“People may be pure in their own eyes, but the Lord
examines their motives.”
(Proverbs 16:2, NLT)
Greetings to you all in the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ!
Are you now enjoying the season of all greens
with those beautiful yellow flowers in your backyard? Quite amazing to watch
all those changing pictures each season. It was like yesterday when the white
snow covered the land and the green stuff came out of the hard soil and painted
the earth over the white snow. Now that new green stuff on the ground has
spread throughout all the trees up high and dance with the early summer winds!
I was watching them through the small kitchen window in the morning when I was
preparing my breakfast. What a beauty of God’s creation and the gift of this
season!
That small kitchen window is my favorite window
in the entire house and I love sitting in front of it! But I just wonder what
if there is no window? Maybe it's hard to see outside? No wonder why some smart
guys created something to see the world outside through a little computer
screen wherever they are and called it “Windows”.
How about us, ourselves? Interestingly, someone
also created a special window to see who we are in relationship with and named
it “Johari Window”. Of course, they named it after one part of their names, Joseph and Harrington,
like we named the United Methodist Church from the Evangelical United Brethren Church and the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Anyway, according to Johari Window, it has four
quadrants called, open, blind, hidden and unknown areas. Depending on the size
of those areas in the window, our relationship changes! So there is a part
about me that everybody knows including me, like “Pastor K is a preacher” for example - open area. However,
there is a part about me that everybody knows about me except me unless they
tell me, like “Pastor
K is humble and meek” -
blind area. I wish it was so true though. Then, there is a part about me that
everybody doesn't know about except me, like “Pastor K was coming from heaven” - hidden area. Of course, there is a
part of me that no one knows including me - unknown area which means the area
of potentiality. So when the open area of that window becomes bigger, the other
three areas become smaller. But our relationship becomes stronger & deeper.
It makes sense, isn’t it? However, it does require lots of sharing in trust,
doesn’t it?
How about our relationship with God? As I read
the Bible, I found that it is absolutely true. Very easy example is Peter who
said, “Truly I love you, Jesus!” However, after he had denied three times when
Jesus was crucified on the cross, he had realized that he did not. So his
answer to the resurrected Jesus later on was “Lord, you know that.” Once Peter
did not know that he did not love Jesus with a full heart, but now Peter knew
what kind of love he had for Jesus! It is quite a self-realization! But what a transformation! Then God used him to transform
the world for the last two thousand years in His will so far.
How about you all now? Do you know who you
really are? Some of you might believe that you are a peacemaker, but might be
not; some of you might believe that you know Christ well, but might not; some
of you might believe that you are faithful enough, but might be not; some of
you might believe that you are honest, but might be not; some of you might
believe that you are humble, but might be not; some of you believe that you
love your church, but might be not in God’s eyes; and some of you believe that
you are not worthy but you are; and some of you believe that you are too weak
to do anything for God, but you are.
“I knew
you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born
I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the
nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5, NLT)
Brothers and sisters in Christ, do you really
know who you are? But where are your hidden areas, blind areas and unknown
areas? Journey with Christ in his body - the Church - truly opens our eyes to
see those unknown areas, hidden areas and blinded areas to make our
relationship with God and each other much closer and stronger like Peter. And
we know he was not the only one. Who knows if you find God’s call for you
someday totally different from where you are now as you journey with Christ?
It has
been a wonderful five years of Journey with you and Christ to see those hidden,
blinded and unknown areas about me so that I can grow in the relationship with
our living God each and every day and with you! Truly, I have been blessed by
you all!
Now, it is too sad to say that I am no longer
your pastor after the first day of July which means I cannot come back and do
any pastoral function in Markesan and Princeton Community like weddings and
funerals; however, I am glad that you will have a new pastor who can continue
to take this role for you from August. So let us continue to walk the walk as
we love, forgive and serve together in the name of our risen Lord, Jesus
Christ, with his heart wherever we are! We love you all!
May the Spirit of God continue to guide you all
to grow into the Kingdom of God eternal on earth as in Heaven as we wait for
that...
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Kyochul
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