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 [...]
Today I need to have a document notarized verifying that I am the Senior Pastor of FUMC in Flushing. Due to an incident that took place more than fifty years ago, the New York State Education Department, the Girl Scouts, and FUMC in Flushing have been named in a lawsuit. Our attorney asked me to [...]
As we began yesterday's church bazaar, we repeated three simple slogans: Be joyful! Be thankful! And don't fight trying to do a good job! The purpose of the bazaar is not simply to raise money. Its greater purpose is to share joy with our neighbors and to experience the blessing of serving together. The joy [...]
As I grow older, one thing I realize more deeply is that our faith must ultimately become visible in our relationships. No matter how much we pray, how faithfully we attend church, or how passionately we serve, if the fragrance of Jesus is not revealed in our lives, people will eventually walk away disappointed. In [...]
As I grow older, one thing I realize more deeply is that our faith must ultimately become visible in our relationships. No matter how much we pray, how faithfully we attend church, or how passionately we serve, if the fragrance of Jesus is not revealed in our lives, people will eventually walk away disappointed. In [...]
Throughout this entire Family Month in May, my heart has felt uneasy. Whenever I hear the old song “An Unfilial Son Cries,” tears come to my eyes. Yet I still must preach about honoring parents. I talk about loving our children even though I do not feel I was the father I should have been. [...]
Even after many years in ministry, Mother’s Day sermons remain the hardest for me to preach. A few days ago, a young pastor jokingly said to me, “Please don’t cry too much this Mother’s Day.” I replied, “Why would I cry? Only unfilial sons cry.” Then he smiled and said, “We all know you cry [...]
It seemed quiet for a while, but once again, misleading and unfounded criticisms about the WCC (World Council of Churches) and the UMC (United Methodist Church) are beginning to surface. Let me first speak about the WCC. After experiencing two world wars—especially World War II—humanity was left with deep wounds. In 1948, amid conflict and [...]
This weekend, I am leading a spring revival at a Korean United Methodist Church in Delaware. This is my third visit to this church—once 30 years ago, again 15 years ago, and now. Though much time has passed, the church has only grown healthier, becoming a community filled with greater joy and vibrant life. As [...]
The risen Jesus comes to Peter and asks a simple yet profound question: “Do you love me?” This question is not meant to reopen the past, but to open the future. Peter had already concluded that his life was over. In his own mind, he was finished. So, he returned to the place of his [...]