Boy the last week has been full of this and that | Dec. 11th 2024
7 pastoral visits and rides to hospital. Lots of side bar counselling in the after visits and a hours long tour of the mainland helping someone process what is going on. I started recording a video on “A day in the life” of what I was doing… I doubt I will upload it. if so I will re-post this.
Two trips to a surrey safe-house to bolster the captain of the ship there with fellowship and the word. I will admit I enjoy it and benefit from doing so. Confidentiality keeps me from saying anything more no matter how much I itch to speak about it.
I was able to do communion for 5 of us on Sunday in St. Paul’s Hospital. One of the people was a stranger to me but a brother none the less.. When I get the funds to do so I am going to get some communion cups and wafers.
Professor Cho showed up and we both laid hands on this man named Matthew. He asked for my for my phone number, I have not yet heard from them. As soon as I had referred to pastor Cho as professor Cho he said OK Cho share with me the gospel, he put a 10 minute timer on his phone and said you have 10 minutes LOL and he was truly serious.
Anyways I encourage you to read the rest of this post on the website:
Boy the last week has been full of this and that | Dec. 11th 2024
Professor Cho and another professor where at my ordination ceremony with Bishops Dan and Gloria and confirmed me with the presbytery. Cho is now 72 and from Korea. He was a Presbyterian minister in Korea. At the age of 45 he developed a severe case of tuberculosis and his people told him @ 45 he looked like he was in his 70’s, for a time it made him gravely ill. He then started to seek the Lord in a way that he had never done before and he knocked and the door was opened unto him.
He recovered fully and is full of light and life.
What happened to him was he became born again, he truly did receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit and woke up to find that although he was a well respected minister in a culture where honour, knowledge, appearance. and perfection is prized that he was, and his congregations where “dead”… Good people, full of knowledge but still not having the indwelling of the spirit. From what I understand the Presbyterian church could not understand what had happened to him as much as he tried to share the Revelation of the word sitting in front of them, some of them being professors / teachers of Christian theology themselves.
Can you imagine waking up and having to lay it all aside and restart? He came to Canada and now via technology and the Internet teaches people all over the world. He comes down regularly to the trenches of Vancouver’s East side. He and I share a similar function as we are ministers to other pastors / ministers.
Cho tells me I am a good friend, coming from him in the context of what we do gives me some hope and reassurance that I am doing somethings right. He with reverence almost always reports to me that he continues to “Preaches nothing but Jesus Christ” and goes through a confessional of sorts, giving his testimony and shares his joy about how his classes are going. COVID and Zoom it seems gave him a larger platform than he imagined, he teaches for free now. Did I mention how humble this man is? Truly. His joy is in sharing the gospel, having undeniably studied to show him self approved in the Word. He also has a small congregation in the lower mainland and his ministry includes missions work doing street out reach in Vancouver with his church and on his own, he knows many soldiers I know.
In fact we most often now see each other in conjunction with pastors and ministers I have a duty of care over. I have only ever planned to meet him twice I believe.
I like ministering with him, I never have to worry about what he is going to teach, he is not a sheep poacher or a wolf in sheep’s clothing etc., in fact we do a pretty good job together, he is so passionate about sharing the gospel he speaks fast and has a very strong Korean accent, when we are with others I can finish his sentences and then quickly explain back to him what I said to the person he is addressing, he pats me on the shoulder or back and smiles and does says yes yes and with his head nods and will say at times with a nod or “you tell them…” and I will be able to pickup his meaning and carry it forward. It is one thing to be a Phd., a literal Dr. of the Church’s doctrines and teach the language and concepts of the bible in an auditorium or class room and yet he is still be able to reach people in the poorest postal code in the country, his love and passion is very clear.
In a time past I had been going through something and we got together one on one, he told me something I needed to hear not what I wanted to hear, I asked and all, I did not take his advice right away, I did later on, using it as a point of reference to make a decision or two. As it is I became one of his confessors that evening. Some times being in a position where people look to you for direction or because of who you are or the role you have in Christ / the church people have to look to you but not like you and it limits ones ability to make confessions and or share in the doubts, uncertainty, and pressure of the calling. For some it would shake their faith and if God wanted them to know they would know. I
could use a few more on the front lines that can uphold the elders and leadership of the church as they hold up the church. We are in this together and the older I get, the more I see how the suburban church’s leadership having a a solid fellowship and in larger numbers praying and encouraging, doing the best they can to be a blessing and not in and out of crisis and taxing the minister keeps them protected.
So please if you will pray for Cho and I and all who are on or serve the front lines. Thank-You 🙂
That reminds me I am going to share with him that those years being a master of the letter of the law, a Dr. of the language and philosophy of the scriptures but not having the spirit of the law still served him and God well as far as I can tell. I sense the years post baptism of the Holy Spirit he teaches / professes with passion first then with the the tools he has as a “classically” trained theologist because he never wants to ever again just teach or preach a theology, his spirit will not allow for it, in fact he is determined to wake up as many as he can in teaching. Again it is a pleasure to minister the word with him.
Now that I am thinking about Cho and lets cal him Sung, the other professor (Who’s name I cannot remember the spelling of and the pronunciation is muddled in my remembrance as well) , he is now 85 years old. He too is from Korea. He came to Canada as a young man. He felt he had a calling to the clergy and it bewildered him. He went to a mountain and spent 10 days on it fasting, one because he was broke and because he was wrestling with this calling, how he was suppose to do the impossible. Well as it turned out he then went to Toronto as he was told to do by The Lord and I am not sure what seminary / university he approached but it was even back then an old, well established seminary and low and behold without him even registering or having the funds let alone the English language skills or transcripts needed get the ball rolling they told him he was already enrolled and had a free ticket. No one could explain it, it’s a wonder how they did not think him stark raving mad. He was given everything he needed. As it is he as a Phd. and has taught for decades.
Both he and Cho, have seen what I have been called to, seen some of what I have gone through, and done, and they have no pity for me, what they have for me is an understanding that some of what we are called to do is foolishness to many others in the world, but because they know who I am and who Christ in me is and without Him first loving and calling us none of us would have been effective or here at all. I forget most often that we carry with us some experiences and responsibilities that others know about and see in or about us. Cho and Sung carry it with such grace, me, I am a son of thunder and at times thank God they have the grace for me to afford me the space to fight the good fight and get the work done. Instead of coddling me like a soldier trapped behind enemy lines they can see how we are holding the fort, pushing the gates back and down and making peace on the ground we take back and hold.
Well thanks for reading. I find writing this therapeutic, if any good comes of it to you… Amen!
Every Blessing,
John
