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On Saturday, October 8, our Founders Day speakers, as well as many guests and Chicago missionaries, visited the gravesite of Dr. Samuel Lee.  We held a memorial worship service.  Pastor Abraham Kim gave a message on Ephesians 2:10, which was Dr. Samuel Lee's life key verse.  He reminded us that God is our Creator God and that this means more than we think.  It means that our lives are set apart for God's holy mission.  Pastor Abraham said that those of us who have been called to UBF have a special calling.  We are very thankful to be called into the family of Dr. Samuel Lee and thankful to be included in God's calling for UBF. Last month at our united Friday meeting at the Chicago center, a seminarian speaker, Dr. Jerry Root, gave us a lecture.  He told us that he loves to speak to UBF because he knows we will put into practice what he teaches us. Dr. Samuel Lee left us a legacy of being God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works that God prepared in advance for us to do.  After the worship service, we had representative prayers from several of God's servants among us.  Pastor David Kim then led us in the reading of Dr. Samuel Lee's spiritual legacy:  1)  Go back to the Bible;  2) World mission through lay missionaries;  3) Campus evangelism through one-to-one Bible study;  4) Manger ministry through house churches; 5) Disciple-making ministry; 6) Daily bread and testimony writing; 7) Giving spirit - "five loaves and two fish"; and 8) Pray to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.  We then took pictures and had lunch together at a local restaurant. 

Report by John Martin

Memorial service message by Pastor Abraham Kim

Commemoration of the Late Dr. Samuel Lee

“For we are God’s handiwork (workmanship), created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Eph 2:10)

Ephesians 2:10 was the Late Dr. Samuel Lee’s life key verse. Through this verse, Dr. Lee accepted God’s sovereignty and good and perfect will for his life. He found purpose in life and dedicated his life to fulfill God’s will. When he did so, God made his life great and fruitful and God used him as founder of UBF—a most missionary-minded discipleship ministry in history. Ephesians 2:10 tells us how we should live through Dr. Lee’s example.

First, we are God’s handiwork. Handiwork (Workmanship) is the product of a skilled workman. Our Creator God is the most skilled artist. We were created by His wonderful design, wisdom, and work. Each of us has weaknesses, but also has wonderful gifts, qualities, and character given by God. Dr. Lee was not physically strong. But he worked harder and achieved more than any physically strong man. He did not receive enough love from his parents. But he loved more than any man who received much love. He could serve God with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, because he believed that he was God’s handiwork. Dr. Lee taught us that we should not fall into fatalism or despair due to our weaknesses or adverse situations. We should believe and accept that we are God’s handiwork. And we should serve God our Creator with all our hearts and with all our souls and with all our strengths. 

Second, we were created in Christ Jesus. Jesus is the Creator God. The phrase “created in Christ Jesus,” however, has deeper meaning. Christ is the Savior and Redeemer. He is the source of eternal life. He is the head of the eternal church. “Created in Christ Jesus” means that we were chosen to be God’s people before the creation of the world. We were chosen to be sprinkled by the blood of Christ to be sanctified and to have eternal life and fellowship with God through the Son. We were chosen to be transformed into the image of Christ. Christ is the Lord. “Created in Christ Jesus” means that we were redeemed to serve the Lord, our Savior and King.

The Late Dr. Samuel Lee was a man of Christ. His daily bread notes are full of thanks and praises to God for the grace of the Lord Jesus. He loved the Lord more than anything and served the Lord’s will with all his might. His most favorite song was the Lord’s Prayer. I remember him singing the Lord’s Prayer during the conference at MSU before his departure. Through all things, Dr. Lee wanted to learn Jesus and follow His footsteps. Like Apostle Paul, Dr. Lee’s deepest desire was to be united with Christ in His suffering and resurrection. In his messages, Dr. Lee emphasized Christ’s suffering and glory and planted the living hope of the resurrection and eternal life in the kingdom of God. We remember the words like “Jesus’ death and resurrection,” “no cross, no crown,” “no pain, no gain,” “suffering and glory” in his messages. He loved simple life and manger spirit of Christ. He wore one suit and a pair of shoes until they were worn out. Once when he visited Korea for a world mission report, I presented him with a suit. He liked the suit. When I came to the States in 1995 after 10 years, I saw him wearing the suit with its button holes worn out. From his deep love and union with Christ came the giving and manger spirit, sacrifice and love for one soul which became the spiritual heritage of UBF. We must remember that we were created in Christ Jesus. We too should be filled with Christ through our love and submission to Christ and grow in His image by following His footsteps.

Third, we were created to do good works. The Bible teaches that God created man in his image to be a steward of the world and to bear fruit for God’s glory. Dr. Samuel Lee deeply accepted this truth and lived the truth and taught the truth. He accepted world campus mission as good works God prepared in advance for him to do. He worked with Mother Sarah Barry beautifully for 40 years for the task. God led many young men and women including myself to find their purpose in life in the same calling with him. When I was in darkness in my twenties, I cried out to God to open my eyes to know Him and His truth. God led me to UBF and gave me a new birth and mission in life. So I believe that everyone who is led to UBF has God’s special calling. After 35 years of UBF shepherd life, my utmost thanksgiving to God is that God led me to find purpose in life in world campus mission and could bear fruit that lasts. I thank God for Dr. Samuel Lee who taught me that I was created to do good works God prepared in advance for me to do.

Praise be to God who created us as His handiwork in Christ Jesus to do good works, which He prepared in advance for us to do. May we follow Christ, doing good works of sowing seeds in tears for the young generation and raising disciples in the world campuses, after the example of the Late Dr. Samuel Lee.