This weekend, I am leading revival services at Los Angeles Korean United Methodist Church, founded in 1904 as the first Korean church on the U.S. mainland. This is my third time leading revival services at this historic church. I was here about twenty-five years ago and again fifteen years ago.
The history of this church is significant not only as a community of faith. It has also served as an important center for Korean immigrants’ education, culture, and national identity, and it played an important role in Korea’s independence movement.
Sadly, some of the Korean churches most deeply affected by the recent division within the United Methodist Church have been those in the Los Angeles area. Some mid-sized churches had built beautiful sanctuaries with dreams of growth and revival, only to see many members leave not long afterward, making it extremely difficult to sustain their ministries. In some cases, those who left have no church building, while those who remained have a church building but not enough people. Both pastors and congregations continue to carry deep wounds from the painful process of staying or leaving.
When I was invited to lead this revival, I was told that there would be no evening services because many of the members are elderly. Hearing that saddened me. So, for the opening message, I preached from Acts 2:17 under the title, “With God’s Dream…” The Bible tells us that when the Holy Spirit comes, the old will dream dreams.
I truly believe that when the Holy Spirit comes and the old begin to dream, the church will experience revival. When our children prophesy, they are drinking deeply from the reservoir of God’s Word. When our young people see visions, they begin to live today in light of the future God will bring about. And when the old dream dreams, God’s people recover a holy sense of dignity and purpose. Joy fills the church, lost souls are saved, the gospel flourishes, and the church comes alive again.
In truth, the difficulties United Methodist churches have faced during the past several years are not so unusual when seen in the larger history of the Church. There has never been a time in church history without hardship. In fact, after the martyrdom of Stephen, the early Christians were scattered into Samaria, and through that very scattering new doors for evangelism and mission were opened.
The problem itself is not the problem. David declared: “With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.”(Psalm 18:29)
I know how painfully difficult the reality facing many churches today can be. But we have no other option. We refuse to give up. We keep loving. We keep believing. And we keep hoping.