Mike's and Ana's Wedding

Below is the column that appeared in my church buletin.

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Today I attended Mike and Ana’s wedding. Many of you were there to congratulate Mike and Ana on their wedding and to celebrate the joyful occasion with them. They looked great. I gave them my best blessing. It was great to see them enter into a covenant of holy matrimony with the pledge to stick together “until death do them apart.” It was a reminder of the pledge I made 11 years ago. I understand some of you have been married longer than my wife and I. I thank God for your faithfulness to God and to your spouses.

With Mike and Ana newly married and added to the ranks of married couples, I’d like to ask our seasoned and still-learning married couples to extend their hands of special encouragement and care to the newly wedded couple. Marriage is a tough thing. It is a union of two different individuals with two different perspectives, backgrounds, beliefs, cultures, and lifestyles. It is a rendezvous of two worlds. People who never lived together now begin to live together. So it is expected there will be difficulties, challenges, and arguments. I can tell you those moments when I raised my voice, when I felt disappointed at myself, and when I cried because of lack of maturity and love on my part. I am aware that mutual effort has to be made for the couple to become more intimate, understanding, and loving. Pain always precedes growth and maturity. Couples who enjoy longevity of marriage are the ones who have learned how to stay connected with each other even when problems arise.

I have a long way to go in my marriage to help my wife to be the person God created her to be. I remember one pastor talking about the role of men in helping their spouses blossom. He said, “Men are the props and women are the vines that climb up the props and blossom on their top.” For men sometimes it is unthinkable to let the vines climb the props or let them stay on top. Although it is hard, it is us men’s responsibility to empower our wives to blossom with their gifts and potential. As Mike and Ana entered into the covenant, let us, married couples, rededicate ourselves to one another. Moreover, let us also recommit ourselves to our Eternal Bridegroom, our Lord Jesus Christ, in our walk with Him. I long for the day when our Eternal Bridegroom will welcome us into heaven for a life eternal.

After attending Lead like Jesus Seminar

Whoever wants to become Great among you must be your Servant. (Matthew 20:26).

Speakers included Ken Blanchard, Erwin Raphael McManus, Margie Blanchard, Rosey Grier, Phyllis Hendry, Phil Hodges, Laurie Beth Jones, Patrick Lencioni, John Ortberg, Nancy Ortberg, and Pill Polard, and the worship leader was Eric Lovett.


Last Friday on Oct. 19 I attended Lead Like Jesus Conference held in Walnut Creek. The church was the live site for the simulcast for many places in the States, Canada, and Jamaica. The conference site was packed out and people were very receptive to the messages. I was somewhat familiar with the concepts and ideas they championed because I had read the book Lead Like Jesus authored by Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges before I attended the conference.

I just wanted to share a few thoughts I had while attending the conference. First and foremost, I was reminded that leadership (influence) is on loan. Namely, there is a season of influence. It’s not something we will possess forever because no one is irreplaceable. I thought about the influence I have on our congregation, my family, friends, relatives, and neighbors. I pray God would empower me to empower people around me to be the leaders and winners they need to become in Christ.

John Ortberg said something that's very important. He said, "We can be intentional about our habits. Thomas Aquinas spent 70 pages of his book Imitation of Christ to habits. There’s a difference between trying to be like Jesus and training to be like Jesus. I arrange my life around habits that enable me to do what I can’t do right now." How true!

Toward the end of the conference “Ken demonstrated servant leadership when he stooped to wipe his co-host's shoes with a small white shoe mitt. Attendees then bent down to find mitts beneath their own pews and followed suit. They exchanged hugs before each moved on to another person.” I liked the idea of using the mitt to wipe other people’s shoes, although Jesus washed the feet of his disciples with water. It was symbolic enough of Jesus’ foot washing. Leading like Jesus is servant leadership, not self-serving leadership. The best example is Jesus coming down to earth to give his life as a ransom for many. He clearly mentioned, “I came not to be served but to serve.” Servant leadership was another reminder of what kind of leadership I need to exercise.

