FUMC Ventura

Wednesday, January 3rd, 2007

Note: I apologize for not posting something yesterday, I was very sick at home. We will resume our regular programming

Today's Topic: Working Towards Perfection
Today's Prayer Topic: Becoming Transforming
Today's Scripture: Matthew 5:43-48 (NRSV)

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Doing ministry at the Methodist Church does have its perks. One of the perks besides being in ministry with great people is to learn other theological terms for an theological idea. In Presbyterian term, the word Sanctification is often used to describe the process in which all goes through after being redeemed by the grace of God in becoming more like Christ.

I've used this term quite a bit when describing the process we struggle through in life as a Christian. However, when I came to the First UMC in Ventura, I came across this term that the Methodists use, "Working towards perfection." At first, I was very suspicious of this term, because we were all taught that we can never be perfect, however, as I learned more and more, I realized that it's the process not the end result that matters the most.

Then this phrase became very endearing to me, in fact and do I dare to say it, I like this phrase better than the word Sanctification because it's more descriptive. The Gospel of Matthew tells us to be perfect like our heavenly Father, I know that Matthew knows that this is nearly impossible for a human being to do. In fact, it is easy to assume that Matthew probably did not expect his readers to be perfect.

However, he encourages his readers to strive towards perfection by bringing up a concrete example, for us to love our enemies. Why would Matthew do this? Is it because he knows that it can not be done?

I don't believe Matthew would set out a goal that is unachievable, on the contrary, he wish to teach us what perfection truly is. Perfection, in his eyes, and in my opinion is a state of being in which the person is transforming of others. Christ was perfect, he transformed those who are around him. A person who is perfect, or near perfect (for those of you who are cringing right now), are people whose presence transforms the people who comes in contact with them. Christ had that effect, and in my opinion, many who have walked this earth also had this effect, Mother Theresa comes to mind. And the only way to achieve this state of being is to be so full of love that even your enemies feels the love that flows from you. Matthew encourages us to become transforming of others by our love that flows from the source, that is God. Let us strive towards this perfection.

Jimmy's Prayer: Oh God, help me in my work towards perfection, to show the love that you have showed to me. Amen.

Thursday, January 4th, 2007

Today's Focus: No distinction among the believers.
Today's Prayer Focus: Gospel for all
Today's Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 and Galatians 3:25-29 (NRSV)

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--Jews or Greeks, slaves or free--and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise.

For us, and me included, this passage on its surface may be a matter of fact. For us, in our context of our world, we know and we accept that no matter what race you are, no matter what economic status you have in the society, and no matter what gender you are, we are all one in Christ Jesus. However, for Paul to write this during the time of its writing, it is a very liberating statement for the Greeks, the slaves, and the females who were the second class citizens in the eyes of the Jewish Christian community at that time.

This is liberation theology at its best. And yes, even Paul and to some's surprise, accept this. However, the Word of God still speak true to us in this world. There are many who feel that they are being pushed out by the church because of their background. I personally have come across witnesses from the "second" class people of our church. Those who are denied completely from membership because of their background, or are pushed out by an undertone and a hidden hostility from the church. Is this what Paul, or even Christ wants for the Church? I know it's not.

The Gospel is for all, the church is to be an open door to all, period.

Jimmy's Prayer: Oh God, help me be someone who delivers the gospel without prejudice. Amen.

Monday, January 8th, 2007

Today's Focus: Becoming a Shepherd
Today's Prayer Focus: Attentive listening.
Today's Scripture: Matthew 9:35-38 (NRSV)

But the Pharisees said, "By the ruler of the demons he casts out the demons." Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few."

The last part of today's scripture is probably one of the most quoted scripture passage by me in my life. "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few." Matthew wrote that when Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. This is definitely what's going on in the world.

Every one of us need a shepherd. Even a pastor who is shepherding others need a shepherd. A person who can see our lives from an objective point of view. A person who is not afraid to stand up and say the things that most people do not want to say. A person who we trust that he/she will be honest with us. Most of us are helpless in this area because we lack this person.

