John Louk

John Wesley established covenant services as an important part of early Methodist life. He wrote in his Journal, “Urged the wholly giving up ourselves to God and renewing in every point our covenant that the Lord should be our God.” Toward the end of his life, they were usually celebrated on New Year’s Day. It is appropriate for us to begin 2011 by renewing our covenant with the Lord God. In the old covenant, God chose Israel to be a special people and to obey the law. Our Lord Jesus Christ, by his death and resurrection, has made a new covenant with all who trust in him. We stand within this covenant and we bear his name. On the one side, God promises in this covenant to give us new life in Christ. On the other side, we are pledged to live not for ourselves but for God. Therefore, may we renew the covenant which binds us to God.   Let us claim the covenant God has made with his people, and accept the yoke of Christ. To accept the yoke of Christ means that we allow Christ t

The Christmas story is the story of what God has done with the brokenness of the world. In the  midst of sin, pain, grief, suffering, loss, brokenness, God intervened. God disrupted what had been going on. This is a story that goes back to the very beginning.   As it says in  Genesis, the first book of the Bible, “In the beginning, God.” God created the world and everything in it. Simply by speaking, God created the entire cosmos. It is the very theater of God’s glory, the kingdom over which he reigns.   The pinnacle of that creation was when God made humans in the image of God. God created us to be in relationship with God and with one another. It was paradise in the Garden of Eden. It says in Genesis that God would come and walk with the man and woman, Adam and Eve, in the cool of the evening. And then a catastrophe happened. Brokenness. The fall. Humans were tempted and led away from our good beginning. It got so bad that God was sad he had created humans at all. So God destroyed

Salem has a new website. You can check it out at  www.SalemChurchCR.com . Also, the sermons I preach at Salem are posted on the website  here . I am adding a shortcut to the sermons I preach on the links list on my blog.

Once again, the Church continues to challenge the way we live during December. The Church says, “Christmas is not your birthday. Celebrate your birthday when it is your birthday. Celebrate Jesus’ birthday on Christmas.” Shopping and spending money on stuff does not celebrate Jesus’ birthday. Jesus said he came to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free (Luke 4:18). Jesus did not come so some of the wealthiest people in the world (that is us) could have more stuff. Christmas is a wonderful time of year. Still, it is not about consumption but compassion. It is not about presents but presence. It is a time to be generous. Therefore, I want to challenge us all to celebrate Jesus’ birth by giving to mission with our money (and our time and service, too!). The Missions Committee has identified Heifer International as a mission emphasis for our entire congregation to support. You can read more about H

After nearly two-and-a-half years, Salem gathered for our first worship services on November 21 in our own, new location. God is good! Considering it was new for all of us, our first Sunday went very well. We had about 215 people in the two services. A week later, on November 28, we had 249 for our Grand Opening celebration. Following the ancient tradition, we consecrated the church building for the proclamation of the Word and the celebration of Holy Communion. At the beginning of this year, the big question for Salem was: Where would we land as a congregation? Like the Israelites who wandered in the wilderness for forty years before entering the Promised Land, it felt like Salem did not have a home. The flood in 2008 forced Salem on a journey. Now we have taken our first steps in a new place. In many ways it feels like we need a moment to take a breath and relax a bit. It is good to celebrate and thank God for the ways in which God has taken care of us. While we celebrate, it

Yesterday, Salem gathered to worship in its own, new location for the first time since the flood in 2008. It has been quite a journey. God is good! For local media coverage, click here and here .

Salem will celebrate our Grand Opening in a new location on the first Sunday of a new Christian year, November 28, the first Sunday of Advent. We hope to move our offices by the middle of November and hold our first worship services (9:00 am and 11:00 am) on the previous Sunday, November 21. On that last Sunday of the Christian year, we celebrate the reign of Christ and our commitment to Jesus’ reign. That also will give us an opportunity to gather together in our new location and see how everything works before our Grand Opening. I am especially grateful to the members of the Building Task Force for their time and work: Louis Busch, Linda Jandik, Joy Louk, Mark Minger (chair), Richard Pankey, Bob Thompson, Sharon Vavra, and Paul Vieira. They have done a wonderful job. Furthermore, many people from the congregation have worked and helped, too. Thank you! I believe we will be very pleased with our facility when we relocate around the middle of November. We have been waiting with gr

