By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter
The National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK) and the Christian Council of Korea (CCK) are holding a collaboration service to celebrate Easter on April 12 at Seoul City Hall Square.
The service is in its fourth year, and it will be held under the theme ``Resurrection and Hope.''
``This year, we will remind people of resurrection, which is the core of Christian belief, and give hope to those who are going through difficult times,'' NCCK said.
The hour-long service will start at 5:30 a.m. with an estimated 30,000 Christians expected to participate, led by Sarang Community Church's senior pastor Oh Jung-hyun.
Churches in other cities like Busan, Daegu and Gwangju will also be able to participate in the service at the same time as Seoul. The preachers and venues may be different, but the basic theme, sermons and prayers will be similar to that of Seoul.
The biggest change from the previous masses is the image of the priest. Ever since the first service put together by the two organizations, the preachers have been relatively old considering their experience and presence within the church, but this year, Christians will see a much younger one aged 53 guiding the congregation through prayer and sermons.
``The theme is about hope, so we thought it would be appropriate to bring a more simple and young image. This also means the need of shift in generations within the Korean church,'' pastor Lee Jung-ik of the Sinchon Evangelical Holiness Church and the service preparation committee director said.
After the mass, the organizations will offer breakfast and also Easter eggs to the homeless and also donate 15 percent of the collections to the poor.
``The collaborated service of the NCCK and the CCK will be a chance to pursue peace and also reaffirm the hope within us,'' pastor Kwon Oh-seong, the director of the NCCK, said.
Meanwhile, various cultural events will also greet the public who wish to celebrate Easter.
The male choir Espoon Mieslaulajat ESMILA from Finland will not only perform at the service at the Seoul City Hall Square but also hold a special concert at Luther University in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, April 11. Led by conductor Helge Korvits, the 30-year-old choir is famous for their variety in repertoire including opera, pop songs and religious songs. For more information, call (02) 583-6295.
The musical ``Bus'' will also go on stage at Daehangno to focus on the meaning of Easter and Jesus Christ's death, love and devotion. The story revolves around a true story from Switzerland where a bus driver chose to sacrifice his young son in order to save his bus passengers.
Debuting in 2007, the musical has been at the forefront in trying to open a new chapter in the Christian faith and culture, and the new upgraded version is expected to communicate with both believers and non-believers through music, songs and a touching storyline. ``Bus'' will continue through April 11. For more information, call (02) 741-9091.
Soprano Shin Young-ok will also hold a special Easter concert at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Seoul on April 17. Along with the Mostly Philharmonic Orchestra led by Park Sang-hyun, she will sing some of her favorites including ``Ave Maria,'' ``Laudate Dominum'' and ``Amazing Grace.'' Making her opera debut through ``Marriage of Figaro'' in 1989, Shin is one of the best-known Korean sopranos in the world, performing with the late Luciano Pavarotti in New York and also Jose Carreras in Seoul. For more information, call (02) 399-1111.