Online Worship

Welcome to our online worship service. Due to the spread of the COVID-19, Chungdong First Methodist Church, English Ministry will continue worshiping online until further notice. We hope and pray that things will get back to normal soon. In the meantime, please join us with your family and friends for the online worship. You can follow the liturgy here along with the video sermon. Click on the links provided for hymns. The order of service has been simplified to include a prayer and two hymns. We will keep you updated with regards to services during the following weeks. Please remember to pray for the country, the leaders and those affected by this crisis.

April 5th, 2020

Family Worship - 5 April 2020
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Rev. Se Hyoung Lee
Senior Pastor, Chungong English Ministry

Dear Chungdong Family,
Welcome to our online worship service. Thank you for joining us. Along with our brothers and sisters all around the world, we’re now coming to terms with the “new normal” brought about by the coronavirus pandemic. Due to the spread of the COVID-19, Chungdong First Methodist Church, English Ministry will continue worshiping online until further notice. We hope and pray that things will get back to normal soon. In the meantime, please join us with your family and friends for the online worship. You can follow the liturgy here along with the video sermon. Click on the links provided for hymns. The order of service has been simplified to include a prayer and two hymns. We will keep you updated with regards to services during the following weeks. Please remember to pray for the country, the leaders and those affected by this crisis.

This week’s preacher is Rev. Se Hyoung Lee.

HOME WORSHIP

Call to Worship
As our call to worship today, let’s confess out loud the following words:
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
—Psalm 27:1

Song of Praise
Singing is an ancient Christian tradition. No virus or any other global crisis can keep God’s people from raising our voices in praise. By singing from home, we are engaging in an act of resistance, telling the world that no matter it throws at us we will be faithful to the God who casts out fear.

All Glory Laud and Honor

Opening prayer
Prayer of God’s People during COVID-19
by Rev. Larry Doornbos

God who stills the waters and quiets the storm,
God who lets not a hair of our heads fall without your knowledge,
God who brings sight to the blind and words to quieted tongues,
God who created the earth and all that is in it,
God who teaches the foolish and strengthens the wise,
God who promises a coming day
when there will be no more mourning or crying or pain,
when death will pass away,
when all things will be made new:
Bring healing to our world, to our neighbors, and to us.
Bring wisdom so we may honor you and bring glory to you in these days of plague.
Bring strength so we may rejoice in your love.
Bring patience that is grounded in actively living in your ways.
Bring hope that is rooted in your good news of shalom.
Bring grace and calm to us so we may bring grace and calm to others.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

Confession of Faith
We believe in God, the Creator of all that we see and all that we do not see.
We believe in Jesus Christ, God becomes flesh; in death the Forgiver of sinners, in rising the Healer of the broken.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, God within us, Comforter, Strengthener and Friend.
Amen

Prayer for illumination:
Prepare our hearts, o Lord, to accept your word. Silence in us any voice but your own; that, hearing, we may also obey your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

Old Testament Lesson
Isaiah 50:4-9a, Psalm 31:9-16

Isaiah 50:4–9 (NIRV)
4 The LORD and King has taught me what to say.
He has taught me how to help those who are tired.
He wakes me up every morning.
He makes me want to listen like a good student.
5 The LORD and King has unplugged my ears.
I’ve always obeyed him.
I haven’t turned away from him.
6 I let my enemies beat me on my bare back.
I let them pull the hair out of my beard.
I didn’t turn my face away
when they made fun of me and spit on me.
7 The LORD and King helps me.
He won’t let me be dishonored.
So I’ve made up my mind to keep on serving him.
I know he won’t let me be put to shame.
8 He is near. He will prove I haven’t done anything wrong.
So who will bring charges against me?
Let’s face each other in court!
Who can bring charges against me?
Let him come and face me!
9 The LORD and King helps me.
So who will judge me?
My enemies will be like clothes that moths have eaten up.
They will disappear.

These are the Words of Life.
Thanks be to God.

Psalm 31:9-16 (NIRV)
9 LORD, have mercy on me. I’m in deep trouble.
I’m so sad I can hardly see.
My whole body grows weak with sadness.
10 Pain has taken over my life.
My years are spent in groaning.
I have no strength because I’m hurting so much.
My body is getting weaker and weaker.
11 My neighbors make fun of me
because I have so many enemies.
My closest friends are afraid of me.
People who see me on the street run away from me.
12 No one remembers me. I might as well be dead.
I have become like broken pottery.
13 I hear many people whispering,
“There is terror all around him!”
Many have joined together against me.
They plan to kill me.
14 But I trust in you, LORD.
I say, “You are my God.”
15 My whole life is in your hands.
Save me from the hands of my enemies.
Save me from those who are chasing me.
16 May you look on me with favor.
Save me because your love is faithful.

This is the Psalm of Life.
Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL READING
Matthew 27:11-54 (NIRV)

Jesus Is Brought to Pilate.
11 Jesus was standing in front of the governor. The governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “Yes. You have said so,” Jesus replied. 12 But when the chief priests and the elders brought charges against him, he did not answer. 13 Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the charges they are bringing against you?” 14 But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge. The governor was really amazed. 15 It was the governor’s practice at the Passover Feast to let one prisoner go free. The people could choose the one they wanted. 16 At that time they had a well-known prisoner named Jesus Barabbas. 17 So when the crowd gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to set free? Jesus Barabbas? Or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” 18 Pilate knew that the leaders wanted to get their own way. He knew this was why they had handed Jesus over to him. 19 While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him a message. It said, “Don’t have anything to do with that man. He is not guilty. I have suffered a great deal in a dream today because of him.” 20 But the chief priests and the elders talked the crowd into asking for Barabbas and having Jesus put to death. 21 “Which of the two do you want me to set free?” asked the governor. “Barabbas,” they answered. 22 “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked. They all answered, “Crucify him!” 23 “Why? What wrong has he done?” asked Pilate. But they shouted even louder, “Crucify him!” 24 Pilate saw that he wasn’t getting anywhere. Instead, the crowd was starting to get angry. So he took water and washed his hands in front of them. “I am not guilty of this man’s death,” he said. “You are accountable for that!” 25 All the people answered, “Put the blame for his death on us and our children!” 26 Pilate let Barabbas go free. But he had Jesus whipped. Then he handed him over to be nailed to a cross.

The Soldiers Make Fun of Jesus
27 The governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the palace, which was called the Praetorium. All the rest of the soldiers gathered around him. 28 They took off his clothes and put a purple robe on him. 29 Then they twisted thorns together to make a crown. They placed it on his head. They put a stick in his right hand. Then they fell on their knees in front of him and made fun of him. “We honor you, king of the Jews!” they said. 30 They spit on him. They hit him on the head with the stick again and again. 31 After they had made fun of him, they took off the robe. They put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him away to nail him to a cross.

