6. The names of the secretary of state, your great-grandmothers, and the best tailor in town.

There are three parts in this one. Knowing the name of the secretary of state shows that you are engaged in the political matters of the world. I know that not many of us find politics interesting, but the Bible is full of political expressions! Jesus’ way of living, for example, defied the political authorities and rules of the Roman Empire. So, know the name of the secretary of state. Right now, it’s Hillary Rodham Clinton. Check out this entertaining tumblr page about Madam Secretary for more information: Texts from Hillary.

Knowing the names of your great-grandmothers means that you understand your familial roots. This is very important. The Israelites frequently referred to themselves as a descendent of their ancestors (think Jesus Son of David, Saul son of Kish, etc). We just celebrated Mother’s Day. Whether you like it or not, your ancestral roots have a whole lot to do with who you are. And God made you that way. Let’s appreciate ourselves, including the past that we at times don’t recognize but contain anyway.

Knowing the names of the best tailor in town reflects that you are savvy with what is available in your local area. This is just practically smart.

7. How to live alone, even if you don’t like to.

Solitude is a valuable spiritual discipline. Independence is a sign of maturity. Interdependence is a valuable sign of spiritual maturity.

8. Where to go – be it your best friend’s kitchen table or a yoga mat – when your soul needs soothing.

Yes! Spiritual sensitivity is a dying art. We must understand how we are doing spiritually. And by “spiritual,” I mean how you are loving Jesus, others, and yourself (JOY)! Doing so necessarily includes reading the Bible, prayer, sacrifice, and fellowship. It all starts with knowing where you are spiritually.

9. That you can’t change the length of your legs, the width of your hips, or the nature of your parents.

Amen. Physical beauty is nothing but a man-made standard that we self-impose so often to a point of inferiority; beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Yet studies show that only 1 in 10 women feel beautiful. That is not right. To me, our sisters are all beautiful. My wife is number one though of course.

10. That your childhood may not have been perfect, but it’s over.

I think your childhood ended when you turned 13.

11. What you would and wouldn’t do for money or love.

The love of money is root of all evil.

12. That nobody gets away with smoking, drinking, doing drugs, or not flossing for very long.

Nobody. Just don’t do it (or just do it in case of flossing).

13. Who you can trust, who you can’t, and why you shouldn’t take it personally.

As Christians, we ought to always struggle through the fine balance of being pure as doves but wise as serpents.

14. Not to apologize for something that isn’t your fault.

Somewhat disagree. While there is no need to be harsh on yourself about something that you could not have prevented (family death, etc.), being responsible for other person’s mess-up sounds pretty Christian to me.

15. Why they say life begins at 30.

I can tell you more about this on 8/28 (hint hint).

I hope that you have enjoyed reading my response as much as I have writing it. Whether you are 30, well under 30, or way past 30, I pray that we continue to become mature people of God. On top of that, I encourage you to engage the culture of our world as a Christian. This, I think, is what God means when God calls us to be the light and salt of the world.

• Thank you for your service on Mother’s Day!!
• Prayer Meeting: 5/16 (Wed) 8pm @ Library
• Memorial Day BBQ: 5/28 (Mon) with OKEC…time and location TBA
• VBS: 6/28 (Thu) – 7/1 (Sun)
• Hualapai Mission: 7/8 (Sun) – 7/11 (Wed)

11. A set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra.

No comment.

12. Something ridiculously expensive that you bought for yourself, just because you deserved it.

Having financial peace does mean that you can afford to pay for yourself. I hope that all of us, by the time we are 30, can be at a reasonable state of financial independence. Yet “something ridiculously expensive” is not cool. Yes, we should be rewarded when we work hard. But making sacrifice sets us apart for God. None of us need a $10,000 couch. Think of it this way. Any Christian should live a lifestyle considerably more modest compared to a non-believer who makes the same amount of money.

13. The belief that you deserve it.

Yes, sisters (and brothers) God love you. GOD loves you. God LOVES you. God loves YOU!!! And if that is not enough to bank your worth on, then I don’t know what is.

14. A skin-care regimen, an exercise routine, and a plan for dealing with those few other facets of life that don’t get better after 30.

It’s even better if you start before you turn 20.

15. A solid start on a satisfying career, a satisfying relationship, and all those other facets of life that do get better.

Yes!!! Be perfect, for your Heavenly Father is perfect. Please do not take this as an additional pressure for perfectionism that you don’t need (most women have perfectionist tendencies). But rather, this is a challenge for you to be wholistically healthy, so that you can be in a position to do have lots of options to work in various ways for God’s kingdom.

