Good Enough
Text: 1 Kings 17:8-16
I bet I’m not the only one who has been thinking about it and telling people about it. I’m talking about our 100th anniversary celebration last Sunday. I’m still processing what happened during the service. Someone might say that it’s just one service. For me, it’s much more than that. I keep wondering what made the service extraordinary. There were many factors. For the first time in a long time, we sang hymns in a room full of real people! The energy in the sanctuary was so powerful that I could feel it through my whole being! There were more than 110 people – 74 in-person and 38 on Zoom – bringing all of their hearts and souls into worship. It just felt different. God was so present to us. More than a dozen people were involved in leading the service by singing, reading, or telling their story. None of us was there as a spectator. Everyone was there as a full participant in creating something new with God. I saw a glimpse of what’s possible when we bring the best of who we are into worship. That gave me hope. It’s not a secret that we are an aging congregation. Many of our volunteers are getting tired. And the pandemic is not over yet. Despite all of that, what matters most is how we are participating in the here and now. For, that’s how God is with us. We experience the presence of God more fully by brining our authentic selves with whatever resources available.
At the beginning of our planning, I struggled with a conventional view of time – the chronological order of the past, present, and future. I don’t believe in such a notion of time anymore. I believe they coexist in the Eternal Now. One thing about time is how tricky it is. I can’t remember what I ate for breakfast two days ago, but I can clearly remember what I ate on my 10th birthday as if it was yesterday. It was a special treat from my father. He took his family to this landmark restaurant in Seoul. I remember the atmosphere, setting of the table, and even what I ordered. Some of our days go slower while some other days go faster. Many of us experienced a void of time during the lockdown. Time stood still. But as we began reopening, it felt like going down a rollercoaster with the maximum speed and nonstop. We’ve been living the two extreme versions of time over the last twenty months. We are disoriented and confused in time. Time is also highly contextual. So, without understanding the context of our anniversary, my motivation level was low. Just because we reached a certain number, doesn’t mean we should celebrate. I needed a stronger reason to celebrate. Surviving for 100 years is not the same as thriving for 100 years, making a meaningful contribution to our community, and learning to love more.
I give credit to the worship team. Since June we met at least five times as a whole and many more in smaller groups. At the beginning I wasn’t sure where we were going, and I don’t think my team members knew either. We spent a lot of times telling our stories – stories about our most memorable worship experiences, why we must celebrate our 100th anniversary, a gift we each received from FGUC, and what it means to be part of this community of faith. I really got to know the church better by getting to know each team member. Gradually it became clear to me that each of us embodied some of the values that FGUC has been living for a long time even before my time here, and yes, even before I was born! And that is true with everyone in our congregation. We are the church. Every member of the church carries its past, present, and future at the same time. Who we have been, who we are, and who we shall become exists right here in our living bodies. I realized that celebrating our 100th anniversary is a way to affirm our faith and embrace all that we are, and a moment to look to the future of FGUC. It is our faithful response to God who is the most faithful and constant companion for our journey together. What matters is what we are creating today with the resources available to us no matter how small they may appear.
The small resources available to a widow in Zarephath is only a handful of meal in a jar and a little oil in a jug - Just enough to make the last meal for her herself and her son. The circumstance is dire. There has been drought and famine – no rain and no food in the land. Turns out, the little ingredient she has is good enough to feed the three people including the unexpected guest, Elijah for many days. How do you understand this text? Why is the story being told to us now? One thing we should be careful of when it comes to interpreting a story in the Bible like this one is not to use the lens of prosperity theology or so called the gospel of success. It’s a belief among some Christians that financial blessing and physical well-being are always the will of God for them. The more God loves you and you obey, the more God will bless you with material things, and God, not anything else, will protect your health. Such a belief has proven to bring more harm than good not only to individuals but also to the society as a whole especially during these times. No, the story is not about the promise of gaining personal prosperity or well-being. On the contrary, the story challenges us to look at our resources differently – no matter how small they appear, they are good enough to feed, to share, and to sustain. interestingly, this event happens in a place where the majority of people worship Baal, the god of fertility and the Lord of Rain and Dew, who promises fertility and prosperity, similar to the gospel of success in the modern day. So, the story demonstrates the nature of God and what we are called to do with whatever resources we have. The widow chooses to feed her guest first, not knowing whether there will be anything left for herself and her child. What could have been their last meal turns out to be the source of nourishment for a fellow human being. It’s not how much she has but how she uses her resources – what she gives - that helps build a new community beyond her family.
We don’t have to wait until we have “enough” to share. How much enough is enough? The truth is that whatever we have is always good enough to share, to feed, and to sustain our community. That’s how we can continue to partner with God, who has created and is creating. That’s how we can continue to honour our roots, celebrate who we are, and plant our future.