Salem is experiencing a “re-start,” a new church plant with an existing core of people. Like a new church start, we must focus on the basics: worship, a core group of people, a process to disciple people in the way of Jesus Christ, and multiplication. Worship . When we move into our new location we will finally (after more than two years!) have a place of our own to gather for worship. That means Salem will once again have two worship services on Sunday morning, at 9:00 am and 11:00 am. We are planning on live musicians to lead the singing in our contemporary service. The traditional service will include the piano/organ and choir. As we grow, we will get ready to start a third service at 7:45 am. Our new sanctuary will be a wonderful space in which to worship. Core Group of People . As an existing congregation, Salem already has a core group of people. This is a tremendous blessing and I am extremely grateful for everyone who has kept Salem going over the last two years since the fl

Salem's leave taking worship service was yesterday afternoon, officially deconsecrating the flooded building downtown as the congregation prepares for the buyout and a new location. Click here and here for the local media stories. Click here for the leave taking service bulletin.

Salem's bell was removed on August 25, 2010 and moved to Salem's new location. Pictures by Mark Minger. Music (Awesome God) performed by Eden's Bridge - The Best of Celtic Praise and Worship.

KCCI reporter Katie Ward interviewed Bishop Julius Trimble on the Cnnference's "You Can Make the World a Better Place...Be Encouraged" effort.

Just before Easter in 2002, Joy and I visited Seoul, Korea. We met with Bishop Sundo Kim, the pastor of the largest Methodist church in the world, Kwanglim Methodist Church. Bishop Kim was appointed to the congregation in 1971. There were 150 members. Over the next 30 years the church grew from 150 to 80,000. To begin with they had no money or resources. But every Wednesday evening became “soul winning” night. They gathered for thirty minutes of Bible study. Then for thirty minutes they went out by twos visiting door to door. At each house they simply talked about God and what they had experienced in their lives. They shared their personal stories. Then for thirty more minutes they gathered back at the church to share testimonies of what had happened that evening. Doing this they grew day by day and built the Kwanglim Methodist Church (20,000 people) and several branch churches (60,000 people). Kwanglim became the largest Methodist church in part because of the many branch churches

[Recently I was asked to share Salem’s story with the East Central District as a witness of discerning God’s call and beginning new ministry. Of course, most congregations are not thrust into it as Salem was. Still, as God’s people we are always formed and reformed, made over and over again. This is the article I wrote.] How is God at work in our community? How can our church participate in God’s mission to renew creation and usher in the kingdom of God fully? How will God’s Word continue to be spoken and heard in our community? What is the consequence of our praying, “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven?” These are some of the questions Salem has been asking since the flood of 2008. We looked at a church building that was for sale. We determined to accept the buyout of our downtown property. We considered building on the land that Salem already owns on Blairs Ferry Road. There were many opinions about what we could or should do. We determined we need

For worship in September we continue in the Season After Pentecost (ordinary time) and return fully to the Revised Common Lectionary. In fact, we will begin reading all four scriptures appointed for each Sunday. Lectionaries are ancient, however, the revitalization of the current lectionary is usually traced back to the Second Vatican Council: "The treasures of the Bible are to be opened up more lavishly, so that richer fare may be provided for the faithful at the table of God’s Word. In this way a more representative portion of the holy Scriptures will be read to the people over a set cycle of years" ( The Documents of Vatican II , Walter Abbott, ed. [Piscataway, N.J.: New Century, 1974], p. 155).   While we will read all four lections, the sermon will usually focus on one or two of the scriptures. Even so, the Holy Spirit will speak to us in all the readings. We gather each week to hear what God says to us.

The bell was removed from the downtown building and moved to Salem's new location. Check out the local media coverage here and here .

Witness an Iowa-made Personal Energy Transportation (PET) vehicle being delivered to "Naomi" in July 2010. She is a 20-year-old woman in Nigeria and has crawled all her life until she received the PET. The PET was reassembled by Yusuf in his carpentry shop.

