For those who’ve been following our family’s journey, the latest news is that there’s a good chance I’m back on as the best option for my brother Joe’s bone marrow transplant.

So this part of the journey’s been: Continue reading “Look at God”

I recently had the opportunity to write about our family’s journey with my brother and daughter’s leukemia and specifically the search for a bone marrow donor for Joe. This is a personal passion but it’s opened my eyes to the larger challenge of unequal representation of certain communities in the registry. It is a matter of justice and literally of life.

This past Sunday morning was tough. Tabitha absolutely loathes taking her chemo cocktail of medication twice a day. It had been getting slightly better recently but she was particularly frustrated on Sunday. Continue reading “Sunday Morning Walk”

• Christians often think of “secular” in terms of art & culture but one of the ways we are most secular is in our understanding of success.
• A Kingdom-oriented life means that success can be measured by what and who comes behind us. Success is laying the foundation for those coming behind us to do even greater things that us.
• Success can be faithfully & anonymously toiling for the harvest, even if you are not the one who ultimately gets the credit for bringing it in.
• Cultural factors have to be taken into consideration when gauging success. What may be overlooked or dismissed in some contexts should be rightly celebrated in others as highly successful.
• In a narcissistic society, sacrifice for the benefit of those coming behind you is a means of God’s sanctification. It’s a merciful reminder that it’s not all about us. The fruit of those coming behind us will require a sacrificial death to ourselves and point us to our Savior.

A few years back I was honored with an alumni pastor award from my seminary.

I recall feeling really humbled. When you witness moments like that in someone else’s journey, you tend to see the “completed” picture in front of you. And for some who were in the audience that day, perhaps they saw someone who had accomplished something.

Yet as the one experiencing it, I couldn’t help but reflect on all the twists and turns of the road that got me there. Continue reading “On Being a Late Bloomer”

Our church was inspired to launch the first Ethnos Conference in 2015. Ethnos was designed as a missions conference but was unique in trying to address topics typically not addressed much or well in the normal church culture. Since then, we have been able to dive into matters such as the poor, diversity, immigration, race, and the marginalized as we sought to equip the larger Church on mission.

We are excited for the 4^th Ethnos Conference: Justice as Mission on Saturday, March 23. Eugene Cho, Nikki Lerner, and many other dynamic leaders will guide us through the hopeful pursuit of God’s justice in the ministry of reconciliation. Ethnos is a powerful gathering for worship, unity, and mission in our city and will be held at Central Presbyterian Church. Save and pre-register by the first early registration deadline of January 31. For more info including registration, go to www.ethnosbaltimore.org. Hope you can join us.

I wrote recently at Lifeway Pastors about my experience with depression. My goal is to shine a light on an area that remains all too hidden for many in the Church, especially for pastors.

“God has shown me that though He can heal, this darkness may always be a part of my journey, maybe until the end of this physical life. But even if that’s true, I don’t have to do it alone.”

https://www.lifeway.com/pastors/2018/03/21/pastor-opens-struggle-depression/?carid=kbrog-lifewaypastors-articles

 

Check out my latest at Lifeway Pastors where I tie together thoughts on Super Bowl parties and how we may approach Easter Sunday service.

https://www.lifeway.com/pastors/2018/02/22/super-bowl-parties-easter-sunday/

A version of this article originally appeared at LifeWayPastors.com and is used with permission.

When people hear that I pastor in Baltimore, the response I receive is typically: a) excitement or b) sympathy. The latter usually comes from those who view cities like Baltimore in less than positive terms and imagine that doing ministry in such a context is akin to Jonah begrudgingly obeying God to go to Nineveh. And I want to make clear that pastoring in a city like Baltimore does entail certain unique challenges. I often joke, “I must have missed the class on this in seminary.”

So, while it’s definitely never easy, here are some reasons I love pastoring in a city like Baltimore: Continue reading “Why I Love Pastoring in Baltimore”

As I serve in a multicultural church context, I often think about the factors which have molded me as a leader. With some regret, there have been more immature seasons in my past when I attributed my ability to minister cross-culturally in spite of my background, especially with the Korean church.

Upon more reflection, though, I increasingly recognize that much of who I am and how God has worked through me to pastor across cultures has actually been because of the Korean church and other churches (2^nd Generation Korean and Pan-Asian) influenced by Korean roots. God has helped to show me how my experiences were not hindrances to overcome but rather some of the very reasons I have been able to do what I do.

As with any culture, there are some aspects which are broken and need to be redeemed in the Korean church – even associated with some things I mention below – but here are a few areas in which I have benefited from my heritage and training: Continue reading “How the Korean Church Formed Me”