이번 주말 10일 금요일 2시에 종강예배를 드리면, 에스라성경대학원대학교 첫 해 일정이 끝나게 됩니다. 지난 3월 1일 개학과 총장 취임예배로 시작해서, 이번 종강예배로 25기 학우들은 1학년을 마치고 방학에 들어갑니다. 하지만 교수들은 다릅니다. 그 다음 주간 13일 월요일에도 교수님들은 정시입학전형을 하고, 화요일에는 하루 종일 기말 교수회의가 예정되어 있습니다. 그리고 나서도 아마 성적을 낸다든지 하는 일들을 교수님들의 손에서 쉽게 떠나지 않을 것입니다. 어쨌거나 1학기 개학을 하자마자, 총장의 일이 무엇인지도 모르고, 어떻게 처리해야 할지도 모르는 신임총장에게 모든 것을 맡기고, 설립자이신 백정란 명예이사장님은 훌쩍 천국으로 떠나가셨습니다.
그러나 남겨주신 에스라에서 1년을 보내면서, 가장 큰 기쁨은 새로운 사람들을 만나고 알아가는 일이었습니다. 여덟 분의 교수님들과 같은 수효의 직원들을 알아가고, 올해에 입학한 25기 학우들을 알아가는 것이 주된 일이었습니다. 게다가 5대 총장으로 취임했으니 앞선 총장님들을 만나뵙는 일도 특권이었습니다. 초대 김북경 총장님은 천국으로 떠났으니, 만남이 좀 뒤로 밀리겠지만, 우선 서울에 계신 김한식, 민경동 총장님 부부와 몇 번 만나다가, 뒤에 미국에서 들어오신 이철 총장님까지 네 부부가 한 달에 한 번 정도 애찬을 나누는 시간을 가졌습니다. 이 분들이야말로 어떤 분 못지 않게 에스라를 사랑하는 분들이시고, 에스라를 위해서 신실하게 기도하시는 분들이기 때문입니다. 만날 때마다 참으로 복되고 유익한 교제를 나누고 있습니다.
그리고 에스라에 와서 새롭게 계속된 만남들도 있습니다. 현역에 있을 때 제자훈련 사역을 통해서 교제했던 분들과의 만남입니다. 건강한 교회를 위한 제자훈련의 꿈을 아직도 포기하지 않고 현역으로 계신 두 분 목사님들 부부와의 만남을 통해서 격려를 받고 있습니다. 소식을 듣고는 바로 달려와서 이 동네에 괜찮은 초밥집을 소개해 주기도 했고, 얼마 전에는 강화도까지 함께 가서 싱싱한 회로써 점심을 먹었으며, 오는 길에는 행주산성 부근의 맛있는 까페 나들이까지, 시골사람들 배려한다고 한나절을 같이 했습니다. 목회자들뿐만 아니라 30 여년 전에 서울에서 개척할 때, <흩어진 사람들이 모이는> 장승백이 두레교회와 <흩어져 복음을 전하는> 정릉 탄포리교회에서 함께한 형제자매들과 교제의 재미가 쏠쏠합니다. 그리고 에스라에 옴으로 시작된 일과의 만남도 있습니다. 지난 3월 <한국교회 사순절 회개기도회>의 설교나 이번 10월 제2차 로잔한국목회자 컨퍼런스의 성경강해 등은 수도권으로 올라왔기에 가능한 일이었습니다.
울산에서 경기도 고양으로 이사를 앞두고 아내가 저를 위해서 기도했습니다. “거기서도 울산에서와 같이 좋은 라이딩 친구들을 만나게 해 주십시오” 즉각 응답이 되어서, 가끔씩 라이딩 소식을 여기에 올리곤 했던 것을 아실 것입니다. 이제 올해 시즌오프를 위해서 한 번 더 만나려고 합니다. 에스라 25기 학우들과는 대자산을 걷기도 하고 9월 한 달동안 몇 분과는 탁구도 즐겼지만, 전체 학우들 입장에서는 에스라 뜰에서 가진 양고기 바베큐가 오래 남는 기억이 될 것입니다. 얼마 전에는 울산의 친구 목사님이 후원금을 연결해 주는 바람에, 네 사람이 앉는 원탁식탁에, 깔끔한 아크릴 가림막, 포근한 방석까지 마련되었습니다. 그래서 네 명 중 식탁에 마지막으로 앉는 사람이 기도하는 에스라의 전통을, 코로나 시대에 살려내어서 기쁩니다. 하늘 아버지가 만나게 한 사람들과 불화하기에는 삶이 너무 아깝습니다. <기쁨 기도 감사>의 삶으로 채우는 에스라의 날들이기를 소원합니다. 에스라에서 앞으로의 날들도 의미있는 일을 재미있게 하고 싶습니다.
