한 해가 흘렀습니다. 주님의 은혜가 선교사님의 한 해를 기쁨 기도 감사로 채우셨기를 빕니다. 내일은 11월 3째 주일입니다. 그래서 오늘도 몇차례 독촉을 받았습니다. 지금 토요일 저녁 9시이지만 선교사님께 드리는 편지를 쓰는 일이 무엇보다 우선이기에 자리에 앉아있습니다.
오늘 어떻게 살았느냐고요? 예, 아침 8시에 식탁에 앉았습니다. 어제 오후에 방문한 손님인 강영안 교수(고려학원 이사장) 내외가 밤에 잠자리로 가면서 “내일 아침 식사를 7시에 할까요? 8시에 할까요?”라고 물었더니 바로 권사님이 “당연히 8시죠!”라고 말하길래 평소보다 2시간 늦게 아침을 먹고 커피도 마시고 환담을 하다 보니, 교회로 나가라는 알람이 울렸습니다.
10시에 도착해서 숙원사업의 하나인 본당 카메라 거치대를 설치하기 위해서 업자를 만나서 필요한 이야기를 행정 목사님과 나누었습니다. 그리고 10시 반에는 기독신문 <울산의 빛> 편집회의를 했습니다. 올 년 초부터 이야기가 있다가 얼마 전부터 본격적으로 발행인을 맡아서 정성을 쏟고 있습니다. 울산지역 성도들의 아름다운 이야기를 담아 보려고 애쓰고 있습니다.
오후 2시에는 교회당 리모델링 위원회를 모였습니다. 본당 1층과 지하1 층을 도면을 놓고 앉아서 어떻게 재배치하는 것이 좋을 것인지를 난상 토론을 하고 현장을 둘러서 실제 상황을 보면서 재확인을 하다 보니 한 시간을 훌쩍 지나가더군요. 3천명이 출석하는 교회에 요즈음 그 흔한 카페공간조차 없는 우리 교회를 출석하는 성도들이 고마울 따름입니다. 그런 가운데서도 올 1월 1일은 60주년이었는데 뭔가 뜻깊은 일을 하자고 의기투합해서 울주군 상북면 소호리에 있는 소호교회를 신축하도록 2억의 헌금을 해서 지금 완공이 되었고 사용허가만 나면 입당감사예배를 드리려고 준비 중에 있다는 소식을 들었습니다.
4시 반에는 다음 주 토요일에 결혼할 예비 신랑신부를 면담하고 언제 교회를 다니기 시작해서, 언제 주님을 어떻게 만났는지, 그동안 성경은 얼마나 읽었는지 등을 물어보고 기도하고 돌려보냈습니다. 곧 바로 우리 교회가 설립해서 운영하고 있는 밝은미래 복지재단의 상황을 두고 사무처장과 상근이사와 이사장으로서 만나서 여러 가지 상황을 논의하고 월요일 오후 5시에 긴급 이사회를 모이자고 헤어졌습니다.
그리고는 잠시 전에 만났던 예비 신랑신부, 정확히 말하는 신랑의 아버지인 장로님께서 동료 장로들과 교역자들을 초청해서 저녁식사를 대접하는 일이 있었고 식사 후에는 다시 교회로 돌아와서 장로4/4분기회에 초대받아서 새해부터 시작하는 목양장로사역과 본당 리모델링에 대한 브리핑을 한 후에 몇 가지 질의응답을 하고, 집에 돌아와서 자리에 앉을 때가 밤 9시였습니다. 제가 여기서 쉴 틈 없이 일하는 것처럼 거기서 열심히 하실 선교사님을 떠올려봅니다.
건강하시고 함께 보내는 따끈따끈한 신간, <삭개오, 그에게 오신 예수님>을 통해서 말씀의 교제가 있길 바랍니다.
구주대망 2016년 11월 19일 토요일 밤 울산교회 정근두 보냄
Another year has slipped by. I pray that the Lord's grace has filled your year with joy, prayer, and thanksgiving. Tomorrow marks the third Sunday of November. Perhaps because of that, I received several reminders throughout the day. It is now nine o’clock on a Saturday evening, but writing this letter to you takes precedence over everything else, so here I am at my desk.
