What are the opening hours?

Monday 9am - 4pm Tuesday 8:30am - 4pm Wednesday 8:30am - 4pm Thursday 8:30am - 4pm Sunday 9am - 1pm

St. John's United Methodist Church, 5312 Backlick Road, Springfield, VA (2026)

06/14/2026

"Commissioning: Come and Do Mission!"

Matthew 9:35-10:8 NRSV

06/14/2026

-St. John’s Pulpit (June 14, Third Sunday after Pentecost)-“Commissioning: Come & Do Mission” Matthew 9:35-10:8

35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
10 Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. 2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Cananaean and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.
5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not take a road leading to gentiles, and do not enter a Samaritan town, 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Cure the sick; raise the dead; cleanse those with a skin disease; cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment.

Sermon Note:
Heading to the 244th Virginia Annual Conference
This coming week, the 244th Virginia Annual Conference will convene in Harrisonburg (June 17-20). Among the many items on the agenda for the Annual Conference, the most important is always the Bishop’s sending of all clergy to their appointments. Each of the District Superintendents confirms his or her district's clergy appointments with the Bishop, and then new and existing appointments are fixed.
In this way, all clergy are sent to their respective churches to serve. This is always a spiritual and mysterious experience. At the same time, pastors feel a profound sense of responsibility as they prepare to walk through another challenging year with their congregations. Therefore, please keep the upcoming Annual Conference and the three delegates from St. John’s in your prayers.
In that sense, today’s scripture story resonates deeply with us. Just as the Bishop sends all clergy to churches across the Virginia Annual Conference, Jesus now sends out his twelve disciples. Please look at Matthew 9, verses 37 and 38:
37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Matthew 9:37-38 NRSV
The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. I am not sure how many people today would readily agree with this remark. Do you see a plentiful harvest in these times? As we witness the growing number of non-believers, we might realize that the harvest is becoming potentially plentiful. Yet, there are many challenges and hurdles to seeing true mission fruit. No matter what, to see the harvest gathered, we need well-prepared laborers in our churches. So, for the upcoming Conference this week, I pray that the Virginia Conference will recognize many good laborers called to serve our churches and send them out.
There is one particularly meaningful celebration occurring at this Conference. There will be a special recognition for an Asian-American pastor who was ordained sixty years ago right here in the Virginia Conference. After graduating from the Master of Divinity program at Duke Divinity School, he began his ministry in Virginia. At that time, he was the only Asian-American pastor in our Conference. He must have faced incredible challenges in his ministry as well as in his personal life. It is clear that what he experienced in the 1960s and what we are experiencing today in 2026 are totally different.
Despite many challenges and hurdles, he saw the potential for Asian-American clergy to grow in Virginia. Why? Because he knew that the Virginia Conference needed more Asian-American laborers! Thanks to his wonderful leadership and prayers, sixty years later, there are now 92 Asian-American clergy in our Conference. That is almost a hundredfold blessing!
8 Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold. Mark 4:8 NRSV
Very fortunately, this legendary clergyman visited St. John’s in October 2018 when we celebrated our Consecration Sunday. His name is Rev. MJ Kim. Because Rev. MJ shared a wonderful relationship with Barbara Pratt, the Sunday service during his visit was blessed in many ways. For my family and me, Rev. MJ is very special because he supported my own transition to the Virginia Conference back in 2014.
During the opening worship of this coming week's Conference, there will be a special Conference offering. This offering will benefit the MJ Kim Fund for Immigrant Clergy and the Virginia Conference Center for Belonging & Advocacy. St. John’s will contribute $400 toward this special offering.
