January 16, 2012

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!
In my last communication, my thoughts were for the year that had passed. Now, I want to direct our attention forward, to the things that God has in store for 2012. Here we are, hardly two weeks into the year and already much has transpired.

Last Friday, we had a night of praise and prayer with the Youth Group. The message was about prayer, what is it, how do we do it, and why bother if God already knows what we need? The answer revolved around what we understand prayer to be about, which is to get us to look in the same direction that God’s love is looking, to help us remember the world to God so that our focus does not remain solely on our personal needs and desires.

Our goal this year is to really connect to God through our worship. This will be done by attending to the Means of Grace. Generically speaking, the means of grace are practices that orient people towards faithful discipleship to God. Prayer, study of scripture, acts of mercy, social justice, are all means by which we encounter and share, God’s grace.

Particularly important for our worship, are the sacraments of Christian Baptism and Holy Communion. This year, as we make our worship a vital experience that forms us in discipleship, we will reclaim our identities as children of God as we deepen our understanding of how baptism and Eucharist empower us to live authentically as Christians.

Sunday, we remembered our baptism in a service of Baptismal reaffirmation followed by a Eucharistic love feast. I pray that the significance of our actions, in conjunction with what God’s Holy Spirit blesses us with, will give us the impetus to charge into the new year with vigor and great hope.

And for anyone who thinks this sounds churchy and boring, let me add that these activities are only boring when they are unconnected to the true and vital worship of God, who is truly amazing and, dare I say it, lots of fun.

On that note, my thanks go out to Dae for doing such a great job of coordinating our ski outing. Let me assure you that without him, this ski trip would have been a flop (because of the poor planning skills of a pastor who shall remain unnamed, ahem).

The Lord Be With You,
Pastor Kyungsu

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December 30, 2011

Happy Old Year

Happy Old Year!*
With 2012 about to begin, thoughts of 2011 are occupying my mind like protesters seeking to be heard. 2011 has been a year in which awareness has been a key theme. From self-awareness to global events, our eyes have been opened by the torrential flood of information that has inundated our lives. As a race, humanity is beginning to feel the effects of the information age that has arisen from the ubiquitous internet.

Facebook points us all to each other, for good or ill. I am amazed at the myriad ways in which it has changed the way we interact and spend our time. I enjoy catching up with old friends and keeping in touch with new ones, yet, in spite of the messiness of social encounters in the analog world, I still prefer to give hugs and shake hands instead of clicking the “like” button on someone’s status.

The 2011 Egyptian revolution was, for me, an inspiring call to action for people around the world to unite, against the principalities and powers of oppression that try to usurp the rightful authorities on this earth. I love the fact that people came together, peacefully, to effect a change in their government, even if it was at great personal cost.

The Occupy Wall Street movement has just as many detractors as supporters yet it raised awareness over the state of finances in the world. Certainly, many of the people engaged in the OWS movement are not starving, and I agree that complaining about our standard of living is something like the cry of a spoiled child, but deeper than that are the questions being raised about the disparity between the uber-rich and the other 99.9% of us who have to pay taxes, repay loans, and generally have the bulk of our income wrapped up in keeping out of debt. Why do we continue to fill their pockets as we empty ours?

To focus on the disparity of income is a mistake, at issue is the disparity in the way our laws work to protect and give advantages to a class of people who need little protection and have great advantages already. Before we get critical of the iPad carrying, SUV driving occupiers of Wall Street, lets take a careful look at what is going on in the world of finance and government. How is it that so many working class people are becoming homeless as I see hundred million dollar payouts being made to CEO’s of companies that underpay, and underinsure their employees as they avoid taxes and receive a light scolding when they are caught?

Natural disasters have also played a huge role in the way 2011 has shaped up. Tsunami in Japan created a nuclear disaster in Japan and the pollution and debris from the tsunami has reached the shores of the U.S. and will continue to turn up over the next decade. What is happening to our planet? We still haven’t recovered from the BP Deepwater Horizon spill in 2010.

