Time Well Spent

On our 10 day Korean Cultural Pilgrimage, Bupyeong Korean Methodist Church showed us many things, notably radical hospitality, the importance of vision, lay involvement and prayer.  But, it was clear: prayer provides the heart, soul, mind and strength of the mission, ministry and the phenomenal growth of Korean Christianity since Jesus came ashore near Incheon, South Korea, circa 124 years ago on Easter Sunday. 

Like the Koreans, my life and ministry have been shaped by prayer.  Growing up, we prayed before eating and the “Now I lay me down to sleep …” prayer before slumbering.  We thanked God for blessings.  On Sunday, we prayed at church.  Weekdays, I prayed as well.  Protestants attending Catholic grade school had to go to Mass and pray the rosary like Catholic kids.  Often, my prayer initiatives had to do with taking tests, report cards or dealing with the consequences of mistakes made.        

Walking home for lunch daily, my awareness of prayer grew in public High School.  In exchange for sponsoring Paul Harvey’s radio broadcast, Fentress Mortuary advertised their services.  Sweet Hour of Prayer was their theme song.  Its lyrics and melody spoke to my childhood struggles and the contemplative aspect of my personality.  The line “In seasons of distress and grief, my soul has often found relief, and oft escaped the tempter’s snare, by thy return sweet hour of prayer” has led and fed me countless times.      

Members of Bupyeong Korean Methodist Church talked about multiple “seasons of distress and grief” in their 5000 year history.  Korea has survived over 900 invasions from nations such as China, Russia and Japan.  In modern times, Japan held Korea captive for 36 years.  Birth names were changed.  Speaking Korean was forbidden. Shinto worship was encouraged.  Following Jesus brought persecution.  The Korean War ensued.  Then, it ended with the division Korea.  Russia occupied the North.  And the US took the South.  By this painful division, a host of problems have confronted Koreans.  Among the worst, families have been torn apart and separated over fifty years.  Given this pain and suffering,   Koreans have turned to God “to make a way out of no way.” 

Korean Christians have found refuge and strength in prayer meetings.  For instance, every morning about 1/5^th of the Bupyeong congregation (nearly 1,000) gathered at 5am for prayer.  They sang, read scripture and heard a mini-sermon.  Then, they prayed in unison, out loud.  A thousand people cried to God about their concerns, private and public.  Asked to explain why Korean Christians have depended so heavily on God and the power of prayer, the pastor bore witness that “prayer changes things.”  It built their church, helped his folk survive and keep hope alive.  Repentance, thanksgiving, and the saving acts of Jesus Christ have come through prayer.   

The seasons of distress and grief brought on the church and our lives by America’s economic downturn ought to move us to claim the power of prayer even more.  Billions of believers have demonstrated that prayer “makes a way out of no way” for those who believe.”  900 plus invasions later, Korea still exists.  Divided, they’re still dreaming about the day when Korea will be one. Preceded by a long history of Buddhism, Korean Christians have employed the power of prayer to fuel their knowledge of scripture, ministry to the least of these, class meetings, dynamic Sunday school, calling folks into ministry, missionary activity around the world and phenomenal church growth.  In his hymn, William W. Waford, an obscure and blind lay preacher, testified to the salvific and visionary power of prayer. 

“Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer, thy wings shall my petition bear to Him whose truth and faithfulness engage the waiting soul to bless; and since He bids me seek his face, believe His Word and trust His grace, I’ll cast on him my every care, and wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer.” 

Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors.