From the Desk of Pastor Peter

by Pastor Peter Kim

Not too long ago, I was sitting in a restaurant having lunch with a church member, when all of a sudden I heard the sound of a warning signal coming from multiple phones. I grabbed my phone and saw a message about an imminent earthquake. (Side note: Isn't it amazing that we can get these warning messages just before the earthquake happens?) I looked up and I saw the TV which also had a warning sign flashing. It almost seemed chaotic, with all the warning signals. And then, of course, the ground started shaking, and the light fixtures above started moving. We were having an earthquake! The good thing was that it was just a minor quake and no one in the restaurant seemed to care too much about it.

Not long after, we heard about a typhoon potentially striking the island. But that turned out to be nothing either. This year was a surprisingly quiet year with regard to typhoons in Taiwan.

But this has not always been the case. In past years, we have had typhoons that affected Taipei City, and the government ordered that all businesses, schools, and shops close for a day or two. Last year, even the church building had to close by order of the government (although our building remained open for the Chinese section). Our service was cancelled that day, and people were encouraged to stay at home and be safe.

Dear brothers and sisters, in the case that a natural disaster hits Taipei City, whether an earthquake or a typhoon, we encourage everyone to be safe and trust that the Lord is still in control. It may be possible that our building closes for the day, and, if that is the case, we encourage you to still have your own worship with your family. Always check online at our website to find out if our building is open or not—especially if, for example, a typhoon is scheduled to hit during the weekend.

Stay safe everyone!

P.S. – Wondering how to have worship with your family? Or on your own, if you are the only believer in your family? One way is to simply follow the model of your FPC community group: worship, study, pray. Begin by looking up some YouTube clips of your favorite worship songs and sing along with them. Then search for a sermon clip by one of your favorite preachers and watch or listen to it. You can also just choose a passage of the Bible—a psalm, perhaps, or an episode from one of the Gospels—read it out loud, and share thoughts and insights on the meaning of the passage and how it is speaking to you today. Finally, spend some time sharing prayer requests and praying for each other, for FPC, and for the city of Taipei.

(And we will see you the next Sunday!)