“I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up, and did not let my foes rejoice over me.  O LORD my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. O LORD, you brought up my soul from She’ol, restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit” (Psalm 30: 1-3).

I prayed with this Psalm in the morning.  Walter Brueggemann, one of the most respected Old Testament scholars and authors in our age, in his The Message of thePsalms, related the forms of Psalms to the realities of human experience.  He introduced three major themes of Psalm:  Orientation, Disorientation, and New Orientation.

This psalm is a quite beautiful example of New Orientation and Thanksgiving song and tells the story of going to the trouble and coming out of the trouble.  You have drawn me up (v.1); You have healed me (v. 2b); You have lifted up my life (v. 3a); You have restored me to life (v. 3b).  With gratitude and thanksgiving, I praise God with you. God has drawn us.  God has healed us.  God has lifted up us.  God has restored us.

As WUMC, a beloved community, begins our new fall season of 2017, I would like to celebrate those who have served WUMC for over 30 years.  They are “so great cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1). And at WUMC, "we are surrounded by so many great cloud of witnesses,” these amazing sisters, and brothers in Christ. They are beautiful examples and witnesses of faithful commitment to God at WUMC.    

Let’s celebrate their unwavering commitments and services to God at WUMC in October.  Let’s throw a great party with delicious foods and fellowship.

With Love,

Pastor Oh

Dear sisters and brothers in Christ

A Blessed Morning

With Psalmist I praise and give thanks to the living God, "When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them?" (Psalm 8:3-4).   Psalm 8 is the first biblical text to reach the moon when the Apollo 11 mission left a silicon disc containing messages from seventy-three nations including the Vatican in 1969.

WUMC has become an active, vibrant church even during the summer months.  The Summer Party at the parsonage yard was a great success.  Following the first-century church in Acts 2, WUMC had Christian fellowship with food.  

Serving God's people with meals at Bristol Lodge is clear evidence that WUMC practices that we believe and follows the teaching of Jesus "...... for I was hungry you gave me food.... Truly I tell you, just as you did it to the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me." (Matthew 25: 35-40). 

God's Blessing Station, the first outreaching ministry, is another example of a vibrant, and growing church.   We shared God's love with (about) 350 of God's people at the Waltham commuter rail station on Wednesday, August 16th.  In early September, we will share God's love with God's people at the Kendall Green station in Weston and in Lincoln.  WUMC is following the instruction of the Risen Lord. "..... you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth." (Acts 1:8).  God will continue to send God’s people and add numbers to the WUMC, beloved community.

It's time to come back to WUMC, beloved community.  It's time to worship, attend small group study, enjoy fellowship, plan and implement ministry and mission of WUMC with renewed body, emotion, and spirit.

My sermon title of this Sunday is "Witnesses."  Scriptures are Acts 1:6-11, and Matthew 28:16-20. 

Beloved sisters and brothers!  I pray that steadfast, unfailing love and faithfulness of the living God enfold you and your family always. 

Peace. 

Pastor Oh

 The First WUMC Outreaching Ministry

The First Outreaching Ministry,  God's Blessing Station at Waltham Commuter Rail Station on September 16, 2017.  We shared God's love with 350 (about) God's people during 5:15 -6:45 pm. 

We all felt and received God's abundant and everlasting love during and after this amazing ministry.  

United Methodist Council of Bishops

Bishop Bruce Ough, president of the United Methodist Council of Bishops, issued the following statement on Charlottesville:

My shock, dismay and grief over the clashes between white supremacy advocates and counter-protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia, continue to grow. I grieve for the lives lost, and pray for the family of Heather Heyer, the families of the two state troopers killed while monitoring the Charlottesville demonstration from the air, and for the healing of all the injured. I am shocked by the blatant resurgence of white nationalism, neo-Nazism and racially motivated domestic terrorism in the United States. I am dismayed (and frightened) by the animosity, division, extremism and evil that is spiraling out of control in the U.S.

Let there be no excuses or political justification for the evil that was on full display in Charlottesville last Saturday. Nor, let us forget that many such displays of white supremacy, racism and hatred go un-reported or under-reported in many places. White supremacist and neo-Nazi ideologies are abhorrent and entirely inconsistent with the Christian faith.

Jesus called his followers to “love your neighbor.” It is clear this key spiritual imperative means all neighbors without regard to race, color, religion or national origin. And, Paul taught that “enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions and factions” are among many works of the flesh that are antithetical to the kingdom of God. “By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5: 19-23) These works of the Spirit lead to peace-making and the kingdom of God.

The Social Principles of our United Methodist Church are a clarion call and powerful witness in times such as these. “We affirm that no identity or culture has more legitimacy than any other. We call the Church to challenge any hierarchy of cultures or identities.” (Para. 161A, The Nurturing Community, page 110, 2016 Book of Discipline). And, from Para. 162A The Social Community, page 120: “Racism, manifested as sin, plagues and hinders our relationship with Christ, inasmuch as it is antithetical to the gospel itself … Therefore, we recognize racism as sin and affirm the ultimate and temporal worth of all persons … We commit as the Church to move beyond symbolic expressions and representative models that do not challenge unjust systems of power and access.”

Martin Luther King, Jr. echoed a similar sentiment when he challenged the United States to transform the thin paper of the Declaration of Independence that affirms the self-evident truth “that all men are created equal, are endowed with certain inalienable rights” into thick action.

