August 16, 2026 - “It was God!”

August 16, 2026-OVUMC 10:30 Spirited Traditional Worship

Pastor Sang Park 

The Scriptures are Genesis 45:1-15.

To help with the cost of our ministries, please go to www.ovumc.org/donation

Transcript

SPEAKER_05 3:21

Good morning, church. Welcome everyone to this house of the Lord, our sisters and brothers in Christ, and our old and new friend, all welcome to this place. As we come here to seek God's peace, God's presence with us. And I'm thanked after leading past through this church, Ocean View and I Method Church. I hope and pray you find those things you are seeking this morning from God in this place. We welcome those who join us through our online live stream at this time. Please find the friendship register. You may write your name to let your presence known to us so that we may carry you to our just one quick announcement. There is an insert introducing the class for we can start a class of social representative. The new version for our thing together and pray together one. There is a sign of the back of the Northwind your name on it so that we can prepare the class in on the band. Today we would be in September.

SPEAKER_01 6:10

Isn't it wonderful to be in the house of God? Amen. And what about our musicians? We've got people who sing and play the guitar. We are so blessed and we are so grateful for them all. So I y'all keep rocking out. That's good stuff. I've got a lot of announcements. I'm gonna make it quick because we got worship that we need to focus on. But I know you people, some of you don't read the screen, some of you don't read your bulletin, some of you don't read your news newsletter. So we don't want you to miss out. So please, and I'm sorry, I'm a retired educator, I'm guilty as charged, and listen up, okay? All right, so handbells. Handbells are starting up at our church, thanks to um to uh preacher mom, preacher lady over here. I just drew a complete blank, my friend. Send up, sweetie. She's starting handbells, and they're gonna start on Monday the 24th. So let's thank her for getting that going again. So we're pretty excited. So if you signed up and said you were interested, show up and be there. Six o'clock? Okay, yes, ma'am. All right, and then there's several other announcements there. The important ones I'm supposed to lift up is this rest of this month is very busy. So if you're visiting us right now or if you're listening online, go ahead and mark these down and be sure to be here. Um two weeks from today will be the fifth Sunday in August, and we will have a covered dish meal, and all of our different services will come together. So all your friends you're meeting at missing at the early service, and all those that come early that are missing the later service, we get to all be together for a worship service. And then the uh the best after that is the covered dish meal and the fellowship. And so we'll be doing that. If you are visiting from out of town or you just want to come and see what it's all about, there'll be more food than all of us can eat. So just come, even if you can't bring a dish. But now, those of you that do, don't forget the deviled eggs, because I really like those a lot. Um, so we will have a good time. And on that same day, come a little early at 10 o'clock, we're gonna gather at the newly renovated, restored fountain in the area outside of the church here. And we're gonna have a little service. And it said, if you'd like to bring the chair, and that will be to dedicate the fountain. So that will be a real special moment. And that fountain sits in front of our columbarium. So it's a really holy, sacred place, a place of memory, a place of just being grateful for all that God has blessed us with and the legacy that has led us all to where we are now. So that'll be a very special day. So don't forget, don't be out of town. You want to be here for that. Um, those of you that uh would like to be or have never been or come all the time, our last of the Monday regular Bible studies on Monday morning will resume tomorrow. Misa will be bringing us the lesson. Misa, raise your hand. So we're looking forward to that. So she'll be leading the lesson, and then in September, we start back to every Monday. 10 o'clock in the multi-purpose room. You can come anytime. Uh the grief support group is starting back. Uh Reverend, raise your hand and tell us that you're doing that. You want to say anything about it? Starting the grief support group. So if you experience the loss of a loved one, he's getting started and there's a book. And we are grateful for you leading that room. Thank you so much. So, Ben, I don't know where Ben is. Ben in the room. Yes, Ben, did I get it all? All right, I got the thumbs up. So without any further ado, why don't we now enter into our time of worship with standing for the choral intro?

SPEAKER_04 12:09

This is such a small space.