On the religious front, there was a Coptic Christian church in Egypt who were protected by thousands of Muslims during their celebration of mass. Several days later, the Christians responded in kind to form a protective circle around Muslim men who were praying.

Closer to home, our little congregation has increased our presence at Wayside Cross Ministries in Elgin. We helped to keep the facility open on Christmas Eve so that the clients could keep warm and comfortable until PADS, an overnight shelter, could open its doors. Our congregation also continues to provide food and spiritual care for the people there. We also assembled 50 UMCOR health kits and have an opportunity to continue this ministry throughout the year, for there will always be a need for them.

Lastly, the bulk of our congregation is engaged in some form of service or ministry at the church and I am heartened to see such dedication and love for God.

As I get ready to leave 2011 behind me, I look forward to 2012. What impact will Christians have on the year to come? How will we embody Good News to and for the world? How will we be the body of Christ this year?

With eyes to see and ears to hear, I pray that we would open our hearts to promptings of the Holy Spirit in all of us,
Pastor Kyungsu

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December 15, 2011

Anticipation

I can’t wait….
Do you hear it?
Can you taste it?
Christmas is coming. You know what that means.  That’s right, for all you students out there, it’s an end to final exams, papers, and sleepless nights strung out on coffee! For those in the working world, You get to look forward to an end of running out to get all those gifts, in addition to all the errands that need to be run! Whew! The holidays can be pretty rough! With the Advent season in full swing, in the midst of all the activity, the tension, the frustration, and the disappointment (and that can be just our commute in the morning), it can be easy to lose sight of what our preparations are for.

For all of us, there is good news. We know that all this preparation has a purpose. We are all looking forward to something, a sought after gift, time with the family, maybe something as simple as waking up late on Christmas morning. Whatever it is, remember, all good things are worth waiting for. Just as a child waits for Christmas morning, we also wait for Jesus to return. Please, make some time for yourself, make some time for God. Be intentional about making peace, hope, joy, and love during the holidays. And on that note, I want to call our attention to a few things coming up.

First, remember our brothers and sisters who are not able to attend worship with us. Those who are away at school still, or those who are separated from us by time or geography. Please pray for their safe return to us.

Second. The EM Christmas party is this Sunday at my home at 4pm. I am looking forward to a time of fun and fellowship. Don’t forget to RSVP!

Third. Tomorrow night we will assemble the UMCOR health kits for delivery. Please join us at Salem at 8pm.

Fourth. Save the date. The EM winter retreat will be January 7-8. That’s a Saturday and a Sunday. Worship will be held at the retreat so if you can’t make it to the retreat, please attend either the Youth worship service or the KM service (translation is available for any who need it) at 11am.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Colossians 3:15.

Pastor Kyungsu

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November 23, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!
Of course there’s lots to be thankful for. I am particularly thankful for the blessings I received last Sunday, before, during, and after the worship service. Our ministry made huge contributions that made our Thanksgiving service and fellowship a meaningful time for all the children of God who gathered at Salem. From the setting up of the dining hall, leadership during worship, guidance for the children’s ministry, and many other acts of service, the EM helped to foster a welcoming and hospitable atmosphere at Salem KUMC. Thank you to the whole English Ministry, who helped bring joy to God last Sunday.

Looking forward to the holidays with you all. Here are some dates to keep in mind as we enter into the Advent season.

11/27 Sunday. We will have the hanging of the greens in the afternoon and we would love to have your presence and eye for interior decoration to set a festive mood at Salem.

12/11 Sunday. This will be our final day for the gathering of UMCOR health kits. We have collected some items and please keep an eye out for a list of quantities and items that we will need to complete 50 health kits. We will assemble them for deliver on Friday, 12/16 at 8pm before Bible Study.

