God’s Call, Our Leap of Faith

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Rev Sunny Kim January 24, 2020 Worship

Call to Worship

We are summoned by our holy God, who calls us each by name, and gathers us together in the unity of Jesus Christ. Together, we are called into God’s presence.                                 .

Opening Prayer

In joy and in trouble, help us, gracious God, to trust your love, to serve your purpose, and to praise your name. Amen.

 

Psalm 62:5-12

5 For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him. 6 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. 7 On God rests my deliverance and my honor; my mighty rock, my refuge is in God. 8 Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah

9 Those of low estate are but a breath, those of high estate are a delusion; in the balances they go up; they are together lighter than a breath. 10 Put no confidence in extortion, and set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, do not set your heart on them. 11 Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God,
12     and steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord. For you repay to all according to their work.

 

Mark 1:14-20

The Beginning of the Galilean Ministry

14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news[a] of God,[b] 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near;[c] repent, and believe in the good news.”[d]

Jesus Calls the First Disciples

16 As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” 18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19 As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.

Reflection

God’s Call, Our Leap of Faith

When I was called into ministry, I was teaching English at a private elementary school run by a Methodist Church. It was a Christian school and all the  teachers were Christian, but I had left the church for some years by then. Something happened during my second year at that school, which led to two of our teachers being wrongfully fired. Our grade six children cried and protested in the school playground in the rain demanding their teacher back, and the national news crew came to cover the story; it was heartbreaking and troubling. The wife of the minister who ran the school verbally abused the two teachers instead of supporting them. It is in this stormy situation that I started praying again. I prayed for the teachers and our children. But, unexpectedly, in the silence of my prayer time, I heard God’s voice. I felt God was calling me into ministry, but I could not believe God would make someone like me a pastor. Thus, I kept praying. When it became more and more obvious that God wanted me to be a minister, I quit my job and prepared for my theological school application. And as they say, “the rest is history.” Eighteen years later, here I am, never having stopped being led by God. Despite all my weaknesses, I learned to always trust God in wherever I am led, including D-Dutchmen Dairy’s chocolate milk that led me to Sicamous.

Today, we hear Mark’s account of how the first disciples were called. Jesus said, “Follow me,” and Continue reading →

Discerning Our Calls

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January 17, 2020 Worship  Rev Sunny Kim

 

Call to Worship                                      .

Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God. God’s love was revealed among us when Jesus came into the world. Since God loved us so much, we are called to love one another. Come, let us worship and love with all our hearts.

Opening Prayer

Eternal God, radiant with grace, thaw our fears and snow-bound spirits; make us shine with your Word, our hope; shine with your communion, our life; shine with your peace, our joy; through Christ, who is our light. Amen.

 

1 Samuel 3:1-10

Samuel’s Calling and Prophetic Activity

3 Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.

2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room; 3 the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the Lord called, “Samuel! Samuel!”[a] and he said, “Here I am!” 5 and ran to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down. 6 The Lord called again, “Samuel!” Samuel got up and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. 8 The Lord called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10 Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

 

John 1:43-51

Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael

43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.” 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael asked him, “Where did you get to know me?” Jesus answered, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.” 49 Nathanael replied, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Very truly, I tell you,[a] you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

 

Reflection

Discerning Our Calls

Every beginning of the New Year, we learn about the stories of the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, the stories of his baptism and calling of first disciples. I remember my beginning too. Remembering my beginning can snap me out of my complacency and spiritual laziness. It is like a New Year’s resolution for us as Christians meditating on the stories of Jesus’ beginning. According to my experience, Continue reading →

Baptiam of the Lord Sunday

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January 10, 2020 Worship (Baptism of the Lord Sunday)

 

Call to Worship                                      .

All who thirst, come to the water and drink deeply of these living streams. Come, all who are weary; come, all who yearn for forgiveness. As the waters of the Jordan washed over Jesus, so the Holy spirit washed over you and me. Our gracious God beckons and blesses us. Let us give praise for new life in Christ.

 

Opening Prayer

Baptized in the Holy Spirit, O Christ, you are the fountain of life; refresh us. You are the cleansing spring; heal us. You are the well from which we drink and never thirst again; fill us. Amen.

 

Genesis 1:1-5

1 In the beginning when God created[a] the heavens and the earth, 2 the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God[b] swept over the face of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

Mark 1:4-11

4 John the baptizer appeared[a] in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. 8 I have baptized you with[b] water; but he will baptize you with[c] the Holy Spirit.”

The Baptism of Jesus

9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved;[d] with you I am well pleased.”

Reflection

Preparing for a Dangerous Journey

I hope you all had a blessed Christmas and New Year’s. Finally, the Season of Christmas is over with Epiphany, which was last Wednesday. We celebrate Epiphany after Christmas because we start witnessing the light of God revealed in the person of Jesus. The stories of Jesus – his birth, public ministry, death, and resurrection – reveal God’s light and kingdom. Through the life and teachings of Jesus, we can understand God’s reign. We are en-light-ened through Jesus.

Light is often used as a metaphor for knowledge and wisdom. When we learn or suddenly realize Continue reading →

Christmas 2

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CHRISTMAS 2 – Rev Gloria Christian

CALL

Silent and Holy was the night.  Come and worship the Word who is born anew each Christmas.  Come let us join in joyful worship in this blessed Christmas time.

PRAYER

Holy God, we come together from homes and places, near and far, to worship you.  We seek your presence in our lives as this year winds down with all its challenges; covid-19 illness and death, death from over-dosing on drugs, accidents, and on the list goes…   You have given us life and you continue to give meaning to our lives.  Be with us as we seek the comfort of your everlasting arms in this time of worship. Amidst the worry and stress of lock downs in our area, help us to slow our minds, that we might know the promise of peace you offer in this Holy Season of Christmas.  We pray in the name of the Bethlehem Baby.  Amen.