Lead like Jesus involves Heart, Head, Hands, and Habits. It is through our hands and habits what happens on the inside manifests itself. I need to take an inventory of my existing habits and see which habits I need to discard and which new habits I need to form in order to lead like Jesus at church, at home, and in the world. Please forgive me when I make mistakes, with the hope that I am a leader training to be like Jesus. I hope that you would join me in that training to lead like Jesus and to live like Jesus.

Moses Received His First Award

Moses received his first award at Ponderosa. Ever since we came to California, Moses adapted to the new environment really well. He excelled in his studies and finally proved himself able to receive awards. The top picture shows those four award recipients from Moses class.

The one in the middle shows all the second graders who received their awards in different areas such as math, reading, penmanship, citizenship, and so forth. Moses received his award in math.

The bottom shot shows Moses and Alex one of his best friends. Good job, Moses! I'm very proud of you. Remember the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge.

My Tribute to EM Members

Below is my tribute to my EM members who went on the retreat:

Thanks, folks, for your participation not only in the retreat but also in assuming responsibilities. God was present at the retreat and he spoke to us and showed us what we can be like as EM congregation. God truly blessed us through His mouthpiece, Pastor Jon Choi. He exposited Ecclesiastes Chapters one and two and told us how life can be meaningless, which means transient, temporal, futile, a breath, and mist, without God. No matter how much we gain, accomplish, and succeed, it amounts to nothing apart from God. He also highlighted the fact that we are all destined to die once and after that to face judgment. Pastor Jon challenged us to examine our lives and see where we are and what we should do with our lives. His great sense of humor along with his close relationship with many of you helped better connect with him and benefit much from his messages.

I thoroughly enjoyed the many interactions and brief and long conversations with y'all. I am sure you got to know me a little better and I got to know you a little better too. I hope I came across amicable and friendly. If not, please give me a little more time and you'll know I am personal and easy to talk to. Toby and Mike, thanks so much for leading the praise. Although there were a few moments when you were not in sync musically, you were in sync spiritually and relationally. You helped us come before God readily and stay there for long. Please keep up the good work. Also Toby, the T-shirts you designed were excellent. I could see your creativity as well as aesthetic quality. You made sure everyone paid the fees (Is there still anyone who didn’t pay?). Job well-done. My gratitude also goes out to our wonderful sisters who worked hard behind the scenes and in the kitchen making sure we’re well-fed. Joan, Lisa, April, and Young, you’re the stars. Thank you for your service and care. I am also grateful to our warriors who kept things going. Mike, you kept the fire and praise going. Jung, you kept our fellowship going by bringing us nectarine, ramyun, corns, and a few things, let alone taking pastor Choi to the airport. Joe and George, you kept the retreat going by ensuring the kids are okay by cleaning up. John Chung, you kept us going by your presence and mingling with the youth. Nam, you kept the whole thing going by contacting the prayer house, picking up pastor Choi, and making sure everything is in good order. I greatly enjoyed our talks around the campfire. It was a good eye-opener in terms of getting to know you better and getting a better feel of our EM as well as our KM. I enjoyed the baked corn, ramyun (I heard Jung had two bowls of ramyun and I know what happened to him on Saturday morning), and marshmallow. Everybody pitched in when the retreat was over by cleaning and our sisters fixing lunch for us. Yes, it was a good retreat. However, if there is anyone who disagrees with me or felt bad about something, please give God and us a second chance. I look forward to the next retreat. God is awesome. Our God is awesome.

EM Retreat

It was my first EM retreat, so I wasn't sure how the EM congregation would have their retreat. On the way to Mt. Hermon where the World Fasting Prayer House was located, I had to experience a heavy traffic due to a car accident, it was past 6 p.m. by the time I got there. Some of the members were already there. One thing funny was that they had to keep the prayer house gate closed so that giraffes won't enter the properties. After dinner we had our first session. Mike and Toby led the praise, and I got to pray before the speaker, Pastor Jon Choi, shared his message. He preached from the book of Ecclesiastes and he was a good communicator using illustrations from his own experience. Since he grew up with some of my EM members, I think he connected well with them. It was a blessing for me to be able to rub elbows with a veteran EM pastor. After all, it was Pastor Jon who recommended me to FKCC.

