2014, 11:30pm, December 31st. It was New Year’s Eve, and I was sitting at Kangnam Community Church in Seoul, South Korea. First time I had ever been at a church service for New Year’s Eve. In Korea, New Year’s is a time for families, and Christmas is primarily for couples; reversed from our understanding. As I sat, surrounded by 2,500 other people ready to ring in the New Year with a countdown in church, we were suddenly handed little bookmarks. Now I can read Korean just fine, but it doesn’t mean I know what I am reading. My friends had to explain to me that this was ‘my’ scripture passage for the year, a mantra for me to follow, the Word of God, for me. It’s a wonderful concept, and people come to worship just to receive this blessing and start the New Year in God’s house. It wasn’t until 2:00am that I got home (as staff we have to wait for everyone else to leave).
Fastforward 3 years later to Estevan, SK. I was very happy, with my partner Young, to introduce this practice within our liturgical year. We dressed in our Korean traditional dress, introduced the Korean NYE, and even had the chance to listen to Young use her amazing talent and sing for us. Following is part of what I said that day:
In both myself, as in each of us, varying personality quirks give us our uniqueness. One which often surfaces in me is that I am relatively determined and organized. I operate, I function, with and only with my black dayplanner. Anyone who has seen my little black book can attest to this. This past week though it goes to a whole nother level. I plan for the whole year, with stacks of papers and lists throughout my entire office. It is simply divine for someone like me! Now, this isn’t simply limited to the office, it spreads into my leisure time as well. When it comes to planning a vacation, I do it in detail. Itineraries, Googlemaps, Tripadvisor reviews.
Just as we are given words of hope and encouragement, or maybe a couple funny life lessons (I picked the scriptures, so you never know what you might get!) - Somewhere there is a parent, a spouse, a child, a friend, a colleague—or someone completely unknown to us on a street corner, in a shelter or a prison—who waits from us a word of hope, forgiveness, an act of concern or kindness. No matter that some of them have made their bed and are now lying in it. No matter that some have deceived donors about their desperation. The surprising thing is that God’s love at Christmas has claimed each of us despite our failures this past year. The surprising thing is that that very love has caught us by surprise and now empowers us to make new beginnings for the new year.
A few weeks ago, I mentioned an old Youth leader friend sent me a care package. In that care package was a little dayplanner, with notes every couple weeks for something fun to do, something that has nothing to do with anything else, and she penciled it in for me. Along with all the work and organizing I put into my yearly plan, I also left room for all of those little things, those God moments where anything can happen. Those moments, where one day, Young & I (&Lincoln!) might just pick a direction and drive for the fun of it. Where we might join the Magi and go home by another road. SO make your plans, your resolutions, but let’s all leave a little room for God. And for a little scripture on our fridge. Happy New Year everybody, may 2018 bring us more laughs, more joy, and more in community with God and each other. Amen!
Fastforward 3 years later to Estevan, SK. I was very happy, with my partner Young, to introduce this practice within our liturgical year. We dressed in our Korean traditional dress, introduced the Korean NYE, and even had the chance to listen to Young use her amazing talent and sing for us. Following is part of what I said that day:
In both myself, as in each of us, varying personality quirks give us our uniqueness. One which often surfaces in me is that I am relatively determined and organized. I operate, I function, with and only with my black dayplanner. Anyone who has seen my little black book can attest to this. This past week though it goes to a whole nother level. I plan for the whole year, with stacks of papers and lists throughout my entire office. It is simply divine for someone like me! Now, this isn’t simply limited to the office, it spreads into my leisure time as well. When it comes to planning a vacation, I do it in detail. Itineraries, Googlemaps, Tripadvisor reviews.
Just as we are given words of hope and encouragement, or maybe a couple funny life lessons (I picked the scriptures, so you never know what you might get!) - Somewhere there is a parent, a spouse, a child, a friend, a colleague—or someone completely unknown to us on a street corner, in a shelter or a prison—who waits from us a word of hope, forgiveness, an act of concern or kindness. No matter that some of them have made their bed and are now lying in it. No matter that some have deceived donors about their desperation. The surprising thing is that God’s love at Christmas has claimed each of us despite our failures this past year. The surprising thing is that that very love has caught us by surprise and now empowers us to make new beginnings for the new year.
A few weeks ago, I mentioned an old Youth leader friend sent me a care package. In that care package was a little dayplanner, with notes every couple weeks for something fun to do, something that has nothing to do with anything else, and she penciled it in for me. Along with all the work and organizing I put into my yearly plan, I also left room for all of those little things, those God moments where anything can happen. Those moments, where one day, Young & I (&Lincoln!) might just pick a direction and drive for the fun of it. Where we might join the Magi and go home by another road. SO make your plans, your resolutions, but let’s all leave a little room for God. And for a little scripture on our fridge. Happy New Year everybody, may 2018 bring us more laughs, more joy, and more in community with God and each other. Amen!
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