A sermon preached at Kowloon Union Church on Fourth Sunday after Pentecost 20 June 2021, by Rev Phyllis Wong. The scripture readings were Psalm 107:1-3, 23-32; 1 Samuel 17:1a, 4 – 11, 19 – 23 ; 32-49.
Thank you Joel for your message. It is
very uplifting and encouraging.
Apart from studying, reading books and
writing assignments while he is in HK, Joel has been actively using his labor/body
strength to take care of the church’s gardens. He is very diligent to come to
the church at least three days a week to water the plants and tidy up the gardens.
In the midst of life challenges and many
uncertainties, Joel does not give up. I have been so much inspired by many
refugees and asylum seekers like him all over these years. Aimé, actually is
another person I admire for his courage. Their faith and resilience is such a
great encouragement to me and many others. In a way, I see Jesus Christ lives
in them when they are suffering and when they are enduring all these struggles
by putting God at their centre of life.
I would like to use Jesus’ words in
response to those he had been healed. One example is after he healed the woman
suffering from blood discharge problem for 12 years. He said to her: “Your faith has saved you”. Faith
entails trust and responsibility. Joel takes his responsibility for his life.
He makes choices for himself. He makes good use of his time to equip himself
and to do service for others and for the church. He makes offering within his
very limited capacity. Instead of living a life of complaints, he chooses to
live it fully with praise. He does not waste his time to wait for nothing. But
he has actively engaged himself in meaningful activities so he is able to live
a life, a life of abundance by God’s grace.
Faith entails responsibility. Our responsibility
is to make choices in our life.
In today’s gospel story, it tells us how
the disciples are facing a great windstorm when they are on the boat and how
Jesus makes the wind cease and calms the sea.
After Jesus did the miracle, he asked his
disciples this question: “Why are you
afraid? Have you still no faith?”
I have a question with these two questions. Why
did Jesus ask this question after he restored peace for them and not before he
did it?
Was it because he realized that the disciples
were still afraid and in disbelief after he had done such an amazing miracle?
Let see what goes on after Jesus’ questions.
At the end of the story, the scriptures said:
And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this,
that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
The scriptures said the disciples on the boat
were filled with great awe. I am attracted by this word – Awe. What does AWE
mean?
AWE. It means - a
feeling of reverential (divine) respect mixed with fear or wonder.
Did the disciples still disbelieve and wonder
if is it true? Or did they immediately acknowledge the power of Jesus? Or they
are still not sure, they still have mixed feelings and they are still not fully
understanding? The closing of the story gives us an open answer to understand
the disciples at that time. It also give us an open space for us to reflect on
our faith in Jesus. How would we respond to the work of Jesus in our life when we
are facing storms?
The question from Jesus could be a challenge.
It is challenge to those who are disciples of
Jesus and take him as their Lord, their saviour and liberator, do they follow
him with fear or with wonder of respect and trust? You may take time to think
and pray for it.
The question from Jesus could have another
meaning.
And I would suggest it could be taken as an
invitation to us. Jesus invites us to receive his peace and put our faith in
him who is revealing God’s full love and gracious presence on earth.
I will take the testimony and message of Joel
shared with us today as a support to my
suggestion.
No rights to work for asylum seekers who
have to passively rely on others’ financial support. Long legal process to assess
their application for refugee status. Long waiting time for resettling in other
countries even after their refugee status is confirmed. We can imagine life
storms could never end to asylum seekers and refugees in Hong Kong. Every human
being, I believe, encounters different kinds of storms in life, big or small,
short or long lasting.
From the gospel story from Mark, let us
notice and remember one very important fact and truth. When the disciples were
facing the heavy windstorm and life threatening danger, Jesus was on the boat
with them. Jesus was never absent. He was fully present! But he chose not to
panic. He had deep peace inside him so he was not afraid. He went to sleep.
In the midst of life storms, let us
remember that Jesus Christ our Lord, the prince of peace is on the boat with
us. He is the peace within us.
Yesterday the Refugee Ministry Group
celebrated World Refugee Day in the Church of Christ in China - Wan Chai. Our
Harambe Choir was singing beautifully there. The theme of the celebration this
year is “Standing Together in Hope”.
When we look at the gospel story, do
notice that the scriptures said there are many boats in the sea when the storms
come.
It informs us another truth, there are
people around suffering with us and facing the same difficult situation. What
we need to do is to stand together and help each other.
When people are able to stand together,
help and care for each other, there is hope and new possibilities. The gospel
story does mention about whether if the people help each other. It is up to us
to complete that part and continue to the spreading of the good news Jesus has
already given us.
With the presence of Jesus on the boat and
many people on different boats in a stormy sea, we know that we are never
alone!
Being together with God and with each
other is important. That’s why Jesus built the Christian community, the church
of which takes Jesus as the head of this one body.
In the midst of a storm, let us work
together, care and support each other. By the power, love and grace of God
through Jesus Christ, the incarnate, I am sure we shall overcome all fear and
live a life of peace and hope together.
I would like to close my sermon with
Psalm 107: 1-2:
1 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is
good;
for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
those he redeemed from trouble
May God bless you all!
# posted by Kowloon Union Church : Sunday, June 20, 2021
A sermon preached at Kowloon Union Church on Pentecost Sunday 6 June 2021, by Phyllis Wong . The scripture reading that day were Psalm 138 and Mark 3:20-35.
Opening prayer
Loving and living God,
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable and pleasing to you. Amen!
