Last Thursday our deacons, ministry staff, and their wives threw a party to celebrate my 60th birthday. I was slightly embarrassed by the public party because Deacons Yoo, Ha, and Lee all recently celebrated their own 60th birthdays with small family celebrations. I can't believe that I'm 60 years old. Even though I now have a grandchild I still feel funny when children call me a grandfather at church. I'm still pleased when young parents say that they feel like I'm their brother and slightly offended when they say they feel like I'm their father or uncle. I still enjoy ...

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Shepherds are required to take 5 core courses offered by our church in order to become bona fide shepherds. Until then, they are just deputy shepherds. However, in addition to these, I encourage shepherds to take the church classes on marriage and parenting. I recommend taking the marriage class because the major problem that house church members bring up at meetings relate to marriage. It is difficult and unwise for shepherds to give advice based on personal experience alone. They need to be familiar with Biblical principles about marriage. I recommend taking the ...

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It happened a long time ago. A female member of our church called me to discuss another member of the church. She said that the other sister showed signs of mental illness and that she was going to help. Her concern was touching and I thanked her profusely, saying that if there was anything I could do to help to let me know. Later, I happened to talk to the woman with the alleged mental problem. I very cautiously asked her how she was doing. In the course of conversation I realized that she was perfectly healthy. I was also able to guess why she could have seemed to have ...

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As a Korean American I cannot be indifferent to what is happening in South Korea. Some may criticize me for what am about to write, but Korea is still a country I love and I want to share my concern. The policies of the current administration seem to be based on three implicit assumptions. Many young people seem to accept these assumptions without thinking about them critically. The first assumption is that unification is the ultimate good. The second is that the U.S. is responsible for the division of Korea and has been hindering unification. The third is that past ...

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Last spring our mission team members and I visited the International Mission Board Headquarters in Richmond, Virginia, I rode in a car with a brother in his early fifties. He told me a sad story about what had happened to him that morning. He shared that as he and his wife entered middle age it was harder for him to win an argument with her. His wife was giving him a ride that morning to church where members were meeting to carpool to the airport. But as they left their house they found heavy rush hour traffic. They decided to take a shortcut but differed in opinion as to ...

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Many visitors to our Sunday worship services compliment our choir, remarking that they were touched by the music. I usually reply with a smile, "Yes, our choir members may not be musically talented but they are spiritual." Our choir members actually are very musically talented but I try to be modest. But there's actually another motive behind my response. I want to convey the message that the role of the choir is to worship, not just to sing. Our late brother Baek played a critical role in transforming our choir from a singing group to a worshiping one. As far as church ...

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