In my life, I found it hard to hear things that should be heard from my wife. Don't get me wrong, I love her with all of my heart, but when two human beings live together day in and day out, it is very difficult to decipher the constructive criticisms. That's why I depend on another person to tell me straight up what's going on. In fact, I depend on a couple of people. They aren't afraid because they don't live with me.

On the other side of this coin is that since everyone needs a shepherd or two, all of us needs to become shepherds to another person. Now now... don't go out in the street and starts to look for sheep. Instead, keep our eyes and ears open, listen for the cries of help within our own community. And then, with love and compassion, reach out to those who are in need.

Jimmy's Prayer: Oh God, help me be attentive to others and listen to other's needs. Amen.

Tuesday, January 9th, 2007

Today's Focus: Who are the "chosen" people.
Today's Prayer Focus: For liberation
Today's Scripture: 1 Peter 2:4-10 (NRSV)

Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God's sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in scripture:"See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious;and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame." To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe,"The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner," and"A stone that makes them stumble, and a rock that makes them fall."They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people;once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

This is a very interesting passage for us today. If we truly are honest with ourselves, it is an eye-opening experince for us. How do we read the last two verses of this passage? "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people;once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."

Let us think about this from the author's point of view. It is a good assumption that the author is most like a Jewish Christian. The author most likely knows the context of this phrase. The time in which the phrases, "chosen race, holy nation, God's own people" are used are the time when the Israelites were in exile. They were hardly a group of people that had any power in the region. Yet, through the steadfast love of God, they were blessed with mercy. "Once you had not received mercy [from the world], but now you have received mercy [from me.]"

In a similar way, the first century Jewish Christian were not receiving mercy from their own people. The author, presumably Peter, is encouraging his readers and reminding his readers about what God can do.

Let us bring this into our context during this time. Most of us live in the United States where we are not "persecuted" because of our faith. However, there are some of us who belong to the "church," yet are being persecuted by our own brothers and sisters. Those of us who are in the majority may read this passage as a pat on our own backs. "Yes, we are chosen, yeh for us!" Yet, those of us who belong to the church, and because of our background, or other circumstances, are persecuted by the church. If I put myself in their shoes to the best of my abilities, the last two verses serve as a liberating hope passage for us that since "I'm not receiving mercy [from the world], but I'm receiving mercy [from God.]"

Yes, there are people who are persecuted within our church - whether openly or subtly. They are persecuted because of their addiction, social status, or even sexual orientation. They are persecuted because they are in the "wilderness," as the Israelites were. We need to remember that God is a God for the people of the wilderness. God delivered and gave mercy to the people who are in the wilderness. This passage is not to serve those of us who are already "in the circle," this passage is a liberating passage to those who are outside of the circle. Our God is a merciful God, God reaches to all and loves them.

Jimmy's Prayer: Oh God, help me remember those who are outside of the circle. Help me to reach them the way Christ reached them. Amen.[/img]

Wednesday, January 10th, 2007

Today's Focus: Calling our bluff
Today's Prayer Focus: Perserverance
Today's Scripture: Matthew 14:22-33 (NRSV)

Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid." Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."

Often in our lives, and in our prayer lives especially, we think about and ask for what exactly is God wanting from us in our lives. What exactly is God's will for our lives? We ask for a sign, we ask for a way that God communicates to us.

Peter said, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." Peter asked for a sign that Jesus gave. Jesus commanded him to come and walk on water with him. So he did, and he sank midway.

Isn't that interesting. Isn't it true that there are times in our lives when God does answer our prayers and reveal to us what God wants for us to do in our lives. And we set out for it all gunho, and then half way through, we realize that we're doing something that we may not be able to handle. So we start to sink and panic, and sometimes ultimately, we give up.

Becareful what you ask for, because God will answer you. If we want God to tell us what to do in our lives, be mindful that God will give you a task. Be mindful that it will be a task that we're not expecting. Be mindful and perservere through the tough times and do not panic, for Christ is walking with us.

Jimmy's Prayer: Oh God, help me perservere through the hard times. Help me continue on the path that you have prepared me for. Amen.

