The young pastors on the staff of Kwang Lim Methodist Church work very hard. They are at the church by 5 am every morning for an hour of prayer with members of the congregation. This prayer time is led by the senior pastor. After prayer they return home for breakfast. Four days a week they make visits to the homes of the families in their district. Each pastor has about 1,000 families in his district. This means they make 6-8 visits per day, four days a week, every week of the year.
Home visits are very unique. An assistant accompanies them (a woman) to the home. She often is very familiar with the family, much more so than the pastor. They sit on the floor around a traditional table. The woman of the house and any adults in the home join them.
The visit begins with a few questions by the pastor. A thank offering is presented. The envelope for the offering usually has a list of prayer concerns. The pastor confers about the parishioners needs. Then the worship begins. A hymn, scripture and sermon shortly follow one another. At the end, the pastor prays for the family, giving his blessing to their home. A gift from the church is presented to the family.
Sounds routine...uninspired....but it was just the opposite. It was deeply moving. The exchange between pastor and family was heartfelt and rousing. It was evident that the visit was an honor for the family.
At the end of our first visit of the day, the young mother of the household asked that one of the three "foreign" pastors bless her baby. I was nominated. I took this precious 6 month old girl in my arms, while Brian and Rev Anthoni Sinkfield laid hands on her, and I prayed. The warmth of the baby in my arms seemed to sum up all I had been feeling. It was a blessing to me to participate in the faith life of this family, to hold their precious baby in my arms and pray for her. I was honored.
The faith of the Korean people runs deep with commitment and grace. I felt that in the homes we visited that day. I saw it in the eyes of the mother and her baby. I heard it in the voice of the pastor as he preached. I will not soon forget the passion of these people for Christ or for their church.