SERMONS

Psalm 137: 1-4
The Reverend Angela L. Ying
Bethany United Church of Christ

Countercultural

Not just a different culture, but one where people name the problems they face in the dominant culture that need to be countered — changed.

The people of the wilderness created a Biblical creation story countercultural to the Babylonian creation story of violence, genocide, and hate. A creation story of God’s love and God as Creator of the heavens and the earth in Genesis 1 — written at the same time as today’s lectionary text from Psalm 137, by the waters of Babylon.

What would you say is countercultural from our American society’s “norms”? [Listen for responses from the people]

Would you agree with me that countercultural from our society’s norms would be a community that seeks to follow Jesus and what Jesus had faith in by becoming:
-Multi-racial and Anti-racist
-Nonviolent
-and where the children, youth and young people are to be Christ’s Ambassadors

Would you agree that being normal is not the same as being healthy and life-giving?

For who sets the norms in our society? White people.

Exactly. (more…)

Exodus 16
The Reverend Angela L. Ying
Bethany United Church of Christ
Inspired by the teaching from “Manna and Mercy” and the 2010 WNBA Champs – the women of Seattle Storm

Most every week, I wake up and tell our daughter to Dream big.

Not this week. From the collective wisdom and encouragement from mothers in this faith community — this week, the lesson a mother needed to share with her daughter (or son) was different …

With Atlanta Dream and Seattle Storm in our hearts vying for the WNBA Championship — The words that kept coming loud and clear were now “Bring It!”

In other words, beautiful child of God, “Bring It!”

Bring You, Bring Us, Bring Community and raise your voice … for we are going to be taken by Storm!

You thought it was just a weather report.

You thought it was the usual “cloudy with a chance of showers.”

No! We are being taken by Storm — with Manna and Mercy.

And that is how it happened.
Listening at our Manna and Mercy all church retreat last week, I knew something was taking us by Storm.
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Luke 18:15-17
The Reverend Angela L. Ying
Bethany United Church of Christ
Celebration of the Sacrament of Holy Baptism

People were bringing even infants to Jesus that Jesus might touch them …

What kind of people?

Who were they?

Where did they come from?

Why Jesus?

People were bringing even infants to Jesus that Jesus might touch them …

Were they sick? Did they need healing?

Could their mothers and fathers not console them?

Perhaps, there was no doctor who would take them in because they did not have the right documentation, the right health insurance card.

Perhaps, there was no clinic nearby to look into the child’s fever, stomachache, growing pain, nightmare.

Perhaps, so isolated and lonely, no one but the caring adult out of a job, attempting to make ends meet had dared touch the child.

Perhaps, the family had been turned away, time after time, because of the lack of health care, and they feared infant mortality, even in the most wealthiest of lands.

All we know from scripture is that these people, for the love their child, were willing to go to whatever lengths it took to travel any amount of distance … to bring their children to a complete stranger named Jesus … IN HOPE …

Get this — IN HOPE …that Jesus might touch them.

So, we know first thing that the people: mothers and fathers, mothers and mothers, fathers and fathers, aunts and uncles, grandparents and neighbors were bringing their children … IN HOPE … in hope that Jesus might touch them.

Now the fact that the people did not feel entitled — that the people were not completely sure it would happen — that the people had to prepare themselves for disappointment tells us something about these every day people, as you and me, who loved their children.

That even in the midst of Jesus, these people were humble enough to know — that in their lives, there are no guarantees and no sure bets.

BUT … the beautiful thing is this — they bring their children to Jesus nonetheless.

I don’t know about you, but that takes faith!
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Exodus 1:8-14; Deuteronomy 17:14-20
Jeremiah 23:5-6; Romans 8:18-24

The Reverend Angela L. Ying

There once was a bear so filled with love that whenever he roamed the forest and came across another living thing, he would give it a hug.

Everywhere he wandered, the bear shared his love – hug by hug.

He even hugged creatures that bears have been known to eat.

This bear could meet the roundest little rabbit, and he would just stop, smile and give it a great big hug.
No creature was too big…
Too small…

Too smelly…

Or too scary to hug.
But what this bear love to hug most were trees.

The bear never met a tree he did not like.

