Some might say . . . ."Well, its about time!!"

Here I am at the beginning of my fifth semester of teaching at Handong.  When I first was thinking about teaching abroad, (more than three years ago) colleagues who had done so strongly urged me to make the most of my experience by learning the language of my host country. 

But, I've never been very good at learning, and even worse at speaking, modern languages.  Give me Koine Greek or Classical Latin -- you know, those dead languages that no one speaks any more!!  "Semper ubi sub ubi!!"  I still remember that maxim from my high school Latin teacher at St. Paul's in Concordia.

So . . . I've resisted the counsel of my colleagues and the advice of my loving spouse, who, by the way, started her language lessons within two weeks of arrival here in the Spring of 2010.  Within one semester, she had already excelled far beyond my "An yong ha se yo" and "Gam sa ham ni da!" -- which have been my main stays for the past two years! 

I've resisted that is, until now.  This evening, I experienced my first lesson in Korean!

And while I've been told that Korean is one of the most difficult languages to learn, and even with my built-in, hard-wired, left brain-right brain-disability with language-learning (primarily, I would contend, because I'm a visual rather than an auditory learner) I found my lesson this evening to be exceptionally fascinating as well as intellectually stimulating. 

Korean is a very "scientific language" -- that is, the formation of both the consonant and vowel sounds follow a very rational, logical progression.  My tutor demonstrated how the vowel sounds progress from those made with the mouth wide open to those made with it increasingly closed.  As I saw the sounds being produced and heard them expressed, they began to make sense even to this lingua-dumbie!  

Now, I must confess that I find other Asian languages, such as Chinese and the Chin language of Myanmar, to be much more melodious.  But, the precision of Korean is beginning to rival what I had previously believed to be only the province of the ancient classical tongues.

There was, however, one very disappointing discovery.  I say disappointing, but it was also a very enlightening insight into how language shapes our view of the world.  I asked my tutor to tell me the Korean word for "dove."  The word is 비둘기 (pronounced "bi dool gi").  It means "pigeon."  

There is no separate word in Korean for "dove."  So if I were to quote the Song of Solomon to my beautiful wife telling her that she had "dove's eyes" (see Song of Songs 1:15), I would say  in Korean, "You have pigeon's eyes."  Not as romantic as Solomon's words to the Shulamite.

So, in this case, it might not work for me to advise my young male Korean students to master the poetry of Solomon as they make their preparations to woo the woman of their dreams.  Well, so much for Korean as a language of love; at least that is, in translation.  

I hear, though, that I still have much to learn both about and from the Korean language, which admonition I readily accept and yield to.  So . . . . off to start my homework! It is indeed about time that I started!

Living More AND Less

(I wrote this brief piece about ten years ago.  I'm recently finding, though, that I need to take heed to its "suggestions" even more so during my life abroad this semester @ Handong).

A common reply to the everyday question “How are you doing?” is often, “Well…okay…more or less.”  Most of us find our day-to-day lives to be somewhere in between the “more” and the “less” of health and wellness, spiritual wholeness and, if we are honest, mental sane-ness. 

May I then make a few humble suggestions to encourage us all to live “more and  less” as a means of growing beyond the “more or less” of life?  I offer these as suggestions, not reproofs.  I readily admit that the biggest beam resides in my own eye as I regularly fail the more’s and much too often practice the less’s.  To some, they may seem trite and clichéd, but I trust to others they may prove helpful in some small way.

With that said, may we all be living by doing . . .

More Reading, Less Watching  
Good books are a treasure.  Search them out!

TV (films, the web) can be a trap.  Watch, above all, your step.

More Listening, Less Talking

Do I really listen?

Or, just wait to talk?

More Walking, Less Sitting

What wondrous things we can see and ideas ponder on a daily walk!

But, oh how stresses seem to weigh us down as we sit.

More Drinking, Less Eating

Water, that is.  Cool, clear water!

Food, yes, food.  Start by reducing portions.

More Helping, Less Hounding

“How may I help you?” is a wonderful way to encourage someone.

“What can you do for me?” is an attitude that often prompts us to pound someone.

More Asking, Less Accusing

Seek to understand before expecting to be understood.

Attribute the best motives to others, rather than accuse them of the worst.   

       

More Giving, Less Keeping

Remember Jesus said that you will be happier by giving than by expecting to get.

The less things we hold on to, the less hold things have on us.

More Thanking, Less Expecting

In everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you.

The way we thank others reveals whether we truly thank God.

So, see the acts of others as their gifts to you, not as efforts to fulfill your expectations.

More Singing, Less Sighing

When a song is first in our heart, then it authentically resounds in our voice.

