일본 삿포로와 태국 치앙마이는 선교에 관련한 모임이 자주 열리는 곳입니다. 울산교회를 담임하면서 당시 16명이던 선교사 지원을, 부임 첫해 예산지침으로 신규 18명 후원을 요청했더니 2명이 더 늘어나는 것으로 생각했다는 에피소드가 있습니다. 첫해 34명에서부터 24년 은퇴하면서는 110명이 넘는 선교후원까지 꾸준히 늘렸던 것은 교회가 선교에 대한 마음이 활짝 열려있었기 때문입니다. 하긴 한 지역교회가 5대양 6대주를 품으려고 한 것을 보면 열심 때문인지 전략부재인지 모르지만 선교사님을 향한 마음은 남달랐던 것 같습니다.
교단의 선교후원교회협의회장을 한 일이 별로 없다고 두 텀이나 장기집권을 하고, 이름에 걸맞는 순회선교사로서 역할을 할 수가 없었지만 순회선교사회를 조직하면서 그 책임을 맡기도 했습니다. 처음부터 무리였습니다. 서울서 두 교회를 개척하여 목회하던 것과 비교하면, 울산교회 담임으로서의 일만 해도 장난이 아니었습니다. 아무리 빨리 잠자리에 가도 10시는 넘어야 했지만 처음에는 5시의 새벽기도 인도도 담임 몫이었기 때문입니다. 부임 1년만에 만나는 친구들의 공통적인 질문은 ‘왜 그렇게 늙었냐?’ 였습니다. 뒤에는 (선교사) 멤버케어위원회 위원장으로 10년은 넘게 일을 했으니 교단 선교사나 선교지는 낮설지 않습니다. 태국 방콕, 치앙마이에서 꽤 자주 모임을 했었지만 목회 일이 바쁘다보니 이번에 처음으로 방문했습니다.
게다가 치앙마이에는 울산교회에서 동역하던 양정금 선교사님이 12년 째 사역하고 있고, 제가 울산교회 부임초기 1998년부터 후원한 김주만 선교사님도 20년이 넘게 태국에서 사역을 하고 있었지만, 비로소 치앙마이를 방문할 기회를 주께서 주셨습니다. 마치 시집간 딸네 집을 방문하는 기쁨보다는 숙제하는 기분으로 이틀 전에 도착했습니다. 그리고 어제는 두 분의 선교사님을 만나서 점심을, 저녁을 각각 나누면서 살아왔던 이야기, 사역했던 이야기, 자녀들의 이야기를 들을 수 있었고 고국에서 그간 있었던 소식들도 전했습니다. 숙제 말고 무슨 계획이 있냐고 치앙마이로 오는 비행기 안에서 아내가 물었습니다. 그냥 ”성도의 교제“를 나누고 싶었고 말하기보다는 듣는 일에 시간을 썼으면 했습니다.
오늘 아침에도 늘 그랬듯이 6시에 아침을 먹고 어제 갔던 반대방향으로 걸었습니다. 그쪽으로 가면 치앙마이 대학교가 있다는 정보를 얻었으니까요^^ “네 목사님, 치앙마이 대학교는 태국에 학과가 가장 많은 대학교입니다. 의대와 대학병원을 갖추고 있는 대학이 많지 않은데, 치앙마이 대학교는 의대와 간호대 그리고 대학병원을 모두 갖추고 있습니다.” 명문 대학교의 교정을 둘러보고 돌아오니 6000보를 넘었습니다. 저녁에도 한 차례 더 다녀오면 12000보는 족히 넘기겠지요? 37년차 당뇨인에게는 먹는 것에 절제하고, 걷는 일에 열심을 내어야 하는데 어제 오전 한 시간쯤 걸려 고산지대의 ‘먼쨈’에 가는 길에서 구입한 열대과일이 냉장고에 있으니 유혹이 너무 큽니다. 내가 제일 좋아하는 열대과일의 여왕인 망고스틴 뿐만 아니라 람부탄과 패션푸르트가 기다리고 있습니다.
며칠 더 지내다가 필리핀 마닐라에서 사역하는 선교사님을 방문할 것입니다. 서로에게 명절 선물이 되기를 바랍니다.
