Hello PR1MErs!
For those of you who are taking part in the summer small groups, you have begun going through a book cleverly titled “True-Faced” (unless your point person’s been lagging!). In our effort to participate in this theme and, in our own small way, to take a step in being true-faced to all of you, we’d like to begin regularly communicating with you through this blog about some of our personal observations, hopes and burdens for PR1ME. Each of the Single Adult Leadership Team members (Pastor David, Ruth, myself, Brian Kim, Christine Lee, Sarom and Daniel Song) will be taking turns, and I’m up first!
In addition to welcoming our newest member, Christine Lee (yay!), the S.A.L.T. team spent Sunday afternoon sharing what God has placed recently in our hearts about the ministry. One topic that came up was our purpose and success in planning the PR1ME events. We’ve had a much more prolific year than the last in terms of “hanging out,” with the drive-in, Huntington Beach, Pink’s and more. But have we as a leadership team been relegated to a social planning committee? Is that pleasing to God? Also, why is it that some of the very people who ask for certain types of events, such as cross-affinity gatherings, decide to opt out of attending the event once it is organized? How do we encourage each other to take ownership of this ministry?
We also talked about what it means to be a leader in PR1ME. If I want to see transparency in Living Hope relationships, am I stepping out and asking those difficult questions that need to be asked of my closest brothers and sisters? Or taking risks in revealing myself? Or am I just waiting for others to make the first moves? Do the S.A.L.T. members ourselves take ownership of PR1ME events? We desire to be better about leading by example.
In the end, we decided that the “fun” social gatherings are important in beginning and building relationships and encouraging involvement in the ministry in a low-pressure, relaxing environment. But we also want to go beyond that and meet the needs of those who are hungering for more, who are thirsting for deeper, more authentic conversations on Christ within the ministry. In the past, when we’ve attempted a teaching event, such as a talk on Mormonism, the turnout has been small. Rather than being discouraged by the numbers, we want to press on in these types of challenging, thought-provoking events. We know there are those of you who will come out and be encouraged as God works in you.
So be on the look out for some exciting, challenging programs. For example, we are starting work on planning an all-day singles seminar in the fall in partnership with other local churches. I’m excited to see God work in and through the PR1MErs!
Blessings,
Rebecca Cho on behalf of S.A.L.T.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Monday, June 9, 2008
A Road Back to Renewal
“The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.” Genesis 12:7
“From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the LORD.” Genesis 13:3-4
Personal failures in life are a reality. They are inevitable. They can be sensed in a range of circumstances, from something small like telling a white lie to something more serious that causes pain for ourselves and others involved. When we feel that failures have taken a grip on our life and we are heading toward that downward spiral of shame and guilt, how can we change the course? What is the first step towards renewal? In Genesis 13:3-4, the answer for Abram was clear: You go worship God.
In Genesis 12, God promises Abram (a.k.a. Abraham) that He will bless him and all the earth will be blessed through Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3). We call this the Abrahamic Covenant. God appears to Abram to reaffirm His plans, and Abram responds by building an altar to worship God (Gen. 12:7-8). And here’s where the story gets interesting. Because of a famine, Abram and his family move down to Egypt. Fearing for his life, Abram lies to Egyptian officials that Sarai (a.k.a. Sarah) is not his wife but his sister. She is then taken into Pharaoh’s palace, away from Abram. But God being faithful to His covenant to Abram intervenes and inflicts great plagues to Pharaoh’s household. Pharaoh recognizes the source of his affliction and releases Abram and Sarai.
Abram in many ways failed to trust God. Even after God revealed to him the great promise of Genesis 12:1-3 (read it!), Abram lacked trust and took matters into his own hands. Can you imagine what Abram was thinking while Sarai was in Pharaoh’s palace? Can you imagine the guilt he must have felt for telling the lie that placed her in Pharaoh’s palace? Can you imagine his feeling of disappointing God? What would his conversation with Sarai be like as they were leaving Egypt? Would there be any way to justify his actions? Everything was a complete failure.
