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Volume 4-12
THE VINE I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruits, because apart from me you can do nothing. -John 15:5
October 30, 2013 Weekly Sunday Schedule 9:30am 9:40am 10:00am 11:15am 12:00pm
Prayer with Choir Prayer for Worship NHC Worship Lunch Fellowship Choir Practice Adult Sunday School 1:00pm Pastoral Office Hours
Prayer Requests Pray for the loss of loved ones for: Serena’s Family Rosemary’s Family David Yee’s Family Erik Ohm’s family Elder Oh’s Family Elder Kyu’s Family Betty Shin’s Family Pray for health for: Gina Nam Mary Ellen’s mother and brother John Park’s sister John Kim’s parents Ray Cha’s Father Oneil’s Father Parag Shiwakotee
Upcoming Schedule Oct 31
Fall Fest
Nov 3
Installation & Ordination of New Officers
Nov 24
Thanksgiving Luncheon
Pastoral Musings Dear Saints of NHC, A very important Christian holiday is around the corner. No, it is not Halloween; although Halloween does have Christian meanings and roots, it has been largely secularized in the US. No, it is not the Christmas holidays. Closer…it is called the All Saints’ Day. For many of us who haven’t grown up in liturgically “high” or “rich” or “boring” traditions, we may not know about this. Let me tell you a bit about this and share with you what many churches do to help with those who have lost loved ones on this important day of the year. All Saints’ Day is also known as All Hallows and The Feast of All Saints. This is a day of the year that we honor all of the saints, known and unknown. We just finished the book of Revelation (or you are about to), and we read a lot about the martyrs of the church in that time. It was a very important practice for them because of the believers then died for their faith. They sacrificed their lives so that the church could continue to grow to share the good news of Christ to all who sought to hear. Then as the church grew, later on in the 4th century, the church instituted them to remember all the people who have been martyred and who have been deemed as saints in the church. It became a major feast day for the church for solemn remembrance and then a celebration of faith. It started earlier in the western church, and the eastern church also has their own customs and traditions. All of this was to remember the saints who had gone on first before us. With such celebration, there is always preparation the night before, hence the “hallow’s eve” and then Halloween became a vigil for the night before. It has been secularized with all kinds of practices nowadays. For many centuries, it was a holy time to prepare to celebrate all the saints of the church. Now another interesting tradition of this holiday is the celebration of the Mexican tradition called The Day of the Dead that falls on the same time. You can Google and find out more about this 2
celebration. Again, it is a way to honor and venerate those who have passed before us. In fact, this is far more common practice throughout the world than it is here in the North American continent. In Asian tradition, particularly in the spring time, it is also customary to honor and remember our family who had passed. So the question is, who are the saints in our midst? Many churches have taken on this celebration as a day or service to remember those who had passed during that year. This is the time the church collectively comes together to celebrate faithfulness of God in the faithful that have passed on. It is also a time to remember and grieve the loss of loved ones. Part of the grieving process is to acknowledge the great sadness we carry for the passing this person. Henri Nouwen writes in his daily devotion, Bread for the Journey, “When we lose someone we have loved deeply, we are left with a grief that can paralyze us emotionally. When they die a part of us dies too.” Our community has lost a few saints this year. Many in our community are carrying grief in their hearts. I’d like to invite you all to take this time of the year, on this All Saints Day on November 1, to offer your Christian love to those in our community that are grieving for their lost. Say a prayer for them. Ask them how they are. Sit with them for a while. Or even cry with them for their lost. Let us remember our saints from our communities, and let us come together as a community united in Christ’s love. Let us be the love of God we all need to one another.
2
Sarang’s Corner ELEPHANTS IN THE CHURCH – DON’T GET HOOKED Addictions We’ve all been addicted to something or another. While drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes have been considered a problematic addiction for a long time, TV, phone, and computer are some of the common addictions that are becoming a rising concern. But there are a number of things that we may jokingly, yet with some sincerity, confess are addictions; Thai food, Korean food, hamburgers, or food in general. But asides from that knowledge, shopping, sugar, caffeine and even reading can be an addiction. But in today’s society there are things that are unacceptable addictions and acceptable addictions. However, let’s agree to call a spade a spade; an addiction, a dependency on a behavior or substance in which a person is helpless to stop, is an addiction. The key word here is dependency.
said next really caught me off guard and stays with me to this day, “But God is so irresistible that I know I will come out of this retreat having reconnected with God. But I am not ready for that.” And sure enough, on the drive back she confided in me that God’s grace was irresistible. I had never thought of God has an irresistible God. His grace as an irresistible grace. His love as an irresistible love. But she was right. Isn’t that what an addiction is? When we are resisting the irresistible God with things that are biding for time and affection? In Matthew 11:30, Jesus says, “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” The yoke of resisting God, the yoke of being addicted to anything other than God, the yoke of putting anything before God is a heavy burden. What are you yoked to?
