After a VERY long absence, I've decided to begin writing again. Whether anyone reads or responds to my writing it a moot point, I must write. It is more than an imperative. It is a desire for clarity. It is a need from deep within my soul. SO, if any of my friends and family choose to read any of my musing please be warned. My thoughts are random, not always fully formed but always honest. My writing is a search for the holy in our midst and humanity's relationship to the holy. You don't have to agree with me and what I think. I just ask that you respect it. Thank you!
And so....the new journey begins.
I don't know if any of you are as wired in as I am, but I've been reading the updates from Tampa (For those who are non-UMC, the General Conference of the UMC is taking place in Tampa.). And, I've been praying for God's Spirit to move mightily among those gathered. As we all know, only God can raise dry bones and the UMC bones of the US are pretty dusty right now. We truly need the winds of the Holy Spirit to blow through our churches. UM's are looking not just for a Pentecost moment, but a resurrection moment in our beloved UMC. Much is at stake these next 7 days.
Yet, the church is not in Tampa. The church is not an marble white cathedral in D.C, or a high school auditorium in Nashville or a clapboard chapel in Nebraska....the church is the living, breathing people of God serving in the world. SO, I've concluded that I will continue to pray each day pray for living water for you and me and all UMC clergy and laity faithfully struggling to bring a message of God's hope, love, grace and peace in the midst of an anxiety driven world. Only living water can refresh those tired bones, renew our spirits and inspire us to go forth to serve yet another day.
Paul's letter to the Colossians, 2: 6-7, exhorted the people of the early church to be “rooted,” “built up,” and “established” firmly in faith. The question for each of us is not "What does the future hold for the UMC?" but "How deeply am I rooted in my faith?" AND "How might I nurture and grow that faith in others?"
Today, I choose to take time to BREATHE and remember regardless of what petitions are passed, regardless of any crisis, regardless of the powers and principalities of this world....God loves us. Tomorrow, I will go forth once again and love in Christ's name!
April 27, 2012
March 30, 2010
February 24, 2010
February 13, 2010
The young pastors on the staff of Kwang Lim Methodist Church work very hard. They are at the church by 5 am every morning for an hour of prayer with members of the congregation. This prayer time is led by the senior pastor. After prayer they return home for breakfast. Four days a week they make visits to the homes of the families in their district. Each pastor has about 1,000 families in his district. This means they make 6-8 visits per day, four days a week, every week of the year.
Home visits are very unique. An assistant accompanies them (a woman) to the home. She often is very familiar with the family, much more so than the pastor. They sit on the floor around a traditional table. The woman of the house and any adults in the home join them.
The visit begins with a few questions by the pastor. A thank offering is presented. The envelope for the offering usually has a list of prayer concerns. The pastor confers about the parishioners needs. Then the worship begins. A hymn, scripture and sermon shortly follow one another. At the end, the pastor prays for the family, giving his blessing to their home. A gift from the church is presented to the family.
Sounds routine...uninspired....but it was just the opposite. It was deeply moving. The exchange between pastor and family was heartfelt and rousing. It was evident that the visit was an honor for the family.
At the end of our first visit of the day, the young mother of the household asked that one of the three "foreign" pastors bless her baby. I was nominated. I took this precious 6 month old girl in my arms, while Brian and Rev Anthoni Sinkfield laid hands on her, and I prayed. The warmth of the baby in my arms seemed to sum up all I had been feeling. It was a blessing to me to participate in the faith life of this family, to hold their precious baby in my arms and pray for her. I was honored.
The faith of the Korean people runs deep with commitment and grace. I felt that in the homes we visited that day. I saw it in the eyes of the mother and her baby. I heard it in the voice of the pastor as he preached. I will not soon forget the passion of these people for Christ or for their church.
February 12, 2010
Living in the shadow of missiles that could strike at any moment or with the knowledge that 2 million militant communists could run over your border influences greatly how you live your life. South Koreans live with this knowledge every day. The DMZ is little more than a series of white posts in the ground along a vast border from east to west. Recently shots were fired by ships to remind one another that the conflict between north and south Korea is still very much alive. This is more frequent than international news agencies let us know. It is a strained relationship.
Our visit to the DMZ was eye-opening. We were given a briefing in the same VIP briefing room that President Bush and others have sat. We saw historic pictures and listened to a very professional presentation by a young sergeant. The base commander welcomed us. We then got onto one of their buses to tour the DMZ and see the place where UN negotiations take place...it is right on the border between countries. It was a short ride filled with instructions about how to move, where to stand. Most significant of all was the warning that North Korea could interpret our body language as threatening if we did not follow the protocol given to us. We were frightened.
Soldiers stand on point all around the building. Inside the building is a table for negotiations. On one end of the room is North Korea. Brian and I had our picture taken with the South Korean soldier standing guard at that end of the building. I couldn't wait to move back to the other side!
Outside we were able to face North Korea from the steps of the South Korean diplomatic building and take pictures. It was disconcerting in that while we took pictures...pictures were being taken of each of us. A North Korean soldier stood within view watching us with binoculars the whole time. I was ready to leave.
The last thing we saw was the "bridge of no return." This bridge is where prisoners of war were allowed to choose to cross or to stay. Once across, they couldn't return. It's sad desolate place marked only by concrete barriers now imposed on the bridge.
Living in Seoul, with this militarized zone just miles away defines life for South Koreans in a way we Americans can never understand. Life is certainly more precious, more intense. The Korean people are a passionate people. They approach all they do with a strong will to succeed. Perhaps that is what drives their pursuit of Christian faith as well...they will not be denied.
I would never trade the safety and the freedom of our country for the tension under which South Koreans live but I would long to see the same passion, the same commitment in the lives of those around me. Certainly religion in America would look much different if we could claim even a tenth of their commitment.
February 09, 2010
Korea was a fascinating place. The people are very hospitable and very kind. The children we met were particularly fun to watch as they watched us. We exchanged many smiles and lots of laughter with them.
Our hosts went out of their way to help us understand their culture and their customs. We toured a Korean Folk Village, a Girl's High School, the Palace grounds of the Emperor's from the 14th century, the world's largest UM Church and the world's largest church. It was a full and exciting experience with much to reflect upon.
The first lesson: you take off your shoes when you enter your hotel room or apartment home. Every hotel room, every apartment opens to a tiny entry area where shoes are deposited and slippers placed on your feet. This allows outside dirt to stay outside and inside dirt to stay inside! Once in your sock feet or slippers...a surprise awaits...the floor is heated! It made for a warm welcome coming in from the cold.'
This tiny entry area would fill up with shoes very quickly with many people in the household. I watched amazed as my host at one home nimbly walked around all the shoes on the edges of the area to slip into her own while balancing carefully on one foot. It was a sight to behold. One could easily lose your shoes in the mix. Brian even came back one evening to our room with the wrong shoes!
Another lesson: We arrived at our hotel at midnight on Monday, February 1st. With dogged determination ,we lugged our four suitcases and two travel bags onto the elevator and then down the hall to our room. What a surprise awaited us upon opening the room! No lights. We searched in vain for a light switch. Fumbling in the dark with our suitcases, bumping into walls we finally asked other travelers, now awakened by our bumping around, how to turn on the lights. Apparently, the key fob had to be inserted into the wall switch and viola! the lights came on. My first impression...we are never going to fit in here with our luggage...but we did. Our first cultural hiccup was over. The next question...how do you turn the lights off when you want to go to sleep? After a little trial and error we figured it out. Sleep came at last.
More to come.
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