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Ruth: The Loyal Hero / Ruth 1:1-24Heroes Series Part 4 St Paul UMC Fremont | Pastor Sun Hee Kim

Ruth 1:1-24
1 In the days when the judges ruled, [a] there was a famine in the land, and a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. 2 The man’s name was Elimelech, his wife’s name Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there.
3 Now Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, 5 both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.
6 When she heard in Moab that the LORD had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, Naomi and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there. 7 With her two daughters-in-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah.
8 Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the LORD show kindness to you, as you have shown to your dead and to me. 9 May the LORD grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.”
Then she kissed them and they wept aloud 10 and said to her, “We will go back with you to your people.”
11 But Naomi said, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? 12 Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons- 13 would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the LORD’s hand has gone out against me!”
14 At this they wept again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-by, but Ruth clung to her.
15 “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.”
16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.” 18 When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.
19 So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?”
20 “Don’t call me Naomi, [b] ” she told them. “Call me Mara, [c] because the Almighty [d] has made my life very bitter. 21 I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The LORD has afflicted [e] me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.”
22 So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning.

ADDING TO THE LIST OF SUPER POWERS
Well, we are now on the fourth week of our sermon series entitled, “Heroes: Ordinary Turned Extraordinary”, a series in which we have been looking at how God uses some ordinary and sometimes even some less than ordinary people for extraordinary purposes. People like Rahab, Abraham, Esther. These were, for the most part, just run of the mill type of people. People like you and people like me. And yet God chose them for amazing and heroic acts of service, and more often than not, God called these individuals in critical moments – as we read in the Book of Esther last week – for such a time as this.

Today, I want to share with you yet another one of these amazing stories – the story of Ruth. Like some of the characters that we have studied over the past few Sundays, Ruth is not someone who on the surface would be considered “hero material”. I think of some of the more well known fictional heroes of our day (you know the Marvel and DC Comics type heroes) – Superman, Spider Man, Wonder Woman. And it’s easy to understand why they are considered not just heroes but “super” heroes. They all have “super hero” powers. Superman – he’s faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and… (that’s right) able to leap tall buildings in a single bound! Spider Man – well, he’s got those keen spider instincts, can shoot web out of his wrists, and swing from building to building. Obviously, abilities that we all long for, right? And of course, there’s Wonder Woman – she’s got that cool invisible jet, the flashy bracelets that deflect bullets, and the golden lasso that she ties up men with so that they tell the truth. Now, what woman here wouldn’t want those types of super hero powers? I mean she’s got style and strength! All of these type of heroes, it’s simply obvious why they are considered heroes. Not so the case with Ruth.

Ruth possesses no extraordinary physical strength, she can’t fly, no fancy bracelets, and though she may be able to spin yarn, she certainly can’t spin a web. Once again, we have here in this story, an individual who is very, very ordinary. But, God chooses her for extraordinary purposes, and she becomes a hero in the Kingdom of God.  I call Ruth the “Loyal Hero” because of all the characteristics she possesses, it’s really this character of loyalty – her heart of commitment – that makes her who she is and the hero that she eventually becomes. So, I want to take a look at this characteristic today and follow very closely in this story of Ruth, how loyalty comes to save the day.

THIS AIN’T NO FAIRY TALE
We read earlier from Ruth chapter 1, twenty-two verses that pretty much sets up the scene for the story. Now, I do want to highlight real quickly that the Book of Ruth is only four chapters in its entirety, so I want to encourage you as I did last week with Esther, to go home and read the rest of the story. The Book of Ruth, as short as it may be, is just rich with detail and one of the most beautiful stories in Scripture. You’re not going to want to pass on this one.

Anyway, back to chapter 1. The Book of Ruth begins in perhaps one of the most dismal ways that we can possibly imagine. And we can see from the very beginning that the story that we are dealing with ain’t no fairy tale. Verse 1 says that this story took place “in the days when the judges ruled”. Biblical scholarship tells us that this would have placed the story somewhere in between 1400 to 1100 B.C., but more importantly, the Bible itself tells us in Judges 21:25 that “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in their own eyes.”  In other words, this was perhaps one of the most evil times in Israelite history –  no rules, no regulations, people just did whatever they wanted. No wonder that verse 1 also tells us that  “there was a famine in the land.” Which, of course, meant no food. Though it may not be explicit, what verse one is implying is that this famine was sent as a punishment for this very apostate and evil time for Israel. And so, people begin to move elsewhere in search for food. One of them is this guy named Elimelech, and he goes to a place called Moab.

