Last Sunday, after taking lunch at OkHab Church, I attended the EM service at Natchimban Church, where my brother is a Sunday School youth pastor. My brother had just come back from a mission trip to Thailand, so he was wearing a suit, and I was in my normal Sunday clothes (which is usually just normal clothes). My brother introduced me to some of the church members, and some of them went down like this:
To a little girl:
Sundo: Hey, this is my brother.
Me: Hi.
Little girl: Hey, no offense, but you guys don't look alike at all.
Sundo: ...
Me: Um... thanks.
Then to an older adult:
Sundo: Hi, this is my brother.
Me: Hello.
Church member: Oh, I see. [to Sundo] He's more good looking then you are. [completely serious. walks away]
Sundo: ...
Anyhow, the service was pretty good. Though I already serve at OkHab Church, I should keep going to a service where I can focus on worshipping God. I personally don't mind going back to my old church where my dad used to serve ("don't mind" is an understatement, 'cause I definitely miss my friends there), but I suppose I should take this chance to explore other churches. All my life I've been going to my dad's church, which I don't have a problem with, but it wouldn't hurt to see new things.
To be honest though, I don't want to join another Korean church. Not that I don't like Koreans, but it's that I've grown up in a more diverse environment, and I would get along better with people where there aren't just Koreans around.
So I think I'll look for a (non-Korean) church that I can attend on Sundays after 1PM. Would anyone like to recommend one? It would have to be somewhere near where 91 and 5 freeways meet (Buena Park, Cypress, Anaheim, Fullerton, etc.)
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Update on Church Situation
Thanks everyone for praying for my church and family. A final decision has been made, and I believe everything went according to God's great plan.
Last week Thursday, two pastors and two elders from our denomination came to our church to act as mediators. God had given my parents peace in their hearts, and they told the mediators that they would accept whatever demands the other leaders of our church make. So the mediators talked to the church leaders, and they decided that my father will leave the church as of last Sunday, just as they demanded. My dad was assigned to start a new church in Hacienda Heights. Praise God for delivering my family! Please continue to pray for my family and the church.
When I heard the decision, at first I felt like my dad should have called the mediators from the beginning, and then the matter could have been settled earlier. But now I believe it was God's plan for things to get a bit ugly in the church. The issue that my dad had to face didn't just come up couple months ago. It was there for several years already, and it had to climax to this, so that people could see what's really wrong in the church. Perhaps that is why God called my dad to stand firm until God opened another door. It seems that God revealed the need for a new ministry in Hacienda Heights at just the right time.
There's no arguing that what the elders and other pastors did to my dad was morally wrong as well as illegal. But there's no need for me to describe what they've done, because what's important is that they know what they've done, and that they repent.
I'll tell you one thing that you should be aware. Just don't believe what people say against someone unless they can prove it. And even if they can prove it, don't listen to them if the information does not concern you. Telling gossip is sin, so don't let your brothers and sisters sin by telling you gossips. Besides, if they talk crap about someone to you, they probably talk crap about you to others. Gossip is quite prevalent at the church, so no wonder problems like this came up.
Anyhow, I believe that God will correct His beloved. He will not forsake them. I pray that the people in my church will be convicted of their wrongdoings, and that they would repent. I hope that they would not just forget what happened, but will learn from their mistakes. Please pray for those who are still in the church, that they would be protected from lies and gossips.
As for myself, I'll focus more on the ministry at my other church (one that sent me to Kenya). And when my dad sets up a new church, I'll probably be helping there as well.
Last week Thursday, two pastors and two elders from our denomination came to our church to act as mediators. God had given my parents peace in their hearts, and they told the mediators that they would accept whatever demands the other leaders of our church make. So the mediators talked to the church leaders, and they decided that my father will leave the church as of last Sunday, just as they demanded. My dad was assigned to start a new church in Hacienda Heights. Praise God for delivering my family! Please continue to pray for my family and the church.
When I heard the decision, at first I felt like my dad should have called the mediators from the beginning, and then the matter could have been settled earlier. But now I believe it was God's plan for things to get a bit ugly in the church. The issue that my dad had to face didn't just come up couple months ago. It was there for several years already, and it had to climax to this, so that people could see what's really wrong in the church. Perhaps that is why God called my dad to stand firm until God opened another door. It seems that God revealed the need for a new ministry in Hacienda Heights at just the right time.
There's no arguing that what the elders and other pastors did to my dad was morally wrong as well as illegal. But there's no need for me to describe what they've done, because what's important is that they know what they've done, and that they repent.
I'll tell you one thing that you should be aware. Just don't believe what people say against someone unless they can prove it. And even if they can prove it, don't listen to them if the information does not concern you. Telling gossip is sin, so don't let your brothers and sisters sin by telling you gossips. Besides, if they talk crap about someone to you, they probably talk crap about you to others. Gossip is quite prevalent at the church, so no wonder problems like this came up.
Anyhow, I believe that God will correct His beloved. He will not forsake them. I pray that the people in my church will be convicted of their wrongdoings, and that they would repent. I hope that they would not just forget what happened, but will learn from their mistakes. Please pray for those who are still in the church, that they would be protected from lies and gossips.
As for myself, I'll focus more on the ministry at my other church (one that sent me to Kenya). And when my dad sets up a new church, I'll probably be helping there as well.
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