With the semester-end chapel service this coming Friday, the 10th, at 2:00 PM, my first-year schedule at Ezra Bible Graduate University comes to a close. Beginning on March 1st with the opening convocation and presidential inauguration, and concluding with this final chapel, the 25th cohort of students will complete their first year and begin their vacation. But for the faculty, it is a different story. On the following Monday the 13th, the professors will conduct regular admissions interviews, and Tuesday is scheduled for an all-day end-of-term faculty meeting. Even after that, grading and administrative tasks will not easily leave their hands. In any case, right as the first semester commenced, our founder, Honorary Board Chair Jung-Ran Baek, entrusted everything to a newly inaugurated president who knew neither what the duties entailed nor how to handle them, and departed peacefully for heaven.
Yet, during this first year at the Ezra she left behind, my greatest joy has been meeting and getting to know new people. My primary task was becoming acquainted with eight faculty members, an equal number of staff, and the 25th class of students admitted this year. Moreover, having been inaugurated as the fifth president, it was also a great privilege to meet the former presidents. As the inaugural president, Dr. Buk-Kyoung Kim, has already gone to heaven, our meeting will have to wait for later. However, I began meeting several times with former Presidents Han-Sik Kim and Kyung-Dong Min and their wives living in Seoul, and later, joined by former President Chul Lee upon his return from the United States, the four couples have gathered about once a month to share a fellowship meal. These leaders love Ezra as deeply as anyone could and pray faithfully on its behalf. Every time we gather, we enjoy a truly blessed and fruitful fellowship.
There have also been renewed connections that continued upon coming to Ezra—fellowships with people I had partnered with in discipleship training ministries during my active pastoral days. I receive much encouragement through meeting two pastor couples who remain in active ministry, still holding fast to the vision of discipleship for healthy churches. Hearing of my arrival, they rushed over to introduce me to a wonderful local sushi restaurant; not long ago, we traveled together to Ganghwa Island for a lunch of fresh sashimi, and on the way back, we stopped by a lovely café near Haengjusanseong Fortress—spending half a day caring for folks from the countryside. Beyond pastors, there is also the sweet delight of fellowship with the brothers and sisters from thirty years ago when I planted churches in Seoul: the Jangseungbaegi Dure Church ("where the scattered gather") and the Jeongneung Tanpori Church ("scattering to preach the gospel"). There are also new opportunities in ministry that opened up by coming to Ezra. Preaching at the Korean Church Lent Repentance Prayer Service last March, and delivering an exposition of Scripture at the 2nd Lausanne Korean Pastors Conference in October, were opportunities made possible by relocating to the capital region.
Before moving from Ulsan to Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, my wife prayed for me: "May you find wonderful cycling companions there, just as you had in Ulsan." That prayer was answered immediately, as you may know from the cycling updates I have occasionally shared here. Now, we plan to meet once more for this year's season finale. With the 25th cohort of Ezra students, I walked along Mount Daeja and enjoyed playing table tennis with a few throughout September, but from the students' perspective, the lamb barbecue held on the Ezra lawn will surely remain an enduring memory. Recently, thanks to a pastor friend in Ulsan who connected us with a generous donation, we were able to furnish the dining hall with round four-person tables, clean acrylic partitions, and cozy chair cushions. Thus, I am delighted that we could revive Ezra's tradition—where the last of the four to sit down at the table offers the prayer—even amidst the era of COVID-19. Life is far too precious to spend it in discord with the people our Heavenly Father has brought across our paths. It is my heart's desire that our days at Ezra be filled with a life of "joy, prayer, and thanksgiving." In the days ahead at Ezra, I hope to continue doing meaningful work with joyful delight.
Wanneer ons eerskomende Vrydag, die 10de, om 14:00 die afsluitingsdiens hou, breek die einde van my eerste jaar by Ezra Bybelse Nagraadse Universiteit aan. Dit het op 1 Maart begin met die semesteropening en my inhuldigingsdiens as rektor, en met hierdie afsluitingsdiens voltooi die studente van die 25ste groep hul eerste jaar en gaan hulle met vakansie. Vir die professore is dit egter 'n ander saak. Die volgende week, op Maandag die 13de, voer hulle die gereelde toelatingsonderhoude, en vir Dinsdag word 'n heeldaagse fakulteitsvergadering beplan. Selfs daarna sal take soos die finale puntetoekenning nie gou uit hul hande verdwyn nie. Nietemin, skaars het die eerste semester begin, of ons stigter, ere-raadsvoorsitter Jung-Ran Baek, het alles toevertrou aan 'n nuwe rektor wat nog skaars geweet het wat die pligte behels of hoe om dit te hanteer, en sy is stilweg hemel toe geroep.
