Invitation to a Warm Bonfire Morning Meditation Gathering – Pastor Young Joo Lee
I started studying English, a language I had shied away from since high school, at the age of forty when I decided to come to the UK for missionary work. I attended an English language institute, but it was not easy to juggle it with my pastoral duties, so I also studied one-on-one with native […]
“Serving as Chairman of the Association of Korean Churches in England” – Pastor Young Joo Lee
In 2008, the year I came to the UK, I immediately joined the Association of Korean Churches in England because I thought unity was important. When I was an associate member, the president pastor offered me to work with him as a secretary. Although I did not even know the types of stamps, I obediently […]
“Truth and Vision is a Living Character” – Pastor Young Joo Lee
When contemplating truth, it’s often viewed as the ‘right path’ or ‘guiding life’s true teachings’ and many world religions aim to convey this. During Saturday evangelism in central London, a common phrase is used when engaging with those exploring religions or acknowledging the Creator with unclear beliefs. The phrase goes, ‘Choosing a religion should be […]
“Now is the time to evangelise” – Pastor Young Joo Lee
I came to the UK as a missionary in 2008. So, while serving in a Korean church, I often pondered how to do missionary work in the UK, which is known as a Christian country. There were many forums and seminars on the re-evangelization of Europe happening all over Europe, accompanied by concerns about the […]
“Faith and common sense” – Pastor Young Joo Lee
This week I watched a video about a recent, problematic cult leader and their evil deeds. Seeing such things makes me sad and angry every time. Not only about the religious cults themselves but I feel the same way when seeing the followers who believe the leader to be a god or a being of […]
“Misunderstandings of our personal Holy Spirit” – Pastor Young Joo Lee
“Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.” (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22) The term ‘good’ and ‘evil’ used in this verse is not about general goodness and evil but it is rather referring to the prophecies. In other words, […]
“British Church and Korean Church” – Pastor Young Joo Lee
A few weeks ago, I met a second-generation Korean pastor who ministers in a British church. After initially working in the finance industry, he decided to study theology later in life. He is currently serving in a relatively large British church with more than 200 congregants, primarily of British origin. He mentioned that, occasionally, he […]
“The two misunderstandings about God” – Pastor Young Joo Lee
To know someone is not about holding their information but knowing their personality. The most certain and quickest way to know God is to follow the Bible. This is because it is the only book that has collective information about Him who created this world, what He has done and who He is. By leaving […]
“Between Free Will and God’s Sovereignty” – Pastor Young Joo Lee
The most frequently asked religious question is the relationship between God’s sovereignty and free will. If God knows everything (omniscience) and can do anything (omnipotence), I think our free will would be of no use, to put it in extreme terms. Just because God knows everything does not mean we are destined to live as […]
“Relationships Created Through Sacrifice” – Pastor Young Joo Lee
During university, I enjoyed reading a book called “Letters from the Countryside,” written by Reuben Archer Torrey III of the American Episcopal Church. What stood out was his redefinition of the church. Torrey argued that the ancient Korean term for church, 敎會 (kyoehoe), meaning “a gathering for teaching,” should be replaced with 交會 (gyohwe), meaning […]
