Mustard Seed

“If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
Matthew 17:20

“Bigger is better.” That’s the American way, even in religion. We need bigger numbers, bigger churches, bigger offerings, and bigger faith. But what if size isn’t all there is? And how did size enter into American Christian theology at all? Maybe it has more to do with the fact that it’s American rather than Christian. Jesus taught that faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains. It has less to do with the size of our faith and more to do with the Object of our faith.

Prayer of Granting

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28

Lord, grant me a holy heart that sees always what is fine and pure, and is not frightened at the sight of sin, but creates order wherever it goes. Grant me a heart that knows nothing of boredom, weeping and sighing. Let me not be overly concerned with the bothersome thing I call “myself.” Lord, give me a sense of humor, and I will feel joy in life and give profit to others. Amen.
–Sir Thomas More (1478–1535)

What's In A Name?

“Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”
Genesis 32:28

This past Sunday, I (Al) shared a very personal story of how my name was supposed to be Earl when I moved from Seoul to L.A., but was misspelled as Eal. So for the first ten years of my life in America, my name was Eal Han. So I highly anticipated the day when I became a U.S. Citizen because it meant that I could legally change my name from Eal to Al. May we also remember that when God adopted us as His children, He gave us a new spiritual name. My spiritual name prior to becoming a child of God was Depression, but now my new spiritual name is Joy. What was your name before and what is the new name God has given you?

As we recover from the emotional rollercoaster that was Elections Week, we need to be reminded of our primary allegiance as sons and daughters of God. As citizens of heaven, we need our focus to be on LOVE, ETERNITY, and JESUS. This is the way to peace and this is the way to remain spiritually healthy despite what may be happening in this tumultuous season that is 2020.

Remedies for Anxiety

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Philippians 4:6

We have many reasons to be anxious this week. What used to be Election Day turned out to be Election Week. This dragging out process of national elections has caused a lot of stress and anxiety for many people. We had discussed the possibility of one or two more Great Plagues to hit us in 2020, and this might be one of them. But in this simple and helpful verse in Philippians 4:6, it gives three suggestions for remedying anxiety: PRAYER, PETITION, & THANKSGIVING. Prayer is simply a way of reminding us to stay connected to God & being spiritually healthy; take a walk without your phone, meditate, journal, and breathe. Petition means to talk to God about it; but it also helps to talk to trusted friends and process how you’re doing. And it’s always a good idea to remain grateful and remember the blessings you have despite the political chaos in America. Some helpful remedies for anxiety? Pray, petition, and give thanks.

Kings and Queens

He changes times and seasons; He removes kings and appoints others; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.
Daniel 2:21

Christianity has always been political. It’s almost impossible to think of faith without engaging in politics somehow. Even from the time of Abraham in Genesis 12, God promised him that he would be the father a great nation. The story of Exodus is the story of God’s people breaking free from slavery from an oppressive government. The heroic Queen Esther used her political influence in Persia to save her people. And the good news of Jesus Christ is the story of God’s kingdom reigning over all other kingdoms, especially the most powerful government in human history, Rome. So it’s not a question of “SHOULD our faith engage in politics?” It’s a question of “HOW should our faith engage in politics?”

Year of Reckoning

The Lord said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country. I am the Lord.”
Exodus 6:1-2

“How has 2020 been a year of reckoning for you?” Much of what has been happening this year has been a reckoning for our world, our nation, and individually. A reckoning is different from an apocalypse because the main purpose of reckoning is not destruction or bringing things to an end; the main purpose of reckoning is refining, improving, and restoration. God has allowed the folly of our ways to bring reckoning to ourselves; we have not been good stewards of the earth, we have been far to narcissistic, and we have neglected our neighbors, just like ancient Egypt. While America may resemble ancient Egypt more than ancient Israel, God still desires to restore America just like He desired to restore Egypt. Hopefully, America can make wiser decisions after 2020 than Egypt has in the past.

Show Yourself TLC

Jesus said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
Mark 5:34

“How has 2020 impacted your overall health?” This was the question we wrestled with this past Sunday. How has 2020 impacted your mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health? With all the catastrophes that have happened this year, it’s enough to make anyone spiral into anxiety, depression, or madness. Pretending like these happenings don’t effect us is not only unhealthy but detrimental. But the good news is, this is precisely why Jesus came. He came not simply to cure the world, but to heal it. Healing, unlike curing, is active, is holistic, and brings peace. As my friend and colleague Bethany McKinney Fox wisely said, “Healing is not the same as curing.”

And remember to show yourself some TLC: Take notice of your body, Lean into meaningful relationships, and Connect with God daily.

Revealing Leads to Healing

My son’s Olaf bandaid. He’s extremely proud of it.

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord.
Ephesians 5:19

My 4-year-old son recently hurt himself after a fall while running outside. He was afraid to share with me his wound because he didn’t want me to treat it, fearing that the treatment would burn. So instead of showing me the cut on his knee, he hid it from me. But as soon as I saw it, I knew that I had to treat it right away because when we don’t reveal our physical scars, we cannot heal. What’s true for our physical wounds is also true for our spiritual and emotional wounds, which is why it’s so important to speak to one another with prayers, celebrations of the spirit, and mournings of our hearts.

We learned together last Sunday that revealing leads to healing. We reveal to heal through confession, expression, and recognition. How are you regularly revealing your heart with God and people you trust?

What's Wrong With Being Right

Now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13

My spiritual paradigm has been shifting for the past few years. When I made the decision to go into professional ministry as a vocation nearly 20 years ago, I believed my primary role as a pastor was to be a moral compass for those entrusted in my community. I studied theology to know how to correctly understand God and know what’s right and wrong. I was internally led by my need to know the correct answer to every question a skeptic, doubter, or cynic may present. But have I been overemphasizing rightness over relationships, social justice, or service? One of the biggest criticisms of Christians is that they are ‘holier than thou.’ What this essentially means is that Christians believe that they are right and others are wrong. The past three years I’ve been realizing that what’s more important than being right is being loving. Even if I have all the right answers, “I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries, but I do not have love, I am nothing.”

My son’s art of God’s creation

My 4-year-old son’s painting of “God’s Creation.” The red shapes on the left side and top right corner are fires in the mountains and the black strokes across the sides and top are smoke.

"I will punish you as your deeds deserve," declares the Lord. "I will kindle a fire in your forests that will consume everything around you."
Jeremiah 21:14

Does anyone else think we're being punished right now? For most of us who are living in California, Oregon, and Washington, it certainly feels that way. Global pandemic, national racial injustice, and statewide fires. The fires raging all across the West Coast are truly starting to feel apocalyptic. We were told at the beginning of the year that we cannot socialize indoors. Now because of the dense smoke, we cannot even socialize outdoors anymore. Unfortunately, a lot of this is our own doing. These horrific fires are decades in the making as a direct result of global warming. The racial injustices that are happening across the nation are nothing new; they're just now being exposed. 2020 is just getting worse and worse. Perhaps it's not so much of a punishment but a reckoning. Yes, God is our Protector and Provider, but He also does not let our evil deeds go unpunished. While it may not feel like it, a loving Father disciplines whom He loves. It's a harsh reminder for human beings to be good stewards of our neighbors and good stewards of the earth.