<<잡목을 백향목처럼>>이란 책은 -나라와 민족을 제자삼는 교회 세우기-란 부제를 지닌 영화교회 원로목사 손훈 님이 최근에 키아츠에서 펴낸 책 이름입니다. 원로 목사가 된지 10년이 가까워지지만, 현재도 한국DNA(Disciple Nations Alliance) 협의회 회장으로, 기아대책 이사장으로 왕성하게 사역을 하고 계신 분입니다. 제가 손 목사님을 처음 만난 것은 아마 30년은 족히 지났나 봅니다. 한국교회에 ‘목회자 재교육’이나 ‘계속 교육’이란 개념이 자리 잡기 전에, 복음주의 목회연구원(원장 홍정길 목사)이란 초교파 모임을 만들어 한국강해설교학교를 시작했던 적이 있습니다. 뒤에는 두란노에서 데니스 레인의 강해설교 세미나가 자리잡게 되면서, 우린 목회로 돌아가고, 그 모임은 친교모임으로 탈바꿈했는데, 그즈음 우리 모임에 손 목사님이 함께 한 것으로 기억합니다.
워낙 조용하시고 겸손하신 분이라 호감을 가지면서도 가까이 교제할 기회가 없었기에, 아는 것은 부산 출신으로 서초동 상가에서 영화교회를 목회하는 신실한 분이라는 정도를 넘어가지는 못했습니다. 그런 상황에서 이번에 <<잡목을 백향목처럼>>이란 책을 읽으면서 비로소 하나님이 목회자로 부르신 분을 만나게 되어서 반갑기도 했고, 참으로 부끄럽기도 했습니다. 교제를 시작한지 30년이 넘었는데 아는 것이 참으로 제한적이었다는 것은, 그동안 가져온 친구관계를 돌아보게 만들었습니다. 뭐가 그렇게 바빴는지 때로는 매주, 격주, 매월, 격월, 일년에 한 두 차례, 나중에는 몇 년만에 한 번씩 만나다가, 작년에 한 번, 올해 한 번 만날 기회는 특별한 선물과 같았습니다.
처음 매주 만났을 때와는 달리 각자의 일들이 점점 많아지고, 만나는 간격은 뜸해졌지만, 어쨌든 어떤 간격으로 만나도 우린 다음 스케줄 때문에 각자의 사역지로 달려가기 바빴습니다. 가족수련회라는 이름으로 1년에 한 차례 만나도, 서로에게 충분히 귀를 기울일 여유가 없었다는 것을 <<잡목을 백향목처럼>>이란 책을 읽으면서 느꼈습니다. 이 책을 읽어보면 우리 시대의 마지막 고전적 목회자를 만날 수 있습니다. 부르심에 귀를 기울이다가 확인하면, 맨땅에 헤딩하듯이 교회를 개척하며, 기도, 여차하면 금식기도, 심방, 상담, 설교라는 패턴을 발견할 수 있습니다. 하지만 현재를 넘어선 미래의 건강한 목회를 위한 아름다운 청사진을 살펴볼 수 있기에, 은퇴를 십년만 남겨놓았다면, 꼭 이 책 <<잡목을 백합화처럼>>을 읽기를 권합니다.
하나님의 나라를 세워가는 목회에 부름받은 자라면 먼저 교회가 무엇인지를 분명히 확인하는 일이 무엇보다 중요합니다. 물론 건축가들이 건물을 짓다 말고 다시 기초를 마련하지는 않을 것입니다. 하지만 목회는 교회의 주인인 그분의 뜻을 따라 교회를 세워가야 합니다. 그러므로 시행착오를 피한다면 최상이겠지만, 이미 시작했더라도 다시 주님의 설계도를 따라 목회를 새롭게 하는 것을 주저하지 말아야 할 것입니다. 그런 면에서 한 두 차례 조용히 DNA 목회에 대해 소개했을 때, 내 목회에 바빠서 제대로 귀기울이지 못한 것을 지금도 부끄럽게 생각합니다. 그러므로 목회를 시작하는 사람들뿐 아니라 10년 만이라도 남겨두었다면 이 책을 읽도록 권하며, 이미 저처럼 목회를 끝낸 사람에게도 자신의 삶과 목회를 돌아보며 정리하는 좋은 좌표가 될 것입니다. 아주 바쁜 사람이라면 5부 선교사의 글이라도 읽는다면 <<잡목을 백향목처럼>> 바라보는 아름다운 시선을 갖게 될 것입니다.