By 30, you should know…

1. How to fall in love without losing yourself.

My take on love is that it just happens to you without you intentionally trying. And when you love, love like you have never loved before. Think Jesus.

2. How you feel about having kids.

This is smart. God did give what is called the “Cultural Mandate” in Genesis: we are to multiply and have dominion on earth. But there are 7 billion people in the world at the moment and the number likely will keep getting bigger. I’m all for life, but humanity needs to manage the finite resources of the earth. The choice is yours then, and it helps if you decide before getting pregnant.

3. How to quit a job, break up with a man, and confront a friend without ruining the friendship.

This is called personal maturity. So many Christians give Jesus a bad name with their poor character. This is a welcomed suggestion.

4. When to try harder and when to walk away.

Discernment is a spiritual gift.

5. How to kiss in a way that communicates perfectly what you would and wouldn’t like to happen next.

If you aren’t married, sex is off limits. Sorry. But don’t get married just to have sex. You can’t make much stupider decision than that.

• Mother’s Day Service: 5/13 (Sun) @ lunch time…we will serve the whole church to show appreciation for all the mothers
• Prayer Meeting 5/16 (Wed) 8pm at the Library

What I will attempt to do for the next three weeks is to take chunks of the article and respond to them as a Christian. I can tell you that some of the items listed should be forbidden from us, while others should be required.

Sisters, I think this mini-project will create obvious interest from you. I know that I am a man, so please excuse me if I don’t seem to understand what it is like to be a woman. Please engage in a dialogue with me about the responses I write as a Christian because, well, you are a Christian too!

Brothers, before you brush our weekly articles away for the next three weeks, hear me out. We live in a gendered world. God could have created us differently, but chose to make man and woman. And women make up at least half of the world! We have many women around us: moms, sisters, girlfriends, wives, aunts, that girl you have a crush on at the moment, that girl you want but can’t get, that girl who likes you but annoys you…need I say more?

Besides, us guys are just naturally drawn to women (homosexuality is out of scope for our discussion here). You know it. I know it. It only makes sense to get to know them better.

Ok. Have I convinced everyone to find what I want to share with you for the next three weeks as valuable? I hope so! Here we go!

“30 Things Every Woman Should Have and Should Know by the Time She’s 30”

By 30, you should have…

1. One old boyfriend you can imagine going back to and one who reminds you of how far you’ve come.

Interesting how the very first thing on the list for women is a man. Ladies, you do not need a boyfriend to be happy. You are beautiful even if you are single. Stop depending on a man to find your worth. Having boyfriends (one at a time) is all fine, but too many women nowadays think having a guy in their lives is a must. Singleness is a Godly option, just as marriage is.

2. A decent piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in your family.

Amen for financial peace. Avoid “stuffitis,” give money away to worthy causes, and be strong enough to help and strong enough not to.

3. Something perfect to wear if the employer or man of your dreams wants to see you in an hour.

Two parts in this one. For the employer, yes, Christians should be extra-professional when it comes to our career! Be perfect, for your Father in Heaven is perfect. For the man aspect, read number one.

4. A purse, a suitcase, and an umbrella you’re not ashamed to be seen carrying.

Avoid “stuffitis.” Why is furniture in number two different? Well, furnitures have more practical value – a decent piece of furniture can be used for more than 10 years (I’ve done this). A purse, suitcase, and umbrella can easily be fashion statements. I’m not saying get an umbrella that has holes all over, but just a functioning one. You don’t need no Tom Ford umbrellas.

5. A youth you’re content to move beyond.

Absoultely. Although we now have what is called the “elongated adolescence,” you are an adult when you are 30 years old. You are not young anymore. Get over it. Be mature. Move on.

6. A past juicy enough that you’re looking forward to retelling it in your old age.

If by “juicy” you mean full of crazy mission adventures, rattling experiences of the Spirit, and radical love-giving of the weak, then I agree.

7. The realization that you are actually going to have an old age – and some money set aside to help fund it.

Being wise with your money certainly requires saving. But it also requires giving.

8. An email address, a voice mailbox, and a bank account – all of which nobody has access to but you.

This article was written in 1997 and is no longer relevant. The Bible was written two thousand years ago, but is still very much useful. I wonder why.

9. A résumé that is not even the slightest bit padded.

Did I say that Christians should be extra-professional? That means extra-honest too.