SPEAKER_01 12:37

And if you'll remain standing and join me in reading and sharing in the call to worship, in your bulletin, and on the screen. God of mercy and hidden providence, providence, you trace our steps through every hardship. You turn our fears into a future and our grief into grace. When we stand before you with our past undone and our faults laid bare, you look upon us with love. You say to us, do not be afraid, and you draw us near. Come, let us worship the God of surprising reconciliation. Let us praise the one who redeems our stories and restores our peace. Amen. And now let us join together in singing a great hymn of our faith. Great is thy faithfulness. And please greet one another in Christian love and remind them that God's love is with them. You may be seated, and now we're going to hear from Cheryl Fulton for a mission moment with the Brunswick Cooperative Community in Mission.

SPEAKER_00 22:30

Good morning. Ocean View is part of an exciting new ministry. Under the guidance of our conference's Church Transformation Ministry team, we joined with Camp United Methodist, Concord United Methodist, and Zion United Methodist Churches to form the Brunswick Cooperative Community on Mission. Our goal is to connect with other churches, agencies, nonprofits, other groups who are already providing services and focus our support and assistance to increase the impact of their work. If you look on the screen, this is our first activity that we partnered with a group called Jammies for Kids. This is some of the new packaged underwear that many of you donated, and we had donated across the county. So we served about 315 kids last weekend. So our group also provided over 450 bottles of water. And so it was an absolute joy to be there. I don't see Chris Wallace here. Is Chris here today? There you are. Thank you. Chris was kind enough to deliver some tables from Ocean View and to help with the event at Supply Elementary. And he said it was such a blessing to walk in and see so many happy children who were receiving free haircuts, free sports, physicals, hearing, vision, dental care. So it's a great opportunity and it was a great way for us to get started as a cooperative mission. I'm waiting for the screen to come. On the screen, you'll see in just a second, there it is, right on cue. The Dignity Project is something that our church supports. Out in the Narthex is a grocery cart, and we encourage you to continue to bring small packages of feminine hygiene products. Our Denise Harris, who I see right over there, will help to make sure things get delivered. There's so much need in Brunswick County. We are delivering these products. This underwear is going and pajamas are going to families who may be living in the woods and are homeless. And we're able to reach out to all of them and make a true difference. So if you're interested in joining with us with our cooperative community, we're going to be meeting on Monday, September 21st at 10 a.m. And we'd love to have you join us or speak to me after the service. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 25:10

