May God’s peace be with you all.

How are you all?

We have heard the tragedy that a black man, George Floyd, cried out “I can’t breathe” and was slowly and mercilessly killed in Minneapolis this week. What a tragic moment that we witnessed again that a human took away the breath and the life of another human that God created.

Another incident happened between two New Yorkers. A black man asked a woman to leash her dog in Central Park as the rules required, but she refused and called the police, saying, “An African-American man is threatening my life and my dog.”

Although we are so eager to see justice, we experience injustice every day which has been embedded and rooted in our lives. The lack of social Justice among each other has hurt lives more than Covid-19. Although every life matters because God breathed the dust of life into all of us, we still witness these self-inflicted forms of social distancing.

As an immigrant, I have personally experienced many barriers that I cannot overcome due to my different appearance and accent. As a pastor, I have been preaching about peace and harmony in Christ, but I still do not know where to go.

I may be able to persevere with the lack of justice as much as I can, but I can't breathe when I imagine that my little one would experience the same barriers that I have experienced. I also can't breathe when I feel that these oppressions and fears can so easily blow out the flame of the efforts of people who are trying their best to remove the darkness in the world.

So, I kneel down to pray once again. The reality that the only thing I can do is pray seems powerless and hopeless. However, I still believe the power of every single prayer. Now I pray with the words from the Lord’s prayer, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven…” Why does our Christ teach us to pray like this? It is because Jesus knows that heavenly harmony is not seen on the earth. This is why Jesus prays, “Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one” (Jn 17:11, NIV).

It is true that God’s grace is everywhere for everyone, but it is also true that there are sisters and brothers everywhere who cannot breathe due to the oppression of injustice on the earth. My sisters and brothers in Christ, this is time to remind ourselves what John Wesley taught, “Do No Harm,” “Do Good,” and “Stay in Love with God.”

I hope that I can see the world where people do no harm, do good and stay in love with God. I hope that my little one can live in that world where the Kingdom of God fulfills and the will of God is done as it is in heaven.

Amen.

1. WORSHIP
2. COMMUNION SUNDAY NEXT WEEK (JUNE 7TH)
3. VIRTUAL FELLOWSHIP VIA ZOOM
4. SMALL GROUP & WELLNESS SUPPORT GROUP
5. DONATION

1. WORSHIP

Grace Ministry has its worship service every Sunday at 10AM on our YouTube channel due to the pandemic. Please open the YouTube app or go to our website for the live streaming 5 minutes prior to the worship hour and prepare your hearts for worship through prayer. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me.

2. JUNE 7th - COMMUNION SUNDAY NEXT WEEK

Next week is communion Sunday. As we had our virtual communion earlier this month, please prepare the bread and juice for the communion Service next week on June 7th. You can prepare any type of bread and juice for the communion that you would like. I will preside the communion service during the virtual worship next Sunday.

3. VIRTUAL FELLOWSHIP via ZOOM

As it has been announced, we are going to have fellowship via ZOOM after the communion worship next week. You will receive the zoom link to join the virtual fellowship via the Pastor’s Letter and in the description box under the worship video next week. If you haven’t had a chance to try the app, please see the Pastor’s letter and see the tutorial which shows how to install and use it.

4. SMALL GROUP & WELLNESS SUPPORT GROUP

We have constantly encouraged our GM family members to join our virtual small groups via ZOOM. If you want to join, please contact Tom Kim (Adult Education Committee Chair) or Jessica Kim (Wellness Support Group). Due to the pandemic, this is a critical moment that we need spiritual and emotional supporters for one another. Let’s show our presence for our sisters and brothers in Christ and empower one another to continue our hope in God through these small groups.

5. Donation

Grace Ministry is going to continue serving the people in the church and outside of the church in the local area. If you are working as an essential worker, please let Pastor Sean, Sue Im or Rick Heuser know so that GM can have a chance to serve you and your colleagues with some food. Also, if you work every day but cannot find a way to buy mask, please let Pastor Sean know.