지난 닷새는 참으로 소중한 날들이었습니다. “이번 가을맞이 특별기도회는 주님이 가르쳐주신 기도를 하나하나 다시 배우는 재미와 의미가 가득해서 특별했습니다. 특별기도회가 말처럼 특별하기가 정말 쉽지 않은데, 메마른 땅에 은혜 주신 주님, 사랑합니다.” “보통 특별기도회는 평소에 꾸준히 기도하는 사람들에게는 오히려 기도의 흐름이 끊기는 시간이 아닌가 생각을 했습니다만 이번 기도회는 오히려 기도의 힘이 배가되고 기도의 은혜가 배가되는 시간이었습니다.” “이번 주기도문 강해를 통해 기도 들으시는 하나님이 어떤 분이신지 더 알고 더 사랑하게 되었고, 기도하는 일이 의무나 고문이 아니라 기쁘고 즐거운 일이 되었습니다.”
“함께 기도하니 너무 좋고 참 행복하다”는 고백뿐만 아니라 “누가 시켜서도, 누구에게 보이기 위해서도 아닌, 그야말로 간절히 기도하고 싶었고 간절히 부르짖게 되었다.”는 분위기 속에서 새로운 기도의 목회를 저도 소원하게 되었습니다. 그래서 새벽 5시와 6시에 두 번으로 모이던 기도회를 특별기도회처럼 토요일, 주일은 5시 반으로 통합해서 모였으면 하는 소원을 갖게 되어서 오늘 주보를 통해서 알리고 이번 주 토요일(15 일)부터 시작하려고 합니다. 울산교회 교인들이면 누구나 기억하고 오실 수 있지만 특히 닷새의 특별기도에 이름을 올린 분들은 충분한 자격을 갖춘 분들입니다.
여러분이 아시는 대로 저의 울산교회 담임으로서의 목회는 1년하고 서너 달을 남겨두고 있습니다. 그래서 목회의 끝맺음을 기도목회로 하길 원합니다. 그러므로 특별기도주간이 아니더라도, 일주일에 토요일 하루라도, 제가 직접 새벽모임을 인도하고, 성도들과 함께 같은 공간에서 기도하려고 합니다. 그리고 이미 토요휴무가 자리 잡은 현실을 감안할 때, 온 교회가 토요일 한 시간이라도 같은 장소에서 기도하고, 마음을 같이하여 주께서 우리에게 맡긴 사역을 위해서 기도한다면, 지금까지 우리가 감당했던 사역과는 비교할 수 없는 풍성한 열매를 거두리라고 생각합니다.
그리하여 구주대망 2019년의 표어는 “부르짖는 성도, 열매 맺는 사역” 으로 정하고 싶습니다. 닷새 특별기도회가 아쉬웠던 분들뿐 아니라 적어도 일주일에 하루라도 자신을 위해서, 가정을 위해서, 교회를 위해서 부르짖고 싶은 분들은 앞장서서 기도의 자리로 나아오시기 바랍니다. 특히 주중에 구역장으로 봉사하는분들, 주일날 각처에서 봉사하는 모든 분들, 진리를 전하는 교사들, 찬양으로 하나님의 영광을 드러내는 찬양 대원들, 예배를 봉사하는 위원들, 주차를 안내하는 위원들 할 것 없이, 하나님을 제대로 섬기기를 원하시면, 토요일에 기도하고 주일에 봉사하는 것을 기본으로 삼는 새로운 교회문화를 만들기를 권면합니다.
The past five days were truly precious days. “This autumn special prayer gathering was truly special, brimming with the joy and deep meaning of learning anew, one by one, the prayer that the Lord taught us. It is never easy for a special prayer gathering to truly live up to its name, but I love You, Lord, for pouring out Your grace onto this parched land.” “Usually, I used to think special prayer gatherings might disrupt the regular flow of prayer for those who pray consistently, but this time it actually doubled the power and doubled the grace of prayer.” “Through this exposition of the Lord’s Prayer, I came to know and love the God who hears our prayers even more deeply, and praying has turned from a burdensome duty or torment into a truly joyful and delightful privilege.”
Amid confessions like “It is so wonderful and such a joy to pray together,” and an atmosphere where people shared, “It was not because someone forced me, nor to be seen by anyone, but out of a truly sincere desire to pray and cry out earnestly,” I, too, felt a longing for a renewed pastoral ministry centered on prayer. Therefore, I wished to combine our usual dawn prayer meetings—which were previously held twice at 5:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m.—into a single gathering at 5:30 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, just like our special prayer gatherings. We are announcing this in today’s bulletin and launching it this coming Saturday (the 15th). Any member of Ulsan Church is welcome to remember and come, but especially those who signed up during the five days of special prayer are more than ready and qualified.