Every Sunday of Advent will have a church-wide, mission oriented activity, feel free to join in our ministry as a church, as we use our presence to serve as a reminder of God’s presence in the world.

Blessings and a Grateful heart to you,
Pastor Kyungsu

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November 10, 2011

Spending

Hello,
Last Sunday I attended a meeting and I was asked what I do to teach the English Ministry about tithing. I responded that I don’t directly teach about tithing and the extent of my teaching about this subject is done in my preaching. I also said that I don’t teach about stewardship solely around the issue of finances but of our stewardship of time as well. After I completed my response, imagine my surprise, and the pride I felt, when I learned that the EM tithes more money, on average, than the rest of the church.

It was such a blessing to hear that our little congregation has such a big heart.

On another note, my studies are getting quite intense and so I will keep my weekly communication shorter than usual.

Our brother, Jason is out of town on a business trip so please remember to keep him in your prayers. Let us also continue to pray for Sylver Calfo and her family. It was great to have Kevin Hynes in worship again too.

The holidays are upon us and there is much afoot at Salem KUMC. I look forward to a time of ministry, worship, and fun as we look forward to the Advent season. There is much to do, share, and learn and I thank God for the community with which to spend my life with.

Blessings,
Pastor Kyungsu

p.s. Here’s another link to some more music — http://youtu.be/eJicq3abDcg

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November 3, 2011

Take a Moment

Friends, Christians, Countrymen, lend me your ears, to this, let me add countrywomen,

In the course of a week, so many things happen in our lives. We rush about and fly through our routines and move from one moment to the next, one event to the next, as we charge through our to do lists to get to our goals. Whether one is a student cramming through their textbooks, an employee grinding out the week, or a parent rushing from one activity to the next, it’s too easy to move on to the next thing before the dust settles on the task beforehand.

Please, take a moment…    and pause with me….

Savor the small moments that brought you joy over the course of the last week. Perhaps a friend showed you a kindness. Maybe you looked up at the sky and marveled at the beauty of the autumn leaves as your gaze moved heavenward. Capture the moment when you sat back, satisfied or content, because it just felt good.

Let us take a little time for reflection. So much happens in our congregation over the course of a week, that I tend to miss the many significant moments that comprised the hours and the days that have passed. It’s so easy to thank everyone who participated in the Hallelujah night, and forget just how much fellowship and ministry actually ocurred.

Even in recalling something as simple as this, when we take time to look at it, help us realize the many little joys that were shared in the company of our friends at church. How many times did you share a laugh? How many times did you offer to help someone? How many times did you sit in satisfied silence, simply enjoying the presence of another? I dare to venture that this happens every day and we sometimes miss just how many of these moments pass, unnoticed.

Thank you to Ellie Jhun for inviting us all to her condo last Friday. There were so many moments of fellowship and fun, as a group, as individuals, as friends. As we take a moment to remember our brothers and sisters, please pray for Kevin Hynes. He was injured in a fall and so has not been able to attend worship for a couple weeks now. Let us pray for his quick recovery.

Having taken the time to think about it, I give thanks to God for making love and joy such a vital part of the fabric of our lives. I thank God, for all of you.

Blessings and peace to you in Jesus Christ,
Pastor Kyungsu

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October 27, 2011

I Give Myself Away

Greetings to the Saints at Salem KUMC,
Today I will share a blessing that I received from the following song by William McDowell. Here is a link to the song on YouTube, please take a moment and enjoy— http://youtu.be/O7ofQmeao9I

I Give Myself Away

Chorus:
I give myself away
I give myself away
So You can use me
I give myself away
I give myself away
So You can use me

Verse 1:
Here I am
Here I stand
Lord, my life is in your hands
Lord, I’m longing to see
Your desires revealed in me
I give myself away

Verse 2:
Take my heart
Take my life
As a living sacrifice
All my dreams, all my plans
Lord I place them in your hands

My life is not my own
To you I belong
I give myself, I give myself to You

We become free to live a life that brings light and love to those around us when we give our lives over to God.