Sapporo, Japan, and Chiang Mai, Thailand, are places where mission-related conferences and gatherings are frequently held. When I began serving as senior pastor at Ulsan Church, the congregation was supporting 16 missionaries. In the budget guidelines for my first year, I requested funding for 18 newly designated missionaries; there is a famous little anecdote that the church leadership at first thought I meant adding merely two more. From supporting 34 missionaries in that first year, the number steadily grew to over 110 by the time I retired after 24 years of pastoral ministry—all because the church's heart was wide open toward world missions. Looking back at a single local church striving to embrace all five oceans and six continents, one might wonder whether it was driven by pure zeal or a sheer absence of calculated strategy, but our congregation's heart for missionaries was truly extraordinary.
Claiming that I had done very little as the president of the denomination's Mission-Supporting Churches Association, they kept me in office for two consecutive terms. Although I couldn’t adequately fulfill the itinerant duties worthy of the title, I even took on the responsibility when we formed the Itinerant Missionary Council. Looking back, it was all too much from the very start. Compared to planting and pastoring two churches in Seoul, the workload of shepherding Ulsan Church alone was overwhelmingly demanding. No matter how early I tried to get to bed, it was always past 10:00 p.m., yet in the beginning, leading the 5:00 a.m. dawn prayer service fell entirely upon the senior pastor. When I met old friends after just one year in the post, their universal question was, "Why on earth have you aged so much?" Later on, I served for over a decade as the chairman of the (Missionary) Member Care Committee, so neither our denomination's missionaries nor their mission fields felt unfamiliar. Although gatherings were held in Bangkok and Chiang Mai quite frequently, I had always been so preoccupied with pastoral duties that this was actually my very first time visiting Chiang Mai.
Moreover, missionary Jung-Geum Yang, who once labored alongside us at Ulsan Church, has been ministering here in Chiang Mai for 12 years, and missionary Ju-Man Kim, whom I began supporting in 1998 during my early days at Ulsan Church, has served in Thailand for over twenty years. Yet only now has the Lord granted me the opportunity to set foot in Chiang Mai. Two days ago, I arrived feeling less like a joyful father visiting a married daughter’s home and more like someone finishing a long-overdue homework assignment. Yesterday, I met both missionaries—one for lunch and the other for dinner. I listened to their life journeys, their ministry accounts, and stories about their children, while also sharing updates on what had been happening back home in Korea. On the flight over to Chiang Mai, my wife asked what plans I had besides this "homework." I simply told her that I wished to share the "fellowship of the saints," spending my time listening rather than speaking.
This morning, just as I always do, I ate breakfast at 6:00 a.m. and walked in the opposite direction from yesterday. I had learned that Chiang Mai University lay that way. "Yes, Pastor, Chiang Mai University has the largest number of academic departments in Thailand. Very few universities boast their own medical school and university hospital, but Chiang Mai University has a medical school, a nursing school, and a full university hospital." Returning from my stroll across the campus of this renowned university, my pedometer showed over 6,000 steps. If I take another walk this evening, I should easily surpass 12,000 steps. For someone who has lived with diabetes for 37 years, moderation in eating and diligence in walking are imperative. However, yesterday morning on our hour-long trip to the highland area of Mon Cham, we bought tropical fruits that are now sitting in the refrigerator, presenting an irresistible temptation. Waiting for me are not only mangosteens—my absolute favorite and the undisputed queen of tropical fruits—but also rambutan and passion fruit.
After spending a few more days here, I plan to travel to the Philippines to visit a missionary serving in Manila. I pray that our visits may be a mutual holiday blessing and gift to one another.
Sapporo in Japan en Chiang Mai in Thailand is plekke waar sendingverwante byeenkomste gereeld plaasvind. Toe ek as predikant van Ulsan Gemeente begin dien het, het die gemeente 16 sendelinge ondersteun. In die begrotingsriglyne van my eerste jaar het ek gevra vir die ondersteuning van 18 nuwe sendelinge; daar is 'n bekende staaltjie dat die kerkraad aanvanklik gedink het ek bedoel om slegs twee bykomende sendelinge by te voeg. Van die 34 sendelinge in daardie eerste jaar het die getal geleidelik gegroei tot meer as 110 sendelinge toe ek na 24 jaar afgetree het—alles omdat die gemeente se hart wyd oopgestaan het vir die sending. As 'n mens terugdink aan hoe 'n enkele plaaslike gemeente gepoog het om al vyf oseane en ses vastelande te omhels, weet 'n mens nie of dit uit loutere ywer of 'n volkome gebrek aan strategie was nie, maar ons gemeente se hart vir sendelinge was werklik buitengewoon.
