Sunday Service on Jan. 11, 2026

Triangle Family Church Sunday Service on Jan. 11, 2026

Music Offering

Sermon: Costly Grace

The speaker opens with a personal anecdote about leading a serious workshop, where the atmosphere was initially lifeless until a heartfelt story about pregnant sisters revitalized the group’s spirit. They then shift to a profound reflection on faith, contrasting “cheap grace” and “costly grace,” concepts popularized by the German pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who opposed Nazi tyranny and was executed for his resistance. “Cheap grace” is described as superficial, ritualistic faith lacking true conviction or sacrifice, while “costly grace” involves deep personal sacrifice, responsibility, and active cooperation with God. The speaker emphasizes that true faith is not mere activity or external appearance but requires honest internal transformation and a willingness to face trials. Drawing on biblical references such as John 1:6, the story of Job, and the novel Silence, the speaker illustrates how suffering and silence from God can lead to authentic faith and spiritual maturity. They highlight how conformity and fear of conflict can suppress individuality and honest expression, leading to a spiritually dry and hollow faith experience. The speaker stresses the importance of genuine unity centered on God’s will rather than blind obedience to human authority. The talk then personalizes these lessons through reflections on True Mother’s life and teachings, portraying her imprisonment as an embodiment of costly grace that inspired hope, joy, and gratitude despite adversity. The metaphor of amber formation—where tree resin undergoes transformation under pressure to become a precious gemstone—is used to symbolize how tears and suffering, when united with divine grace, can become a lasting legacy of faith and love. The speaker concludes with a hopeful and joyful vision for the future, encouraging honesty, mutual support, and gratitude as keys to living a free and fulfilling spiritual life. Highlights

• Personal story revives workshop spirit after initial dead silence.
• Introduction of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, pastor who resisted Nazis and symbolized costly grace.
• Critique of “cheap grace” as formalized, superficial faith that lacks true conviction.
• Danger of conformity and suppression of individuality for the sake of social comfort.
• Costly grace requires sacrifice, human responsibility, and cooperation with God.
• Amber metaphor: suffering and tears transform into precious legacy of faith.
• Hope and joy for the future rooted in honest expression, love, and gratitude.

Sunday School: Moral lesson from Japanese folk tale Crane Gratitude

The presentation retells the traditional Japanese folktale “The Crane’s Gratitude”, which centers on kindness, gratitude, and integrity.

An old farmer frees a crane whose leg is caught in a trap. Later, a mysterious young woman comes to his home asking for shelter. She stays with the farmer and his wife, helping with household and farm work and bringing them great happiness. She offers to weave beautiful cloth if given silk thread, on the condition that they never look while she works. Each time, she produces exquisite fabric that earns the couple wealth, but she grows increasingly weak. 

Eventually, the couple’s curiosity overcomes them, and they peek into the room. They discover that the woman is actually the crane they saved, magically transformed, weaving the cloth by plucking her own feathers. Because her secret is revealed, she must leave and return to nature, despite their pleas. 

Before departing, the crane expresses deep gratitude for the kindness shown to her and assures the couple they will continue to prosper. She flies away, free, and the farmer later sees her occasionally as a crane, knowing she still remembers their kindness.

The presentation concludes with a reflective exercise encouraging kindness and gratitude, even toward animals, and a concluding slide connecting the crane’s symbolism to spiritual teachings. It highlights the crane as a symbol of uprightness, conscience, and spiritual alignment, including references to Korean cultural symbolism and teachings about maintaining a “straight conscience”.