HYMN https://youtu.be/Wk4iy6cKLLg “Love Has Come”

SCRIPTURE  John 1: 1-18

The Word Became Flesh

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it.

6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and[b] is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

 

MEDITATION: “Right Before Your Eyes”

Have you ever looked for something, turning everything inside out and upside down to find that one thing you seek to no avail? That one thing eludes your grasp and frantic search only to materialize when you stop your feverish hunt.  You realize somewhat humbled Continue reading →

Children and Heirs at Christmas

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Reflection 122720 December 27, 2020  Rev Sunny Kim

Luke 2:22-40/ Galatians 4:4-7

Children and Heirs at Christmas

After blessing my best friends’ wedding, they had been trying hard and waiting long to adopt a child. They went to parenting classes, wrote their profiles, and waited till they got a match. It was a long waiting period, and they had an “almost” case that ended up being taken away from them. Mike was especially devastated since he was the one who strongly wanted children. Then three years later, they had good news. They were given two children, biological siblings. Their biological mom is a broken woman, abused as a child by her father and went through the foster system herself. Their biological dad has a drug addict for a mother and has a tendency towards violence. They were taken away from their mom the day after their births and placed in a foster home. When they first came to live with my friends, they looked like they were straight out of a Dickensian orphanage. When I received their photos several months later, they looked noticeably different. Now that they are psychologically settled and happy, they look like Continue reading →

Being God’s House of Love – Advent 4 December 20, 2020

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Reflection 122220 (Advent 4: Love) Rev Sunny Kim

Luke 1:26-38/ 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16

Being God’s House of Love

This past week, I read a sad and unfortunate piece of news coming from my home country and my home church, the Korean Methodist Church. A young Methodist minister, Rev. Lee, got suspended from duty for 2 years for offering a blessing at the Queer Festival. According to the Methodist policies, the act of offering a blessing at the Queer Festival is considered condoning a lifestyle incompatible with God’s teaching. Of course, I and many of our United Church members disagree with it. We believe that God’s love and blessing are for everyone, and we are taught not to judge or persecute others. I was heartbroken at the news from Korea. Some United Church folks are sending him letters of support. I thought the Korean ministers who belong to the United Church should send a collective letter, which will be more powerful than anyone else’s letter. I am currently pursuing the support of our Korean ministers. When he was invited to offer a blessing at the festival, Rev. Lee followed the guidance of the Holy Spirit and made a difficult decision to do what is right, knowing that he will be persecuted by the Church and society. He said he would do it again; he believes in the universal love of God.

It was serendipitous hearing the story of Rev. Lee as I was reading the story of Mary being chosen Continue reading →

Joy that Comes from Peace and Justice – Advent 3

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Reflection 121320 (Advent 3: Joy) December 13, 2020

Luke 1:47-55/ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

Joy That Comes from Peace and Justice

Since I left the Methodist Church and joined the United Church of Canada over the LGBTQ issue, I wanted my first wedding to be a same sex wedding. That dream came true when my dear friends Mike and Raphael decided to get married and asked me to perform the ceremony. Some of their friends and they travelled all the way to Kimberley BC to get married at my church. This event was full of emotions for all three of us for many different reasons, but for me, besides seeing my best friends get married and the fact that I was presiding over the ceremony, I shed the tears of joy that come from a feeling of liberation. We tend to take marriage for granted, but we should remember that not everyone is allowed to get married all over the world. Mike came from a country that oppresses and marginalizes LGBTQ people; he gave up his secure career as a pediatrician for the right to love and marry whom he wants. I left my beloved mother Continue reading →

Righteousness and Peace will Kiss – Advent 2 December 6, 2020

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Reflection 120620 (Advent 2: Peace)

Mark 1:1-8/ Isaiah 40:1-11/ Psalm 85

Righteousness and Peace Will Kiss

I don’t have any children, so I don’t understand the relationship dynamic between children and parents, or children and grandparents. But I learned from my mother that, since sometimes parents have to scold and discipline the children, the grandparents’ role is to provide tenderness. When children are scolded by a parent and start crying, it’s the grandmother’s role to give them a hug and comfort them. About two years ago, I became godmother to two beautiful children adopted by my best friends, who are a gay couple. Since our children have two dads, we decided that the godmother should become their mother; that is why they call me Mama. During my second visit to them, daddy had to scold them, and they ran to me crying. That’s when I realized Continue reading →

Hope Requires Patience – Advent 1 November 29, 2020

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Reflection 112920 (Advent 1: Hope)

Mark 13:24-37/ Isaiah 64:1-9/ 1 Corinthians 1:3-9

Hope Requires Patience

As you know, I had my first eye surgery last week. I was scared and nervous about going through an eye surgery while being conscious, and a part of me did not want to go through with it. But I had my first surgery, and from the next day, my operated eye could see clearly. What a relief! Now my challenge is to keep reminding myself that this eye will take 6 weeks to heal and that I should continue being careful and administering my eye drops for this whole time. I must remind myself daily because I get impatient. Because my new eye can already see clearly, I tend to think the process is over; but if I become careless because of that, I could damage it. Six weeks seem long and frustrating. Then I need the other eye done with 6 extra weeks of recovery! Patience is a challenge Continue reading →

Message November 22, 2020

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Today is Reign of Christ Sunday, and since we cannot meet in person in worship,  today’s sermon is posted.   I’m also attaching the hymn “Crown Him With Many Crowns” for Reign of Christ Sunday. Here it is.
I pray that you will have a blessed Sunday and week, and wait for Advent that starts next Sunday. Let us not let this pandemic and lockdown interfere with our relationship with God and with each other.
Peace and Blessings,
Rev. Sunny Kim