Sumgmu’s Monthly Message, September 2025

Welcome to September! It was pretty hot and humid in July and August! Some days were too hot to do anything, even hard to breathe. Now, we can feel the cool air in the morning and evening. The summer is going, and the autumn is coming. We thank God for this wonderful gift of the changing seasons.

Although we are getting closer to the fall, some days can still be very hot, but not hot enough to turn on the air conditioner. Then, what do we do? Yes! Open the window so that we can feel the cool air. What else can you open in September? “Open hearts, open minds, open doors!” This is the catchphrase of the United Methodist Church.

Many of us want to make our church more active and better in the sight of God. Many of us know that we need newcomers at Sunday worship in order to have more volunteers for church activities. However, not many of us put into practice what we know. Christian faith is not the matter of what we know, but the matter of what we practice in Christian life.

We need to do more than just coming to church on Sundays. I would like you and me to act on what we understand of the call to follow Jesus. Let us begin with a simple thing: inviting someone we know into the church. Do you think that you have no one to invite? Open your eyes. You will see someone you can invite. Open your ears. You will hear someone you can invite. Open your hearts and minds. You will feel someone you can invite.

That could be a friend. That could be a family member. That could be your neighbor who lives next door. While inviting our friends and neighbors, we need to prepare ourselves with prayer. Even though we have a plan, it is God who makes it complete. It is we who spread the seed, and it is God who makes it grow.

As we begin September, let us listen to the voice of Jesus Christ: Open hearts! You will find God who works with you. Open minds! You will realize God’s yearning for you. Open doors! Your church will be more active and much better in the sight of God. Amen.

Sungmu Lee