S109

Society Protocol 9

Spiritual Training

Mi-hee arrived at the church she attends with her mother. A banner reading "[Congratulations on Admission]" hung at the entrance. A large bus was parked at the church's main gate.

Friends she had seen during the high school service were also seated with their families.

An evangelist, who was checking the attendance list, approached Pastor Hwang, who was greeting people, and whispered something into his ear.

Pastor Hwang nodded as if he understood, then went to the podium and turned on the microphone.

The venue for the admission celebration was an indoor space resembling a large room where children attend worship services; the layout was such that people

removed their shoes to enter and sat on cushions.

A large wooden cross hung behind the pastor.

“Hello. It is always a good day, but today is an especially blessed day. In the past, some of you were a little late for worship, but today everyone has gathered right on time. Now, let us clap and sing hymns.”

The people rose from their seats and began to sing along.

“Holy, holy, holy, Almighty Lord, we praise our Lord early in the morning.”

Unlike typical worship services, the faces of the attending congregation were bright, as either their children or they themselves had been accepted to university.

Even the students who had gone to schools slightly below their academic level had already been attending for a few months and had adjusted to some extent. As they fully enjoyed their freshman year, smiles seemed to come naturally to them.

As the hymn ended, Pastor Hwang began to pray, adopting a pose that looked as if he were spreading his arms over the people's heads.

“Thank you, Heavenly Father. I thank you for protecting our church’s proud students and the parents who supported them so they could achieve such good results, and for watching over us so that we may welcome this day of grace.”

“Amen.”

The congregation responded with "Amen" whenever a paragraph of Pastor Hwang's prayer ended.

It was a kind of response acknowledging that they were listening to the prayer.

“I earnestly believe and pray that you grant wisdom and courage to overcome hardships to the other examinees who could not attend, and turn this into an opportunity for them to enter even better schools. I also pray that you grant the parents the courage and grace to shake off their aching hearts and take on the challenge once again. We will gratefully partake of this gracious meal prepared by God. Amen.”

As soon as Pastor Hwang’s prayer ended, the believers rose from their seats and moved to the dining hall.

The meal was modest, but it included braised short ribs, a dish not usually served at the church.

“Let us give a round of applause to the senior deaconesses and deacons who worked hard today.”

The attendees applauded the parishioners who had cooked as part of their volunteer work.

Then, they poured sparkling water and toasted while drinking.

The service was buffet-style, where people took plates and served themselves food.

Mi-hee stood in the serving line following her mother. Most of the attendees came with their parents.

However, some families came with only one father or mother, while others had siblings present.

There were also a few students who came alone without families, and the deacons who had volunteered sat with them.

Up until this point, it looked like just a typical celebratory gathering.

After the meal was finished, Pastor Hwang picked up the microphone again, as if to give an announcement.

“We notified the parents in advance. The program prepared for this was originally to visit the newly built prayer center in Gangwon-do, but...

Due to distance and time constraints, we decided to visit later when we can depart early in the morning.

Today, we are going to the Gapyeong Retreat Center at the church of our President, Pastor Kang Il-do, whom you all know.

To clear your heads, exhausted from exams... Oh, time has already passed quite a bit. Is this not right?

Haha. I intend to arrange a time for the young students to introduce their majors and schools to each other,

and for the parents to socialize.

Families who have plans this evening cannot attend, but all families who do are invited to attend.

We will have a time to listen to Pastor Kang Il-do’s congratulatory remarks, hear good words, and receive grace.

Let’s head straight to the bus.”

Mi-hee was momentarily flustered, as this was something she hadn't expected at all. She looked at her mother.

“Mom, I have plans for this evening.”

“Really? What time?”

“The time isn't certain yet. My friend is filming... no, working a part-time job, and she isn't sure when it will end.”

“Then let's just go. It doesn't take more than a few hours from here. Besides, wouldn't it be nice to meet Pastor Kang and say hello? And there are friends here we don't know, too. Let's go. Together.”

Mi-hee looked at her smartphone. There were no texts or messages.

[Well, I guess he'll be here by evening. He said he might not be able to see me today. I don't really have anything to do at home anyway.]

Mi-hee nodded to her mother, who smiled happily, took a bottle of water being handed out one by one, and boarded the bus with the doors open.

As the bus drove down the road, the TV turned on and played an edited video filmed by Pastor Hwang while traveling through Jerusalem, a holy site of Christianity.

Mi-hee's mother began watching the screen with a look of fascination, while Mi-hee, acting uninterested, turned on her smartphone and was about to send a text message to Min-hyuk,

but stopped, fearing it might give off too much of a religious vibe,

and started watching other interesting videos instead.

The scenery as we passed the highway and onto the national road was tranquil.

We traveled upstream along the river and entered a place where a stream flowed along one side of the road.

The prayer retreat was located right next to the stream.

The believers who got off the bus stretched and inhaled deeply, as if trying to breathe in the fresh air.

Mi-hee also felt good, finding the air pleasant and hearing the birds singing.

Inside the prayer retreat building, Pastor Kang Il-do welcomed Pastor Hwang along with a few believers.

“Oh, Pastor, you must have had a hard time traveling such a long distance. It is a pleasure to meet you all. I am Kang Il-do.”

The parishioners who got off the bus rejoiced as if they were seeing a famous star, and some even took photos with their smartphones.

