“God’s Continuing Creation and the People of God”
We are living in the world God created. Here, I used the past tense, “created,” but I actually think that it would be more appropriate to use the present progressive tense, “is creating,” to express God’s creation. God is creating the world. This is because God is still working for us in this world, maintaining all lives in the order of the universe. In this continuing creation, where is our position? We are clearly the objects of that creation. And at the same time, we are the subject of the creation with God. It means that God is creating the world with us. We are participating in God’s creation, realizing, and practicing God’s loving and gracious will. When we believe in God, we follow the way of
Jesus Christ, and we walk with the Holy Spirit, we co-create the world with God according to God’s willingness.
In 2024 we are here at another starting point for our faithful journey. Here, we are not just the object of God’s creation, but also, we are the active participants of God’s continuing creation. What should we do in this continually creating world? God gives us another chance to co-create the world in which we can spread out God’s love and grace and we can realize God’s justice and peace. I hope all our First & Wesley family will become co-creators of God’s world through the actualization of God’s willingness of love and grace toward God’s justice and peace.
For our participation in God’s continuing creation, our church will be:
a worship community in which God’s Word is bravely proclaimed
a ministerial community in which God’s love and grace are deeply experienced
a missional community in which God’s justice and peace are practically realized through the people of God
This is how we realize the kingdom of God in this world. For this vision, we need the people of God who strongly believe in God, faithfully follow the way of Jesus Christ, and sincerely walk with the Holy Spirit. This is the reason why we need you as the people of God. Amen.
Pastor Jinha Choi
First & Wesley United Methodist Church