Reflections: June 2022

A sermon preached at Kowloon Union Church on Third Sunday After Pentecost 26 June 2022, by Rev. Phyllis Wong. The scripture readings that day were Psalm 16 and Luke 9:51-62

Opening prayer

Dear God,

Thank you for loving us and giving us the living words to transform us.

Fill our hearts with the Holy Spirit that ignite in us your hope and joy.

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, our redeemer and liberator. Amen!

**************************************************************

Revd Kwok Nai Wang, our honorary senior Minister who served in KUC for a few years 15 years ago, said that the most difficult job on earth is being a church minister.

To echo what he said I think it is not only the church minister. Sisters and brothers in Christ who serve in church as volunteers taking leadership roles and responsibility are also facing a lot of challenges and potential difficulties in many different ways. Unlike church ministers, lay church leaders don’t even have pay.

Today we have the Council members and Trustees receive the commissioning to serve God through Kowloon Union Church. I am thankful to God for their willingness to take up the positions and their generosity to share their time, talents and experiences for the church ministries and to meet the needs of the community.

When I was serving in my home church as deacon 20 years ago, sisters and brothers disagreed with each other in many different issues such as salary adjustment for pastors, development of new ministry and even small things like purchase of furniture.

Because of different opinions and views on certain things, church members would come to me and seek for support or asked me to handle the conflicts.

Honestly I was not able to resolve all the problems and fix the situations. There were times some members were angry or disappointed with me because I could not satisfy their expectations.

When I was in such circumstances, I was torn and feeling very distressed. I felt bad about myself and started to think I was not good enough to do God’s service in Church. When I prayed to God during this time of stress, I received comfort from God through his words. Psalm 16, read by Precious today, is one of those scriptures that had given me great assurance. Verse 2 in particular is the very comforting words I have ever received. “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you”. God is always the reason and source of strength in the course of my service.

Hong Kong is a very busy city. Work in here is very demanding in general. People are used to work very long hours. Overtime work is common. Many people are feeling stressed in work. They don’t have enough time to rest and with family. Even Christians cannot escape from this challenge.

For church leaders to say yes to God and are willing to give their time and energy to serve in church in the midst of their very demanding work and life is not a light decision to make. It requires their commitment to God and their faithfulness to Jesus Christ who has called them to partner with him to proclaim the Kingdom of God.

The messages taken from today’s lectionary readings are timely and helpful for sisters and brothers who have been called by God to serve.

The first point I would like to highlight is trust the Lord.

Psalm 16 is a Psalm of Trust

The Psalmist affirmed that the God of the Israelites was the one to be trusted. This God can show the path of life and give one a heart that is glad and a soul that rejoices (V.9). The theological theme is the confident trust in God, and invites those who hear or read these words to join in this trust, and to share in the benefits of God’s presence and counsel.

In 16:9, it says, “Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also rests secure.”

16:11 You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

For leaders of the church and everyone who are engaged in the service for God should bear this in mind. We trust the Lord. Life, gladness, joy and rest are the core gifts God has promised and offered. If there is no freshness and no joy, if there is only burden without rest in our body and spirit in the course of service to God, something must have gone wrong. We have to stop and to deal with the situation with a prayerful heart together.

Serving God should be a joyful experience that bring happiness to our inner heart. While I am saying this, I don’t mean serving God is an easy job without difficulties or we don’t have to make efforts. My emphasis here is that services to God should be life giving and generate joyful heart and spirit both to those who serve and to whom we serve.

The Gospel reading

Now I would like to share message inspired by the Gospel reading taken from Luke today.

From the conversation Jesus had with the followers, Jesus’ answers were direct and tough.

When a person on the road said to him he wanted to follow him, Jesus said

9:58 And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."

From the Message Bible version, it says “Are you going to rough it? We’re not staying in the best inns, you know.”

Jesus just simply gave the fact that following him and walking with him in his path did not necessarily mean a good and comfortable life.

In our contemporary world, there are Christians and Churches who emphasize the gospel of prosperity and success in the world. The words from Jesus however, remind us that we have to prepare to live a life of simplicity.

For the sake of God, followers of Christ may need to make some kinds of sacrifice according to the will and instruction of God in certain point of our life. It of course requires discernment through prayers.

9:59 To another he said, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."

9:60 But Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God."

Jesus sounded so cold and unreasonable in his response.

When I read the Message Bible version, the core meaning is clearly written. Here I read for you.

⁵⁹He said, “Certainly, but first excuse me for a couple of days, please. I have to make arrangements for my father’s funeral.”

⁶⁰Jesus refused. “First things first. Your business is life, not death. And life is urgent: Announce God’s kingdom!”

Jesus made it clear that he did not allow any excuse from the disciples who pledge to follow him. The message from Jesus is clear :

Do the thing that is most important. Life is urgent and to proclaim God’s Kingdom is the first priority.