Big trees…

Little trees…

Apple trees…

Pear trees…

Peach trees…

This bear hugged them all.
One day while the bear was trying to hug a beaver and a tree at the same time — he noticed a man with an axe walking into the forest.

The bear followed the man until he stopped at one of the tallest, oldest and most beautiful trees in the forest.

The man spent so much time looking at this magnificent tree that the bear thought the man must love trees, too.

But to the bear’s horror, the man started to chop the tree down…

For the first time in his life, the bear did not feel like hugging at all.

Then, just as the bear was about to sink his teeth into the man, the bear stopped.

The bear realized that no matter how angry he was, the bear simply could not eat the man.
It just was not in his nature.
The bear sighed…
And then he decided to do what he did best…

He gave the man a HUG!
The man was not used to getting real big bear hugs, so once the bear let go, the man dropped his axe and ran far, far away.

And do you know what the bear did next?
The bear smiled and gave the tree a great big hug.

The tree felt much better.
[from Big Bear Hug by Nicholas Oldland]

As you listened to the story, who are you more like?

The bear so filled with love…
The creatures and trees being hugged…

The tree, which has taking time to grow for years and yet finds it can still be vulnerable…
The man with the axe…
And what would happen if I told you:
Love is in YOUR nature.
Love is in YOUR nature.
Love is in YOUR nature.
Would you believe it?
Love is in OUR nature.
Do we trust it?
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I Samuel 24: 1-7; Romans 12:9-18
Reverend Angela Ying

How often in your life have your been asked to choose sides?

Pick a side, we are told.
Between one friend and another.
Between one child and another.
Between one team and another.
Between one race and another.
Between one country and another.
Pick a side, we are told.
Or you are not patriot.
Or you are not faithful.
Or you will not belong.
It is tempting for any church to work in absolutes.

For we in community need to be able to see and be comfortable with the grey and even with not knowing — to be able to embrace a both/and.

It is tempting for any congregation to work in either/or.

For we in the community need to be able to confess the complexity of not being able to see the whole picture, only a part, our part of the puzzle — to be able to embrace a both/and.
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Luke 24:1-12, 13-35
The Reverend Angela L. Ying
Bethany United Church of Christ
Easter Sunday, April 4, 2010

Bread

You Knead it.

You Bake it.

You Toast it.

You Add to it.

Butter it up.

Watch it rise.

Bread

You can smell it from afar

You can leave it out and it hardens
Bread

When our ancestors Abraham and Sarah were barren in their old age hoping to give birth — let alone be ancestors to a multitude of nations — it was in offering Bread to three strangers — that Abraham and Sarah were told it would be so.
Bread of birth

When Jacob wanted to trick his elder brother, Esau out of his birthright and blessing, he fed him bread.
Bread of betrayal
When the Hebrew people fled to be free and had no time for the bread to rise, they took and received the unleavened bread of Passover.

Bread of freedom
When Moses brought his people out of the Pharaoh’s empire, crossing the Reed Sea — and instead of going the simplest route, took the way of the wilderness — God provided the people each day with manna.

Bread for the journey
Bread

When David was hungry, he and his people ate bread from the temple even on the Sabbath.

Bread of God that breaks from conventional ways.

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Rev. Stephen Gituma Guantai
March 28th, 2010
Text: Luke 19:28-40

Introduction: Today around the world Christians are celebrating Palm Sunday, An event that has been celebrated for many centuries. During this particular time, God-fearing people from different parts of the world were coming to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover.

This celebration was a commemoration of the mighty deeds of God, remembering when God rescued the children of Israel from slavery. Don’t that the Egyptians’ entire first born had to die in a single night in order for the children of Israel to be saved from the hands of the ruthless Egyptians.

So, it was tradition of the religious people of the day to meet every year in Jerusalem to offer sacrifice as they remember what God had done for them. They did this without knowing that one day Jesus would go there to replace the killing of animals and offer himself as a sacrificial lamb.

It was about five days before the feast of Passover celebration took place. And knowing his time was approaching to offer himself as a sacrifice, Jesus set his face toward Jerusalem from Bethany which was about two miles away from Jerusalem.