Now, you have to understand that we are not even out of verse one, and  the story is already full of details and just thick with irony. I mean consider this.  Elimelech is from Bethlehem, the Bible says. And I don’t know if you know this or not, but Bethlehem actually means “House of Bread”. The irony here, of course, is that there is no more bread in the place that’s called house of bread. So of all places, where does Elimelech go in search of bread?  Moab. Once again, irony. Moabites and Israelites were mortal enemies. But we see here that when you’re hungry, you have to place your historical differences aside. So, here we have in the beginning of the story of Ruth, evil, famine, desperation. Not a very pretty picture, but believe it or not, it gets worse.

The Bible goes on to introduce five other characters – Naomi, who is Elimelech’s wife, Mahlon and Killion, their sons, and Orpah and finally Ruth, the two sons’ wives. Now, just as an aside, if you know anyone who’s planning to have kids anytime soon, make sure that they don’t name their child Mahlon or Killion. These are just terrible names. They literally mean, “sickly” and “dying”. I mean, can you imagine naming your kids this and having to introduce them to people, “These are my two sons, Swine Flu Pandemic and Incurable Walking Pneumonia.” This is pretty much the gist of these names. Not great names at all. But then again, they’re not in a very good situation to begin with.

So, the story goes on, and now we’re not even past the third verse yet, and Elimelech dies. The Bible doesn’t say exactly why or how. He’s just dead. And now, Naomi is suddenly left with only her two sons, and they marry Moabite women – Orpah and Ruth. Don’t forget that Moabites are enemies of Israelites. I’m not sure how well this fared with their widowed mother, but it’s safe to guess that there may have been at least a little tension. Nonetheless, they marry, and ten years later, Mahlon and Killion also die. Not surprising considering what they were named as babies. But now, what was once a bad situation has gotten even worse, and it’s a dark, bleak, hopeless scene for Naomi.  Elimelech dies and so does his sons. Could you imagine what that must be like to be living in a foreign land and lose your husband and your sons? It’s bad enough that you’re hungry and searching for food, that famine has hit the land and the economy has gotten so bad that you have to turn to Moab of all places for help, but to lose your whole family? Like I said, this ain’t no fairy tale.

FOR EVERYONE WHO HAS EVER ASKED “WHERE IS GOD?”
Now, if you’re Naomi, you’re heart would be crying out in severe pain, and you would be asking (if not by shouting with clenched fists to the heavens, at least with silent and bitter tears), “Where is God in all this pain?” For any of you who have ever faced tragedy, for any of you who have ever lost someone dear to you, this question is all too familiar. Some will answer, there is no God. But others will answer that God can work through even the greatest suffering.

In C.S Lewis’s book, The Great Divorce, there’s a character named George MacDonald who says, “Ah, the Saved…what happens to them is best described as the opposite of a mirage. What seemed, when they entered it, to be the vale of misery turns out, when they look back, to have been a well; and where present experience saw only salt deserts, memory truthfully records that the pools were full of water.”

This is pretty heavy stuff, but what Lewis is basically saying is that God has a funny way of working through suffering to bring about incredible blessing in the end. In essence, this is the truth that unfolds in the Book of Ruth after this point in the story. As I said earlier, the book of Ruth is just a fabulous book. It’s short but so rich with content about (as one pastor says) “what life with God is like in the shadows, in the left turns, in the detours.” It’s a book about how God works in mysterious ways to perform his wonders. It’s a book for people who wonder where God is when there are no visions, no dreams, no prophets, no miracles. It’s a book for people who wonder where God is when tragedy after tragedy attacks their faith. It’s a book for people who wonder how God could use their ordinary lives of faith to do something great. And ultimately, though it may not seem very convincing at this point, it’s a book of hope and I so want you to be encouraged by it.

So where is God here in this story of tragedy, darkness and despair? Well, short story even shorter, God is in the life and heart of this character named Ruth. And this is what happens. Chapter 1, verse 6, Naomi hears news that back home the famine has ended: “The Lord had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them.” So, Naomi decides to head back to Bethlehem, the land of Judah, and tells her two daughters-in-law to go back to their families, to get new husbands and basically seek another chance at a full and happy life. But Orpah and Ruth insists that they plan to go back with her to her people.