When the first session was over, it was 12:30 a.m. We went to the campfire place and there we ate marshmallows, chicken, and nectarines. I got to talk with Jung, Nam, and Joan about the church and heard past stories. Being an EM pastor working with a Korean Senior pastor is a challenge, but I believe God will work something out for our best.

I went to sleep around 4 a.m. but woke up around 6 a.m. due to someone snoring so loudly. I couldn't go back to sleep, so I decided to take a walk. I ended up going up a hill, and there I prayed loudly. Even though I was sleep like crazy, I went over my sermon outline for Sunday. Later we had morning session and dinner and headed home.

It was a time well spent with Pastor Jon and my EM members. I got to know my members a little better.

Waiting

My visit to First Korean Christian Church turned out to be a blessing. God blessed my time there. I thoroughly enjoyed my conversations with the core members as well as the entire EM congregation. The senior pastor was very kind and eager to work with me. He even showed up for the EM service and sat there for almost twenty minutes. I was surprised to find out that he once served as EM pastor for two years and he also worked as youth pastor for a little while. He was very sincere and eager to help me come on board, although nothing has been decided yet. A few people stand out: Nam, Jung, Joan, and Joey. They are the lay leaders and have been serving in many capacities for the church. I wonder whether they are the Timothys, Priscillas, and Tituses I have been praying to God to send me. It's always a blessing to find people who are committed to God and to the church.

The importance of Reading

Below is an excerpt from Ms. Linda Sue Park's website. Ms. Park is a second generation Korean-American married to an Irish man. I am currently reading one of her children books entitled Project Mulberry. My son Moses read it first and liked it a lot. Someday I want to write my own books, but until then I will read and keep reading and write here and there. In a sense I'm building my writing muscles. Right now, they don't look much, but someday they will amount to something.

The Importance of Reading. Read. That's the single best thing an aspiring writer can do for his or her work. I once heard an editor say, "Read a thousand books of the genre you're interested in. THEN write yours."I was astonished and pleased to hear her say this--because that's exactly what I did. During the years when I had no thought of writing for children. I read and read and read. Middle-grade novels. Hundreds of them--easily more than a thousand. Then I wrote mine--and it sold on its first submission. Luck? Coincidence? Maybe...but I doubt it.My personal reading list draws from a wide variety of genres. I love middle-grade novels best, but I also read Young Adult novels and picture books. I read adult literary fiction, mysteries and nonfiction. I read poetry. I love books on food and travel. Whether a wondrous story or a hilarious passage of dialogue or a beautiful sentence or a memorable image, every bit of reading I do helps my own writing. The rhythm of language and the way words combine to communicate more than their dictionary meanings infuse the serious reader's mind and emerge transformed when that reader sits down to write.

http://www.lspark.com/writing.html

Rejoice Retreat & Fishing

I came back from Rejoice Retreat which was held from May 15 through 16 at Riverbend Retreat Center in Glen Rose, TX. It gave me a chance to get to know new people and to reflect on the past few months. I think we had the highest turnout this time. There were a few new programs. We had a skit contest. Each of the four teams had to act out one chapter of the book of Jonah. Each team was very creative and fun. Skits help you see different aspects of people. They helped me imagine how Jonah might have felt throughout the book.

Another new thing we did was fishing. I was the one who broached the idea since one of my passions is fishing. When I took up fishing as one of my hobbies, I had been fascinated by actually catching one and the interaction between fish and me. I liked it when fish nibbled at the bait. At the same time I was a bit impatient at the beginning. However, over the years I learned how to be patient, how to use different hooks and baits, and how to have a time of reflection as well. At the retreat it turned out that most people were new to fishing. So they got really excited when they caught a fish. I was excited for them too. They had been busy taking classes and doing assignments. Finally they were taking some time off. A few of them actually bought their own fishing gears. I showed them how to use the fishing rods and how to put baits on the hooks, etc. I sometimes wonder how Jesus' disciples fished and what Jesus did when they went about fishing. Spiritually speaking, becoming fishers of men requires lots of patience, skills, and right knowledge. Just like a shepherd knows his flock, a fisher should know what he is aiming to catch. By the way we caught blue gills, catfish, and basses. After fishing, I cleaned all the fish with the assistance of a few guys. Then I cooked Maeuntang which is a spicy hot stew made with fish and vegetables. I also had six fish deep fried. Man, people loved them. This is how maeuntang is cooked.