If you ask how my day went today: well, I sat down at the breakfast table at eight in the morning. Professor Young-Ahn Kang (Chairman of Korea Christian Academy) and his wife arrived as our guests yesterday afternoon. As they were heading to bed last night, I asked, "Shall we have breakfast tomorrow at seven, or at eight?" His wife immediately answered, "Eight o'clock, of course!" So, having breakfast two hours later than usual, drinking coffee, and enjoying warm conversation, the alarm soon chimed reminding me to head out to church.
Arriving at ten o'clock, I met with the contractor alongside our administrative pastor to discuss installing camera mounts in the main sanctuary—one of our long-cherished projects. At ten-thirty, we held an editorial board meeting for the Christian newspaper, Light of Ulsan. Discussions had been underway since the beginning of this year, and recently I took on the formal role of publisher, dedicating my heart to it. We are striving to capture the beautiful stories of believers throughout the Ulsan region.
At two in the afternoon, our church remodeling committee convened. Sitting with architectural blueprints of the main sanctuary's first floor and basement level, we engaged in an animated, free-flowing discussion about the best way to reconfigure the spaces. Walking through the actual site to double-check dimensions and realities, an hour flew by in no time. For a congregation of three thousand members, our church does not even have the kind of commonplace café space seen everywhere these days; I feel nothing but gratitude toward our members who faithfully attend. Even amidst such modest circumstances, this January 1st marked our 60th anniversary, and our congregation joined hearts in doing something truly meaningful: we gave an offering of 200 million won to help construct Soho Church in Soho-ri, Sangbuk-myeon, Ulju-gun. I was delighted to hear that construction is now fully completed, and they are preparing a dedication thanksgiving service as soon as the occupancy permit is granted.
At four-thirty, I met for pastoral counseling with an engaged couple who are getting married next Saturday. I asked them when they first started attending church, when and how they met the Lord, and how much they have read the Scriptures thus far, before praying over them and sending them on their way. Immediately afterward, regarding the affairs of Bright Future Welfare Foundation—which was founded and is operated by our church—I met in my capacity as chairman with the secretary-general and the full-time director to review several matters, agreeing to convene an emergency board meeting on Monday at five in the afternoon.
After that, the father of the groom I had met earlier—who is one of our church elders—invited fellow elders and the pastoral staff out to treat us to dinner. Following the meal, I returned to church to attend the elders' fourth-quarter meeting, where I gave a briefing on our upcoming pastoral elder ministry starting in the new year as well as the sanctuary remodeling, followed by a brief Q&A session. When I finally returned home and sat down in my chair, it was already nine o'clock at night. Just as I work here without a moment's pause, I imagine you, Missionary, laboring just as faithfully over there.
May you remain in good health, and I hope we can share fellowship in the Word through my freshly published book sent along with this letter, Zacchaeus: Jesus Who Came to Him.
In longing expectation of our Savior,
Saturday night, November 19, 2016
Sent by Rev. Keun-Doo Jung, Ulsan Church
Nog 'n jaar het verbygegaan. Mag die Here se genade u jaar as sendeling ryklik gevul het met vreugde, gebed en dankbaarheid. Môre is die derde Sondag van November. Miskien daarom het ek vandag verskeie herinnerings ontvang. Al is dit nou al Saterdagaand om negeuur, geniet die skryf van hierdie brief aan u voorrang bo alles, en so sit ek nou by my lessenaar.
As u sou vra hoe my dag verloop het: wel, ek het om agtuur vanoggend by die ontbyttafel aangesit. Professor Young-Ahn Kang (Voorsitter van Korea Christian Academy) en sy eggenote het gistermiddag by ons aangekom as gaste. Toe hulle gisteraand gaan slaap, het ek gevra: "Sal ons môreoggend sewe-uur of agtuur ontbyt eet?" Sy vrou het dadelik geantwoord: "Natuurlik agtuur!" Ons het dus twee uur later as gewoonlik ontbyt geëet, rustig koffie gedrink en gesellig gekuier, totdat die wekker my herinner het dat dit tyd was om na die kerk te vertrek.