10. One friend who always makes you laugh and one who lets you cry.

I think His name is Jesus. Lol…of course, Jesus is the right answer for everything! But you should have good friends. When I say good, I mean those who have Godly values and are down enough to celebrate publicly with you and aren’t afriad to tell you (lovingly) when you are screwing up.

• Prayer Meeting: 5/2 (Wed) 8pm @ the Library
• Busy Sunday: 5/6 (Sun) during worship….Communion, MPR, Jennie Send-Off
• Small Group Leaders Meeting: 5/6 (Sun) 2pm @ the Library
• VBS: 6/29 (Fri) – 7/1 (Sun)…Please help as leaders!!
• Hualapai Mission Trip 2012: 7/8 (Sun) – 7/11 (Wed)…Recruiting Starts Now!!!
• Scripture & Worship This Week: Deacon James Kim

I will be back to posting my own thoughts next week. Shalom!

“Life Laughs at the Limits of Science”

In the clash and clang of Bronze Age Acheans and Trojans that Helen’s beauty unleashed, Homer’s wondrous poem evokes men, women, demigods and gods caught in a weave of their own unexpected making. None, not even Zeus himself, knows what may transpire in the swirl of clashing fates, rage and warrior pride. No wonder the Greeks visited Delphi, with its ambiguous omens and pronouncements. No wonder they examined the entrails of goats to glean what the guts might portend.

Since Newton and the triumphs of physics and allied sciences, since our Enlightenment and the Age of Reason, we have come to smile indulgently, at best, at Delphi, believing that science would come to know, indeed, come to know for the ever betterment of humanity. Knowledge is, after all, power. A faith in science, even with concern about its technological consequences, has become our new secular religion. Let me call this faith, that science will know all, “scientism.”

Scientism shines through in Robert McNamara’s confidence in the scientific management of the Vietnam War. Scientism shines through in the belief that, science knowing, we need only apply it carefully and, in principle, know our way. Scientism shines through in our belief in top-down management “getting it right.”

Let me share two stories. First, water temples in Bali have for centuries allowed Buddhist monks to allocate water to the local fields. The system evolved over more than a thousand years. With abundant confidence, the modern central government put in place a new management system. The results were a disaster.
Second, at an oasis in Morocco, where people had, for more than two-thousand years, managed water resources so that all survived, the national government initiated a top-down plan for the oasis. Again, the result was catastrophe.

What happened in these two cases? We can’t be sure. But, roughly, over a thousand or more years of cultural evolution, the people learned the locally relevant intended and unintended consequences of most patterns of decisions and gradually evolved corrective actions. Accumulated wisdom works, as it does with the English common law, ever evolving, ever mindful of ancient precedents that shape the main skeleton of that Law.

“Scientism” has a faith that we know, ahead of time, all the relevant variables and can sensibly optimize with respect to a set of desired outcomes.

But this view is false and dangerous.

In many past posts I have discussed our incapacity to prestate the evolution of the biopshere. An example is my August 8, 2011 post: “The End Of A Physics Worldview: Heraclitus And The Watershed Of Life.” Also, with mathematicians G. Longo and M. Montevil, I’ll refer you back to “No entailing laws, but enablement in the evolution of the biosphere,” on arXiv. The “catch phrase” is: Not only do we not know what will happen, we often don’t even know what can happen.

But if we do not know what can happen, we cannot reason about it. Scientism fails us, and can fail disastrously.

No wonder the Greeks saw the gods, demigods and humans caught in a weave where even the gods could not know the consequences. Homer was closer to right than our scientism, overwrought and wrong.
It is more than 2,000 years too late for a return to Delphi and its ambiguous utterances. But we had best curtail our scientism, pursue real science and give up the idea that science will know “all.”

Life is richer than science.

• Dodger Game: 4/27 (Fri) 7:10pm @ Dodger Stadium…please confirm by 4/24 (Tue) if you would like to go!
• Prayer Meeting: 5/6 (Sun) 8pm @ Library
• Scripture & Prayer This Week: Elise Kim

Testament

And now to the Abyss I pass
Of that Unfathomable Grass…

1.
Dear relatives and friends, when my last breath
Grows large and free in air, don’t call it death –
A word to enrich the undertaker and inspire
His surly art of imitating life; conspire
Against him. Say that my body cannot now
Be improved upon; it has no fault to show
To the sly cosmetician. Say that my flesh
Has a perfect compliance with the grass
Truer than any it could have striven for.
You will recognize the earth in me, as before
I wished to know it in myself: my earth
That has been my care and faithful charge from birth,
And toward which all my sorrows were surely bound,
And all my hopes. Say that I have found
A good solution, and am on my way
To the roots. And say I have left my native clay
At last, to be a traveler; that too will be so.
Traveler to where? Say you don’t know.

