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[Zoom In] Priming Water of Love Thawing the World
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January 12, 2009 |
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Pumping up water from the ground requires a bucket of water to be poured in first; only then can the pump lift up a large quantity of water. This first bucket of water is called "priming water." A small deed on our part, we hope, will become priming water of love that serves to thaw the world with the love of Our Lord.
  Most beautiful hands in the world
People who sacrifice themselves for others and share their own possessions with others are truly beautiful.
The Relief Committee (Rev. Soojin Lee, Chairman) of Manmin Central Church provides living expenses, food, and other necessities to more than 600 families each month.
The purpose of providing relief is helping them to grow their faith and reach salvation. The relief items are delivered to each house by Mission Presidents and District Leaders of each parish. Coming across Manmin members who, although a little embarrassed at first, never stop saying "Thank you," the messengers of love are reminded of the heart of Our Lord who wishes to give rest and peace to all the peoples. The messengers feel all the more worthwhile when the recipients of the relief not forgetting the grace, always remaining thankful, and growing their faith as proper Christians.
The Scholarship Department in the Relief Committee rewards scholarships to the children of pastors and church workers and students in financial difficulty. The recipients are selected at the recommendation of parish pastors and mission guidance pastors and chosen for the examples they set as Christians.
Scholarships to college students are rewarded twice a year while elementary-, middle-, and high-school students receive scholarships quarterly, and the number of recipients has been on the rise. After receiving financial assistance, we have heard that some of the students have motivated themselves to do better and they have received merit-based scholarships. Unbelieving parents of other recipient students have begun attending church.
Manmin family: Bound by the Blood of Our Lord
Whoever said, "Blood is thicker than water," is indeed right. Of course, the saying refers to the deep affections among blood relationships, but the affection among family members bound by the blood of Our Lord is also deep and tight.
When they pickle kimchi (Korea's traditional fermented dish made of vegetables with varied seasonings), Manmin members remember the faces of their district family members and share it with them. Remembering those who live by themselves, Manmin members leave side dishes at their front entrance. They never hesitate to share baby products from one family to another while others serve the elderly as their own parents and rejoice in doing house chores for them. When they see closets and other furniture that can be easily recycled, Manmin members take them, fix them as new, and bring them to whoever may be in need of them. When boilers or sewage facilities are out of order at other members' homes, Manmin members are the first to offer help.
Such kindness and love are evident not just during the Holiday season but every day of the year.
Manmin members do so not to gain others' recognition or because they have been so directed. By the love they have received from the Lord, their hearts are abundant whether they have or have not and as such, they are naturally considerate of others.
  Helpers for all occasions
Gratitude for friends who endure together the joy and sorrow of life lingers on in the heart, and the Wedding Department and the Funeral Department in the Congratulations and Condolences Committee of Manmin Central Church (Rev. Young-Suk Kim, Chairman) are such friends.
The Wedding Department assists all involved for the smooth and grace-filled proceeding of the ceremony. As some of the guests invited and in attendance do not believe in God or are members of other churches, the Department makes every effort to help them feel at home.
The Funeral Department makes considerations for the church members who find them in financial difficulty and assist in the funeral process. Conducting of the Deathbed Service knows no night or dawn; whether it is the middle of a monsoon season or a blizzard, the Department members serve as pallbearers. However, a large rainbow in the sky or the unusually warm weather during the coldest period of snowy winter serves as the proof of the fellow member's salvation and all those who assist in the process are overwhelmed by God's love, grace, and gratitude. The Department members say they feel most worthwhile when family members, who had not previously believed before, say they will start attending church upon seeing the willingness and the resolve of Manmin family members who readily come to their aid in times of sorrow.
At the end of a year in which people are in a cheery mood is the very time to look around and see whether there are any neglected neighbors suffering from the freezing cold of the winter.
As the Bible tells us, "The generous man will be prosperous, And he who waters will himself be watered" (Proverbs 11:25), people who share love with their neighbors will experience the joy of witnessing their own lives prosper.
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