------------------
[Translator - Pot ]
[Proofreader - Kawaii ]
------------------
Chapter 25: Campbell Cathedral Revival Meeting (2)
“I’ll now explain the plan for the Campbell Cathedral Revival!”
The dining hall of Campbell Cathedral.
Gathered there were Bishop Yuna, the priest stationed at the cathedral, and also Aaron, Jenny, and Henry.
Everyone’s eyes turned to Ray.
The first to raise her hand was Bishop Yuna.
“I heard there was a revival plan, but what exactly is that?”
She pointed to the portfolio Ray had brought.
Since there were no tools like Excel in this world, it was, of course, all handmade.
“Good question. The revival plan is built around three core elements.”
Swish!
Ray flipped a large sheet of paper.
In this world where everyone still used paper, things like this were refreshingly straightforward.
“First!”
He smacked the portfolio with the stick he was holding.
“We’re changing the structure of the Mass!”
That was the first part.
“W-We’re really doing that?”
***
If there was a defining feature of modern mass, it would be reverence and solemnity.
Even when hymns were sung, it usually involved volunteer singers performing grand, majestic pieces.
But what greeted the visitors at the cathedral was a rhythm they had never heard before. It was lively and upbeat.
Behind the black-haired boy standing center stage, a flute, small drums, tambourine, and other percussion instruments joined in, followed by the rich accompaniment of an expensive pipe organ, a privilege reserved only for grand cathedrals.
On the platform, where the bishop usually gave his monotonous sermons, stood Ray, Jenny, Aaron, and Henry.
The four of them began to sway with the music, and soon the melody poured from their lips.
(Recommended BGM: "Begins to Bud")
「 It begins to bud—it’s budding now! Love in my heart!」
「It begins to bud—it’s budding nooow! Love in my heart!」
「Like the rolling waves—it’s love in my heart!」
「It begins to bud—it’s budding nooow! Love in my heart 」
The choir members began moving to the rhythm of a hymn unlike anything they had ever heard.
Their gestures were charming, almost adorable enough to make the onlookers smile in delight.
“What on earth is this? Is that really a hymn?”
At first, the congregation simply watched in silence.
But soon, a wave of emotion washed over them, something they had never experienced before.
“They’re using the image of budding sprouts to express the growth of faith and hope!”
“They’re acting like children, but every movement carries meaning! Love crashing in like waves… Waves that usually spell disaster at sea are here symbolizing a bountiful flood of love!”
The intellectuals visiting the cathedral marveled as they interpreted the hymn, and even the ordinary citizens of Campbell, who weren’t as scholarly, found themselves tapping along and getting absorbed in the song.
Music and dance have always been among humanity’s most powerful forms of entertainment.
And yet, for the average citizen, it was a rare experience.
Perhaps only available during a festival or through the occasional wandering bard.
But even those performances had never offered something this upbeat and delightful.
Naturally so.
These hymns, refined over hundreds if not thousands of years and remixed into modern styles, carried a level of sophistication far ahead of their time.
But the shock didn’t end there.
Ray gestured to the seated congregation.
“Let’s all stand and sing together!”
“W-what?”
“Are we… allowed to stand during Mass?”
Most were caught off guard, stammering in confusion. Still, a few here and there stood up.
Once a wave began, it spread just like the song said like a tide.
Ray called out,
“Alright, let’s sing together! ‘Begins to Bud’!”
“???”
Sing the hymn together?
In modern Protestantism, hymns are sung by everyone in the congregation.
Especially in Korean Pentecostal churches, which form the mainstream, hymn-singing sessions are lengthy and often explosive.
Let’s call this the K-mass choir phenomenon.
“I don’t even know the lyrics.”
“Me neither! I’ve never heard these hymns before!”
Of course.
The songs introduced today were the very first medleys Ray had brought from modern Earth.
The only ones who knew them were the priests of Campbell Cathedral and those who had practiced the hymns and motions beforehand.
Indeed, the priests had rehearsed these songs hundreds of times until they knew them by heart.