Thursday, January 11th, 2007

Today's Focus: A Witness for those who came before us
Today's Prayer Focus: Be a good witness
Today's Scripture: 2 Corinthians 3:1-6 (NRSV)

Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Surely we do not need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you or from you, do we? You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all; and you show that you are a letter of Christ, prepared by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our competence is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of letter but of spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

In the old days, during the time when Jesus was living, one is described by relating him or her to his or her father. Such as Jesus himself was named as, Jesus, Son of Joseph. Or John, Son of Zechariah, etc... And you are often associated and thought of by who your father was.

In a very similar way, what Paul is talking about is that he, along with a lot of others who worked with the Corinthians, are associated and judged on who the Corinthians are. They do not need letters of recommendation from them, the actions of Corinthians are recommendations enough.

We are also recommendation letters of those who came before us. We are also a witness to who they were. I was raised in a Presbyterian Church, nurtured in an Evangelical Church, schooled in a Protestant Seminary, and working at a Methodist Church. How I act and how I behave myself will be a good or not so good recommendation letter to those institutions. This is something all of us must remember because we are all recommendation letters of the Body of Christ.

Jimmy's Prayer: Oh God, help me be a good witness to the faith. Amen

Wednesday, January 17th, 2007

Today's Focus: Don't focus too narrowly
Today's Prayer Focus: Opening our hearts.
Today's Scripture: John 6:29-40 (NRSV)

Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." So they said to him, "What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" Then Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." They said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always." Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away; for I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day."

When we pray, what do we pray? When we ask for God's help, how do we ask?

When the Israelites were in the wilderness, and when they were hungry, they were literally threatening Moses to provide them food - doubting God. I believe little did they expect that bread coming from the sky would be the answer to their prayer. When they were thirsty, I believe that they did not expect that water would be coming out of the rocks.

When we see and experience other people's answer to prayer, we remember those times vividly. And then when we come into a similar situation, we expect God to provide us the same treatment. Our focus narrows and doesn't try to see how else God can provide us with our answer to prayer.

This is the same thing that the disciple is going through. They read about Moses and the Manna, and they want the same exact thing. But little did they know, or they did not want to see that Jesus, the bread of life, is standing in front of them. He's all what they wanted and more.

This provides us a lesson of life as we go through our prayer lives. Let's not narrow our focus, but to broaden our spectrum so we can see God's full blessing on our lives.

Jimmy's Prayer: Oh God, open my eyes, open my heart, and open my spirit so that I can see you every single day. Amen.

Thursday, January 18th, 2007

Today's Focus: What is true worship?
Today's Prayer Focus: Worshipping from within our heart.
Today's Scripture: Isaiah 29:13-16 (NRSV)

The Lord said:Because these people draw near with their mouths and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me,and their worship of me is a human commandment learned by rote; so I will again do amazing things with this people, shocking and amazing.The wisdom of their wise shall perish, and the discernment of the discerning shall be hidden. Ha! You who hide a plan too deep for the LORD, whose deeds are in the dark, and who say, "Who sees us? Who knows us?" You turn things upside down! Shall the potter be regarded as the clay?Shall the thing made say of its maker, "He did not make me";or the thing formed say of the one who formed it, "He has no understanding"?

I am a Presbyterian - a tradition that is off-shoot of Calvin and Zwingli. It is no wonder that many of our churches shy away from a lot of liturgical, traditional, and ritualistic acitivities. The reason for this is because the first verse of today's passage, where God is quoted as being harsh to those who worship with their lips and routine.

As I began to contemplate on this, I realized that I have missed out on many of the traditional rituals of the church for a long time. It wasn't until I got into the seminary was I exposed to the celebrations of Lent and Advent, further, my exposure to the seasonal colors came during a class on worship in seminary. Was it wrong for the early Christians to concentrate so much on the elements?

I don't believe so. I believe Calvin took it too far, and Zwingli further. There are definitely characteristics of the traditioning and the seasonal changes during a Christian Calendar that needs to be kept. However, the author does quote God warns us from being hypocrites.

Yes, it is good to worship from the heart. Yes, it is good to not only let ritual guide our spiritual life. However, it is not for us to judge what is from the heart and what is only coming from the lips. The following verse says, "I will again do amazing things with this people, shocking and amazing." If we are worshipping only from the lips, we can expect God to do something amazing in our lives that will shock us back into place.