Several of the parishioners approached Pastor Kang and asked to take a picture with him,

and Pastor Kang readily smiled and posed for them.

“You've all had your meals before you came, right? Why don't you stay for dinner later? There are a few things this neighborhood is famous for, and the pork is truly superb. Also, as you all know, pine nut makgeolli is famous here. Haha, well, if any of you parishioners are interested, just come over later and we can enjoy it together. What does it matter on a fine day like today?”

Pastor Kang Il-do’s jokes helped the congregation relax, and the thought of eating meat and drinking makgeolli made their mouths water.

“Since you have come, we will have 30 minutes of free time. Please look around the surroundings, admire the water, and since there are fish here, those of you who feel confident are welcome to dip your feet in. However, please keep in mind that the water in this area is cold. The depth doesn't even reach your knees, but please do not go in alone. Now, Pastor Hwang, let's talk for a moment. I will see you all inside the prayer retreat in 30 minutes.”

Pastor Kang gestured to Pastor Hwang and they entered his villa together.

The prayer retreat building consisted of a large main sanctuary and a smaller space for worship.

Nearby, small houses resembling bungalows, just big enough for one person, surrounded the retreat.

There was also a dining hall next to the retreat. Pastor Kang's villa was situated separately behind the main sanctuary.

The rest was a fairly spacious area entirely covered in grass.

There were families taking walks, students running into the water with friends, and adults walking around the area chatting about the everyday things they used to do when meeting at church.

Mi-hee walked toward the stream with some women her mother knew.

Once inside the villa, Pastor Kang Il-do looked at Pastor Hwang and spoke in a low voice.

“Pastor Hwang, have you come to terms with this?”

“Yes, Pastor. The families gathered here today are truly zealous believers, which is why I arranged this gathering. I couldn’t tell you in advance what would happen today. I thought that if I brought it up, people might be surprised or put to the test...”

Pastor Kang Il-do looked at Pastor Hwang with a slightly surprised expression.

“What? You came here without saying anything? Oh dear, what if the secret leaks out?”

“I hope you will grant me wisdom, Pastor. And since you know the situation most accurately, I would like you to convey the words you shared with me to our congregation.”

Pastor Kang Il-do wore a troubled expression.

“I have to deliver shocking news to the church family, who are just overjoyed.”

However, Pastor Kang Il-do, as if he understood, turned his back on Pastor Hwang and entered his prayer room.

Inside, he began to pray while quietly sobbing.

After thirty minutes, believers began to enter the prayer retreat building one by one.

The chapel of the prayer retreat consisted of a large room, and blankets were laid out on one side for sleeping.

The structure was such that worship was usually held in this room, and after the service ended, people would sleep right there.

Although it was not a place specifically for fasting prayer, fasting was encouraged,

and those who wanted to eat could use the dining hall and the store inside at any time.

Pastor Hwang entered the prayer retreat where the believers were sitting on cushions and instructed the evangelist to check the attendance.

After confirming the number, he set the mood and wore a cold expression.

“I have invited you all here today to deliver a very important message. Please take your seats and calm your minds before listening.”

Seeing that Pastor Hwang, who was always smiling, now had a serious expression, the believers all began to calm down.

Without turning on the microphone, Pastor Hwang walked into the center of the seated congregation and stood there.

Then, he began to tell the story he had heard from Pastor Kang Il-do.

“The Senior Pastor received a revelation. It is said that he received this revelation personally, and a pastor from a church in the United States also received it at the same time. So, while the two were in contact, they confirmed that they had both received the revelation and spent time organizing its contents.”

People were slightly surprised by the mention of "revelation."

Pastor Kang Il-do used to occasionally make several prophecies during the services he presided over,

and he was famous for them all coming true.

People were also aware of him because there had been several miracles where the sick were healed while praying at the prayer retreat.

However, they attended their church thinking that Pastor Hwang was far removed from such things, as he practiced a ministry that encouraged parishioners to help one another. Therefore, the word "revelation" felt awkward to them.

“Pastor, you will personally share the message you heard. Even if it is difficult to accept, I ask that you wait until your message is finished before asking questions or taking action. Pastor, I am ready.”

Pastor Kang Il-do put on his usual pastoral robes, stood on the podium, and turned on the microphone.

Pastor Hwang sat among the congregation and listened to Pastor Kang’s words.

“It is truly a difficult matter to bring up. Even among the members of our church, only a small minority are aware of it. Because the shock is immense, it could cause confusion, and there is a possibility of misunderstanding, I could not speak up until I was certain. However, I am speaking out because I felt that I must use the power God has given me to save at least our congregation.”

Pastor Kang Il-do looked at the believers with a benevolent expression, relaxed his serious look, and smiled generously.

The benevolent smile of Pastor Kang, who had been so easygoing discussing pork and makgeolli, had returned.

“You have likely heard of Sodom and Gomorrah. It is the city of corruption where God promised not to destroy it if there were even ten righteous people, but because those ten were not met, it was destroyed by fire and brimstone. And the story of Lot and his family being told to leave the city without looking back, but Lot’s wife disobeyed the command and looked back, turning into a pillar of salt.”

The people listened to Pastor Kang’s story holding their breath. Mi-hee thought it was absurd, but she couldn't openly show that expression.