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Advent 2: Peace (Dec. 5, 2021)

Sicamous United Church Posted on December 5, 2021 by Rev SunnyDecember 5, 2021

Luke 3:1-6/ Luke 1:68-79/ Malachi 3:1-4

                                     Prepare for the Peace of God         

Seinfeld

Have you watched Seinfeld on TV during the 90s? I haven’t. I discovered the show later and it became my favorite show, until I discovered Doctor Who, that is. Since Jerry Seinfeld was a stand-up comedian, before they started shooting in from of a studio audience, he would warm up the crowd with some stand-up comedy. Then they would be in a laughing mood when the shooting starts.

Same thing happens at famous singers’ concerts; there are less popular singers opening the show and preparing the audience for the main event. By the time the big star comes out, the audience will already be warmed up to fully enjoy the show.

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Reflection Nov. 14, 2021

Sicamous United Church Posted on November 16, 2021 by Rev SunnyNovember 16, 2021

Mark 13:1-8/ 1 Samuel 2:1-10/ Hebrews 10:19-25

 Listen and Discern

Religious Cult

I’m afraid I have to start today’s message with a dark story. When I was young, there was a shocking news story on TV. The members of a religious cult were found dead in what appeared to be a murder/ suicide. Once in a while, we hear stories like this, and it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise, but my mother was doubly shocked because she found the name of a fellow Methodist minister’s wife. She and her daughter were found dead with the rest of the cult members. My mother said that this woman always had a tendency of believing in suspicious things.

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Remembrance Sunday 2021

Sicamous United Church Posted on November 7, 2021 by Rev SunnyNovember 7, 2021

Matthew 10:34-39/ Micah 4:1-4/ Ephesians 6:10-18

 Peace Seeking People of God

Netflix’s Squid Game

There is a Korean TV show called Squid Game that went viral on Netflix all over the world. Everybody has been talking about this show since its release in September. Last week, I got to watch the whole season. It is about desperate people with so much debt that they cannot escape who are lured into a death game for a chance to walk out with an insane sum of money.

With this parable about the ugly aspect of capitalism comes the issue of moral ethics when people are cornered between wealth and death. There are people who actively kill others for their survival. On the other hand, there is a character who sacrifices their life for someone else. Watching this show reminded me of some stories of WWII; there were heroes who risked their lives to save others, and the evil ones who betrayed others to the Nazis. It was such a big surprise on Squid Game when an unlikely character turned out to be a hero for someone else. Continue reading →

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Reflection October 24th 2021

Sicamous United Church Posted on October 24, 2021 by Rev SunnyOctober 26, 2021

Mark 10:46-52/ Job 42:1-6/ Psalm 34

 Miracles: Manifestation of God’s Power

Today, I have a privilege to start my message with a song by my favorite rock band of all times. The band is Queen, and the song is called Miracle.

These are some of the things that the song lists as a miracle: every drop of rain that falls in Sahara Desert, all God’s creations great and small, the Golden Gate and Taj Mahal, every child on every street having clothes to wear and food to eat, Sunday mornings with a cup of tea, all God’s people being free to live in perfect harmony, and so on. People generally think of miracles as supernatural phenomena, but you may have noticed from this list that they are not necessarily supernatural like the miracle stories in the Bible.

Miracle is the manifestation of God’s power, and God’s power doesn’t often come in a supernatural form like in the Bible. As Queen mentioned in this song, if every child in the world had clothes and food, that would be a miracle. If all God’s people lived in perfect harmony, that would be a miracle. Both of them need great power of God to achieve, but they would not be supernatural phenomena. There are a lot of mundane miracles in our world, if we open the eyes of our hearts to look. Continue reading →

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The Third Sunday of Easter

Sicamous United Church Posted on April 18, 2021 by Joan W.April 17, 2021

April 18, 2020 Worship  (Third Sunday of Easter)

Opening Prayer
O God, you came to the disciples and offered them Easter assurance. You gave them resurrection hope. Come to us in this time of worship, and fill us with faith, hope, and love. Amen.

Scripture Reading 1: John 3:1-7
3 1 See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he[a] is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. 3 And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
4 Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Everyone who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.

Scripture Reading 2: Luke 24:36-48
36 While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”[a] 37 They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. 38 He said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.[b] 41 While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate in their presence.
44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, 46 and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah[c] is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses[d] of these things.

