All New, All the Time

E.E.E.
Easter evangelism eggs. Instead of flowers in the pulpit, we had a basket filled with hard boiled eggs ready to go for evangelism after Easter Sunday service. Cool, huh? On a sunny Sunday in Seoul, we went to the park and handed out tracts and Easter eggs. It was great fun for us all. There was resurrection life on the countenances of our church members that was hard to ignore by the people we met. Truly, the risen Savior and Lord was alive in our hearts today!

Spring has come to South Korea. We saw the first yellow forsythia blooming as we walked to the park, and I think some early pale pink cherry blossoms on the ride home from church today. The farmers in my neighborhood are preparing their fields for planting. The rice field across the street from where I live has done some burning.

The fields are stubbled stripes and the odor of smoke and organic fertilizer, a.k.a. manure, is in the air whenever I walk home from the bus stop after teaching Bible college. I think all the dogs along my route must know me by sight now. They all bark at me as I pass their yards, and it seems that they pass the word along to the dogs further down my route that I am coming, because each dog is waiting to greet me with woofing and yapping as soon as I come in sight. It reminds me of the starlight barking in 101 Dalmatians. Even the dog who lazes in my front yard joins in, barking like a fearless watchdog until I get within ten feet of him; that's when he turns tail and retreats to his doghouse to hide. So far, he is all bark and no bite, which is funny since his Korean name means Tiger.

This month has been one of firsts: my first time wearing Korean traditional clothes (the missions march in Budapest); my first Korean funeral (the father of a church member); my first time speaking a message at a funeral; my first class of the new school year at Yeomyung School (we're up to 19 students now!); my first time doing a communion service here in Seoul; my first time going to the hospital in Korea as a patient (dehydration); my first time teaching a class on Spiritual Warfare (I was so nervous before I started); and my first time eating intestines (I'm hoping this was the last time also). As my friend and Easter play buddy, Carolynn Peters likes to say, "It's all new, all the time!"

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.  2 Corinthians 5:17

Isn't that the beauty of Easter? Isn't that the point of the resurrection? Isn't this what our Christian lives are supposed to be all about?

Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.  Romans 6:4

Newness of life! As we were walking to the park today, one of the Korean teenagers, Samuel, asked me, "Do you know why we have eggs for Easter?" I said, "No. Why?" I thought he knew the reason since he knows so much about history, but he was asking me because he did not know. At the time, I had no answer but to say, "I think the egg must be a symbol for something." Now I think I know. An egg represents newness of life.

"Jesus" by Joy

Jesus Christ came to our little blue planet to give His life in exchange for our old lives, so that we could walk in the newness of life day by day, moment by moment. Our lives don't have to be the "same old same old." And our lives as Christians shouldn't be. Our lives should be "all new, all the time." I'm looking forward to the week ahead, not just because my parents will be arriving Friday for a visit, but because there are other firsts down the road that God has planned for me, like flags flying in the breeze marking my way...

As for God, His way is perfect.  Psalm 18:30