By the power of the Holy Spirit we are able to give ourselves away. But what does that mean? What would it look like to give yourself away? What would it look like if all God’s children lived out the words of this song?

Praying for abundant love in Jesus Christ,
Pastor Kyungsu

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October 20, 2011

Remembrance

Good Morning,

Grace and joy to you in the name of Jesus Christ who takes away the shame of the world and gives life to all who love him.

Last Sunday we had a visit from Elaine Kim who is attending school in Iowa. It was great to have one of our own back home with us. There are others from our congregation that are absent for various reasons and I ask that we remember them in our prayers.

It is the act of remembrance that I would like to call our attention to. Often, when we think about the act of remembering, we consider it a passive activity. When asked to remember something, we sit back and we try to recall what it is that we’re trying to remember. For instance, when we bump into a familiar but forgotten face, “hmmm…what is this person’s name?” and then we shuffle around hoping that someone will say their name before we have to talk to them.

There is another type of memory that, for Christians, is particularly important for our spiritual formation. It is called anamnesis. In English, it is rendered as “remembrance” but it is not a purely mental exercise. The first Christians and ancient Jews practiced anamnesis as a corporate act that was experienced as fresh and new through ritual repetition. By repeating a ritual, married to its symbolic significance, as in the Lord’s Supper, Christians are able to actively remember God’s saving acts in Jesus Christ. This remembrance then, recalls our salvation and inspires us to share God’s goodness to others as an act of love to God.

So, let us remember God’s work in our lives and let us remember, as a community, our brothers and sisters in prayer.

Have a blessed week,

Pastor Kyungsu

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October 13, 2011

Old and New

To the Church of the Salemites in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
Grace and peace to you.
I always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in my prayers. I remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by the hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

First off, I would like to congratulate Mrs. and Mr. Heidi and Ben Kang Park. May their marriage be a joyous blessing.
Secondly, thank you everyone, for your show of support to the Calfo family last Sunday.

Sound familiar? It’s from the first couple verses of 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. While I don’t presume to be Paul, Timothy, or Silas, just like them, I certainly thank God for all of you and continually mention you in my prayers. While you are not the Thessalonian church, just like the Thessalonians, your work in preparing the chapel for the baptism, and the welcome you have shown to newcomers, was produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance was inspired by the hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. Your hospitality is evident to all.

I have emulated Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians to raise up awareness of the many ways that God takes old things and makes them new. With God’s Scripture, I have taken an old letter and applied it to our contemporary context. While the chapel is relatively new, through use, it has become familiar, used, and even kind of “old.” Yet through the love we share in Jesus Christ, we transformed it and the Wesley Chapel looked and felt “new” again.

It is my hope to spur your memory to the time when you cast off your old self of sin and rebellion against God and accepted God’s free grace and mercy. Remember what it was like to be transformed, what it was like to cast off the heavy burden of sin and self-centeredness, and feel the lightness of freedom that comes from a clean heart. Today, do not be discouraged, whatever life may be doing to throw you off your game. Instead, remember the love, power, and mercy of God in Christ, the incomparable love that the creator has for you. Remember that the God who is above all things, came to earth to die for you and for all the world so that we might be redeemed.

God’s love for creation is older than time, yet it is always new, everyday.

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October 6, 2011

Thank You, Everyone!

Thank You, Everyone!

Last Sunday, we had a wonderful time of fellowship at Jonamac Orchards. While Aaron and Jason were the only ones that could make it from our congregation, we were blessed with ten other participants who joined us for an afternoon of Apple picking and evangelism. No we didn’t read tracts to them, nor did we mention God and Jesus Christ. What? How is that evangelism? Evangelism isn’t about forcing our beliefs on others, it’s about loving God through loving our neighbors. That’s it. No strings attached. We didn’t ask them to join our church, we didn’t pray with them or anything like that. But our guests all know, to a person, that the Koreans they were with, are Christians from the same congregation. They are familiar with us because they are our friends and we went out of our way to invite them to be with us for a little fun and friendship. That’s it, we let the Holy Spirit take care of the rest.

