” One commissioner to the General Council of 1934, remembering Lydia’s extremely heavy work-load for the Home Mission Board in rural Saskatchewan commented, “I doubt you’d find many men willing to carry the load she carries!”

KATHRYN

Dateline: November, 1984, East End of Toronto

Headline: “Glenmont and Rhodes Avenue Become One”

Rhodes Avenue United Church originally, Rhodes Avenue Presbyterian Church, began in 1906 as a mission outpost sponsored by Bloor Street Presbyterian Church. Initially meeting in a tent, the congregation began work on the present building in 1926, and the sanctuary was dedicated in 1927. The Glen part of the name comes from Glenmount United Church, which began in 1911 as Glenmount Methodist Church several blocks further east. Glenmount and Rhodes Avenue amalgamated in 1984 to form Glen Rhodes United Church.

It was said that Noel and Imogene Gregg of Glenmount breathed a sigh of relief, thinking with the increase in numbers they would take a break from being on Committees!

EDYTHE

The choir was thrilled…two more altos, a tenor and a soprano. Welcome Beth, Dora, Jackie and Ernie!

KATHRYN

The congregation oo’d and awed when little Jennifer and Alistair Wood participated in the service playing duets on their recorders.

EDYTHE

In 1991 the congregation of Simpson Avenue United Church, which began in 1899 as Howland Avenue Methodist Church in Riverdale, joined the fold.

The choir was all-agog at the anticipation of having Norm Abbot as Organist and Choir Director and Nelson Oliver with his wonderful humour and remarkable rich bass voice.

It was a good deal recounted Ms Jane Magill of Simpson Avenue. They got Nelson and Norm and we got Lawrence Pushee!

KATHRYN

Today, we have many members who bring with them traditions from each of our founding congregations, and we continue to celebrate those gifts. Like many congregations we celebrate our history and love our story, but we are committed to our witness in the present and our future as a welcoming, inclusive, justice–seeking community of faith.

EDYTHE

Dateline: August 1988, Victoria

Headline: “Gay Doesn’t Just Mean ‘Happy’ Any More”

At a General Council meeting of the United Church held here in Victoria, a controversial decision was made “that all persons, regardless of their sexual orientation, who profess faith in Jesus Christ and obedience to him are welcome to be or become full members of the church,” and that all members are eligible to be considered for ordered ministry. Reaction was strong and split. Said Bernice Wish, “They [gays] claim that they’re 10 per cent of the population, but I don’t believe it. I’ve lived 66 years, I’ve come in contact with hundreds of people in business, and in all that time I’ve never met a homosexual.” A woman from the same congregation, who refused to be identified, sighed, “I’ve sat beside her in church for 24 years, but she doesn’t realize that I’m gay.” Rev. Sharon Moon stated, “We don’t understand homosexuality – There are those of us who don’t understand heterosexuality. We should be prepared to live with a little bit of ambiguity – Let’s trust the Spirit.” And Glen Rhodes followed that sage advice!

KATHRYN

Dateline: Toronto 1994

TO BE OR NOT TO BE!

It was NOT an overnight decision! Seeing the concern and mixed feelings over the controversial decision of the United Church, Glen Rhodes launched an 18 month study program developed by Affirm United. Soon after, Glen Rhodes became an Affirming congregation and in true fashion held a celebration with 250 people in attendance.

EDYTHE

Dateline: March 2012, Toronto

Headline: “Glen Rhodes United Have a New Minister!”

At a Congregational Meeting in March 2012, people at Glen Rhodes United unanimously approved its Joint Search Committee’s recommendation of a new minister. A further motion was passed to remove the bunk beds from the Barbara Christies Room.

KATHRYN

And now they are excited to welcome, The Rev Taylor Albright and partner Jessie Bloom along with their 20 children ages 6 to 20.

In a long list of past experiences, Rev Albright (or Taylor), a former chef, combined culinary skills with a deep passion for social justice in initiating a number of community projects including cooking classes for the less privileged.

EDYTHE

Taylor’s partner Jessie is President and founder of “Sustainable Architecture Design and Construction”. The company is dedicated to investing in the community! It includes opportunities and apprenticeship training to young people in need of support and guidance. Jessie is hopeful that Glen Rhodes will allow the opportunity to present some renovation plans that will give a better use of space to accommodate the increase in programs and community involvement. Jessie was quite taken with the sanctuary and the beautifully polished pews. There was some thought however to possibly bringing in a team to reinforce the balcony which will allow for the extra seating that would be required for Sunday worship! And after that Taylor stated, we’ll talk about the roof top garden and green house!

