The most memorable worship service I had ever offered was from the Southern Baptist Convention general assembly. Many people from various ethnicities gathered at the worship, and we took turns offering praises in different languages. I couldn’t understand the meaning of more than half of the languages spoken. However, I was still able to feel the love and the awe of God given from people who praised in different languages. And I was overwhelmed with emotions. It was mysterious that people from different ethnicities and languages experienced and praised the same God. I thought that worship like this reveals the glory of God to the rest of the world outside.
It is inconvenient for people with different languages and cultures to congregate, but in some ways, we can find values from such inconvenience. Yes, currently our church does not have a choice but to experience such inconvenience. And we are making various efforts to relieve ourselves from it. However, if such inconveniences can offer us higher values, let’s not miss such opportunities as well. Sometimes we need to embrace small inconveniences to achieve higher values.
Many people appreciate that in our church our faith is being shared across young and old generations and between Koren and English congregations. With Anna leading the worship praise last retreat, both the Korean congregation and English congregation felt the presence of the Holy Spirit. The Korean congregation sang along the praises the English congregation was fond of and was able to enjoy the new abundant grace. It is inconvenient for the children generation and parents generation, and English congregation and Korean congregation to be together, but at the same time we should be thankful for it.
I was really thankful to see that the family retreat was led by our next generation. Even before the retreat, the English congregation told me that ‘this was the first retreat they got excited just waiting for it’. Even during the retreat, I was so thankful to see the English congregation soaked in grace and enjoying God. The Korean congregation received the favor of God just by being with the English congregation as well.
(To be continued…)
Following the shepherd…
Pastor JiWon Choi.