Dear Friends,
I’m in Southern California this week, away from the cold of the East-coast winter, enjoying the warm sun and the spring-like breeze. I think it is about 60 degrees outside, but the ocean wind actually feels a bit chilly. People were still swimming in the outside heated pool, but they didn’t stay too long once they came out of the water and rushed back into their rooms.
I’m attending a meeting of the Center for Pastoral Refreshment (sounds like a special beverage distributor) which is a ministry of Westminster Seminary in California. They received a large funding from Lilly Foundation to “promote pastoral excellence.” In response, they operate these retreat (about 4 times a year) to help re-equip pastors to do better understand the context of their ministry. I am give a several hours of lecture this week for the pastors and their wives, mostly Korean-American anglophones from California. I’m also enjoying the time with one of my professors from years past, the president of the seminary, Dr. Bob Godfrey. I had him as a professor between 1986-88. It seems like yesterday, and he seems not much older than when we first met, but amazingly decades have gone by. We laughed a bit talking about the old days. It is a bit humbling to lecture in front of a former professor of mine, but he is giving me a lot of encouragement.
By the way, the place where we’re staying is a remarkably beautiful resort called, St. Regis. I sometimes feel a little awkward, because I’m being over serviced, that is at every corner there is an attendant ready to assist me. What luxury! I guess I am too much a commoner in my heart to feel uncomfortable here. Well, truly, I’ll probably never pay my own money to be in a place like this, but I’m trying to enjoy what I can.
Hope you are all having a great week! I’ll do my best to give good and helpful lectures. I expect that all of you will continue to serve the Lord wherever you are, not despairing nor overconfident, but continually trusting the Lord who gives us the measure of faith.
Pastor, I just discovered you have a blog. Which cements the reality that you might be the hippest man at Jubilee. I’m strangely proud that I can boast to my friends that my pastor is a blogger. Very trendy of you, Moksanim, nicely done.
Thank you again for breakfast this morning. It was a pleasure to sit and enjoy coffee and food with you and Sahmonim. Thanks even more for your encouraging words. It’s deeply appreciated during this awkward time of transition.