Returning back to worship

During my seminary years, I served in an administrative pastoral role while overseeing the missions department. In those years, missions became a significant part of my life and ministry. Many times, I traveled on mission trips more than four times a year. I still remember one particular journey where I flew for over twenty hours and then endured another twenty-four hours by train just to reach a small village near the Pakistan border to serve the Uyghur people. Not long after returning home, I would board another flight to Haiti to participate in humanitarian mission work following the devastating earthquake that shook the entire nation. Then, before long, I would once again travel several hours with young adults to minister in Native reserve communities, and later drive seven to eight hours with youth students to Montreal, Canada, for seafarer missions. As I served in the missions department for five years, one truth became deeply engraved upon my heart: We always received far more than we ever gave. We often think we are going to the mission field to serve others, to help others, but in reality, we return having been served more than we ever thought. We go believing we will bring love, yet we come back having encountered even greater love from the people we were sent to serve. This is the mysterious and beautiful way of God.

The lives of many people we encounter on the mission field are in extremely difficult condition. Their realities often break our hearts. Yet through those moments, God gently reminds us: “Remember how much grace you have been granted in your life.” The mission field has a way of awakening us from spiritual complacency. It reminds us that every breath, every provision, every opportunity, and every blessing we possess is ultimately a gift from God. And then the Lord calls us to lay all of it before Him, our time, our resources, our gifts, and our very lives, for the sake of His Kingdom. What greater privilege could there be than this?

This time, there is a large number of mission team from RockSpring Church heading to Guatemala. I ask that you would prayerfully cover them, bless them, and encourage them. Missions are never simply about changing someone else’s life. More often, missions are where God changes us. The Lord is entrusting the people of Guatemala into our care for this moment, and I pray our team will go with humility, compassion, and hearts fully surrendered to Christ. I have also witnessed firsthand the reality of spiritual warfare on the mission field. Unexpected conflicts can arise within the team. Physical sickness may suddenly come. Small misunderstandings can grow into larger tensions. This happens because missions are not merely volunteer work or humanitarian activity. Missions are spiritual battlegrounds where the gospel advances and the Kingdom of God pushes back darkness.

Throughout Scripture, we see that Paul and Barnabas faced hardship, persecution, opposition, and exhaustion during their missionary journeys. In Acts of the Apostles chapters 13 and 14, they encountered resistance everywhere they went. And in Epistle to the Ephesians chapter 6, the Apostle Paul reminds us that our struggle is “not against flesh and blood,” but against spiritual powers and authorities. That is why missions require prayer before strategy, humility before ability, and surrender before strength. Wherever we go, we must be careful not to dishonor the name of Christ, but instead reflect the fragrance and character of Jesus in every word and action.

And ultimately, the greatest reason we do missions is worship. Missions are not simply about meeting physical needs. Missions exist because there are still places where Christ is not worshiped. Missions are about establishing worship where worship does not yet exist. At the very center of all true missions must be the glory of God. Humanity was created for worship. Abraham built altars everywhere he journeyed. The early church continued worshiping even under persecution and suffering. The church exists first and foremost to glorify and worship God. That is why we must be careful in this generation not to reduce ministry into performance, entertainment, or religious showcase. Programs, events, and activities can never become more important than worship and the proclamation of God’s Word.

And so, with that in mind, we now return again to our RockSpring worship. Last week, because of our joint worship service with KM, we paused our exposition through the Gospel of Mark for one week. But now we return again to the place we must always return to, the presence of God through worship and the bold witness to the Word of God. We must worship again. We must proclaim the Word again. We must fix our eyes upon Jesus again. No ministry, event, or activity can ever take priority over worship and the Word of God. This week, I look forward to gathering once again with the family of RockSpring Church at our 11 AM worship service and 2:00 PM as we exalt the name of Jesus Christ together.

I also want to sincerely thank every RockSpring member who so graciously served last week through meal preparation. You all are beautiful people of God. Our faithful Father God sees every sacrifice, every act of love, and every faithful prayer of RockSpring Community. Please continue praying for the mission team. And throughout this week, may we once again return to the place of worship, walk faithfully according to the Word of God, and live lives that is so consistent (upright heart) centered on lifting up the name of Jesus Christ.

Grace and Peace,

Rev. Won Kim

Lead Pastor or RockSpring Church