Here is the lesson for us: although churches are surrounded by many challenges regarding their future, Jesus wants us to remember this: The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few! What we are called to do is our very best to harvest more and more through our prayers and our support.
Jesus’s Mission Strategy: Find the Lost Sheep
What makes today’s story a little bit controversial is Jesus’s mission strategy immediately after sending out his apostles:
5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not take a road leading to gentiles, and do not enter a Samaritan town, 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Matthew 10:5-6 NRSV
“Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel…” At first glance, this sounds like a Jewish-centric mission initiated by Jesus. It was not for the Gentiles or the Samaritans, but strictly for the lost sheep of Israel. Should Jesus be blamed for a bias in his mission strategy?
However, we know that today’s story must be read alongside the Great Commission in Matthew 28:16-20 - the Risen Christ commands his disciples to take the mission to the Gentiles, that is, to all nations!
18…“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 NIV
From the Lost Sheep to the Whole World
When we remember that the rise of Christianity came out of the Judaic tradition (even Jesus himself was a Jew), it makes sense that the initial Christian mission strategy began with the people of the Jewish community. Apostle Paul was also a teacher rooted in this tradition. Focusing first on the lost sheep of the house of Israel was a careful, deliberate approach to evangelizing within the familiar community. From there, the movement naturally expanded outward to the Samaritans and to the Gentiles, eventually reaching the ends of the earth.
Today, what we really need to concern ourselves with are the lost sheep within our own boundaries. Please take a moment to recall what the United Methodist Church has experienced over the last few years. Unlike some other denominations, we have lost many Methodists due to two major events: the pandemic and our painful disaffiliation process.
Because of the social distancing protocols during the pandemic, Methodists—and Christians broadly—had to keep a physical distance from their churches. Furthermore, because of the disaffiliation process, we had to experience an emotional distancing from one another.
At the same time, many Methodists walked away or moved to other denominations because they were heartbroken and exhausted by the ongoing conflicts in their local churches and the wider denomination. Simply put, they chose a third way. Consequently, we now have many lost sheep right among us. If this is true, what should we do first? Don’t you think it is time to focus on the lost sheep in our immediate community?
Since the General Conference in 2024, we have heard a lot of news from our denomination. In my personal opinion, most of that news has been focused on restructuring, merging, combining organizations, and leadership or staff changes due to financial challenges. It has been all about restructuring the system of the denomination.
But don’t you think it is time to reignite our mission zeal in the local church?
I believe our denomination needs to offer a clear, hopeful mission strategy on how to invite the lost sheep near us back home. Furthermore, we need to encourage all clergy—reminding them of the power and authority given to them by Jesus Christ—and send them out into the world.
10 Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. Matthew 10:1 NRSV
As your pastor, I am humbled and privileged to attend this year’s Annual Conference. Representing St. John’s UMC, this will be my 8th conference. Thanks to your incredible support and prayers, St. John’s has paid 100% of its apportionments to serve both local and global missions in the United Methodist Church for the last eight consecutive years. This is why I am so deeply grateful to all of you for your dedicated stewardship and prayers.
As all churches navigate the post-pandemic and post-disaffiliation landscape, the story of Jesus sending the Apostles gives us a very simple, yet powerful action item: it is time to proclaim the Good News and practice the power and authority given to us by Jesus Christ. I pray that all of our delegates will rediscover and reclaim this beautiful possibility through the upcoming Annual Conference.

