Rest in the Word

            * 6.25.23 Combined Summer Service with              Mars Hill, Hodgdon, and Houlton UMC One language, The Holy Spirit  (Acts 2:1-21) Have you ever learned a second language? I have been learning English, French, and Japanese. Even though I can speak English only nowadays, I know it’s hard and challenging to learn a different language. I complained to God sometimes when it’s hard to learn English. “Why did you separate so many languages?” To speak different languages is connected to having different cultures. When we know the different cultures we can learn that language fully. Even though we speak the same languages, we have different cultures, still, it’s hard to communicate like a new couple after marriage, a new generation with teenage children. However, I had a great experience that even though we had different cultures and languages, we had the same language, the Holy Spirit, we could still communicat...

                                             <A Journey of Holy Scents> It has been great to walk a journey of Lent with our three churches through the Lenten Luncheon gatherings, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday service. Many church members from three churches joined and worshiped together! Each church has its own scents and we can smell them. While I have been through the Holy Week, I could smell the different scents each day. I would like to share my poem about it with you as my prayer in the beginning.   A Journey of Holy Scents                                        Youngeun Joyce Kang  The scent of Palm trees spread to Jerusalem People shouted “Hosanna Hosanna” with Palm branches   The scent of Fig trees spread on the way to the Temple  Je...

  The Sabbath for us!         (Mark 2:23-28)                 The Lost purpose and joy in our lives today and in the Bible “How are you?” I am going to ask you in the Wesleyan way. John Wesley asked this question during his weekly class meetings. “How is it with your soul?” “Do you have purpose and joy in your life?” Lily Tomlin said our lives are like a rat race. Even though we have won the rat race, we are still rats who live in a spiritual wasteland, beyond His divine order. [1] That was me. I was too busy making schedules for my children, doing church ministries, and writing papers. I was in the middle of so many blessings. I am a mother of five, the most precious gifts from God. I am a lay supply of two beautiful churches. I am a student of LPLS. I have been waiting to do this for a long time, but I lost my purpose and joy. Have you ever had this feeling? How can we bring purpose and joy back into our lives? The ...