Naomi’s response? This is what we read in verses 11-13: “Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me – even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons – would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord’s hand has gone out against me!”

Granted that Naomi is speaking from the center of her pain, in the midst of hopelessness, feeling the bitter slap of tragedy, she nevertheless raises a pretty good argument. She seems to be saying, “You suffered enough already by being a part of my family. Don’t put yourselves through anymore. As for me, it’s hopeless. No good can come out of you following me back to Judah. Can’t you see that God is against me?” At this point, Naomi cannot see God working in her life. She is blind to the pool of water that is masquerading as a desert wasteland of hopelessness. And as far as Orpah is concerned, Naomi’s bitter speech is convincing enough and she returns back to her original home. Ruth, on the other hand, is not one bit swayed, and she offers her own speech. This is what she says in verse 16:

 “Don’t urge me to leave you or turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.”

Wow! I don’t know about you, but I like her speech a lot better than Naomi’s speech. Ruth is declaring her undying devotion to her mother-in-law. She is expressing her loyalty and her heart of commitment to Naomi. And she seems to be saying, “It doesn’t matter how much you have suffered, and it doesn’t matter how much more you might suffer. And it doesn’t matter if I suffer. My place is next to you. I will be with you until death prevents me from being with you no more. I am going with you.” What an amazing and awesome demonstration of commitment, don’t you think? Now, you have to remember once again that Ruth was a Moabite. For her to go back with Naomi to Judah would be putting her own life at risk. She was heading back into hostile territory, and now she would become the foreigner living in a strange land among strange people. But ultimately, none of this mattered, because for Ruth – this ordinary Moabite woman – her loyalty and commitment to Naomi was of the utmost priority. And it is through this loyalty that God would end up doing extraordinary things through her.

A VERY DIFFERENT ENDING
Chapter 1 ends with this verse: “So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning…” I love the stark contrast of the closing verse of this first chapter to that of the opening verse. Originally, the people of Israel were found to be living in an evil, desperate and bleak time with famine having struck the land. But the closing verse paints a very different picture – a picture of hope and harvest. What’s more, there is this image of these two widows who lost everything, but there is this sense that something is about to happen – something good. There is this sense that God is at work and all the pain and tragedy that once was would be a thing of the past. There is an answer – even if it’s just a glimpse of it – at the end of this chapter to the question, “Where is God in all this pain?”

Well, according to the rest of the story of Ruth, according to the remaining three chapters, we see very clearly that God is actually very close by. God’s presence is manifested in the heart of this ordinary Moabite woman named Ruth and in her amazing display of loyalty. God is present in the generosity of a kinsman-redeemer by the name of Boaz who becomes so impressed with the loyalty of Ruth that, in short, he offers to marry her. God is present in the hope of a child named Obed that was later born to Ruth, who became the father of Jesse who was the father of David – the greatest King that Israel ever had and, of course, the ancestor of Jesus, our Lord and our Savior. Where is God? God is in the ordinary moments of our lives, working extraordinary things that sometimes we cannot see, but later comes to fruition in very real ways – through the very precious relationships that are so important to us, through the random acts of generosity and kindness of strangers, through the faith that moves mountains and fills dry pools with water.

God was with Naomi. And no doubt, God was with Ruth. And of course, as ordinary as you and I may be, God is with us, calling us to do extraordinary things in God’s name. Amen?

Abraham: The Aged Hero / Genesis 12:1-4; Hebrews 11:8-12, 17-19Heroes Series Part 2 St Paul UMC Fremont | Pastor Sun Hee Kim

Genesis 12:1-4
1 The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.
2 “I will make you into a great nation
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.”
4 So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran.

Hebrews 11:8-12, 17-19
8By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
11By faith Abraham, even though he was past age—and Sarah herself was barren—was enabled to become a father because he[a]considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

17By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring[b] will be reckoned.”[c] 19Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.

 BEYOND IMAGINATION
Last week, we began a new sermon series entitled, “Heroes: Ordinary Turned Extraordinary”. And in this series, we’re looking at some of the people that God called into heroic and extraordinary acts of faith.  We’re seeing that when God chooses someone for God’s greater purposes, God always chooses the unexpected, the unlikely, the often times less-than-ordinary candidate. When we read scripture, we’ll actually see that this is God’s modus operandi – this is the pattern of the way that God works. God does not work according to the standards and rules of the world or according to what we expect. God always goes beyond that. It’s like what we read in Ephesians 3:20 that God is “able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us.” The Bible tells us in no uncertain terms that God goes beyond what we expect. God exceeds our requests and surpasses even our imaginations. God is in the business of surprising us.

