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woodworkingpastor · 3 years

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Where two or three are gathered? --Matthew 18:1-20 -- June 20, 2021

If memory serves, the first time I heard the phrase “where two or three are gathered” misquoted was on a blustery winter evening in the fellowship hall of my first congregation. A few minutes after Bible study was to begin, the unusually small group concluded that no one else was coming on this cold evening. It was at that point when one of the members said, “I sure am glad Jesus said, ‘where two or three are gathered, I am with them.’ Looks like we just make the cut tonight!”

We all recognized the good-natured joke, and no real harm was done by the misapplication of Matthew 18:20; after all, Jesus’ presence among us is not dependent on the number who have gathered. But do we realize that Jesus’ promise to be with “two or three gathered in my name” is intended for times when difficulty threatens the fabric of our fellowship, and not when we are few in number?

Tell it to the church

The reason there is a Church of the Brethren is largely because of the presence of the word church in Matthew 18:17:

If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector (Matthew 18:17).

I’ve been around Brethren long enough to have learned a few things about us: first, because so many of our congregations have such deep family connections, we tend to be conflict-avoidant. It is a somewhat surprising lesson to realize how often a church that claims to value peacemaking doesn’t live into the reality that peacemaking isn’t about the avoidance of conflict, it is about the transformation of conflict. And if I may say, it’s “Cousin Billy’s” fault. David Shumate first taught me about “Cousin Billy” with the advice that “everyone knows Cousin Billy is a jerk, but they’ll still be dealing with him at Thanksgiving dinner long after you’ve moved on. So be careful taking him on, even though you know he’s in the wrong.” Sometimes we Brethren have learned that lesson a bit too well.

The second lesson is that when we hear these words from Matthew 18, we really get hung up on this whole idea of treating someone as a Gentile and tax collector and we equate that with “shunning” or “churching” someone. Churches—like the Brethren—who have this kind of practice in their past also have a long list of stories when people were “churched” for trivial reasons. But in our rush to throw out Jesus’ instructions (which is largely what we have done) we have also thrown out the ability to deal with the really harmful situations in life. If you’ve been following the news of the Southern Baptist Convention this week, then you know that one of the things they’ve been wrestling with is how to handle allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct that have apparently been covered up by denominational leadership. The painful reality is that there are times when the church must confront an offender and say that not only will certain behavior not be tolerated, it must be named and exposed.

But for all our discomfort with these verses, we Brethren cannot avoid the role these verses played in our formation as a visible church community. There are some rough parallels between our times and the early 1700’s when Alexander Mack and some others were experiencing a spiritual awakening. One of those rough parallels is the notion that you can be a Christian on your own; that you don’t really need things like public worship and communion and baptism and confession of sin to be a follower of Jesus. But it is in this passage that Jesus uses the word church; it’s from the Greek ekklesia, a word that never refers to the place Christians meet but instead refers to a group of people who have gathered.

This is where the teaching about “where two or three are gathered” becomes important, because it is in this most vulnerable and painful moment of congregational life where Jesus’ promise is uttered; even “two or three” is enough to accomplish the purposes of the Gospel.

It always comes down to humility

But it may be that our ability to be the church that Jesus seeks in Matthew 18:20 depends on our willingness to wrestle with our own preference for greatness.

Things It so often comes down to our desire for greatness. Greatness captured our imagination long before the word was adopted as part of a political campaign slogan. Human beings have typically valued people who can rise to the top of whatever it is they are doing. In team sports we ultimately measure an athlete’s success by how many championships they’ve won, not by how many individual records they’ve set. We tend to measure the success of a church by how many people are in the pews, not by any number of other Biblical measuring sticks. We tell our children they can be “anything they set their mind to” and encourage them with “participation trophies.”

The pursuit of greatness has its place—many technological advancements have certainly been achieved that way. But when confronted with the disciples’ question, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Jesus answers in a very “un-great” way: by offering them a child as their illustration. It is difficult for us to fully grasp Jesus’ point here, because we live in a culture that schedules it’s life around children and their activities. For instance, I don’t believe I have ever encountered a congregation who has made it’s primary church growth strategy reaching out to senior adults. Congregations commonly say they want to grow by attracting “young families with children.” But I don’t believe I have encountered the congregation who says, “You know, there’s all these grandparents out there; or there’s all these single people out there; let’s make them our primary mission strategy.”