2.
But do not let your ignorance
Of my spirit’s whereabouts dismay
You, or overwhelm your thoughts.
Be careful not to say
Anything too final. Whatever
Is unsure is possible, and life is bigger
Than flesh. Beyond reach of thought
Let imagination figure

Your hope. That will be generous
To me and to yourselves. Why settle
For some know-it-all’s despair
When the dead may dance to the fiddle

Hereafter, for all anybody knows?
And remember that the Heavenly soil
Need not be too rich to please
One who was happy in Port Royal.

I may be already heading back,
A new and better man, toward
That town. The thought’s unreasonable,
But so is life, thank the Lord!

3.
So treat me, even dead,
As a man who has a place
To go, and something to do.
Don’t muck up my face
With wax and powder and rouge
As one would prettify
An unalterable fact
To give bitterness the lie.

Admit the native earth
My body is and will be,
Admit its freedom and
Its changeability.

Dress me in the clothes
I wore in the day’s round.
Lay me in a wooden box.
Put the box in the ground.

4.
Beneath this stone a Berry is planted
In his home land, as he wanted.
He has come to the gathering of his kin,
Among whom some were worthy men,

Farmers mostly, who lived by hand,
But one was a cobbler from Ireland,

Another played the eternal fool
By riding on a circus mule

To be remembered in grateful laughter
Longer than the rest. After

Doing that they had to do
They are at ease here. Let all of you

Who yet for pain find force and voice
Look on their peace, and rejoice.

• Paint and Fight: 4/21 (Sat) 10am @ Room C3…please come as early as you can! We need all the help we can get to fix up our new room!! After painting, we will go over to P Sam’s to watch the new UFC event!!! Lunch and dinner are both provided.
• Jennie’s Commissioning Service: 4/21 (Sat) 6pm @ APU…our sister Jennie is getting commissioned as a short-term missionary for Thailand! Hannah and Hyonroh will be going to APU from church at 5pm, so please come to church by that time to carpool.
• Prayer Meeting: 5/2 (Wed) 8pm @ Library
• Please keep praying for our church’s recovery from the fire

To make the matters worse, I also received no grace in another class, missing an A- by 0.55 points. This actually made my overall GPA 0.01 short of some of the scholarships I’ve applied to.

My whole world crumbled down as I saw my academic future slip away from me (I didn’t really see it doing this…I’m not that crazy). Seriously! I was sad and felt hopeless. And I knew I felt this way because I began to question my self-worth. The fearful notion of myself not being “good enough” loomed and took over me. All this happened because who I am as a person was in question.

“Who am I?” This is a question that all of us human beings ask all the time, with or without realizing it. This is also always paired up with a complementary question, “How much am I worth?” And we often answer these questions based on what our distorted world tells us through mass media.

Of course, Jesus has quite a different idea about these questions. “I am the vine; You are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing (John 15:5).”

The part of the above verse that gets overlooked often is the third sentence, “If you remain in me…” So often, we are told to be saved by Jesus. But we are seldom told to remain in Jesus. You see, being a Christian is not about just “accepting” Jesus. It is also about “holding on” to Jesus. It is a continual action, a lifestyle, not a one time signing of a document.

And such understanding of our faith had a whole lot to do with our self-identity and value. Are you struggling with confidence and esteem? Are you not sure how you fit in this world? Do you not have a purpose in life? Jesus claims a strong connection to you, similar to what is found between a vine and its branches. But Jesus also challenges you to remain in him, to keep fighting to grip on to the understanding that you are loved by him.

URC family, I believe all of us are people who have “accepted” Jesus. Let us then also “hold on” to Jesus, especially during the times of self-shaking hardships.

• Happy Easter!! Let us celebrate our Resurrected Lord together!!!
• Please continue to pray for our recovery
• Worship this Sunday is back to 10am in Room A
• R2B Show: 4/14 (Sat) @ 8pm in Pomona…please come support
• Library Clean-up: 4/14 (Sat) @ 8am…please come help if you can
• Paint and Fight: 4/21 (Sat) @ 10am…we will fix up Room C-3 and watch UFC later at Pastor Sam’s. Lunch and dinner will be provided.
• Prayer Meeting: 4/28 (Wed) @ 8pm in Library
• Worship Prayer This Week: James Hyonroh Lee

This movie has generated a lot of controversy and criticism, especially because of its high violence. Film critic Roger Ebert has said,

“The movie is 126 minutes long, and I would guess that at least 100 of those minutes, maybe more, are concerned specifically and graphically with the details of the torture and death of Jesus. This is the most violent film I have ever seen.”