Rituals in itself is not a bad thing, but if we are only worshipping God in a ritualistic manner and not changing ourselves from the heart, then expect a shock from God.

Jimmy's Prayer: Oh God, remind me to be worshipping you from the heart and not from my lips only. Amen.

Friday, January 19th, 2007

Today's Focus: Where does the help come from?
Today's Prayer Focus: Reminder of God's presence.
Today's Scripture: Psalm 121:1-8 (NRSV)

I lift up my eyes to the hills-- from where will my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore.

This morning was another milestone morning for yours truly. As some of you know, I have resolved myself to run a marathon before the age of 35. I have begun training about 3 weeks ago. Today is another day when I pushed myself and went further than the last time I ran. I was very happy.

However, the story is not that simple. When I decided that I was going to push myself further, I was resolved. However, after I realized that I am reallllly pushing myself, I was getting a bit overwhelmed. I literally asked God for help to help me finish. "I lift my eyes to the hills-- from where will my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber."

It's really interesting that I came to office and this verse came up as the daily devotion. I experienced this this morning. It reminded me that as I go through life, I will come to a point where I am going further than I have gone before. I need to lift my eyes to the hills to see God, who is always there.

Jimmy's Prayer: Continue to remind me of your presence oh Lord. I thank you for your steadfast love. Amen.

Monday, January 22nd, 2007

Today's Focus: Giving Praise to God.
Today's Prayer Focus: Giving Praise to God.
Today's Scripture: Psalm 63:1-8 (NRSV)

O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; I will lift up my hands and call on your name. My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast, and my mouth praises you with joyful lips when I think of you on my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.

When we talk about how to praise the Lord, and what to say when we want to praise the Lord, this is the example of it. Wow, what a praise song. "My soul thirsts for you, my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water." "Your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you." "My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast, and my mouth praises you with joyful lips when I think of you on my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night."

But I don't know about you, sometimes, it is very difficult to muster up the kind of joy that the psalmist has in his/her mind. When we go through life, not every day nor every moment of our lives we will feel like giving praise to anyone, let alone God. Those times are difficult, those times hurt our feelings.

One of my closest mentors once said to me, "when you are hurt, when you feel lonely, give praise to God." When he said that, at first, I was thinking, huh? Then I began to realize as I get older. When I am hurt, and when I feel lonely, if I give praise to God, I begin to realize that "God has been my help, and God's right hand upholds me." I begin to realize that in moments past, I have gotten through a similar tribulation, and it wasn't done by myself.

Each day, if we can begin with a psalm like this, we will be able to get through our day with God's help.

Jimmy's Prayer: O God, my soul sings for joy because you are my God. Amen.

Tuesday, January 23rd, 2007

Today's Focus: What is evil?
Today's Prayer Focus: Be Loving
Today's Scripture: John 3:11-21 (NRSV)

"Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. "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. "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. 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. 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. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. 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."

A verse in this passage is probably the most quoted and most memorized verse in the bible. We all know what it is, "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." And the following is also very popular, "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. 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."

However, I believe this passage is often misquoted as is. Because of this verse that follows those three: "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." What did John meant by deeds that were evil? I think a better translation of this is "deeds were evil to others."

The evil in these deeds has an innate meaning that is "disadvantageous to others." It is things that are done meant to hurt others. Another words, things that are done that are unloving. If we reflect on this meaning, many of the evil things that we think are evil, are not evil in this sense.

I met with the NA last night. I wanted to make sure that they feel welcome in our church. It is true that many in our Christian community believe that what the people in NA do are "evil," however, what they do often times do not harm others. They are harming themselves of their own actions. There is a distinction. The NA folks are broken in spirit, they are not evil.

Then what is evil? Evil are those who judge others based on their brokenness, because when you judge, you do not love. Evil are those who act on these judgement of others based on their brokenness, because when you act, you are doing evil things to others. These deeds are the deeds that John is saying Jesus will judge us from.

We are all broken in one way or another. We are not condemned nor evil when we are broken. However, when we act on others' brokenness, we become evil.

Jimmy's Prayer: Oh Lord, help me be loving, and not judgemental to others. Amen.