June 17th

A Pastor's Calling: From Mr. Insatiable to Mr. Available

A Pastor's Calling: From Mr. Insatiable to Mr. Available

I must begin with a confession.

I am a sixty-three-year-old Korean man. My hair is thinning, my voice does not always cooperate, and years of typing have left me with aching fingers. My body reminds me every day that time is moving forward.

But there is something else that has been true of me for much longer.

I have rarely been satisfied.

In fact, some of my Canadian friends gave me a nickname: Mr. Insatiable.

It was not because I wanted more money or success. Rather, I was always searching for something more—more meaning, more growth, more purpose. Even when I had a successful career with Samsung in Korea, my heart remained restless. Even when I lived in Germany, traveled widely, founded a nonprofit organization, wrote books, and taught in many places, something inside me still felt unfinished.

So I began asking deeper questions: Where can true contentment be found? What is the purpose of a human life? What is God calling me to do?

Eventually another question emerged, one I had tried to avoid: What if I became a pastor?

For many years, I resisted that idea. Even though I studied theology, my passion was mission and evangelism, not pastoral ministry. I had seen too many pastors become consumed by church politics and institutional maintenance. I told myself, "I should never become a pastor."

But God has a way of surprising us.

In 2022, I was invited to serve as an intentional interim pastor at Holyrood Mennonite Church in Edmonton. During those eighteen months, something began to change in me. Then, after that ministry ended, Shim and I visited Korea. One Sunday, during a Eucharist service at a local Anglican church, I experienced a quiet but unmistakable sense that God was speaking to me: "Your ministry is not finished yet."

So I made a promise: "God, if you ask me to serve again, I will."

That promise eventually led me here at Calgary First Mennonite Church.

Now the question becomes: What kind of pastor do I hope to be?

The Bible uses the word shepherd far more often than pastor. A pastor is not primarily a religious professional or church manager. A pastor is someone who cares for people, guides them, and helps them grow in faith.

For me, two words describe the heart of pastoral ministry: availability and hospitality.
The Gospel tells us that "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." God did not remain distant. God came near. God made himself available.

Jesus welcomed people. He listened to them. He ate with them. He made room for them.

And that is what I hope to do as a pastor. Not to be impressive, but available. Not to be important, but hospitable. Not to build a church around myself, but to help create a community where people encounter the welcome of God.

When availability and hospitality come together, they create a remarkable community: a place where people feel welcomed, heard, and valued; a church where strangers become friends and where grace has an open door.

This is the image of God we are called to embody as the body of Christ.

Looking back, I now understand that my journey was not accidental. God was patiently leading me from being Mr. Insatiable to becoming Mr. Available.

And perhaps that is God's invitation to all of us.

Will we make room for God? Will we make room for one another? Will we become available to the surprising work of the Spirit among us?

May we become people who make room.
Amen.

(Taken from Joon Park’s First Sermon at Calgary First on June 7 2026)