I pray that the shock, dismay and grief of Charlottesville will be a turning point for the U.S. and even our global United Methodist church. We share collective responsibility to turn our thin words into thick action. We share collective responsibility to break our silence. We share collective responsibility to restore health to the communities and relationship out of which extremism, hatred and racism grow. We share collective responsibility, as followers of the Prince of Peace, to create non-violent communities where people with different political and religious views respect each other. We share responsibility to articulate the vision of the Beloved Community where no person feels endangered on account of their social, racial or cultural identity.

This collective responsibility begins by each of us examining our own hearts for the prejudice that contributes to attitudes of supremacy or hatred, or to violence, or silence or fear. Peacemaking and reconciliation always begins within.

This is the moment for The United Methodist Church and all peoples of faith to be bold in our witness against racism and white supremacy. The vision of the Beloved Community lies not behind us, but before us. I urge us to pray for the Holy Spirit to break through and work through The United Methodist Church to heal our broken world and make tangible, visible the kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.

Bishop Bruce R. Ough, President
Council of Bishops
The United Methodist Church

http://www.umc.org/news-and-media/bishop-ough-issues-statement-on-charlottesville

Bristol Lodge Soup Kitchen - Waltham

Weston UMC members continue to prepare and serve a full meal on the second Monday of each month at 

“Bristol Lodge Soup Kitchen” in Waltham. 

We share our food, talents, time, and love with 60-80 hungry individuals as we serve this “dinner for Jesus”.  We also take time to listen to these our brothers and sisters, and pray for their prayer requests throughout the month.

WUMC Summer Church Picnic

Dear beloved sisters and brothers of WUMC

A Blessed Morning and Day!

With Psalmist I praised our living God and prayed to God this morning:  “I love you, O LORD, my strength.  The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock whom in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.  I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, so I shall be saved from my enemies.” (Psalm 18: 1-3)

“O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, his steadfast love endures forever…. I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.” (Psalm 118:1, 21)

First, I would like to invite you, your family, your friends, and neighbors to WUMC’s Summer Party this Sunday.   We will enjoy fellowship with party foods:  1) Hot dogs with catsup, mustard, relish, and chopped onion for the dogs and potato chips.  Yes, we will roast hot dogs on the fire. 2) S’mores with graham crackers, Hershey bars, and marshmallows. 3)  Baked beans. 4) Side dishes.  5) Watermelon.  

If you want to bring more party foods, please do so.  Jesus loved his family, friends, and table fellowship. In his Parable of the Wedding Banquet (Matthew 22:1-10), Jesus talked about one of the most important elements of Christian living of the community of faith.   We, Christian believers, should go and invite people in the streets to the wedding banquet which is the Kingdom of heaven. 

Friends!  Invite your family, friends, and neighbors to WUMC’s Summer Party.   We will see and taste the Kingdom of God as we are enjoying our conversation and foods.  We will meet and greet God’s people at the sanctuary of WUMC and parsonage yard as well.

Second, my sermon title of Sunday, August 13th is “Party.”   Scriptures are Matthew 22: 1-14 and Acts 2: 37-47.    Third, I will wear Red Sox Shirt and Red Sox Hat.    As I shared with you, Myung and I are faithful Boston Red Sox fans.   If you are New York Yankees fans, please have Yankees Shirt and Hat.   We respect our differences! 

Let’s have a beautiful and blessed Sunday worship service and a joyous Summer Party.    Please join the fun party.  The Living God will continue to bless each one of us, our family, and the beloved community of faith, Weston UMC.

Pastor Oh

Dear beloved sisters and brothers of WUMC

(August 2, 2017)

Greeting

I returned home from Taize on Monday July 31st.   Once again thank you for your continuing prayers during my Taize Pilgrimage (July 21-31).  I have experienced “Steadfast love and Faithfulness of the LORD” (Psalm 117) during three daily prayer services, Bible introduction, and small group discussion.  With thanksgiving and joyful heart I pursued and mediated the three key elements of Taize spirituality:  Simplicity, Joy, Mercy.   Singing Taize songs, listening to Bible lessons,  meditating, and working with other pilgrims helped me experience the presence of the living God through Christ Jesus.  On my return trip to Boston, I felt refreshed, reformed, rejuvenated with my body, emotion, and spirit. I hope and pray that youths, young adults, and adults of WUMC join Taize pilgrimage next year. 

My sermon title of Sunday, August 6th is “Day by Day.”   Scripture readings are Matthew 11:25-30 and Acts 2: 37-47.  I have been preparing the sermon with Bible listening and reading, meditation, singing Taize songs, and prayers in the morning.   I believe that God who added numbers to the first church on earth (Acts 2) will continue to add or send new comers to WUMC.  I also believe that sisters and brothers of WUMC will continue to listen to God’s voice and follow the path and way Christ Jesus showed WUMC, the beloved community.

I would like to share the information of Church Summer Party on Sunday, August 13th. We will enjoy Summer Party at the church yard immediately after Sunday service.  We will eat hot dogs, marsh mellows, and other delicious and healthy foods. 

Jesus loved to eat meals with people.  As Acts chapter 2 shows, Christian fellowship especially table fellowship has always been a crucial part of church life through the history.   And John Wesley, the founder of Methodist movement in England also emphasized the importance of fellowship among believers, Methodists.  

Beloved sisters and brothers in Christ Jesus!

I will continue to remember each one of you and your family in my daily prayers.  Are you and your family are in town? 

Please join and celebrate communion Sunday.  "Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple.... praising God and having the goodwill of all the people.  And day by day the Lord added to their numbers those who were being saved" (Acts 2: 46-47).

Have a blessed day and week.     Peace.  Pastor Oh