06/14/2026

-St. John’s Pulpit (June 14, Third Sunday after Pentecost)-“Commissioning: Come & Do Mission” Matthew 9:35-10:8

35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
10 Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. 2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Cananaean and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.
5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not take a road leading to gentiles, and do not enter a Samaritan town, 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Cure the sick; raise the dead; cleanse those with a skin disease; cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment.

Sermon Note:
Heading to the 244th Virginia Annual Conference
This coming week, the 244th Virginia Annual Conference will convene in Harrisonburg (June 17-20). Among the many items on the agenda for the Annual Conference, the most important is always the Bishop’s sending of all clergy to their appointments. Each of the District Superintendents confirms his or her district's clergy appointments with the Bishop, and then new and existing appointments are fixed.
In this way, all clergy are sent to their respective churches to serve. This is always a spiritual and mysterious experience. At the same time, pastors feel a profound sense of responsibility as they prepare to walk through another challenging year with their congregations. Therefore, please keep the upcoming Annual Conference and the three delegates from St. John’s in your prayers.
In that sense, today’s scripture story resonates deeply with us. Just as the Bishop sends all clergy to churches across the Virginia Annual Conference, Jesus now sends out his twelve disciples. Please look at Matthew 9, verses 37 and 38:
37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Matthew 9:37-38 NRSV
The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. I am not sure how many people today would readily agree with this remark. Do you see a plentiful harvest in these times? As we witness the growing number of non-believers, we might realize that the harvest is becoming potentially plentiful. Yet, there are many challenges and hurdles to seeing true mission fruit. No matter what, to see the harvest gathered, we need well-prepared laborers in our churches. So, for the upcoming Conference this week, I pray that the Virginia Conference will recognize many good laborers called to serve our churches and send them out.
There is one particularly meaningful celebration occurring at this Conference. There will be a special recognition for an Asian-American pastor who was ordained sixty years ago right here in the Virginia Conference. After graduating from the Master of Divinity program at Duke Divinity School, he began his ministry in Virginia. At that time, he was the only Asian-American pastor in our Conference. He must have faced incredible challenges in his ministry as well as in his personal life. It is clear that what he experienced in the 1960s and what we are experiencing today in 2026 are totally different.
Despite many challenges and hurdles, he saw the potential for Asian-American clergy to grow in Virginia. Why? Because he knew that the Virginia Conference needed more Asian-American laborers! Thanks to his wonderful leadership and prayers, sixty years later, there are now 92 Asian-American clergy in our Conference. That is almost a hundredfold blessing!
8 Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold. Mark 4:8 NRSV
Very fortunately, this legendary clergyman visited St. John’s in October 2018 when we celebrated our Consecration Sunday. His name is Rev. MJ Kim. Because Rev. MJ shared a wonderful relationship with Barbara Pratt, the Sunday service during his visit was blessed in many ways. For my family and me, Rev. MJ is very special because he supported my own transition to the Virginia Conference back in 2014.
During the opening worship of this coming week's Conference, there will be a special Conference offering. This offering will benefit the MJ Kim Fund for Immigrant Clergy and the Virginia Conference Center for Belonging & Advocacy. St. John’s will contribute $400 toward this special offering.
Here is the lesson for us: although churches are surrounded by many challenges regarding their future, Jesus wants us to remember this: The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few! What we are called to do is our very best to harvest more and more through our prayers and our support.
Jesus’s Mission Strategy: Find the Lost Sheep
What makes today’s story a little bit controversial is Jesus’s mission strategy immediately after sending out his apostles:
5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not take a road leading to gentiles, and do not enter a Samaritan town, 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Matthew 10:5-6 NRSV
“Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel…” At first glance, this sounds like a Jewish-centric mission initiated by Jesus. It was not for the Gentiles or the Samaritans, but strictly for the lost sheep of Israel. Should Jesus be blamed for a bias in his mission strategy?
However, we know that today’s story must be read alongside the Great Commission in Matthew 28:16-20 - the Risen Christ commands his disciples to take the mission to the Gentiles, that is, to all nations!
18…“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 NIV
From the Lost Sheep to the Whole World
When we remember that the rise of Christianity came out of the Judaic tradition (even Jesus himself was a Jew), it makes sense that the initial Christian mission strategy began with the people of the Jewish community. Apostle Paul was also a teacher rooted in this tradition. Focusing first on the lost sheep of the house of Israel was a careful, deliberate approach to evangelizing within the familiar community. From there, the movement naturally expanded outward to the Samaritans and to the Gentiles, eventually reaching the ends of the earth.
Today, what we really need to concern ourselves with are the lost sheep within our own boundaries. Please take a moment to recall what the United Methodist Church has experienced over the last few years. Unlike some other denominations, we have lost many Methodists due to two major events: the pandemic and our painful disaffiliation process.
Because of the social distancing protocols during the pandemic, Methodists—and Christians broadly—had to keep a physical distance from their churches. Furthermore, because of the disaffiliation process, we had to experience an emotional distancing from one another.
At the same time, many Methodists walked away or moved to other denominations because they were heartbroken and exhausted by the ongoing conflicts in their local churches and the wider denomination. Simply put, they chose a third way. Consequently, we now have many lost sheep right among us. If this is true, what should we do first? Don’t you think it is time to focus on the lost sheep in our immediate community?
Since the General Conference in 2024, we have heard a lot of news from our denomination. In my personal opinion, most of that news has been focused on restructuring, merging, combining organizations, and leadership or staff changes due to financial challenges. It has been all about restructuring the system of the denomination.
But don’t you think it is time to reignite our mission zeal in the local church?
I believe our denomination needs to offer a clear, hopeful mission strategy on how to invite the lost sheep near us back home. Furthermore, we need to encourage all clergy—reminding them of the power and authority given to them by Jesus Christ—and send them out into the world.
10 Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. Matthew 10:1 NRSV
As your pastor, I am humbled and privileged to attend this year’s Annual Conference. Representing St. John’s UMC, this will be my 8th conference. Thanks to your incredible support and prayers, St. John’s has paid 100% of its apportionments to serve both local and global missions in the United Methodist Church for the last eight consecutive years. This is why I am so deeply grateful to all of you for your dedicated stewardship and prayers.
As all churches navigate the post-pandemic and post-disaffiliation landscape, the story of Jesus sending the Apostles gives us a very simple, yet powerful action item: it is time to proclaim the Good News and practice the power and authority given to us by Jesus Christ. I pray that all of our delegates will rediscover and reclaim this beautiful possibility through the upcoming Annual Conference.