For serving 4 people,

1. Boil water with chopped radishes and a little bit of beef stock for several minutes.

2. When water boils and radishes have become tender, you put fish in the pan.

3. Then you put a mixture of condiments such as two spoons of red pepper paste and two spoons

of red pepper powder and one spoon of minced garlic. Boil for five more minutes until the fish

are well cooked.

4. You taste it whether it is properly seasoned. If it's not salty and spicy enough, you have to add

salt or red pepper powder.

5. You put in the pan chopped red peppers.

6. Then you add green onions and bean sprouts and Korean parsley to remove the smell of fish.

7. Boil for one more minute and turn down the heat.

God, help me to know you more. Help me to learn to rest in you. Help me, O God, to know how to be a better and more effective fisher of men.

A few thoughts on Spiderman 3

A Few Thoughts on "Spiderman 3"

Before the movie came out, some Christians said that the movie contains several theological issues. However, Tobey Maguire didn't see much in it. As a Christian, it’s hard not to find Christian themes such as good and evil, “taking off old self and putting on new self,” forgiveness, reconciliation, and love. As for me, it was obvious from the movie that there was identity conflict between the good Spiderman and the bad Spiderman. The conflict was caused by the living black entity that turned into the Spiderman clothing. There were a few places in the movie that made me think:

He’s with a lab partner to crush the heart of M.J. Then, the bar manager tries to kick out Peter. He tells one of his bouncers to get him out of there. Then Peter tells the bouncer to take his hand off him. He throws him. And M.J. tries to bring him to his senses, but Parker accidentally hits her. Then she asks him, “Who are you?” That existential question, “We are you?” was a poignant qustion to Peter. He goes out and then we find him on top of a church steeple. There he fights to take off the black object off of him. Like Dr. Connors said to Peter, “These things in nature, when they bind, they are hard to unbind.” This part reminded me of the apostle Paul who said, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death!” (Rom. 7:24) Also Ephesians 4:22 tells us that we need to put off our old selves. And at the same time we need to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Eph. 4:24). Colossians 3:10 also mentions that we need to put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. The old self that is represented by sins and bad habits is so hard to put off once it’s on us, just like the black entity in the movie.

At the end of the movie Peter says, “Whatever comes our way, whatever battle we have raging inside us, we always have a choice. My friend Harry taught me that. He chose to be the best of himself. It’s the choices that make us who we are. And we can always choose to do what’s right.” It’s so true that we always have a choice. That’s the gift of God which is called “free will.” I desire to choose Jesus’ way in my life. Jesus chose to come to earth and die for us so that we can live. Father, help me to choose what’s pleasing to you. Like the song goes, “I choose to be holy, set apart for you, Lord.”

Mother's Tears

In Korea it's Parents' Day. It's the day when children express their gratitude to their parents by hanging a rose or a carnation on their chest. It's not a holiday, but it's a big day in Korea. If you miss this day as a child, it gives you lots of guilt. Anyways, I called my mother who is in Korea and thanked her for bringing me into the world and asked her how she's doing. She said her knees aren't doing well. She was taking medicine for her bad knees. That made me sad. When I told her about my future plans, she began to weep. She said, "How much have I wanted to see you successful!" She has wanted her youngest son to get a full-time job and become financially stable. She also wants to see me prosper in ministry. I've been studying all these years, so that kind of made her feel sorry for me. I felt sad and at the same time I resolved to do better after I got off the phone. I honor her tears, which tell me a lot about how much she loves and cares for me. Mother, I love you too. You're the greatest mother in the world. Thank you God for giving me such a wonderful mother to me. She's one of the best gifts you've given me. May you grant her longevity and let her see her children doing well!

