CIRCLE OF HOPE (Rev.1:4b-8 Nov. 26, 2006)

This past Thanksgiving, I had 30 guests over at my house. There was a lot of work to be done: cleaning the house, preparing the various Thanksgiving dishes and of course roasting the 20 pound turkey. Though it was a lot of work, it was well worth it. At noon, my family and friends had a simple worship service where we took turns sharing what we were most thankful for this past year. Everyone's heart was filled with joy and gratitude. One of the things I was most thankful for was PCFL and being able to witness the work that God is doing here.

My previous experience in the Korean church during Thanksgiving is different from how we do things at PCFL. At the Korean Church, we would share Thanksgiving meal together after worship in the church. The congregation individually would offer special thanksgiving offering to God through their church and typically this offering amount is larger than any other kind of offering. In contrast, American churches seem to keep Thanksgiving Sunday as stewardship Sunday - a time when we recommit ourselves, our 3 Ts- (time, talent and treasure to God through our church), remembering God's grace and blessings.

Thanksgiving this year is especially meaningful to me because today is my fifth ordination anniversary. One of my joys during these years has been learning how culturally and theologically we are different. Every Wednesday I go to Phil Baker's house to get my intonation and pronunciation corrected by him. One day Phil Baker said that his son is working for Merrill Lynch as a partner so I asked him how much he earns per year. He said "I don't know." My next question is "You are retired. Where do you get money for a living?" Some pretty audacious questions, aren't they? However, he kindly explained things to me. In Korean culture, it is okay to ask these things, but clearly I realize now that it was not my place to ask such things. When I met him the following week, he told me that you are not supposed to ask those kinds of questions.

I got another funny story from Chungja Chung, a Korean PCFL member. When her daughter's boyfriend, a lawyer, came to see her to get permission to get married, after some intimate conversation she found the opportunity to ask him how much he earned for a year. He answered her but he was embarrassed. According to what she learned from him later, he told his parents her girlfriend's mother asked him how much he earned. Fortunately his parents understood and said that she had every right to know it. They were married for many years but he never forgot her question and still said his embarrassment, laughing. Afterwards, she never asked financial question even to her daughter.

I really admire American openness. For example, Americans never hide their divorce even to the strangers while Koreans do not feel free to say that. American churches are very open about talent and time donations. However, they are very confidential about financial donations. When I came in PCFL, financial secrecy in the church was very noticeable. During pledge drive last Sunday, I noticed Ted emphasized it is confidential many times. Of course, offering information is confidential in Korean church too but special offering information is sometimes open and in an intimate small group setting the congregation voluntarily shares a lot of testimony about their blessings by the practice of tithe. From the Korean perspective, this financial secrecy is still strange to me. In a seminar for the newly ordained pastors in PCUSA a few years ago, I challenged the lecturer and colleagues regarding the total secrecy of offering and tried to find an answer if it has any relevance of American church's financial decline. Please help me understand if anyone can help.

Since this is pledge dedication Sunday, I'd like to share what I learned from my faith tradition regarding money management.

1. The more you give, the more that returns to you;

2. Required is at least one-tenth of all our income to Christ and his church.

3. The world says to take care of yourself, to provide for tomorrow, and the Bible  says, "God will take care of it. Give sacrificially."

4. Money management is part of being a disciple. It's far from the world way.

5. Don't give leftover. Set aside for God first.

6. If you live in God's way, you will experience God's abundance.

In the beginning, I said that we counted our blessings at this Thanksgiving Day. Today's lectionary shows that our biggest blessing is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ indeed. We've got Jesus Christ the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. We've got Jesus Christ who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God. We've got Jesus Christ who has glory and power for ever and ever! Jesus Christ is God present with us. The God, Alpha and Omega, Almighty God who is, and who was, and who is to come!

In the days of the Depression, Clarence Darrow, the brilliant lawyer, was addressing the members of a black church in Chicago. Most of these people were desperately poor. They didn't have jobs and had little in which to place their hope. Darrow recounted their troubles and then noted how joyfully they had sung. Then he asked this pointed question: "What do you have to sing about?" A lady in the congregation jumped to her feet and said, 'We've got Jesus to sing about'"

That's a pretty good answer. We do have Jesus to sing about. That truth has comforted people in every century since he walked this planet. Whatever our situation may be, we still have Jesus. Why are we comforted by his presence with us? Because he is hope to all believers. We can find hope in whatever situation we are because Jesus is the King who has power and glory ever and ever. He is also the king who reigns in peace and justice, humbleness and service, and all goodness. When we have faith in him, we have hope that we will be delivered from the present agony. When we have faith in him, we know that there is no rock like Jesus. When we have faith in him we know we can't talk as proudly or arrogantly because the Lord is a God who knows and by God deeds are weighed. When we have faith in him, we have hope that someday the war will disappear and peace and justice rules the universe. When we have faith in him, we have hope that there will be no hunger, no poverty, no death, no sorrow, and no sickness.

When we have faith in him, we know that there is endless hope in PCFL. If we have hope in PCFL, we also have responsibility to which we have been called, live as people of God's covenant and promise, get on with the work of God's reign and bless the world as God blesses us. So let us envision our hope and move forward with joyful heart. Let all the people say, "Amen"