Jesus Is Nailed to a Cross
32 On their way out of the city, they met a man from Cyrene. His name was Simon. They forced him to carry the cross. 33 They came to a place called Golgotha. The word Golgotha means the Place of the Skull. 34 There they mixed wine with bitter spices and gave it to Jesus to drink. After tasting it, he refused to drink it. 35 When they had nailed him to the cross, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 36 They sat down and kept watch over him there. 37 Above his head they placed the written charge against him. It read, this is Jesus, the king of the Jews. 38 Two rebels against Rome were crucified with him. One was on his right and one was on his left. 39 Those who passed by shouted at Jesus and made fun of him. They shook their heads 40 and said, “So you are going to destroy the temple and build it again in three days? Then save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” 41 In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders made fun of him. 42 “He saved others,” they said. “But he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross! Then we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him. He’s the one who said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ” 44 In the same way the rebels who were being crucified with Jesus also made fun of him.

Jesus Dies
45 From noon until three o’clock, the whole land was covered with darkness. 46 About three o’clock, Jesus cried out in a loud voice. He said, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” This means “My God, my God, why have you deserted me?” (Psalm 22:1) 47 Some of those standing there heard Jesus cry out. They said, “He’s calling for Elijah.” 48 Right away one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar and put it on a stick. He offered it to Jesus to drink. 49 The rest said, “Leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.” 50 After Jesus cried out again in a loud voice, he died. 51 At that moment the temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook. The rocks split. 52 Tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs. After Jesus was raised from the dead, they went into the holy city. There they appeared to many people. 54 The Roman commander and those guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened. They were terrified. They exclaimed, “He was surely the Son of God!”

This is the Gospel of Christ.
Thanks be to God.

New Testament Reading
Philippians 2:5-11 (NIRV)

5 As you deal with one another, you should think and act as Jesus did. 6 In his very nature he was God. Jesus was equal with God. But Jesus didn’t take advantage of that fact. 7 Instead, he made himself nothing. He did this by taking on the nature of a servant. He was made just like human beings. 8 He appeared as a man. He was humble and obeyed God completely. He did this even though it led to his death. Even worse, he died on a cross! 9 So God lifted him up to the highest place. God gave him the name that is above every name. 10 When the name of Jesus is spoken, everyone will kneel down to worship him. Everyone in heaven and on earth and under the earth will kneel down to worship him. 11 Everyone’s mouth will say that Jesus Christ is Lord. And God the Father will receive the glory.

This is the Word of Life.
Thanks be to God.

SERMON
The Crucified God
Rev. Se Hyoung Lee

Isaiah 50:4-9a;
Psalm 31:9-16;
Philippians 2:5-11;
Matthew 27:11-54

135 years ago, the Reverend Henry G. Appenzeller stepped foot on Korean soil for the first time. If it wasn’t for the current Coronavirus situation, we would all be singing Korean hymns at the “Sing a New Song” praise festival and worship service to commemorate the 135th anniversary of Korean missions. However, COVID19 has totally changed our lives and the daily way we go about things. The entire world has currently placed a stop on all kinds of movement between countries, and any kind of gathering is strictly prohibited. Students are taking classes from home, and congregation members are scattered in their respective homes attending church via online services. May the comforting touch of the Lord be upon all of those suffering from COVID19, as well as those that have already lost loved ones to the virus as well. May the Lord’s power be present among all doctors and nurses, volunteers and leaders striving to defeat the COVID19 in the front lines. May the Lord’ blessing be with all of those who’ve lost their jobs, have seen loss in their businesses, have suffered the loss of fellowship and studies due to being trapped indoors, to all of us in these dire and uncertain times, may the Lord be a light of hope for us.

Chungdong’s English Ministry has also experienced several big changes in its ministry calendar due to the Coronavirus. During last week’s video conference with the pastors, we made the decision to cancel the youth vision trip to Vladivostok, as well as reducing the summer vacation bible camp to not be held outdoors but at church over the course of only two Saturdays. Until the church says otherwise, we will continue to conduct our services online.

Today is both Palm Sunday and Passion Week. On the eve of the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Lord ate his Last Supper with his disciples. The Lord raised the bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to his disciples while saying, “Take, eat. This is my body.” He also raised the cup, gave thanks, then gave it to them saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is my blood for the covenant, which is poured for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

After finishing the meal, Jesus and his disciples climbed up Gethsemane to pray, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want.” In that time, Judas betrayed Jesus by turning him over to the High Priest Caiaphas. The high priest declared “he has blasphemed” and handed him over to Pontius Pilate.

Pilate knew that Jesus had been handed over to him due to the jealousy of the people. Thus he asked the gathered crowd, “Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” The people cried out in unison, “Let him be crucified!” The people who could defend or excuse Jesus are nowhere to be seen as he stands alone before the court of Pilate ready to take on the sins of humanity. The Lord is speechless. The crowds continue to shout all the more, “Let him be crucified!” Seeing that a riot might form, Pilate washed his hands with water before the crowd as he “handed him over to be crucified.”

The soldiers’ whips had tips with lead portions which would tear into Jesus’ flesh upon each lash. After the Passover meal, Jesus hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep, hadn’t eaten anything since and was simply exhausted. Pilate’s soldiers stripped Jesus, put a scarlet robe on him, placed a crown of twisted thorns on his head, made him hold a reed in his right hand and mocked him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” Then they spat on him, took his reed and struck his head.

Bearing the cross, Jesus fell down many times, which the soldiers responded each time with their vicious whips. As the sun begin to rise, Jesus felt parched as he felt his consciousness slowly slip away. He was flogged due to our sins. He was struck down so that we would be healed. As Jesus continued to fall over, the soldiers grabbed a bystander in the crowd from Cyrene named Simon to carry the cross in his place. Around noon they arrived at Golgotha (Place of a Skull). The soldiers offered Jesus wine mixed with gall, to which he refused. The soldiers nailed Jesus to the cross. The large nails ripped through his flesh, his nerves and blood vessels exploding, bones breaking as they dug into the wood underneath. Unimaginable pain, pain that would make anyone faint is felt through all corners of Jesus’ body. The tree stands for the mother. Jesus nailed to the cross is embraced by the mother. Burdened from carrying the entire sins of humanity, Jesus is embraced by the bosom of his mother Mary, who stands at the foot of the cross with the weight of the universe.

The cross is raised to where the temple in Jerusalem can be seen afar. The women weep out loud. Yet the Lord speaks to them. “Daughters, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children.” Flesh torn from the nails, body growing heavier and sagging, head drenched in blood from the thorny crown. And yet, beneath the cross of the one who was giving up his life for the sin of humanity were soldiers who were throwing dice to divide up the clothes Jesus’ own mother had sewn for him. Oh, foolish soldiers. The Lord’s suffering continues as the notice nailed to the top of cross declares, “THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

One of the bandits nailed to the cross next to him mock Jesus along with the crowd with “If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” There is no end to the insults towards Christ. Oh, meticulous sin. Oh, the persistent jealousy of humanity. The people literally insult and mock Jesus to his death. As Jesus is nailed to the cross, all the earth is saddened by the impending death and darkness covers the place. Around three o’clock, the Lord cries out towards the heavens. “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Ah… My Father God! How could you abandon your own son? The son abandoned by his father, the father who abandoned his son. As the time of God’s absences closes in, the entire earth is blanketed in the dark. The people are still there, joking that they should wait to see if Elijah will come and save Jesus. Oh! The brutality of outrageous sin! “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” Our Lord breathed his last breath. Ah. The Lord has left this world. Ah. The Lord has passed away.