What a powerful way to put uh faith in action. Thank you, Cheryl. So now it's time in our service uh for prayer. Um, and uh an included announcement, which is also a prayer concern uh that I meant to mention, is that this uh coming Saturday, the 22nd, we will be having um a service for uh the Kennedy's grandson who died unexpectedly, and I will be, along with other helpers, uh setting up the multipurpose room for the bereavement reception on Friday afternoon at 2. So if you are able-bodied and have a good spirit and want to help me move some tables and chairs for us to prepare for that bereavement reception on Saturday, we will meet at 2 in the multi-purpose room. Chris is helping me uh recruit some of the United Methodist men, and I could use all hands. So if you're able to do that, and as we go to God in prayer, uh please do remember the Kennedy family in this time of sorrow and mourning. Uh, if you will, please uh pray with me. God of the sparrow, God of the whale, God of the swirling stars, how does the creature, how do we say awe? How does the creature, how do we say thank you? Oh Lord, you are an awesome God. You have provided us with so many good things. This beautiful place we get to live, the sparrow, the whale, the sea turtles, the miracle of life as we see baby turtles scurry to the sea, the mothers who scramble to get to lay those eggs on shore, and all the willing hands that helped to make that happen. Lord, your vision for all of us was to live in harmony. And Lord, we have fallen so short. But we thank you for all the many ways your hand has provided for us. God of the earthquake, God of the storm, God of the trumpet blast, how does the creature say woe? How does the creature say save? And Lord, we do stand in need. We stand in great need of your forgiveness and mercy and grace. So as we gather today to worship your name, to celebrate your sovereignty, to thank you for all that you have provided, we also confess, Lord, of all the ways that we have created destruction of our creation, this beautiful place you have given us to live, the ways in which we tear each other's down, the way in which, Lord, we are slow to forgive, but beg for forgiveness from you. Lord, forgive us when we are selfish. Forgive us when we do not see those in need and we turn a blind eye. Lord, help us to live up to the name of Christian, to be followers of you, to show love and kindness in all that we do. God of the rainbow, God of the cross, God of the empty grave, how does the creature say grace? How do the creature say thanks? And Lord, we are so grateful for the mercy and grace and love that you give us so freely. We know, Lord, that after the storm, that after the destruction, after the grief, you are there. And so, Lord, today as we gather as your people, we also remember all those who are mourning the loss of loved ones. We think of those and lift up in prayer those that are suffering, not only that are heart sick, but that are soul sick, for those that are lonely, for those that have turned to other ways of escape, Lord. We lift those up to you now and their families. We pray for your loving arms to embrace each of these. We pray for those, Lord, that are facing surgery, that are in the hospital now, that are facing test, for those that are not sure what the future holds. We lift them up. And as your people, Lord, as your church, as a family of God, we lift aloud those names that we have brought into the sanctuary today that are on our hearts. Hear our prayers, Lord. And God, we know that you hear the prayers of those that we have just lifted up. You know the need before we ask. But Lord, you're also the God of our neighbor, God of our foe, God of the pruning hook. How does the creature say love and care? So, Lord, we also lift up the people of Columbia, South America, the people of Ukraine, the people all over the world, Lord, who are suffering this day due to war, due to evil, due to natural disasters. Lord, we lift all of these prayers up to you. And we just pray, Lord, that in all these situations, in all these places, that you will let all know that your loving arms are surrounding them and lifting them up and caring for them this day, that they are not alone. God of the ages, God near at hand, God of the loving heart, how do we say joy? How do we say peace? And Lord, we know that we do that in you and through you, and living each day as your people. And Lord, you have taught us to pray. And so now as your congregation, as your family of God, both those watching at home, online, those who will watch later, those who are here with us, let us pray together the prayer that you have taught us to pray. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily prayer, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not to temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory. If you're not familiar with the hymn that I framed in my prayer today, it's in your hymnals on 122, God of the Sparrow, God of the Whale. It's a beautiful hymn. And it's a reminder to us how much we have to be grateful for. So as we ask the ushers to come forward today, please remember all we have to do is look outside our doors, to look at each other sitting on the pews, and to know how much we have. So it's only appropriate that we as cheerful givers give back a portion of what we've been so richly blessed. So now, if our ushers will come forward, we'll receive our morning offering. Lord, we thank you for the hands that have worked to provide those gifts. And now, Lord, we ask that you will bless these gifts so that they can be used for the good of the community and of our region and the world. In that precious name we pray. Amen. Before we um sing our next song, there are some other people that are behind the scenes that make worship happen every week. And one of those is Jordan in the sound booth. So can we thank Jordan up there, please? If Jordan doesn't cue me, uh it's gonna not work. So we're really grateful, Jordan. So, and then also I just wanted to mention that Janice and um uh Pastor Justin's daughters are covering the nursery today, and we're grateful for them as well for their service. So let's just acknowledge that as well. So thank you. And now we'll continue with singing Rock of Ages Club for Me. You may be seated. I'll be reading now from the scripture for the text today is Genesis chapter 45, verses 1 through 15. This is the Joseph story, one of my favorite. And Pastor Sang will be bringing us the word from this passage. Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, Send everyone away from me. So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. Joseph said to his brothers, I am Joseph. Is my father still alive? But his brothers could not answer him. So dismayed were they at his presence. Then Joseph said to his brothers, Come closer to me. And they came closer, and he said, I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here. For God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are five more years in which there will be neither ploughing nor harvest. God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh and Lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me Lord of all Egypt. Come down to me, do not delay. You shall settle in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children's children, as well as your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. I will provide for you there, since there are five more years of famine to come, so that you and your household and all that you have will not come to poverty. And now your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my own mouth that speaks to you. You must tell my father how greatly I am honored in Egypt and all that you have seen. Hurry and bring my father down here. Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, while Benjamin wept upon his neck. And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them, and after that his brothers talked with him. This is the word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God.

