Sicamous United Church

Deuteronomy 26:1-11/ Philippians 4:4-9/ Psalm 100/ John 6:25-35

Thanksgiving Requires Faith

Recognizing God’s Blessing

Both the Christian Church and the secular culture teach us that we should be grateful. That is why we have Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and in Korea, we even have Teacher’s Day. All these people love and take care of us. We know as common knowledge that we should be grateful for them.

There are many other things for which we are grateful in our lives. Some things are obvious, such as visible and tangible success, abundance in resources, and whatever makes us happy. We can easily recognize them as blessing and be thankful for them. However, not all blessing looks obvious. It is because we tend to see things through our human and secular lens.

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Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28/ Psalm 14/ Luke 15:1-10

Healing Starts with Repentance

The Giving Tree

Once, there was a boy and a tree that loved him. He played on the tree, took a nap under it, and they were happy together. But then, the boy grew up and lost interest in the joy he shared with the tree. He wanted money, so the tree let him pick its apples and sell them for money. Then, he wanted a house, so the tree let him cut off its branches to build one. When he wanted a boat to take him far away, the tree let him cut down its trunk to make a boat. When the boy came back as an old man, too weak to do much, the tree, which was only a stump by then, let him sit and rest.

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Jeremiah 18:1-11/ Psalm 139:1:1-6, 13-18/ Luke 14:25-33

We Are God’s Clay

Empty Your Mind

Buddhism has been in Korea for over 1000 years. Considering that Christianity has only been in Korea for 200 years, you can easily guess the impact of Buddhism in the Korean culture. That is how even non-Buddhists learn something about Buddhism. What I have learned about the Korean Buddhism, which is a bit different from, for example, the Tibetan Buddhism, is summarized in the key word of its doctrine, “nothingness.” Korean Buddhism teaches that we have to empty our minds.

A famous Buddhist monk who lived 1000 years ago was once travelling, when it became dark and he had to find a shelter for the night. He found a dark cave. When he became extremely thirsty, in the dark, he found a bowl of water and drank it, thinking that it was the sweetest water he had tasted. In the morning, he discovered that this “sweet water” was, in fact, a skull with rotten water in it. This experience gave him the revelation that everything is in our head. Buddhism teaches that the source of the human suffering is obsession. For example, we want more than we can get, so, we suffer. We should train to be like flexible water.

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Jeremiah 1:4-10/ Psalm 71:1-6/ Luke 13:10-17

Compassion and Humility

Purpose of Law

These days, since I have been watching a show about a lawyer, I get to reflect on law more than usual. The thing about the law is that, although it is invented for the benefit of the people who live with each other as a society, it does not always do good to the people it is designed to serve.

Not all laws are good; some laws are evil because they allow bigotry and discrimination. There was a time when black Americans were legally not allowed the same rights as white Americans. Interracial marriage was illegal too. Gay and trans people could legally get fired from work or evicted from their landlords. In my home country, we have been fighting for 17 years to pass the anti-discrimination law. Spoiler alert: it hasn’t been passed yet.

Of course, the fact that some laws are evil is not a good enough reason to become lawless. However, we should work towards making sure our law serves people better, because the law should protect people instead of sacrificing people for the sake of the law.

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Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16/ Isaiah 1:1, 10-20/ Luke 12:32-40

Where Faith Leads Us

Doctor Who

Today, we will reflect on faith. When I started meditating on today’s scriptures, the first thing that popped into my mind was my favorite TV show of all time, Doctor Who. In that show, the Doctor always travels with one or more companions. They all develop deep affection and trust for the Doctor. The Doctor often calls them “my best friends.”

In one episode, the Doctor leaves his companion Clara alone in the enemy’s lair. She feels betrayed. She is scared. The enemy asks her, “Where is the other one?” She pretends to be brave and starts bluffing. The enemy is ready to torture her for information. In this state of terror, Clara says, “I don’t know where he is. But I know where he will be, where he will always be. If the Doctor is still the Doctor, he will have my back.” And she extends her hand backwards hoping that the Doctor will suddenly show up and hold it. As she waits in silence and utters, “Go on, please, please. God, say I’m right,” he does appear and holds her hand. It turns out, he was disguising himself to come incognito. For me, Clara’s attitude in this scene shows us what faith is about. Even in mortal danger, she mustered up courage through her faith and trust.

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