Our text this morning is heavily packed with very important points which I want to point out briefly. First, if you have noticed, the text starts with the word “after”. After telling the people about his own death in a parable, Jesus turned his face toward Jerusalem, on the way he send two of his disciples saying, 30 “Go to the village and ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied thee, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31If anyone ask you, ’why are you untying it? Tell him, ‘the Lord needs it.’”

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Isaiah 43:16-21 and John 12:1-8
Reverend Angela Ying
Bethany United Church of Christ
March 21, 2010

What do you do when something wonderful happens?

Celebrate.

Jump for joy.

Call a friend.

Smile quietly deep within.

Thank God.

All of the above.

And yet, isn’t it strange that as we get older, something else happens.

We stop and question — is it really possible?

Children often do not do this.

Something good happens to them and they pour it all out, take it all in, and go for it — not looking for some hidden, secret message that can be twisted into something completely different than intended.

And yet, we still ask:

When is the other shoe going to drop?

Did I do anything to deserve this?

Has God found me worthy?

With human beings — No, it is not possible.

But with God, all things are possible.

Is the other shoe going to drop? Perhaps — Perhaps not — but why wait when it may never ever happen?

Did I do something to deserve this and has God found me worthy? No.

You and I are in the company of sinners — we all fall short and we are at all the mercy and grace of God.

Which leaves the question: Could God do it again?

Would God do it again?

Would God make a way for all the people to connect as community, again?

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By Guest Preacher Jennifer Jenkins Gill
March 7, 2010

Today is the third Sunday in the season of Lent. Which is the season of the church year that is 40 days before Easter. Lent has historically been a time to give something up as a way of showing our devotion to God. Like Chocolate, alcohol, or TV. Lent seems to be about sacrificing something for God. However, I think that Lent is not just about sacrificing but listening to God. The meaning behind this idea of sacrificing is that by giving up something (the TV, the sweets, whatever it might be), we will be more open to listening to God in our lives.

Let’s pray together: God, help us to open our hearts and minds to you during this time of worship. And may we listen closely to hear what you have to teach each of us. Amen.

Sermon:

Long before this Lent season started, millions of people in our nation have had to make big sacrifices. As you may know, we are facing the deepest economic downturn since the Great Depression. One recent statistic I found stated that 17.4% of Americans are out of work. Most surveys have a difficult time estimating how many people are actually out of work. Because the survey’s only capture those who are actively searching for employment.

Another survey indicated that 44% of families in the US have experienced either job loss or dramatic decrease in hours and salary. And this unemployment has become a chronic problem. Most have been unemployed for well over 6 months without finding a new job. Some of you may be in this situation yourself. If not, most likely you know someone who has been in this predicament.

A friend of mine, let’s call her Jill, finished a masters a few years ago. And like most new masters’ grads she avidly searched for a job to begin her new career. Jill got an interview with a competitive consulting firm in her field – and she was offered the job. Jill of course was thrilled, and accepted the position. She worked very hard, and felt like she had found her dream job. Well, you can only imagine what happened when the economy tanked. Jill was one of the newest hires in her firm and so therefore was laid off.

When someone loses their job, they usually don’t just lose their paycheck. This can impact their whole identity. The way they see themselves as fitting into the world, contributing to society. For Jill, this was true – she had not only lost a job, she’d lost a sense of purpose and identity.

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Psalm 27 – A Psalm of David
Sermon by Reverend Angela Ying
February 28, 2010

“The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom then, will I fear.”

Sometimes, just getting a glimpse of the LIGHT is enough.

Enough to get you through the Day.

As when you arise early in the morning — look out and catch a glimpse of the sun rising brightly over the mountains.

Sometimes, getting a glimpse of the LIGHT is enough.

Enough to get you through the Night.

I remember as a young girl, my two sisters and I, who all shared one bedroom, would insist that the light in the hallway be left on until all three of us had fallen asleep. Mom and Dad would leave our bedroom door ajar so that the light could shine through.

I wonder whether it was more because we wanted to be close to the light or afraid of being left in the dark.

Sometimes, getting a glimpse of the LIGHT is enough

Enough to give you courage to continue walking in faith — even when you are not quite sure of the next step.

As when you go for a hike on an unknown trail. The sign at the starting point tells you roughly how many miles the journey will be.

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