Maar terwyl ek 'n jaar deurbring by die Ezra wat sy agtergelaat het, was my grootste vreugde om nuwe mense te ontmoet en te leer ken. My hooftaak was om agt professore, 'n gelyke getal personeellede, en die 25ste groep studente wat vanjaar ingeskryf het, te leer ken. Aangesien ek as die vyfde rektor ingehuldig is, was dit boonop 'n groot voorreg om die vorige rektore te ontmoet. Aangesien die eerste rektor, dr. Buk-Kyoung Kim, reeds hemel toe is, sal daardie ontmoeting 'n bietjie moet wag, maar ek het eers 'n paar keer met oud-rektore Han-Sik Kim en Kyung-Dong Min en hul eggenotes in Seoel byeengekom. Later het oud-rektor Chul Lee ná sy terugkeer uit die Verenigde State aangesluit, en die vier egpare kom nou sowat een keer per maand bymekaar om 'n liefdesmaal te deel. Hierdie leiers het Ezra waarlik innig lief en bid getrou vir die instelling. Elke keer wanneer ons ontmoet, beleef ons geseënde en opbouende gemeenskap.
Daar was ook hernude ontmoetings wat voortgevloei het sedert my koms na Ezra—bande met persone saam met wie ek tydens my aktiewe bediening deur dissipelskapwerk gemeenskap gehad het. Ek word baie bemoedig deur die samesyn met twee leraarsegpare wat steeds in die bediening staan en nie die droom van dissipelskap vir 'n gesonde kerk laat vaar het nie. Toe hulle die nuus van my aankoms hoor, het hulle dadelik gekom en my aan 'n goeie soesji-plek hier naby voorgestel; onlangs het ons saam na die Ganghwa-eiland gereis vir 'n middagete van vars rou vis, en op pad terug het ons by 'n heerlike kafee naby die Haengjusanseong-vesting aangedoen—hulle het 'n halwe dag spandeer om ons plattelanders tuis te laat voel. Benewens leraars is daar ook die kosbare vreugde van gemeenskap met die broers en susters van dertig jaar gelede toe ek gemeentes in Seoel geplant het: die Jangseungbaegi Dure-gemeente ("waar die verstrooides bymekaarkom") en die Jeongneung Tanpori-gemeente ("wat uitreik om die evangelie te verkondig"). Daar is ook bedieningsgeleenthede wat begin het danksy my koms na Ezra. Om in Maart tydens die Koreaanse Kerk se Lydenstyd-verootmoedigingsdiens te preek en in Oktober die Skrifverklaring by die 2de Lausanne Koreaanse Leraarskonferensie te behartig, was dinge wat moontlik gemaak is omdat ek na die hoofstadstreek verhuis het.
Voor ons verhuising vanaf Ulsan na Goyang in die Gyeonggi-provinsie, het my vrou vir my gebid: "Laat hom ook daar, net soos in Ulsan, goeie fietsry-vriende vind." Daardie gebed is dadelik verhoor, soos u seker weet uit die fietsry-brokkies wat ek af en toe hier gedeel het. Nou beplan ons om nog een keer bymekaar te kom vir die jaareindrit. Saam met die 25ste groep studente van Ezra het ek teen die Daeja-berg uit gestap en gedurende September tafeltennis met 'n paar van hulle geniet, maar vir die hele studentegemeenskap sal die lamsvleisbraai op die Ezra-werf sekerlik 'n blywende herinnering bly. Onlangs, danksy 'n leraarsvriend in Ulsan wat 'n skenking bewerkstellig het, kon ons ronde viersitplek-tafels, netjiese akriel-skeidingspanele en sagte sitkussings aanskaf. Daarom is ek verheug dat ons Ezra se tradisie—waarin die laaste van die vier wat by die tafel aansit, die tafelgebed doen—in hierdie Covid-tyd kon laat herleef. Die lewe is veels te kosbaar om in onmin deur te bring met die mense wat ons hemelse Vader oor ons pad gestuur het. Dit is my innige wens dat ons dae by Ezra gevul sal wees met 'n lewe van "blydskap, gebed en dankbaarheid." Ek sien daarna uit om in die dae wat voorlê by Ezra steeds betekenisvolle werk met vreugde te verrig.