Jesus’ culture did not revolve around children. Children were not the most important people in everyone’s lives, they were the least important people in everyone’s lives. It is hard to comprehend what it was like to live in a culture where children were largely unimportant. But it is entirely consistent with Jesus that he would choose the least important, most overlooked, consistently neglected people around him and lift that person, or that group up as an illustration for faithfulness. Spiritual greatness will not be measured by clawing ourselves to the top of the heap and making connections among the rich and famous; it will instead be measured by our willingness to diminish ourselves, our willingness to become irrelevant in the eyes of the culture and build relationships with the people we find there.

Cast out your eye; pursue the lost

It is within this context that Jesus’ harsh words about stumbling blocks come into play. We are not to do anything that would cause a vulnerable person to stumble. If our goal is to be like Jesus then the so-called “little” and “least” persons of our culture will be our teachers. And if our pursuit of greatness—even greatness in the kingdom of heaven—comes at another’s expense, then it is not greatness we are pursuing; it is a stumbling block. Heaven help the one who puts a stumbling block in front of someone whose connections to the means of life and faith is precarious. The pursuit of greatness on any terms other than Jesus’ must be rejected.

The reason Jesus the ramps up the teaching about stumbling blocks in the section about cutting off hands and feet and eyes is to help us see that the erection of stumbling blocks in someone else’s path will actually cause us to stumble. Too often, we are guilty of measuring sin only by considering it’s impact on our own life. But have we done the even harder work of measuring sin’s impact on someone else’s life?

Why did the lost sheep wander off? It’s easy to blame the sheep for being inattentive, stubborn, or stupid. But this is the trap of greatness: sin is always “their” issue. So when someone has wandered off, we can be tempted to wonder “What did they do wrong?” And it’s not too big a step from there to look down from our preferred position of greatness and say, “I would never do such a thing.”

But what if the lost sheep went astray because the flock wasn’t doing its job? What if the lost sheep went astray because the shepherd had become inattentive? Not to pick on the Southern Baptists this morning, but how many so-called “lost sheep” are out there because they were sexually abused or taken advantage of by a pastor or other member of the church? How many so-called “lost sheep” are actually people who have grown weary of the church’s unwillingness to honesty confront racism? How many people wandered away from a place that was supposed to be spiritually safe but wasn’t because others had erected stumbling blocks? This is the place where the power of “two or three gathered in Jesus’ name” comes in. Jesus challenges us to confront the sin that pushes people away from the safety of the flock, because sin is never entirely individual. Sin always has an impact on other people. When our own sinful behavior is a means by which others are despised, it is the work of the church to confront those who erecting stumbling blocks that they, too, might return to the safety of the flock. It only takes two or three to seek to bind sin and let loose forgiveness to begin this powerful gospel work.

The hymn Forgive our sins as we forgive that we used for our Call to Worship is a helpful reminder of why we cannot follow Jesus on our own, but must have the benefit of the church community to assist us in our transformation. The hymn reminds us

Lord, cleans the depths within our souls, and bid resentment cease. Then, bound to all in bonds of love, our lives will spread your peace.

It only takes two or three for God’s purposes to be accomplished in our lives!

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idolizerp · 5 years

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LOADING INFORMATION ON CELESTE’S MAIN RAP, VOCAL JI YULHEE…

IDOL DETAILS

STAGENAME: N/A CURRENT AGE: 27 DEBUT AGE: 20 TRAINEE SINCE AGE:14 COMPANY: Koala.T ETC: This member is a performance based soloist

IDOL IMAGE

From afternoon getaways to pick up saccharine sweet confections of bubblegum pink hues from the convenience store at fourteen, to indulging in multiple bottles of soju after a long day of rehearsal at nineteen, Yulhee has evolved throughout her time as an entertainer. Having entered the industry as a pre-teen, she was once a bright-eyed, naïve girl with an appetite for success—a determination to metamorphose recurring dreams into blissful reality. Once upon a time, she was seen as a mess of blushing cheeks and soft-spoken syllables; her personality ethereal, moldable, and delightful. This supposed innocence, as well as her lack of vocal chops, caused her to be overlooked for earlier generation groups that her company débuted, particularly Genie, and instead, she was selected to start her career within a collective that was safer; something dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with powdered sugar. Though, by the time that she was introduced to the public at large, she had aged quite a bit—standing at twenty years old, her curves and more mature, feminine wiles noticeably different in comparison to a few of her members. It was at this time where her company began to realize that they might have made a mistake with her, but instead of forcing her into a mold that was meant to sweeten audiences up with aegyo and ‘little sister’ images, they allowed her to take a step out of the box ever-so slightly—to charm them with flirtation, endless winks, and well-timed comedic retorts.