Now, I’m going to switch gears.

On my one hour morning commute, I was listening to the Great Thanksgiving. It’s the liturgical prayer that is used when performing Communion. I have to memorize it for one of my classes and I have recorded it onto my phone for playback. As I listened to the words, over and over, I became a bit frustrated. The whole thing takes about 5 minutes to recite. While that may not seem like much, it actually takes quite a bit of memorization.

My frustration arose because I have only managed to memorize this much of it, ” Leader (L) The Lord be with you. Response (R) And also with you. (L) Lift up your hearts. (R) We lift them up to the Lord. (L) Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. (R) It is right to give our thanks and praise. (L) It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth….” This is about a tenth of what I have to memorize for class and as I repeated the words over and over, I realized that I had no reason to be discouraged.

If I look at this in the spirit of thankfulness, I realize that I have actually managed to memorize quite a bit. I was repeating the words, and they went from being a rote memorization to an active consideration: it is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to God. This led me to realize that there is a great deal to be thankful for.

In our congregation, practically every serves in one capacity or another. Sure, we have a small congregation but that doesn’t alter the fact that we all serve directly or indirectly at Salem. How many congregations can boast that over 70% of their members are involved in their parish’s ministry on Sunday?

I thank God for the people who serve the youth as they lead small groups. I thank God for the people who move us to worship through their music ministry. I thank God for the Sunday school teachers. I thank God for the people who prepare our aftercall snacks (and the snacks too). I thank God for the Scripture readers, the liturgist, and everyone else who contribute to the worship service and for everyone who has offered to serve. I am grateful for the fellowship of believers. I am grateful for the opportunity for growth and ministry in mission that God has given to us. I am also grateful for my wife Ann who challenges me to be a better person and shows me what it looks like to love God and love neighbor.

While the Great Thanksgiving is about being thankful for God’s abundant grace in Christ, it is also the recognition that all good and wonderful things come from God who, by God’s Spirit, makes us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory and we feast at his heavenly banquet.
It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere, to give thanks to God.

Peace be with you,
Pastor Kyungsu

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October 15, 2009

Rev. Theddeus J. (TJ) Kim

Pastor TJ Kim has been leading Salem Community since 2004.  His dream is to nurture a faith community that allows and empowers its people to fully enjoy the abundance of God’s grace. Christian life begins with restoring wholeness to a broken life through God’s grace.  Once restored and nurtured to live a life like “a tree planted by the water” (Jeremiah 17:8), Christian community, then, should be able to share the abundance of God’s grace with the rest of the world, “enlarging the boundaries of God’s love.”As part of this dream, he has pushed for faith-nurturing Bible study programs and been on five short-term mission/vision trips to Mexico, Russia and North Korea in the past five years.  In the future, he would like to see a family counseling center to be established to help struggling families.  He would also like to see a senior-citizen’s apartment and a group home for mentally and physically challenged minority people built near the church, so the church can minister to them directly.  Ultimately, he would like to see the church’s oversea mission work expanded to North Korea and build a church there someday.

Another dream of Pastor TJ is to build a faith community that provides new opportunities to the underprivileged.  Being enlightened by Gladwell’s book “Outliers,” Pastor TJ wants to build a church that helps those people, especially children, who otherwise would not have the opportunities necessary for them to grow to have a meaningful and fruitful life.  To this end he has been working hard to start and continue the summer program and the weekend Korean school for children and also to build an educational building adjacent to the present church building.  In the future, he would like to establish a scholarship foundation and an afterschool program as well.