For servants of God who lead and serve the church, set the priority in advancing God’s kingdom that is love, justice and peace.

We need to set priorities in our service to God.

One problem churches face in general today is institutionalization – making more and more rules, regulations and protocols like many worldly organisations.

Please don’t take me wrong I am not totally against developing systems, structure and policy in church that help to facilitate better management and enhance church’s ministries.

But do remember, the key mission of the church is to love God and serve the world and the people he entrusts to us.

Whatever we do in church must be life giving and love generating.

Let me go on with

9:61 Another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home."

9:62 Jesus said to him, "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."

from the Message Bible, it says:

⁶¹Then another said, “I’m ready to follow you, Master, but first excuse me while I get things straightened out at home.”

⁶²Jesus said, “No procrastination. No backward looks. You can’t put God’s kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day.”

From what Jesus said, he did not allow any excuse from disciples. He pointed out that no procrastination and no looking back of the past. Seize the day, for advancing the Kingdom of God should begin now.

The key message from Jesus is to live and serve him in the present, no looking back at the past of anything – both experiences of failure or success! No waiting of doing it tomorrow. God’s Kingdom should start now, here in this time, here in this place, and here in this life.

There may be different reasons that prevent us from fully engaging in God’s Kingdom with love and joy. For you sisters and brothers, what would that be?

I would like to share with you my recent experience in church.

A few weeks ago, I started to do walking meditation in the sanctuary. I tried to do it three times a day. As I walked in the sanctuary, I have been inspired by the broken windows.

The broken glass with cracks are not perfect. For some people they will regard those broken pieces ugly and incomplete. But I have received a spiritual revelation with an alternative perspective to look at the broken glass.

Even though the window glasses are broken, light from outside can still penetrate through the glass. The light that shines in the sanctuary is still so bright and beautiful. It makes me relate to our life.

Yes many of us may have experienced different degree of brokenness in life. It could be our failure in schools, in work and in families. Some people’s depressing life could be out of hurting experiences and disappointment in relationships, in the service to the church, in society’s unjust systems and some other reasons.

But our brokenness and wounds do not prevent God’s light to penetrate into our life. God’s love is still there to accept and embrace us with warmth.

When I look at the broken window glass in our church, I see God’s light and endless love. I see God’s healing and forgiveness.

What we need is to trust that God has never forsaken us. God came to the earth through Jesus Christ to show his forgiving and sacrificing love. He is the one giving us eternal life through his resurrection from death.

Jesus Christ is the light of the world that give us hope. After Jesus left the world, he sent the Holy Spirit to guide the disciples and he built the church community as One Body to witness God’s Kingdom.

Sisters and brothers, to close my sermon, I invite you to spend a minute to look at the broken glass and the light that penetrates into the sanctuary. Notice and feel the very presence of God in this place and in this time!

When you are meditating with the broken glass and the light, be inspired by this verse from Psalm 16:11.

This is also my prayer for you all especially for those who have received the invitation from Jesus to serve for God’s Kingdom.

16:11 You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

# posted by Kowloon Union Church : Sunday, June 26, 2022

A sermon preached at Kowloon Union Church on Trinity Sunday 12 June 2022, by Rev. Judy Chan. The scripture readings that day were Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31, Romans 5:1-5, John 16:12-15.

Good morning.

On this Trinity Sunday, let me begin with a story from my days at Hong Kong Christian Council before I retired in 2020. As some of you know, my main job there was to take care of our ecumenical Christian radio programs. Once we had a dilemma. There were some churches that had been on the radio a long long time ago, when someone else was in charge. And then they dropped out. Now one of those churches asked to rejoin the broadcasts. The request came to me as the producer. I wasn’t sure what to do. That church was recognized as a religious body in Hong Kong, but they had some teachings that were outside the mainstream of local Christian churches.

The dilemma was more than how to respond to their request. The radio ministry also needed to make clear who we are and how we operate. I was glad there were better theological minds than my own on our committee to put this together as a statement.

I remember the point made by Fr Roman Carter, one of the Catholic representatives at that time. He said, “We are a group of Trinitarian churches sharing the Good News through public media in Hong Kong.” Trinitarian – in other words – churches that believe in God as the Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

That emphasis on believing in the Trinity has stuck with me to this day. Whenever I have to evaluate whether something could properly be called ‘Christian’, I always ask, is the Trinity evident? For example, if I’m looking for a modern creed or benediction for worship – is God in three persons in there somewhere? If not, the words may sound nice and holy, but it’s not Christian. For the Trinity in essence is what makes a Christian church Christian and what distinguishes Christianity from the other Abrahamic faiths – Judaism and Islam.

