“Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light
shine for all to see. For the
glory of the Lord rises to shine on
you” (Isiah 60:1, NLT).
Greetings to you all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!
Again, “Time flies!” The season of green is now switching to the
season of orange and yellow. I mean the vacation season is over! Some of you
might say, “Not yet!” Is that some kinds of resistance? I am not sure what you
think though, it will come sooner or later! So now, are we ready to get back to
normal routines, I mean, fast moving, busy working routines?
By the way, one day, I just heard a voice coming out of the deep
conner of the house, “Oh, No! I have to go back to school in a few days!” It
was more like a sound of groaning. I am pretty sure that some of you love to go
back to work or school from a long break; however, it is so true that, for most
of us, with little fear or little anxiety to get back to that.
Actually about hundred years ago, there was a man named Charles
Austin Miles. He was a pharmacist. One day, however, he abandoned his pharmacy
carrier and began to write gospel songs because he felt like it is better way
to serve God. We know one of his songs is “In the Garden”. Its last verse goes
like this if you remember.
“I’d stay in the garden with him
though the night around me be falling, but he
bids me go; through the voice of
woe his voice to me is calling” (UMH 314).
I believe that he knew how comfort, how peaceful and how amazing
it was when he was with the risen Lord, Jesus Christ. He might want to stay
there forever with him in the garden because it’s worry free and stress free,
in God’s new creation, apart from the human reality of pains and sufferings.
However, he decided to go back with love and compassion because God gave him
something to do.
This song reminds me a story of Isaiah over twenty five hundred
years ago. Israel was so depressed and hopelessly down. The Bible describes it
like this. “Darkness as black as night covered all the nations of the earth”
(Isaiah 60:2). Can you imagine that? However, in the middle of it, they heard
the voice of God, “Arise and shine!” Is that possible to rise and shine in that
situation? Sure! When they obey it as they see the heart of God, I mean, the
love of God, it is possible. So it is a creation story!
Brothers and sisters in Christ, in this coming season of orange
and yellow, God calls us to rise and shine! It is in the middle of fatigue from
the vacation trip; it is in the middle of fighting with the health problems; it
is in the middle of the fear of new classes; it is in the middle of anxiety in
front of unknown fall and new opportunities… and grief and loneliness; and even
in the middle of the physical, moral, financial, relational, and spiritual
construction of our life. And we are still able to arise and shine because the
glory of the Lord rises to shine on us!
So now, I’d like to invite you to come and join us in this month
of September, our journey of “Arise and Shine!” as we get back to our normal
routines. It starts from getting back to church each Sunday this month! So
don’t forget that we will begin our never ending journey to the Kingdom of God
eternal with Jesus again and we will find the true joy together!
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Kyochul
