올 들어서 새롭게 시작한 목회적인 사역으로서 시간이 지나갈수록 더욱 의미가 깊어지는 것이 바로 주일 점심식사입니다. 특별한 경우 외에는 개인 심방을 못하는 처지에서 우리 집을 방문하여 식사할 기회를 가지는 분들은 제한되어 있습니다. 오늘처럼 유아세례 부모교육을 받은 분들은 오후에 교육이 끝나면 바로 저녁식사를 하게 되는 경우와 다른 교회를 다니다가 여러 가지 상황으로 교회를 옮겨오는 경우입니다.
한 달에 한 번씩 있는 교회적인 새가족 환영만찬 말고 주일오후에 전입 신자 교육이 끝나면 저희 집에서 또 한 차례 갖는 식탁교제가 있습니다. 전입신자 식탁교제가 생겨난 것은 박원일 목사님의 아이디어 때문입니다. 다른 교회를 다니다가, 특히 그 교회가 울산교회처럼 크지 않은 사이즈라면 목사님을 가까운 거리에서 만나다가 울산교회에 오자 갑자기 멀리 강대상에 서 있는 담임목사와의 거리를 좁히는 방안으로 전입신자 교육과 함께 식탁교제를 나누게 된 것입니다.
그런데 문제는 이미 울산교회를 다니고 있는 신자의 입장에서는 새로 아이를 가질 나이도 아니고 다른 교회를 갔다가 올수도 없으면 담임목사의 집을 방문해서 식탁교제를 갖기가 쉽지 않은 일이기에 올 초부터 주일점심 식탁교제를 갖기로 한 것입니다. 물론 저희 가정에서가 아니라 제 서재 앞방에서 8-10명 정도가 점심을 나누고 차를 마시는 한 시간 정도의 교제를 가지고 있습니다. 주로 사역과 관련해서 각급 주일학교 부서 대표자를 만난다든지 아니면 선교팀, 또 복된 교회 수리팀이라든지 등등 만나왔습니다.
그러다가 지난 주일 점심에는 암으로 투병하면서도 신앙인으로 잘 견디고 있는 분들을 부부로 초대했습니다. 투병하는 분도 힘들지만 배우자도 남모르는 어려움을 겪고 있기에 함께 초대했습니다. 혼자만이 고통을 겪고 있는 것이 아니라는 것도 알게 되고 좀 더 상세한 기도제목을 서로를 위해 가질 수도 있는 좋은 점을 발견했습니다. 가능하면 앞으로 사역팀뿐만 아니라 격려가 필요한 분들을 만나는 것도 의미있는 일이라 생각이 들어서 가까운 시간 안에 지난주 모두 만나지 못한 투병 중에 있는 분들, 또 건강이 좋지 못한 부모님을 모시고 있는 분들과도 시간을 가지려고 합니다. 특히 중풍을 수발드는 분들이라든지 아니면 치매로 인해 고통 하는 어른들을 모신 따님과 며느님들을 만나서 우리 모두의 격려를 전했으면 합니다. 특히 이 일을 가능하도록 매주일 반찬을 준비해서 봉사하는 분들에게 감사를 전하고 싶습니다. 여러분의 수고로 이런 뜻있는 만남이 이루어지고 있습니다. 감사합니다.
One of the pastoral ministries newly started this year that grows deeper in meaning with each passing week is our Sunday lunch. Under circumstances where individual pastoral home visits are rarely possible outside exceptional cases, only a limited number of people had opportunities to visit our home for a meal. This was usually either those who attended infant baptism parenting classes—having dinner right after the afternoon session, just like today—or those transferring to our church from other congregations due to various circumstances.
Apart from the church-wide monthly welcoming dinner for newcomers, we also host another table fellowship at our home on Sunday afternoons once the new member orientation classes conclude. This table fellowship for transferring members originated from an idea suggested by Pastor Wonil Park. For those coming from another congregation—especially if it was smaller than Ulsan Church—they were accustomed to interacting with their pastor at close range; upon arriving at Ulsan Church, the senior pastor suddenly seemed far away standing at a distant pulpit. Thus, to bridge that distance, we paired the newcomer classes with intimate table fellowship.
However, the dilemma was that for existing members of Ulsan Church who are past the stage of having newborn children and who obviously would not transfer away and come back, having an opportunity to visit the senior pastor's home for fellowship over a meal was exceedingly difficult. Therefore, starting earlier this year, we decided to host Sunday lunch fellowship. Of course, rather than in our personal living quarters, about eight to ten people gather in the room outside my study to share lunch and tea for about an hour. Up to now, we have mostly met with ministry-related groups: representatives from various Sunday school departments, the mission team, or the volunteer repair team serving Blessed Church, among others.
