A Word from the Pastor

"Watch one, Do one, and Teach one:" a basic principle that holds true while teaching children to wash dishes, instructing a pre-med student on human anatomy, and even when demonstrating Christian grace.

Before I started driving, the act of controlling a car at high speeds seemed easy. It wasn't until I had to drive for myself that I recognized the challenge in making split second decisions.  My son, a newly minted driver, had always been an excellent    "back-seat" driver. He was quick to point out ways that Dad could improve. A few weeks ago on our road trip, my son was confronted with a truly challenging drive: high winds buffeted our car unpredictably, trucks merged in and out at slow speeds, and aggressive drivers were constantly pushing from behind to go faster. I noticed that my nervous son's hands had soaked the steering wheel with sweat.  After a  couple hours, he had enough and we turned in for the night. The next morning, my son took up   another challenge; driving down a narrow road built on the ledge of a steep cliff.  Although the hill was steep, the turns were sharp, and the trucks were moving even more sluggishly, he was ready.  To my surprise, the steering wheel was dry-he had acquired confidence from his first challenge. It was a pleasure for me to be able to pass on my experience to my son: transforming from a sweaty ball of nerves to a calm and controlled driver.

Jesus asked us to follow (Matt 16:23-25; Mark 1:16-18; Luke 9:22-24) and learn from His example.  Following Jesus' example is not easy. For some, it means to be more kind and generous; to others it may mean being more loving, humble, forgiving and committed to serve. We must make conscious decisions to be more like Jesus and imitators of God (Ephesian 5:1-2) everyday.

Watch, Do, and Teach. That is how we are called to live our mission-driven or missional lives and make disciples for Christ. May God bless you to live your daily life as a true follower of Christ!                                                                      ~Elder Rodney Ho

⁸For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-… - Ephesians 2:8 (NIV)

Good Morning!  This past Monday evening we gathered in the ECC Seattle   sanctuary to mourn the passing and celebrate the life of our founding pastor, the Reverend Paul Shen. It was a beautiful memorial service filled with thanksgiving and praise to God for blessing our church family with such a strong and faithful shepherd. Throughout his life here on earth Pastor Shen displayed an incredible passion for Christ each and every day. His was truly a life lived by faith in the Son of God.

One part of the memorial service that really stood out to me was towards the end when Pastor Shen's daughter Betty shared about his final years here on earth. His physical body was breaking down and there were times when this good and  faithful servant would question God, asking Him why he was suffering so much after living his whole life dedicated to serving the Lord and furthering His Kingdom. Then Betty shared that when these questions would come up almost immediately Pastor Shen would answer them himself with one word - grace. All he needed was to be reminded of the amazing, overwhelming, unconditional grace he had received from God so many years ago and a smile would come to his face and peace would return to his heart and mind.

As we prepare our hearts and minds for worship this morning, let's focus once again on God's grace. Let's let that overwhelming grace and forgiveness that we have received through Christ Jesus inspire and compel us to share our faith and to work to further God's Kingdom everywhere we go - just as Pastor Shen did.

See you along the journey! ~Minister Gar

⁹But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you..." - 2 Corinthians 12:9a (NIV)

"He himself bore our sins" in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; "by his wounds you have been healed." -1Peter 2:24

Elizabeth Kübler-Ross was a renowned psychiatrist who pioneered the field of near-death studies from her work with AIDS patients in the 1980's. She described meeting with the same dying men every other week. There was one man that she couldn't help but notice. As she glanced over at him, instead of being in despair, he was radiant. Wishing to know of his sudden change, she asked him. "You know I'm from a midwestern town," he said, "it's orthodox and very conservative. When I became a homosexual and realized I was a homosexual, I broke all relations with my family. I knew they would never have grandchildren because I was their only child. I knew they would never have a daughter-in-law to love. I knew the hurt it would cause... Recently, I have wanted to see my family. Last week I called home and my mother answered. I said, 'Mother, I'm a sick man. I would like very much to come home.' She said, 'We'd love to see you.' When I came up to the door and she opened it, she must have been shocked at my face; but if she was shocked, it didn't register. She simply threw her arms around me and told me how much she loved me. You know, everyone should have a moment of unconditional love. I had that moment, and I'm now ready to die. That's why I'm radiant."

You don't hear too much about unconditional love. Most people live and die without experiencing one moment of it. They do not know that Jesus Christ died on the cross for them so that they can experience God's unconditional love and live in that love for eternity. If we don't tell them, then who will? ~Elder Dan

As we begin 2012, many people remain pessimistic about where the US and the world is heading.  Just because it's a new year doesn't mean that the old problems are going away.  Congress remains divided, US and European debt issues are unresolved, and the impact of global warming will only continue to accelerate.  To add insult to injury, some people are actually putting stock in the Mayan prophecies that the world will come to an end in 2012.  It makes one want to go back to bed and wait for 2013.

But believers need not rely on circumstances to be optimistic or pessimistic, for we know that our lives and the course of human history are solely determined by the overarching plan of God.  Jeremiah 29:11-13, Psalms 139, and Ephesians 2:10 remind us that our daily lives are governed by God's plans for us each and every day.  Isaiah 40 teaches us that all nations follow God's lead.  Even if the world ended this year, it'd be something we should look forward to because Jesus would return and sin and death would cease.

I'm sure that many of us were saddened by Pastor Shen's passing.  But I know for him it was pure joy for he entered paradise.  Moreover, death was but a small step for him, for in the many years I knew him, it seemed as if he was already living in paradise each day.  Why?  Because Pastor Shen knew God walked with him daily and he with God.  This knowledge was what kept him joyful every day of his nine decades of life.