Like Wild Shrubs into Cedars—subtitled Building a Church That Disciples Nations and Peoples—is the title of a recent book published by KIATS, written by Pastor Emeritus Hoon Sohn of Younghwa Church. Though nearly ten years have passed since he retired as senior pastor, he remains actively involved in ministry, serving as the Representative of DNA (Disciple Nations Alliance) Korea and as the Chairman of the Board of Food for the Hungry International Korea (KFHI). It must have been well over thirty years ago when I first met Pastor Sohn. Long before concepts like 'pastoral continuing education' or 'refresher courses' took root in the Korean church, we founded an interdenominational gathering called the Evangelical Institute of Pastoral Studies (led by Rev. Jung-Gil Hong) and inaugurated the Korea Expository Preaching School. Later, as Denis Lane’s expository preaching seminars found a home at Duranno, we returned to our pastoral ministries and our circle transformed into a fellowship group; it was around that time, as I recall, that Pastor Sohn joined us.
He was such a quiet and unassuming person that, while I always held him in high esteem, there were few opportunities for deep fellowship. My knowledge of him went little beyond knowing that he was originally from Busan and was faithfully shepherding Younghwa Church in a commercial building in Seocho-dong. Reading Like Wild Shrubs into Cedars, however, I felt both a deep joy at finally encountering a pastor genuinely called by God, and a profound sense of remorse. The realization that my understanding of him remained so shallow despite knowing him for over thirty years caused me to reflect on our long-standing friendship. What made us so relentlessly busy? We met weekly, biweekly, monthly, bimonthly, then once or twice a year, and eventually once every few years. Seeing him once last year and once this year felt like a truly special gift.
Unlike the early days when we met weekly, our schedules grew heavier and the intervals between meetings lengthened; yet no matter how rarely we met, we were always rushing off to our respective ministries, preoccupied with the next commitment on our calendars. Even when gathering once a year under the name of a family retreat, we lacked the margin to listen deeply to one another—a poignant reality that struck me while reading Like Wild Shrubs into Cedars. In the pages of this book, you meet one of the last classic pastors of our generation: a servant who listens intently for the divine call, steps out boldly onto barren ground to plant a church, and pours himself into a tireless rhythm of prayer, fervent fasting whenever trials arose, pastoral visitations, counseling, and preaching. Yet, because the book offers a splendid blueprint for a healthy ministry extending far into the future, I wholeheartedly encourage anyone who still has even ten years before retirement to read Like Wild Shrubs into Cedars.
For anyone called to pastoral ministry to build up the Kingdom of God, nothing is more essential than first gaining a clear biblical understanding of what the church truly is. To be sure, builders do not abandon a half-built wall to relay the foundation. Pastoral ministry, however, requires building according to the will of the Church’s true Master. While avoiding trial and error from the outset is ideal, even if one is already halfway through the journey, one must never hesitate to align ministry anew with the Lord’s master blueprint. In that light, I still feel ashamed that when he quietly introduced DNA ministry once or twice in the past, I was far too absorbed in my own ministry to listen with an open heart. Therefore, I commend this book not only to those just starting out in ministry, but also to anyone with even ten years remaining before retirement; and for those who have already completed their pastoral race like me, it serves as a wonderful landmark for reflecting upon and synthesizing one's life and ministry. Even if you are extremely pressed for time, reading just Part 5—the reflections from missionaries—will grant you that beautiful, transformative perspective that beholds wild shrubs as noble cedars.