KATHRYN

Taylor and Jessie’s children have been spending most of their time with Cecily Morgan planning a rally fundraiser and the first of many annual Community Picnics to be held at their country estate.

Rev Taylor was overjoyed at the warmth and generosity of the Glen Rhodes congregation and gave praise to Rev Jong Bok Kim for his wisdom and guidance.

EDYTHE

There was much excitement after reviewing the JNAC Report and realizing the great potential starting within and reaching out to such a wonderfully diverse community as described in the Environics report.

KATHRYN

Rev Albright was amazed and expressed appreciation for the hard work and major contribution of a small but mighty UCW. Rumour has it, that Imogene Gregg has accepted a butter tart challenge. Good luck with that one Taylor! Eleanor Richardson already seeing the potential for a fundraiser, intends to “sweeten the pot” by bringing in Marg Lennick and Helen Johnson!

EDYTHE

A grumpy comment was overheard coming from the direction of the choir. “I just hope this new minister chooses processional hymns familiar to the choir. Through the laughter, Taylor was able to reassure the choir that since most of the family has played or sang in previous charges, there would be no lack of reminders! Audrey John and Bob immediately went to work on designs for the new choir gowns…WITH RAINBOWS??!! The Albright family had already picked up on the reputation of Glen Rhodes very talented choir Director Gerald Petkau and is looking forward to joining the chorus …AND the parties!

KATHRYN

Rev Albright is anxious to get started and will begin by meeting with all committees and members of the Glen Rhodes community in exploring new and creative ways to rebuild the ministry together.

There was however one request before getting down to serious business and that was to see if anyone knew of an old-fashioned style diner that serves Butterscotch Sundaes!

Rev. Jong Bok Kim was quick to respond!!

********

EDYTHE:

And so we have heard the challenge of the past. We have heard the struggles, the passions, and the grace. We are facing current challenges: how do we continue to be a Christian voice in national and global affairs, reflecting God’s values of peace, justice, and respect for all peoples in our policies?

KATHRYN:

We know that following Christ is difficult, that it requires all we have in unity with the Spirit, and that it challenges us to see God’s goodness in creation. Let us go forth with that challenge filling our hearts. Let us answer God’s call to wrestle with our faith. Let us be open to new understandings of what it means to be human creations, in all our diversity. Let us do so as the

Sermon October 30, 2011

2011-10-30T21:01:00.000-07:00

We Are All Students
Matthew 23: 1- 12

Jong Bok Kim at Glen Rhodes United, Oct 30, 2011

We are all students under one rabbi, Jesus Christ, O God. We are all students called to live out servant leadership in and through your body, the church. As your students, may we say less and live courageously the faith he lived, died for and lives today in each of us. Amen.

A few weeks ago, we celebrated Thanksgiving Sunday. In Korea, my native country, people celebrate Thanksgiving Day a month or so earlier, based on the lunar calendar. Like here, each family gathers in one place, usually in the rural ancestral home, where their grandparents live, and give thanks to their ancestors. One of the ways to give thanks is to go to the gravesites of their ancestors and bow deeply twice in front of each grave.

Before making the bows, the head of the household explains to younger generations who is buried in each grave, reading the inscription on the gravestone. The title the ancestor had in life is inscribed on each gravestone. The title usually refers to the various offices of the old dynasties. However, most ordinary people did not have such offices at all. The descendants of ordinary people, nevertheless, wish to address their ancestors by certain titles. So, they often use the title, “Haksaeng.” The literal meaning of this common title is “student.” As a result, most gravestones in Korea start with the same word, “student.” If I died in Korea, my children might inscribe my gravestone like this: “Student, Kim Jong Bok, Rest in Peace...”

I have no clue to why our ancestors chose the word, “student.” Perhaps, they wanted to say we were all life-long learners. This morning, it is interesting to see that Matthew chose a word with the same literal meaning to address all the members of his church.