In the beginning, she was similar to that of a more wholesome Marilyn Monroe—someone that had a playful, yet coquettish wit, but was swathed in a delicate, girlish charm that still fit Celeste’s image. When she was surrounded by a multitude of Nation’s Little Sister hopefuls, she stood out as the older sibling who was more experienced, more wise, and quite frankly, almost maternal. To a lot of their younger fans, she was the ‘cool unnie’ that they felt they could trust, or the ‘beautiful noona’ that younger men fell head over heels for. Yulhee took this image in stride, and though it wasn’t necessarily what she hoped, it was better than being reverted to being almost childlike. She’d never been good at faking cute, after all.

She had also become known on variety shows to tease and simper. It started out as an array of innocent compliments, batted eyelashes, and frisky remarks, but as Celeste began to evolve, she was slowly able to unleash her bewitching incantations even further—her once chaste intentions with slightly amorous advancements turning into full-blown coquetry; almost to the point of vulgarity. Now able to don miniskirts and low-cut blouses, she uses each inch of her frame to captivate audiences, and it is particularly entrancing to Celeste’s newfound male-dominated fanbase. Needless to say, she continued to blossom until she was vivid flora all on her own; the blessed switch in concept elevating her confidence, and pleasing her knowing that she was no longer going to be forced to release music that she, personally, deemed ‘too young’ for her. A negative side effect to this alteration, though, was the fact that many of her female fans thought she acted indecently in the media, and that in, and of itself, is something she deeply regrets, and feels remorseful over.

Despite the more overt approach to her sexuality, and the transition from being the ‘cool older sister’ to the ‘super sexy older woman,’ Yulhee still believes that her mind (especially her wit and wisdom) is what makes her marketable; relatable. She might portray herself as someone that’s a bit loose, and a bit of a minx to the public, but all of that is calculated, and she’s still able to handle herself in a poised fashion when need be. Why can’t beauty and brains live together in harmony? Why must they constantly exist so far away from one another? Why can’t she be sexy, and smart? Why can’t she be a role model, but also someone who embraces themselves completely? She’s here to prove that she’s a cocktail containing both—a woman who’ll make you blush, but also have long conversations about the state of the world, too. A woman who men and women would like to take to bed, but also someone to take home to meet the parents, too. It’s that duality that (hopefully) makes her every man’s dream girl, but every woman’s role model, as well.

IDOL HISTORY

1999.

The strong fingers of her father delicately plucked the keys of ivory and ebony, each note played flowing into her ears, being digested, and then replicated (to the best of her ability, at least) by the bell-like sound of her voice—it’s high-pitched, childish quality a testament to her youth. He plays each scale over, and over again, hoping that her still-developing ears would fine-tune themselves enough to correct the mistakes she’s made in the process, but she was still too young to understand what these exercises were for, and that was obvious.

“One more time, Hee-yah…”

His timbre soft, warm, and encouraging, as he travels up each octave; her breath working to support each note as it went higher, but once she wasn’t able to produce much noise, he ceased his motions; wishing she could’ve reached more than she had, but he didn’t want her to strain too much. That said, he wrapped an arm around her; pulling her in close as a non-verbal ‘good job’ to soothe her from all of the work he put her through.

“Wanna know what? I think you’re going to be fantastic for your solo this Sunday! You’ve really worked hard, and I’m proud of you. Mom will be, too.”

Nodding her head, she inhaled and exhaled a deep breath; her throat sore from the hours of practice she’d endured. Despite the workload, she was looking forward to her first ever recital with them at church; her mother, the director of the collective, eager to show the congregation what her little girl has been working on. The two have them had always stated that she was a chip off of the old block—her father’s looks, but her mother’s talent. Presently, she found all of the love and attention they gave her comfortable, but as time drifts on, it was only going to become more suffocating. For now, though, she did as she was told, and come the time she made her début as a singer at mass, Ji Yulhee began to fall in love with being in front of the crowd; the heat of a room full of people staring at her fueling her with confidence as opposed to uncertainty. All of the fun she had while being the center of attention was more important to her than being a perfect singer, after all.

Little did she know then that, as she grew into the woman that she’d become in adulthood, that rush of adrenaline would become something she chased forever.

2005.

Adolescence. What a troubling (and defining) time in a girl’s life.

