Page 2 - pc_Issue6_Summer2018

2 SUMMER 2018
PRESBYTERIAN
Connection
MESSAGE FROM THE MODERATOR
presbyterian.ca
Courage to Connect
By the Rev. Daniel Cho, Moderator of the
2018 General Assembly
Greetings to you, friends in The Pres- byterian Church in Canada! I am so pleased to offer this first letter to you in the Presbyterian Connec- tion newspaper as Moderator of the 144th General Assembly.
I want to say first how truly and genuinely honoured I am to have
been given this opportunity to serve the church in this way. I have been tremendously moved and blessed by the suppor t and good wishes from so many of you—those I know well, those whom I’ve not seen in a long while, and those I have not yet met in person. I accept your warm, grace-ful suppor t with all my hear t. Thank you!
I want to thank the Rev. Peter Bush and commend him on his successful moderatorial term. He has represented the church brilliantly with his insights on critical issues of our day and pro- phetic calls to action while constantly reminding us of the impor tance of faithful and loving engagement in the world, just as Christ has called us. Most importantly, he led us with the hear t of a pastor.
I also want to acknowledge my fellow nominees, the Rev. Mark McLennan and the Rev. Peter Han. I’m privileged to be considered in the company of these exceptional min- isters of the church. The Assembly
would cer tainly have been in excellent hands under their moderatorship. Our church is blessed by their faithfulness in ministry.
In truth, I am intensely humbled by and deeply thankful for all of you as we step into this next chapter in the life of our church. This privilege of serv- ing as moderator is certainly a far cry from what I could have ever imagined as a second-generation Korean-Cana- dian person. In the late ’60s children generally had little or no exposure to people from Asian countries. Ever since I was a young child I felt very strongly that I didn’t belong in Canada, that I was so different from others, and that I wasn’t accepted here. I felt all these things sharply...and I didn’t need to guess why. I knew because I was constantly reminded of this prac- tically every day—in the playground, schoolyard, classrooms, out in the streets and even while riding the bus.
We all know that kids can be brutal in their teasing, bullying, bigotry and inflicting emotional violence, all of which serve as constant reminders of one’s difference. But it wasn’t only from the kids that these slurs and put- downs came. They also came from older people, sometimes teachers, and other adults casually walking by while I was minding my own business playing. At a certain point one gets used to it all. I knew I loved being in Canada, but I often felt conflicted; I didn’t always feel safe, comfor table or trusting. I was hyper-conscious that my face looked very different; and out in society this difference made me feel ashamed.
But it was in the church that I felt safe. Early church life for the immigrant
A young Daniel Cho, circa 1969.
Koreans took root in downtown Toron- to, where we rented space first in Knox Presbyterian Church, Spadina, then in St. Luke’s United Church. For me, church always meant a place where people who looked different shared, cooperated and got along. The building was shared by three congregations— St. Luke’s, a Filipino group and us. I knew that we didn’t “own” the build- ing and yet never did I once feel that it wasn’t “my church.” The St. Luke’s minister was always joyful, warm and welcoming to us. He and the congre- gation modelled Christian hospitality. While I may have felt I was in the mar- gins out in society, at least in church I felt welcome for who I was in spite of having a different-looking face.
This is partly why I believe looking into the face of a person in a genuine and vulnerable way is very spiritually meaningful. Those many occasions where Jesus reaches out to someone and compassionately beholds them face-to-face resonates deeply within me. It represents profound connec- tion and acceptance by this new love of God, sufficient to transform their self-identity and self-worth. I believe it takes deep trust, vulnerability and courage to connect with each other in this way. It requires us to speak with
one another and not merely talk at.
In my online bio Q&A, I described how I was impacted at seeing a col- lage of all our faces expressing the very face of Christ himself. What a powerful spiritual testimony of human relationality and interdependency that
we find in our Saviour.
In the church I felt the acceptance
and embrace of God through the kind and generous spirit of others. We can never overestimate the transformative effect of the character of our relational- ity as testament to God’s loving com- passion and justice. Indeed, it has the power to change the course of some- one’s life, as it did mine, and define for him or her the very heart of God.
It’s my earnest hope that we as brothers and sisters in Christ may find ways to genuinely behold one another face-to-face in love, just as Jesus did. We are one another’s bridge later- ally connecting hear t to hear t, and as Christ’s Church we co-create bridges forward into our future in mutual car- ing, encouraging and upholding in Christ’s name.
This is what the church has repre- sented for me since childhood, and for that I am eternally grateful. If being blessed means being sensitized to the privilege of our mutual belovedness in Christ, then I for one am exceedingly blessed to serve this church of ours.
Oops!
Two errors were made in the Spring 2018 edition. On page 7, the article about The Message publication from the Atlantic Mission Society incor- rectly listed it as turning 150. Well done all you math buffs who noted that launching in 1893 means The Message actually turned 125. Sorry for accidentally aging you, Message!
On page 14, the caption for Knox Presbyterian Church in Guelph, Ont., incorrectly stated that they celebrated their 10th anniversary. The caption should have read that the LOGOS youth ministry celebrated its 10th an- niversary. Knox PC in Guelph marked 173 years in November. Our apologies for this error.
Stewards by Design
Conference
May 2–5, 2019 Orillia, Ont.
Keynote speaker: Dr. Kennon Callahan Cost: $2,400coversmeals,transportation,
accommodation and registration for four participants
The PCC’s Stewards by Design conference helps congregations discover how stewardship connects to the mission and ministry of the church. Participants explore how stewardship is not just a financial matter but also
a spiritual matter concerned with all aspects of life.
Apply online by October 19
presbyterian.ca/stewardsbydesign
Apply early — there is space for only 20 congregations to attend. Congregations send four team members, including the minister.
The PCC logo received a makeover!
Check out the new and dynamic visual expression of the burning bush— with a modern twist that continues to honour our rich Presbyterian history.
Download the logo at:
presbyterian.ca/logo