Sighing, however, is a true downer wherever it resides.

More Conserving, Less Consuming

The good things in life are few – they are to be savored.

The fast things in life are plenty – they favor by fattening.

More Serving, Less Summonsing

Jesus summed-up his life’s purpose in the words: “to serve and to give.”

Don’t expect someone to wash your feet; take up the basin and the towel – today.

Two Weeks Into the New Semester

This weekend marks the completion of the first two weeks of the new semester.  I feel like I've "hit the ground running," as we say back in the States. But, I need to be careful in choosing my phrases when speaking with my Korean colleagues and students.  They tend to take each word quite literally.

I'm not literally running.  I'm not in that good of shape just yet.  I am, though, doing quite a bit of walking.  In fact, that is one of the prime factors that draws me to life at Handong.  Here, I can live a walking-paced life.  This morning, I walked to church, and later walked to lunch outside where I "helped" grill hot dogs and enjoyed a beautiful Spring-like afternoon with many who live on campus.

Each morning (or, nearly every morning), I get out and talk a walk-about.  I head down road toward the main entrance and overlook the valley that stretches out between Handong's campus and the East Sea.  If you look carefully at the picture above, you'll see the sea just beyond the rolling hills in the distance.  I then make my way back up the long hill and around the road that circles the entire campus before returning to my apartment.  The whole walk is nearly two miles.

After preparing a breakfast of either fruit and cereal or -- on days when I'm a little more hungry -- French toast, scrambled eggs and bacon, I take another walk, much shorter though, over to All Nations Hall, and up to the third floor where my office is located.  I usually arrive in time to check my email while listening to the latest news from St. Louis via KWMU's streaming audio on the web before making final preparations for my morning class.

After class, its back to the office for meetings with students and then off to lunch, usually with a colleague or two or on occasion, like this past Friday, I'll be invited to lunch by a group of students.  There is a tradition here where students take their professors to lunch or dinner.  It gives the students an opportunity to get to know their prof's in a more informal setting as well as being good practice with English conversation skills.

Following lunch, an afternoon walk tends to keep my energy level up and helps to ward off the drowsiness that might otherwise tempt me back to my apartment for a little nap.  Just a couple of days ago, I noticed another sure sign of spring when walking across campus.  Some of the trees are already starting to blossom out.

Eventually, a whole host of cherry and pear trees across campus will be filled with delicate blossoms.  Some will be white and others pink.  It's an absolutely gorgeous sight!  By then, I'll be walking even more since the temperatures will regularly be in the 60's and the rainy days of the late winter will have passed.

The afternoons are filled with classes on Monday's and Thursday's, a faculty seminar on Wednesday's and a lively round table discussions with other international faculty on Friday's.  My days are very full but not hectic. These first two weeks have begun to settle me in to a pattern and flow that I trust, by God's grace, will be both meaningful and productive as I seek to encourage my students to grow not only in knowledge but also in responsible service to others according to the callings on their lives.

Bodily Exercise Profiteth (a) Little

One of the benefits of living on a campus with nearly 4000 young people is the constant motivation you sense to be active and even a feeling of guilt for being so out-of-shape. This impression comes home to you when you get up at 6:30am each morning to set out on your daily "walk-about" the campus only to find that teams of students have already been up for almost an hour (since the sunrise) and are vigorously engaged in battle upon the soccer pitch that occupies the better part of the center of campus. If only I had the energy and stamina to be out there running around and kicking that ball! 

Well, Sandy must have picked-up on those unspoken expressions by means of her feminine intuition. How do I know? She hired one of the seniors on campus to be our personal trainer! His name is Aleksey. He's a national judo champion from Uzbekistan. Not only is he in spectacular physical shape, he also speaks four languages -- Uzbek, Russian, Korean and English -- so his mind is as fit as his body! Now, every Wednesday and Friday evenings, we meet Aleksey in the campus health club -- located on the basement level of Shalom Dormitory -- for our training sessions. 

They begin with warm-ups and a series of stretches. We then proceed to running on the treadmill for about 12-15 minutes at various levels of speed. Aleksey is working us up to 8 km/h, but at this point -- three weeks into our training -- we're doing well to make it to 6 km/h -- a nice jogging pace. Then comes the squats. Three sets of 10 rep's each by the end of which the tops of my thighs are beginning to burn with pain. But, we're only about half-way through our program.  

