"The feast of Saint Andrew invites us to ponder his response to Christ’s call: "Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men. At once they left their nets…" (Mt. 4:19-20). With his brother Peter, Andrew immediately left his fishing nets to catch souls for the Kingdom.
Are we hesitating to respond to Christ this Advent because we are waiting for just the right moment, those perfect circumstances that will allow us to be just as quick as Andrew? Sadly, we may discover that while we were waiting for that illusive moment, we failed to be attentive to the here and now invitations of everyday life, missing opportunities to respond with the generosity of a true follower of Christ."
Priscilla Marck, THE MAGNIFICAT Advent Collection, p. 18
"Great God, what do I see and hear!
The end of things created!
The judge of mankind doth appear
On clouds of glory seated!
The trumpet sounds; the graves restore,
The dead which they contained before;
Prepare, my soul, to meet Him!"
- Martin Luther
"A prison cell, in which one waits, hopes... and is completely dependent on the fact that the door of freedom has to be opened from the outside, is not a bad picture of Advent. "
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer
"Advent is concerned with that very connection between memory and hope which is so necessary to man. Advent’s intention is to awaken the most profound and basic emotional memory within us, namely, the memory of the God who became a child. This is a healing memory; it brings hope. The purpose of the Church’s year is continually to rehearse her great history of memories, to awaken the heart’s memory so that it can discern the star of hope.…
It is the beautiful task of Advent to awaken in all of us memories of goodness and thus to open doors of hope."
- Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Seek That Which Is Above,1986
"The implications of the name "Immanuel" are both comforting and unsettling. Comforting, because He has come to share the danger as well as the drudgery of our everyday lives. He desires to weep with us and to wipe away our tears. And what seems most bizarre, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, longs to share in and to be the source of the laughter and the joy we all too rarely know. "
- Michael Card
"Advent, like its cousin Lent, is a season for prayer and reformation of our hearts. Since it comes at winter time, fire is a fitting sign to help us celebrate Advent…If Christ is to come more fully into our lives this Christmas, if God is to become really incarnate for us, then fire will have to be present in our prayer. Our worship and devotion will have to stoke the kind of fire in our souls that can truly change our hearts. Ours is a great responsibility not to waste this Advent time."
- Edward Hays, A Pilgrim’s Almanac, p. 187
Pope John Paul II in his address on Dec. 18, 2002 said, "The liturgy of Advent…helps us to understand fully the value and meaning of the mystery of Christmas. It is not just about commemorating the historical event, which occurred some 2,000 years ago in a little village of Judea. Instead, it is necessary to understand that the whole of our life must be an ‘advent,’ a vigilant awaiting of the final coming of Christ. To predispose our mind to welcome the Lord who, as we say in the Creed, one day will come to judge the living and the dead, we must learn to recognize him as present in the events of daily life. Therefore, Advent is, so to speak, an intense training that directs us decisively toward him who already came, who will come, and who comes continuously."
- Pope John Paul II, Dec. 18, 2002
Monday, December 24, 2007
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Little Piece, Big Masterpiece
Last year, Joy and I moved to our first house. Moving was always not so easy, especially in America. In my country, South Korea, you can hire a moving company and they can move and place your things just as they were in your old home. Literally you can go out and shop on your moving day without worrying about your moving. In America, you need to do all your moving by yourself, although you can hire movers or borrow the hands of your friends. My hardest part of moving last year was putting furniture together. I was already exhausted from the moving; however, I had to assemble the pieces of my beds, dining table, and some more furniture all by myself. When I looked at the pieces of furniture that needed to be assembled in my new home, I was thinking, "O, no.. when do I ever finish this!" I couldn't see how beautiful my furniture was from looking at the separate pieces of wood. I patiently assembled the pieces one by one. When I finished putting them together, I was surprised and I shouted to myself, "Wow~... this is so beautiful!"
From that experience, I have learned a lesson: first, pieces that do not seem beautiful in our lives can become beautiful if we patiently work on them. And second, we as individuals can become a part of a big and beautiful masterpiece when we try to put ourselves together into one community.