Reflection
We Are the Witnesses, We Are the Proofs.
What do we need to believe in something? In my teacher’s training, I learned that using different senses such as hearing, seeing, smelling, and touching boost memory and learning. That is the reason for hands-on projects, science Continue reading →

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Second Sunday of Easter

Sicamous United Church Posted on April 11, 2021 by Joan W.April 10, 2021

April 11, 2020 Worship (Second Sunday of Easter) – Rev Sunny Kim

Opening Prayer
God, alive and among us this day, to you no door is closed, to you no heart is locked; draw us beyond our doubts and fears, till we see the risen Christ and say in our hearts, “We believe.” Amen.

Scripture Reading 1: John 20:19-29

Jesus Appears to the Disciples
19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

Jesus and Thomas
24 But Thomas (who was called the Twin[a]), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails Continue reading →

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Easter Sunday Worship

Sicamous United Church Posted on April 4, 2021 by Joan W.April 3, 2021

April 4, 2020 Worship (Easter Sunday) – Rev Sunny Kim

Call to Worship
Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed! This day calls us to be people of the resurrection! Let us take our part in the procession of all who have celebrated Christ’s resurrection through the centuries. Let us live out the power of Christ raised from the dead. Christ is risen! Amen.

Opening Prayer
God of renewed presence, on this Easter day, we know that with you all things are possible. May the Good News of Easter joy fill our lives and make our hearts glad. Amen.

Scripture Reading: Mark 16:1-8
The Resurrection of Jesus
16 When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3 They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4 When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. 6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not Continue reading →

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Lent 5 – March 21, 2021

Sicamous United Church Posted on March 21, 2021 by Joan W.March 20, 2021

March 21, 2021 Worship (Lent 5/ International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination)

Opening Prayer

Eternal One, we hear the cries of our neighbours near and far, and our hearts reach out to them. We are thankful for your promise of hope, and we are thankful for Jesus’ love for you, which he demonstrated on the cross. Through this love we get not only a glimpse of you, but we also receive the good news. Strengthen our faith; help us to see each other through your eyes, so that we will be able to experience you in more ways than one. As we worship you this day, may we be open and sensitive to each other’s needs and presence, recognizing that we are all your children. This is our prayer. Amen.

(from Revival out of helplessness: A worship service on the theme of anti-racism By Rolanda Taylor and Yvonne Terry)

Scripture Reading 1: Hebrews 5:5-10

5 So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him,

“You are my Son, today I have begotten you”; 6 as he says also in another place,

“You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.”

7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus[a] offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; 9 and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who Continue reading →

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Lent IV – Liturgy of the Seven Candles

Sicamous United Church Posted on March 14, 2021 by Joan W.March 14, 2021

Lent IV – March 14, 2021 – Daylight Savings Time Begins

Lenten Liturgy of the Seven Candles: Rev Gloria

It is Sunday morning. Last week, with all its demands, is over.  The coming week, with yet another round of demands, is not quite here.  I invite you to close your eyes and be in the moment. No matter where you are in your thoughts and feelings – relieved about what you have accomplished, anxious about what is left undone, concerned about people or projects – no matter where you are in your journey this day – I encourage you to set all that aside and consider where you are right now.  Whatever is true for you right now, in this moment, whether it be joy or sadness, gratitude or anxiety, let it come forward.  When it is fully present, then listen … for God is present in these moments, too.  God meets you where you are and calls you forward, moment by moment, guiding you slowly but surely toward transformation.

(silent time)

Bring-to-mind the seven candles, see that three have been extinguished, and now with your minds eye blow out the fourth candle.  As we extinguish this light, we acknowledge the darkness and pain caused by the lack of basic needs – lack of food for children, of shelter for the addicted teens in Vancouver, of education for the poor, of healthcare for those on the street, and lack of love for the lonely.

https://youtu.be/CNkNHu3_3oM “Lousia’s story”

 

Let us pray:

Loving God, we thank you that you are with us, and that we may call upon you no matter where we are, or what we are feeling.  Keep us mindful of your presence and trusting in your promise – that you are working with us in the moment-by-moment unfolding of our lives.  Amen.