To put Ebert’s last sentence in perspective, here are some of the violent titles that were released in 2004: Blade Trinity, Dawn of the Dead, Exorcist the Beginning, and Saw I. David Edelstein, Slate.com’s film critic, has in fact dubbed this movie as The Jesus Chainsaw Massacre.

If you have seen the film (and I have), you would agree to the descriptions above. Is such brutality necessary in telling the story of the Messiah? Isn’t Jesus about faith, hope, and love? Where is the room for violence in the life of the Son of the Most Holy God?

Gibson answered my questions during a television interview:

“I wanted it to be shocking; and I wanted it to be extreme … So that they see the enormity – the enormity of that sacrifice; to see that someone could endure that and still come back with love and forgiveness, even through extreme pain and suffering and ridicule. The actual crucifixion was more violent than what was shown on the film, but I thought no one would get anything out of it.”

That’s right. You know, now that we are removed about 2,000 years from the death and resurrection of Jesus, it is extremely easy for us to romanticize what Jesus has done. It is so easy to think of Jesus as this symbol of make-you-feel-fuzzy love.

Yet we must remember that this love of Jesus was bought at a price. This price was the very life of Jesus himself, which was taken away from him by incredible suffering and excruciating pain.

Church, as we go through Passion Week, let us meditate on the scary amount of hurt that Jesus has voluntarily received in order to give us the way. Let us humble ourselves at the foot of the cross, where the price was paid.

• URC Prayer Meeting: 4/4 (Wed) 8pm at the library
• Good Friday: 4/6 (Fri) please observe with fasting and prayer
• Holy Saturday: 4/7 (Sat) please join us in church-wide morning prayer 630am at the main sanctuary
• Easter Sunday: 4/8 (Sun) joint worship 1130am at the main sanctuary
• R2B Show: 4/14 (Sat) 8pm in Pomona…please come support our resident Master of Ceremony (that’s rapper in hip-hop lingo) brother Andrew!
• Worship Prayer Next Week: James Hyonroh Lee
• Please continue to pray for our church to recover well

Zimmerman argues that he shot Martin because Martin, wearing a hoodie, was acting suspiciously in his gated Florida neighborhood. He claims that when he confronted Martin, he was attacked. In other words, Zimmerman is claiming self-defense.

On the other hand, there is a large movement of Martin supporters who believe that his death was a result of a hate crime. For instance, the entire Miami Heat squad released a photo of them wearing a hoodie as Martin was, showing their support. President Obama has come out and said that if he had a son, he would look like Travon Martin.

In response, Zimmerman’s attorneys are arguing that their client is a victim of biased media reporting. This reminds me of the news clip we watched about our church fire. The channel 2 (or 9) piece suggested that the fire was arson, even though the fire investigators have not determined anything.

All this back-and-forth tug between the two parties has unfortunately made most of us miss the main point. A person has been killed by another person. A life has been lost.

Church, we live in an age where so much is demanded of us. We have jobs. We go to classes. We have family to look after. We have to make money. We have emotional wounds. We have broken relationships. We have self-esteem issues. When do we have room for our faith? For God?

In the hustle and bustle of twenty-first century urban living, the most important part of our life can easily be lost. If so, it’s time to take a break. In fact, our God is God who demands breaks (what a striking concept)!

“For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” These are words of Jesus in Matthew 12:8. Our God rules the Sabbath, the day of rest. As our loving Father then, don’t you think God would command us to be in this rest, which God rules?

So my family at URC, take a break. Relax. Rest up! This will help you to keep focused on the things that are most important.

• Please continue to observe Lent
• Please continue to pray for our church’s recovery
• Praise Team Lunch: 4/1 (Sun) @ 1pm
• Small Group Leaders Meeting: 4/1 (Sun) @ 2pm
• Worship Prayer This Week: Hannah Lee

I was angry because the way I was treated. I felt like the receptionist helping me was brushing me off. She cut me off several times while I was trying to explain my situation. At a point during our conversation, she flipped her computer screen at me, showing me some charts to dominate me with her professional knowledge.