The key observation in the next part of this story is that Abram is not enslaved by his failure in Egypt. I don’t see the story about Abram struggling with his failure. I don’t see the story moving towards how Abram’s life was consumed with depression or discouragement because he had failed God. That is not what I see! After coming out of Egypt and experiencing personal failure, he goes back to the SAME PLACE where he FIRST built an altar to the Lord, a place where he worshiped God, a place where he met God, a place that was holy to him. And I believe it is here that he was renewed in his heart for God and His promises.
Why didn’t Abram just build another altar and worship God? Why did he go back to the same altar he built before he left for Egypt? For Abram, the altar between the land of Bethel and the land of Ai was a special place where he experienced God in a real way. And in going back to that same place of worship, I believe that it strengthened his soul.
If you are coping with personal failures in your life, can I suggest to go back to the Lord in a way that you best connected with Him. This can be a place where you met God in a special way, or it can be engaging in the spiritual disciplines that caused greatest intimacy with God – praying, fasting, reading the Word, solitude. All of these can be a means for renewal that results in a greater love for God!
“From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the LORD.” Genesis 13:3-4
Personal failures in life are a reality. They are inevitable. They can be sensed in a range of circumstances, from something small like telling a white lie to something more serious that causes pain for ourselves and others involved. When we feel that failures have taken a grip on our life and we are heading toward that downward spiral of shame and guilt, how can we change the course? What is the first step towards renewal? In Genesis 13:3-4, the answer for Abram was clear: You go worship God.
In Genesis 12, God promises Abram (a.k.a. Abraham) that He will bless him and all the earth will be blessed through Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3). We call this the Abrahamic Covenant. God appears to Abram to reaffirm His plans, and Abram responds by building an altar to worship God (Gen. 12:7-8). And here’s where the story gets interesting. Because of a famine, Abram and his family move down to Egypt. Fearing for his life, Abram lies to Egyptian officials that Sarai (a.k.a. Sarah) is not his wife but his sister. She is then taken into Pharaoh’s palace, away from Abram. But God being faithful to His covenant to Abram intervenes and inflicts great plagues to Pharaoh’s household. Pharaoh recognizes the source of his affliction and releases Abram and Sarai.
Abram in many ways failed to trust God. Even after God revealed to him the great promise of Genesis 12:1-3 (read it!), Abram lacked trust and took matters into his own hands. Can you imagine what Abram was thinking while Sarai was in Pharaoh’s palace? Can you imagine the guilt he must have felt for telling the lie that placed her in Pharaoh’s palace? Can you imagine his feeling of disappointing God? What would his conversation with Sarai be like as they were leaving Egypt? Would there be any way to justify his actions? Everything was a complete failure.
The key observation in the next part of this story is that Abram is not enslaved by his failure in Egypt. I don’t see the story about Abram struggling with his failure. I don’t see the story moving towards how Abram’s life was consumed with depression or discouragement because he had failed God. That is not what I see! After coming out of Egypt and experiencing personal failure, he goes back to the SAME PLACE where he FIRST built an altar to the Lord, a place where he worshiped God, a place where he met God, a place that was holy to him. And I believe it is here that he was renewed in his heart for God and His promises.
Why didn’t Abram just build another altar and worship God? Why did he go back to the same altar he built before he left for Egypt? For Abram, the altar between the land of Bethel and the land of Ai was a special place where he experienced God in a real way. And in going back to that same place of worship, I believe that it strengthened his soul.
If you are coping with personal failures in your life, can I suggest to go back to the Lord in a way that you best connected with Him. This can be a place where you met God in a special way, or it can be engaging in the spiritual disciplines that caused greatest intimacy with God – praying, fasting, reading the Word, solitude. All of these can be a means for renewal that results in a greater love for God!
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