Luke 4:14-21, Psalm 19, and 1 Corinthians 12: 12-31a
We are welcoming the new year and it is already the last Sunday of January. Did you have a plan you resolved at the beginning of the year? Also, are you still carrying out that plan? I used the cold as an excuse to neglect exercise, so I bought a Spin bike at a low price that the whole family could use. And for the first time in a very long time, I was able to ride my bike inside the house for an hour. Last Sunday evening, we had a Christian unity service hosted by PLURA at Gaetz Memorial United Church next to our church. I also attended and took some parts to read, and for the first time in a very long time, I was able to say the Lord’s Prayer in Korean in front of the congregation. I shared with a pastor in another area the news that several denominations had collaborated to hold worship services. The pastor was highly envious of this. I think it is a precious tradition and pride of Red Deer for different churches to unite and worship God. And I also feel that the contribution our church is making as a representative of the Presbyterian Church is very valuable.
The words we read today are from the Weekly Lectionary I always refer to. Coincidentally, I was very grateful because it gave me insight into things I’ve been thinking about for the past few weeks. I often meditate on the path our church will take. What do you think about our church’s future? This is about our faith community. You are doing well now. And I hope that in the future, we will all become a community where we are happy, sometimes comforted, and sometimes encouraged through faith. We need to pay more attention to education and religious training. I feel it necessary to visit and pay respect to the members who have dedicated themselves to the church community and created valuable Knox traditions. I hope that growing children will be given responsibility as beneficiaries of education and as members who serve and lead the church. So we are planning to make changes gradually.
We, all of us with different skin colors, hair shapes, and eyes, become one in Jesus Christ and serve our Knox church. We donate over 10% of our offerings to external sources for systematic missions and ministries. And this is being used to support necessary ministries at home and abroad and to spread the gospel. We work with several churches through our National Church Office to help various regions with long-term plans. If I had a wish, I would dream of a day when the number of attendees would increase to about 30 more, and we could donate 30% of our offerings to external sources.
The first Old Testament professor at the Korean seminary I graduated from was a Presbyterian Church in Canada missionary, and he graduated from Westminster Hall School, the predecessor of the Vancouver School of Theology. With your support, the Presbyterian Church in Korea now has 5.5 million members. Through the mission work of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, the Presbyterian Church has grown into the largest denomination in Taiwan. Thanks to your support, all of this has enabled the world church to come together as one body and come before the light of God.
Sometimes, we encounter large forest fires in North America during the summer and winter. In some cases, they are caused by human error, and in other cases, they are caused by spontaneous combustion. But what is clear is that after the fire passes, we will still be planting trees, repairing buildings, and helping to recover. Because modern politics and society are highly and complexly connected, it is sometimes challenging to distinguish between good and evil. It is difficult to differentiate between criminals and causes, and it is also complicated to eliminate drug distribution. However, despite this, our society is helping victims with good intentions and giving criminals a chance to get back on a good path.
All of this is a life we imitate as if we were given a new opportunity through the Savior Jesus Christ. We all followed the example of Jesus and built Canada and created a culture with that spirit. Although we all face many different problems, all of the difficulties and crises will be less than those of our ancestors who arrived on this land hundreds of years ago. Next to us is the world’s richest and most powerful country. We can sometimes compare, but Canada is also a beautiful and prosperous country. So, immigrants want to come here. We are helping refugees responsibly. Churches also play a key role in this.
Looking at verses 27-29 of the Corinthians it is as follows: “27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?” So, as Apostle Paul said, we must all respect the members next to us and cooperate to make the church’s traditions beautiful. Some serve in education, some in service, some in church maintenance and repairs, some in finances, some in missions and prayer, and some in praise and worship. Everyone is valuable and not less honorable or special honorable. Therefore, I hope that all of us will become more and more the body of Christ.
Furthermore, I hope we can live while paying attention to the purpose of Jesus Christ’s coming to this earth. Jesus said the reason in verses 18 and 19. “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Jesus Christ came to proclaim the gospel to the poor. Some scholars argue that this gospel is for the economically poor. Some scholars think it is the gospel for the psychologically and mentally poor. But I think both are true. Jesus came for those whose relationship with God was broken. We remember Jesus healing those who were physically ill. We know that Jesus performed the miracle of five loaves and two fish. He came to proclaim freedom to those who were imprisoned in sin, those who were imprisoned by the law, and those who were sometimes isolated and disconnected from society. We remember Jesus Christ, who came to build a new bridge between God and humans.
Thus, we should proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor like Jesus. We must declare God’s glory and the work of the Creator’s hands. In this way, I hope we become Jesus’ disciples who build the kingdom of God on this earth. I believe that it is through us that the gospel will be proclaimed, and God’s work will begin. Amen.