The Lord, who was in essence the same as God, did not attempt to become an equal being to God, but rather laid down all things entitled to him, taking on the role of the slave and came amongst us as a human being. Not to be served, but to serve others he came and died, nailed to the cross.

Even while receiving so many insults, the Lord did not respond but held it in. Like a lamb led to slaughter, like a mother sheep standing still as they shear her wool, he held his tongue. Even after an unfair trial and being wrongfully sentenced, no one came to defend or rescue or worry for his sake. He took on the crimes of our sins and was sentenced to death. He was sentenced alongside criminals, and was nailed to the cross with the unrighteous. All of us had nothing to say before the Lord’s crucifixion. For we kneeled over, trembling in fear at the foot of the Lord’s cross.

Yahweh God!
Have mercy on us. We are in agony.
As we look upon the death of the Lord, we cried ourselves to exhaustion, our eyes blurry and our throats parched.
In so much pain we just might breathe our last.
No longer can we endure as each bones seems to rust away.

Yahweh God!
Due to my sins, our blameless Lord Jesus
Became the people’s target for mockery, their jealousy and was seen as an eyesore.
The Lord’s death is due to my sins.
It’s because of my persistent jealousy.
It’s because of my worthless self.
Oh! Lord, forgive us for our sins.

Oh! Yahweh God.
The centurion’s confession resonates from our hearts.
“Truly, this was the Son of God.”
Oh! Lord. Our Lord who was killed today.
My Lord. You are my Savior and my God.

Here I lay my sin, my faults, my flaws at the cross of the Lord.
I lay down my being.
Oh! Lord! Save us from the hands of the evil ones!
Oh! Lord! Embrace us as the true children of our Lord!

The unfailing love of the Lord,
A love that transcends all of our thoughts.
We give ourselves up to the immeasurable love of our Lord.
We give ourselves into the Lord’s embrace.
Receive us.

Oh! Lord.
Oh! Lord of the Cross!
Oh! Lord of Suffering!
Oh! Lord of Salvation!
Oh! The Crucified God. Amen.

THE LORD'S PRAYER

CLOSING HYMN
Stay with Me, Watch and Pray

BENEDICTION

8 March 2020

Family Worship, March 8 2020
File Size:	720 kb
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Rev. SeHyoung Lee
Senior Pastor, Chungdong English Minstry

Welcome
Blessings to you in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ! Here at Chungdong First Methodist Church, English Ministry, we seek to live out our calling as the Body of Christ, as a people chosen, known, loved and sent out by our Living Lord. Here, we are a family of faith – not always perfect, but always bound together by something greater than we are. Centered on God’s Word, and empowered by His Holy Spirit, together we seek to be the kind of congregation our Lord has called us to be. We would love to welcome you in worship. Therefore: The Lord Jesus Christ is with us today.

Opening prayer
Dear God, You call us,
Wanderer of seashores and sidewalks,
inviting us to sail out of our smug harbors
into the uncharted waters of faith
to wander off from our predictable paths to follow You
into the unpredictable footsteps of the kingdom;
to leave the comfort of our homes and accompany
You into the uncomfortable places we usually avoid.
As we wait,
in our simple, sometimes crazy,
constantly uncertain lives,
speak to us, Spirit of Grace:
of that hope which is our anchor;
of that peace which is our rock;
of that grace which is our refuge.

In this time of Lent, we pray for our nation and the world. We pray for hope and courage. We pray for a vaccine for the Coronavirus and that You will intervene. Give wisdom to those in power and healing to those affected. Give us a spirit of love and faith to endure and to encourage. In the Name of Jesus we pray.
Amen

Worship Song
'And Can it Be'

Confession of Faith
We believe in God, the Creator of all that we see and all that we do not see.
We believe in Jesus Christ, God becomes flesh; in death the Forgiver of sinners, in rising the Healer of the broken.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, God within us, Comforter, Strengthener and Friend.
Amen

Prayer for illumination
Prepare our hearts, o Lord, to accept your word.
Silence in us any voice but your won; that, hearing, we may also obey your will;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

Old Testament Reading
Psalm 32 (NIRV) - A maskil of David.
Blessed is the person whose lawless acts are forgiven. Their sins have been taken away. Blessed is the person whose sin the LORD never counts against them. That person doesn’t want to cheat anyone. When I kept silent about my sin, my body became weak because I groaned all day long. Day and night you punished me. I became weaker and weaker as I do in the heat of summer. Then I admitted my sin to you. I didn’t cover up the wrong I had done. I said, “I will admit my lawless acts to the LORD.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin. Let everyone who is faithful pray to you while they can still look to you. When troubles come like a flood, they certainly won’t reach those who are faithful. You are my hiding place. You will keep me safe from trouble. You will surround me with songs sung by those who praise you because you save your people. I will guide you and teach you the way you should go. I will give you good advice and watch over you with love. Don’t be like a horse or a mule. They can’t understand anything. They have to be controlled by bits and bridles. If they aren’t, they won’t come to you. Sinful people have all kinds of trouble. But the LORD’s faithful love is all around those who trust in him. Be glad because of what the LORD has done for you. Be joyful, you who do what is right! Sing, all you whose hearts are honest!

New Testament Reading
James 5:7-11 (NIRV)
Brothers and sisters, be patient until the Lord comes. See how the farmer waits for the land to produce its rich crop. See how patient the farmer is for the fall and spring rains. You too must be patient. You must remain strong. The Lord will soon come back. Brothers and sisters, don’t find fault with one another. If you do, you will be judged. And the Judge is standing at the door! Brothers and sisters, think about the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. They are an example of how to be patient when you suffer. 11 As you know, we think that people who don’t give up are blessed. You have heard that Job was patient. And you have seen what the Lord finally did for him. The Lord is full of tender mercy and loving concern.

Sermon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ImZOLLKhas&

Live out the Lenten Wilderness Road in Grace
Psalm 32, James 5:7-11

The season of Lent is here. It is a time of deeply reflecting upon the Lord’s suffering and looking over our own lives. Unfortunately, due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19), we find ourselves in difficult times unable to even gather in the church to collectively meet and worship together. Of course, there are those neighbors with the actual virus who are suffering more than us, but it seems the entire global community including Korea is suffering in all aspects of our lives as well. Times of suffering, times of disaster, times of hardship; for us in such times, there is no other way. To suffer is to endure, and live each day in grace.

Lent is the time where we remember the 40 days of the Lord’s suffering leading up to the resurrection, as well as reflecting upon ourselves. The number 40 is rather significant in Christian history. Therein lies the meaning of waiting, but also the meaning of preparing. If we say the average human lives up to 80 years today, this boils down to 29,200 days we potentially have on this earth. If we can offer up 40 of these 29,200 days to God and renew our life journey, I believe there to be no other thing as meaningful and fulfilling as this. I am currently unable to meet each and every one of you, face-to-face, but I seek to spend these 40 days as a meaningful time spent in the grace given to us by our Lord.

