Pastor Sung's Trip
Dear Nokesville church family and friends,
“Let anyone with ears listen!” (Matthew 13:9, NRSV)
I recently had a chance to visit the Chapel in the Hills in Rapid City, South Dakota. Its simple, rustic, wooden structure immediately caught my attention. It is a replica of the church originally built in the twelfth century in Norway. Unlike other lavishly embellished cathedrals in Europe, this unadorned, unapologetic chapel reminded me of the humble birth and life of our Lord Jesus Christ who “humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8).
I walked into the chapel and sat on a pew and looked up the ceiling, which made me wonder whether the inside of Noah’s ark would look like that. Then, I was suddenly reminded that the church is the ark of salvation. The Christians of Scandinavian descent still carried the torch of the kingdom movement even in this corner of the world. We are in the business of rescuing the perishing and taking one more lost soul to the ark of salvation with us. Welcome aboard!
On a separate note, as some of you may be aware, I’ve been serving as the presiding elder (formerly known as district superintendent) of the Northern Virginia District in the Virginia Conference of the GMC for over two years. I’ve been honored to work with the dedicated servants of God as we have tried to lay a strong foundation for our new church movement. Along the way, I’ve noticed, though, that our local church ministry has increasingly required more of my attention and energy as we have advanced boldly. The expectations of presiding elders’ tasks have steadily increased as well. I don’t want to spread myself too thin; I want to concentrate my energy on our local church ministry to maximize the impact of our collective efforts and to enjoy the sweet fruits of our ministry. So, I’ve decided to step down from the presiding elder’s role. I am expected to continue to serve in that role until our Virginia Conference finds my replacement. If any of you ever wondered whether our conference or denomination would need my service somewhere else, you can now relax, knowing that you are stuck with me. It’s a good thing, isn’t it?
Last Sunday, we were blessed to have Pastor Neil as our preacher, who delivered a special message and heartfelt testimony that reminded us that God graciously gives us second chances and we celebrate victory in Jesus. You can watch it at Nokesville Methodist Church - YouTube. I also would like to thank our Fellowship Dinner crew for providing a delicious meal at our Fall Kickoff Church Picnic. This Sunday, September 6, we will begin a new sermon series on the parables of Jesus. Jesus was a fascinating storyteller. We will journey into the biblical world. You’ll find the upcoming sermon schedule in the attachment. This Sunday, we will explore what kind of soil we are (Matthew 13:1-9). I hope to see you all soon on the Lord’s day.