I think my lesson can be applied to many aspects of our life and we can also apply it to our Christian faith. Sometimes we do not see the beauty of God's big picture in our life. All we can see is pieces that are scattered and disordered in our troubled lives. However, God sees each piece of those as special and He has a plan to make those pieces into God’s masterpiece. I think that our Christian life as the church is also a part of God’s plan to create a masterpiece. This is why we need Christian friends and families in our lives so that we can hold and sustain each other and finally become God's big and beautiful masterpiece.
I have served in the English as a Second Language ministry at First Church for four years. My faith, thoughts, and relationship have been enriched by meeting our students from different cultures and backgrounds. We have learned so many things--not just English-- but also the diversity of our world that can expand our understanding of God's family.
There are two good opportunities in which you can experience this richness of God’s family here at First Church in upcoming weeks, the All-Church Picnic (September 30) and World Communion Sunday (October 7). I am sure that these events will make you feel that you are part of God’s Big Family and will also enrich your faith in Christ through meeting other people from around the world. We want to celebrate our unity and diversity in Christ Jesus by participating in the events on those days. On World Communion Sunday our E.S.L. students from many parts of the world will usher and greet us at the doors.
I hope and pray that you can come to these two events and enjoy the beauty of God’s big and beautiful masterpiece as each of you participates in the events as a little piece of the whole.
“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”
(Ephesians 2: 19-22)
From that experience, I have learned a lesson: first, pieces that do not seem beautiful in our lives can become beautiful if we patiently work on them. And second, we as individuals can become a part of a big and beautiful masterpiece when we try to put ourselves together into one community.
I think my lesson can be applied to many aspects of our life and we can also apply it to our Christian faith. Sometimes we do not see the beauty of God's big picture in our life. All we can see is pieces that are scattered and disordered in our troubled lives. However, God sees each piece of those as special and He has a plan to make those pieces into God’s masterpiece. I think that our Christian life as the church is also a part of God’s plan to create a masterpiece. This is why we need Christian friends and families in our lives so that we can hold and sustain each other and finally become God's big and beautiful masterpiece.
I have served in the English as a Second Language ministry at First Church for four years. My faith, thoughts, and relationship have been enriched by meeting our students from different cultures and backgrounds. We have learned so many things--not just English-- but also the diversity of our world that can expand our understanding of God's family.
There are two good opportunities in which you can experience this richness of God’s family here at First Church in upcoming weeks, the All-Church Picnic (September 30) and World Communion Sunday (October 7). I am sure that these events will make you feel that you are part of God’s Big Family and will also enrich your faith in Christ through meeting other people from around the world. We want to celebrate our unity and diversity in Christ Jesus by participating in the events on those days. On World Communion Sunday our E.S.L. students from many parts of the world will usher and greet us at the doors.
I hope and pray that you can come to these two events and enjoy the beauty of God’s big and beautiful masterpiece as each of you participates in the events as a little piece of the whole.
“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”
(Ephesians 2: 19-22)
a Fairy Tale and Eternal Life
First Church offers an English as Second Language (E.S.L.) class every Thursday morning from 10 a.m. to noon.
People from many countries have come and learned together basic skills to live in this country, such as American idioms, traffic system, insurance policies etc.
This summer our teachers have decided to teach on "fairy tales". Familiar stories our students have already known in their languages have helped them to understand the story quickly enough to discuss many serious questions. We have learned "Little Red Riding Hood", "Jack and the Beanstalk", and "the Beauty and the Beast" so far.
We had a very interesting discussion two weeks ago while we were studying "Beauty and the Beast."
Cathy Bingaman, one of our teachers, brought a very interesting question to the students at the beginning: "Isn't it possible for a beast to be tamed?".
Obviously this question was from a line from the fairy tale. Cathy explained that this question was the last one that the princess asked her father while she was walking back home with him. In responses, many students discussed many things: how a person becomes a bad person, failure of school system, American justice system etc. Finally our discussion went into religious issues as wee discussed about how people can be redeemed.