The gospel reading taken from Mark is talking about Jesus’ understanding and his practice of what a family is all about.
The text tells us that Jesus called his disciples and then he formed a new community to serve those in need. He healed the sick and casted out evil spirits. His good deeds had attracted a lot of people going to seek help from him. He and his disciples worked very hard, day and night.
Jesus’ popularity was criticized by those who did not accept him. They said that he was crazy and called out his family members and tried to stop him.
When Jesus’s mother, brothers and sisters went to see him, not only did Jesus not come out from the house to see them. He said something very unusual.
3:33 And he replied, "Who are my mother and my brothers?"
3:34 And looking at those who sat around him, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers!
3:35 Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."
To you, how would you describe kinship/family?
I would say Jesus’ definition of family is very radical. And his way to live a family life is remarkable.
He regarded those who were there with him serving together and being served as his family members. Jesus said in 3:35 “Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."
Jesus has built a new community, in which people have no biological relationship, are living together like a family, loving and serving one other and doing the will of God.
That is probably why in church, believers of Christ call each other sisters and brothers.
Jesus said, “Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."
What is the will of God?
- The will of God is to love. The greatest commandment has informed us the most important part of God’s will : To love God and to love our neighbor as ourselves.
- For the will of God, I will add this: “To do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with our God.” (Micah 6:8)
Today in our church we have added new members. The gospel reading is just timely for us to reflect and to remember Jesus’ profound words and deeds in building a Christian family in a narrow sense, the kindom of God in a broader sense.
The sermon title: Making of God’s Kindom on earth.
It is Kindom and not Kingdom. It is not a spelling mistake. It is intentional. We don’t need a king to rule over the world and God’s creation. What we need is kinship, kindom is a world built of relationship but not of power and control. As church and Christ’s disciples, what we are called to do is to create kindom where people are loving and accepting each other as who they are, respecting and helping each other, serving together the poor and the lowly.
It is sad to see so many people not even accepted and loved by their own families for various reasons. For church, God’s kindom, we are there to receive, to accept and to love as sisters and brothers.
Jesus has called the church to share the good news and baptise people, and teach them whatever he has taught the disciples.
To be baptised is to join the body of Christ, a new community that focuses on God.
I would thus encourage the newly baptised sisters and brothers and all who have been baptised to remember our identity as Jesus’ family member in God’s kindom. We have to live a faithful life following the will of God.
Psalm 138:6 says “For though the LORD is high, he regards the lowly; but the haughty he perceives from far away.”
That is again another great reminder of the church to stand with the weak, the marginalized and the minorities as we are building the kindom according to the will of God.
To live a life according to the will of God is not an easy mission. We would face different challenges.
Let’s look at Jesus. When he was doing what God had asked him to do and fulfil his mission on earth, he was attacked by those who were opposed to him. They said that he was possessed by demons. And his power was coming from the evil spirits.
When we are doing something good and righteous to defend the weak and the lowly, we may be criticized and demonised by others.
This reminded me of my personal experience. I was criticized and labelled as a problematic pastor because I accepted and embrace gay, lesbian and transgender people as who they are in God’s beautiful creation.
The Catholic Church that recently organized Mass in their parish for the commemoration of the dead on the 4th of June was demonised as a cult.
In creating God’s Kindom to preserve life, dignity, freedom and justice, we have to be strong and courageous to prepare for all kinds of possible attack and criticism.
The Old Testament reading from Psalm 130:7 is great to assure us that :
138:7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies; you stretch out your hand, and your right hand delivers me.
May the word of God today strengthen us and keep us.
We are facing a very difficult and challenging political and social realities with the National Security Law and the Global Pandemic that have generated a lot of uncertainties, worries, anxieties and fear. Within the church, we also face challenges as we are people with differences in many different ways.
Ministers and church leaders indeed have additional pressure and burden when we are faithfully following the will of God and walk with Christ in his way of truth and life.
But we know we are not alone, God is with us and we are with each other.
As long as we stay strong in the unity of Christ and in the steadfast love of God, no demon can defeat us. Let us bear this in mind and live out this faith together by building a strong community of Christ.
Psalm (138:8) also reminds that it is God, the steadfast love, who fulfil his purpose for us. All human works are carried out for the sake of God. We as church are doing God’s will and to make the Kindom of love and peace for all.
In creating God’s kindom, I remember a man whose story I would like to share.
This is an old man over 80 years. He walked to the church one day with a walking stick two years ago. He spoke to Maggie and me. He shared that he has noticed our church and what we have been doing. He said he will make a donation to our church. After a short period of time we received a cheque of HK$100,000 in support of people who are in need. When our city and all over the world has been affected so much by the pandemic, he wrote to us and sent us another cheque to support us. Just last week, I receive from him another cheque to support the church ministry. This donor is a Christian. The generosity of this man reveals God’s endorsement to our work. It is great encouragement. Although this man is not a member of our congregation, but he is definitely a family member of the church in Christ. We share the same kindom in God.
Before I finish my sermon, I would like to close with these words from Jesus: "Who are my mother and my brothers?"
And looking at those who sat around him, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers!
3:35 Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."
I now invite you all to look around you and say in your heart: Here are my mother, my brothers and my sisters in God’s kindom.
Let us pray:
Thank you God for your word and for your spirit of love.
Thank you for the spiritual family that you have given us through Jesus. Strengthen us and transform us. Amen!
END
# posted by Kowloon Union Church : Sunday, June 06, 2021