SPEAKER_04 42:47

Through eternal ages, let his graces be in the eyes out of shall see. With the heavy stones of that fear of sin, I will live sure that I shall be live. Standing on the promises of God's shoots, staying on the ocean, staying on the colours.

SPEAKER_05 46:53

Thank you for the beautiful anthem this morning. Let us pray. Almighty God, unto you all hearts are open, all desires are known, and from you no secrets are hidden. Cleanse our hearts and minds by your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthyly magnify your holy name through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen. I'm sure in your life journey there are some moments you have been in a situation that you have to part away with someone because of the conflict you cannot take any longer. In such circumstances of being in a conflict, we may think the easiest way would be to avoid the person or the situation. As you already have experienced enough, enough hurt, enough frustration, possibly you've been traumatized by it. And now you do not want it may trigger another trauma that you may have had from the past. As a human, avoidance would be a very natural reaction. There's nothing to be blamed. And sometimes that's a less bad and probably a more wiser and mature choice we can make. Because after all, we are all human. We have we don't have to be like God who embrace all and love all. We may not until that strength, that standard we reached and grow yet. After civil rights, I mean after the civil war in America, we know that the United States was deeply divided as a nation, with lingering wounds between the North and South. Racial tensions, economic disparity, and regional bitterness plagued this nation. It seemed almost impossible to rebuild a nation of unity and reconciliation. Bishop Gilbert Haven, a prominent Methodist Episcopal Church leader at the time, believed that the true reconciliation and healing would come not just from forgiveness on a personal level, but from social reform and racial justice. Rather than maintain the status quo of segregation, Bishop Haven championed the cause of African Americans during the era of reconstruction, pushing for equal rights and education for the African Americans and advocate for the rights of freed slaves. He worked tirelessly for their social and spiritual welfare. He envisioned a church and a society where a former oppressor and the oppressed could worship and live together in this land, that deeply wounded by hatred and harm against their own fellow citizens. We read the story of Joseph and his brothers that culminates in a powerful moment of reconciliation we cannot imagine. After years of separation and hurt, they are finally reunited. Joseph, now in a position of power, and he decided to choose compassion and forgiveness over revenge. He not only forgives but also provides for his family's future. We know those years Joseph has been through. He was sold as a slave to a foreign land. And he was falsely accused for what he had never done. He was put in a deep jail. Joseph had no idea whether God would ever restore him back or not. He had no clue of what's the final destination of all these low low coasters of his life. Until this moment, we read this morning. His brother showed up and asked him help for their survival from devastating drought and famine throughout the whole region. Certainly it was a moment of emotional reunion. But most of all for Joseph, it was a moment of a ha big awakening and big knowledge to understand what is God's picture for his life. You know, when you feel a certainty in your life, I'm sure it gives you a sense of control. We all like to have our life under control, don't we? But sometimes we see that there are things that we cannot control. Things hidden, unthinkable, unreserved. And this part of our lives we may call destiny or fate. But there is a big word for us Christians for this part of unreserved, yet mysterious part of our lives, which is called providence. Providence literally means God sees people. As pro means before. And like a video means see. And God takes lead of our life so that we may get there where God planned for us. But the reality we are living in day and night is really far away from it. We don't know yet where we are. We have no idea where and when the end of the tunnel. As we live, sometimes learning counter to our expectations and our best desires, even to our longtime prayers. Now we have this story. The story of Joseph. In today's scripture, the Bible reads in verse 1, Joseph could no longer control himself, so he asked all those people around him to leave. And verse 2 reads, he wept so loudly that the Egyptians and Pharaoh's household even heard him. As a human, what Joseph has been through the last thirteen years. As it was a moment of all the memories of good and bad come together and reserved in one big feeling. As he had all those old feelings of hearts and regrets and misunderstandings. And now finally he said those things are reserved in tears of embrace and joy and gratitude. And he say, Thank