To begin with, let us explore the meaning of some of the words in today’s Gospel. “Scribes” and “Pharisees” are distinct, but overlapping categories. Scribes were a professional class with formal training, somewhat like lawyers in contemporary society. They were schooled in the tradition. Pharisees were a group within Judaism defined by strictly religious rules, composed mostly of laypersons without formal theological training. Some scribes were also Pharisees, but few Pharisees were scribes. Together, they represent the Jewish leadership of Matthew’s time.

“Moses’ seat” is a metaphorical expression of the synagogue leadership - the Scribes and Pharisees. Matthew’s critique of their leadership is threefold: first, they say but do not do (23: 3a); secondly, they burden others while failing to act themselves (23: 4); thirdly, they act for the wrong reason: to make an impression on others (23: 5-7).

The Scribes and Pharisees were intent, above all else, on keeping the Law that God gave Moses. They strove to keep all God’s laws as carefully as possible. They applied the Priestly purity laws to the people as a whole. For Matthew, their efforts were an intolerable and misdirected burden for ordinary people. The alternative to the “burden” placed on people’s shoulders is Jesus’ own “yoke:” according to Matthew, Jesus said earlier, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light (11: 28-30).”

Furthermore, the synagogue leadership emphasized external signs of piety. Matthew was not happy with these practices either. “Phylacteries” refers to small leather boxes containing portions of the Torah strapped to the forehead and arm during the recitation of prayers (Deuteronomy 6: 8). The “fringes” are those commanded as part of the dress of every Israelite, later understood as the tassels attached to the prayer shawl (Deut 22: 12). The “best seats” in the synagogue refer to the place of honour at the front, facing the congregation, occupied by teachers and respected leaders.

In response to the practices of the synagogue leadership, Matthew stressed a strong egalitarian leadership. The word, “rabbi,” literally means “my great one.” So, Matthew forbids its use for Christian leaders, but allows it, or even encourages it, for Jesus alone. All members of the Christian community, as members of the family of God, are “students.” Matthew does not want to distinguish them by titles.

In addition, just as he restricts the title “rabbi” to Jesus, Matthew restricts the title “Father” to God. “Father” is Matthew’s favourite designation for deity. Matthew’s church did have a class of leaders, but Matthew regarded them from a more egalitarian perspective. For Matthew, leadership in the Christian community is to be servant leadership. The concept of servanthood comes from the word, “deacon,” which means literally “servant.”

Today’s passage sounds like a once-upon-a-time story. Some of us might well be wary of reading this text as a way of criticizing the hypocrisy of first-century Jews. At first reading, today’s text may seem to have little to do with us. However, when we read it more closely, it may address something central to our own lives, something that seems so human.

We all like to be acknowledged at social gatherings; we all like to be greeted in the marketplace. It is not a matter of being hypocritical, but of being human: we are social creatures, and we like to be known and liked. All of us live with the desire to be accepted by others. We all may be guilty of playing out our lives as responses to these pressures for recognition.

At the Community Dinner last Monday evening, I was pleased to see three boys doing dishes in the kitchen: Matthew, Tyler and Collin, three grade six students from the Boy Scouts. They came early and started their work, guided by Warner, as soon as the plates began to pile up. Collin cleaned the dishes at the sink and Tyler took them to the dishwasher grid while Matthew dried them. And Tyler joined Matthew in putting them back on the shelves. They did not say much, but worked together efficiently like a well-trained team.

As their work was almost finished, I couldn’t help but say thanks to each of them. When I approached Matthew, Warner made fun of me, saying, “This is Minister Pirate.” Then, I realized I was wearing a red bandana on my head. In spite of Warner’s joke, Matthew seemed to be shy and nervous of me. Asked if he had been here before, he said “No.” Asked how he felt about his work today, he said “Okay.” In response to my thanks, he said, “No problem.” That was it. The other two boys responded to me almost the same way, except that Collin had been here before. I wonder if these three boys may well teach us how to live out our words through our lives. They are students, but as well they are our teachers, doing things quietly, not worried about others’ recognition.

One of the joys I have at the Community Dinner is that I have many opportunities to share life stories with the volunteers. While delivering plates, Ellie told me that John and she had been nannies for a kitten her friend couldn’t take care of temporarily. It sounded to me that it was challenging to look after the untrained kitten. But she said that, as they had never had a cat before, the kitten had trained and taught them. I appreciated her perspective. I was reminded that learning was always a two-way interaction. What is missing from the lives of the Pharisees in Matthew is humility, an openness to be learners as well as teachers.

As all the clients were served, Ellie and I sat at the same table for a meal. Our conversation moved to the flowers she brought to church last Sunday. I wonder how many of you remember the dark blue flowers flanked by birch branches last Sunday. Ellie kindly taught me about it: it was Monk’s Hood. Isn’t that an interesting name? I was amazed with the depth of her knowledge of the plant. She went on talking about its scientific name and its characteristics, where it grew, when it bloomed, what kind of soil it needed - things like that. She is a student as well as teacher. Listening to her, I felt guilty because I had not said thank you enough to Ellie for her exceptional contribution to our Sunday service. She said she loved to do so, not thinking about others’ recognition of her contribution.

If we want to look for students living out the servant leadership Matthew is referring to today, we do not need to look far. We find plenty of them right here at Glen Rhodes, everyday of the week.

Today, Matthew proposes an alternative world, a world seen from the perspective of the kingdom of God, an alternative family where all are called students under one rabbi, Jesus Christ, and one Father, God. There is no need to “make our phylacteries broad and fringes long” or to be acknowledged by others. God acknowledges us all as members of one faith family. The acceptance of God removes the heavy yoke of self-justification. Thanks be to God that there are so many students who say little but live courageously in the faith here at Glen Rhodes. Amen.

Sermon October 09, 2011

2011-10-09T20:50:00.000-07:00

Why Should We Give Thanks?

Deuteronomy 8: 7-18; Luke 17: 11-19

Jong Bok Kim at Glen Rhodes United, Oct 09, 2011

Thank you, God, source of all life and wholeness, for living among us, your people. May we rejoice in your grace, in which we live and move and have our being, with gratitude. Amen.

The provincial election is over. Whenever elections take place here, I am always reminded of what happened in my native country, South Korea, until the early nineties. There were no elections in any real sense. Typically, there was only one candidate, usually a military dictator, during Presidential elections. Supported by the United States, it was presented to the world as a democratic election. Throughout three decades, inspired and guided by many dedicated political activists, people took to the streets and finally ended the military dictatorships and elected a civilian President by a fair election process for the first time in their history in 1991. It was a costly endeavour; it claimed thousands and thousands of lives. So many political activists or opponents were brutally tortured and killed during this long movement toward democracy.

Because of that experience, I am always excited during elections, federal, provincial and municipal. To me, the election process itself is very important. I always rejoice in the opportunity for all citizens to be part of forming our governments ourselves, since governments have such an impact on our everyday lives. In my native country, I gave thanks to those who dedicated themselves to the democratic movement, especially those who offered their lives during the various political uprisings. Here in Canada, I do not know any specific group of people to whom I should give thanks for this well-developed electoral system.

According to today’s readings from both Deuteronomy and Luke, the people living in Palestine thousands of years ago, also wondered about to whom to give thanks. On this Thanksgiving Sunday, today’s passages express wonder and joy at the goodness and abundance of God’s creation. Yet, each reading also refers to the reality of our human tendency to forget or ignore the source of all this goodness and our failure to give thanks. Often we do not even fully recognize our abundance. We do not feel grateful and instead of sharing our blessings with others, we find ourselves clutching what we have and longing for more!

The whole book of Deuteronomy reflects the joy experienced by the Israelites as they discover the richness and beauty of the land of Canaan. Written centuries after the stories of Moses’ life and death, it shares, with all who listen, the wonder of what they had received in the past. It was theirs by the gift of God, not by their own strength or will. In today’s reading, the people are cautioned that when they reach the promised land they may feel inclined to believe that it was through their own skills that they had acquired all these blessings.

The Luke reading describes Jesus’ encounter as he journeys to Jerusalem with some people living with leprosy. People afflicted with leprosy or some similarly debilitating skin disease lived in isolated villages, segregated from others because of their illness, but close enough to receive charity. Interestingly, the band of ten outcasts who travelled together was made up of nine Jews and one Samaritan. Under different circumstances, the Jews would have had nothing to do with a Samaritan. But here they band together out of common need! Sometimes we learn through painful experience what our ignorance prevents us from discovering when all is going well!

