Cheon Seong Gyeong: Episode 280
Cheon Seong Gyeong Book 9: Home Church and the Tribal Messiah
Chapter 3: The Mission of a Church Leader
Section 1: The Mission and Responsibility of a Church Leader, 10
Section 2: The Public Life of a Church Leader, 03
(10) God, who has been taking responsibility for the providence of restoration, is the most pitiful of all beings. When people receive something, they are often not content; they want something more. If so, from whom? They want something from a particular central figure. If all those who follow God desired to be recipients, God would be in trouble. Whether they desired love or some other precious gift, if everyone tried to make it their own possession, He would be in big trouble. That is why He has emphasized conditions that involve relationships. In your life of faith, you are faithful not for yourself but for the sake of others; in interacting with and loving others, you do so not for yourself, but for them. Accordingly, you should follow the way of faith, live for the sake of others, and love based on this public standard. You should set such a standard in your life. Therefore, you need to become a more public person.
(11) The mission of a leader is not only to propagate or sow the Word but also to reap it. The act of propagating the Word is the same as sowing it, but the leader must also reap it. The leader needs to water the sprouts, nurture them and pull out weeds, so they can flower and bear fruit. The leader's mission is accomplished only when the fruit has had time to ripen, and is ready for harvest. Hence, a new leader should not uproot a plant that someone else has sown. Instead, the leader should nurture it well. Though it was planted by someone else, when the leader nurtures it well and harvests it, it will be stored in his heavenly storehouse. Nevertheless, instead of thinking like this, a new leader may uproot it and replant it as if it were his own, without understanding the former leader's character or overall method of guidance. As a result, the plant may die. He should not do this.
(12) In all respects, the most active members are the mainstream in the church. Those who are in charge of the church are like the Levites of Israel. The Levites did not have a share in the land. So who gives a salary to the ministers? The congregation does. To maintain their livelihood, church leaders need to demonstrate to the church members that they bring a higher value. In other words, a church leader needs to become a sacrificial offering, able to inspire the church members so that they joyfully donate and even offer to bring food. This is the way of a church leader. By practicing the heavenly way, I came to learn this law.
(13) God cannot help but watch you, the people who need to take responsibility to reform the environment that can be His foundation. Unification Church members who serve in public positions in all departments must have a heart of restoration; otherwise, they will not be able to transform this world into the heavenly kingdom. In this world full of tears, we must build this movement while shedding tears. Then we must expand it from a national movement to a worldwide movement. True Unification Church members and leaders are those who shed tears. Since the Fall led to tears, we need to be restored through tears. Therefore, do not cry for yourself; instead you must shed tears for humanity centered on God. The more such tears you shed, the closer you are to the realm of Heaven's heart.
(14) In following the path of faith, you should not insist on going your own way. On the path of faith you have to climb up step by step; you are following behind many leaders in the spirit world who took the spiritual path during their lifetimes on earth. You cannot form a relationship with Jesus until you have surpassed his three disciples, Peter, James, and John. Trying to do so would be like approaching a person of higher rank and introducing yourself; that would be impolite. In this respect, in leading a life of faith you need to know the quickest way to glory. That way is finding and following the special paths of those who took responsibility to cultivate their spirituality.
(15) The church leader must build a bridge between the Will of God and our day-to-day lives. One who pursues a personal agenda cannot become a church leader. A leader is responsible to serve as a bridge between God's Will and the people. Therefore, that leader should live for the sake of the believers who come to see him or her. A church leader exists for the church members and, focusing on the Will of God, is responsible for their psychological well-being and spiritual life. A leader guides church members based on his or her area of responsibility. Thus, if the leader is in a high position from God's point of view, members who unite with that leader can also rise to that high position. When your leader offers devotions for you and prays for you and for the forgiveness of your sins, through that prayer you can attain the same standing as the leader. This is why people wish to be prayed for by someone who has received special grace. In this manner, your leader builds the bridge for you to find your way. However, the closer we get to the Last Days, the closer we approach the time when the internal issues of the spirit world will manifest on earth. At that time there will be many religious leaders who can personally carry out Heaven's work.
(16) People today are so indifferent to others. In their everyday relationships, they seldom respect one another or the bonds between them. Regardless of gender or age, people tend to have the attitude that dealing with others is a nuisance. If you view others as a nuisance, you cannot walk the path of righteousness. For God to carry out His providence of restoration, He needs not just the Republic of Korea. He needs to connect all people throughout the world; for this reason God is deeply interested in us. That has been one of the most important goals in God's providence thus far. If we are truly a group of people gathered to accomplish this goal, we should be willing to stand with God and take the same interest in people. We should relate to people not just superficially, but with a deep heart. Then we will be in a position to form true relationships and genuine bonds.
Section 2. The Public Life of a Church Leader
(1) When I am even a little late for morning pledge service, I cannot hold up my head for the rest of the day. Such is the kind of life I live. Throughout that day and week, I cannot get a grip on myself. The following week I wake up early and offer devotions tenfold or even a hundredfold to indemnify my lapse of the previous week. Only after I have set such a condition can I feel at ease. This is how I live my life. What a difficult life! I may look impressive when talking to you, but to be able to do that I must live a life that is full of restrictions, with no way out for weeks and even months on end. Is it a private life or a public life? It is a public life. You have no idea what a difficult position I am in as a religious leader.
(2) My history will not be written while I am alive; it will be written only after I pass on. If I did anything that cannot be recognized publicly, based on the Principle, then I will be in serious trouble. The question is whether the content of the Principle supports my way of life. If my life is thought to have gone in the wrong direction, I will end up losing everything I have achieved. That is why a person in charge is in a difficult situation. A leader should not be the first to go to bed, no matter how tired he or she may be. He or she should not lie down until everyone else has gone to bed, and should be the Last to finish praying. A leader should lead a life of faith and offer devotions, even if it means living in poverty with hardly anything to eat or wear. Such is the position of a leader. When a leader lives that way, he or she cannot go wrong, no matter what others think.
The path of public righteousness
(3) Even when you do something as ordinary as eating rice, you should consider whether your act of eating is public or private. When you eat a meal, eat for the thirty million people of Korea and for the people of the world. If you try to make the world exist for the sake of Korea, Korea will be reduced to ruin. If you try to make the world exist for the sake of the United States, the United States will be brought to ruin. The United States can prosper only when It exists for the sake of the world.
FFWPU, USA