January

Listed below are the columns and other commentaries written by Bishop Hee-Soo Jung in the January 2006 issues of the Northern Illinois Conference's weekly newspaper, The United Methodist Reporter.

To read a column, click on its name.

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King insisted on staying
tuned to God’s voice

(January 27)

“If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.” (1 Corinthians 12:26)

One of the many gifts of Martin Luther King Jr. was his insistence on staying tuned to God’s voice of love. In the midst of the civil rights struggle it was easy to become angry, bitter, resentful, despondent or apathetic. King reminded the nation that love will not allow any of these.

When we listen and respond to the voice of love one cannot remain hateful or apathetic but will respond with hope and courage. Night after night, month after month, year after year, Martin Luther King Jr. continued to keep people focused on the voice of love.

Before one march, Dr. King said to people: “When we go out there tonight you will hear words of hatred being screamed into your face, but don’t let those frighten you; for there is another voice you will hear. It will be a voice of love and justice, equality and freedom. Listen closely, for in the midst of the storm you will hear God’s voice of peace.”

Martin Luther King Jr. was right. In the midst of the cursing, the racial epithets, the angry, hateful faces, you could hear the song of the marchers: “Oh freedom, Oh freedom over me …” or “Ain’t gonna let nobody turn me around …” or “We shall overcome some day.”

“Steady, steady. We’re going to finish this together”

Many heard the voice of God next to them sensing their anxiety and fear, whispering in the midst of the storm: “Steady, my people, I am on your side. I am present with you. Steady, steady. We’re going to finish this together.”

Yes, we’ve come a long way since the days when we sang those songs during the civil rights movement. No longer do we have legal separation and segregation. No longer are there public facilities designated for white only. No longer are people of color relegated to the balcony of the movie theater as in many places. I see a wonderful rainbow of color every day when I walk through the city.

But we still have a long way to go. We can change the laws, and we have done so. We can institute programs to help level the playing field, and we have. But you cannot change the hearts of people by legislation. That has to be done one heart at a time.

It isn’t easy. We still have elements in our society fueling the noises of bigotry and prejudice, fear and ignorance.

Perhaps we do not hear what someone is saying to us because of cultural and racial noise. We can’t relate to someone’s cultural background, and we are irritated at the heavy accent that makes it difficult to understand him or her, so we shut the person off completely.

Learn from Hispanic, Asian and African friends

As our conference continues to change, we need to learn from the voices of our Hispanic, Asian and African friends and others. We need to minister together for a more relevant church of God. Often the cultural differences, misunderstandings and accents become the stumbling blocks that keep us from listening, perceiving and communicating.

It isn’t easy. We have many congregations sharing facilities for worship and ministry, but we still are too pre-occupied to work with those in our congregations. Congregations sometimes share facilities, but seldom ministries.

The legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. calls us to stretch our limits to God’s bountiful space and move onto the beauty of all God’s people.

So we must listen closely to hear that voice of love, reconciliation and community if we are to stay the course. It is there, but we must be willing to risk in order to make Dr. King’s dream today’s reality. We are in ministry so the world may become such a community.

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Leading change in the conference

(January 13) Our Northern Illinois Conference ministry moves forward with great excitement! We actively engage with various visioning implementations as we move into the New Year. This will provide means for congregations to live together, to be joined to the whole body, to draw from each other in Christ’s ministry.

I believe we are living in God’s kairos, a Greek word that refers to the appointed time, contrasting with chronos that refers to the time of the day, month, etc. Kairos is the right time, the fullness of time, the time of opportunity, unrestricted by the passing of time. With implementation of fruit-producing strategies we hope to move forward into God’s holy time together.

Many leaders in the conference see themselves as being pregnant with new possibilities and expectations that are about to come to birth. I am among those who are dreaming of God’s possibilities for our mission and ministry.

Should see God’s miracle each day

We should see God’s miracle each day — particularly in our engagement with witness and service to the Gospel. We receive the seed of God’s active mercy and grace. It is our time to bud and to blossom, our time to bear fruit, and soon our time to harvest. I continually contemplate and review our current situation as an annual conference and how we might give leadership to bringing the changes God wants us to implement in today’s world.

In the midst of my great hope, we still need to face the fact that in spite of the growth of the population in the area of the Northern Illinois Conference, we continue to lose membership. I am convinced that our church is in need of God’s call to bring transformation.

It is statistically documented that unchurched people are more likely to join a newly formed congregation than one long established. Clearly new church development is the way to the future and a necessity for active growth. Many of our existing congregations can themselves be the starters of new worshiping congregations!

Our conference needs to make new church development a highest priority. We must start many new faith communities through birthing, parenting, small group models, storefront worshiping places, etc.

God blessed us in 2005

Our God has blessed us through faithful giving in the year of 2005. We became a strong giving conference through our apportioned missional giving. We also gave more than $1.2 million for United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) toward disaster responses.

We continually celebrate God’s abundance and immeasurable possibility.

I offer my gratitude and thanksgiving to God because of the many committed Christians and leaders in this conference. We need to be healthy stewards and reduce the cost of maintaining our connection so we can share more of our resources with the poor and needy in the world.

Our connection as an annual conference is vital to our health and well being as a Christian movement. Our connection is what makes us who we are as United Methodists.

Our lower membership means that a decreasing percentage of our resources are being used to do “ministry,” however, while a higher percentage is being used to support the system. The “system” exists solely for the ministry of the conference, not vice versa. Thus our conference must focus on providing resources for ministry for congregations: all focused on numerical and spiritual growth.

Implementing fruit-producing strategies

For the next few years our conference will invest its common effort in implementing fruit- producing strategies. The conference staff’s focus of time and energy will be on supporting the ministry of congregations through leadership training, through a Small Group Ministry Institute, and through adopting the Natural Church Development principles.

We will study prayerfully about the Christian social holiness movement as we regain our own confidence in our Wesleyan heritage. Invitations are already on their way, and I expect strong partnership from members of the annual conference.

We can lead change more effectively in a healthy and connected way if we pray together. As we deepen our own faith, we increase our capacity to give. We also need to recognize our problems and frustrations as we journey together in our conference life.

I believe God offers gifts of dreaming to you and to me for our common future. Let us embrace those God-inspired dreams and grow together in ministry. Have a wonderful year of fruit-bearing!

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