Last Sunday, we learned about God’s surprising choice and use of Rahab as a hero of God’s Kingdom. Being a woman, a Canaanite and a prostitute made her the unlikeliest of heroes, but God chose her nonetheless, and “by faith” the Bible says, she helped save the lives of the Jewish spies. We also learned about Agnes Bojaxiu, better known as Mother Teresa, who was also quite the unlikely hero. By the world’s standards, she probably would not be given a second glance, but she was chosen and used by God to touch thousands and thousands of people. The ordinary turned extraordinary. Hearing such stories over and over again, you cannot help but seriously consider the possibility that God is calling ordinary people like you and me to do some extraordinary things for the Kingdom of God.

Well, today, we’re going to be looking at another unlikely character of the Bible who was called to an extraordinary act of faith. His name is Abraham (formerly Abram) and what made him such an unlikely hero was his age. He was way beyond what, I think, society would consider the likely age bracket for a hero to actually fall into. I mean consider this for example: Peter Parker became Spider Man when he was in High School and Clark Kent became Superman when he blasted into the earth’s atmosphere as a baby. I think that when people consider the picture of what a hero would look like, they tend to imagine someone who is young and robust and at the prime of his or her life – a Peter Parker or a Clark Kent, if you will. Certainly not someone like Abraham.

The Bible tells us in Genesis 12:4 simply that Abraham was seventy-five years old when God called him. The writer of Hebrews is actually not as kind in talking about Abraham’s age. He says in Hebrews 11:11 that Abraham “was past age” and in 11:12 describes him “as good as dead”. That’s not very nice, is it? Now, personally, I don’t think seventy-five is actually that old, but certainly, it needs to be acknowledged that even by today’s standards, that would have put Abraham already 10 years into retirement and receiving Social Security checks and already twenty years into qualifying for the senior discount at Denny’s.

Age wise, Abraham is an unlikely hero. And the interesting thing here is that there is not much more that is said about Abraham when we first meet him in Scripture. In fact, we get very little description of this man – his intellect, his physical stature, his personality. The Bible is pretty silent on this. All we know by the time we get to Genesis 12 is that Abraham (or Abram as he was called originally) was the son of a guy named Terah and was married to a woman by the name of Sarai. We find out some other family info – he had two brothers (one died) and has a nephew by the name of Lot, which ironically is not a lot. That’s it. Nothing more is said about this guy that God would call to eventually become the “Father of All Nations”. For all we know, Abraham is just another ordinary guy.

Actually, when we read about his lineage in chapter 11 of Genesis, we might infer that he is actually less than ordinary because while all the other men mentioned in his family line “had other sons and daughters”, the Bible says that his wife, Sarai “was barren; she had no children.” By the world’s standards today, and especially by Biblical standards and the standards of his day, Abraham would not have been considered the likely hero – he was just some old guy with no children. Maybe the writer of Hebrews is really not that harsh at all. Maybe for the standards of that time, what is said in Hebrews is actually pretty representative about how people felt back then about a seventy-five year old man who had no children – he was past age and as good as dead. And yet, it’s exactly at this point in his life that God called him to something extraordinary.

THE SURPRISING CALL AND EVEN MORE SURPRISING RESPONSE
This is what we read in Genesis 12:1-3:
The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

Can you imagine this scene? Now, if I was Abraham, and I was seventy five years old, living in a particular land all my life, minding my own business, doing my thing (whatever that thing may be), and all of a sudden God appears out of nowhere and tells me to move somewhere – to leave everything I have ever known – to go to a place that I have no clue where that might be, I think, maybe, just maybe, my response would be (at minimum), “Huh….?! Say that again, God? You want me to do what?” This is quite the surprising call that is recorded in Scripture, but what’s more surprising is Abraham’s response. The Bible simply says in verse 4, “So Abram left, as the Lord had told him….”