So, if the Trinity is so central to Christian identity, it’s a wonder that many churches only talk about it once a year – like today – on Trinity Sunday. In fact, some preachers say they dread it because it seems the more you try to explain the Trinity, the more confused people become. I pray that’s not where we end up today. I don’t expect I’ll answer all your questions on this important subject. There’s not enough time and I don’t have all the answers anyway.

But I recall the words of a dear seminary friend whom I email daily. I was sharing my problem about a couple of books I was reading to prepare this message. She replied: “Your two books do sound far out.” Wishing me luck, she frankly admitted: “Don’t know where peace and hope and the Trinity get woven into this fabric of a sermon.” Her words hit me like a thunderbolt. That’s what people really need to hear! Not mathematical three-in-one formulas (and I’m not good at math anyway). What I really need to tell you is how the Trinity gives us peace and hope in God. So, with that ultimate goal in mind, here we go.

Let’s begin by asking why the Trinity was necessary in the first place. Wasn’t it dreamed up by some grey headed philosophers sitting in an ivory tower during antiquity? No! The doctrine of the Trinity was actually the early church’s response to challenges at the very heart of the Gospel. They had to answer questions like: Was Jesus divine or not? How are God the Father and God the Son related? What’s the place of the Holy Spirit in the Godhead?

The Church rightly understood they needed to make sense of their faith. They needed to explain, as best they could, their life-changing experience of the God who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead. To do that, they needed a framework, what theologian Alister McGrath calls the ‘Big Story’. The big story that weaves together all the important stories of their faith – Creation, Exodus, Jesus Christ, Pentecost and their own story. That big story eventually became what we call the doctrine of the Trinity.

But where did this idea of a Triune God come from? Some skeptics point out the word ‘Trinity’ isn’t actually in the Bible. And that’s true. But we certainly find references to God in three persons throughout Scripture, especially the New Testament.

Probably the two verses that most often come to mind are those we’ve incorporated into worship. Matthew 28:19: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”. And then 2 Corinthians 13:13: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

So, the makings of the Trinity have been there all along which shouldn’t surprise us. Because that’s precisely how God chose to be revealed – in personal, relational terms. Of course, not exclusively in masculine terms, because God is neither male nor female. But we use the traditional names here while recognizing there are also rich feminine images for God in the Bible.

Now, besides Matthew 28 and 2 Corinthians 13, are there other passages in Scripture describing the Trinity in action? There are many. You heard one last week from John 14 on Pentecost Sunday. And you heard another this morning from John 16, verses 12-15. Jesus is talking to his disciples on the night before his crucifixion. Even though the main focus is the role of the Spirit, if we pay attention, we find a powerful message of peace and hope and the Trinity for these troubled times.

Listen as I read again:

I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

What’s happening here? Jesus is reassuring his disciples, both then and now. He tells them no matter what happens in the future, you won’t be left on your own. Even in the worst of times, when life seems unbearable, you won’t be left without resources. You’ll always have a way forward because the Holy Spirit will lead you there, will lead into the truth – the truth about God, the truth about the world and the truth about yourself. The Holy Spirit will teach you to see things the way God sees them and to do things the way God would do them.

That won’t always be the quick or easy way, but it will be the right way. Because, Jesus says, my Heavenly Father has shared everything with me from eternity. And I share everything with the Holy Spirit in eternity. So together in love we share everything with you for eternity.

Everything! Always! Forever! And that’s the Gospel truth!
Seminary dean and pastor Clarence Weaver tells us more. He says:
The function of the Holy Spirit is to make us truthful with the truth and to counsel and console us when it seems [we’ve] lost everything of any worth or value. The Spirit comforts us when [we’re] . . . tormented . . . racked with anguish. When we stand accused, the Spirit acts as our Counsel and Defender. The Spirit teaches us the inner meaning of the commandments so that we might abide in love. The Spirit teaches us that God chooses us before we choose God.

God chooses us before we choose God. God chooses to love us before we love God. God chooses to save us before we knew we needed saving. God even chooses to let us choose whether we want to be loved and are willing to be saved. Why? Because, as Weaver concludes:

In human growth and spiritual maturity, timing is the mysterious key. When are we ready for the truth? … Jesus has things to say to us to console us, to challenge us, to comfort or to stretch us. But perhaps we “cannot hear them now.” …. But God [won’t] go away and when [we’re] ready, the Holy Spirit… will guide us into the truth and will show us, in and through this truth, how to glorify God.

For that’s what you were made for – to glorify God and be a glory to God – in other words, to add your story to the Big Story in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. May you know peace and hope this day through the One who is truly Holy, Holy, Holy, Merciful and Mighty. God in three persons, Blessed Trinity. Amen.

# posted by Kowloon Union Church : Sunday, June 12, 2022

Reflections...

Peace, Hope, and the Trinity

Archives