Articles for Church Newsletter

The Messiah concert on Sunday, December 9, that First Presbyterian and First Congregational presented in our church sanctuary was well received and successful. More than 400 people sat in the pews and about 50 people on the stage made a beautiful atmosphere while we glorified God in unison.  The power of music is really a gift from God! 

After the concert, I started thinking of the many other ways we can serve the people around us.  Music is one of many tools we can use to lead people to Chr...

If someone asks you which is more important,  the beginning or the end of each year, what would be your answer?  You might answer that the beginning is more important because a good start will more likely lead you to good results.  Or, you will say that the end is more important, because good results are your final goal even if you start badly.

However, it is not easy to identify the clear points of beginning and ending in our life.  The concept of the beginning and ending of each year is on...

Many people make resolutions for the New Year, in preparation for what’s to come.  But how often do we take the time to review the previous year in order to see how far we’ve come?  It’s good to look back over our past to see what we have accomplished and examine how we can build in the future.

When the temperature gets cooler and the leaves begin to change color, I start thinking back to the early days of each year.  At the beginning of 2012, I was so appreciative of my new calling at...

I heard a story of a farmer who had a winery from his ancestors.  Someone asked him why he was working so hard to make new wine even when he was so old and might not get a bottle good enough to sell in his lifetime.  The answer from him was that it was because he had gotten those good old wines that his father and grandfather put in storage a long time ago.  When we work hard, sometimes it's not just for ourselves but for the future of our children and grandchildren.  Without those efforts of...

My daughter, Grace, left home for college last Wednesday.  I thank God for this opportunity and the new chapter of life for her.  While getting back from Iowa City after dropping her off at the University of Iowa, I recalled all 18 years that I have shared with Grace.  The question that returned to me again and again was "What would be the most helpful thing I can give her as a parent for her life?"

As church musicians and an immigrant family, we have not enjoyed a financially rich life.  But,...

In the middle of summer, I had a good chance to refresh my body and spirit by attending a conference for church musicians at St. Olaf College. It was a heart-touching moment to see Dr. John Ferguson playing the organ during the worship service for the last time in his tenure at the college. Everyone gave him respect by clapping for a long time. He was a well-known organist, composer and music educator. Dr. Anton Armstrong, choral director at St. Olaf College, also gave us many thing...

One word that can have very opposite meanings in different situations is "contagious."  If it is used with the name of a disease, it will mean making the situation more serious, and we want to prevent it from happening.  But sometimes it can mean passing our emotions and feelings to other people.  In this case, contagious can make either positive or negative results depending on what is conveyed. 

The second Sunday of June was the first day our Summer Choir sang for service during this summ...

Whoa! This choir year is almost over! When I started serving in the middle of the church choir year here at First Presbyterian, I started without much preparation. My previous experiences as a church musician helped me out a bit. Without the patience and warm-hearted team spirit of our choir members, and encouragement from church members, however, I couldn't have survived up to this point. I thank the God for you! (This was the anthem we sang on Mother's Day Sunday.)

Now we enjoy the outdoors ...

As I am writing this article, I have a few days left in preparing for the Eastertide Concert. One of the pieces of the program is J.S. Bach's cantata No. 166, and the title of the first movement of the cantata is "Where are you going?", from John 16:5, Jesus' questions for his disciples: "but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, 'Where are you going?'"

During the last Lent period, Grace and I had a chance to watch the movie "The Passion of Christ", directed by Mel ...