While we all know that we must not depend things other than God, have you thought about where that comes from? It does root from the garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve chose to eat of the fruit that made the as knowledgeable as God, but a clearer form comes from the 10 commandments. The 1st commandment is, “You shall have no other Gods before me,” Exodus 20:3. A dependency on anything other than God to carry us through each day is clearly a no-no. While there are things that we must do independently throughout our days, a dependency on other things that leads us to independence from God feeds our addiction all the more. A friend and I were driving to a class retreat in seminary and she said to me, “I have been through some really difficult times this past year and I have abandoned God. And I am not ready to become reconnected with God.” This was not the part that was unusual. What she 2
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Announcements
Bible Verse of the Week
Installation and Ordination of New Officers This will take place on Sunday, November 3.
Congregational Meeting We will be holding a congregational meeting this Sunday during service.
Thanksgiving Luncheon on Nov 24 Special thanks to the families who have agreed to donate a turkey for our annual Thanksgiving Luncheon. We are still looking for people to help with making gravy the day before (Saturday, Nov 23). If you would like to help, please see EJ Sohn.
Dr. N. T. Wright Dr. N. T. Wright is speaking at a seminar at Calvin Seminary on Nov 20 th and 21st. If you are interested in attending please see Pastor David.
KPCMD Nicaragua Team The KPCMD Nicaragua Team is collecting donations. Please donate the following items: gently used clothes, children’s vitamins, toys, school supplies, and large luggage bags (for traveling–이민가방). The collection box is located downstairs inside the supply closet.
Blessed Ministry for Women The Blessed Ministry for Women group meets at NHC at 10am on every 1st and 3rd Wednesdays. Contact Jenni Mantey ([email protected]) for any questions or visit their website at http://thebmwgroup.org/.
Luke 19:9-10 9
Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Morning Prayer Meetings We are continuing Saturday morning prayer meetings every first and third Saturday of the month. The prayer meeting will begin at 8am. Please look for us in the education wing. We will find a classroom to settle in. Come and join us. http://tinyurl.com/av7z74u
Home Group Bible Studies Home group bible studies are ongoing! Contacts are the following: North & East Group: SJ Hong & MeeA Lee South: Kyu Sohn & Linda Alley West: Andy Nam Petra: Bill Meyer & Michael Kim
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THE VINE I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruits, because apart from me you can do nothing. -John 15:5
October 30, 2013 Weekly Sunday Schedule 9:30am 9:40am 10:00am 11:15am 12:00pm
Prayer with Choir Prayer for Worship NHC Worship Lunch Fellowship Choir Practice Adult Sunday School 1:00pm Pastoral Office Hours
Prayer Requests Pray for the loss of loved ones for: Serena’s Family Rosemary’s Family David Yee’s Family Erik Ohm’s family Elder Oh’s Family Elder Kyu’s Family Betty Shin’s Family Pray for health for: Gina Nam Mary Ellen’s mother and brother John Park’s sister John Kim’s parents Ray Cha’s Father Oneil’s Father Parag Shiwakotee
Upcoming Schedule Oct 31
Fall Fest
Nov 3
Installation & Ordination of New Officers
Nov 24
Thanksgiving Luncheon
Pastoral Musings Dear Saints of NHC, A very important Christian holiday is around the corner. No, it is not Halloween; although Halloween does have Christian meanings and roots, it has been largely secularized in the US. No, it is not the Christmas holidays. Closer…it is called the All Saints’ Day. For many of us who haven’t grown up in liturgically “high” or “rich” or “boring” traditions, we may not know about this. Let me tell you a bit about this and share with you what many churches do to help with those who have lost loved ones on this important day of the year. All Saints’ Day is also known as All Hallows and The Feast of All Saints. This is a day of the year that we honor all of the saints, known and unknown. We just finished the book of Revelation (or you are about to), and we read a lot about the martyrs of the church in that time. It was a very important practice for them because of the believers then died for their faith. They sacrificed their lives so that the church could continue to grow to share the good news of Christ to all who sought to hear. Then as the church grew, later on in the 4th century, the church instituted them to remember all the people who have been martyred and who have been deemed as saints in the church. It became a major feast day for the church for solemn remembrance and then a celebration of faith. It started earlier in the western church, and the eastern church also has their own customs and traditions. All of this was to remember the saints who had gone on first before us. With such celebration, there is always preparation the night before, hence the “hallow’s eve” and then Halloween became a vigil for the night before. It has been secularized with all kinds of practices nowadays. For many centuries, it was a holy time to prepare to celebrate all the saints of the church. Now another interesting tradition of this holiday is the celebration of the Mexican tradition called The Day of the Dead that falls on the same time. You can Google and find out more about this 2
celebration. Again, it is a way to honor and venerate those who have passed before us. In fact, this is far more common practice throughout the world than it is here in the North American continent. In Asian tradition, particularly in the spring time, it is also customary to honor and remember our family who had passed. So the question is, who are the saints in our midst? Many churches have taken on this celebration as a day or service to remember those who had passed during that year. This is the time the church collectively comes together to celebrate faithfulness of God in the faithful that have passed on. It is also a time to remember and grieve the loss of loved ones. Part of the grieving process is to acknowledge the great sadness we carry for the passing this person. Henri Nouwen writes in his daily devotion, Bread for the Journey, “When we lose someone we have loved deeply, we are left with a grief that can paralyze us emotionally. When they die a part of us dies too.” Our community has lost a few saints this year. Many in our community are carrying grief in their hearts. I’d like to invite you all to take this time of the year, on this All Saints Day on November 1, to offer your Christian love to those in our community that are grieving for their lost. Say a prayer for them. Ask them how they are. Sit with them for a while. Or even cry with them for their lost. Let us remember our saints from our communities, and let us come together as a community united in Christ’s love. Let us be the love of God we all need to one another.