06/07/2026

"Faith Journey 101"

Genesis 12:1-9 NRSV

06/07/2026

-St. John’s Pulpit (June 7, Second Sunday after Pentecost)-
“Faith Journey 101” Genesis 12:1-9
12 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 Abram took his wife Sarai and his brother’s son Lot and all the possessions that they had gathered and the persons whom they had acquired in Haran, and they set forth to go to the land of Canaan. When they had come to the land of Canaan, 6 Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. 8 From there he moved on to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east, and there he built an altar to the Lord and invoked the name of the Lord. 9 And Abram journeyed on by stages toward the Negeb.

Sermon Note:
Time to Take a Journey
For all United Methodist clergy, June is a month full of emotion, worry, and hope. Although they officially begin their new appointments on July 1, their actual moves take place this month. They need to arrange a moving plan with their future churches, and if they have school-aged children, they must coordinate with schools in advance.
All these examples are typical and expected. For many, it is a happy journey. But for some clergy, they are asked to take an uncharted journey—one that feels more like an adventure requiring lots of prayers. For instance, one of our neighboring churches will soon receive an associate pastor who just graduated from seminary. Because this pastor is an international student, this appointment looks like an adventure for both the church and the pastor. Meanwhile, another colleague of mine is leaving his pulpit because he needs to focus on cancer treatment. Others are looking toward new church planting because their churches have been merged or closed. The point is this: the month of June brings smiles to some and tears to others. In this way, all UM clergy learn how to embark on a new journey and experience God’s guidance and grace.
Was Abram Happy?
As we begin this new month of June, today’s story resonates deeply with us. We are standing at the halfway point of the year, looking at the months ahead.
Here is a question: When Abram was called by God, was he happy? Do you think he was excited? Taking a journey is always exciting as long as we know our destination. Without knowing it, we become stressed and anxious. In today’s story, Abram’s dilemma was exactly this: He had no idea where he was going! The only thing he knew was that he needed to go, period.
In the Book of Jonah, Jonah was told to go to Nineveh. Although he did not obey the Lord, at least he knew where to go! If we know the destination, we can choose whether to go or not. But Abram was told to leave everything that secured his safety and prosperity, and to take a journey without knowing his destination.
12 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. Genesis 12:1 NRSV
To make matters more difficult, Abram’s journey was not for himself alone. He had to bring his family and everyone under his care.
5 Abram took his wife Sarai and his brother’s son Lot and all the possessions that they had gathered and the persons whom they had acquired in Haran, and they set forth to go to the land of Canaan. Genesis 12:5a NRSV
Although it was God’s calling, Abram had to take care of not only himself but also a large community of people. Therefore, his journey was filled with risks born from sheer uncertainty.
As I mentioned at the beginning, a clergy appointment is often just like this. No one knows how it is going to turn out. It could be the promised land, or it could be a wilderness. All clergy eventually learn that ministry is sustained not by their own power, but by God’s power. When Abram began his journey, how did he make it without failing or giving up? In today’s story, we see that Abram’s journey relied on 'constants' and 'variables.'
Constants & Variables
In mathematical terms, a constant is something that never changes, while a variable is something changeable. A careful reading of today’s story reveals Abram’s two constants: 1) walking "as the Lord had told him," and 2) building an altar to the Lord.
The first constant Abram used was continually reminding himself of what God had said.
4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Genesis 12:4 NRSV
Please look closely at that phrase: "as the Lord had told him." The reason Abram could endure the uncertainty of his journey was that he repeatedly recalled God’s commandment. Just as the Magi navigated their long journey by keeping their eyes on the bright star, Abram was motivated by constantly remembering God’s words.
What about our own life journeys? Nothing is perfectly clear. Nothing is entirely safe. Our lives are full of challenges and troubles. It is often said that life is a comedy from a distance, but a tragedy up close. If someone you know is going through a trial, do not assume it is their issue alone. Big or small, we all face similar troubles and issues daily. Surrounded by so many variables, the only way we can steady our lives is through God’s word. Recalling the moment we were called, repeating the good memories, and remembering the stories where we experienced God’s grace—these are the constants that help us finish our journey. Recalling God's word is entirely an act of our own will. That means it is an area we can control!
Abram’s second constant was worship. Please look at verses 7 and 8 carefully, and notice the repeating action:
7 Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. 8 From there he moved on to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east, and there he built an altar to the Lord and invoked the name of the Lord. Genesis 12:7-8 NRSV
He built an altar to the Lord and invoked His name. I believe this is exactly what made Abram the father of faith, don’t you? Although he could not control the challenges around him, he never stopped worshipping. In Matthew 2, we see the same thing. What motivated the Magi to keep moving forward was their clear goal: worship.
We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him Matthew 2:2b NIV
Here is one last question: What were the variables in Abram’s journey? Alongside his constants, today’s story presents Abram’s variables: his family (and those under his authority) and his territory.
When Abram began his journey, he must have shared his plan with his family. Of course, they supported his decision and followed him. But later on, Abram faced conflicts with his wife, Sarai, and eventually, his nephew Lot left Abram’s camp!
Isn’t it interesting? Common sense tells us that family should represent stability, comfort, and encouragement. In that sense, we want to categorize family as a constant. But in Abram’s journey, family is mirrored as a variable! Through this, today’s story teaches us not to rely solely on people. God is the only One we can completely trust.
What about territory as a variable? It seems at first that the land of Canaan was given to Abram clearly by God:
6 Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” Genesis 12:6-7a NRSV
But instead of settling down right then and claiming the land, Abram kept moving.
9 And Abram journeyed on by stages toward the Negeb. Genesis 12:9 NRSV
In general, people want to settle down successfully. They are busy figuring out where they will retire or finding the perfect neighborhood for their kids. But in a journey of faith, territory—the physical place—should not be our end goal. In short, a faith journey is not so much about where we go, but with whom we go.
During the Exodus, the Israelites were guided by God’s grace through the pillar of fire and the pillar of cloud. They were heading to the Promised Land, but they learned to value the immediate presence of God by repeatedly pitching and packing up their tents in the wilderness. Likewise, in our faith journey, we need two pillars to guide us: Recalling God’s word and worshipping Him. From now until the end of this year, we are called to walk our journeys with that same faith. Let’s do this together, and let’s do it better than Abram!

