Memorial Service for Missionary Pauline
Chicago UBF
Saturday, May 31, 2025
Message by Pastor Kevin Albright
Thank you all for coming to celebrate the life of Msn.Pauline Park. I’m sure all of you have some beautiful story you could share. For example, M.Pauline was part of the well-known “Calf Team” women missionaries at Northwestern: M.Sweety Rhee, M.Ruth Yoon, M.Mary Min Park, M.Faith Choi and M.Sarah B.Choi. Forgive me if this message sounds more like a life testimony than a message. I’ve been reflecting on the life of Msn.Pauline Park, who was a spiritual mother to me. Several Bible verses and memories came to me, and I want to share these.
The Lord brought us here today to remember and celebrate the
beautiful life of Msn.Pauline Park. Some of you may know that I was invited to
UBF Bible study by S.Daniel Kiyoshi Yoshiba. But he soon went to Japan for some
time, and M.Pauline became my 1:1 Bible teacher and shepherd. When I began
Bible study, Pauline Jr was just a month old baby and Helen was born 4 years
later, when I graduated. As I reflected on her beautiful faith and influence
and impact on my life, the key verse that kept coming to me was John 10:11, and
it is providential that this is the key verse that P.Mark Vucekovich chose as
our 2025 key verse this year for Chicago UBF. It reads, “I am the good
shepherd, the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” Jesus is indeed
our Good Shepherd. This is my favorite I Am of Jesus in John’s Gospel, and I’ll
explain why in a moment.
I’ve given more funeral addresses than wedding addresses. That
sounds sad. But it’s not. It’s not, because Christian funerals are not sad, not
in a worldly way that is. Apostle Paul wrote, “Brothers and sisters, we do not
want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not
grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus
died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who
have fallen asleep in him” (1Th 4:13-14).
This echoes another “I am” of Jesus that I usually share at
funerals. Jesus said in John 11:25-26, “I am the resurrection and the life. The
one who believes in me will live even though they die; and whoever lives by
believing in me, will never die. Do you believe this?” Jesus became my
Resurrection and Life at my 1st UBF Easter Bible conference at Lake Geneva. God
gave me the living hope in Jesus at that conference through the word of God.
So, we don’t grieve like the world, since we have the joy and hope and sure
promise of resurrection and eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. I don’t need
to preach to the choir. All of us who’ve put our faith and trust in Jesus
Christ know and believe this with all our hearts and souls.
I chose to focus on John 10:11 as the key verse today for 2
reasons, both involving M.Pauline Park. The first reason was a Bible study that
I had with M.Pauline on John 10 when I was a young UBF shepherd. I think I was
still an undergraduate student. I had a few sheep, that is, Bible students of
my own. I had thought that if I became a shepherd in UBF and started engaging
in mission, I could bring many people to Jesus. Many came to Bible study. But
they usually quit after a few studies and I never heard from them again. I
could fish students. One fall, I engaged in “superfishing.” I went out several
hours a day and got many students names. I think out of over 50 names, 2
students came, studied once or twice and quit. Meanwhile, do you know what
M.Pauline was doing? I remember very well. She was sitting quietly at the Bible
house, reading her Bible and praying. I wondered, “Why isn’t she fishing? But
you know what happened? After I gave up trying to invite more students. She
went out quietly to the NU campus a few times and got a few students to come to
Bible study. And they kept coming. She was a good shepherd: a woman of faith
and prayer.
Now, back to our John 10 Bible study. I knew the passage was
about Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who laid down his life for his sheep. I fully
expected that M.Pauline was going to challenge me to be a better shepherd. I
thought she might ask me how I was laying down my life for others. Why did
sheep not stay for more than a few Bible studies? What was wrong with my
shepherd life? I braced myself for her challenge, maybe even a rebuke. You know
what she said? She only talked about Jesus from beginning to end, how Jesus is
our Good Shepherd, who laid down his life for us. Not once in that Bible study
did she ask me how I was sacrificing for others, or laying down my life for
others. She only said we must be good sheep of Jesus, then we can grow in his
image as good shepherds. I never forgot that Bible study. I think it was one of
the best Bible studies I ever had. That’s the first reason why I chose that
verse for today, in remembering M.Pauline’s life. That’s also why “I am the
good shepherd” is my favorite “I am” of all of Jesus’ “I ams.” My second
favorite is Jesus the Resurrection and the Life for the living hope I already
shared about.
