Tongsung Kido is a Korean form of prayer in which those who are praying together shout out to God. There is a Korean speaking Baptist church which worships in our sanctuary on Sunday afternoons and early in the morning every day. When I am struggling with something big in my life, I will sometimes attend this prayer meeting and pray in the Tongsung Kido style of prayer.
This tradition is rooted in the Korean concept of Han, which is a word that references “unresolved resentment or emotional pain that is carried by a person; it is a kind of internalized grudge. Han is frustrated hope, the collapsed feeling of pain, resentful bitterness, and the wounded heart.”[1] Pastor Yohang Chun of Oswego First United Methodist Church, in a news article for the Upper New York Conference of the United Methodist Church, provides the meaning behind the Korean practice. Chun states: “Tongsung means, ‘cry out together loudly,’ and Kido means, ‘pray.’ So, Tongsung Kido means, ‘praying together out loud.’ This unique form of Korean prayer is an important part of prayer life among the spirit-filled prayer life of Korean Christians.”[2] Chun recognized some personal internal challenges as he was transitioning from life in Korea to life in the US. In addition to missing a steady diet of authentic Korean food, he also missed the prayer life he practiced with fellow Koreans back home. In his article, “Tongsung Kido (A Unique Korean Prayer),” Chun explains how this type of prayer is implemented within a public worship service:
Generally Tongsung Kido is performed as follows: during worship, usually at the time of special prayer request, the minister or the worship leader will call the congregation to pray in unison. The whole congregation joins together to pray aloud, individually at the same time. Sometimes, in the beginning of prayer, the congregation may shout, “Lord! Lord! Lord!” in unison, as a cooperative sign of engaging in prayer. Usually the congregation is given a specific amount of time to pray, with a common theme of petition. At the end of the time allotted, the minister’s closing prayer finishes Tongsung Kido.[3]
I have occasionally come early in the morning to pray with my Korean-speaking brothers and sisters who worship in our church building. Even though I do not speak the language, I have joined in congregational singing of familiar hymns and in the practice of Tongsung Kido. I have done so when personal struggles were overwhelming my heart and mind. Crying out to God with other believers helped me to recognize Han in others and a shared hope in a God who hears our cries.
[1] Yohang Chun, “Tongsung Kido (A Unique Korean Prayer),” The Upper New York Conference of the United Methodist Church, May 10, 2017, https://unyumc.org/news/article/tongsung-kido-a-unique-korean-prayer.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.