In early January, when winter’s cold was at its fiercest, I climbed a mountain. Bare gray branches shook in the wind, dry leaves wandered freely through the valleys, and ash‑colored rocks lay exposed like uncovered skin.
I had always thought of winter mountains as resting places—where sleeping life lay still. But this year’s winter hike revealed a new beauty: a vibrant stirring of life more dynamic than any other season.
It was a discovery I had never fully tasted, even in the lush fragrance of midsummer.
The energy of life moved through every corner of the mountain.
Tiny threads of water formed near the summit, gathering strength as they flowed downward—becoming streams, then waterfalls, then lakes. Birds darted between branches, their quick wings casting fleeting shadows. Ice cracked sharply. Wild animals left soft prints. Dry twigs snapped. Even snakes, curled in hibernation, exhaled faint hissing breaths.
Even in the pitch‑black night, the mountain did not sleep. Life pulsed everywhere.
Under the brilliant outing of stars and moon—shining as if they might shatter the dark sky—snowflakes drifted like silver dust. Looking up into that shimmering snowfall, I realized how utterly nothing my soul is without the grace of God.
And yet, into a human being—no more than a scattered stone on a winter mountain—God breathed His Spirit and called us His delight. My soul overflowed with praise for His goodness.
There is a winter season in every human life. Times of coldness, loneliness, rejection—even abandonment by those we love.
Yet even in those cold and isolated places, the grace of God continues. In the midst of hardship, the love of Christ moves toward us with unceasing energy.
The tulips that bloom so brightly in spring cannot flower without the long struggle beneath winter’s frozen ground. They bloom because God has already appointed them as spring’s flowers.
So it is with us. All we can do is wait, trust, and surrender ourselves to God’s vast plan and providence.
Do you lament that winter feels too long? Will you not open your heart wide to Jesus Christ, who waits to bring you into the radiant spring of life?
겨울 날씨가 한창 기승을 부리던 1월 초, 나는 산에 올랐습니다. 회색빛의 헐벗은 나뭇가지들이 바람결에 뒤흔들리며, 메마른 나뭇 잎들이 계곡을 자유롭게 왕래하고 잿빛바위들이 알몸을 훤하게 드 러내 놓고 있었습니다.
평소 겨울산은 잠든 생명의 휴식처로 생각하고 있었습니다. 그러나 올해의 겨울 산행은 새로운 아름다움의 발견과 함께, 그 어느 계 절보다도 활달한 생명의 격동함이 온 산을 울리고 있음을 알게 되었습니다.
한여름 신록의 우거짐과 향기 속에서도 감히 만끽하지 못했던 새로운 발견이었습니다.
힘의 에너지가 산의 구석구석을 운행합니다.
산 정상에서 조금씩 실낱 같은 물줄기를 형성한 줄기들이 계곡을 타고 밑으로 밑으로 내려오면서 점점 커지고 넓어져 폭포를 이루고 호수를 만듭니다. 가지 사이를 비행하고 있는 새들의 날쌘 날갯짓 이 산위에 그림자를 던지곤 사라집니다. 쨍하고 깨어지는 얼음소리, 산짐승들의 발자국 소리, 마른 가지들의 부러지는 소리, 동면을 즐 기고 있는 뱀들의 쌕쌕거림·•••••.
칠흑 같은 어둠 속에서도 산은 결국 잠들지 않고, 생명들이 여기 저기서 활발하게 격동하고 있었습니다. 이상한 일은 어둔 하늘에 깨어질 것같이 초롱하게 빛나는 별들과 달들의 화려한 외출 아래, 뿌려지던 은빛 눈발이었습니다. 그 은발의 휘날림 아래서 하늘을 우러러볼 때, 내 영혼이 하나님의 은총 없이는 아무것도 아님을 깨 닫게 되었습니다.
한낱 겨울산의 여기저기 흩어져 있는 하나의 돌덩이와 같은 인간 속에 하나님의 영을 부어 주시고 만족하게 여기셨던 그분의 선하심 에 뜨거운 찬양이 내 영혼을 덮었습니다.
인간의 삶 속에도 분명히 겨울이 있습니다. 춥고, 삭막하고, 사람 들에게 외면을 당하고, 때로는 사랑하는 가족에게까지도 버림을 받 을 때가 있습니다.
그러나, 그러한 우리의 춥고 외진 삶 속에도 하나님의 은총은 계 속되고 있으며, 그러한 고난의 생활 속에서 우리를 향하신 그리스 도의 사랑의 에너지는 끊임 없이 격동하고 있다는 사실입니다.
새 봄, 화려하게 피어오르는 색색의 튤립은 긴 겨울 언 땅속에서 의 몸부림 없이는 꽃을 피울 수 없습니다. 튤립은 하나님의 계획 아 래 봄의 꽃으로 이미 정함을 받았기 때문입니다.
우리는 다만 하나님의 원대하신 계획과 섭리 속에 기다리며 순종 하며 맡기는 것 외엔 아무것도 할 수가 없습니다.
겨울이 길다고 한탄하십니까? 찬란한 인생의 봄을 위하여 기다리 고 계시는 예수 그리스도께 당신의 가슴을 활짝 열지 않으시럽니까?