When he is not consumed by these dreams, he enjoys playing guitar, Korean drum, singing, fishing, and recently walking his family dog Bruno.  But more than anything he finds joy in being with his wife, Wendi and their four children, JD, Jocelynn, Jemi and Joshua.  Currently, he is leading both Korean and English congregation at Salem Church.

Rev. Theddeus J. (TJ) Kim

1988  Graduated from the University of Illinois, Urbana, BA in Philosophy
1992  Graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary, M.Div.
1994  Ordained (Deacon), The United Methodist Church
1994  Director of Korean American Campus Ministry, Chicago, Illinois
1998  Associate Pastor, English Ministry, Korean Church of Atlanta, Georgia
2001  Ordained (Elder), The United Methodist Church
2001  Sr. Pastor, Warren United Methodist Church, Warren, Illinois
2004  Sr. Pastor, Salem Korean United Methodist Church

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October 14, 2009

Whatever Happened to the Good Old Class?

When John Wesley began the Methodist movement in 1740s, one of the cleverest things he did was organizing small groups.  He called them “Classes”.  Each Class consisted of 12 people, led by a leader who was required to visit each member at least once a week.  They met weekly for the purpose of fellowship, support and discipleship.  The attendance to the Class meeting was so emphasized that the members were issued a membership card every three months to verify their active participation, without which they could not participate in the weekly Class meeting and the quarterly Love Feast.

The success of the Methodist movement was credited to the structure of the Classes which organized tens of thousands Methodist into a system where the continual care and support were possible.  The Class system existed for about 100 years in the Methodist Church and slowly died out around 1850s.

However, the Class meetings, called “Sok” in Korean, are alive and well in the Korean Methodist churches.  Presently our KM is organized into 7 different “Sok”, which meet once a month, usually on the first weekend of the month.  The Class is led by a class leader, called “Sok-Jang”, whose ministry is to care for his or her Class members, by calling them and visiting them.  They attend the monthly Class leaders’ meeting on the last Saturday of the month and are asked to come to at least once a week to a morning prayer meeting to pray for their Class members.

Sometimes we also have a class teacher, who is gifted in teaching and assists the Class leader in the monthly Class by leading the Bible study portion of the meeting.  The monthly gathering begins with a simple meal, after which they gather for a time of worship, which include Bible study.  We use the inductive Bible study method, in order to encourage the members’ participation.  The Class meeting also includes a time of intercessory prayer and offering.  The offering collected during the Class is used for the mission project that the Class has decided to support.  We are hoping to have more frequent Class meetings, at least every other week, but this hasn’t come true yet.

As you have heard many times, the small group meeting has become very prominent in today’s church ministry.  It is because the small group meeting is the most effective setting for nurturing and life-changing transformation,  If you look at the Methodist Class meeting, you’ll find that there are all five elements of the church’s ministry, namely worship, fellowship, discipleship (Bible study), mission (offering)  and service (providing meal).  Therefore, whatever that needs to and should happen at church can happen in the Class, only at a more intimate and personal level.  Because they happen at the more personal and intimate level, its effectiveness is augmented.

I know that the EM has been trying to establish healthy small group ministries, yet has not seen that happen to our satisfaction.  May it be that re-establishing the “good old” system of the Class might prove to be helpful for us?

TJ Kim, Pastor
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January 7, 2009

Join us for Sunday Worship Service: 10:00 AM / Wesley Chapel 10 S. Walnut Lane, Schaumburg, IL 60193

Welcome

Join us for Sunday Worship Service: 10:00 AM / Wesley Chapel
10 S. Walnut Lane, Schaumburg, IL 60193

>> We invite you to join us for our Sunday Worship Service, as we seek to grow together in a deeper relationship with our Lord and Savior. You can expect a casual, yet intimate, time of praise and worship, relevant and challenging weekly messages, as well as a friendly face or two. Come as you are, but remember that God will not leave you as you were! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at salemcommchurch@gmail.com or Pastor Kyungsu at contactpastorpark@gmail.com.

 

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