Temptation

Father God, please forgive me of my sin. Please forgive me of the thoughts I haven't kept captive to the authority of Your Word. May you restore me into your presence for I have sinned against you. You are God who is pure and holy. You are at the center of my life, and I desire to be in Your presence each moment. Like I shared with my students, I remember you even when I have fun and am in the middle of doing things I enjoy doing. I want to start with you and stay with you and finish with you. There is no doubt that you're my Provider and Shepherd. In stead of depending on people, I depend on you. Please come through to me, Lord. Help me not to start another vicious cycle. You gave me freedom and I want to hold on to it instead of giving in to temptations. "It is finished."

Closer to God

What I heard from Dr. Hendricks still reverberates in my mind. He said, "The more Jesus makes his home in my heart, the more characteristics of Jesus Christ will be manifest in my life. I will be a praying person. I will be a dependent person." It was a national day of prayer, and I believe many prayers must have been prayed to God on that occasion. It's a great thing the whole Christian community can set apart a day and pray corporately. I took some time to join that spirit in the evening as I took a stroll around the campus. God, You are an awesome God. You are sovereign, omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, holy, loving, just, faithful, self-existent, infinite, and immutable. There is nothing and no one greater than you in the universe. My life is in you, O God. I cast all my anxieties, concerns, insecurity, and uncertainties before you. I run to you. My future is in your hand. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Power Outage

It's becoming a nightmare here in Fort Worth. The power outage from yesterday is still continuing, and it is making my life a tad inconvenient. It all started around 6:20 p.m yesterday. I was out on the road with my family on my way to church. Right after I passed Alen Street, a severe storm raged and heavy rain began to hit against my windshield. It was so severe I could barely see what's ahead of me. I called Pastor Oh to let him know it would be impossible for me to get to church. He told me to return home. There was no way I could make a U-turn so I had to get on the bridge that connects I-35 and I-30. I felt a little nervous when the car got shaken a few times due to the gust and heavy rain. I managed take the exit at University Drive. On the way home I saw many lights out, branches toppled off trees, and dips flooding. I even saw a bus and a few cars drowning. When I finally got home, I had to begin to light up candles. It brought me the memories I had had when I was in second grade. At the time we didn't have power so we had to resort to candles and lamps. I shared with my son, Moses, how things were at the time. I told him I once had gotten my hair scorched by candlelight when I dozed off. Around eight o'clock Sumi and Moses went to sleep, and I was still up, trying to finish up the novel I had been reading. Then I listened to the radio to find out when I would have power back on. No clue. I don't know how I drifted off to sleep. When I woke up, it was six o'clock, and no power still. I felt kind of disappointed. If I were in Korea, I would have power back on within a few hours, but this is America where things go slowly. I understand that too well. Anyways, After checking that there was no school closing, I got Moses ready for school. After Moses was gone, I took out my camping portable burner and had breakfast ready.

Since power is out, there are so many things I can't do. I can't recharge my cell phone, nor can I have Internet access. I can't have hot water. The food in the fridge would go bad if this continues. Like water, power is one of life's essentials. Reflecting on what it was like a few decades ago, I don't want to complain, because I still vividly remember how I lived at the time. I guess I have taken many things for granted. At the same time I think about my spiritual power. When I am not fired up, in other words, when I am not filled with the power of God, I would live a life that would try to please the desires of flesh. I wouldn't be able to excel in my ministry because I would try to do things on my own. Oh, God, would you please keep me powered up in the Spirit and in Your Word all the time? Would you please help me to be sensitive to your leading, especially as I patiently wait for your answer? Help me to prevail and trust you through to the end of this race of waiting. I praise you for who you are and what you have done. You're strength.

