Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

As you heard from Rev. Tom’s sermon last week, Thanksgiving is one of most favorite holidays for those who work at churches, including me. I love Thanksgiving because I could get to have a pause from work and stay at home.

When we lived in Bloomington, IN, we were invited at least three different places to have the Thanksgiving meal. People knew that we were international students who didn’t have family around us. So, I didn’t have to cook anything but just plan to hop around the friends’ houses to enjoy fellowship long with great food. However, when we moved down to GA, no one invited us. So, we invited our friends to our home to have Thanksgiving meal together. I didn’t have to cook again the main “Turkey” because there were always friends who were experts upon thanksgiving meal.

When we moved to Virginia two years ago, my in laws’ moved into our home to live with us from Korea. So, I decided to make the Thanksgiving tradition of my own. I have started plan the dinner and cook by myself for my family members. This was my second Thanksgiving dinner meal that I prepared. I don’t know why but I have enjoyed a lot cooking, baking, and setting the tables without any stresses. While preparing the Thanksgiving meal, I remembered all kinds of thanksgiving that we have got through in the United States and gave deep thanks to God for those friends who embraced us as one of them in those years. I called their names on my prayer on the Thanksgiving morning. What a blessing I have had!

I have prayed that I can invite friends who don’t have many family members nearby like me for next year Thanksgiving. I don’t know why there is always more love when we share meal together but I do believe that it always works 100%. I remember Jesus who often had meals with friends, and even sinners. There is always love when we share food and have real fellowship.  I hope that you all have had that love experience in this Thanksgiving.

This Sunday, there will be no choirs but have a special music at worship services. Call to Harmony will lift up at 9:15 and 11:00 o’clock services, and there will be a special dance at all services by Anna. You don’t want to miss this opportunity to have an experience of God’s presence in the worship.

Advent starts on Dec. 2^nd. Let’s prepare the way of the Lord in our hearts so we can share “Emmanuel” to those who haven’t had a chance to have relationship with Him yet.

 

Grateful Praise

It is hard to believe that we are in the middle of November already. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite American holidays so I love November. I love the idea of sharing what we are thankful for each day during this month. Even though I should always be thankful, I am easily caught in moments where I forget to be thankful. It has been a useful exercise for me to bring my focus back to the grateful heart. It has been not only helping me to give thanks, but also helping me to have a moment to look around with grateful eyes.
I am very excited for this Sunday’s worship service because we will think about the word of Hope through Psalm 40, and celebrate Veteran’s Day. David praises beautifully in the Psalm and is full of thanksgiving for God’s faithfulness. I have focused on grateful hearts for our music selections.
We will have the children’s choirs at the 9:15 AM and 11:00 AM services. The JaM Choir will lift up “Grateful Praise” at 9:15, and The Little Praisers will sing, “I Love to Praise Him.”  The Sonrise Singers will lift up a song, “I Will Give Jubilant Thanks” as an offertory at the  8:00 AM service, and the Chamber Choir will sing, “Song for the Unsung Hero” as a Veteran’s Day anthem with a beautiful trumpet played by Mark Cooke. We will have a beautiful a capella piece, “Set Me as a Seal” as an offertory at the 11:00 AM  service.
May the Lord open our hearts and eyes to see how faithful He has been to us! Let’s give Him our grateful praise!
Here are the words to some of this Sunday’s songs.

Song for the Unsung Hero
Let us sing for unsung heroes, those who lay their dreams aside. Choosing honor more than glory, pledging faith with quiet pride. Those whose uniform is courage, yet are unashamed of tears. Finding in their love of freedom power stronger than their fears.
Refrain: Sing a song for unsung heroes, sing from sea to shining sea. As the faithful sang before you, sing the song of liberty.
Let us sing for unsung heroes, those who answer freedom’s call. Those united by one purpose, all for one and one for all. We will sing and not be silenced, we will keep our voices strong, for as long as we keep singing, freedom’s cry will still live on!
My country tis of thee, sweet land of liberty. Of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, Land of the Pilgrims’ pride, from every mountainside, let freedom  ring. Let us sing the song of freedom, sing the song of liberty, America.
Grateful Praise
Hearts ever grateful, hearts giving thanks to the Lord.  Hearts ever faithful, now sing their thanks to the Lord.  Grateful for each tree and flower, for the wonder of each hour.
Hearts ever grateful, hearts giving thanks to the Lord. Hearts ever faithful, now sing their thanks to the Lord. Grateful for the joy of love, friends on earth and friends above.
For the wonder of each hour of the day and of the night, hill and vale, and tree and flower.
Sun and moon, and stars of light; Lord of all, to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.

My Wordless Prayer

Welcome November! Can you believe that we are in already November? I love months of fall and December even though I get busier than before. I am very excited also about our new sermon series upon Psalms. This Sunday is the first one “a Word of Anguish” based on Psalm 6. A couple of years ago, I had a chance to recite Psalms each day for several months in my prayer time. I was looking for getting some helps to pray in English without hesitations. Even though I have lived in more than a decade in the States, still English is a main challenge especially praying in English is not easy. So, I intentionally put myself to read out loud for that reason for several months. Amazingly, not only it helped me in praying in English, but also restored me in deeper in prayers. After that period of time, I use often Psalms as my prayer, especially when I could not pray with overwhelming situations like David in Psalm 6.

I have chosen a song “My wordless prayer” for an offertory in 8 and 11:00 o’clock worship services. The song is carefully written as a musical prayer, related to Psalm 6. I pray that it might be lifted up as our prayers through the worship services this week.

The Viva voce ensemble will lift up a communion song called “Remember me” at 11:00 o’clock service. 

I pray that we might be able to go closer to God with our sincere prayers and praise through Psalms in a month of Thanksgiving. May the Lord help us to bear His Spiritual gifts through this time of year!

These are the wonderful lyrics of the two songs.

My Wordless Prayer

My words lie still and lifeless as dust upon the sand, I can no longer voice one request or one demand. My cup of tears is empty, I can no longer cry. My lips have fallen silent, my prayer is but a sigh.

Spirit, come and rest Your ear upon my heart, O come and hear my wordless prayer, my silent plea and take them far away from me. Take them from this heart of mine to the Father’s heart divine. Speak in tones unknown to man that God may hear and understand.

My voice is weak from calling to You both night and day. How long will You be silent? Why do You turn away? 

Spirit, come and rest Your ear upon my heart, O come and hear my wordless prayer, my silent plea and take them far away from me. Take them from this heart of mine to the Father’s heart divine. Speak in tones unknown to man that God may hear and understand.

Remember Me

At the close of the day in an upper room the Lord sat down with the twelve. It was then that he took the bread, broke it and blessed it and said: “Take, eat and remember me. This is my body I give for you. Take, eat and remember me.”

The disciples ate with their Lord that night, not knowing this was the last. It was then that he took the cup, raised it and blessed it and said: “Take, drink and remember me. This is my lifeblood I give for you. Take, drink and remember me.”