When students were asked about the definition of "redemption", many people immediately said that 'redemption' in religion is going to heaven or to some kind of paradise. However, when one Korean lady told her opinion about 'redemption', it really got my attention and made me think about the faith we have in Jesus Christ. She said, "Many Christians and Buddhists in Korea talk about 'eternal life' or 'going to heaven' after our death, but it does not appeal to me.", and she continued, "I don't care about eternal life after my death, but the most important thing to me is that how I should live on this earth right here and now."
I think she really challenged the Christian faith though she may not realized it at that time. She summarized very well what our Christians faith must do in our life as we are living each and every day. Jesus said that eternal life is knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ whom God sent (John 17:3). We have already believed in God and put our faith in Jesus Christ, and, then, this faith naturally leads us into 'eternal life'. We don't have to wait to receive eternal life after our death, or we don't need to wander this world to pursue something eternal. When we believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we have experienced God’s forgiveness, love, peace through him. And Christ’s presence resides in us and works in us no matter what happens in our life so that we may find strength and hope in him everyday. This experience in Christ Jesus is eternal. This is the redemption we have in Jesus. In Christ Jesus we can live eternal life here and now.
Many times we as Christians miss this opportunity and possibility to live this eternal life in Jesus right here and now. Many people outside the church do not see in us the power that can change their lives because we do not live this eternal life that Jesus gave us.
Christ calls us to live out this faith in him TODAY, not tomorrow. When we live out this eternal life here and now, a fairy tale story can become a reality. And, I am sure that it is possible for a beast, no matter who it is, to be tamed in Christ's love and care if we live out eternal life and share it TODAY in Jesus' name.
People from many countries have come and learned together basic skills to live in this country, such as American idioms, traffic system, insurance policies etc.
This summer our teachers have decided to teach on "fairy tales". Familiar stories our students have already known in their languages have helped them to understand the story quickly enough to discuss many serious questions. We have learned "Little Red Riding Hood", "Jack and the Beanstalk", and "the Beauty and the Beast" so far.
We had a very interesting discussion two weeks ago while we were studying "Beauty and the Beast."
Cathy Bingaman, one of our teachers, brought a very interesting question to the students at the beginning: "Isn't it possible for a beast to be tamed?".
Obviously this question was from a line from the fairy tale. Cathy explained that this question was the last one that the princess asked her father while she was walking back home with him. In responses, many students discussed many things: how a person becomes a bad person, failure of school system, American justice system etc. Finally our discussion went into religious issues as wee discussed about how people can be redeemed.
When students were asked about the definition of "redemption", many people immediately said that 'redemption' in religion is going to heaven or to some kind of paradise. However, when one Korean lady told her opinion about 'redemption', it really got my attention and made me think about the faith we have in Jesus Christ. She said, "Many Christians and Buddhists in Korea talk about 'eternal life' or 'going to heaven' after our death, but it does not appeal to me.", and she continued, "I don't care about eternal life after my death, but the most important thing to me is that how I should live on this earth right here and now."
I think she really challenged the Christian faith though she may not realized it at that time. She summarized very well what our Christians faith must do in our life as we are living each and every day. Jesus said that eternal life is knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ whom God sent (John 17:3). We have already believed in God and put our faith in Jesus Christ, and, then, this faith naturally leads us into 'eternal life'. We don't have to wait to receive eternal life after our death, or we don't need to wander this world to pursue something eternal. When we believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we have experienced God’s forgiveness, love, peace through him. And Christ’s presence resides in us and works in us no matter what happens in our life so that we may find strength and hope in him everyday. This experience in Christ Jesus is eternal. This is the redemption we have in Jesus. In Christ Jesus we can live eternal life here and now.
Many times we as Christians miss this opportunity and possibility to live this eternal life in Jesus right here and now. Many people outside the church do not see in us the power that can change their lives because we do not live this eternal life that Jesus gave us.
Christ calls us to live out this faith in him TODAY, not tomorrow. When we live out this eternal life here and now, a fairy tale story can become a reality. And, I am sure that it is possible for a beast, no matter who it is, to be tamed in Christ's love and care if we live out eternal life and share it TODAY in Jesus' name.
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