KBEMF 2007 Conference

KBEMF (Korean Baptist English Ministers Fellowship) conference was held in Rockville, VA from April 24 through April 26. It was a time well-spent. It was great to see those people I had met last year and even two years ago. One thing unique about this conference was that I stayed late at night engaging in discussions about different issues related to English Ministry at Korean American churches. The first night I stayed until 2:30, the second night until 4:30, and the third and last night until 2:30. It dawned on me that some issues never fail to be brought up such as the relationship between KM senior pastors and EM pastors who are usually one of the associate pastors. One thing that I noticed was that seasoned EM pastors know how to get along with their KM senior pastors. If the relationship between them is not strong, the EM would suffer, and usually the EM pastor would leave the church and the KM congregation would ever be wary of EM pastors. Unlike last year, there were one Caucasian elder (Thom), a Chinese American (Louis Lee), and several pastors' wives and their children. As suggested at the last night's meeting, we might be able to meet in places such as Hawaii with our spouses and children. That would be nice.

David Hong and his wife brought their son, Jonathan, and I found out that Sonya is pregnant with her second child. David shared with me that he's intending to go to the mission field in a couple of years. I also had a good chat with John Huh and James Kim both from CA. In particular, James' insights gained from more than a decade of doing EM were very helpful and I believe they would serve as guiding lights to me as I pursue EM myself. I hope that I would continue to network with him and other seasoned pastors. Conversations with Peter Lee, Loren Chung, Jim Bae, and Sam were very productive. Sam's experience working with 60 plus youth helped me to connect the dots in terms of the possibility of using cell group model in youth ministry. He shared with me that he had been discipling student leaders who would lead and disciple their own cell group members.

The theme of this year's conference was missions, and that's why it was held at IMB facilities. Having a tour around the IMB headquarters gave me a close look at how IMB works. I also happened to meet Dr. Grant Lovejoy with whom I took a seminar at Southwestern when he taught as a preaching professor. There were several people who used to work in Korea as missionaries. Their greetings in fluent Korean made us smile.

As I think back to the conference and the many conversations I had with other participants, I realize again that it's up to me if I really want to network with them and get support from them. I don't think people will go out of their way and help me. As with anything, I believe I need to take initiatives and get help. Thank you KBEMF board members and Loren for hosting the conference. Love

Youth Revival April 29, 2007

It was last Saturday when I spoke at Sung Kwang Presbyterian Church where a youth revival was held. Four small church youth groups got together and had a blast. The praise team was Kings' Region and they were terrific. I liked them a lot. The two vocals were great. In particular, the female vocal, who later turned out be the youth pastor at Central Methodist Church, was short and small yet fired up for God. At first I wasn't sure whether she was a male or female. After praise, I grabbed the mike and kicked off my message with a word of prayer. I spoke to the audience based on Galatians 5:7, "You were running a race and who cut in on you and kept you from following the truth."

I shared my own stories of failures, inferiority complex, getting dumped, and repentance, and acceptance of Jesus Christ. I encouraged them to get back in the race if they got out. And if they were still running the race, I told them to finish the race. I told them,

"The race we’re running is not a marathon. It is a marathon in a sense. However, it's more of a series of races (John Maxwell). In other words, you have to run a race daily. The race changes every day. Yesterday’s winner is no longer today’s winner. You have to overcome any temptation to not run. Because when you fail, you have to make much more effort to get back in the race. And you have to do this until Jesus Christ comes again. I have seen so many youth coming back from World Changers, mission trips, camps and then going back to their old ways. Come on, cheer up! " At the end of my message, I gave an altar call. It seemed like every one was already a Christian. Then I invited people to recommit their lives to God, and several students stood up immediately and I also saw a few adults standing up. I prayed for them with all my heart. After my prayer, another round of praise ensued, which made us all jump up and down again praising God.

I think about my own race. A race I have to run daily. I keep asking the following questions: What am I doing here? Where am I going? Am I impacting the world around me? Before I came to the States, I caught a vision of ministering to Korean Americans. Nowadays, the vision is still going strong. I want to reach and mobilize Korean Americans so that they can reach all nations. More than ever, I need Jesus to see me through the current battles in which I am engaged. I believe he will show me the way.