Next, Aleksey demonstrates three floor exercises. The first one requires us to lie on our backs, pull our heads up at 30 degrees, fix our eyes on a point on the wall, and then lift our legs up and then lower them down -- sloooooowwwwwly -- until they are about two inches off the floor, and then lift them back up again. We repeat this exercise 6 to 8 rep's for two sets. Now, lie back and bring your heels toward your bottom so that your knees are raised up about 12-14 inches; extend your arms placing your hands on the tops of your thighs and then raise up siding your hands up toward your knee caps and hold it there! Gently, lie back and repeat this exercise now 6 to 8 times for two sets. 

Tired yet? I forgot to tell you that in between each set of exercises you are to get up and walk around in order to keep yourself loose all the while controlling your breathing with long and deep inhalations followed by slow exhalations. Now, back down on the floor -- this time on your stomach. Bring your knees up under you with your palms flat on the floor in front. Gradually extend your legs back while you arch your stomach in and your head back almost forming a C with your body. Got the picture? Now do that 6 to 8 times for two sets. 

We're nearly through. At this point, we move to the exercise machines. The first one requires us to sit in a chair and place our feet on a platform that is connected to a set of pulleys. The cable running through the pulleys is connected to a series of weights that allows you to increase and decrease the amount of weight that your legs will be lifting as you push the platform with your feet. We start with 20 kilos and gradually move up to 30 and then 40. Finally, we head over to the last apparatus. This one is a bit tough to describe – not because it is particularly complex, but because it requires your body to bend and stretch in ways that are not a part of the normal range of physical activities you might encounter in an ordinary day. 

Here’s the scene – first you place your thighs on pads that are set at about a 45 degree angle. Then, you place your heels up against a set of rollers. This essentially locks the lower half of your body into a slanted position. Now arch your back up with your hands raised up in the surrender posture (because at this point in the training you are ready to say, “I give up!” – but you don’t). Instead, you slowly lower the upper half of your body down farther and farther until you are now making an A frame with the highest point of the A being your bottom – you feet form on base and your head is the other base of the A. Now, raise-up slowly (inhaling along the way) back up to the arching position. Repeat this movement 6 to 8 times for two sets. 

Did you survive? Aleksey keeps a close watch on us so we don’t overdo it. One time last week, though, Sandy couldn’t make it to the training session, so I was working on my own with Aleksey. Another one of my international faculty colleagues, Alex from Australia, was also doing a workout in the gym on some nearby equipment. He happened to overhear me say to Aleksey that I wasn’t feeling as sore as I thought I might be this the level of training I had been through thus far. Alex, looking out for my best interests, shouted over, “Don’t say that Mate! Yaur trainer will pushya even haawrrder!” 

Needless to say, that was the last time I made any comments about not feeling sore. In fact, it was the last time I've not been feeling sore as I’m finding that this bodily exercise is profiting – a little. So far, though, a very little.

Taciturnitas

Dennis Okholm, a professor at Azusa Pacific University, wrote a wonderful little book entitled Monk Habits for Everyday People.  The subtitle particularly caught my attention: "Benedictine Spirituality for Protestants."  Ever since my wife and I had the opportunity to participate in a retreat at the Pecos Benedictine Monastery in New Mexico nearly five years ago, I have been increasingly interested in the lessons I can learn from this tradition. 

Prof. Okholm's book makes those lessons very accessible.  For example, take this story from Okholm's own efforts to practice one of the disciplines taught by St. Benedict in his Rule, the discipline of taciturnitas.

"Recently, on an Ash Wednesday, I was encouraging students to think of one deficiency in their lives that they could attack with a spiritual discipline during Lent.  Never afraid to barge in where uninvited, a member of the class in the back row (the source of much consternation for college professors) asked, 'What deficiency are you going to attack?'"

"I had to be honest, so I answered, 'Actually I've got several, and I need to decide on one by the beginning of the first full week of Lent.  I'll let you know.'  But I knew what it would be, and , true to my word, I soon announced to the class that I needed to learn to listen better to others, so I would be attempting to talk much less in some small study groups of which I was a part."

“What I attempted – with a mixed degree of success – was what Benedict insists upon all the time for his monks in . . . the Rule – namely, restraint of speech. He does not command silence (silentium) but restraint (taciturnitas), because sometimes silence can be a bad thing, such as when someone needs help with directions or counsel . . . When a monk speaks, he should do so gently, seriously, briefly, and reasonably.”

Beside the advice from scripture that he cites (Ps. 39:1-2; Prov. 10:19; 18:21), why would Benedict be so concerned with a topic about which we hear so little in the church? Michael Casey answers with a litany of possible dangers of talk: ‘It restricts our capacity to listen; it banishes mindfulness and opens the door to distraction and escapism."