Then, last Sunday lunch, we invited married couples where one spouse is battling cancer yet enduring faithfully in their walk with God. While the person fighting the illness faces great hardship, their spouse also bears unseen burdens, so we invited them together. We discovered the beauty of realizing that one does not suffer alone, and it allowed us to share more specific prayer requests for one another. I felt that moving forward, it would be deeply meaningful to meet not only ministry teams but also those who desperately need encouragement. In the near future, I hope to spend time with other members battling illness whom we could not invite last week, as well as those caring for aging parents in frail health. In particular, I would love to meet daughters and daughters-in-law caring for family members affected by stroke or dementia, in order to convey the warm encouragement of our whole community. Above all, I wish to express heartfelt gratitude to those who faithfully prepare the side dishes every Lord's Day to make this possible. It is thanks to your devoted labor of love that such meaningful gatherings can take place. Thank you so much.
Een van die pastorale bedienings wat vanjaar nuut begin is en met verloop van tyd al hoe ryker aan betekenis word, is ons Sondagmiddagete. Aangesien individuele pastorale huisbesoek buiten buitengewone gevalle selde moontlik is, was diegene wat die geleentheid gehad het om ons huis vir 'n maaltyd te besoek, baie beperk. Dit was hoofsaaklik ouers wat die babadoop-opleiding bygewoon het en dadelik na afloop van die middagsessie saam geëet het—soos vandag—of lidmate wat weens verskeie omstandighede vanaf ander gemeentes na ons oorgekom het.
Behalwe die maandelikse verwelkomingsdinee vir nuwe lidmate op gemeentevlak, hou ons ook Sondagmiddag, nadat die oriënteringsklasse vir nuwe intrekkers afgehandel is, nog 'n tafelgemeenskap by ons huis. Hierdie tafelgemeenskap vir nuwe intrekkers het ontstaan danksy 'n voorstel van ds. Wonil Park. Lidmate wat uit ander gemeentes kom—veral as daardie gemeente nie so groot soos Ulsan Gemeente was nie—was gewoond daaraan om hul leraar van naby te ontmoet; by hul aankoms in Ulsan Gemeente het die leraar skielik ver op die preekstoel gelyk. Om daardie afstand te oorbrug, het ons besluit om die oriënteringsopleiding met intieme tafelgemeenskap te kombineer.
Die probleem was egter dat bestaande lidmate van Ulsan Gemeente wat nie meer in die ouderdom is om babas te hê nie, en vanselfsprekend nie eers na 'n ander gemeente gaan en dan terugkeer nie, bitter min geleentheid gehad het om die leraar se huis te besoek vir 'n ete. Daarom het ons van die begin van hierdie jaar af besluit om gereelde Sondagmiddagetes in te stel. Dit vind natuurlik nie in ons privaatwoning plaas nie, maar in die vertrek voor my studeerkamer, waar sowat agt tot tien mense vir ongeveer 'n uur saam middagete geniet en tee drink. Tot dusver het ons hoofsaaklik met bedieningsgroepe vergader: verteenwoordigers van verskillende Sondagskoolafdelings, die sendingpan, of die herstelspan wat die Gesëende Gemeente bystaan, ensovoorts.
Verlede Sondag tydens middagete het ons egter egpare genooi waar een van die huweliksmaats teen kanker veg en tog getrou in die geloof volhard. Die stryd van die sieke is swaar, maar die huweliksmaat dra ook dikwels 'n stil en ongesiene las, daarom het ons hulle saam genooi. Ons het opnuut ontdek hoe kosbaar dit is om te besef dat ’n mens nie alleen ly nie, en dat ons meer spesifieke gebedsversoeke vir mekaar kon deel. Ek voel dat dit voortaan baie sinvol sal wees om nie net bedieningspanne te ontmoet nie, maar veral diegene wat bemoediging nodig het. Binnekort beplan ek om tyd deur te bring met diegene wat met ernstige siektes worstel en wat ons verlede week nie kon ontmoet nie, asook met lidmate wat verswakte ouers versorg. Ek wil veral dogters en skoondogters ontmoet wat omsien na geliefdes wat deur 'n beroerte of demensie getref is, om sodoende ons almal se hartlike bemoediging aan hulle oor te dra. Bowenal wil ek my opregte dank uitspreek teenoor diegene wat elke Sondag getrou die bykosse voorberei en bedien om dit alles moontlik te maak. Danksy julle liefdevolle opoffering kan sulke betekenisvolle ontmoetings plaasvind. Baie dankie.