So as we enter 2012, remembering Pastor Shen, let us learn from his example and live above the circumstances by walking even closer with the Lord daily. 

Happy New Year!  -From KY, Pastor Sam

"You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout, I'm telling you why, Santa Claus is coming to town.  He's making a list, checking it twice, gonna find out who's naughty and nice, Santa Claus is coming to town.  He sees you when you're sleeping.  He knows when you're awake.  He knows when you've been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake."

That may be a nice little Christmas tune that we hear a lot during this joyful Season, it relaxes you and brings a smile to your face.  However, if we were to seriously think about its lyrics, then it wouldn't be comforting at all.  In fact, it brings discouragement and even despair.  Why?  Because you can't fool Santa, Santa sees and knows it all.  He knows the times we've been bad, naughty, impatient, angry, lazy, selfish, prideful… etc.  He knows it all.  What chance do we have for a decent Christmas present?  We might as well just keep on being bad!

Could that be how some of us look at Jesus?  Jesus is coming back.  And you better watch out - you better be good, cause Jesus knows it all.  He sees your bad attitudes, your ulterior motives and impure thoughts.  There's no fooling Him, He sees and knows it all.

And when you look at it this way, any honest person would say, "That's just great!  Then I have no chance, cause I know I've been bad and I will never be good enough."

But that misses the point of Christmas.  Jesus tells us why He came in Luke 19:10 "For the Son of Man came to seek  and save the lost"!  Jesus came to save sinners - broken people just like you and me.  Today, if you feel that your bad and that you are not good enough, the good news of Christmas is for you!

As you worship today, give thanks and worship Jesus Christ, the one who came to seek and save you!  Merry Christmas everyone!  

    ~Pastor Solomon                                                

"I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them.  I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh."-Ezekiel 11:19 

We were taught in our theology class about a "wonderful exchange" or    katallasso.  This idea has been brilliantly important for me.  It helped to articulate and consolidate bits and pieces of lessons, thoughts and convictions that have been floating around in my head.  I will reflect, briefly, on  how our mind should be shifted to the "katallasso" way of thinking.  The wonderful exchange that Christ brought into our lives should witness itself in all that we do in ministry, in relationships, in our choices etc.

What does this mean?

Verse 9 from Ezekiel 11 does a great job saying the very issue that I saw in myself.  I had a divided heart.  My heart of stone, which is dead, was competing with the heart of flesh which God was giving to me.  In my life, I wavered between living graciously and acting selfishly.  This is hypocrisy.  'Wonderful exchange' means we need to be ready to return good for any bad that comes our way.  This is grace.

In this advent season, let us remember God's ultimate demonstration of "katallasso", Jesus, who is God, descending down to our fleshly humanity in order to give His life for ours.

As I considered God's gift of a "wonderful exchange" in my life, I feel        convicted to show that same love for others!  Amen!                            ~Bob Do

It only takes less than ten minutes for me to totally lose track of time when I watch TV sequels (especially the ones from Taiwan).  I have to confess that I fell twice this past year: I watched through the night for several nights in order to  finish as soon as possible.  Worse yet, I had to repeat the whole show in order to make sure that I caught all the details or to "savor" my favorite segments.  Both times happened when I was "looking for information", or another way to word it today: "surfing" or "browsing".  This is the exact reason why my husband and I decided not to have a TV during our first six years of marriage, and still haven't replaced the 19' TV/VHS combo unit bought nine years ago.

This week, as I was pondering what to write and reflect on the fall in the    Garden of Eden, I realized that when Adam and Eve were tempted: they were "browsing" in the garden.  They could have enjoyed all the fruits that the Lord had provided them, but they allowed themselves to keep ogling the fruit and wandering around the one forbidden tree!

I remembered that I myself have repented and cried to the Lord for transformation again and again.  I totally can relate to the Apostle Paul's words: "I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out." As we seek to become a    Missional Church, may the Lord help us to remember and practice "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the    Father is not in him." "For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does-comes not from the Father but from the world."  The best way to avoid falling, is to stay away from "browsing" and to pray "Lord, lead us not into temptation."           ~Sharon To

"I am the living bread that came down from heaven." Luke 6:51

Today some of us will be participating in Communion by taking the bread and the juice which are symbolic of Jesus' body and blood.  This is a time when believers reflect upon Jesus' death and resurrection.

Why does Jesus refer to Himself as "the living bread" and what does it mean?  Well for one thing we know that bread was an essential part of the Middle Eastern diet.  Once you eat the bread it will break down and become a part of the body providing nourishment and fuel.  When Jesus said He is the 'living bread' he was referring to Himself as becoming a part of the believer's body and being the spiritual source of life and nourishment.

At the time Jesus spoke these words the people did not quite understand what He meant.  They only recognized Jesus as being a great teacher, a prophet and a miracle worker.  What they were hoping for was a Messiah who would free them from the oppression of the Roman government.  But Jesus was more important than all that they heard, knew and hoped for … He was and still is Lord and Savior for   mankind.

During the past six months we spent time learning how to live a surrendered life at the English retreat, how to be missional minded and how to be thankful.  Hopefully you have grown spiritually and have a change of heart to make Jesus Lord of your life.  As you believe, accept and continue to reconcile yourself with the Lord, He will grant hope, peace, joy and purpose in your life.

So whether you are taking Communion or not, use this time to reflect upon Jesus' birth, death and resurrection and receive Him as the 'living bread' in your life.
                                                                                                                              ~Elder Victor