Sunday with Immanuel

I'm going to be preaching and speaking at a 2pm service, so I can sit in the congregation with JiHee to interpret for me and make sure I'm not cluttered up with bags etc. The band is good, and it's a happy atmosphere. When Pastor Kim comes on to speak,he has a very laid back, jokey conversational style, engaging individuals, and people can join in. The service is 1045 to 1245, kept a bit short because I'm on afterwards. Everyone has a lunch and I'm part of the inner group who eat in Pastor Kim's office. We have a succession of young children joining us to recite and sing in English - 5 Little Monkeys, ABCDEFG etc, each rewarded with sweets. A slightly older girl is too shy, but she joins in when we're back in the church. There are a series of musical offerings in my honour, by the children, then a duet, and a very funny turn by one of the jokers of the church before Yoo Ree [I know I haven't got the spelling right, Yoo Ree, but I'll check later when I'm collected at Heathrow, by Pastor Kim's family - we've just gone over the northern end of Lake Baikal] sang the Celine Dion song The Power of Love very passionately, and dedicated it to me! After that it was my turn to speak and preach! Ji Hee was interpreting and did fantastically well - the sermon really flowed, and I did it Pastor Kim style, not consulting my notes! Then I talked through a fair number of my pictures that they projected. It wasn't difficult to weave some Busan experiences into references to the growing mission of the church from the Acts of the Apostles. Pastor Kim (PK) was delighted, but also very sad for me that we don't have a large congregation for me to preach to at John Bunyan. I presented my gifts for the "National Gallery" in their Cafe London, and for PK. There was then a breather - time for another meal at the Outback Steakhouse - steak and lobster - guests of one of the older members ie round about my age! PK did manage to join us even though he was preaching again at 7.30 this time in another Methodist Church, The Vineyard Church, a church with 1500 members and a church community of 2500. This is a developing link-up and the first time Immanuel had gone along to a service there, Pastor Lee describing Immanuel as a rising star. Watch this space, but there was a sense this could be significant for the future. The same style of preaching from PK who described himself as nervous, being a shy kind of person - lots of laughter, congregation almost entirely young adults. We had a reception with the pastor afterwards who was very generous with gifts for all Immanuel members and for me. If he'd known I was around I could have preached - it would certainly have been the largest congregation ever for me!  Pastor Lee had been guest for part of the WCC Assembly and was staying at hotel round the corner from - he'd been one of the Korean church dignitaries on the front row at the opening.

Then it was back to pack which of course was not a problem because they supplied me with an additional case, and I can have 2 items of hold luggage by the conditions of my ticket. So I'm coming back with twice the volume and twice the weight I went out with! Having packed, they doing the second case, they wondered about going out for a party. At getting on for 12 it seemed it was probably bedtime to me, but it wasn't a great night's sleep, and it turned out Ji Hee and Dongsik stayed up anyway having discovered about my blog!