Soos Ruwe Bosse in Seders—met die subtitel Die bou van 'n gemeente wat nasies en volke dissipel—is die titel van 'n onlangse boek wat deur KIATS uitgegee is en geskryf is deur emeritusleraar Hoon Sohn van Younghwa Gemeente. Alhoewel dit byna tien jaar is sedert hy emeritusstatus bereik het, is hy steeds voluit werksaam in die bediening as voorsitter van die Koreaanse DNA-netwerk (Disciple Nations Alliance) en as voorsitter van Hongersnoodverligting Korea (KFHI). Dit is sekerlik al meer as dertig jaar gelede dat ek ds. Sohn die eerste keer ontmoet het. Lank voordat konsepte soos 'voortgesette pastorale opleiding' of 'bedieningsvernuwing' in die Koreaanse kerk posgevat het, het ons 'n interkerklike groep genaamd die Evangeliese Instituut vir Pastorale Studies (onder leiding van ds. Jung-Gil Hong) gestig en die Koreaanse Skrifverklaringskool begin. Later, toe Denis Lane se seminare oor ekspositoriese prediking 'n vaste tuiste by Duranno gevind het, het ons teruggekeer na ons plaaslike gemeentes en het ons groep in 'n broederlike gemeenskapskring verander; dit was omstreeks daardie tyd, as ek reg onthou, dat ds. Sohn by ons aangesluit het.
Hy was so 'n stil en beskeie persoon dat, hoewel ek 'n opregte agting vir hom gekoester het, daar min geleenthede vir hegte samesyn was. My kennis van hom het skaars verder gestrek as die wete dat hy van Busan afkomstig was en 'n getroue herder van Younghwa Gemeente in 'n kommersiële gebou in Seocho-dong was. Deur die lees van Soos Ruwe Bosse in Seders was dit 'n groot vreugde om uiteindelik iemand te leer ken wat werklik deur God as bedienaar geroep is, maar dit het my terselfdertyd diep beskaamd laat voel. Dat my kennis van hom so beperk gebly het ná meer as dertig jaar van vriendskap, het my diep laat nadink oor ons jarelange verhouding. Waarmee was ons tog so besig? Ons het weekliks, tweeweekliks, maandeliks, tweemaandeliks, een of twee keer per jaar, en later net elke paar jaar ontmoet. Om hom verlede jaar een keer en vanjaar weer een keer te kon ontmoet, was soos 'n kosbare geskenk.
Anders as in die begin toe ons weekliks saamgekom het, het elkeen se werksaamhede al hoe meer geword en die tussenposes al hoe langer; maar ongeag hoe dikwels ons ontmoet het, was ons altyd haastig om weer na ons onderskeie bedieningsvelde terug te keer vanweë die volgende verpligting op die kalender. Selfs wanneer ons een keer per jaar by 'n gesinsuitstappie bymekaargekom het, was daar nooit werklik genoeg tyd om werklik aandagtig na mekaar te luister nie—'n besef wat my diep getref het terwyl ek Soos Ruwe Bosse in Seders gelees het. In hierdie boek ontmoet 'n mens een van die laaste klassieke predikante van ons tyd: iemand wat luister na God se roeping, en sodra dit bevestig word, kaalvuis en vanuit die niet 'n gemeente plant, getrou aan die patroon van gebed, gereelde vas wanneer krisisse opdaag, huisbesoek, pastorale berading en getroue prediking. Aangesien hierdie boek egter 'n pragtige bloudruk bied vir 'n gesonde bediening wat tot ver in die toekoms strek, beveel ek enigeen wat selfs nog net tien jaar voor aftrede het, van harte aan om hierdie boek te lees.
Vir elkeen wat geroep is om deur pastorale bediening die Koninkryk van God op te bou, is dit van kardinale belang om eers vas te stel wat die kerk werklik is. Bouers sal natuurlik nie 'n halfgeboude huis laat vaar om weer van vooraf fondamente te lê nie. Die pastorale bediening moet egter gebou word volgens die wil van die Een aan wie die kerk behoort. Alhoewel dit die beste is om foute van die begin af te vermy, moenie huiwer om—selfs al is jy reeds lank op pad—die bediening opnuut volgens die Here se eie bouplan te hervorm nie. In daardie opsig skaam ek my vandag nog dat toe hy een of twee keer stilweg oor die DNA-bediening gepraat het, ek té vasgevang was in my eie gemeente om met 'n oop gemoed te luister. Daarom beveel ek hierdie boek aan, nie net vir dié wat aan die begin van hul bediening staan nie, maar ook vir almal wat nog tien jaar oor het; en selfs vir diegene wat soos ek hul pastorale reis voltooi het, bied dit 'n uitstekende kompas om op hul lewe en bediening terug te kyk en dit sinvol af te rond. As jy baie besig is, sal die lees van slegs Deel 5—die sendelinge se getuienisse—jou reeds help om daardie pragtige blik te verkry wat ruwe bosse aanskou asof hulle majestueuse seders is.