김한요 목사
하나님께서 우리의 기도를 결코 잊지 아니하시고, 정확한 하나님의 시간에 응답해 주시는 것을 더욱 절실히 깨닫습니다. 아버지의 기도가 지금도 저의 사역 현장에서 열매로 나타나듯이 사랑하는 성도님들을 위한 기도 역시 계속 할 것을 다짐합니다. 지난주, 9개월 만에 교회 마당을 밟는다고 하신 장로님과 권사님을 만났습니다. 사회적 거리를 두고 그 반가움을 오랫동안 나누며 기도하는 시간도 가졌습니다. 아쉬움을 뒤로하고 다시 만날 날을 기약하며 인사를 나누는데 잠시 본당에 들어갔다가 가신다고 하여 본당을 돌아보고 싶으신가 보다 생각했습니다. 영상 촬영이 있어서 한참 후 본당을 지나가다가 장로님과 권사님이 그때까지도 텅 빈 본당에서 기도하시는 모습을 보았습니다. 가슴이 뭉클했습니다. 이렇게 교회를 아끼고 사랑하는 장로님과 권사님의 기도 때문에 저희 교회가 든든히 지켜지고 저같이 부족한 목회자도 그나마 목회를 하고 있다고 느껴졌습니다.
이제 막 200회를 넘은 아침 영상 메시지가 얼마나 더 계속될지 모르지만, 저의 바람과 기도의 제목은 온라인을 통해서라도 사랑하는 성도들과 기도의 만남이 끊이지 않고 연결되어 우리 교회와 가정이 그 기도의 응답을 누리며 더욱 영적인 강건함을 지켜나가는 것입니다.
Meeting Good People, Answer to Prayer
Rev. Bryan Kim
When holidays approach, I am reminded of my father. He was an Elder of church. I remember how he always encouraged me with prayers. He would collect good resources from newspaper whenever he had opportunities and send them to me. Maybe he felt sorry for his pastor son. Whenever my family gathered for meals on holidays, my father’s seat was the place of meal prayer. Like Jacob prayed for his sons, he would call out each of his grandchildren to bless them until our soups became cold. Time to time he would choke up when he prayed for me. He used to say pastorship is about who you meet, and he prayed for me to meet good people and good Elders. My father’s prayers were definitely answered. My ministry here at Bethel since 2013 has been about meeting good pastoral staff and working together with good Elders and Deacons. I wouldn’t hesitate to confess every year to our executive committee that it has been the best year of my life. This year is particularly more so. Despite unprecedented circumstance of pandemic, we prayed together in the moment of bleakness. We received encouragement from our congregation with small chocolates even box lunches. All these made an exciting 2020. I wish I could embrace and bless each of our Bethel members. I wish we could have a small bonfire in the courtyard and spend time together counting God’s blessings we received this year.
I realize even more strongly that God does not forget our prayers and He will answer them at the right time. Just as my father’s prayers are coming to fruition even today, I commit to pray for you without ceasing. I met an Elder couple last Sunday who stepped on to church campus for the first time in 9 months. We were excited to see each other. With social distancing, we shared time and prayed together. After we said goodbye, they said they would head home after dropping by sanctuary for few moments. I thought they just wanted to look around the main sanctuary. After a while, I passed by the main sanctuary after videotaping. I saw them praying in the empty sanctuary. My heart yearned. Our church stays strong because of their love and prayers for the church. Although I am inadequate, I felt I am able to minister because of their prayers.
I am not sure how much longer we will continue with video Morning Messages, which just passed 200 broadcasts. What I wish and pray for is that our congregation will continue to meet in prayers even online, and that we would enjoy answer to our prayers for our church and families and continue to keep our spiritual health strong.