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. (Hebrews 13:2 NRSV)   When we have guests over to our home, we do what most people do. We get ready. We vacuum and clean, prepare food, and set up the house. When guests are coming, we also fix things that have needed fixing or replace things that need replacing. When it is just my family, we clean and pick up. But often we do not fix or replace things because we get used to them and we are willing to live with them. It does not have to be the best for my family. But when guests are coming over, we do those extra things to make it as nice as possible. We want to offer our best. We want our guests to feel special and enjoy being with us.   That is what we are doing as we prepare our new location on 33rd Avenue. We are not just preparing a place for “us.” We are getting ready for guests! We are going to reach out to all the neighborhoods surrounding our new location and

When Jesus came to the tomb of his friend, Lazarus, he ordered that the stone be removed. Even Lazarus’ sister hesitated. She said, “He has been dead four days." Jesus promised they would see the glory of God. So they took away the stone and Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” As Christians we believe in resurrection. We believe that God brings life from death. Salem has the chance to embody that theology. It is perhaps an opportunity that few congregations have. It has come at great cost. Still Jesus cries out, “Salem, come out!” Salem has been called forth to new life, to begin again in a new place. What does this mean for us? To begin with, we give thanks to our God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God has rescued us and given Salem new life. We are God’s people, the people of his kingdom. God has not abandoned us. God has, indeed, been faithful to us, working in ways we have not always known or understood. Furthermore, we will continue to seek God’s wi

This article from the Cedar Rapids Gazzette on flooded congregations includes information about Salem. Churches see providence on flood anniversary

Salem has embarked on a journey to a new location. With our Conference Superintendent, Rev. David Crow, conducting the church conference, the congregation voted to accept the gracious offer from New Creation UMC to take over their 8.5 acres and phase one building for the cost of their remaining mortgage (about $312,000). There were 95 ballots handed out to professing members and members of the charge conference. There were 84 yes votes, 9 no votes, and 1 abstention for a total of 94 ballots returned. The motion passed by 89%. Therefore, Salem will move to 3715 33rd Ave SW later this summer. This is a major turning point in the life of Salem. It has been nearly two years since the flood destroyed Salem’s downtown buildings. Now God is leading us to a new place. I am reminded of God leading the Israelites to the Promised Land. The L ORD God told Moses to leave Sinai, where the Israelites received the Ten Commandments, and journey to the land that the L ORD had promised Abraham, Isaac,

I am very grateful for the offer from New Creation UMC. Since they are closing at the end of June this year, they have offered their 8.5 acres, phase one building, and blueprint plans for expansion to Salem for the cost of their remaining mortgage (about $312,000). Our brothers and sisters there must have had a difficult time deciding to discontinue after eighteen years. Furthermore, in the midst of grieving they had to decide what they would do with their land and building. While they had more than one option to consider, they chose to have a kingdom vision and offer it to Salem. In the face of death, they chose resurrection for New Creation and for Salem. In the meantime, we were fasting and praying during Lent, seeking God’s guidance and direction for Salem. I am thankful for everyone who fasted and prayed! A church does not operate on a model or by pastoral plans and strategies. Rather, the Spirit of God moves in purposeful and often surprising ways to accomplish God’s will. As

On April 3, 2010 the New Creation United Methodist Church officially offered to Salem their land, building, and blueprint plans for expansion. New Creation will officially discontinue at the end of June this year. Salem’s Leadership Board met on Tuesday, April 13, 2010 at New Creation to see and discuss the offer. The Leadership Board decided unanimously to recommend to the Salem congregation this offer from New Creation. Therefore, in order to reach an official decision, we will have an Open House at New Creation, a congregational meeting, and a Church Conference. There will be an Open House at New Creation United Methodist Church on May 2 from 5:00 – 7:00 pm. This will give everyone interested the opportunity to see the land, building, and plans for expansion as well as the location and surrounding neighborhoods. New Creation is located at 3715 33rd Avenue SW. It is next to the west side Target. Turn west off of Edgewood Road onto 33rd Avenue and it will be just ahead on the le

The New Creation United Methodist Church, on the southwest side of Cedar Rapids, is officially discontinuing at the end of June 2010 after eighteen years. On Easter Sunday we announced that they are offering Salem their land (8.5 acres), phase one building, and blueprint plans for expansion. Salem would need to assume their outstanding mortgage, a little over $300,000. That is about a fourth of the property value. The Flood of 2008 destroyed Salem's church building. With this offer from New Creation, there could be resurrection for both congregations. Our next step will be the Leadership Board's decision to pursue this or not. We will do that in the next couple of weeks. If the Leadership Board chooses to pursue this offer, we will then prepare to have a Church Conference. That will be Salem's official decision. We will have at least one congregational meeting before a Church Conference as we did when we worked on the decision for the buyout of the downtown property. Again