「It begins to bud—it’s budding now! Love in my heart!」
Those who had been the first to stand a moment ago began to sing along with Ray's hymn.
They were the priests and nuns of Campbell Cathedral.
「We need you to lead the energy.」
It didn’t take more than a few rounds of encouragement.
As the hymn repeated, more and more of the citizens began to join in.
「It begins to bud—it’s budding now! Love in my heart! 」
It wasn’t a difficult tune.
Most of the songs consisted of just two or three lines repeated over and over.
They were simple enough that even children could follow along with ease.
“One more time?”
“One more time!”
A thousand voices joined in, filling the cathedral with a roaring chorus.
The sound even spilled out into the streets, catching the attention of passersby who had no intention of attending Mass.
“What’s going on? Is there a festival?”
“Sounds like they’re singing hymns in the cathedral.”
“Huh? I heard they’re doing a raffle for holy water today if you attend Mass!”
The cathedral was located right in the heart of the city’s busiest plaza.
Add to that a giant poster advertising a holy water raffle, and now this thunderous group singing?
The cathedral doors were wide open.
“Should we go in and take a look?”
“It has been a while since I’ve attended Mass…”
There were still about ten minutes until the official Mass was scheduled to begin.
But already, a growing number of people were streaming into the cathedral.
‘Perfect. This is a great start.’
Everything was going according to Ray’s plan.
***
“Seriously… just singing hymns together is enough to draw this much attention?”
Aaron’s question was one everyone present had thought at least once.
Hymns... even with childlike gestures. How could that possibly change anything?
Could singing alone really deepen people’s faith?
“Once isn’t enough. But that’s not the point. This isn’t just a musical performance.”
Why has Christianity developed in this way over two thousand years?
Why is a little more than a century-old religious sect called Pentecostalism wielding global power?
The answer is closer than you'd think.
"Why do people sing and dance together at village festivals? Even the smallest village holds a harvest festival or a spring celebration."
"Well... it's to strengthen community bonds and build unity with neighbors... Ah!"
"Then why do you think that’s not allowed in a faith community?"
The priests present felt as if they’d been struck on the head with a hammer.
Mass is a time of solemnity and reverence.
Only the preacher leading the Mass is permitted to speak, while the rest of the congregation sits silently.
"But wouldn’t that diminish the dignity of the Mass?"
"Yes. Mass is a sacred time to serve Lord Sol Invictus. With all due respect, Deacon Ray’s choreographed hymns feel... undignified."
There were many conservative voices.
No, most of them.
Ray countered all of it with a single sentence:
"I called down the Holy Spirit with this."
"Ah..."
A discussion that ends with ‘Holy Spirit’, the ultimate trump card.
For the faithful in the church, the Holy Spirit and miracles carry such absolute authority that even things that defy common sense are accepted with, ‘It must be the Holy Spirit’s will.’
Even Aaron, the devout son of a noble family, had to concede: ‘Well... he has shown results…’
"Let’s go with Brother Ray’s suggestion."
"Bishop...!"
Surprisingly, Bishop Yuna, arguably the most conservative among them, also gave her approval.
"The decline of this cathedral is largely my fault. But if there’s a way, and if it’s Brother Ray, who managed to call down the Holy Spirit with a hymn... then I think it’s worth a try."
Once Bishop Yuna agreed, the others had nothing more to say.
"What’s the second method?"
Ray grinned.
***
Thirty minutes of passionate hymn singing had passed.
Even though the Mass hadn’t officially started, the cathedral was nearly full.
"Sol Invictus. Everyone, it’s time for the Gospel."
Bishop Yuna ascended the pulpit.
The citizens instinctively realized: the Mass was beginning.
"Ugh... Bishop Yuna’s sermons are painfully boring."
"I get sleepy every single time."
Her sermons had quite the infamous reputation.
So much so that there was a saying: even a crying child would fall asleep within ten minutes.
And to endure such preaching for three hours? Practically impossible to stay awake.