Pastor Rick Warren, author of 'The Purpose Driven Life', wrote in the book’s preface about changes people of God experienced: “Noah’s life was transformed by 40 days of rain. Moses was transformed by 40 days on Mount Sinai. The Spies were transformed by 40 days in the promised land. David was transformed by Goliath’s 40-day challenge. Elijah was transformed when God gave him 40 days of strength from a single meal. The entire city of Nineveh was transformed when God gave the people 40 days of to change. Jesus was empowered by 40 days in the wilderness. The disciples were transformed by 40 days with Jesus after his resurrection.” Dearly beloved, what kind of change do you wish to experience during the 40 days of Lent this year?

As I enter into the season of Lent, I thought of how I should live in terms of my relationship to God, my neighbors, and with myself.

First, I thought of a deep relationship with God. During this season, I seek to wake up early every morn to read the bible. Currently, I began reading the NIV from Genesis 15 chapters daily. Rather than getting lost in deep meditation or theological ponderings, I aim to purely read the word out loud. I expect to finish around half the bible by the time the season of Lent comes to a close. By then, I feel this will become a habit, which I hope to keep going. After reading the word, I seek to pray deeply over specific verses that resonated from my reading with the Lord. Not a prayer with some goal or intention in mind, but purely a passive prayer as the Lord leads me. During the past 10 days, God gave me the inspiration to pray for the Korean church, particularly guiding me to offer up a repenting prayer for the Korean Church. Also, this repenting prayer for the church naturally led to a repenting prayer for my own life and ministry, and enabled me to encounter God’s grace in a deeper way.

Second, I thought of how to live for my neighbors. During this time of Lent, I seek to personally meet 5 people every week for counseling. Rather than trying to teach my neighbor, the best thing I can do for my neighbor is to offer ears to listen and a heart to empathize with and accompany their walk through their suffering so that they can see the image of God within themselves, become empowered and stand strong by their own volition. At the same time, I would like to invite my neighbor to pray for me during this Lenten season, therefore building up intercessory prayer. Praying for congregation members, praying for my students, praying for the leaders and public servants and nurses and workers of this nation, pray for those working for the economy, and pray for those suffering neighbors.

Third, I seek to practice reducing things for my own personal life’s sake. I enjoy drinking coffee. I decided to quite coffee during this time. I decided to both preserve my health and reduce my fossil footprint by walking instead of driving short distances. I seek to reduce my consumption of carbohydrates and consume the appropriate servings that will hopefully help lower my weight. By reducing things, I will gain the grace of recovering an orderly and healthy lifestyle. Also, during the final week of Lent, I seek to spend it fasting while thinking about the Lord’s suffering.

Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) many startups are suffering, educational institutions are changing their schedules, while supermarkets, restaurant owners and people in the tourism industry are facing bankruptcy. Churches too are facing crisis in their ministry. We cannot predict what the future may bring. All we can determine is that the present is a time of suffering, a time of walking through the wilderness.

Times of suffering are not geared towards success, but rather times for us to endure by relying on and becoming empowered by the grace of God. Jewish Rabbi Harold Kushner proposed in his book 'When Bad Things Happen to Good People' to ask the question of “How?” instead of “Why?” when facing times of suffering. The question of Why? Is important in our lives. To question why we are living is an important question seeking to find the meaning of life. However, when we face difficulty, the road to help becomes blocked when we ask “Why?” to God, our neighbors, and ourselves. Rather than ‘Why?’, when we ask ‘How?’, then we can pray to God ‘help us in our suffering.’ We can seek help from our neighbor. We can console ourselves lost in our circumstance.

Suffering brings about solidarity. When the Lord walked through the wilderness, he did not resist nor abandon, but quietly took in every bit of suffering with his body. He accepted each bit of scorn, contempt, insult, the cross, suffering and death directly and came to complete salvation. In this season of Lent, we require the grace of endurance. Just as it is written in today’s scripture from James, may we remember the suffering of Job.

All life exists due to having endured through wind and rain, cold and hardship. Trees grow stronger as they plant their roots deeper despite the wind. In life we also encounter much suffering in the form of unemployment, sickness, poverty, pain and failure, but by passing through such suffering do we become stronger. The people who waited and endured were able to enter the land of Canaan. The one who endured till the end gained salvation. Those who endure through the dark night see the new morning.

Moses spent 40 years stuck in the wilderness without a name for himself and in times of suffering. He had retreated to tending to his father-in-law’s sheep and withdrawn to the wilderness. After enduring through those 40 years, God called him to use him for 40 more years. He was used for as much of the time spent in the wilderness. Dearly beloved, during this Lenten season, you who are worshipping from home due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19), you who are facing suffering in all forms such as economical, life failures, illness, and others, I pray for the blessing of God that allows us to acknowledge that while suffering is painful, we who endure and pass through the wilderness will be able to enter the promised lands. For the upcoming week or two, we may be forced to worship from our homes, but I await in eager anticipation to meet you all at church once more, as I bless you with the grace of the Lord to be with you in these times in the wilderness. May the grace of the wilderness, the grace of endurance, the grace of salvation overflow with you, and you, and all of you. Amen.

Meditation
'Give me Jesus': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmR0z4EWUjw

The Lord’s Prayer
Therefore we pray as Jesus taught His disciples:
Our Father, which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth,
As it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive them that trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
The power, and the glory,
For ever and ever. Amen.

Closing song
'Come live in the Light': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DCzqHV-Xns

Closing Prayer
Gracious Father, we have come to the end of this worship, and we want to thank you. We thank you God for...

Every prayer we have prayed
Every song we have sung
All the things we have learned.

Thank you for all the joy you bring.
May we walk with you in the week to come.

May we rest in you, believe in you and hope in you.
This day and forever.
Amen.

15 March 2020

Family Worship, March 15 2020
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Rev. Johan Reiners
Pastor, Chungdong English Ministry

Dear Chungdong Family,
You can follow the liturgy here along with the video sermon. Click on the links provided for hymns. The order of service has been simplified to include a prayer and two hymns. We will keep you updated with regards to services during the following weeks. Please remember to pray for the country, the leaders and those affected by this crisis.

Welcome
Welcome to today’s service. Let’s just bow our heads and pray. You’re welcome to follow our morning prayer on the online bulletin.

Opening prayer
Jesus Christ, you traveled through towns and villages “curing every disease and illness.” At your command, the sick were made well. Come to our aid now, in the midst of the global spread of the corona-virus, that we may experience your healing love.

Heal those who are sick with the virus.
May they regain their strength and health through quality medical care.

Heal us from our fear.

Be with the doctors, nurses, researchers and all medical professionals who seek to heal and help those affected and who put themselves at risk in the process.
May they know your protection and peace.
In place of our anxiety, give us your peace.
Jesus Christ, heal us.

