URC Weekly 12/12/10: Lost and Found



Hi Family,

So hard to believe that this Sunday will be Grace and my last retreat with y’all…  Ironically, we’ll have the same guest speaker as our first retreat, but everything else will be different.  If you look at the picture from our first retreat, I wanna clear up two things: 1) Yes, those are garage doors in the background, and yes, it’s because we worshiped in a garage every day; 2) Though not all in the pic, there were 11 of us and six from outside of Union (guest speaker, praise leader, and four of Dave’s friends)=We only made up 2/3 of the people at our own retreat.

Much has changed since then (we’ll be in an actual meeting space, and there will be more of us), but one thing I pray remains the same is that sense of closeness and family we began with.  Back then, and always, our unity has come from a common faith in our Jesus, and this is a time when we need that more than ever.  Our theme is “Lost and Found,” and the theme verse is Luke 15:32: “³² But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”

I’ve been talking to more and more of you about your personal spiritual struggles: some have gone from filled with purpose to indifferent, others are just lacking the desire to meet the Lord/pray/read Scripture on a daily basis, and still others are having a hard time coming to worship and our other ministries.  Not that we’ve fallen away, but we’ve been growing farther from the Lord at a time of change, when our church will be tested.  My prayer is that all of us who were lost, to any degree, are found again, drawing closer to Christ through the experience of His grace.

If at all possible, I hope all of you can make it.  If you’re still not sure, please pray about it, and try your best to come.  For everyone, here’s what you need to know (apologies for the messed up formatting):

1) 2010 WINTER RETREAT: THIS SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY @ CAMP MARANATHA. We’ll leave at 1 PM on Sunday and return around the same time on Tuesday.

Guest Speaker: Pastor Dave Choi.  A few things about him: He is flown out somewhere to preach every month, sometimes every week, because his messages are so true to Scripture but also dynamic.  He’s also one of the funniest, most loyal people we know.  It says a lot when someone who’s accustomed to preaching to thousands came to preach to 11 of us…

Praise Leader: Pastor Moses Kim.  Our brother from Sheepgate!   Before Sheepgate, he was a praise pastor, and he’s led praise at Sheepgate for many years.  His unmistakable traits are his witty one-liners and, more relevant, his utter passion for the Lord.  He’s been anticipating our time together since I asked him months ago, and it’s gonna be awesome.

1. PLACE: Camp Maranatha (54162 Maranatha Dr., Idyllwild, CA 92549; 951-659-2739)

a. Website: http://www.campmaranatharetreat.com/, and you can find directions at http://www.campmaranatharetreat.com/printmap.htm

b. 2.5 hours from LA with lodges, a cafeteria, field, basketball/volleyball court, hiking trails, amphitheater with fire pit, and a worship center

c. Weather: Expecting highs of 49-64 and lows of 37-39.  Rain possible on Monday.

d.  8 bedrooms, each with bathroom and shower, each with 1 queen, 2 twin beds, and a futon (5 per room)

ii. No sheets or pillows on the beds, so we’ll have to bring sleeping bags.  There are also no towels, so BYOT.

e. Stuff to bring: Bible, sleeping bag, towels, toiletries, medications, winter clothes/jackets, hiking/athletic shoes, games/board games for hang out time

2  PEOPLE SIGNED UP (19 so far): Sang, Grace, Jacob, David Kwon, Michelle Won, Sam, Charlene, James Kim, Hyonroh, Tae, Sara Kim, David Arase, Ula, Hyunjoo, John, Carolyn, Andy, Joel, David Lee.  IF YOU’RE NOT SIGNED UP BUT WANNA GO, LET ME KNOW ASAP! Everyone else, tell me if there are any changes, also ASAP.