Perhaps age wise, Abram might not be considered the likely hero, but faith wise, he demonstrated one of the most heroic acts possible. Letting go. It reminds me of this story that I heard about a tourist who had traveled out to see the Grand Canyon, and in his amazement at the grandeur of the sight, moved too close to the edge of a particular cliff, accidentally losing his footing and plunging over the side. As he began to fall, he started clawing and scratching for everything and anything he could so as to save himself. And finally, after descending almost out of sight, he was able to desperately grab hold of a scrubby bush that was growing off the side.

At this point, filled with terror and hanging on with both hands for dear life, he called out toward heaven, asking, “Help! Is there anyone up there?!” To his relief and surprise, a calm, powerful voice came out of the sky responding, “Why yes. Yes there is.” The tourist then began to plead, “Well, can you help me? I desperately need some help here!” The calm voice replied, “Yes. Yes, I probably can. What seems to be the problem?”

And the man cried out, “I fell over the cliff and I’m dangling in space holding on to a bush that is about to give. Please, please help me!” And the voice from above said, “Well, I’ll try. But, do you believe?” “Yes, yes! I believe!” said the man. “Well, do you have faith?” “Yes, yes! I have faith. I have very strong faith. Please hurry!” the man cried. The calm voice, then finally replied, “Well, in that case, simply let go of the bush and everything will turn out fine.”

After a very tense and silent pause, the tourist yelled out, “Is there anyone else up there?”

For most of us, we’re just like this man on the cliff. We have a very difficult time letting go. We are holding on to everything and anything, gripping onto what we know and what we want with tight, white-knuckled fists. And the irony, of course, is that the tighter we grip, the less our hands can actually hold. I can totally imagine that when God called Abraham, Abraham saying yes as he looks towards heaven, opening up his hands in an extraordinary act of faith. Abraham lets go, and lets God start doing God’s work in him. And especially at the age of seventy-five, friends, to let go is no small affair. But that’s exactly what Abraham did, and that’s exactly what made him a hero.

I find it quite amazing that this once less-than-ordinary seventy-five year old man is referenced so often in Scripture. First of all, nearly one fourth of Genesis is devoted to this man’s life, and over 40 Old Testament references in all are made to Abraham. And it is interesting to note that even Islam holds Abraham second in importance only to Mohammed, with the Koran referring to Abraham 188 times. But back to our own Bibles, if we look in the New Testament, we will see that the New Testament in no way diminishes the significance of the life and character of Abraham containing within it nearly 75 references to him in all. And perhaps the most important reference coming from that section of Hebrews that we read today, a section that I referred to last week as the “Faith Hall of Fame.” This is what we read:

11By faith Abraham, even though he was past age—and Sarah herself was barren—was enabled to become a father because he[a]considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

Because Abraham said yes to God, because Abraham opened his hands and let go, because Abraham was willing to leave behind his ordinary life for what in faith he knew would be an extraordinary journey, he became the Father of All Nations and became a hero in the Kingdom of God.

BRINGING IT CLOSER TO HOME
I love this story of Abraham because, frankly, I think it speaks volumes to us here at St Paul. Let’s face it, we’re not necessarily a young congregation. And I won’t go as far as the writer of Hebrews to say that we’re “past age” or “as good as dead”, which I’m sure you all appreciate very much. But the truth of the matter is that I think many of us have succumbed to the current society’s not so high view of the older generation. We live in a world and culture that prizes the potential and power of the youth. Women go out and pay big money on things like  “Age Defying Skin Creams” and “Wrinkle Removers”, while men consider finally calling that 1-800 number to join the “Hair Club for Men.” Bottom line, we all not only want to look younger. We want to be younger.

But here’s the thing.  The Bible in essence is telling us today, that if God can take seventy-five year old Abraham and make him into the Father of Nations, God can certainly take any of us at any age and cause us to do some extraordinary things in the name of God. And the truth is that God is calling us today, like he called Abram many, many years ago. As people of God, God is calling us to rise up above the ordinariness of our lives to experience something beyond what we can possibly ask or imagine – immeasurable things – things that go beyond age and things that go beyond the limits of this world. God is calling us to be heroes and make a difference while we still can. And friends, we… still… can. Amen?

There’s this familiar line in the Spider Man series, and you may know this, but it goes like this:  “With great power comes great responsibility.” And that’s a good line, but I think in the Kingdom of God, it would actually be more accurate to say this:  “With great responsibility, comes great power.” You see, God has placed before each and every one of us great responsibility, but the promise is that if we say yes to that responsibility, it will be followed by the promise of the great power of God that will be at work within us.