Ek het om tienuur daar aangekom en saam met die administratiewe leraar die kontrakteur ontmoet om die nodige reëlings te tref vir die installering van kamerastaanders in die hoofouditorium—een van ons jarelange hartsbegeertes. Om halfelfuur het ons 'n redaksievergadering gehad vir die Christelike koerant Lig van Ulsan. Daar is reeds sedert die begin van die jaar daaroor gepraat, en onlangs het ek die rol van uitgewer amptelik op my geneem en wy ek my hart daaraan toe. Ons beywer ons daarna om die pragtige verhale van gelowiges in die Ulsan-streek vas te vang.
Om tweeuur die middag het die kerk se verbouingskomitee vergader. Met die argitektoniese bouplanne van die hoofgebou se grondvloer en kelderverdieping voor ons uitgesprei, het ons 'n lewendige en deurtastende gesprek gevoer oor die beste herindeling van die ruimtes. Toe ons ter plaatse gaan kyk om die werklike afmetings en situasie na te gaan, was 'n uur in 'n oogwink verby. Vir 'n gemeente met drie duisend lidmate beskik ons kerk nie eens oor die soort kafeteriaruimte wat deesdae so alledaags is nie; ek voel net diepe dankbaarheid teenoor ons lidmate wat so getrou die dienste bywoon. Te midde van sulke beskeie omstandighede het ons vanjaar op 1 Januarie ons 60ste bestaansjaar gevier, en ons het met 'n eensgesinde hart besluit om iets waarlik betekenisvols te doen: ons het 'n dankoffer van 200 miljoen won geskenk om te help met die oprigting van die nuwe Soho Gemeente in Soho-ri, Sangbuk-myeon, Ulju-gun. Ek het met vreugde verneem dat die bouwerk nou voltooi is en dat hulle gereedmaak vir die inwydingsdankdiens sodra die okkupasiepermit toegestaan word.
Om halfvyfuur het ek 'n huweliksvoorbereidingsgesprek gehad met 'n bruidspaar wat aanstaande Saterdag in die huwelik tree. Ek het hulle uitgevra oor wanneer hulle die kerk begin bywoon het, wanneer en hoe hulle die Here leer ken het, en hoeveel hulle tot dusver die Bybel gelees het, waarna ek vir hulle gebid en hulle met seën laat gaan het. Onmiddellik daarna het ek in my hoedanigheid as voorsitter vergader met die hoofsekretaris en die voltydse direkteur aangaande die stand van sake by die Helder Toekoms Welsynstigting—wat deur ons gemeente gestig is en bestuur word—en ons het ooreengekom om Maandagmiddag om vyfuur 'n dringende direksievergadering te belê.
Daarna het die vader van die bruidegom wat ek vroeër ontmoet het—wat self een van ons ouderlinge is—sy mede-ouderlinge en die leraars uitgenooi vir 'n aandete. Na die ete het ek teruggekeer na die kerk om die vierdekwartaallikse ouderlingvergadering by te woon, waar ek 'n oorsig gegee het oor die herderlike ouderlingbediening wat in die nuwe jaar 'n aanvang neem, asook oor die opknapping van die hoofsaal, gevolg deur 'n kort vraag-en-antwoordsessie. Toe ek uiteindelik tuiskom en my sitplek inneem, was dit reeds negeuur die aand. Net soos wat ek hier sonder verposing arbei, dink ek aan u wat net so getrou en ywerig daar op die sendingveld werk.
Mag u geseënd wees met goeie gesondheid, en mag ons woordgemeenskap ervaar deur die pasverskene boek wat ek hierby insluit: Saggeus: Jesus wat na hom toe gekom het.
In afwagting op die koms van ons Verlosser,
Saterdagaand, 19 November 2016
Gestuur deur Ds. Keun-Doo Jung, Ulsan Gemeente