I hear the joyful sounds of new life. A child in our Sunday school who usually played alone, closed off in his own little world, grabbed my arm during Vacation Bible School and said, “Pastor, I love you.” At our youth retreat, a question was asked , “What did you enjoy the most?” One student [...]
About ten years ago, the president of the Retired Methodist Pastors’ Association in Southern California called me. “When are you going to retire?” I replied, “Retire? I’m not even sixty yet!” He said, “We had a meeting today, and someone said that when you retire and move to California, we should make you our executive [...]
I thought I was a caring and attentive pastor, but apparently some people see me as a rather distant pastor who doesn’t even shake hands with his congregation after Sunday worship. I thought I was a good husband, but my wife tells me that I can be “a selfish man who only thinks about himself.” [...]
When we confess in the Apostles' Creed, “I believe in the holy catholic Church and the communion of saints,” we are affirming that all who believe Jesus Christ is Lord belong to one Church in Him. The Church is called to fulfill the Great Commission as one body. Therefore, we must reject the selfishness of [...]
Today, after our 1 p.m. English Ministry service, there will be an ice cream party in my honor. For quite some time, whenever we did not have an English-speaking pastor, I stepped in to preach. Beginning next Sunday, however, Rev. Yohan Go will take full responsibility for our English ministry, which means I am no [...]
Last Friday during our early morning prayer service, I mentioned that a question I had been wrestling with for years had finally been answered. Many of you were curious and asked what it was. My response was, "It's not quite time to share it yet." But the more I thought about it, the more I [...]
Jesus said to His disciples, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Samaria was not far from Jerusalem. The real obstacle was never the distance—it was [...]
This week, America celebrates the 250th anniversary of its founding (1776–2026). The history of Korean immigration to America dates to 1903, when 102 Korean immigrants, many of them members of Naeri Methodist Church in Incheon, arrived in Hawaii to work on sugar plantations. Their 123-year history in America represents nearly half of the nation's history. [...]
Have We Ended Up with Exclusion and Rejection? -A Reflection on Unity, Inclusion, and the Methodist Spirit One of the first things that catches your eye when you visit the campus of Asbury Theological Seminary is the statue of John Wesley on horseback. It symbolizes the tireless “itinerant preacher” who never ceased proclaiming the [...]
Lately, pastors in the neighborhood have been inviting me to join them for meals at the senior center operated in our church. Breakfast costs one dollar and lunch two dollars. There is always a long line. Last week, the dining hall was especially crowded, and we had to wait quite a while. Later I learned [...]