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Happy anniversary!
Today is the 28th anniversary of this church.
Once a year, we remember how faithful God has been to this church. Another year, God has been with us.
God has been with our children. God has been with our youth and young adults. God has been with all of you.
On this anniversary, it is good to remember God and give thanks.
God has given us a Word from the gospel of Mark for us today. On this anniversary Sunday, let us hear what God has to say to us.
The whole gospel of Mark is about the journey Jesus takes from Galilee to Jerusalem.
Along the way, Jesus calls his disciples. He teaches and he heals people. Others begin to follow.
While he teaches and heals, the destination is always Jerusalem and the cross.
The passage today begins with Jesus and the crowd in Jericho. Jericho is the last stop on the way to Jerusalem.
It begins with a scene of Jesus, his disciples and a large crowd departing from Jericho.
You can envision the large crowd. They are leaving with a spirit of anticipation.
They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. (Mark 10:32)
There was excitement, there was fear, there’s a buzz in the air.
But as they are departing, the camera shifts to the roadside. We see a blind beggar, Bartimaeus, on the side of the road.
The story shifts to him. Who was this man? What was he doing there?
We know nothing about him except that he was a blind beggar. It means that he was utterly dependent on the mercy of others.
He could not survive without help from others. He knew he needed help.
When Jesus was near, something stirred up deep within him.
This is what he cried out:
“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Mark 10:47)
Even after people told him to be quiet, he shouted even louder. Son of David, have mercy on me! Nothing could stop him.
Mark took a detour in the story of Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem to tell this story about Bartimaeus. Why did he do that?
It was very intentional. He is trying to say something very important by inserting this story.
Mark wanted to say something important about discipleship. This story illustrates the very heart of discipleship.
That heart is this statement: Lord, have mercy on me!
Lord, have mercy on me. Lord, help me.
Help me, for I am unable to help myself. Help me, because I need you.
Recognizing that we need help is the beginning of discipleship. It’s the cry that brings us into God’s presence.
Without a heart that desperately needs God, there is no faith. There is no discipleship.
Jesus healed Bartimaeus. This changed him. Instead of going on his way, he followed Jesus on THE way.
Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way. (Mark 10:52)
Tradition says that he became a leader in the church. His story became a powerful testimony to the power of Jesus. Imagine the impact that his testimony had!
It became a powerful witness to what God does. He would never forget what God had done for him.
The story of Bartimaeus is not only his. It is ours as well. His testimony is our testimony.
I was blind but now can see! I was lost but now am found!
The details of your story are unique.
But you are here in this church today because of one simple fact: God has been with you when you needed him. God heard your cry.
God has saved me. That is our testimony.
You are a powerful testimony of what God has done. Your life is a powerful testimony to who God is. Do you believe that?
What is the church?
The church is an assembly of witnesses to what God has done in our lives. The story of Bartimaeus is our story.
Whether you are new or old to this community, you are a powerful witness to God’s presence in your life.
On this church anniversary, we remember what God has done for us.
I see the powerful witness of what God has done in all of your stories.
You have faced so many challenges. Overcoming doubts and insecurity. Dealing with challenging situations. Facing many uncertainties. Battling anxiety and depression and worries.
But God heard your cries. God has made you well.
Many of you are still struggling with challenges. You’re still fragile and vulnerable.
Yes, we are still broken, but filled with grace. That grace has become our strength to carry on.
Our weakness has become the window for God’s strength to shine through.
Every week we come to church, we come to say “Lord, help me”, and “Lord, thank you”.
On anniversaries, you look back. You smile at the good memories. You reflect on the challenges. You have gratitude. You renew your commitment. You look forward to what lies ahead.
On this anniversary, we remember God’s mercy on us.
Like Jesus’ movement, this church began as a small group of people. It was just Rev. Kim and a small group of people, no more than 40 in total, from children to adults.
But they had a vision to create a good, healthy church. A church built on the Word. A church that would cultivate faith in the next generation.
Over 28 years, many people have been touched by God in and through this community. Many prayers have been prayed with the simple cry of “Lord, have mercy on me!” Many prayers have been answered.
God has been faithful to the people of St. Timothy.
I mentioned on Friday at our Bible study how we’re like a blue zone for our oldest members in the KSM.
Some of them are 90 and above, but still taking the TTC to come to Bible study and finding so much meaning in them.
They are healthy because they are filled with the Spirit of God. This church has given them meaning and anchor in their lives.
In our ESM, a whole generation has grown up in this church – our young adults as the first generation to be born and raised here.
Many of them have experienced the love and faithfulness of God in and through this community.
Our children are growing up so beautifully under the grace of God, and I know God will be there for them when they too cry out.
No one knows what the future holds. Many uncertainties and challenges lie ahead.
It is so hard to be a church and do ministry in this day and age. But as we look back on how faithful God has been, we are confident with faith as we look ahead.
We may not know exactly how God will lead us, but the Word today makes clear what our focus and direction is.
Like the crowd following Jesus, we are on our way to Jerusalem, toward the cross. That much is clear.
But we do not remain comfortable in the crowd, aloof to those on the side of the road.
The crowd was annoyed by Bartimaeus. They wanted him to be quiet so they could go on their way uninterrupted.
But Jesus stopped. He listened. He called out for Bartimaeus.
We are the presence of Jesus for those sitting in darkness by the road. We are called to hear their cries.
We are to be the presence of Jesus that stops and calls out to them. We are to offer the Word of God that heals and makes well. We are to invite them to join us on the way of following Jesus.
Always, our cry is “Lord, have mercy on me!” We are people who remember the mercy God has on us.
We are always broken people who are led by the grace of God. We are a worshiping community that comes together every week in gratitude for God’s grace.
God who has shown mercy will continue to do so.
Happy anniversary, St. Timothy! May God lead us again for the year ahead.
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