The ten people with leprosy, keeping the appropriately prescribed distance, call out for Jesus to heal them. Jesus responds by telling them to go and show themselves to the priest, an official act to be performed when a person was healed of a skin disease. (Leviticus 13 & 14)

Although they are not yet healed, those with leprosy trust Jesus and hurry off to see the priests. On their way, the story records, they are healed! When the Samaritan realizes this, he returns to Jesus to express his gratitude. It appears that the other nine forgot to give thanks. Jesus blesses the Samaritan and says, “Your faith has made you well.” The others may have been cured of leprosy, but it was the outcast Samaritan who had been made whole. It may be helpful here to note that the Greek word for wholeness is often translated as salvation.

Ten were healed, but only one recognized the healing for what it was. When he saw the healing, the Samaritan did not just celebrate his good fortune; he returned to praise God and fall on his face before Jesus in the manner of profound gratitude. What about the other nine? One may wonder if the absence of the ability to be grateful reveals a self-centeredness or an attitude that one deserves more.

Last week, I read an insightful article in the latest ‘United Church Observer’ about giving thanks. In her article, titled, “Giving Thanks amid Uncertainty,” the Rev. Trisha Elliott says that thanking God is easy when things go right, but hardship can foster a more radical kind of gratitude. Quoting another writer, she says that there are many moving stories of people who have expressed gratitude in extremely difficult times: “Through their acts of gratitude, they did not let themselves be defined by death and destruction. Because of gratitude, death did not have dominion.”

I think the Rev. Elliott offers us an insight into the very reason why we should give thanks. We give thanks not because God wants to be thanked or Jesus calls us to do so, but because we will be empowered to shift our attention from the drone of negativity and despair within and around us to the bigger question of God’s claim on our life. By giving thanks, we find strength to transfer our focus from our brokenness to God’s embracing love for us. According to Elliott, giving thanks does not deny pain or grief. Giving thanks means that even while feeling all the pain or loss deeply, one chooses to rest in the gracious presence of God, “in life, in death, in life beyond death.” It is knowing that we are more than the sum of our pain.

Two Sundays from today, we are going to have a special Congregational Meeting to make a decision based on our Joint Needs Assessment Committee (JNAC)’s report and recommendations. Our JNAC deserves our deep thanks for their hard work. It took them months of painstaking commitment. They have met almost twenty times including conference calls since last June, even without any breaks during the summer. Recently they worked so long in the Barbara Christie Room, spending so many hours in each meeting, even to a whole day, to finalize their documents that they were thinking they needed to set up bunk beds there.

As you read the report, which will be available very soon, you will see that they have produced a well-crafted document about our ministry personnel needs. You will be impressed by their superb ability to describe eloquently who we are as a congregation and what we need in terms of the skills and gifts of the ordained minister we are seeking.

Following a list of our needs for ordained ministry, the position description ends like this:

Above all else, we need an experienced minister who recognizes and shares largesse of heart; who understands and accepts the many diverse ways in which we express our faith and love for our own community, and the larger community, and all of God's creation.

How does that sound to you? However, let us not miss the part about what you have gone through in terms of your relationship with previous ministers. You have experienced enormous challenges including the sense of profound loss since the retirement of your over-two-decade-long, dedicated and much loved minister and subsequently, the feeling of painful separation from your next minister as she left on long-term medical leave. Our JNAC invites you to acknowledge your pain and grief of the past with honesty and give thanks to those who have walked with you in such difficult times including your two previous supply ministers.

Today, we are invited to give thanks to all those who have journeyed with us, and to God, in order to be enabled and empowered to begin a journey anew with an incoming minister next year. Our JNAC declares: “We are a resilient congregation…. We have worked hard to be who we are - an open congregation, a loving congregation, a wise congregation, an Affirming congregation” and a living congregation. Thanks be to God. Amen.

JNAC Update

2011-09-18T10:24:00.000-07:00

JNAC updates the congregation at an informal Congregational Meeting

after church on Sunday, September 18th 2011

Sermon July 17th, 2011

2011-07-19T07:25:00.000-07:00

By the Rev. Darren J. Liepold, summer supply minister

She was born in Skojpe, Macedonia in 1910 as the youngest child in a middle class family. Her father died when she was nine years old. Her mother raised her as a Roman Catholic and at the age of 12 she decided that she was committed to a life of service. In 1928 she left home to join the Sisters of Loreto and never saw her mother and sister again. She went to study English in Ireland and then moved to India in 1929 where she began to teach at a small school in the Himalayas. In 1931 she took her first religious vows and became a full fledged nun in 1937. She moved to Calcutta where she began to teach as well as work with the poorest of the poor and the untouchables.

