Church: Korean Style

So we went to a Korean church today.

About a block down from our apartment complex, there is a church. It doenst look like a traditional church, it is made of glass, about 5 stories tall and looks very narrow. But, it had a cross and a fish on the front, so we figured it was a church. We had stopped in earlier in the week to inquire about an English service (no) and what time the regular service began (11am).

Despite the no English service, we decided to try it out anyway. We are not brave enough to go venture out far into the Big City to find another church, especially in this cold weather, and seeing as how this church is just SO close to us, might as well give it a try right?

We arrive, and immediately group ourselves with a Korean family that has entered the building just before us. They head for the elevator, so we do the same. They take it up to the 3rd floor, and we exit with them, but the immediately usher us back on the elevator with some hand gestures implying we did not need to be on the 3rd floor. I have no idea what the 3rd floor was. So, we get back on, and they punch the basement level button for us and send us on our way.

Once on the basement level, a group of people in the basement lobby usher us into the Sanctuary, which is set up pretty traditionally with pews, a choir, a pulpit, and a group of string players (violins, cellos).

Instead of choosing where we sat, we were lead to a pew by an older woman wearing a traditional Korean outfit similar to this one:



There were only two or three woman dressed in this traditional hanbok outfit and everyone else was dressed in regular church clothes. An English speaking Korean sought us out and sat next to us and filled Jason in on some aspects of the church. Apparently, we chose well as the church was Presbyterian and that is the denomination we came from in the States. Every aspect of the service was in Korean. Some of the hymn tunes sounded familiar, and we could tell when they said the Lord's Prayer, but that was about it. About 15 or so minutes into the service, Jackson decided to start jibber jabbering, and seeing as how we were the only ones who brought our children into church, I decided I should probably take him out. I saw a glassed in room in the back of the sanctuary that looked like a place for mothers to take their babies and still keep and eye on the service. Thankfully, I was right, and Jackson and I joined 4 other mothers of young babies in small room. You could hear the service, and while they had a window to see into the sanctuary, they also had a big tv screen that showed the minister which was nice because we were all sitting on the floor. None of the mothers spoke English but thankfully, we all seem to be on the same page, and let our babies play on the floor together, occasionally feeding them snacks or nursing them. I hadnt brought any toys for Jackson, but they were very nice and shared their toys with him. No germaphobes here!

About 1/2 thru the service, someone brought me a big headset and gestured for me to put it on. They had found someone to translate the sermon, and I was able to listen in (Jason and Emma were sitting in the sanctuary and had headsets too). The translator wasnt the best, but it was nice to hear some English in my ears!

After the service was over, we were invited down eat lunch with the congregation in their lunch room. I dont know if they do this every Sunday, but they had a buffet line of rice, seaweed wraps, Kimchi and some soup. Korean are used to be packed many to a small room, and they had what I suspect was 50 million people in a room that should normally fit 20. Maybe I am exaggerating, but I do NOT like cramped spaces. Too bad for me, I now live in Korea and that is the WAY.

We sat with the English speaking Korean woman and her son (who is American born Korean- Virginia Tech student) who was the one who translated the sermon for us. They were all very nice, and Koreans LOVE children so they were very helpful and kind to Emma and Jackson.

The woman we sat with gave me her phone number, but I'm not sure we will go back to that church so I dont think I will call her. Her son told us that the church will likely not add an English speaking component to the service anytime soon (he was the translator and he's only home for Winter Break), and while they were all very nice and I LOVE that the church is so close, we need to understand the sermon.

Next week, we might take a cab to Post (you can walk to post, but it is COLD), and try one of the various services offered.