And, in this time of Lent, teach us your peace and help us to hear your Word of life.
In Jesus’ name.
Amen

Worship Song
Love Divine All Loves Excelling

Confession of Faith
We believe in God, the Creator of all that we see and all that we do not see.
We believe in Jesus Christ, God becomes flesh; in death the Forgiver of sinners, in rising the Healer of the broken.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, God within us, Comforter, Strengthener and Friend.
Amen

Prayer for illumination
Prepare our hearts, o Lord, to accept your word.
Silence in us any voice but your own;
that, hearing, we may also obey your will;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

Gospel Reading
John 4:4-6 New International Version (NIV)
Jesus Talks With a Samaritan Woman
Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee. Now he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.

Sermon
Passing, Pausing and Perusing in the Place of the Dreaded Virus - Rev. Johan Reiners

Passing, Pausing and Perusing in the Place of the Dreaded Virus
With the words “Happy birthday to you! How have you been?” I texted a friend of mine earlier this week. His answer: “Thank you. I’m doing well, but this virus makes me blue!” I texted another friend asking about his whereabouts and how he’s doing. The answer: “I really miss going out! I hope the virus thing ends soon!” A Facebook friend posted a picture of an empty Line 1 subway carriage. The “Virus” is creating havoc everywhere and, believe it or not, is changing the world into a before and after scenario. We all feel the effect of the virus in our everyday lives, the economy, the way we go about doing our daily tasks, and, most of all, in our emotions and the way that we try to cope with the effect of it. People are cut off, avoid places of gathering, and have to deal with a new set of social rules – don’t touch, don’t trust, don’t get too close. But, most of all, it is the forced solitude – the place of silence and aloneness that gets to us. What do we do with this place – this imposed place?
Interesting enough is that this is also, according to the church calendar, the time of Lent. Lent is a time of reflection, a time of inward-looking, contemplation, and silence. We’re marching slowly to Jerusalem, Gethsemane, Golgotha, and then on that glorious Easter morning, the open grave!
In our Gospel reading, we revisited a most exciting journey. Jesus, we are told, is on his way to Galilee and, according to John, had to pass through Samaria. Odd, isn’t it? Jews simply never gave though Samaria if they could help it, but Jesus, we are made to notice, had to pass through this dreaded part – not exactly a favorite pass-through place for any Jew. He had to pass; I think because He had an appointment – although the appointee had no idea.
So, John is particular about the urge or need for Jesus to pass through Samaria. That’s location-specific. He is also time-specific. It was noon. John wants us to take note of these facts. They are not to be ignored and taken lightly. Let’s investigate what God wants to say to us about it:

1. Passing through Samaria
Well, Samaria wasn’t the exact favorite place of Jews. You didn’t see too many of them journeying through, and if you’re lucky enough to spot one, do not expect to have a conversation, let alone a discussion and a friendly chat! Yet, Jesus decided to pass through it in the act of divine appointment. Divine appointment in Samaria – the place of exclusion, the site of least expectation.
Moreover, He passed there at noon – the hottest part of the day when everyone hides from the heat of the day. The time of hiding – aloneness, rest, seclusion. That’s where we focus on this extraordinary sacred moment in time –a Samaritan woman and the Jewish Jesus, the Messiah.
In the Bible, we find many of these divine appointments. Appointments where an ordinary place becomes a sacred temple, a holy mountain, a divine encounter between man and God. Moses with the burning bush; Daniel in the lion den; Joseph in prison, Nicodemus in the night, and Saul on his way to Damascus. Places where the mundane, the common, the ordinary is turned into the extraordinary, the sacred, the God-place. A place not sanctified by us, but by the passing of the Divine through it.
In this time of Lent, along with the CODVID-19 driving us into our Samaria, let us remember, Jesus is passing through it. It’s also a place of divine appointment and a meeting place with the Messiah. The place of confusion, anticipation, and also fear, uncertainty, and not-knowing, is also a sacred place of meeting. It has been for Moses, Abraham, David, and even Jesus in the wilderness.

2. Pausing at the Well
Jesus didn’t merely pass through in a hurry. He paused – all to his disciples’ frustration.
There in the heat of the day, we see an encounter between a social and religious outsider, a spiritual loser. In John 3, we see the famous man Nicodemus use the cover of darkness to hide himself. In John 4, we see an infamous Samaritan woman use the heat of the noontime sun as a way to avoid contact with others. It sounds a bit like us here in Korea in 2020! In John 3, Nicodemus initiated the conversation by delivering to Jesus the verdict as to who the religious authorities deemed Jesus to be. Here we see Jesus initiates the discussion through the simple request for a drink of water.
Those are some of the differences, but there are similarities, too. In both John 3 and John 4, the subject of water comes up: Jesus told Nicodemus that the spiritual re-birth he needed comes through "water and the Spirit." Now the conversation with this woman centers on living water. Also, despite the vast disparities between Nicodemus and this woman from Sychar, both of them are hiding. Nicodemus hid in the darkness; this woman hid in the daylight, and neither wanted to be seen by other people. Both were hiding, running, but finally also seeking something. That's because they both need a new life that only Jesus can give. Nicodemus was at the top of the religious heap, and this woman was at the bottom. But Jesus was the answer for both, which tells you a lot about the gospel and who needs it. Everybody needs it. A final similarity between these two stories is that both Nicodemus and this woman are at first very confused by Jesus.
In the case of this woman, there were lots of things bombarding her senses that day. First of all, she didn't expect to run into anyone at the well, much less a Jewish man. In fact, avoiding other people is precisely why she did the foolish thing of drawing water at the hottest hour of the day. At six pounds per gallon, water is heavy stuff to tote around. That's why in villages like Sychar people gathered at the town well in the cool of the early morning and then again later in the cool of the evening. Noontime was too scorching for such work.
That's why it was this woman's favorite time to get water: she didn't have to run into anyone because, in the past, whenever she did encounter other people at the well, she withered under their judgmental stares. The heat of the noonday sun couldn't hold a candle to the heat of social stigma and disapproval. For you see, this woman "had a past," a bad reputation. She was the village whore, the five-time divorcee now rumored to be shacked up with man #6. She wasn't "good people."
There at the town watering hole where everyone gathered twice a day to fetch water, gossip a bit, lingered a bit to tell some tales, catch up on the news, and also stay current on all the juiciest town gossip, she was not to be found. This Samaritan woman had no doubt long been a favorite subject of such scuttlebutt. Needless to say, when she used to show up at the well in person, a lot of conversation ceased, eyes were averted, maybe even a few dirty looks were directed her way.
So eventually she'd given up. She stayed home when everyone else was out, and she went out only when everyone else was home. But, here at noon – in the heat of a scorching sun burning down on them, Jesus paused with her. Time to talk, time to get into the heart of this woman in hiding. When Jesus passed through, He makes the time to pause. That’s the time when the woman at the well becomes you and I.

3. Perusing about Living Water
It was time for Jesus to look deep into her heart. Moreover, he speaks the words of life to her. He uses the well as an occasion to introduce the memorable image of living water--a new spring of water that would well and bubble up into all eternity. When Jesus cuts right into the very need of our heart, it’s not to judge like what this woman was used to. It’s time to unearth, clean, disinfect, straight-talk, life talk! He sees her thirst. He sees beyond what anyone else could ever imagine – and He speaks life into it. Water! My kind of water for your type of thirst.

