Worship

Christ is Risen!  He is Risen indeed!  Today we gathered to worship the risen Christ in three different churches. Once all of the sheep had arrived at our exit point we started down the road to church and traveled to Singjangwee Presbyterian church a middle size church of about eight hundred worshipers.  They have three services every Sunday and I was preaching at the second service, which started at eleven in the morning. 

   We were warmly greeted by and associate of the church whose responsibilities were youth and young adults.  This morning one of his responsibilities was to get us to the church on time and with all of his English notes in hand he gave all the information we would need.  After arriving at that church we were ushered into the Pastor’s office and given rice cakes and tea, after removing our shoes, of course.  As we sat around this table we shared stories of our churches and who we were more intimately.  Questions were asked about the state of the church and what the Presbytery might look like.  Interests and hobbies were shared and even though the languages were different we were able to share our hearts concern.  Before we realized it an hour had passed and my three companions were shepherded to the sanctuary and I was given my shoes and down a narrow steep staircase followed Pastor Hahn to the staging area for those who would lead worship.  Elder Oh, my interpreter and the liturgist and ushers were all present.  Prayer was offered and down another set of steep stairs I found myself on the sanctuary floor.   Pastor Hahn showed me to my seat and worship began with a responsive call and prayer.  We were able to follow worship as we had a copy of the service with English and Korean text.  The music was joyful and exuberant.  A whispered prayer during a time of corporate confession and all of the anxiety melted away.  Now was the moment of truth and I stood before a congregation larger than I have ever and I shared from my heart the sermon God and I had prepared.  Looking about and making eye contact with many folks in the pew I perhaps was more animated than Pastor Hahn might be, but the message was the same as we worshiped the God of the universe.  Luke 13:29 reminds us that all of God’s children are not from the same sheepfold and will come from many directions.  The north, south, east and west, and for those who have confessed Jesus and believe in their heart that Christ is Lord will sit at the table of God.  What a picture of what the church ought to be as we went to lunch in the fellowship hall of the church and broke bread, much as we might do at a church potluck. For dessert we migrated back to the pastor’s office and shared coffee and sweets with much conversation and laughter.  Everything is simple and breath taking at the same time. 

   In the afternoon we met up with the rest of our fellowship and were able to see a Sunday school during the afternoon (3PM) service.  The music and Bible lessons were simple and effective, asking children to use all of their senses.  At the same time these children were learning Bible, English and what is expected in a church service.  The teacher kept their attention until they broke up into small groups and we were escorted to a worship service with some folks from the Philippines who rented space in the church building for their worship. Finally we entered the sanctuary and heard the last part of the minister’s sermon and the rest of worship.  This church, Youndong Presbyterian, is in another Presbytery and was served by a missionary James S. Gale from Canada.  The history was alive and vibrant as we were introduced to it time and time again, and we were beginning to be overwhelmed by all that our shepherds were giving to us. 

After dinner we headed off to do a little shopping and a cultural event that included five people who were making music using items we might find in our kitchens.  Through out, the story line was of a restaurant where a visiting nephew was part of the mishaps of the chefs and the preparation for a dinner at 6.  Laughter at the high jinks and amazement at the knife skills was applauded by the audience, but the real star was the amazing knife work. 

   Skipping ahead to Wednesday morning we woke early and prepared for a full day.  The bus met us down stairs at the Mission center at 5:30 and we were off to a prayer service that started at 6.  The church we attended was one of the largest in Korea.  Active membership is one hundred thousand and the service we attended held at the least five hundred folks.  We were just a few pilgrims amongst many and the sound of uttered prayers was breathtaking.  To add our voices to the din and know that God hears me just as he does any other supplicant was awe inspiring and so once more we sat in awe of our loving merciful God.  Psalm 33:8 tells us that God is Creator of all and so we should stand in awe and respect of a God so big who wants to know my most precious secrets and dreams.  Worship is an integral part of what the people in Korea do.  Many of the folks we saw at the Morning Prayer would be there every day of the week at the same time and then head off to work from this place of worship and recharge.  God provides for His people and I believe that we in America, particularly in the church have forgotten that God provides.  We believe that we might be able to pull ourselves up by the bootstraps and we forget that it is God who called us out of slavery and showed us the way through the wilderness to the Promised Land.  We also forget that God calls us each by name and knows our hearts desire.  We forget that God desires that none of His should perish and that He wants to be in relationship with us.  Perhaps it is time for the Church in America to pray for revival and seek that face of God.  God will mold us into His people. Let us seek Immanuel, for God is still with us and has never left us.  Christ is Risen!  He is Risen indeed!