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Teresa Kwon |
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49 year old, husband of Lissa, father of Emma (almost 8), visual artist, christian (episcopalian), operations manager at UT Performing Arts Center, native Austinte, current elginite, and chainsawweilder. everything on this web site copyrighted by
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January
2003
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December 2003
Although I only made one session of the SOMA conference by all reports it was really good, solid teaching about taking our position in Christ in God and making ourselves available for God's work. Thanks To Bishop Tengatenga for his faithfulness in proclaiming God's word.
We got the house ready for the St. Nick party and even though we had quite a few folks cancel at the last minute due to the incredible business of this time of year we had a really good party. St. Nick showed up as usual and I even managed to get a close up of him this year.
Lissa made gumbo and everyone brought lots of good things to eat. I built an awsome (if I do say so myself) bonfire and we sang some christmas carols around it and roasted marshmallows. Emma and Peggy lead us in a few carols on the piano inside.
I guess the conference was a bit too good because we all got slimed big time on Sunday. We arrived at church at our normal time 2-1/2 hours before the service starts at five to get the music gear set up and run of the music and practise but there were all of these people filing into the sanctuary. No one told us that there was a concert scheduled from 3:00 to 4:00 so we had to wait until 4:15 to get all our stuff moved into the sanctuary and had very little time to practise. It is not a huge deal except that it is the underlying assumptions that realy make me angry. This would never happen to any other service at St. David's so why do the powers that be feel free to do this to the 5:00 service? And the same thing is going to happen next week but at least we know about that concert in advance. Not only do they stomp on our time but they don't tell us they are doing it. So I went into the service after blowing up at David Stevens, the music director, about the inconsiderateness of it all. I was so mad I was shaking. We actually had a really good time of worship. James Tengatenga preached a wonderful, scripture based sermon and both he and Harry prayed for people during the healing time. Both of these things took longer than normal because James preached a real sermon and they prayed believing prayers for healing. So the service lasted an hour and 40 minutes. David Boyd got all paniced about the length of the service and started cutting out singing parts and apologizing for the length of the service. This sort of thing drives me crazy. It would be like if you and your wife were making love and it was warm and tender and wonderful and then the husband starts apologizing for it taking so long and rushes to the climax. I wonder how that makes God feel when we rush to the end of worship so everyone one can get out in time to go home and sit in front of the TV for 3 hours and vegetate? Why can't we worship until we are done?!!! What's the rush!! I know it is one of the main principalities at St. Davids's that hates worship and connives for us to have as little time spent in worship as possible. He makes us all Marthas to keep us from sitting at Jesus feet and gazing on him. Why should we apologize for having great worship and it taking as long as it takes? Anyway after the service for the second week in a row Boyd rushes over before the last chord has died and chastises the 5:00 music team in front of God and everybody with a list of things we are doing wrong. It is not only humiliating but really bad management style. I sense a big power struggle building betweeed Boyd and the Music team which again is purely principality driven. God have mercy and intervene. Help us to work together. Maria, the saintly prophet, told us once that the music we do at 5:00 holds back the tide of evil in Austin. If that is true then we need to remember that as we plan worship it is for an audience of One, there is One Person we are trying to please and as we please Him the principalities and powers do everything they can to come against us. Today I feel weary and worn out and would like to shake the dust off of my feet and never set foot in St. David's again. But that is exactly what the principalities and powers want so I am not leaving. I will continue to stay and worship God as he directs me until they kick me out.12:08:2003
No I didn't die or flee the country-It's been a long time since I blogged. My mother-in-law, wife and daughter all caught the terrible horrible flu. My mother-in-law has been in the hospital twice. If you haven't had this flu pray that it passes you by. It is a mean one. Sore throat , fever and feeling so bad only dying would make you feel better. Lissa and Emma are finally well, recuperating and resting over the thanksgiving Holiday in south Texas visiting Lissa's brother, Eric and his family. We had a restful break from our remodeling frenzy eating sleeping and being beaten in Triominoes by my sister-in-law, Wendy. (I did win one game).
In the middle of all that we are surging ahead with our kitchen remodeling project and making quite good headway although it has been trying, remodeling the kitchen and trying to keep it fuctional at the same time. On top of it all we are having our annual St. Nicholas feast day party this Saturday and are trying to get the house in some sort of acceptable shape even though the kitchen is no where near finished. All of our friends will understand. Won't you!!
This weekend St. David's is also hosting a SOMA conference with bishop James Tengatenga from Malawi. The Africans are sending missionarys to the west. Boy do we need it. The sad thing is that no one is interested. A very small turn out so far at St. D's for these powerful, spirit-filled guys. It makes me sad.
My paintings come back from EV Free tomorrow. I didn't sell a single painting. I have to admit it is a bit discouraging to show 28 paintings in a church with over 2000 people in attendance and not one person is interested in buying a painting. It is a good thing I have a job. It is that strange no mans land being a Christian and an artist. There is no market whatsoever so I do it because I feel passionate about the painting not for the money. In a way there is freedom in not selling my work but it also feels like a rationalization. So much of how we value something in our culture is tied to monetary rewards and painting is no different. But I press on -painting and showing for people who are not interested in owning art. As Mose Allison says "I am not discouraged but I'm getting there." 12:05:2003