Last week, we went on our outdoor worship service together. I later heard from someone that it had been eight years since our church last had one. Maybe because of that, many people seemed a little nervous. There seemed to be a quiet concern about whether the outdoor worship service might end up being too tiring after such a long time.
But after the service was over, we realized those worries had been unnecessary.
In fact, one person shared this beautiful comment: “It was so wonderful because our hands fit together so perfectly.” I felt the same way as well. I was deeply thankful that everyone cooperated with one heart. Through that time together, I was reminded once again of how joyful and precious unity truly is.
As I reflected on the day, another thought suddenly came to mind. What would happen if our church became much bigger? Would we still be able to have outdoor worship services together if our congregation grew to around one thousand people? At that size, it seems like outdoor worship might become difficult—especially because preparing BBQ for a thousand people would certainly not be easy.
So I found myself thinking that perhaps it would be wonderful for our church to grow just enough so that we could still joyfully enjoy outdoor worship together as one family. And if the church were to grow beyond that, maybe it would even be good to plant another church. As I thought about that possibility, my heart became happy. If a new and healthy church could be born through our church, I believe God would be even more pleased.
I truly hope that someday this dream will come true.
지난 주 우리는 야외 예배를 다녀왔습니다. 그런데 어떤 분에게 듣기로는 그것이 8년 만이었답니다. 그래서인지 다들 긴장이 많아 보이셨습니다. 오랜만에 간 야외 예배가 너무 힘들면 어떻하나라는 긴장들이 있어 보였습니다. 그런데 야외 예배가 끝나고 그것이 헛된 기우였음을 알게 되었습니다.
실제로 어떤 분은 이런 고백을 하셨습니다. ‘손이 딱딱 서로 맞아서 너무 좋았다고…’ 그런데 제가 느끼기에도 그랬습니다. 모든 분들이 한 마음으로 협조해 주셔서 너무 감사했습니다. 그러면서 하나가 되는 것이 이렇게 좋은 것임을 다시 한번 알게 되었습니다.
그러다 문득 이런 생각을 하게 되었습니다. 교회가 더 커지면 어떻게 야외 예배를 갈까…. 교인이 천 명 정도 되어도, 야외 예배를 갈 수 있을까요? 그 정도가 되면 야외 예배는 쉽지 않아 보입니다. 왜냐하면 천 명 분의 BBQ를 준비하기가 쉽지 않기 때문입니다. 그래서 다같이 야외 예배를 재미있게 갈 수 있을 정도만 성장해야 되겠구나 라는 생각을 했습니다. 그리고 그것보다 더 커지면, 분립을 해도 좋을 것 같다는 생각도 했습니다. 그러다보니 기분이 좋아졌습니다. 우리 교회를 통해서 어떤 새로운 건강한 교회가 생겨나면, 하나님께서 더욱더 기뻐하실 것 같습니다. 그래서 그런 꿈이 꼭 이루어 졌으면 좋겠습니다.