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As I was having dinner with some of my ministry leaders yesterday, I asked them about the origin of the Korean holiday tomorrow which we call, Foundation Day of Korea or Gaecheonjeol. I thought it was about the day that the country was established but to my surprise, I was actually wrong....
They told me that the holiday actually comes from a legend, celebrating the creation of the state of Gojoseon (ancient Korea) founded by Dangun Wanggeom in the year 2333 BC. According to the legend, Hwanung (화웅) who came from heaven, descended to live with mankind and established Korea. Here's the story according to the legend:
Legend has it that Hwan-ung, the son of Hwan-in (who was the God of All and the ruler of Heaven), yearned to live on Earth among the valleys and the mountains. His father sent him and 3,000 helpers to rule Earth and provide humans with great happiness.
Hwan-ung descended to Mount T'aebaeksan on the border between Manchuria and what is now North Korea. He named the place Shinshi, City of God. Along with his ministers of clouds, rain, and wind, he instituted laws and moral codes and taught the humans various arts, medicine, and agriculture.
A tiger and a bear living in a cave together prayed to become human. Upon hearing their prayers, Hwan-ung called them to him and gave them 20 cloves of garlic and a bunch of mugwort. He then ordered them to only eat this sacred food and remain out of the sunlight for 100 days. The tiger shortly gave up and left the cave. However, the bear remained true and after 21 days was transformed into a woman. The bear-woman was very grateful and made offerings to Hwan-ung. However, lacking a companion she soon became sad and praved beneath a sandalwood tree to be blessed with a child. Hwan-ung, moved by her prayers, took her for his wife and soon she gave birth to a handsome son. They named him Tan-gun, meaning "Altar Prince" or sandalwood. Tan-gun developed into a wise and powerful leader and in 2333 BC moved to P'yongyang and established the Choson ("Land of the Morning Calm") Kingdom. Finally, at the age of 1,908, he returned to T'aebaeksan where he became a mountain god.
This was enacted as a national holiday in 1909. I find it strange yet interesting that a national holiday is actually a legend, which by definition is an unauthenticated narrative. HOW COOL IS THAT? Bibliography: "The Legend of Tan-Gun" http://kspark.kaist.ac.kr/~Biblical%20Cosmology/ Cosmology. files/ Tangun_E.htm , accessed October 02, 2011.
Being in Korea for almost four years, and leading an English ministry in three different churches gave me the passion to learn about the ways and means of doing it. When I was just starting with my first English ministry in Gwangju City, it was difficult not just for me, but for the church as well as my to spearhead a ministry like this. I was at a lost at first and I prayed so hard and sought for God’s enlightenment and wisdom to guide me get through the whole process of it. From there, I learned through experience and from talking with good friends and pastors alike of how they go about such kind of ministry in their own churches. Even as I minister now, I feel the need to know more and better understand on how a multiracial church should work.
At Gwangju Saesoon Church, Gwangju City, South Korea, where I served as English Ministry Pastor, 2008-2009
George Yancey, in his book, "One Body, One Spirit", explained that racial distinctions create the most problems in our society. And if there is one community that is somehow responsible in solving or somehow helping foster diversity, acceptance, unity and fellowship, it should be the church. Yancey defined a multi-racial church as a “church in which no one racial group makes up more than 80 per cent of the attendees of at least one of the major worship services.” From this definition, we could somehow deduce the reality that it is not easy to build a multi-racial church. Yet, from this hinges the challenge that the church has to accept and be a vessel of unity and diversity among people of different race and ethnicity.
At Sekwang Presbyterian Church, Seoul, Korea where I served as English Ministry Pastor, 2010.
Whereas the United States, and say Singapore, have become melting pots of all cultures for decades now, Korea in a sense is just starting to experience the same yet, it has a lot more to adjust and understand why it is at this time, that a huge number of foreigners are coming here. Enough to say, there's a lot of work to be done to establish a multicultural church in Korea since the culture is not that accepting of foreigners. There are some successful churches though and their examples should be considered in raising one.
A multicultural church is one that is made up of different races, ethnicity and culture, enjoying a genuine fellowship in the faith, under the name of one God and Savior, Jesus Christ. The church should be intentional in creating a multicultural atmosphere, accepting people of different races from all walks of life and making them feel that they are and they have a family inside the church. Those who are spearheading this ministry should as well be skillful in associating with and relating to people of mixed races, unbiased and gracious. They should somehow know and learn how to sympathize and empathize with the people who are culturally different from theirs, seeing where they are coming from, how they can be helped and how they can get empowered in the fellowship of a multi-racial church.
Friends, from different cultures, who helped me during the Cultural Camp in my church at present, Suwon Jaeil Church. Standing from left to right, Thiu (India), Maria (Philippines), Wida (Indonesia), Dmitry (Ukraine), Cahaya (Indonesia), Phouang (Laos), and Atem (India).