COST

a. $100 (Total of $155, but URC supports $55/person)

b.   PEOPLE WHO’VE PAID: Sang, Grace, Michelle Won, Sam, Charlene, James Kim, Hyonroh, Tae, Sara Kim, Ula, Hyunjoo

EVERYONE ELSE, PLEASE BRING $100 ON SUNDAY. If the cost is difficult to afford, please talk to me or Won.  If you’re staying for one night instead of both, talk to Won about cost.  If you have any questions about God, life, or the universe, talk to Won.

DRIVERS (Thank you for signing up to drive, and please be prepared to do so.  However, as it stands right now, not everyone will need to drive): Sang (driving guest speaker up), Grace (4 total people), Sam (7 in church van #1), Won (2 in church van #2 plus equipment/bags), Charlene (4), James Kim (4), Tae/Sara (them and Lina), David Arase (4), David Lee (4), Joel (4)

TO DO: For those below, thank you for leading.  I’ll email you this week with further instructions…

i. (DAVID) Game Master: Board/group games

ii. (JACOB) Sports Master: Basketball, football, ping pong gear

iii. (MIKE) Snack/late-night food/drinks Master: Bowl noodles, chips, water…

iv. (SARAH) Room Assignment Master

v. (JAMES KIM) PowerPoint Master

vi. (HYUNJOO/WON/SAM) Photography Master

vii. Discipleship Leaders: Sang, Hyonroh, Charlene, Grace

If you have any questions, please give word.

2) CHRISTMAS PARTY: THIS SATURDAY @ 5 PM @ JAMES KIM’S HOUSE (2529 Tiffany Pl., Fullerton, 92833).  Our annual Christmas party is finally here!  It’s a potluck, so please bring something a notch better than what we normally bring to Community Groups.  Also, if you wanna play the gift exchange game, bring a $15-20 wrapped present.  PARENTS, we’ll have our kids’ gift exchange there also (without the stealing presents, ahahaaha).

3) UPLOADED PICS! Check out our “Photos” tab for awesome November events (thank you, Samlene!): EM/KM Thanksgiving Feast and Baptism Service.

4) YUN-SOO’S 1ST BIRTHDAY: 12/30 (Thursday) @ 6 PM @ THE DRAGON RESTAURANT (966 South Vermont Ave.,Los Angeles, 90006).  Save the date!  Evite coming…

5) CHRISTMAS EVE CELEBRATION: 12/24 (a week from Friday) @ 8 PM @ MAIN SANCTUARY.  An evening of performances celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior.  We’ll be singing backup to Charlene for “O Holy Night!”  We’ll also have a worship service @ 11:30 PM to take us into Christmas Day.

6) SCRIPTURE READING/OFFERING: Hyunjoo Yi

7) DEVOTIONS: Amos 8-Jonah 3. Jonah 2 is the prayer of Jonah inside the belly of the great fish, which saved him when he was thrown overboard by his fellow sailors:

¹ From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD his God. ² He said:

“In my distress I called to the LORD,
and he answered me.
From the depths of the grave^[a] I called for help,
and you listened to my cry.
³ You hurled me into the deep,
into the very heart of the seas,
and the currents swirled about me;
all your waves and breakers
swept over me.
⁴ I said, ‘I have been banished
from your sight;
yet I will look again
toward your holy temple.’
⁵ The engulfing waters threatened me,^[b]
the deep surrounded me;
seaweed was wrapped around my head.
⁶ To the roots of the mountains I sank down;
the earth beneath barred me in forever.
But you brought my life up from the pit,
O LORD my God.

⁷ “When my life was ebbing away,
I remembered you, LORD,
and my prayer rose to you,
to your holy temple.

⁸ “Those who cling to worthless idols
forfeit the grace that could be theirs.
⁹ But I, with a song of thanksgiving,
will sacrifice to you.
What I have vowed I will make good.
Salvation comes from the LORD.”

¹⁰ And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

Have a great week, and see you @ our Christmas party!!!



One Response to “URC Weekly 12/12/10: Lost and Found”

1. Hyunjoo says:

   December 14, 2010 at 8:42 AM

   

   Last retreat with the Lee’s…

   Reply