Thousands of Korean Collegians Have Me Wondering...

Unbeknownst to me, the hotel I booked through Priceline for my bimonthly getaway was hosting a huge conference put on by Korean Campus Crusade for Christ. Nearly 3 thousand college students from campuses all over Southern California crammed into the four-star hotel to particpate in the 4-day event -- an event characterized by high-energy praise, intense general sessions and a wide variety of missions and deeper life related workshops. If you're interested in reading information about this conference, go here; and for information in English about KCCC in general, go here.

Here's an invitation to the event from the Director of KCCC in Los Angeles, Dong Whan Kim:

A single tear drop from Heaven falls from the Father's eyes - As He looks from heaven, upon His son, being put to death on the cross.
The Father's tear drop falls as a heavey rain that covers all the earth, symbolizing a festival of victory over death, and absolute freedom from all fear and condemnation.

2000 years later, today, another single tear drop from Heaven falls from the Father's eyes. The father's heart, as He looks down upon today's young generation, pours out as a heavy rain, once again.

The Father's tear falls upon us, washing away all of our inner darkness; it strengthens our unending weaknesses that cause us to fall time, and time again; and cuts away at all the chains that bind us to sin. Just as the leper was unaware of his soul, of love, and of Christ... the Father's tear falls upon us as a heavy rain, reviving our dreaded hearts.

Shower us with Your rain, o Father!
Shower the Holy Spirit, your Grace, your Forgiveness, and renewal upon us. Rain that will cause this young generation to be revived, fall upon us! Fall upon our every hearts, our every family, every church and every campus.
Shower Your heavy rain, upon us.

Come!
We invite you to a place where you can be touched by the Father's tears that will pour down as a heavy rain. Come to Vision Conference 2005, "Showers of Righteousness."
Come to a place where God's Grace will pour down as a waterfall shower - from Heaven!

Vision 2005 "Showers of Righteousness"

Dong Whan Kim
Director of KCCC LA

Anyway, all of this has got me wondering: why are events like this so popular among Asian young adults?  And why does the emerging church movement (I use that term hesitatingly) continue to look SO European?  These Korean believers were utilizing many of the same multisensory worship expressions and singing many of the same songs that eurocentric emerging churches do.  But the strongly evangelical "flair" that comes with their association with Campus Crusade was undeniable.  Korean evangelicalism is alive and well and seemingly accomplishing awesome things for the sake of Christ's kingdom.

Hmmm.  I wonder if we can get everyone attending February's Emergent Conference to all participate in a 3-mile prayer walk around the city, like these Korean brothers and sisters went on yesterday?  And that led to another question: is the emerging church movement already developing their own "comfort zone"?

I know what I've seen these past few days, but I keep asking myself, what does it mean?

Comments

[tammy]

i too noticed enthusiasm among the koreans who traveled to Toronto in the late 90's to the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship. some of them didn't understand english, but worshipped through 4 hour meetings anyway.

i attribute a lot of this to the work done in the 80's by Paul Yonggi Cho.