"Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you,
and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions,
for the sake of his body,
which is the church.”
(Colossians 1:24)
The church’s suffering is Jesus’s suffering; the church’s joy is Jesus’s joy. From the bottom of my heart, I thank everyone who has been both tearful and joyful with the church (the body of Christ) for the past 26 years. Our Lord will remember it. He will say, “I know. Thank you.”
We cried and laughed together with Jesus; that in and of itself makes me feel thankful and honored. It touches me that we were at the heart of Jesus’s pain and joy.
There are already a lot of tears and sacrifice being shed for our newly born Tree of Life congregation. The path forward for the English congregation will likely be filled with many sufferings and joy as well. I pray that we will have more of God’s people who can laugh and cry with Jesus. I pray that God’s people — who are thankful and thrilled just walking on that path — will be raised. I pray also that God’s people who will become glorious seeds will start to appear.
Jesus’s pain needs to become the church’s pain and His joy should be the church’s joy. Hanmaum church and the Tree of Life congregation will walk together with Jesus the same way.
Once again, we give our heart to Jesus who we love.
Pastor, JiWon Choi.