Pastor Eugene,
Thank you.
Thank you for teaching me how to be a pastor.
You taught me to be... unnecessary;
”To what the cultures says is important,
To thinking we are the linchpin holding a congregation together,
To succumbing to what the congregation insists we must do.”
For most do not want pastors, you warned that many often only want managers of their religious companies... Demanding that we become experts who help them stay ahead of the competition.
You guided us pastors out of the land of “success” and into the land of the “sacred”.
For that, I am grateful.
I was going to write a tribute, write about the time I got to meet you and nervously ask questions, but knowing your love for words (from Psalms to poems), I thought you might like this instead…
Becoming Unnecessary
stronger, bigger, louder
my masters told me to be
or else
they said
I’ll become unnecessary
following their lead
I soon became
the dragon
I was sent to slay
God sends a messenger
The Message in hand
a poet,
a prophet,
a pastor
ruined
are my plans
following the bread crumbs
you left behind
new trail,
a holy mountain,
I climbed
stronger, bigger, louder
be the master they said,
be in demand
But I followed your trail
instead
and became more and more
unnecessary
becoming the pastor
I was sent to be
Thank you for living and loving our Lord so well. Thank you for teaching me how to love the church. See you in the resurrection.
Because He Lives,
Bryan H. Kim
An Unnecessary Pastor at Ekko Church