Each year that she’s grown more and more into a woman, she’s been dolled up to be the poster child of the church that her father preached at. Truth be told, that isn’t something that she necessarily invited, but she was still too young to know what rebellion was. However, in her older age, she was growing a somewhat rotten attitude that would peek its head out in peculiar ways. At thirteen, she became a master of back-handed compliments; ones so decadently sinister, but still so drenched in sugar, that they didn’t come across as rude or deceitful. Despite this change in her demeanor, everyone who attended mass would shower her with compliments, and it became so often that, at the time, she was getting so sick, and tired, of hearing the same old repeated sentiments time, and time again.

“You’re so beautiful!” “You have a stunning voice!” “Have you ever thought about becoming an idol?”

At thirteen, she fought hard not to roll her eyes at the saccharine-sweet adulation. She didn’t mind the praise much at first, but having to step into a set of shoes that were far too perfect for her was exhausting. Not only that, but if she were being honest, she didn’t find herself to be that great, either. In a sense, she had a hunch that all of those who’d seen her grow were being overly kind. Sure, she had thought of auditioning for companies in hopes of escaping the sheltered walls that were built around her, and sure, she thought that just maybe, possibly, her singing voice was okay enough to mold, but everyone made it seem as though she was flawless; seamless. That, in and of itself, only added to the pressure she was subjected to on a daily basis. Also, each time the opportunity was created for her to seek out casting calls, she was needed for something: recitals, rehearsals, or chores, it didn’t matter. Time wasn’t ever kind to her, or her dreams. Luckily for her, though, another chance would be thrown in her direction, and this time, it’d work in her favor.

As she walked home from school one evening, she overheard two of her classmates talking about the recent announcement that a new entertainment company made on the radio; their chatter leading her to discover that there was going to be an open call searching for talent the day after her fourteenth birthday. Rushing home, she let her parents know of her plans, and though they were hesitant at first, they allowed her to take part; having confidence that she would be able to make them, and their cohorts, proud with her supposed talent.

2007.

Her phone rings, and yet again, she lets it go to voicemail; the screen letting her know that she has a collection of twenty-seven missed calls from her mother in the past four hours.

It had been the fifth Sunday in a row that she hadn’t bothered to attend church, and it was becoming concerning for her parents. The tried, and true, excuse of needing to squeeze in extra time in the practice hall for yet another evaluation wasn’t working anymore, and they were adamant that she attend. The truth? She simply didn’t believe in what they preached anymore, and hadn’t for a very long time. She’s grown-up, experienced life, and has learned to make her own decisions; to live for herself, and herself only. They, however, didn’t want to believe that; or, rather, they absolutelyrefused to believe it.

After all, how on earth could their little girl be an atheist?

Turns out, it only took her a few years to learn what rebellion was, and she was doing just that; turning her back on the world that she knew since birth. Never in her life had she been able to express herself like she had in training, and there was no way that she was going to give that up.

If it wasn’t for her successful audition at 99 so long ago, she would’ve still been trapped like Rapunzel in her parents’ world; treated like a princess who couldn’t ever step out of line. So, despite it being nearly soul-swallowing to focus wholly on work, school, and her dreams, Yulhee couldn’t be happier with where she’s at—this new form of limited ‘independence’ much more than she could’ve ever hoped for.

2008.

All she could think about was their critiques.

No matter how many times she tried to listen to music to drown out her thoughts, all she could hear was their voices—their pity-ridden tones still making her angry as she recollects the moment they told her that she wouldn’t be making her début. Three years had gone and went, and now, at nineteen, all she wanted to do was throw in the towel. Was all of this pain really worth it in the end anyway?

She’d always been a loose cannon; someone who, after years of keeping her head directed towards the ground, was no longer afraid to get angry, or speak their peace. Now, though, she felt as though she was forced into silence; much like she was as a child. Instead of being able to respond to their thoughts, she had to bite her tongue, but that didn’t stop her from seeing red as their words played on repeat in her mind.

“You just don’t have the strongest voice out of the girls here, and if you did, maybe you’d have a chance at début, but we think that you need more time to grow.”

More time to grow? Had she not done so already? All of this was mere confirmation that all of her insecurities from her days in the choir were accurate; that she wasn’t as talented as everyone claimed.

“Your pitch is okay, at best, but you lack the edge we’re looking for. There’s no grit, no soul, and that’s what we’re looking for at this time. We’d love it if you would learn to let go more.”

Each statement was like a jab to the heart, and though she did her best to be composed, she couldn’t help but feel as though she made a fool of herself, and that made her mad. Curse her mother for making her over-analytical, and curse her father for making her focus on the things that could be learned, instead of what could be felt. Turns out, in her eyes, at least, they tried turning her into a robot in more ways than one, and for that, she probably would never forgive them.