The other reason I thought I Jesus our Good Shepherd is because
M.Pauline displayed how to be a good shepherd in her life of faith and mission.
I heard that she taught the BIble at UIC. But I had completely forgotten about
that. I thought, “No, she was always at Northwestern.” Maybe those at UIC or at
OSU feel similarly. She always gave her heart where she was. In my mind, I saw
her give her heart and life to feed NU students God’s word and to take care of
them. Perhaps Dr.Henry remembers students like Mac Dyer, Paul Spence, Jacques
Beaujon, Teresa Sypher, Mike Fitzcharles, and so many others.
During our Bible studies, I remember her rocking prayerfully in
her fixed chair during our Bible studies. I wondered what she would say next.
She loved the word of God. She loved Jesus. And I felt that, and it was
powerful and beautiful. I was a stubborn sheep. Whenever she suggested
something I could do, I always said, “No” strongly.
She said, “Kevin, can you stay for the Christmas worship
service, before you go home to Omaha for winter break?” “No!” “Oh, why not?”
“Because it’s after finals and I want to leave right away.” Then she said, “Oh,
oh, ok.” Then she said, “You know another student from Omaha is staying for the
Christmas worship service. And he is driving to Omaha afterwards.” I said,
“Really? Wow, that could save me from paying airfare if I got a ride with him.”
So I stayed. That Christmas worship service was very important at a very
confusing time in my life.
Two months later she asked me to be a Genesis Bible School
speaker on the Call of Abraham. I said, “No, that would take too much time.”
She said, “You know, another student is participating in it from your
fraternity, and he’s a junior.” I said, “Really? Hmm. Ok, let me consider it.”
That Bible School on Abraham’s call was life impacting for me. She asked me,
“What calling have you received from this passage?” I said, “What do you mean?
This is God speaking to Abraham, not to me.” She said, “That’s true, but God
can also speak to us through his word. God told Abraham to leave his country.
What does God want you to leave?” And she suggested, “How about leaving
Nebraska and staying in Evanston for the summer and participating in our Summer
Bible conference in Niagara Falls?” I said, “No. I already have a job lined up
at my family business.” She said, “Oh ok. Please pray about it.” So I did. And
I realized there was truth to what she was saying. God was beginning to speak
to me through his word. And after a life-changing Easter conference, I
decided to stay in Evanston and I shared my first life testimony at the Niagara
Falls SBC in 1984.
I remember her smile and her laugh. She would laugh at silly
comments I made in Bible study and just talking about anything. And she would
clap and laugh and giggle. It was winsome. I was a stubborn sheep. So with
wisdom she had me study the Bible with Mother Sarah Barry sometimes, like
through Romans or Genesis again. She was a good shepherd.
M.Pauline fought a good fight, ran the race and kept the faith. Apostle Paul
wrote, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the
faith. Now there is in store for me, the crown of righteousness, which the
Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day–and not only to
me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing” (2Ti 4:6-8).
When I think of M.Pauline I am reminded of Galatians 4:19, “My dear children,
for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you…”
I felt her prayers, which were like pains of childbirth, to see Christ formed
in me, and in all her Bible students.
When I think of M.Pauline, I am reminded of Luke 18:1 where
Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray
and not give up. Always pray and not give up. Then he told the parable of the
persistent widow. M.Pauline prayed and prayed and didn’t give up. She fought
the good fight; she finished her race; she kept the faith.
It wasn’t about her. It was about Jesus. Her faith and prayer
formed Christ in me and made me the person that I am with the faith that I
have, with the love for Christ that I have. Of course, it’s the work of the
Holy Spirit in me. But God used M.Pauline’s life and influence and prayer
powerfully and effectively. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and
effective.
Jesus is my Good Shepherd, for whom and through whom I live and am giving my
life. I thank and praise God for the life and godly influence of M.Pauline
Park, a woman of faith, a woman of prayer, a woman of joy, a disciple-maker, a
good sheep to Jesus, who became a good shepherd to others, even to me. I pray
to keep growing as a good shepherd in the image of my Lord Jesus, just as
M.Pauline did and who prayed for me and so many others. I hope and pray this
message has encouraged everyone here to grow in the image of our Good Shepherd,
Jesus. Let’s pray.
