My Journal

My gut feeling tells me that Abraham Cho is slacking off in his sermon. Perhaps he has too much stuff going at home (with his kids, etc.). Just when I thought he realized the importance of expository preaching, he went back to topical again. How he could be a summa cum laude student is a mystery to me.

For this day, there is no 6:45pm service. All sites' sermons were delivered by assistant pastors. Looks like the holiday slow has gotten to Redeemer as well.

Reflection:
He was a baby, a child, so that you may become a complete, mature person. He was wrapped in swaddling clothes, so that you might be freed from the bonds of death. He was in a manger, so that you may be on the altar. He came to earth so that you may be in the stars. He had no place in the inn, so that you may have in heaven many mansions. He, being rich, became poor for your sakes, that through his poverty you might become rich. ~ Ambrose (looks like a quote from 2 Cor 8:9)

Somehow, I keep expecting loud and impressive events to convince me and others of God's saving power; but over and over again I am reminded that spectacles, power plays, and big events are the ways of the world. Our temptation is to be distracted by them ...The small child of Bethlehem, the unknown young man of Nazareth, the rejected preacher, the naked man on the cross, he asks for my full attention. The work of our salvation takes place in the midst of a world that continues to shout, scream, and overwhelm us with its claims and promises. But the promise is hidden in [a gift] that hardly anyone notices. ~ Henri Nouwen (why?)

I took another look at this Catholic priest's quote during the sermon. And I had to correct the last line - But the promise is hidden for only the faithful ones, as in Luke 2:13. The promise is proclaimed gloriously nonetheless.

Prelude - River - Joni Mitchell

Preparation - Rev. Bijan Mirtolooi

Song of Praise - 10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord) by Jonas Myrin/Matt Redman

Call to Worship - Psalms 102-103
Note: The promise of salvation to children - "From everlasting to everlasting your love is with those who fear you, O Lord, and your righteousness to their children's children, with those who keep your covenant, and remember to obey your commandments. This must be where Paul got his line in Acts 16:31.

Songs of Praise - Great Is Thy Faithfulness - Words by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1923, music by William M. Runyan, 1923
How Great is Our God - Chris Tomlin, Jesse Reeves, Ed Cash

Prayer of Adoration (Concluded by the Lord's Prayer)

Prayer of Confession

Private Confession

Confessional Response - Jesus, Thy Boundless Love to Me - Words by Paul Gerhardt, 1653, music by Tom Jennings

Words of Encouragement - Psalm 32:1,5

Prayers of the People - Bijan Mirtolooi

Song of Praise - It Is Well With My Soul - Bliss/Spafford, 1876

Announcements

Scripture Reading - Luke 2:1-20

Sermon - The Shepherds and Jesus - Rev. Abraham Cho
Notes: I did not get what Ab was saying. I get the feeling that the people around me had the same feeling, due to their unsettling movements from time to time. I took the time to look up on some of the verses from the reading.
Verse 9-10: at night...the glory of the Lord shone...they were terrified...Do not be afraid...
The worldly men grew accustomed to the night, to darkness, such that any glory of the Lord is a fearful thing. Not because they have much to hide, but because they were lost, they cannot fathom the glory of God. The dimmest stars were to them the brightest of the night. Not only their fear of judgment is realized, they had now thought it a strange thing that which mankind had once lost. These terrified them. It is only the comfort of the angel and his good news that turned their fear to the assurance of joy.

Offertory - Get Me Through December - Alison Krauss

Final Song - Abide with Me - Words by Henry F. Lyte, 1847, music by William H. Monk, 1861

Benediction

Postlude - Driftin' - Earl Klugh

While many lament, I am hesitant. No, I'm definitely not joyful over this. However, I do find it necessary to ponder upon such event involving missionaries.

On the one hand, I am reluctant to call these missionaries. Teaching Korean and computer skills hardly qualify anyone to be a missionary. But it is a common thing nowadays. A Christian goes to do some non-evangelistic related work overseas and he's called a missionary. No wonder people look down on real missionaries these days - after all, they don't have ordinary jobs, they are but beggars, asking converts for money, if not their churches. Many have given missionaries a bad name. It's time for a change.

I don't know about these Koreans, but this incident should not discourage real missionaries. They do not have to come out of Korea or America. Contrary to many elderly, missionaries do not need to wait for churches to send them. The calling of God reveals the power of God, not of men.