That said, though, she decided to suck up her frustrations, and move forward, but instead of focusing on singing and remaining in the same company, she decided to dabble in other branches of performance, and to test her chances at other auditions. Maybe she’d learn more if she hung up what she claimed to love in the past, and embraced something new?

2009.

Bass-heavy tunes flowed into her ears from a set of newly purchased headphones, and when she used to focus on how a singer would string their lines together to create pretty sounds, she now tossed that aside. At present, she solely focused on the passion that rappers exuded; admiring how they were able to express themselves in intensity; in fire. Never in her life had she been subject to a world of such power, and for once, she felt inspired. Back then, she failed to realize that she didn’t focus on singing for herself, no. She only did it because her parents wanted her to, so there was a disconnect between her, and music, whenever she opened her mouth to perform. Now, though, she was becoming drawn to a different method of performance—one that better suited her fierce personality.

So, after moving her focus over to rap, she found herself staying up all night to learn about rhythm, about flow, and about swagger; three things that were necessary to her success in the field. It wasn’t easy for her to adjust to, and it took her a long time before she was able to fully cover a song that was only rap, but she was dead-set on living and breathing hip-hop. Whether it was Western, or Eastern, she spent hours researching and studying; seeing what its origins were, its cultural importance at different periods of time, and it was then when a deep-rooted adoration for it was unlocked within her. Even though she lived in a completely different fashion from the genre’s founding fathers, she felt as though she could relate to them in a multitude of ways, and overall, she understood their anger.

She had a lot of it, too, after all.

After gaining a better understanding of it, she knows that it isn’t about staying perfectly in beat with the track; it’s about the movement, the message. Yes, being precise is important, but instead of focusing so hard on technicalities, she needs to use her emotions to fuel her performances. Unleashing that wasn’t going to be easy, but she was determined to try.

With these newfound skills, and an infernal flame lit within her from her prior company, she attended an open call at 99 Entertainment on a whim, and luckily for her, she was accepted. Now, her trainee journey started all over again, but this time, she felt as though she had a compass pointing due north; one that’d guide her to success as opposed to further failure.

2010.

Manicured fingernails combed through the whorls of onyx-black tresses that traipsed down her back, high-heel clad feet confidently walking into the evaluation room she’d learned not to fear as much as she used to. She was once a meek girl who was never sure of how her performances would go, but now, especially after looking failure in the face once, and being able to trust in herself more, she donned a layer of confidence that wasn’t there before.

With a new transition into the world of rapping, she’s learned that she’s able to fully let go of whatever inhibitions and demons plagued her in the past; the sound of her mother’s voice no longer ringing in her ears as she now doesn’t focus much on singing. Instead, she uses the suppressed anger for the woman and man who raised her as ammunition. Sure, she’s still very much a novice in the eyes of the hip-hop world, but her presence has changed almost completely. So, as the music started, she took her position and began; her eyes narrowing as she delivered her verses; the nasally tone she adopted still adding a girlish charm to her stanzas. When she was finished, she waited for critiques—her new favorite part of each evaluation, believe it or not.

“You’re still having an issue with making sure your lyrics are pronounced properly, but this is better than last time. Your stage-presence has gotten better, as well.”

Nodding her head, she remained silent; learning from what they had to say instead of taking it to heart.

“It also seems that you’re not super comfortable performing choreography in heels yet, too, so maybe practice more with them next time? I don’t recall you ever wearing them while you rehearsed.”

Agreeing, she bowed and thanked them for their time—her work not yet done, but on the path of becoming more polished more and more everyday.

2012-2015.

Here she was: on-stage during her first ever goodbye stage, and even though television cameras spiraled around her like drones, she couldn’t help but feel painfully out-of-place. Having taken a chance by diving head first into the art of rap, she was stuck with a cute concept; one that would’ve been appropriate for her around the time she almost made her début. What’s more is that, after working so hard at her new passion, she was stuck mostly singing (and even talking) during Celeste’s first ever track. She had no honest idea why her life had taken this turn for her, but she couldn’t help but laugh in each recording session; every song they were given to work with driving her insane with how immature they sounded.

She, as well as the rest of her members, weren’t necessarily young girls anymore, and she found herself cringing more times than she could count every time they performed. She tried not to make it too obvious that she wasn’t having a great time, but it was extremely challenging.