05/31/2026

"Let the Names Be Blessings for Others"

Matthew 28:16-20 NRSV

05/31/2026

-St. John’s Pulpit (May 31, Trinity Sunday)-
“Let the Names Be Blessings for Others” Mathew 28:16-20
16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him, but they doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit 20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Sermon Note:
The Great Commission
Traditionally, the Sunday after Pentecost is Trinity Sunday. Simply speaking, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are highlighted as we move into this Pentecost season. While much of our focus during this time is on the great works of the Holy Spirit, the Trinity Sunday we celebrate today plays an important role in balancing our faith. It reminds us to equally value the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Perhaps this is the hidden beauty behind Trinity Sunday.
With that in mind, today’s scripture, famously known as the Great Commission, is the perfect choice for Trinity Sunday. Please look at verses 19 and 20 carefully:
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit 20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. Matthew 28:19-20a NRSV
"In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit..." The Great Commission was established by the Triune God. Interestingly, the Gospel of Matthew does not actually narrate Jesus’s Ascension. Instead, Matthew ends directly with the Great Commission. This means these words were spoken by the Risen Christ in His final moments on earth. And still, this "last" commission remains active and alive for you and me, and for all churches and Christians today.
Here is a question for you. If today’s story is the last commission, what about the first commission in the Bible? Do you know what it was? I believe we can find it in Genesis 1:26-28:
26 Then God said, “Let us make humanity in our image to resemble us so that they may take charge of the fish of the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the earth, and all the crawling things on earth.” 27 God created humanity in God’s own image, in the divine image God created them, male and female God created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and master it. Take charge of the fish of the sea, the birds in the sky, and everything crawling on the ground.” Genesis 1:26-28 CEB
This is the story of how God created humanity and commissioned them to take care of God’s creation. Here is an interesting point that requires our attention: God the Creator is depicted in the ‘plural’ form in verse 26!
"Let us make humanity in our image to resemble us..."
One of the most reliable theological interpretations is that when humanity was made, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—the Triune God—created us together! Then, the Triune God blessed humanity and commissioned them to be fertile, multiply, fill the earth, and take charge of all creatures. I believe this stands as the very first official commission from God in scripture. Don't you?
The Difference in the Commissions
While the Great Commission in Matthew 28 takes place between the Risen Lord and His disciples, the First Commission in Genesis 1 was made between God and all of humanity. Both stories share a foundation in the Triune God. Yet, despite this common ground, there are some key differences.
On one hand, the First Commission in Genesis 1 was limited to the immediate environment where humanity lived. All the benefits and privileges were given strictly to those first human beings. It is hard to say that those first humans had a transformative impact on others; they were primarily the beneficiaries of God's grace.
However, the Great Commission in today’s gospel has a distinct goal: to transform others through discipleship. The role of Jesus' eleven disciples was to act as God’s agents, executing exactly what He directed.
Think about it simply: the real beneficiaries of the Great Commission are those who will become disciples, will be baptized, and will be taught. Centuries ago, the disciples had no idea who those people would be. But today, you and I are the fruit of that Great Commission.
At the same time, we are now asked to pass it on and practice the Great Commission for someone else. In this way, the Kingdom of God expands, the disciples of Jesus multiply, and the holy impact of Christians is strengthened. That is the core point: the Great Commission by the Risen Christ was designed to transform other people.