The whole concept of raising multicultural churches is close to my heart because this is what my ministry is all about here in Korea. I had a lot of questions, worries, hopes and prayers about it at first and it takes really seeing God’s perspective in doing it. I’ve learned that as a minister whose aim is to promote such kind of community, I have to get as involve as I could not just in their souls but all the more in their need to feel accepted in the community of believers and likewise teach the Body of Christ that it is God’s desire that all men might be saved and be incorporated in the church. And so, they should get educated as well to know how to do it, so as to rally behind the ministry’s core purpose of bringing people from different cultures and colors to the church.
EXTRA: Here's a video of the cultural camp we held for the children in my church with the help of my friends from Torch Trinity Graduate University.
In John 7:11, Jesus Christ prayed that his people be united, as He is united with the Father. In the book of Galatians, the Apostle Paul firmly stated that, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus,” (Galatians 3:38). The preceding Scripture passages allows us to see the heart of Christ and his goal for his people- to be united in him, unmindful of their color, race and ethnicity, but loving each other and living as one as we are one in the name of our Savior.
Photo taken during the last day of our camp for Sekwang Church English Ministry members. This camp was held with the help of my friends, from right to left, Gerald (Indonesia), Hiba (Iraq), Cahaya (Indonesia), Maria (Philippines), and Natalya (Kazakhstan).
It is with much conviction that I say that if and when we are able to unite our own race, then would it only be possible for us to encourage and foster multicultural congregations. And when we do, we need to make sure that there is an authentic social interaction between cultures as well, for only then can we say that we have succeeded in uniting God’s people in spite of racial diversity. May we find ourselves in prayer and in faith, (and so does my heart long for), that we could be channels of God’s unity in a healthy diversity so that we can say in praise together with the psalmist…
“All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, oh Lord;
The Philippines is one of the countries hit by typhoons year in and out. In fact, Filipinos are used to finishing the alphabet, from A to Z, (which represent the first letters of the local names of the typhoons) in order to make a sigh of relief that the storm season will finally be over.
Below is the list of the deadliest typhoons in the Philippines according to typhoon2000.com. Typhoon Name Date Deaths 1. Thelma/Uring: 1991 8,000 2. No Name 1967 1,000 3. No Name 1897 1,500 4. Frank 2008 1,410 5. Reming 2006 1,399 6. No Name 1617 1,000 7. Amy 1951 991 8. Sisang 1987 979 9. Rosing 1995 936 10. Undang 1984 895 Surprisingly, I experienced seven out of the ten deadliest typhoons which entered the Philippine territory.
Typhoons are no joke. I remember our roofs almost blown away by the strong winds that we had to put huge rocks on it when these strong tropical cyclones come. Living without water supply and electricity for two weeks was one of the worse typhoon encounters I had. Here's a video of one of the worst typhoons that hit the country, typhoon Ondoy two years ago.
As the Philippines is now being battered by storms again, we can only pray that God will spare people's lives and that the coming storms will not be as strong as the previous ones. Nonetheless, Filipinos are resilient and they have lived their lives battling all these typhoons and are brave in all these experiences. In the eye of the storm, they remain hopeful and undaunted and will remain as such.
I thank the Lord for the sixty-one years (62) that he has been blessing my mother with good health and love. She was instrumental to me and my sisters’ salvation. My mother has been a prayer warrior ever since. I can still recall those early days when she would lay her hands on us, her children, and cry out to the Lord in prayer. When I started doing the ministry, I realized how much my mother’s prayers has covered and protected me and my siblings, and how God has blessed us because of my mother.
Mama Linda lost my father 17 years ago. I remember how she cried almost everyday thinking of how she's going to make it through life and stay strong for us. My heart breaks seeing my mother do laundry for others, and do jobs imaginable, just to send us to school and what not.
Despite of the many persecutions that she’d been through, I saw her steadfast and unwavering in her faith in God. I am just grateful to the Lord for making her my mother, who constantly prays for all of us, her children. I saw her struggles with life after my father’s death yet, God, I know is just so good to her. I thank the Lord for his grace to my mother and for making her years on earth full of life and joy.
As I honor you today on your birthday Mama Linda, I want you to know how thankful I am to you for loving us and ultimately for loving God. You are the epitome of a prayerful woman of God who battles and succeeds in all of life's challenges. I LOVE YOU MAMA...THANK YOU FOR YOUR LOVE...
I never thought that this would happen. This morning, an announcement from my dorm RA's "shocked" me (and I guess a bunch of others) saying that first, we can't bring our friends anymore in the dorms (for security reasons?), and second, we are not allowed to use the microwave and rice cooker (I'm not sure if the same goes for the toaster and the coffee maker) because of cockroaches(?). What cockroaches?! At least not in my room....
