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)