In fact, a few of her sour facial expressions were caught on camera and it prompted some very low-scale attitude scandals, but overall, she did her best not to let her intensity show.

Throughout this time, though, she couldn’t help but think of how her parents were probably pleased with what she’s up to; their daughter back to rocking an innocent image all over again—one that she’s tried so hard to desperately run away from.

Time and time again, though, she wasn’t allowed to properly rap on title songs, and that made her extremely upset. Their current concept didn’t lend itself to the image that she longed to have in the industry, and being as though she was already well into her twenties, she feared that she would be stuck in this box forever.

Maybe she wasn’t meant to ever be fully pleased with her life?

2016.

Due to lackluster sales and little-to-no success in their market, 99 Entertainment had let the girls know that some changes were going to be made, and it left Yulhee feeling very uneasy. If this was their subtle way of letting them know that they would be disbanding, she would feel extremely betrayed; as though the last twelve years of her life was nothing more than a waste of time.

However, what she was met with was something that positively excited her: a change in concept.

While it might’ve seemed like a move out of desperation to some, she was extremely happy to know that they would begin moving into the realm of sex appeal and girl power. It’s known that most failing girl groups make this change in order to grab new attention, but this was an adjustment that she felt worked better in her favor, so why wouldn’t she embrace it with open arms? Her visuals better suited genres that were a little more risqué, anyhow, so why would she ever complain about being more of a central member in her group?

What this also meant, too, was that she was finally going to get a chance to rap more often, and hopefully now the public would see more of her charms; her gentle approach to flirting on variety shows in the past nowhere near as brazen as she was in real life. Hopefully now she would be able to feel comfortable in her own skin, and after the release of Confused, and the comebacks following, she was becoming more well-received by the fanbase.

“I didn’t know that Jiyul-unnie could rap so well!” “Is it just me or is she glowing more after they switched concepts?”

This was the praise that she was used to, but instead of finding it artifical and obnoxious, she found it humbling. It was almost as if life was finally throwing her a treat after she spent so many years begging for a chance to shine.

2017-2018.

Finally, the girls of Celeste were seemingly on the rise, and after attaining their first trophy on a music show, they were optimistic that the tides were turning for them. Yulhee had never been more proud of herself and the other three girls she was on this adventure with. It was as if they were, after many years of hard work, getting what they truly deserved.

Sure, this new, and fresh, 19+ concept came with its fair share of backlash, but as far as she was concerned, she would laugh in the face of those who gave them a hard time; even if it was only behind closed doors, for the most part. They were called sell-outs, and some of the time, they were even referred to as soft-core pornography, but she did her best not to allow the negative press to affect her, but most importantly, her group-mates.

This new financial turnaround also brought her a solo début: one that she’s worked hard for since début. It was met with a mixed review; many expecting it to be more action-packed, more energetic and in-your-face like her public persona was, but instead, it was more laid-back in production, and focused heavily on the lyrics; each written word deeply inspired by her viewpoints on what life was like for a female idol in a seemingly sexist industry, but they were also hidden beneath a puzzling message about love to avoid further scandal. In its essence, ‘BABE (베베)’ was seen as a call-out to her haters when read between the lines, and it only furthered her growing popularity.

Many are excited to see what she releases next, but others hope she sticks to her group; prioritizing them, and their work, over her solo endeavors.

2019.

Presently, Yulhee is enjoying the attention that she’s been given; both from the company, and from her fans. While she knows that she’s not perfect, and that she still has a long way to go before she’s able to prove herself worthy of the title of main rapper, and as a soloist, she’s happy that she can now make actual progression in her field. Before, she was forced into the same box that she was placed into as a little girl: someone that was expected to be frail and obedient. Now, though, she’s finally allowed to be the woman that she’s always wanted to become.

One that doesn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. One that isn’t afraid to express her sexuality, and her feelings, freely. Hopefully she can be a role model to the women, and girls, of the world who are tired of being told what to do, and when to do it. Instead, she urges them to take a risk; to stand up for themselves; to raise their middle fingers in the air towards the people who’ve doubted them throughout their lives.

Even though she’s living through a high point in her life, she still deals with her fair share of flaws. She’s greedy, self-indulgent, and at times, a bit arrogant—her past attitude problems now elevated to a point where she’s called a ‘diva’ quite often. For now, though, she doesn’t really care about the rumors, and the ugly truths. She’s living as herself, and herself only; much like she’s always wanted to.

And that’s what’s really important to her.

#id.bio #id.koalat #id.celeste #id.park kyungri

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