CALL TO WORSHIP

Lead us God, into your future. Touch us with the power of your truth. Bless us with your spirit of inspiration. We are alive to God’s presence, eager to receive Christ’s insights, committed to live our lives in the presence of the spirit of truth.

PRAYER FOR FAITH AND HOPE:

As we prepare for today’s celebration Holy One, let us express our regret for the limits we have put on your Spirit at work in us, for our lack of courage to say yes to your Voice within, for our unbelief and lack of understanding of your presence in us, for acting as if we were disconnected and separate from you, our neighbour, and our world. May faith and hope burst forth in our apathy.

ASSURANCE OF THIS FAITH AND HOPE:

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.” It so hard to hunger and thirst for items of food or drink unless you can imagine what they taste like. May we be assured that if work up a strong enough hunger and thirst for justice that we can taste it.  May we stay hungry and thirsty long enough to change the world.

HYMN: https://youtu.be/C3pHXMk52sw

“Tree of Life and Awesome Mystery”

Highlight web site.

Press ctrl and c and then go to your server (google) and press ctrl v and it will copy.

Fourth verse of Lent IV

Gentle Jesus, mighty Spirit, come inflame our hearts anew, we may all your joy inherit if we bear the cross with you, if we bear the cross with you.

 

SCRIPTURE:

Numbers 21:4-9 “The Bronze Serpent”

4 From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea,[a] to go around the land of Edom; but the people became impatient on the way. 5 The people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we detest this miserable food.” 6 Then the Lord sent poisonous[b] serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died. 7 The people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord to take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. 8 And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a poisonous[c] serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live.” 9 So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live.

 

John 3:14-21 “God so Loved the World”

14 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.[a]

16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

17 “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. 20 For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. 21 But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.”[b]

MEDITATION:

         My dad and I would always laugh about one of the strangest dinners we ever shared. He and my mom had come to visit us—mainly to see our then two young boys, their grandchildren—and so we all went out to eat to celebrate our time together. After we ordered delicious food and were beginning to imagine the wonderful meal ahead, one of my children turned to my father. And, with a gleeful look on his face he said, “Now, Papa, tell me all about venom.” Being the good grandfather he was, dad decided that despite the meal we were about to enjoy, he would comply and went into what I believed to be a little too much detail about venom and poison. He talked about rattlesnakes who let us know if we are threatening them by shaking their noisy tails. He talked about copperheads who don’t usually strike the first person that steps over them…they wait for the next. He talked about the coral snake who has such a small mouth and teeth that, really, they aren’t a threat…unless you give them enough time. But the story we read today from the Hebrew Bible is about the same sort of thing. Poison. Venom. Things that kill you.

This is truly one of the oddest passages in the bible.  It is probable that the only reason that it even shows up in our lectionary is because this weeks’ gospel passage actually refers to it.  Here we find the people of Israel in the wilderness.  They have been delivered from their captivity and about to enter the promised land and once again, as they have done before; they are complaining, “murmuring” about how bad they have it. “why have you brought us up out of Egypt,” they cry to Moses, “to die in the wilderness?”  As nonsensical as the complaint has become, this time, the grumbling goes one step further. Now the Israelites not only blame Moses. They also blame God. God is understandably frustrated and a little fed up. He has led them right up to the border of the promised land and still his people have failed to trust him. Not only that, they are blaming God for their predicament; for there being no food and no water and we hate this miserable food that we do have.” So, God sends poisonous snakes which bite the people. Now, they beg him to pray to God to make the snakes go away. So, as the rabbis interpret the story, God decides that since his people do not appreciate his care and protection, he will take it away. And the vipers and snakes that have been in the desert with them all along now begin to bite the Israelites and kill them. The people don’t know what to do. Once again confronted by the consequences of their own bad choices, they turn to Moses. And Moses in turn prays to God. But God’s answer is strange enough to get our attention. God sends a strange remedy.  God tells Moses to make an image of a snake and set it on a pole then when a person is bite, all the person must do is look at the pole and live.

From the very beginning of Creation, the snake has slithered on its belly and eaten dust without a word of complaint.  The snake comes to teach humility and patience.  Many are hungry in this world; children among the hardest hit so stop complaining Israel!  This is my message to Israel, today. The snake is a way of teaching them to look at their fears, to look at themselves, to look at those things that get in the way of life.  God sends snakes to combat snakes.  God does not destroy the snake as evil instead God recreates the image of the snake as healing.  Incidentally, our medic alert-bracelets show a symbol of a snake wrapped around the pole.