NO FOOD... Stayin' in Korea for almost four years now, I will admit that I somehow still struggle with the food in the school cafeteria (ashamed of myself). I have adjusted somehow with the food here, but most often, I'd rather prepare my own food, stock 'em in the fridge and heat 'em up when I'm hungry. Some of my Filipino friends are generous enough to send me Pinoy dishes which help me "feel" at home. Yes, I'm one of those who do not usually eat at the 식당 (dining room) since most often, I could not stand the food served (my subjective thought), and I usually have my own time of eating. Now that a "new rule" is out, we have to go to the dining room if we need to heat up our food (except that noodles are still allowed. what?) and eat (there). So no more food in the dorm? It's been like that (at least) since I started residing here back in 2008 and never was there an issue at all, just reminders coming from previous RA's to clean up after we mess up. And really, this time that I cannot eat spicy food (as advised by the doctor), and since most Korean food are redish in color (meaning spicy as it could be), do I have to go down from the fifth floor to the B1 (basement level) of the building when I need to prepare my food? Pity me...but, give me some more logic????
NO FRIENDS... So, my friends can't visit me in the dorms no more? security reasons? fine. BUT I NEED MORE EXPLANATION/S. Whatever happened in the dorms MUST be so crazy to have such a "new rule". And since there are a lot of residents here (mostly internationals), I think we deserve to know the reasons why (so we could be aware as well of the situation). And the fact that it applies even to the alumni doesn't make real sense to me. We have a rule not to let a none-dorm resident sleep over in the dorm and I agree with that. BUT...not to allow our friends (and most of my friends graduated already last December), family (if and when they visit), pastors and churchmates, see where we live, and stay in the rooms for even an hour doesn't make sense to me (again, my subjective thought). How could this be possible?
WELL, FOR NOW... I guess, I have to live with it (for now). I'm not sure until when I can bear this system but definitely I am not happy (just like with most of the dorm residents) with the way things are going. I was about to go to the library and do my stuff, yet, our supposed to be dorm early morning prayer bothered me today (sad), and so here you are reading my heart at mind. At least, I am entitled still to my own opinion and my blog is in the virtual world and is not covered by the system (thank goodness). I'll keep this updated if there will be a good news....a better one I hope.
NO FOOD. NO FRIENDS. But just like what a friend said a while back, I should not let the loss of (my) food and friends (in the dorm) snatch my happiness away....DITTO!!!
When I was in elementary, my classmates would usually ask me to sign their slambooks, and there would be a question about one's motto in life. Growing up, I have discovered that none of those mottos I answered stood the test of time since I totally forgot what I wrote. What keeps me going in life however for the last couple of years is Paul's statement in Acts 20:24, "I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace."
Since I got myself into theological training, I've always returned to Acts 20:21 to refocus my mind on the essentials of life and living and to remind me of my purpose in life.
A couple of my facebook page friends shared their life verses as well:
Jael Ong: Jer. 29:1 "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Cath Buban: Matt. 6:21 "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Myrene Remollo: Ps. 23 "The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing." (I only quoted verse 1)
Indeed, God's word makes us see life in light of eternity. It keeps us grounded and leads us to move forward as we hang on to the living words of God. It cheers us up and makes us realize that on earth, everything is temporary in comparison to that which awaits us heavenward.
Now that the 60th Miss Universe has been crowned (Miss Angola), it is time to share what our country's pride, 3rd runner up, Shamcey Supsup, taught the whole universe about God.
Here's a transcript of the Q&A with Ms. Philippines... Judge Vivica Fox:"Would you change your religious beliefs to marry the person that you love? Why or why not?" Shamcey Supsup:"If I had to change my religious beliefs, I would not marry the person that I love. Because the first person that I love is God, who created me. I have my faith, my principles and this is what makes who I am. And if that person loves me, he should love my God, too."
Shamcey made the most of her time answering the judge's question by pointing the millions of people watching, to the Creator God. She made her faith a priority over and above everything. She taught us that God, who created the whole universe, should take his rightful place in all our decisions, and that our LOVE FOR GOD SHOULD TRANSCEND OUR LOVE FOR OUR FELLOWS, EVEN OUR LOVED ONES. What a God-fearing response!!!
The question given to Shamcey was the toughest one for it involved faith issues which are very sensitive. To top that, her answer might have been unpopular and could have been seen as politically incorrect especially in this postmodern culture. She could have compromised it to please and satisfy the agnostics, the atheists, the polytheists, and the postmoderns, but she stood up for what she believed in. She might have lost the crown because of her faith, but what gain would it be if she lost her faith because of the crown? Nonetheless, her crown in heaven will shine brighter as God gave her a great big smile after she echoed to the whole universe what matters most in life.
WAY TO GO SHAMCEY...You made not just the Filipinos, but more so, our God, so proud of you!!! Cheers!!! ***picture courtesy of Shamcey Supsup's facebook fan page***
As I was having dinner with some of my ministry leaders yesterday, I asked them about the origin of the Korean holiday tomorrow which we call, Foundation Day of Korea or Gaecheonjeol. I thought it was about the day that the country was established but to my surprise, I was actually wrong....