When the Gospel Was Introduced to Korea
We can see a powerful historical example of this in Korea. Among the many Protestant denominations there, the two largest have always been the Presbyterian Church and the Methodist Church.
One hundred and forty-one years ago, the first two missionaries landed in Korea with the Gospel. One represented the Presbyterian Church, and the other represented the Methodist Church. Since then, these two denominations have navigated a relationship of both supporting and competing with each other.
Though they arrived at the exact same time, their mission strategies were quite different:
• The Presbyterian missionaries wanted Korean Christians to focus primarily on personal salvation and faith. Because their strategy focused on individual salvation, they were initially less active in building hospitals, opening schools, or training local Korean seminarians. Their singular focus was salvation itself. While this allowed Presbyterian churches to grow incredibly large and numerous over time, it has also faced modern criticism for leading to a "privatization" of faith among believers.
• The Methodist missionaries, on the other hand, sought to transform Koreans by providing modern education. Their focus was on transforming families and whole communities. Because of this, when Korea was under Japanese colonial rule, it was the Methodist missionaries and leaders who played an active, vital role in supporting the Korean Independence Movement.
Korean Methodist leaders poured their passion and prayers into bringing freedom to their country, helping lift their people out of ignorance, poverty, and disease. Many Korean Methodist clergy studied in the United States and returned to serve not just in pulpits, but in leadership positions throughout society. Countless hospitals and schools were founded by Methodist missionaries. In fact, one of the early Korean Methodist Bishops even published the very first concise English-Korean dictionary!
When we look at this history, we see that the Methodist mission in Korea beautifully mirrors the Great Commission of Matthew 28. Its goal was to transform the Korean people, make them disciples of Jesus Christ, and teach them to be the light and salt of the earth. The profound depth of how this mission shaped a nation is hard to overstate.
Miracle Sunday
As we head into June, clergy and lay delegates across the Virginia Annual Conference are gearing up for our upcoming Annual Conference in Harrisonburg. Among the many important topics on the agenda is a campaign called "Miracle Sunday."
There will be plenty of opportunities to learn about this campaign in the coming weeks, but at its heart, "Miracle Sunday" is a fundraising effort to support education funds for clergy in Africa.
As you may already know, Christianity is growing explosively across the African continent. In geopolitics and economics, the term "Global South" is often used to describe developing or emerging regions across Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Asia. But in the world of Christian missions, the term "Global South" is a phrase of praise, success, and immense potential—especially given the incredible church growth in Africa.
While we praise God for this abundant fruit, we also recognize a critical need: they need many more pastors who are deeply trained and educated in theology.
The "Miracle Sunday" campaign in the United Methodist Church is launching to provide exactly that theological education support. To make true disciples of Jesus, we need well-prepared spiritual leaders. Those equipped leaders will, in turn, teach and baptize others on and on.
Therefore, Miracle Sunday is not just a one-time event; it is an ongoing movement to bring miracles to our world. Don’t you think this is a 21st-century version of the Great Commission? Let us take up this call together, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit!

St. John's United Methodist Church

06/14/2026

06/14/2026

06/14/2026

06/07/2026

06/07/2026

05/31/2026

05/31/2026

Address

Opening Hours

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Contact The Place Of Worship

Shortcuts

Share

Category

Monday	9am - 4pm
Tuesday	8:30am - 4pm
Wednesday	8:30am - 4pm
Thursday	8:30am - 4pm
Sunday	9am - 1pm