As you all know, my pastoral ministry as senior pastor of Ulsan Church has about a year and three to four months remaining. That is why I long to bring this ministry to a close anchored in a ministry of prayer. Even when it is not a designated special prayer week, I wish to personally lead the early morning gathering at least once a week on Saturdays and pray in the same space alongside our congregation. Given the reality that the five-day workweek is now well established, if the entire church gathers in the same place even for just one hour on Saturday to unite our hearts and pray for the ministries the Lord has entrusted to us, I believe we will reap abundant fruit beyond anything we have ever experienced.
Hence, looking ahead to the Year of our Lord 2019, I would like to set our church motto as “Believers Who Cry Out, Ministry That Bears Fruit.” Not only those who felt that the five-day special prayer gathering was too short, but anyone who desires to cry out for themselves, for their families, and for the church at least once a week, please take the lead and come forward to the place of prayer. In particular, district leaders serving during the week, all who serve in various places on the Lord’s Day, teachers proclaiming the truth, choir members revealing God’s glory through praise, worship team servants, and parking attendants—if you truly desire to serve God faithfully, I encourage you to build a new church culture founded on praying on Saturday and serving on Sunday.
Die afgelope vyf dae was waarlik kosbare dae. “Hierdie herfs se spesiale gebedsbyeenkoms was werklik besonders, vol vreugde en diepe betekenis om stap vir stap weer die gebed te leer wat die Here ons geleer het. Dit is selde maklik vir ’n spesiale gebedsbyeenkoms om werklik aan sy naam gestand te doen, maar ek het U lief, Here, dat U genade op droë grond uitgestort het.” “Gewoonlik het ek gedink dat spesiale gebedsbyeenkomste dalk die bestendige gebedsritme van gereelde b機のers onderbreek, maar hierdie keer het dit eerder die krag en genade van gebed verdubbel.” “Deur hierdie uitleg van die Onse Vader het ek die God wat gebede verhoor nog beter leer ken en liewer gekry; gebed het van ’n plig of las verander in ’n vreugdevolle en heuglike voorreg.”
Te midde van getuienisse soos “Dit is so wonderlik en salig om saam te bid,” en ’n atmosfeer waarin mense gesê het: “Dit was nie omdat iemand my gedwing het of om deur ander gesien te word nie, maar uit ’n opregte verlange om hartstogtelik te bid en uit te roep,” het daar ook in my hart ’n verlange ontstaan na ’n vernuwing in gebedsbediening. Daarom het ek gewens dat ons oggendgebede—wat voorheen twee keer om 05:00 en 06:00 gehou is—soos tydens die spesiale gebedsweek, op Saterdae en Sondae om 05:30 saamgevoeg word. Ons kondig dit vandag in die nuusbrief aan en begin reeds aanstaande Saterdag (die 15de). Enige lidmaat van Ulsan Gemeente is baie welkom om te kom, maar veral diegene wat tydens die vyf dae van spesiale gebed ingeskryf het, is uiters toegerus en gereed.
Soos u weet, lê daar nog sowat ’n jaar en drie tot vier maande voor van my bediening as leraar van Ulsan Gemeente. Daarom begeer ek om my bediening in gebed af te sluit. Selfs buite die spesiale gebedsweke wil ek graag ten minste een dag per week—op Saterdae—persoonlik die oggendbyeenkoms lei en in dieselfde ruimte saam met die gemeentelede bid. Aangesien die vyfdagwerkweek reeds gevestig is, glo ek dat as die hele gemeente selfs net een uur op ’n Saterdag op dieselfde plek saamkom en eendragtig bid vir die werk wat die Here ons toevertrou het, ons ’n vrug sal pluk wat ryker is as enigiets wat ons tot dusver beleef het.
Daarom wil ek vir die genadejaar 2019 die leuse voorstel: “’n Gelowige wat uitroep, ’n bediening wat vrug dra.” Nie net diegene wat gewens het die vyfdag-gebede kon langer duur nie, maar elkeen wat minstens een dag per week vir hulself, hul gesin en die gemeente wil uitroep, word genooi om die voortou te neem en na die plek van gebed te kom. Veral die wyksleiers wat deurgans dien, almal wat op Sondae oral diens doen, die onderwysers wat die waarheid verkondig, die koorlede wat God se lof besing, diegene wat in die erediens help en die parkeerbeamptes—as u God werklik opreg wil dien, moedig ek u aan om ’n nuwe gemeentekultuur te vestig: bid op Saterdag en dien op Sondag.