"Talking too much often convinces us of the correctness of our own conclusions and leads some into thinking they are wise. It can be a subtle exercise in arrogance and superiority. Often patterns of dependence, manipulation, and dominance are established and maintained by the medium of speech . . . . So if we want to grow in grace, we must learn to talk less and listen more.” (pp. 43-45).

Wise instruction worth my careful attention and adherence.

Staying Up Late and Rising Early

Our first week back at Handong has been filled with a variety of meetings and tasks aimed at orienting the faculty to a new academic year and instilling us with a renewed sense of vision and purpose in our callings to learn and teach others.  Each day has been filled with sessions where the speakers have found some interesting ways to extend their presentations well beyond the time allotted on the published schedule of events for the faculty retreat.

One speaker, in particular, announced at the beginning of his lecture that he would require three hours to make his speech even though he had been slated for only one.  As he neared the 90-minute mark, he was handed a note informing him of the need to conclude so that he would be able to catch his flight back to Seoul.  Instead of bringing his remarks to a prompt conclusion, he publicly requested the University's president to change his flight schedule so that he might have sufficient time to complete his presentation.

Needless to say, we are still experiencing some definite challenges adjusting to the local culture.  One of the most "stretching" is an expectation of our participation in dinners that begin at 8pm and are followed by more meetings that continue until midnight.  Now, I do recall that when Paul was about to depart from Troas, he prolonged his sermon until midnight (see Acts 20:7ff), but this does not appear to be a pattern in either the Apostle's life nor was it in Jesus'.  So, I don't think that you could readily cite Biblical precedent for such late night meetings, but it does, however, seem to be somewhat the norm in this culture.

What's even more challenging than late-night meetings, though, is an expectation that you should also be able to rise up early each morning for a time of personal devotion and community prayer.  Now, I'll acknowledge that early rising is both a good habit and one that is modeled by many throughout the Scriptures. Bonhoeffer makes a succinct case for this discipline in Life Together.

On the other hand, there is explicit guidance in the Word against attempting to combine the two -- staying up late and rising early.  So, while adjusting to a new culture is clearly a challenge, maintaining and cultivating a healthy and balanced pattern of life is paramount, wherever you may be living and whatever the expectations of others may be upon your life.

It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.  ~ Psalm 127:2

A Walking-Paced Life

Greetings once again from Pohang, Korea! My wife and I have just arrived back on Handong's campus after nearly 20 hours of traveling. The new spring term is shortly to begin and so we're embarking on the next stage of our sojourn here.  Over the past seven weeks of winter break, I enjoyed a wonderful time of refreshment visiting with family and friends in St. Louis and Portland (hence this blog's hiatus).

Something dawned upon me, though, within my first few days back in the States -- the pace of life in the U.S. is substantially faster than the pace I had been experiencing here at Handong over the fall term. This realization came during my second week back in St. Louis as I was driving along Interstate 44 (at the speed limit) from downtown, where I had attended the Urbana Missions Conference at the A.G. Edwards Dome, out to Fenton. I started to become quite aware that my days back home had been very stressful and tense. I thought that I would have been relieved to be in familiar surroundings, but I was experiencing quite the opposite -- greater tension, increased stressfulness.

Then, like the proverbial light bulb going off over my head, it came to me. For over four months while living in Korea, I had been leading a walking-paced life on the campus of Handong. I lived where I taught, where I worshipped, even where I shopped and occasionally went out to eat (at Mom's Kitchen -- a favorite little restaurant in the Student Union). As I was back in St. Louis, however, all I had been doing was driving every day. You had to drive to get anywhere you needed to go in nearly every case.

What a difference! -- A driving-paced life on the one hand and a walking-paced life on the other. It doesn't take a great deal of analysis to conclude which pattern of living is more favorable to a happy and healthy emotional, intellectual and spiritual life. So, now that we are back in Korea and back to living on Handong's campus, we are looking forward to getting back into a walking-pace of life.

I find it quite interesting that the life of one who lives by and through the gracious gift of God in Christ is described by the Apostle Paul as a "walk" and not a "run".  With this awareness, Rich Mullins wrote: "Step by step you lead me and I will follow you all of my days."

If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.  Galatians 5:25

Welcomed into a Worshipping Community

This morning, I was warmly welcomed -- along with other new faculty and students -- into the worshipping community of Handong International Church or "HIC" -- (I'm finding that the folks here really like using acronyms). I thought this was quite appropriate for a feller from Fenton -- I fit in well with the HIC's. (My apologies to my family, friends and neighbors in Fenton).

The service is conducted entirely in English. We sang worship songs that are well-known among American evangelical churches, like "Your Name is a Strong and Mighty Tower" and "Blessed Be the Name of the Lord".