Jesus began his ministry by proclaiming, “The kingdom of God has come near” (Matthew 4:12-17; Mark 1:14-15) . It could also be translated as, “The kingdom of God is at hand.” Besides preaching this, Jesus also taught us to pray for God’s kingdom, saying “Our Father in heaven, hallowed by your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4) . Jesus proclaimed that God’s kingdom has come. He taught us to pray for God’s kingdom to come on earth, here and now, not as a reward when we die. Wherever God’s will is done here and now, it is a sign of God’s kingdom. One of the most beautiful descriptions of the kingdom of God in all of scripture occurs at the end of the Book of Isaiah: For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating; for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy, and its people as a delight. I will r

How do we as a congregation make decisions? This is an important question for us, considering we have been and will be making major decisions for the future of Salem Church. In his wonderful book, Does God Need the Church? , German theologian Gerhard Lohfink fleshes out the characteristic signs of the Church. One of the foundational marks of the Church is gathering. When the New Testament refers to the Church, it usually uses the Greek word ekklesia , meaning assembly or congregation. The new community of Jesus gathered in Jerusalem after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension called itself the ekklesia of God. The early Christian communities were public assemblies of the whole people of God. In fact, the origin of “ ekklesia of God” is the people of God gathered at Sinai in the Old Testament. In the book of Deuteronomy, Israel was gathered around the mountain and received the Ten Commandments. It was called “the day of assembly” and it was the foundational assembly of Israel, the ev

I am encouraging our congregation to fast during Lent which begins on Ash Wednesday, February 17. This is simply an invitation and not an expectation. There will be a short meeting following worship (about 12:45 pm) on Sunday, February 7 for everyone planning to fast during Lent . We will make sure everyone understands how to fast, answer questions, and encourage one another. As I said at the beginning of January , fasting is a spiritual discipline; it means abstaining from food for spiritual purposes. Fasting and prayer go together. Therefore we devote the time normally used for eating to reading scripture and prayer. Furthermore, the feeling of hunger is a reminder to draw near to God. Doing so often leads to greater intimacy with the Lord and to hearing more clearly what the Lord is saying to us. While there are interesting physical things that happen when we fast, far beyond anything physical is the spiritual. This is a discipline that helps us hear from the Lord and be in the

John Wesley, the instigator of the Methodist movement, was an Anglican clergyman. In March 1739 he left London and met his friend, the evangelist George Whitefield, in Bristol. He then did something stunning. He preached outside in a field. Wesley wrote in his journal: [March 31, 1739 ] “I could scarcely reconcile myself at first to this strange way of preaching in the fields, of which [Mr. Whitefield] set me an example on Sunday; I had been all my life (till very lately) so tenacious of every point relating to decency and order that I should have thought the saving of souls almost a sin if it had not been done in a church. April 1.—In the evening (Mr. Whitefield being gone) I began expounding our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount (one pretty remarkable precedent of field-preaching, though I suppose there were churches at that time also), to a little society which was accustomed to meet once or twice a week in Nicholas Street. Monday, 2.—At four in the afternoon, I submitted to be more vil

I am encouraging our congregation to fast during Lent. This is certainly not an expectation but rather an invitation. Since Lent begins on February 17 (Ash Wednesday), those of us who choose to do this need to begin preparing now. I am using Richard Foster’s wonderful book, Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth , to help us prepare. Much of this post is directly from his book. Fasting is a spiritual discipline; it means abstaining from food for spiritual purposes. Many persons in the Bible fasted, including Moses, David, Elijah, Esther, Daniel, Anna, Paul, and Jesus. This is an ancient discipline that we too would do well to practice. Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) about giving, praying, and fasting as virtues of the kingdom people. Jesus did not say, “If you fast.” Rather he gave directions for “When you fast.” A few chapters later the disciples of John the Baptist approached Jesus and asked why both they and the Pharisees fasted but Jesus’ d