Prayer upon beginning work

“My good God, Father, and Savior, grant me aid by your Holy Spirit to now work fruitfully in my vocation, which is from you, all in order to love you and the people around me rather than for my own gain and glory. Give me wisdom, judgment, and prudence, and freedom from my besetting sins. Bring me under the rule of true humanity. Let me accept with patience whatever amount of fruitfulness or difficulty in my work that you give me this day. And in all I do, help me to rest in my Lord Jesus Christ and in his grace alone for my salvation and life. Hear me, merciful Father, by our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.” -

Tim Keller, Prayer, 265

(Based on the Prayers of John Calvin)

The Need for Embodied Spirituality

We want to encourage you to join us in person rather than online. The importance of meeting in person gets support in Genesis 1 & 2, and is consistent with the Bible’s view of the body. See how Tish Harrison Warren puts it in her New York Times op-ed piece.:

“offering church online implicitly makes embodiment elective. It presents in-person gatherings as something we can opt in or out of with little consequence. It assumes that embodiment is more of a consumer preference, like whether or not you buy hardwood floors, than a necessity, like whether or not you have shelter.”

Quote on Love

In a reflection on marriage and career goals in the New York Times, Esau McCaulley writes: "Love always has an element of death to self."

This challenges the modern definition of love as intense positive feeling or interest. Real love goes deeper than interest or pleasure. According to Tim Keller, to love somebody means to place your happiness inside their happiness. Sometimes that means you won’t immediately be fulfilled. In his book “The Meaning of Marriage,” Keller says the purpose of marriage is not self-fulfillment but self-sacrifice. This goes against our culture’s definition of love and marriage. There’s a lot to say about this, but I find it both fulfilling and challenging at the same time.

Encouraging because it helps me to see that love is not the shallow, curated version that you see on Instagram. Challenging because it requires way more of my life than just feeling.

A Prayer for Gifts

Heavenly Father,

Grant me character that exceeds my gifts.

Grant me humility that exceeds my platform.

- Scott Sauls

Christmas Service - Joint Worship on Sunday 12/26

For Sunday, 12/26 the EM will worship with the KM at 10:30am. The Sermon will be in both English and Korean. After worship, there will be food and fellowship.

EM worship will resume on 1/2.