Of course later on she was to become known as Mother Teresa who until her death in 1997 worked untiring and endlessly on behalf of the most destitute. When her work was celebrated by the British writer, Malcolm Muggeridge, she became known internationally and was awarded the 1979 Nobel peace prize. Her funeral in 1997 was attended by hundreds of thousands of followers and in 1999 Gallup named her the most admired person of the 20^th century.

If you were to name a saint, I am sure, Mother Teresa would be one of the first person’s you would name. Who else might there be? Some might name Martin Luther King Junior or maybe Albert Schweitzer or Gandhi. Generally these saints are people who are so wise and so faithful, that you just feel enriched being in their presence. I remember being on a City Tour in the City of Atlanta in 1995. One place we got to go was Ebenezer Baptist Church and there I got to sit in the pews of the very church where Martin Luther King Jr. preached many of his sermons that changed the world. It was very inspiring. Yes for some people who have become internationally known because of their inspirational presence it is easy to see that they are saints.

Some people are a little less widely known but still widely considered to be saints in their small corner. I remember as a small boy, hearing that Lois Wilson was elected as the first female moderator of the United Church of Canada. Later on I was to read her book, “Turning the World Upside Down” and read of her call for greater justice in the world. I wondered who this super woman might be who seemed to be so much larger than life. When I met her, I was very surprised. Instead of a larger than life person, I saw this small woman. Yet from this small woman came such a strong message. She was not quite as well known as Mother Teresa, but she was definitely a person of God.

I think though what is really surprising though is when we find the presence of God coming from a very unsuspected source. I was the minister of Hope United Church in Hope, British Columbia. In this small community, each minister was to take turns visiting at the local nursing home. One person I had to visit was Elly. Elly was in a wheel chair. She had completely lost her sight. Her mind though was as sharp as a tack. Elly had been born in Scotland, had come to Canada as a war bride after the First World War and had followed her husband who helped to build railways to remote northern communities throughout British Columbia. Elly had no children of her own and her family in Scotland had long since passed away. Elly became a teacher and was gifted for working with her students where she would love to tell them stories. But now she was in a nursing home. The only time Elly got to share her stories was when a visitor came.

I went to the hospital the day after a troublesome board meeting. A few members of the church were quite upset with the disruptive presence of children during worship. They just wouldn’t sit still and sometimes even whispered while the hymns were being sung. These few members just could not wait until the Children’s Time was done and they went down to Sunday School. And some of these children wore jeans and t-shirts to church. They were not as well behaved as the children of 15 or 20 years ago either. These few people were very upset and were even thinking about leaving the church.

For myself and the rest of the board, we listened to these complaints with surprise and horror. We knew that the children brought a needed energy boost to our church. The children were enthusiastic, supporting mission activities and helping with church concerts and fund raising programs. No they didn’t always sit still and behave, but they did bring a needed vitality to our church. We did not want anything to jeopardize their contributions to the church.

The board meeting ended and the treasurer pulled me aside. She said she could not believe the gall of these few individuals who wanted to stifle the children. It was just not right said the treasurer. But then she reminded me that these few individuals contributed about 2/3 of the offering each week. The treasurer said that I would have to think long and hard about how to deal with their concerns while not upsetting the children and their parents in the Sunday School.

It was with these heavy thoughts that I went to visit Elly in the nursing home. I was listening, I thought intently to her stories, when she stopped and asked if something was wrong. I shared with her my dilemma. She sat silently for a few minutes after I had finished and then said, “Don’t these people realize it’s everyone’s church? Don’t they realize it’s God’s church? Don’t these adults know that the children have more to teach us about faith then we realize?”

As Elly spoke I quickly understood that it wasn’t the words of a lonely, elderly, blind woman seated in a wheelchair. God was speaking to me then. And God was saying that in order to quell the complainers, I needed to show them what kind of contribution our Sunday School was making.

