December 29, 2024
You Are in My Heart
Ephesians 1:15-23
Reverend Yong Choel Woo
Five and a half years have passed since I was appointed to the Kalkaska United Methodist Church on July 1, 2019, and one and a half years have passed since I began my ministry at the South Boardman United Methodist Church. During this time, I firmly believe that God has poured out His many blessings and grace upon me, enabling me to work with all of you to build up His kingdom.
It has been truly special to do ministry with all of you. When I began my first cross-cultural ministry here at the Kalkaska United Methodist Church, I was nervous and worried about many potential ministerial challenges due to my lack of understanding of American culture, the language barrier, and unfamiliar ministerial settings. (slide 1) However, those worries turned out to be needless because God showed abundant grace and love to me, and all of you sincerely prayed for me. You eagerly helped me make a difference in my ministry.
As time passed over the last five and a half years, I adapted myself to new ministerial settings and became more comfortable in doing ministry. I came to enjoy ministry with you. When I first started, I felt like a baby who could barely stand or crawl, and awkwardly use my arms and legs. Now, I feel like Leif, son of Andrew and Stacy Sanford, who as a toddler is able to walk and even run. While I still have a long way to go in my future as a minister, as I continue to need to grow and learn, I covet your prayers. (slide 2) Will you continue to pray for me, my family, and my ministry?
On one hand, I feel sad that I can no longer serve your church families as your pastor. On the other hand, I am deeply grateful for all that God and all of you have done for me and I look forward with anticipation to what God has in store for your churches and for my ministry.
First, (slide 3) I need to give thanks to God, who opened the way for me to encounter wonderful faith-filled churches. He gave me His wisdom to overcome the many challenges I faced in ministry. He has disciplined me to open my eyes and heart, learning about cross-cultural ministry with a humble spirit. His grace is all about my ministry at both the Kalkaska and the South Boardman United Methodist Churches.
And (slide 4) I thank you all so much for the respect, kindness, and support you have shown me over the last five and a half years. You opened your hearts and minds to me, helped me grow in my understanding of ministry with patience, and supported both Sun and me with encouragement and compliments. You also showed deep concern and prayed for our daughter Jiin as she completed her college education in Georgia and served the Lord at a homeless men’s health facility in Washington, DC, and now as a Peace Corps worker in Thailand. Especially during the time when an unprecedented global pandemic challenged our faith community, we all were on the same page in handling and overcoming the ministerial trials and afflictions we faced, allowing our church to thrive in ministry after the pandemic. I deeply thank you for your prayers and cooperation.
Because I have received so much love from the Kalkaska and South Boardman church families, (slide 5) I will remember both churches as my “mother churches” for the rest of my life, and I will continue to pray for all of you.
This morning, we read together some verses from Ephesians chapter 1. When the Ephesian church, which was planted by the Apostle Paul, faced many internal and external challenges, Paul’s heart went out to the members of the church. To help them navigate these issues with faith, Paul wrote and sent them a letter offering words of thanksgiving and encouragement. Today’s passage reveals the prayers Paul had for the Ephesian church, and I am convinced that(slide 6) those are the same prayers I should lift up for the Kalkaska Unified Ministries for Christ and the South Boardman United Methodist Church.
First, I will not forget any of you because you have shown my family so much love, cooperation, and prayers, and I will continue to pray for you. (v. 16: (slide 7) “I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.“) Even though I will no longer be physically present with you, I hope to hear much about each of you and your ministries, so that I can remain spiritually connected with you and pray for you.
I will also pray that God will pour His Spirit of wisdom and revelation upon you so that you can come to know our Lord Jesus better. (v. 17: (slide 8) “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better.”) Regardless of the church affiliation we choose to continue our ministries, we should always remember that the priority of our ministries is to make room for the Holy Spirit to work through our hearts and minds, so that we may know our Lord Jesus better. I pray that the Kalkaska Unified Ministries for Christ and South Boardman United Methodist Churches will be filled with His wisdom, guidance, and power, so that you can grow in your faith, respond to His calling, bear much fruit from the Holy Spirit, spread the Gospel throughout the local community, and in doing so, expand His kingdom here on earth.
Lastly, I pray for a spiritual awakening among you, so that you may experience beautiful moments in your faith journey. (v. 18: (slide 9) “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people, and His incomparably great power for us who believe.“)
All of you are called to be His new creations, experiencing profound changes in your inner being through His grace, and living a new life in Christ. You are also called to be His servants, walking with Him daily, building up His kingdom with the power of the Holy Spirit, and rejoicing in the accomplishment of His kingdom here on earth. (slide 10) I pray that you all fully rejoice in the spiritual privileges we have received from Him as you are continually doing His ministries as the body of Christ.
Just as Paul did for the Ephesian church, I will keep you in my heart and continue to pray for you. In this way, I will respond to all that you have done for me and my family.
Again, thank you so much for everything you have done for me. And please continue to pray for my next ministry at the St. Johns and the Delta Mills United Methodist Churches.
(slide 11) “여러분 모두를 사랑합니다,” which means, “I love you all.”
Ephesians 1: 15-23
For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people,I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strengthhe exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church,which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.