Of course, being the jerk that I am, I didn’t budge. I talked past her, eventually getting her to listen to me without talking (totally un-pastoral). She told me that there wasn’t much she can do for me, and instead gave me a number to call. I walked away unsettled and upset, feeling like she wanted to just send me away as quickly as she can.

When I talked to the person whom the receptionist had told me to call, it was like talking to her evil twin. This person too, cut me off several times. But she accused me of cutting her off (I did a couple of times, but that’s not what’s important)! She talked in a tone of contempt. She explained away in financial terms I didn’t understand, and was frustrated that I had questions about them. She totally gave a vibe that she hated me from the get-go.

I really thought that the receptionist called this person to give her a heads-up to be a little schwinesticker (just translate it however you want it…but keep it PG-13) to me. How mad I was! I was mad enough to come up with a small bank conspiracy theory.

You know, we live in a world that is very money-driven. Everyone seems to be Indiana Jones, except that they collect the almighty greenback instead of ancient artifacts that bring aliens and stuff.

Yet what really matters at the end of the day, to me at least, is how I am treated as a person. This is not something that you can buy (you can make an argument against this, but I would question the genuineness of the purchased relationships). Don’t get me wrong, money is important. That’s why we talk about it intentionally every three weeks or so.

But there is more to life than money. Ironically, that very part of life that is actually “more than money” gets overshadowed too often by money!

I’m sure that person I talked to on the phone is not the greatest jerk of all time. I’m sure she’s actually quite nice to her friends and family. But probably because I owe her company money (and her twin friend hates me) she gave me a hard time.

As Christians, we must rise above such behavior. It is natural for us fallen beings to be nice when treated nicely, and be mean when treated badly.

We will now have to share more space than we are used to because of the fire. Consequently, I expect there will be situations where you want to be mean because somebody treats you badly. When that happens, I pray that you will remember the words of our Lord Jesus:

“And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful (Luke 6:34-36).”

Indeed. This coming Sunday, we will have a chance to practice taking a step towards the words above by worshiping with our youth students. Some of us do not know them at all, and I know that joint worships may be easier to skip out on because it does not feel like “our” worship.

But I look at the youth students as our younger siblings some of whom continue to become our new members every year. As time goes by, all of them will eventually be part of URC. They really are our own. Let’s practice loving our enemies by loving our own first.

• Joint Worship This Sunday: 1130am at Room A with the youth…please show good worship behavior as older Christians by coming early!
• Please continue to commit to Lent…only a bit more than 2 weeks left!
• Please keep praying for our recovery from the fire
• Worship Prayer Next Week: TBA
• Small Group Leaders Meeting: Next Sunday (4/1) @ 2pm

Counter Strike is a first person shooting game that puts a player into either of the two teams: terrorists and counter-terrorists (I know, so fitting for the 911 generation). For weapons, you get a whole lot of choice of guns, and a knife in case you run out of ammo.

You also can pick up some bombs to throw at your enemies. And when you do, your character yells out, “Fire in the hole!” in order to warn your teammates. Fire in the hole! A sound of warning.

Only if in real life we receive warnings like that. By now, most of you know that a fire badly damaged our building this week. The above is a picture of the damages.

Unlike the bomb in the game, this fire came with no warning or whatsoever. And such is just about all things in life. They all come with no warnings. Life doesn’t give you a “heads-up.” It just happens.

At least that’s what we think. In reality, we have already received a warning. From who, you say? Jesus, of course (just about any question at church is answered correctly if you say Jesus).

“I have told you these things, so that you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world (John 16:33).”

That’s right. In this world, we will all have trouble. This is real stuff. No faking the funk here. But Church, do take heart, for Jesus has overcome it all. Our goal as a community is then not about the final destination, but the journey to get there because Jesus already got there for us.

Our success against this fire we face at this time will not be judged by the end of our recovery. That will happen. Rather, we will be evaluated on how we get to recovery.

I think the desired path is written in our name – Union Restoration Chapel. We are people who are united, people who are restored, people who are of God.

Friends, let’s go through this together. Let’s be restored by going through this together. Let’s be restored by God by going through this together.

• Please pray for our church in this time of uncertainty
• Please expect more information via emails soon about this Sunday’s worship
• Everything else at church will continue as usual unless specified otherwise
• March Madness: sign-up at Yahoo.com before Noon on this Thursday, see your email for details
• Baptism: 3/18 (Sun)…congratulations Awen! Welcome to God’s family!
• Worship Prayer This Week: Deacon James Kim