Each and every week, I am just blown away by the amazing faithful and heroic acts of some of the members in our congregation, here at St Paul. I see the Abraham’s and the Sarah’s rise to the occasion and continue to serve and continue to say yes to God and continue to let go with open hands and experience God’s power at work within them. And so I know and I am absolutely confident that though we might not be a completely young congregation, we are certainly not past age and we are certainly not as good as dead. We are yet alive. And we are yet available for God to use us. And the good news is that we worship and serve an amazingly powerful God who can do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine. And of course, the bad news is that God ain’t done with you yet. God is calling you and expecting you to rise up and do something – live with extraordinary power and faithfully respond to that extraordinary responsibility. Young or old, I hope you believe this, and today, that you open up your hands and your hearts and say yes to God. Amen?

For Heroes…
The month of May was good. Busy, but good. I had an amazing opportunity to preach with my colleague Debbie Weatherspoon at the OpenCircle Young Adult worship called SHE. It was an amazing time of honoring and celebrating the women in our lives who have touched us and affected us. And now, we are already in the month of June, and my mind and my heart shifts from SHE to HE. Like many of you, I am in the process of picking out a card for my dad, and all of a sudden a flood of fond memories fill my mind.
When I was real little, I was called a “hand baby” because I absolutely LOVED to hold my father’s hand. In fact, I used to fall asleep putting my face against on one of his hands. I remember then that his hand was warm, thick and big. And then, I remember the time when I was first aware of his hand actually being average in size, and how that realization made me feel a bit sad. But mostly, I felt safe and sound within his presence.
I remember him coming home from work everyday at 5:00 pm on the dot. I didn’t realize fully then, but he made and unfailingly kept this commitment to come home after work right away from his teaching job. Unlike many men of his age at the time, he made sure he spent dinner time with us. Although his job made this more doable, the culture and business standards for men at that time in Korea would require him to hang out with friends. Many times, a man’s success would depend on this kind of socializing. However, having dinner and spending time with family was top priority for him, and it was rooted in his commitment to God. I know my father’s faith motivated him to do the best he could – to be a faithful, supportive and caring father.
It could have been that I might not actually know the full extent about his commitment and his sacrifice much later in life, but I know how it felt to me then. I remember my dad being around us a lot, and those precious memories I still cherish. And everyday, when he would come home, my father always brought us a little snack, such as a carton of vanilla ice cream. Not surprisingly, my brother, sister and I were always looking forward to 5:00 pm!
We didn’t have much growing up but I never felt that we “lacked” much of anything. His presence, his faith, and his loving effort to provide helped us to be well in many ways. My father may not have been the most vocal person either, but he always spoke the most supportive and wise things when it counted. I am so grateful that when I call God “Father”, I have all of these amazing and loving images given to me from my earthly father. What a blessing that is, indeed!
It might be cliché to say this but I want to say to my dad, “Thank you! You are my hero.”
My dad might be an ordinary man, but he is a true hero who has lived his life in an extraordinary way, making an extraordinary impact to my brother, my sister and me. It is even more meaningful to me that his life and everything that he did was truly motivated by his faith. Without him and his encouragement, I know I wouldn’t be standing here today.
The Bible is full of stories that tell of God’s amazing ways in which the ordinary is transformed into the extraordinary. In this meaningful month of June, while we are remembering the heroes in our lives, it is going to be my joy and honor to start a new preaching series entitled, “Heroes: The Ordinary Turned Extraordinary”. This sermon series will begin on June 24th and in it, we will be exploring some characters of the Bible who for all practical purposes would have fit the expected bill for God’s chosen servant. But as the saying goes, “God does not choose the qualified, but qualifies the chosen.” This series will be about the ordinary people whom God chooses to become the heroes who end up doing extraordinary things.
I hope you join us in this journey of remembering heroes, heroes of the Bible as well as some of the faith heroes in our very own lives. We will all be inspired and encouraged to live the extraordinary life and to make an extraordinary impact for someone else.
Expecting A Heroic Month of Ministry Together,
Pastor Sun Hee

“Heroes: The Ordinary Turned Extraordinary” Sermon Series
June 24: Rahab, July 1: Abraham, July 8: Esther, July 15: Ruth, July 22: Joseph, July 29: Caleb