2
Sarang’s Corner ELEPHANTS IN THE CHURCH – DON’T GET HOOKED Addictions We’ve all been addicted to something or another. While drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes have been considered a problematic addiction for a long time, TV, phone, and computer are some of the common addictions that are becoming a rising concern. But there are a number of things that we may jokingly, yet with some sincerity, confess are addictions; Thai food, Korean food, hamburgers, or food in general. But asides from that knowledge, shopping, sugar, caffeine and even reading can be an addiction. But in today’s society there are things that are unacceptable addictions and acceptable addictions. However, let’s agree to call a spade a spade; an addiction, a dependency on a behavior or substance in which a person is helpless to stop, is an addiction. The key word here is dependency.
said next really caught me off guard and stays with me to this day, “But God is so irresistible that I know I will come out of this retreat having reconnected with God. But I am not ready for that.” And sure enough, on the drive back she confided in me that God’s grace was irresistible. I had never thought of God has an irresistible God. His grace as an irresistible grace. His love as an irresistible love. But she was right. Isn’t that what an addiction is? When we are resisting the irresistible God with things that are biding for time and affection? In Matthew 11:30, Jesus says, “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” The yoke of resisting God, the yoke of being addicted to anything other than God, the yoke of putting anything before God is a heavy burden. What are you yoked to?
While we all know that we must not depend things other than God, have you thought about where that comes from? It does root from the garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve chose to eat of the fruit that made the as knowledgeable as God, but a clearer form comes from the 10 commandments. The 1st commandment is, “You shall have no other Gods before me,” Exodus 20:3. A dependency on anything other than God to carry us through each day is clearly a no-no. While there are things that we must do independently throughout our days, a dependency on other things that leads us to independence from God feeds our addiction all the more. A friend and I were driving to a class retreat in seminary and she said to me, “I have been through some really difficult times this past year and I have abandoned God. And I am not ready to become reconnected with God.” This was not the part that was unusual. What she 2
3
Announcements
Bible Verse of the Week
Installation and Ordination of New Officers This will take place on Sunday, November 3.
Congregational Meeting We will be holding a congregational meeting this Sunday during service.
Thanksgiving Luncheon on Nov 24 Special thanks to the families who have agreed to donate a turkey for our annual Thanksgiving Luncheon. We are still looking for people to help with making gravy the day before (Saturday, Nov 23). If you would like to help, please see EJ Sohn.
Dr. N. T. Wright Dr. N. T. Wright is speaking at a seminar at Calvin Seminary on Nov 20 th and 21st. If you are interested in attending please see Pastor David.
KPCMD Nicaragua Team The KPCMD Nicaragua Team is collecting donations. Please donate the following items: gently used clothes, children’s vitamins, toys, school supplies, and large luggage bags (for traveling–이민가방). The collection box is located downstairs inside the supply closet.
Blessed Ministry for Women The Blessed Ministry for Women group meets at NHC at 10am on every 1st and 3rd Wednesdays. Contact Jenni Mantey ([email protected]) for any questions or visit their website at http://thebmwgroup.org/.
Luke 19:9-10 9
Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Morning Prayer Meetings We are continuing Saturday morning prayer meetings every first and third Saturday of the month. The prayer meeting will begin at 8am. Please look for us in the education wing. We will find a classroom to settle in. Come and join us. http://tinyurl.com/av7z74u
Home Group Bible Studies Home group bible studies are ongoing! Contacts are the following: North & East Group: SJ Hong & MeeA Lee South: Kyu Sohn & Linda Alley West: Andy Nam Petra: Bill Meyer & Michael Kim
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