In her heart, he heard the cry; I need Thee!

I need Thee every hour,
Most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine
Can peace afford.
I need Thee, O I need Thee,
Every hour I need Thee!
O bless me now, Savior,
I come to Thee.

I need Thee every hour,
Stay Thou near by;
Temptations lose their power,
When Thou art nigh. I need Thee, O I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee!
O bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.

I need Thee every hour,
In joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide,
Or life is vain.
I need Thee, O I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee!
O bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.

What is the need of your heart? He who is passing is pausing and perusing the depths of your heart and soul.

Conclusion
Eventually, she catches on to what Jesus is saying. Unlike Nicodemus, we know how she responded: she raced back to the village and began knocking on doors whose doorsteps she had not darkened in years. Somehow she forgot that she was supposed to avoid these people. Instead, she rather quickly becomes a member of the community again. Before this story is finished, villagers are actually speaking to her again (and speaking gratefully at that).
It's all rather exciting and ultimately rather happy, too. But the disciples are confused, perplexed, even a bit distressed by it all. They don't understand what, in the name of all that is holy, would inspire Jesus to talk to a Samaritan woman.
So Jesus has to explain things to them, and what he says comes down to this in verses 34-38: there is work to be done, a spiritual harvest to gather in. The disciples' problem is they didn't see this. They saw Samaria as a place to pass through as quickly as possible. It never occurred to them that Samaria is a place to pause; a place of new life; a place to be filled. All their lives they had been taught to bracket all Samaritans, to write them off. Jesus had a somewhat different point of view. If this woman was worth engaging with the good news of the gospel, then that opened up the field of potential gospel-receivers to pretty much everyone!
Surely it changed the life of this sad woman from Sychar. Later in verses 39-42, as the Samaritans happily urge Jesus to stay in their village for a while, I picture the whole jubilant crowd hustling Jesus and the disciples back into town.
As the noise of their laughter fades and as the dust from their feet settles in the noonday heat, I can see an abandoned water jug next to Jacob's well. In her hiding there was a passing, a pausing and a life changing perusing. May we encounter the Living Jesus, the Living Water in this time of seclusion, this time of uncertainty, this time of waiting. To encounter Jesus is to find life--a stream of living water that wells up in us now; a stream of water that will mount up over time until it finally becomes a mighty tidal wave of cleansing that will wash over the entire world, making us and all things new. That's the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thanks be to God!

The Lord’s Prayer
Therefore, let us pray as Jesus taught His disciples:
Our Father, which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth,
As it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive them that trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, T
he power, and the glory,
For ever and ever.
Amen.

Closing Hymn
I Need Thee Every Hour

Closing Prayer
Gracious Father, we have come to the end of this worship, and we want to thank you. We thank you God for...

Every prayer we have prayed
Every song we have sung
All the things we have learned.

Thank you for all the joy you bring.
May we walk with you in the week to come.

May we rest in you, believe in you and hope in you.
This day and forever
Amen.

22 March 2020

Family Worship 22 March 2020
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Rev. Joung Chul Lee

Welcome
Welcome to today’s service. Let’s just bow our heads and pray. You’re welcome to follow our morning prayer on the online bulletin.

Call to Worship
Leader: The earth shakes, the mountains quake -- tempting our hearts to fear.
People: God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Leader: Rivers overflow their banks – too far away to quench the wildfires, yet we remember,
People: God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Leader: When our children are away from home and out of our sight, we take comfort in knowing.
People: God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Leader: Whether we have reached the end of our days or the end of our diagnoses, we rest in the truth that
People: God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
All: God, you alone are our refuge; you alone are our strength. We look to you in these troubling times.

Song of Praise

Oh, for a Thousand Tongues to Sing.

Opening Prayer
Prayer for a Pandemic, by Cameron Bellm

May we who are merely inconvenienced
Remember those whose lives are at stake.
May we who have no risk factors
Remember those most vulnerable.
May we who have the luxury of working from home
Remember those who must choose between preserving their health or making their rent.
May we who have the flexibility to care for our children when their schools close
Remember those who have no options.
May we who have to cancel our trips
Remember those that have no safe place to go.
May we who are losing our margin money in the tumult of the economic market
Remember those who have no margin at all.
May we who settle in for a quarantine at home
Remember those who have no home.
As fear grips our country,
let us choose love.
During this time when we cannot physically wrap our arms around each other,
Let us yet find ways to be the loving embrace of God to our neighbors.
Amen.

Worship Song

Love Divine All Loves Excelling

Confession of Faith
We believe in God, the Creator of all that we see and all that we do not see.
We believe in Jesus Christ, God becomes flesh; in death the Forgiver of sinners, in rising the Healer of the broken.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, God within us, Comforter, Strengthener and Friend.
Amen

Prayer for Illumination
Prepare our hearts, o Lord, to accept your word. Silence in us any voice but your own; that, hearing, we may also obey your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

Gospel reading
Matthew 22:37-40 (New International Reader's Version)
Jesus replied, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your mind.’ This is the first and most important commandment. And the second is like it. ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ Everything that is written in the Law and the Prophets is based on these two commandments.”

Sermon
Wisdom from Luther - Matthew 22:37:40

Introduction

Currently, we are facing many challenges.
- COVID-19 spreading more widely, globally;
- Doesn’t seem to end soon;
- Economy goes unstable;
- No vaccine yet;
- Schools start late, parents struggle;
- Especially 12th graders;
- Churches haven’t had worship services for weeks;
- Cluster infection happened in a church last week
So, I begin this sermon with a heavy heart.
As a preacher, I am also facing another challenge. What message should I deliver? What does God speak to us today? I’ve tried to hear God’s voice but to be honest with you, what I have is not the clear voice of God but the mind full of heartbreak and grief for all of us, for all humankind, and of the fact that human beings, who seemed that they could do everything they wanted, actually are so weak and vulnerable.
To find wisdom, I have tried to go back to Christian traditions and find if there was any similar situation in the past; and then I have found one interesting letter written by Martin Luther, the reformer. He had faced a similar challenge and left a record of his letter that he wrote to someone who was asking him whether it was OK to flee when the plague occurs.
His answer was very inspiring, helping us realize what to think about at this moment. So I’d like to share it with you today and would like to see what lessons we can have from his letter.