Yet 10, 20, 30 minutes in... surprisingly many were still focused.
"Huh?"
"Her sermon actually sounds good today?"
Was it because it wasn’t Sunday morning?
There were two reasons.
"Didn’t we just sing our lungs out for 30 minutes? With all that dopamine, even the sleepiest person would be wide awake. No way they’re nodding off again."
True, tired people fall asleep.
But after physical activity, adrenaline keeps you alert.
The hymn dancing had perfectly warmed up the crowd.
You rarely see anyone dozing off at a concert.
And the second reason?
"Vocal training."
Ray had helped correct Bishop Yuna’s sermon delivery.
"Don’t drag your voice. Use short, crisp sentences."
"Monotone is a no-go! You’ll scare the Holy Spirit away!"
"Stick to your prepared script! No rambling!"
Of course, coaching alone doesn’t fix everything overnight.
Pastor Kim, a renowned preacher known for his powerful sermons, also gave lectures on sermon delivery in seminary.
But he knew well: consistency and natural talent were essential.
"Now, let’s all rise and sing a hymn. 'Let the Lord’s mercy come down~'"
Brief moments of hymns in between to keep the air moving.
But the biggest change of all was.
"That concludes the sermon. Let’s all take a moment of silent reflection, hand in hand."
"???"
"Wait, that’s it? Already over?"
The sermon time had been drastically cut.
Bishop Yuna had once preached for three hours per Mass.
She’d unpack a Bible verse, share her reflections, then ramble down tangent after tangent, turning the sermon into a full three-hour marathon.
But now, she had cut it down to one-third, considering the interludes of hymns, almost to a fifth.
"Isn’t this cutting it too short? Brother Ray, didn’t you say you wanted to hear more of my sermons...?"
Bishop Yuna gave him a slightly hurt look.
Ray replied,
"Bishop, the best messages are short and powerful. The longer it gets, the harder it is to stay focused. This way, the congregation will actually remember your words."
People don’t have long attention spans.
Short and impactful!
"Wednesday Mass! Friday Mass! Early morning Mass for the devout! And finally, Sunday Mass! Not about quantity, but about focused, meaningful time."
This was Ray’s new strategy for the Mass.
And the third and final element.
"A bait product."
***
After Mass, the people were finally looking forward to the long-awaited holy water lottery.
"Everyone should have received a slip with a number on it when you entered."
"Ah... that's right. This was it?"
Each person’s slip had a unique number.
They silently prayed that their number would be drawn.
"Please, Lord Sol Invictus!"
"Just selling it would get you ten gold coins!"
As hopes built, Bishop Yuna drew a number.
"Number 1,223! Please come forward!"
"That’s me! Wooooooaaahh!"
A man leapt onto the stage, cheering wildly.
Bishop Yuna ceremoniously awarded him the holy water.
Even though it was a low-grade holy water, it was an expensive item that could only be purchased with gold coins from the outside world.
Not enough to change his life, but easily a month or two’s worth of living expenses in a single day.
"I... I really get to keep this?"
"Of course. However you use it is entirely up to you, brother."
"Aaahhh..."
Watching him receive the holy water, the crowd couldn’t help feeling disappointed.
"Ugh, no luck."
"That guy hit the jackpot..."
With Mass over, people began to get up to leave. But then.
"Wait! You’re all feeling terribly disappointed you didn’t get any holy water, right?"
Ears perked up at the words of Ray, the dark-haired boy who was leading the hymn time.
Some already realized what he meant.
Another chance to win.
Heh heh heh...
Ray smiled as he saw their full attention on him.
If they just left now, this would’ve been a one-off gimmick.
But if they came back a few more times, they’d start getting used to this new style of Mass. And from there, they’d become regulars.
He had to lock in the new attendees drawn in by the holy water bait.
"Starting now, we’ll be hosting a ‘Talent Festival’ for everyone who attends Mass!"
------------------
[Translator - Pot ]
[Proofreader - Kawaii ]
------------------
