By Rev. Junchol Lee, Induction Speaker
First, I’d like to express that it’s such an honor to be the induction speaker for this very gentle, fine person, Rev. James Barry. I only have known him maybe two years, max. But there are two things that Jay deeply impressed me with that I would like to share before my message, which I can promise will be short.
for the Induction Worship Service with
inductee Rev. Jay Barry and Rev. Dr. Jim Lawrence
listening in the background.
Jay appears to me as a very humble person. Despite the background, the career, and the things that I had heard about him, he is very humble and always willing to listen. To me, humility is a very important quality to have as a minister. The other one, which is more personally favored, is compassion, he cares about his family very deeply. The reason Jay asked the Committee on Admission to the Ministry (CAM) and Rev. Jane to postpone his induction one year was because of his family. He cared about them and their thoughts.
It has been my personal conviction before God that I have to do the things first for my wife, because she only has one husband, that’s me; my kids, because they only have one father, that’s also me; but God has many servants besides me. So, I will diligently do what God asks me to do after these—please forgive me. And it looks like Jay and I have a certain similarity in that way. I’m very proud and honored to be here tonight and speaking now.
My message is titled “From Natural to Spiritual.” Know this is very important for the growth of our spirit. You have heard many times this phrase, probably even you used it yourself, saying “I am not religious but spiritual.” What does that mean? If you ask what the term “spirit,” or “spiritual” means to Swedenborg, he will be puzzled and will probably shake his head and say, “Do you not know what spiritual really means?” There are two different meanings for the word spiritual from Swedenborg. Did you know that? No? Perhaps, I’ll offer a Mini Course about it next year. Spiritual, according to Swedenborg, is one way of saying heavenly or angelic. But the other meaning of the word spiritual includes hell. Why? Where is the hell? Hell is not on earth, meaning not in the physical realm, because it is in the spiritual realm. So, when using the phrase “I’m not religious but spiritual,” you must be very careful about what you truly mean. And the same thing is when and what Swedenborg says about “natural.” This is a word a lot of people, in my perception, associate directly with being physical or worldly. But you are all New Church people, you know the new heaven, right? The new heaven is not any better heaven than any previous heavens, according to Swedenborg. If you read it carefully, it’s a lesser grade heaven. The new heaven is composed of celestial natural and spiritual natural. What is natural is in heaven! Shocking? Maybe, or maybe not.
Do we want to become spiritual or angelic? God says you better be. You may ask “Why?” or think, it would just benefit God. You may even shake your head. However, you know deep in your heart that it does not benefit God at all. It delights God when we become higher beings. Yet, it does not benefit God any more so than it benefits us.
Do you ever feel lonely, lost, confused, don’t know what the hell you’re doing here, or even why you’re born here? Why am I so stupid? Why can’t I run faster? Why can’t I study math well? Or why am I in this school? And what’s my purpose? A lot of times we ask these kinds of big questions in our life’s adventure. However, afterwards most of us try to find answers in worldly manners. Perhaps we are here to make a lot of money or to be successful. Sounds attractive, right? Perhaps we should buy nice cars, big houses, travel the world, or spend the money like kings and queens. The ultimate question is, “Would doing these satisfy our soul?” The answer is “Not really.” Are we here to chase after and obtain them? Again, the answer is “Not really.” Then, why are we here?
are all smiles after the Induction Service.
Being spiritual is undergoing spiritual cultivation, that is regeneration. And this is a call from God and is an invitation from love. It is God’s love for us, suggesting that there is a better way to be for us. If we follow it, we’ll be safer, we’ll feel more peaceful, we’ll be more joyful, and we’ll feel fulfilled in our living. So how do we get there? In answering this, I would like to quote one of my teachers, Buddha. Buddha left his home on the day—the moment—his son was born. He stopped by his son, he looked at him, and he said, “impermanent.” Then he left. The meaning of this message is that everything in this physical world is impermanent and temporary. All impressions we get, and we store in our mind are all temporary. Sadly, all our relationships are temporary as well. Why? because everything changes forever in the physical world. If you have had any relationship since you were born, is there anything that has stayed exactly the same? Nothing. Nothing stays the same.
God’s message for spiritual cultivation is that we are permanent beings, spirits dwelling in the physical bodies. We are innately seeking and desiring what is permanent. Yet, we’re spending all our time with what is impermanent. That’s where our suffering and sadness arise. So why don’t we cultivate our minds in the way we could obtain what is permanent? To cultivate what is permanent, we need to know first, “What is permanent.” Interestingly we all know the answer—love. Love as the way we are trying to help, support, and benefit the other cultivates what is permanent. Do that and if it doesn’t feel good, please come back to me. Perhaps, I could train you better.
Let’s not use the term being spiritual with ignorance. Because being spiritual means cultivating the qualities that belong to heaven. So that when we cultivate them, they become a permanent part of us. And they generate joy, delight, and peace within us. Nobody can take them away. That’s why Jesus teaches us that we need to work for the treasure in heaven. He didn’t mean that if we give money to a church on earth, God will have money in heaven waiting for you. There’s no money in heaven. But what Jesus meant is that we will have something permanent within us that resonates with what makes have and our own true self, if we cultivate them here with love.
May you be blessed in your journey and your cultivation, and your willingness to follow and pursue and find what is permanent for you.
The Induction Worship Service that includes Rev. Lee’s message can be viewed in full on our YouTube Channel.
Read the full issue of the July/August 2024 Messenger
Meet Rev. Junchol Lee
Rev. Junchol Lee is deeply interested in the spiritual aspect of education for all Swedenborgians and finding ways to connect people with the teachings of Emanuel Swedenborg. Currently he is serving the San Francisco Swedenborgian Church as Senior Pastor.
