Taemin Han

Take Note - December 2013

December 19, 2013

It is time to close the year of 2013. Around this time of year, many people will try to recall what they have achieved and what they have lost. There are things that can be measured easily, like changes in someone’s financial situation or social status. In contrast, there are subtle things in our lives that can’t be recognized clearly. Are you happier this year than last year? This kind of question should be answered with various standards and concepts of measurement.

When I recall the musical activities at our church this year, I can say that this year was even better than last year at First Presbyterian Church. We have had a successful Spring Concert in May, and we will have another great joint Christmas service and concert with First Congregational Church on Sunday, December 8. Everyone of our Sunday services has had heavenly music that our choirs prepared. And, I should mention that my organ playing skills have improved a lot since I started playing here in the Fall of 2011. We sent a few singers away after their graduations, but welcomed some other new faces to our musical groups, including two volunteer students from the University of Northern Iowa. Our new bell choir group for beginners, Praise Ringers, has played for services and concerts successfully throughout the year.

But the more important achievements that we have experienced are beyond these visible accomplishments. I have found ample possibilities for even more and rapid growth in our ministries. Through the Advent season, we come to think about the meaning of waiting. Time is always in God’s hands, but His answer is for the people who keep trying and searching for God’s time and voice. I have found that many of our church members are giving such heartfelt efforts here and there in every corner without ceasing. God will know these people’s efforts and hear their prayers.

I believe that this coming year of 2014 will be an even better year for our ministry. The reason I believe so is not because of what we have done, but because of the people I have witnessed at our church, and our God who supports us when we fully rely on Him in pursuing what He wants us to do.

Posted by Taemin Han. Posted In : Take Note - FPC, Waterloo

Take Note - November 2013

November 4, 2013

The talent show we had on Sunday, October 13, was successful. We enjoyed many people's talents in music, dance, and many jokes our children and youth group presented made the whole show go smoothly. So, I would like to start my "Take Note" with some jokes for this month.

A man was complaining to God, "Oh my God. I have kept praying to give myself a chance to win the lottery. Why didn't you give me that luck?" God's answer, "Son, why don't you buy a ticket yourself first and pray?" Here'...

Posted by Taemin Han. Posted In : Take Note - FPC, Waterloo

Take Note - October 2013

October 1, 2013

There’s an interesting and unique piece written by American experimental composer John Cage (1912-1992). The title is 4’33” (four minutes, thirty-three seconds). It’s for any instrument or combination of instruments, but the performers will not play anything during the total duration of the piece. John Cage said that, in his opinion, it is his most important work. I think the composer’s idea of this piece shows us one of the many aspects of live performances.

In regard to convenie...

Posted by Taemin Han. Posted In : Take Note - FPC, Waterloo

Take Note - September 2013

August 30, 2013

During one of the days when Grace was in her early years of elementary school, Miah and I found her doing an interesting job around a potted plant. She held a radio and played some music for the plant. When we asked what she was doing, she explained that this music would help the plant grow well. We didn’t know where she got the idea, but it seemed quite impressive. Music is also recommended for our pets. Many veterinarians recommend music for our dogs when they get stressed or too excite...

Posted by Taemin Han. Posted In : Take Note - FPC, Waterloo

Take Note - August 2013

August 1, 2013

On Sunday, July 21, our Summer Choir sang an anthem, “Bind Us Together” for service, and I added the flute and trombone parts for Grace and Solomon to join us. During the rehearsal before the service, one of the choir members told me that the sound of the flute was not noticeable because of its low range. I told her that you will hear more towards the end of the piece. I arranged the flute part to play the melody line in the beginning, some counter-melody (descant) for the middle, and the...

Posted by Taemin Han. Posted In : Take Note - FPC, Waterloo

Take Note - July 2013

July 6, 2013

“Big boys don’t cry.” It seems like an old-fashioned statement meaning that to control your emotions in public is a virtue. The equivalent for girls may be “Big girls don’t frown.”

After 16 years in the USA, my family had a good time with our family in Korea. Most of them met Solomon for the first time and Grace was three years old when they last saw her. Even with this circumstance, we saw only laughter and smiles we shared together.

When the time came to say our last good-bye ...

Posted by Taemin Han. Posted In : Take Note - FPC, Waterloo

Take Note - June 2013

June 17, 2013

Summer is a season when we get out of closed spaces to a widely open world. We enjoy catching up with our neighbors and friends and making new friends during the summer. Busy school and church schedules get more relaxed and we can take a deep breath until Fall.

Around the time you are reading this article, I will be in Korea with my family. There’s a Korean proverb, that says, “The time of a decade can change even the shape of mountains and rivers.” I want to check how much sense thi...

Posted by Taemin Han. Posted In : Take Note - FPC, Waterloo

Take Note - May 2013

May 14, 2013

During the winter of 2009, three days before New Year’s eve, my family and I moved to Waterloo from Michigan where we spent 12 years. One of the choir members I shared six years with gave us a bowl as a farewell gift. The bowl had a line of words printed which read “Home Is Where the Heart Is.” That short sentence comforted me amazingly.

The first time I stepped on the land of the USA, New York and New Jersey area, for visiting my friend for a week, I felt like Alice in Wonderland. ...

Posted by Taemin Han. Posted In : Take Note - FPC, Waterloo

Take Note - April 2013

April 12, 2013

Can you think of our lives without music? Music is everywhere around us. When we celebrate our birthdays and when we send off our beloved ones at their funerals, there is music. We need music when we are happy, and music will comfort us when we are sad.

I read an article about a cellist, Vedran Smailović, who played his cello in unusual places during the siege of Sarajevo. He played mostly Albinoni’s Adagio in G Minor in ruined buildings. In his honor, composer David Wilde wrote a solo piec...

Posted by Taemin Han. Posted In : Take Note - FPC, Waterloo

Take Note - March 2013

April 12, 2013

Sometimes we spend time finding out how we can be the best person to our important people. Making more money looks like one of the many ways to make this wish come true. Spending more time with them will be another way. These two ways, however, don’t go along with each other easily. There may be some more answers we can think of, but I would like to say that my answer for this question is being where we should be for them.

There was a conversation with a mother, who lost her daughter to an a...

Posted by Taemin Han. Posted In : Take Note - FPC, Waterloo