Luther’s Letter: “Whether One May Flee From A Deadly Plague”

Luther was born in 1483, so basically a person who lived in the 15 and 16 centuries. During his time, the disease known as the Black Death, or 흑사병 in Korean, was a huge problem. It first appeared in the 14th century and was widely spread until the 17th century. The record says that almost 100 million-200 million people died due to the Black Death. So, one person wrote a letter to Luther, asking if it is okay to flee when a deadly plague occurs, or what and how to do when such a situation happens.
Luther himself was not able to respond to the person immediately for some reason. Maybe he was not sure what to say as if I wasn’t sure what was the message of God when I was preparing this sermon. Some people say that he was sick as well. But the person sent more letters to him, so he decided to write this letter with a quite lengthy answer.
And let me try to summarize it:
- First, he says, leaving is fine. If you can leave, leave.
  - It’s not a bad thing. He says we have so many examples in the Bible who decide to leave to save their lives: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Uriah, Elijah, Moses, etc.
  - It is a natural response of human beings to flee from a dangerous situation. Also, it is how we protect ourselves given by God and how we care about our Creator.
  - So he says that there is no need to judge or criticize those who flee.
- Second, he says, but there are people who need to stay.
  - They are those who have public and pastoral responsibility such as ministers, doctors, nurses, mayors, judges, etc.
  - He reminds of John 10:11-12: “A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep but the hired hand sees the wolf coming and flees.”
  - Also Luther says that parents and other caregivers should not leave unless they have arranged someone to take care of those of whom they have been taking care.
- Lastly, no matter whether you decide to stay or not, he emphasizes that one thing you need to keep in mind is to look around and see if there is anyone who is in need of care.
  - He says, “Godliness is nothing else but service to God. Service to God is indeed service to our neighbor.”
  - And he underlines that the neighbor does not simply mean just a random person around us, but who needs care and help: the needy. The sick and the poor.
  - In one part of the letter, he says, “If you wish to serve Christ and to wait on him, very well, you have your sick neighbor close at hand. Go to him and serve him, and you will surely find Christ in him, not outwardly but in his word.”
  - In the other part, he says Psalm 41 [:1–3], “Blessed is he who considers the poor. The Lord will deliver him, protect him and keep him alive.”
  - By saying these, he says, do not desert your neighbors. And find who needs help.

Interpretation

So, I think what he says overall is this:
- Self-care: Do all you can do to avoid the plague.
- Public-care: If you are serving the public, your work precedes your self-care.
- Neighbor-care (Needy-care): you don’t want to save yourself alone. Take care of the needy. That’s the most important thing, because “what you did to one of the least is what you did to me” [Matt. 25:40].
From him, we learn many things. Especially, he teaches us that what we need to primarily think about during this time is how we can practice our love for God and neighbors: the basics!
- For him, caring about themselves, finishing their public duties, and taking care of the needy were the ways to love God and neighbors.
- Then how about us? First of all, we should realize that even in this crisis, the question we need to ask is not necessarily something like: will this crisis end? When will it be? When will the vaccine be ready to use? How much does the stock price go down more? But this: how can we practice our love for God and neighbors even during this time?

First: I think we should do our best to keep ourselves safe and well from the virus. This is our spiritual practice.
- According to Luther, that is a way to take care of not only ourselves but also our neighbors. Keep ourselves safe is a way to keep our neighbors safe.
- So we need to keep the prevention rules as much as we can. We need to wash hands, do social distancing, and wearing masks. You probably haven’t thought that keeping those rules are spiritual practices or faith practices, but they actually are; because we want to do that not just for us, but for our neighbors.
- This is also why we are not having worship services at the sanctuary. We do so not because we’re fearful, but because we believe that that is a way to practice our love for our neighbors and larger society.
- Luther says, do your best to flee from pestilence. If you know the pestilence is coming but you don’t do anything, that is a testing God, which you shouldn’t do. That is like that you don’t run out of the house even though the house is on fire; or it’s like that you don’t take any medicine even though you are sick; and saying you trust in God, you believe God will deliver you or what comes to you is the punishment. Luther says, that’s not trust, that’s a suicide before God.

Second: It’s also important to keep ourselves informed with the most accurate and recent information regarding COVID-19.
- Keeping us informed with the accurate information and sharing the right information with other people are all our spiritual practices as well.
- It’s been a serious problem that people share lots of wrong information through church related Kakao chatting rooms.
- People receive the message that has some information, and they think that that information is important; so they send it to someone else without cross check; but in many cases, when those messages do not have clear resources, there is a high chance that that is false news.
- Organizations such as the National Counsel of Churches in Korea, Christian Ethics Movement in Korea, point out that Christians should feel the responsibility when they share any information with other people.
- Last week, there was one church that caused the cluster infection because of misinformation. How sad it is. They tried what they thought was right. But it brought a totally opposite situation.
- We are responsible for even keeping ourselves with the right information. That is also our spiritual practice we can do now.

Third: We should also turn to our eyes from ourselves to the needy.
- According to Luther, it’s not enough to keep ourselves safe from the disease. We should take a look at the invisible corner of society and find who are in the blind spot.
- When this kind of situation happens, the socially marginalized, the mentally disabled or physically disabled people face bigger challenges to survive. For example, soup kitchen is closed. It is also harder for them to buy the masks. It is much harder for them to live if they are asked to do self-isolation.
- There are lots of groups of people who need more care during this time such as doctors, nurses, delivery riders, etc.
- So I think it is time that churches need to think about how to help those people.
- The list goes on. However, let me wrap it up here. I would like to share one website link (written in Korean) that introduces some organizations that need help at this moment: https://www.peacemomo.org/boardPost/101739/103. So, you may want to check the website or you may want to do your own research to find people who need help.

Conclusion
The point is this: 500 years ago when the Black Death was a pandemic, Luther said do your best to get away from pestilence. He also said at the same time, do not think about yourself alone, look around give attention to the needy.

He implies that taking care of ourselves and to take care of the needy around us are both the ways of worship, ways of honoring Christ, ways of loving God and neighbors.

So my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ I want to encourage you to think about what will be the best ways to love God and Neighbors at this time. I want you to think about very concrete and practical methods you can do.

Closing Hymn

God go before you to lead you,
God go behind you to protect you,
God go beneath you to support you,
God go beside you to befriend you.
Do not be afraid.
May the blessing of God the Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit be upon you.
Do not be afraid.
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Amen.

Benediction
God go before you to lead you,
God go behind you to protect you,
God go beneath you to support you,
God go beside you to befriend you.
Do not be afraid.
May the blessing of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit be upon you.
Do not be afraid.
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.

Amen.

29 MARCH 2020

Family Worship - 23 March 2020
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Rev. Johan Reiners
Pastor, Chungdong English Ministry

HOME WORSHIP

Welcome
Welcome to today’s service.

Call to Worship
As our call to worship today, let’s confess out loud the following words:
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
—Psalm 27:1

Song of Praise
Singing is an ancient Christian tradition. No virus or any other global crisis can keep God’s people from raising our voices in praise. By singing from home, we are engaging in an act of resistance, telling the world that no matter it throws at us we will be faithful to the God who casts out fear.

When Peace Like a River

Opening Prayer
Prayer for a Pandemic, by Cameron Bellm

May we who are merely inconvenienced
Remember those whose lives are at stake.
May we who have no risk factors
Remember those most vulnerable.
May we who have the luxury of working from home
Remember those who must choose between preserving their health or making their rent.
May we who have the flexibility to care for our children when their schools close
Remember those who have no options.
May we who have to cancel our trips
Remember those that have no safe place to go.
May we who are losing our margin money in the tumult of the economic market
Remember those who have no margin at all.
May we who settle in for a quarantine at home
Remember those who have no home.
As fear grips our country,
let us choose love.
During this time when we cannot physically wrap our arms around each other,
Let us yet find ways to be the loving embrace of God to our neighbors.
Amen.