you. Thank God. I thank God for all this. As he says, these are all from God. It was God. As his brothers are still in fear, as they recognize it was Joseph. They were totally freaked out because they think Joseph must have lots of courage and anger to work out with them. He lives in God. And he lives in God's future. And one of the interesting things for me to find here is what his name means. Joseph in his Hebrew name literally means God adds. God will add. As the name was given from his mother Rachel, because Rachel has been through those long years of difficulty of giving birth to her child. And finally she gave birth to Joseph. And in hope to God may give her more, she named Joseph, which means God will add. And we may ask this question, what has been added to his life? If he is Joseph, what God added. What God has been adding to his life over the years. Certainly we see added sufferings, added abandonment, added first accusation, and unjust. He experienced lots of things, lost, failed, unbearable. He's been through all those seasons of disappointment and lost dreams. But as his name tells, as he goes through all those years, the Bible tells, as I introduced last Sunday in Genesis chapter 39, his life in a good summary. Not once, not twice, but four times it tells God was with Joseph. When God was with Joseph, not only God added suffering, but he added the strength, the endurance. God added the faith, the perseverance, the hope, he can see and move on his journey of life. That's the meaning of his name, Joseph proclaimed in this journey. Because Joseph is a living testimony of no matter what happened, no matter where you are, you are the one God will add. In today's story, Joseph wanted to make sure his brothers would not miss the point why he does these act which is generous and forgiving. He claims that three times. In verse 5, he said, God sent me before you to preserve your lives. In verse 7, God sent me before you to rescue your lives in this amazing way. And in verse 8, you didn't send me, but God sent me. It was God. That's what Joseph claims. That's what Joseph wanted his brothers to understand. At the end of the day, it was God, not me. Not the people around us. Not the circumstance we have been through. The reason why I'm standing here. Because it was God. Yes, it was God. That's Joseph's theology. That's the way finally he understands his whole life. As he believes, yes, I live in a world where God is watching over me every bit in my life. So I'm okay. No matter what comes to my life. Even some difficult times comes to my life, still it's okay. I can take it. I can take it because I know that is God. I know at the end of the day it will turn out that everything is in God's hands. Years ago, I have one of my church members came to me and confessed that, Pastor, it took all my life to finally accept, and I say, yes, it was God. And she asked me to baptize. And she was in that community, in that church all her life. But she could not accept it was God. No, she lost her first husband in early days of her life. And then she remarried, had two beautiful sons and daughters. The new husband was a good father and a sweet husband. But God called him again home. So she had to work two jobs, day and night, to provide. her two children to grow as a good other. And even when she told me all these stories, she said she got to have one of her own grandkids. It took too long for her to simply accept the life as it is and say yes. Yes, my life is in God's hands. It is God that allows all things to come into my life. Sisters and brother where do you find yourself in God? Are you scared asking God? Are you scared? Or avoid God I know it will take time. And it cannot come even though we want it to obey we want to take it and move on. Yet there is a big barrier. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, the best things in our life is God with us. That's the most powerful witness we see in the story of Joseph. Because when he said it was God to his brother to help them not to be afraid. His word that he meant it and he raised it always but he knew that it was God if we can say now it was God. It was God in all my life that leads and guides me.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:56

Can you imagine what would be our life from now on adventure adventure with hunger and exciting like to dig in a gold mind to find pure gold out of all the refining fire of the forest as our life will continue to be curious and exciting as we may grow under we wait upon the Lord we will wait upon the Lord we will wait upon the Lord Springer eyes we wait upon the Lord we will wait upon the Lord we will wait upon the God we're the door in peace my friends and know that the one walks with you is God.

SPEAKER_05 1:14:33

God is holding you up God is the one that still watch over you at every step in your church. So may the Lord bless you and keep you may the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you may the Lord lift his countenance upon you and keep you peace. And all God's people said Amen