Worship: March 24, 2024
Passion/Palm Sunday
Scripture: Mark 14:32-42
Sermon: “My Soul Is Sorrowful”
How can we respond to tragic news? How can we support others in their tragedies? We consider these questions as we enter Passion Week, the week in which we remember Jesus’s suffering and death. We invite you to join us in this journey.
What Is Truth?
“Am I leading a rebellion?”
Why, with swords and clubs, do you capture me? (1)
Because my teaching has instigated people against you?
Because my disciples and followers are dangerous to you?
What is your anxiety that now threatens me?
I have taught truth in the temple courts;
I have preached the way of life in the synagogue;
I have spoken openly before the world to save people;
I have said nothing in secret. (2)
Why do you misunderstand me?
I have not said, “I am the king of the Jews.”
I have said, “My kingdom is not of this world.”
If I sought to become the king of this world,
I would resist worldly powers with swords and clubs.
My kingdom is not from this world. (3)
Do you ask a question of truth?
If you are in truth, you may understand truth.
If you are not in truth, you will misunderstand me.
All tragedies arise from ignorance of truth.
All inhumanities come from blindness to truth.
I came into this dark world to bring the light of truth. (4)
– Rev. Yong Sub Sim
(1) Mark 14:48
(2) John 18:20
(3) John 18:36
(4) John 18:37
Worship: March 3, 2024
Third Sunday in Lent
Scripture: John 2:13-22
Sermon: “New Worship Center”
Is our worship holy before God or has it become corrupted by the world around us? This is the serious question raised in this Sunday’s scripture. We come before Jesus this Sunday that he may cleanse our hearts. We invite you to join us.
Holiness and Piety
Christianity can be understood as the dynamics of holiness and piety. Christianity does not mean membership in a religious system or institution. Christianity is the dynamic state of experiencing and remembering holiness in the dimensions of life, spirit and love. The word “holy” symbolizes the state of encountering the mysterious Being in life’s events, or absolute Being and power, or ultimate truth and beauty. We meet this holiness in Jesus and confess this holiness is God in Jesus. The deep dimension within human beings has the ability to feel, experience and recognize the holy Being—absolute Being and power, or ultimate truth and beauty, or mysterious amazement. Those in whom this sensibility grows and develops can have deep spirituality. We grow through understanding, recognizing and accepting Jesus. For this, we call our faith Christianity.
Those who feel and experience the holy Being—absolute Being and power, or ultimate truth and beauty, or mysterious amazement in Jesus—have a pious attitude. We call this attitude of life “piety.” In Christianity, this attitude can be understood as the virtues of Christian spirituality. I can show Jesus’s great example of this virtue, his teaching of “the beatitudes” in Matthew 5:3-10: the poor and thirsty heart-mind (5:3, 6) as the state of loving the Lord; the mournful and merciful heart-mind (4, 7) as the state of loving others; the meek and the pure heart-mind (5, 8) as the state of loving oneself; and the heart-mind of working for peace and justice (9, 10) as the state of loving community. Apostle Paul also shows this attitude: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).
The season of holiness and piety is coming. We start “Lent 2024” with an Ash Wednesday Service on February 14, 2024. I name this season “the season of holiness and piety.” This season offers the process to express our piety based on our holy experiences. This is a holy season that the church offers to this world. Christians reveal our piety so that this world can see the holy Being. Let us express our piety so that worldly people can know holiness and Christian piety.
– Rev. Yong Sub Sim