Aangesien daar beweer is dat ek maar min gedoen het as voorsitter van die denominasie se Sendingondersteunende Kerkeraad, het hulle my vir twee opeenvolgende termyne in daardie pos gehou. Hoewel ek nie my rol as reisende sendeling na behore kon vervul soos die titel vereis het nie, het ek selfs die verantwoordelikheid aanvaar toe ons die Reisende Sendingsraad gestig het. Van die begin af was dit eenvoudig te veel van die goeie. Vergeleke met die stigting en bediening van twee gemeentes in Seoel, was die werkslading as leraar van Ulsan Gemeente alleen al ontsaglik veeleisend. Maak nie saak hoe vroeg ek bed toe probeer gaan het nie, dit was altyd ná 22:00, en aanvanklik was die leiding van die oggendgebed om 05:00 die predikant se uitsluitlike verantwoordelikheid. Toe ek ou vriende ná net een jaar in my amp ontmoet het, was hulle almal se vraag: "Waarom het jy so vreeslik oud geword?" Later het ek vir meer as tien jaar gedien as voorsitter van die Ledesorgkomitee (vir sendelinge), so nóg die denominasie se sendelinge nóg die sendingvelde was vir my vreemd. Alhoewel vergaderings baie gereeld in Bangkok en Chiang Mai gehou is, was ek altyd so besig met gemeentewerk dat dit nou die heel eerste keer is dat ek Chiang Mai self besoek.
Boonop arbei sendeling Jung-Geum Yang, wat voorheen saam met ons in Ulsan Gemeente gedien het, reeds 12 jaar lank hier in Chiang Mai, en sendeling Ju-Man Kim, wat ek sedert my vroeë dae by Ulsan Gemeente in 1998 ondersteun het, doen al meer as twintig jaar lank sendingwerk in Thailand. Tog het die Here my nou eers die geleentheid geskenk om Chiang Mai te besoek. Twee dae gelede het ek hier aangekom—nie soseer met die vreugde van 'n pa wat 'n getroude dogter se huis besoek nie, maar eerder met die gevoel van iemand wat 'n lang uitgestelde huiswerktaak moet afhandel. Gister het ek albei sendelinge ontmoet—een vir middagete en die ander vir aandete. Ek kon luister na hul lewensverhale, hul bedieningservarings en nuus oor hul kinders, terwyl ek ook gebeure uit ons vaderland gedeel het. Op die vliegtuig na Chiang Mai het my vrou my gevra watter planne ek buiten hierdie "huiswerk" het. Ek het geantwoord dat ek bloot die "gemeenskap van die heiliges" wou ervaar, en dat ek my tyd liewer aan luister as aan praat wou wy.
Vanoggend het ek, soos altyd, om 06:00 ontbyt geëet en in die teenoorgestelde rigting as gister gaan stap. Ek het immers verneem dat die Chiang Mai-universiteit daardie kant toe lê. "Ja, Dominee, die Chiang Mai-universiteit het die meeste akademiese departemente in die hele Thailand. Min universiteite beskik oor 'n mediese fakulteit en 'n akademiese hospitaal, maar die Chiang Mai-universiteit het 'n mediese fakulteit, 'n verplegingskool en 'n universiteitshospitaal." Nadat ek op die kampus van hierdie gesiene universiteit rondgestap het, het my stapteller reeds meer as 6 000 treë aangewys. As ek vanaand weer gaan stap, behoort ek maklik verby 12 000 treë te kom. Vir iemand wat al 37 jaar lank met diabetes leef, is matigheid in eet en getrouheid aan stap onontbeerlik. Gisteroggend het ons egter op pad na die hooglandgebied Mon Cham, sowat 'n uur se ry hiervandaan, tropiese vrugte gekoop wat nou in die yskas lê en wink—'n versoeking wat byna te groot is om te weerstaan. My gunsteling onder die tropiese vrugte, die koningin van vrugte, die mangosteen, wag daarop om geniet te word, tesame met ramboetans en granadillas.
Nadat ons nog 'n paar dae hier deurgebring het, beplan ek om 'n sendeling in Manila in die Filippyne te gaan besoek. Mag ons besoeke vir mekaar 'n ware feesgeskenk en wedersydse seën wees.