So we began a six month initiative. The children would leave for their Sunday School class as soon as church began. Suddenly there was no noise to bother the complainers enjoyment o worship. The children would come in for the last 10 minutes of worship. However, instead of sitting through boring readings and hymns with words the children could not understand, the children had a job to do when they came back to worship. They would teach the congregation what they had learned in Sunday School. Since we used the same lessons in Sunday School and in worship, the children helped us to explore the meaning of scripture in new ways. Suddenly the complainers were understanding how valuable the children were to the church and what richness they added to our time together. God had spoken to me through a person like Elly of that I had no doubt.

Sometimes places take on new meanings for us. In 2009, as part of my work for the General Council Offices, I took part in a two week exposure trip to Colombia. I attended an event called the People’s Forum in Bogota and then got to spend 5 days in the middle of the jungle in the Magdalena River Valley in the oil producing city of Barrancabermeja.

On our first day in Barrancabermeja we went to visit with several families. These families all had one thing in common. On May 16, 1997, masked men entered into their city during the middle of a street festival, opened fired and killed 7 people outright and 25 people were disappeared, never to be heard of again. These families had all lost someone or someones on that date. They talked of their pain and suffering and their quest for justice. They then asked if we wanted to see the place where the massacre happened. We walked three blocks to a fenced in soccer field. There we noticed three youngsters playing soccer on the field, seemingly oblivious to the pain and suffering that had gone on there before. A few minutes later a woman joined us who had not been part of the original families that we had met with. She said that she too had lost a son on that day. Suddenly, this soccer field, became more than a sports stadium. It was a shrine to all of the victims of the 40 year long civil war in Colombia. I realized that it was a holy place. The children continued to play blithely on, the families continued to talk of their loss. The grass grew as it had always done. But for me, it was now a holy place, because I realized the saints and God were present here.

In the ordinary, we come to see the presence of God. In talking with Elly, I am sure that God spoke to me and gave me a way out of my dilemma. She was an ordinary woman at the end stages of her life, but when she spoke those simple words my life was changed. The soccer field, was just like any other athletic field around the world. It was nothing special. But as I stood there, it became a shrine to all who have been lost in an unending war. Soon the soccer field would go back to being just an ordinary sports field, but for a moment, I understood more.

In the same way, Jacob was a very ordinary man. One might call him a scoundrel. He was born the second of twins. He had to use his wits and not his strength to get by. He tricked his brother into getting the family’s birthright. He tricked his father into receiving his family’s blessing. Then he had to flee, fearing for his life and his brother’s wrath.

It was to this very flawed man that God came. In a barren stretch of land with rocky soil, God shows Jacob an elevator to heaven. God was made known there to a liar and a cheat, not a glorious saint whose life was a symbol of virtue. God was made known there in the barren desert and not a glorious cathedral. God came into being, not where one would expect and not to someone who you would expect. God comes where God is least expected.

In the movie Amadeus, Wolfie is a flawed man. Crude, lude, without decorum. But he is a brilliant composer whose music is the voice of God. Sallieri has devoted his life to God but his music never quite makes muster. Sallieri is left wondering why God has chosen the music of someone so crass, rather than a saint.

It is just as Jacob, Elly, and the soccer field of Barrancabermeja teach us. God comes to us in the expected sources like the Gandhis, Lois Wilsons and Mother Teresas. God comes to us in the great cathedrals and other holy shrines. But God does not stop there. God speaks to us through the stranger. God speaks to us in the most mundane places. Our God is here and everywhere. God is present in the saints and the not so saintly. God is here and we can give thanks. Amen.

The Food Bank

2011-07-19T07:13:00.000-07:00

Glen Rhodes United Church operates a food bank. It is open from 9 am to 11:30 am Tuesday and Friday. Recipients of the food are asked to bring proof of rent and identification. The food bank is operated under the auspices of the Daily Bread Food Bank.

**Glen Rhodes United Church**

Sunday Reflection Feb 12/2012

Sermon December 11, 2011

Sermon December 4, 2011

Sermon Nov. 27/2011 - Signs of Hope Jong Bok Kim

Concert and Silent Auction

Sermon November 20, 2011

Homily, November 13, 2011

Anniversary Presentation: November 6, 2011

Sermon October 30, 2011

Sermon October 09, 2011

JNAC Update

Sermon July 17th, 2011

The Food Bank

Glen Rhodes United Church