We would prefer not to talk about venom and snakes and all these things that scare us, even still. Except that when we turn to our Gospel reading for today, Jesus has brought this story of serpents and poison back up in his conversation with Nicodemus. As they talk, Jesus draws a parallel between the ways that Moses lifted-up the serpent on a pole and the way that he too, as the Son of Man, will be lifted up. For Jesus, both images—the serpent and the cross—are reminders of the saving action of God. At first this seems confusing. After all, the serpent is the very image of the thing that was killing the Israelites. And the cross is a weapon of torture and death. But perhaps that is the point. For just as the snake on the staff showed the Israelites what was killing them, the cross shows humans the thing that is killing us. And it isn’t Jesus. It is us, for child poverty and homelessness need our actions. It is what we, in our self-centredness, would do to another human that is killing us. These stories—the stories of Moses’ serpent on a stick and even the story of the cross— remind us of how far we have gotten off track. And in them we recognize that reminders of God’s grace are not enough to fix things. We must, at some point, face the issues of our day. Our own mistakes. Our own brokenness. In other words, in order to be healed and brought back to life, we have to face the things that are killing us. We must face hunger in the world with action.  May the bronze serpent and the cross move us from seeing them only as symbols of our brokenness to signs of healing and hope; for God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, to save us.

We don’t often like to talk about the things that scare us or the things that we suspect might be killing us. Just as Jesus scared the moneylenders on the temple ground and while his lash was swinging and tables were up-turned and like that dinner-talk of snakes from years ago, often we are relieved when the conversation about those things comes to an end. And yet, perhaps our Scripture reminds us of something we have forgotten or ignored. It is only when we are willing to look issues full in the face… it is only when we can name the ways that we have been poisoning us, our relationships, our world…that we can also fully recognize how much we need God to help us, redeem us, and save us. And when we come face to face with that kind of power, that kind of love, we are changed. We are saved. So, let’s not turn away, my friends. Let’s look up. And live. Amen

PRAYER

God of ever-flowing love, with trust in your overflowing grace as we have gathered this day. By faith we come before you not as strangers but as friends. By faith in your grace, we have worshipped you, knowing that you do not belittle our patchy praise. By faith in your grace, we expect to hear your Word, and by faith we hope to fulfil it. Encourage us, loving God, to be bold in our trust, enthusiastic in our worship, and humble in our service. Through Christ Jesus our Redeemer. Amen!

 

BLESSING

May the Peace of Christ be with you,

The Love of God protect you,

The Holy Spirit inspire you and those you love,

In our time and beyond our time.  Amen.

 

 

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Lenten Reflection 3

Sicamous United Church Posted on March 14, 2021 by Joan W.March 20, 2021

Lenten Reflection 3 – Rev Sunny Kim

Matthew 25:37

Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink?”         

This verse comes from the Parable of the Great Judgment in  Matthew chapter 25. In this parable, on the judgment day, the Son of Man divides all the nations into two categories. Those who are put in the “sheep” category hears the Son of Man say that they are blessed because they welcomed, fed, and clothed him when he was in need. They ask him, “When did we do all those things?” He answers that whatever they had done for “one of the least of these who are members of my family” is what they had done for him.

From this parable, we learn that commitment to follow Jesus inevitably includes practical forms of service to others, all God’s children. I heard the dating wisdom that says, if you want to know what kind of person you are dating, you should observe how they treat those in service industry, such as waiters and shop keepers. These are some of the examples of “one of the least of these” that Jesus mentions in this parable. Jesus said that we would be judged by how we treat the “least of these” members of our society.

The purpose of our Lenten spiritual practices is to become faithful people of God who live by the gospel teachings. Because it is not easy to live a selfless life of humility and service, we need spiritual disciplines and training. For the remaining duration of this Season of Lent, let us focus on praying for God’s guidance so that we can serve and help the “least of these” members of our world. Let us worship God with our acts of charity and works of justice for all God’s people.

 Loving God, thank you for the gift of hospitality. Awaken in us the desire to welcome and serve freely and generously all of your marginalized children.

 

May God bless you and keep you during this pandemic and the Season of Lent, and sustain you with God’s love. Amen.

 

 

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