Pastoral Reflection

Try to See the Beauty in Everything

I remember the phone call from my eldest daughter about eleven years ago. At the time, she was working within Obama’s campaign team and I was growing impatient to hear her next plans as the president-elect had taken the oath of office. She reported via a phone call that she will be working at the [...]

2020-09-03T22:53:19-04:00August 30th, 2020|

What You See Isn’t Everything

A recent article in the New York Times showed that 99% of people in Flushing wear masks. It’s the highest rate among 14 different neighborhoods in New York City. Vigilant mask wearing explains how a high-density area like Flushing could maintain one of the lowest coronavirus infection rates in the five boroughs. The collective effort [...]

2020-08-27T22:17:48-04:00August 23rd, 2020|

Happy, No Matter What Happens

I wake up several times throughout the night. Default is to pray when I can’t force myself to sleep, but sometimes that's easier said than done with the prolonged pandemic. What’s funny is that whenever I talk about the challenges, people think I’m joking or exaggerating. They say, “But you’re always happy” or “You can [...]

2020-08-17T22:28:12-04:00August 16th, 2020|

Could Jesus Be More Vividly Present in Our Sufferings?

South Korea is battling floods and landslides right now. It’s the longest monsoon in seven years. My heart goes out to those affected because they will also face a long and difficult recovery, with lots of hazardous cleaning up to do. We would wish to put the past behind and start over, but it’s not [...]

2020-08-11T00:59:33-04:00August 9th, 2020|

God’s Thoughts Are Not Like Ours

A lot of thoughts and opinions were raised about the coronavirus pandemic. On the one hand, our ears were daily tuned to the announcements coming from the government and public health authorities. On the other hand, we heard many Christians say that the pandemic is a wake-up call to repentance from God. I agree that [...]

2020-08-05T02:10:02-04:00August 2nd, 2020|

In Tough Times, Mother was Tougher

Growing up in Korea some years after the Korea War, I was so proud of my father who studied in America. I remember how in grade school teachers customarily asked survey questions like, "Anyone has a family member with a college degree?" In a classroom packed with kids, I was the only one who raised [...]

2020-07-27T18:24:32-04:00July 26th, 2020|

People who make the way

Rep. John Robert Lewis, civil rights legend and longtime Georgia congressman, passed away last Friday at the age of 80. Reading the news, I thought about my visit to Albany in southwest Georgia some twenty years ago. I remember driving by little cabins and cotton fields stretching to the horizon against the Southern blue sky [...]

2020-07-21T22:13:17-04:00July 19th, 2020|

The Lessons from Container Gardening

It was wonderful to have in-person service at our 11 AM service this Sunday. With thankful hearts, we will continue to wait with vigilance for God to open more doors for us. In the meantime, we will celebrate each other’s presence keeping 6-feet apart with masks on, humming hymns rather than singing out loud. By [...]

2020-07-13T19:43:48-04:00July 12th, 2020|

Grace in Dislocation

I spent this Fourth of July morning looking for one of my hearing aids that had suddenly gone missing. A good two hours of GPS tracking was to no avail. Then my two daughters, who are currently staying at home, joined the search with the metal detector they got me for Father’s Day last year. [...]

2020-07-06T22:13:27-04:00July 5th, 2020|

Not in Words but in Power

Our Reopening Task Force is currently working hard to make sure that the upcoming reopening of our worship hall will be safe and well-organized. In-person worship service will resume after we receive the approval and certifications by the District and Conference offices. In the meantime, we start with a 40-day 24-hour Nehemiah Prayer Relay, beginning [...]

2020-06-28T22:11:06-04:00June 28th, 2020|
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