Following the time of singing, the worship leader invited the congregation to gather around those of us -- students and faculty, alike -- who were new to the fellowship (He had asked us to stand). The members of the congregation then prayed for God's blessing upon our time of teaching and learning at Handong. It was a very warm and heart-felt expression of love and welcome!

Pastor Young preached a message from 1 Samuel 2 on the life of Eli. It was an insightful and challenging sermon that called upon us all to examine ourselves and to see whether we are just living outwardly religious lives -- like Eli -- but with the hears of our soul dull to the transformative power of the Word of God.

He spoke from his heart and called upon the congregation to pray for God's mercy. Since Eli's only hope was in the God's promise that "I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind." (1 Samuel 2:35), so also our only hope is in God Himself -- the Lord Jesus.

He alone has the ability to save us and enable us to live authentic lives even though we are sinners, because He in His mercy forgives and grant us a new heart and renews our spirit in Him!

Following the service, I had the opportunity to meet and begin to get to know several more students from the States -- many from La Tourneau University in Longview, Texas -- as well as new colleagues on the undergraduate faculty. I was also encouraged to see and visit briefly again with Prof. Harry Jee who I had met this past week on the trip to the Immigration Office.

This evening, the church has invited all the new students and faculty to a fellowship dinner. In the photo above, Assistant Pastor Dave Becket is encouraging everyone to come and calling for a show of hands so that they will be sure to have plenty of food. Evidently, eating together is a regular practice of this local church. I thought for sure I would be losing some weight during my first few months living alone here, but now, I'm beginning to think I -- like the ravens -- will be well supplied by my heavenly Father.

A Morning Walk

I thought it might be interesting to invite you to join me on my morning walk. I've brought along my camera and will take shots along the way to give you a sense of the expansiveness of Handong's amazing campus. All the buildings we will see have been constructed since 1995. Let's start with a map of the campus. My apartment is in the Mission House located in the southeast corner of the campus -- that's the far right side of the map below. (If you look close, the Mission (Nicodemus) House is designated as number 28).

As we come out of the apartment and stand on the front sidewalk, we'll turn to the right and start walking counter-clockwise around the campus (Which way did you think I would go? My name is Cordell -- "One who pulls (and walks) against the flow ;-)

The first sight that meets our eyes is Grace Hall, one of the student dormitories. We're looking due east as the sun rises behind the Hall. Oh, did I tell you -- it's about 7am, Saturday morning.
As we turn the corner and start heading up along the east side the campus drive, we can see three more student dorms -- Lothem Hall on our right, Creation Hall whose roof peak extends just beyond Lothem, and then, Shalom Hall all the way up the road in the distance. By the way, we're walking up a nice grade at this point as we head toward the highest point on campus.
Let's pause for a moment. We've made it up to the front of Shalom Hall (you may need to catch your breath). Take a look over toward the north. That's the University Chapel. It sits upon the highest point on campus.
Okay, let's walk across the drive and take the side walk along the north portion of campus. The Chapel will be to our right and the big soccer field is on the left. As we come about halfway along the north side of campus we approach the University Administration Building on our left. This sight should look a bit familiar. I took a similar picture when first here at Handong in the summer of 2004. (The older shot is the banner photo on the top of this blog -- can you catch the differences?)

As we continue our walk beyond the Admin Bldg, we come next on our left to the Computer & Engineering Building where Handong International Law School is housed on its fourth floor. This is the graduate law school where I taught during my summer stint in '04.

If we just turn a bit to the right, we get a view of the International High School on the far side of the drive. Let's walk around the corner, now and start heading back south along the west side of campus.
Upon turning the corner, we can get a great view of the new All Nations Hall. This is where the undergraduate School of Law has moved and where I have been provided a great office. Its still under construction, though, so my classes will all be conducted in the older building we just passed. When All Nations is completed later this fall, the graduate International Law School will move into the first two floors and the undergraduate School of Law will take up the entire third floor.

Several more buildings line the outside (right side) of the campus drive as we proceed down along the west end of campus. When we turn the corner to left, we're looking back east and right into the sun, so its a bit difficult for me to capture any photo's without a great deal of glare. I'll try to photograph this portion of the walk later in the day so you can get a better look. I've only shot photo's of the buildings along the campus drive. There are more buildings (Library, Student Center and others) located within the interior of campus. You can get an idea from the campus map we started with above. So now, we'll conclude our first lap around campus as we come back to the Mission House where I live.

That first lap (approx. 1/2 mile in distance) took us just a little more than 15 minutes to complete -- well, we did stop a few times along the way -- didn't we? So, are you ready for a second lap? -- maybe even three?