I haven't sent Christmas cards in many years. Before I decided to do this, every year I felt pressure as the holidays approached but ended up not sending any cards because it was too late. I feel liberated now from the pressure of sending Christmas cards in time. Since I don't send Christmas cards, I don't expect to receive any. But some people still send them to me. Sometimes I wonder why. Some cards I receive are preprinted and only include a signature. Sometimes even the signatures are copied. There's no sense of personal touch. It's hard to appreciate cards like these. They seem to be sent out of a sense of obligation. I do enjoy receiving ...

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Today our church members will take a vote of confidence on me. The purpose of this is not to measure the popularity of the senior pastor but to find God's will for the church's future. Members will mark one of the following choices: "I believe that it is God's will for Pastor Chai to continue to serve at Seoul Baptist Church" or "I believe that it is God's will for Pastor Chai to leave Seoul Baptist Church." A vote of confidence is taken for the senior pastor every seven years to reduce the chances of a church split. When conflicts arise between pastors and lay leaders, pastors usually believe that the majority of church members support him, while ...

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When I was hospitalized after my recent surgery, I found that I got irritated for no good reason. I was easily upset. I got angry when my requests were denied, even though there were legitimate reasons for it. I was annoyed when people brought me things similar to but not exactly what I had asked for. Now I understand why I felt that way. When you're sick and bedridden, your choices are drastically reduced. The things you can do, the places you can go, the foods you can eat - they're all limited. You can't even move without someone's help. Because your choices are limited, you get frustrated and angry when even these meager options are denied. "D...

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I've always felt that I'm young in spirit. But I must be young in body as well; I recently came down with appendicitis, a condition that generally strikes younger people. I started to develop symptoms on Thursday, a day after fasting. That afternoon, my stomach felt full even though I had not eaten much that day. Thinking I had been careless in post-fasting measures, I skipped dinner and went to bed. At around midnight, my stomach began to hurt. My wife gave me pain relievers but they didn't help. She also massaged my abdomen but instead of relieving the pain, it made it worse. So in the morning we called Dr. Sim, one of the deacons at our church. ...

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Some people are Larks. Others are Owls. Larks are early risers; Owls are late sleepers. Owls become energetic after the sun sets. They work and play late into the night and get up late. I am an Owl. So it's sort of a miracle that I've been able to get up early in the morning for daily prayer over the last ten years. It's not because I go to bed early like many Larks do. My schedule is packed with evening activities. I lead the New Life Bible class on Tuesdays, have evening prayer meetings on Wednesdays, make house church visits on Fridays, and preach at the third worship service on Sundays. I usually have meetings on Monday evenings as well. So I ...

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There are two types of personalities: extroverts and introverts. Extroverts are energized when they are with people. They don't want to stop their activities and go to bed because they get more charged up the more time they spend with people. Introverts are use up energy when they are with people. So they need time alone to recharge, time that might seem like a waste to others. I am an introvert. I enjoy spending time with a small group of friends but not with crowds. I avoid going to crowded places as much as possible. It's hard for me to meet new people and carry on casual conversations. For this reason, I decline most invitations to speaking ...

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I just returned from a 3-week long trip from Korea, where I led 4 House Church seminars and conferences. Wherever I went, I found that Seoul Baptist Church was recognized as a model House Church. This made me both proud and humbled at the same time. For our church members, my co-laborers in Christ, I'd like to make a brief report of my trip. 2005 will be remembered as a watershed year for the House Church movement. Prior to my last trip, I was not sure if the House Church movement would take root, but I am now confident that it will happen. In a few years there will be many exemplary house churches. There are several reasons for my optimism. Fir...

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