Confession of Faith
We believe in God, the Creator of all that we see and all that we do not see.
We believe in Jesus Christ, God becomes flesh; in death the Forgiver of sinners, in rising the Healer of the broken.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, God within us, Comforter, Strengthener and Friend.
Amen

Prayer for illumination:
Prepare our hearts, o Lord, to accept your word. Silence in us any voice but your own; that, hearing, we may also obey your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

GOSPEL READING
Luke 13:31-35

Hear the words of the Gospel:
At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.” He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem! “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’[b]”

This is the Gospel of Christ.
Thanks be to God.

SERMON

How Are You Today?
People of faith, I have a question. It's a simple one, but, I think, important. The question is: How are you? The question reminds of one morning, after the worship service, while I was greeting people at the door, I also asked in a passing-by manner to everyone, "How are you?" It was then when one congregant, an elderly lady, actually stopped and, with a twinkle in her eye, answered: "How much time do you have to listen?" After that, I never took this question lightly.

In this time of turmoil when, as we speak, the world is changing forever, and there is very little assurance of what the world of tomorrow will look like, I want to ask you: how are you? And, how about asking this question to someone next to you, near you, even far from you by text, phone call or e-mail?

In this time of lent, as we're getting closer to the cross on Good Friday, I wonder what Jesus would say if we had to ask Him this question.

Jesus was making his way to Jerusalem. In Luke 13, he's stopped by the Pharisees informing him that Herod Antipas king of Galilee, was out to stop him. Taking into account the hatred of the Pharisees, the king's vendetta against him, and the bleak future with a bloody and cruel cross awaiting him - and he knew it, Jesus' answer to our question might not have been too favorable. Not a simple "fine thanks, and you." He might also have inquired about the time we had available to listen.

This passage leads us into the inner chambers of Jesus' heart. We see pathos, passion, and pain. In his passion, there is even anger. Let's look at three points here:

1. The Pain
When the Pharisees told Jesus that Herod Antipas was out to kill him, he answered with an unexpected, even shocking: "Go tell that fox…." Wow! Not particularly language fit for a person like Jesus, we would argue. According to William Barclay, calling someone a fox for a Jew was a symbol of three things. "First, it was regarded as the slyest of animals. Second, it was regarded as the most destructive of animals. Third, it was the symbol of a worthless and insignificant man."

This "fox" was a real danger. The Pharisees probably had the best of intentions to warn Jesus for his own sake. Flee! Go away from here! There is danger!

All around us, we are bombarded with the news of the "fox" - an invisible danger out to kill and destroy. It is real. It's not a war with weapons and military power. It's a war that's killing thousands and destroying millions. Indeed a fox that affects each and every one of us in some way or another. It disrupts lives, destroys economies, and much more.

It is remarkable to listen carefully to what Jesus said:

Not for a moment did he ignore the "fox." The danger is real; it's grave, it's dangerous and out to destroy. Lesson number one, do not ignore the threat. Do not talk light about the danger. Take it seriously. The same with what is happening around the world with this pandemic.
This pandemic will cause pain. Millions will lose their jobs, their income, security, pensions. The final chapter of this world-wide crisis is unimaginable. It's going to change the way we live, act, do business, do church, live as human beings, and much more. No more business as usual! It's painful. It's real.

2. The passion
How to live victoriously through this crisis? Listen again to what Jesus said:

"Go tell that fox, 'I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.' 33 In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day-for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!

Did you hear?
I will keep on…today and tomorrow…!

I will reach my goal!
I must press on, today and tomorrow, and the next day!

Brothers and sisters, millions of people worldwide are confined to their homes either in lock-down or at the request of their governments. Places once buzzing with life, the sounds of people and children are now desolated, empty, and eerie silent. The world has stopped. And yet, Jesus says: I will keep on; I will press on! I have a passion! This is the secret, although the fox is at the door, keeping on is something of the heart. It doesn't care if you're confined to one place or space - the keep-on-going spirit is a spirit of hope. It is a spirit that, even though a cross and a Golgotha is waiting, this spirit has its eyes on the resurrection! The morning after. It's not a matter of sinking into the depths of despair, but a matter of keeping the eyes on God as the sustainer of life and tomorrow! It is a decision not to give in to despair, but to get a tomorrow, get a goal even if it is only to make today count!

Oh, may we, in the same passion of Jesus, be passionate about pressing on. Like the apostle Paul: I press on!

3. The pathos
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. 35 Look, your house is left to you desolate.

Pathos suggests a deep emotion of sadness, pity and even compassion. Jesus cries out over Jerusalem: How often I have longed to gather you….as a hen.

The fox and the hen and the chicks. In a sermon by Nadia Bolz-Weber last week, she used the contrast between the fox and the chicken, the hen. Allow me to quote her:

"Maybe that beautiful image of God could mean something essential for us: and by us, I mean we fragile, vulnerable human beings who face very real danger. I can't bear to say that this scripture is a description of what behaviors and attitudes you could imitate if you want to be a right, not-afraid person. But neither can I tell you that the Mother Hen thing means that God will protect you from Herod or that God is going to keep bad things from happening to you.

Because honestly, nothing keeps danger from being dangerous.

A mother hen cannot actually keep a determined fox from killing her chicks. So, where does that leave us? I mean, if danger is real, and a hen can't actually keep their chicks out of danger, then what good is this image of God as Mother Hen if faith in her can't make us safe?
Well, today, I started to think that maybe it's not safety that keeps us from being afraid.

Maybe it's love.

This means that a Mother Hen of a God doesn't keep foxes from being dangerous…a Mother Hen of a God keeps foxes from being what determines how we experience the unbelievably beautiful gift of being alive.

God the Mother Hen gathers all of her downy feathered, vulnerable little ones under God's protective wings so that we know where we belong because it is there that we find warmth and shelter.

But Faith in God does not bring you safety.
The fox still exists.
Danger still exists.

And by that I mean, danger is not optional, but fear is.

Because maybe the opposite of fear isn't bravery. Maybe the opposite of fear is love. Paul tells us that perfect love casts out fear. So in the response to our own Herods, in response to the very real dangers of this world we have an invitation as people of faith: which is to respond by loving."

Jesus looks at us: In this time of fear and danger, the invitation is still standing - I want you under my wings. The fox is still out there, but my love and my care, that's what will get you through this!

Conclusion
A fox, a hen, and chicks. And an invitation. An invitation to be brave, but also to be weak. Bold to declare: I will go on. And, weak to declare: I will crawl under the heavenly wings of Jesus. So, how are you today? I'm fine, thank you, and you?

Amen

CLOSING HYMN

Laudate Dominum
Laudate Dominum.
Laudate Dominum.
Omnes! Gentes!
Alleluia!

Sing, praise and bless the Lord.
Sing, praise and bless the Lord.
Peoples! Nations!
Alleluia!

BENEDICTION
God go before you to lead you,
God go behind you to protect you,
God go beneath you to support you,
God go beside you to befriend you.
Do not be afraid.
May the blessing of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit be upon you.
Do not be afraid.
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
Amen.

Amen