These days, we see many families treating divorce almost like a rite of passage—something ordinary and expected. It is truly heartbreaking. In a divorce, the ones who suffer most are not the husband or the wife, but the innocent children who must bear emotional wounds and lasting harm. Their once‑pure hearts are often shaped into divided personalities, making it difficult for them to endure hardship or overcome challenges later in life.
For a time, the world was shaken by the divorce of Prince Charles and Princess Diana. Those who cherished them could not hide their sorrow. The royal couple, who once stood at the center of the world’s admiration—surrounded by blessings, wealth, and honor—ended their marriage in scandal and disappointment. Their separation left a wound as deep as the admiration they once inspired. It made many realize that the wealth and prestige of the British royal family are not enviable after all.
More recently, the divorce proceedings of Nelson Mandela and his wife shocked the world. After 27 years of imprisonment, their reunion had seemed like a miracle, and many believed they would enjoy the happiest years of their lives together. Yet at age 77, President Mandela filed for divorce, saying, “Even if the universe tells me to reconcile, I cannot.” The world grieved once more.
Even last year, the sudden divorce of Luciano Pavarotti—who had praised his wife of 35 years for her faithful support—disappointed many. A home built over decades of trust and love collapsed in a single moment, and the pain of it touched us all.
As a pastor, I have met many couples who came to the parsonage seeking divorce as the solution to their problems—differences in personality, infidelity, financial strain, or issues with children. Some believed divorce was the answer to every difficulty. I even witnessed a mother urging her daughter to divorce, saying, “Just end it cleanly and start over with someone else. Isn’t that better?” But life is not so simple. In truth, nearly every divorced couple regrets their decision within three months. Their problems are not solved; instead, they face even greater pain and confusion.
No one desires the emotional and financial devastation that divorce brings. Everyone longs for a beautiful home and happy children. Yet the number of families standing at the brink of divorce continues to grow. Perhaps it is because we have forgotten the sacredness of marriage. When we insist on our own preferences—refusing to yield because we like something, or ending everything because we dislike something—we walk a path toward destruction. And the scars left behind will remain with our children for generations. Divorce holds no value worth admiring.
“Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be kept pure, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.” — Hebrews 13:4
“Each of you should learn to control your own body in holiness and honor, not in passionate lust like the Gentiles who do not know God.” — 1 Thessalonians 4:4–5
We pray for many things, but how often do we pray for the holiness of marriage? In a home where husband and wife pray for each other’s souls, there is no room for unfaithfulness. Even personality differences and financial hardships can be overcome through love. And we must not forget to pray for the future spouses of our children.
One young father in our church prayed earnestly for the future spouses of his three children—even though they were only in elementary school. He prayed because he knew that marriage might one day take them beyond the boundaries of their parents’ faith, yet God’s guiding hand would still be upon them.
I think of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, President Mandela and his wife, and Luciano Pavarotti. To keep one another’s body and soul pure for a lifetime is as sacred as the church’s devotion to Christ. To honor marriage is to live already in a paradise on earth. Outside this paradise, true happiness cannot be found.
요즈음 많은 가정들이 이혼을 마치 성인식과도 같이 보통의 일로 겪는 것을 보게 됩니다. 실로 안타깝기 그지없습니다. 부부의 이혼으 로 가장 피해를 보는 것은 아내나 남편 중 어느 한 쪽이 아니고, 죄 없는 아이들이 정신적인 손해와 피해를 감당케 됩니다. 또한 천진하던 아이들을 이중적인 성격 소유자로 만들며, 참지 못하고 어려움을 극복해 내기 어렵게 합니다
한동안 영국의 찰스 황태자 부부의 이혼으로 온 세계가 떠들썩하여 그들을 아끼고 사랑하는 이들은 안타까움을 금치 못하였습니다. 온 세인들의 축복과 부러움 속에 최고의 영화와 권세를 누리는 이들의 결혼에 사람들은 누구나 설레며 한번쯤은 부러워했을 황태자 부부였으나, 그들의 이혼과 갖가지의 추문은 그들에게 가졌던 부러움과 사량 존경만큼이나 큰 실망과 아픔을 갖게 했습니다. 참으로 영국 왕실이 갖고 있는 부와 명예가 결코 부럽지 않다는 생각이 들었습니다.
또한 요근래에 발표된 남아프리카 공화국의 넬슨 만델라 부부의 이흔 소송 또한 충격이 아닐 수 없습니다. 27년간의 수감생활 속에 부부가 떨어져 있다가 만났을 때의 기쁨과 감격을 누리며, 남은 여생을 누구보다도 행복하게 살 줄 알았던 77세 된 만델라 대통령의 이혼 소송은 또 한번 세계인들을 안타깝게 하였습니다. 만델라 대통령은 “전 우주가 나에게 부인과 화해하라고 해도 나는 그럴 수 없다.”라며 형식적인 결혼을 벗어버리게 되었습니다.
작년만 해도 결혼한 지 35년간의 충실한 남편의 역할 속에, 자기를 내조해 준 부인을 국구 칭찬하던 테너 가속 루치아노 파바로티의 급작스런 이혼 소식은 모든 사람들을 실망시켰습니다. 35년을 믿음과 사랑, 신뢰 속에 쌓아왔던 가정이 하루아침에 와해되어 주저앉는 모습은 우리 모두의 아픔이 됩니다.
저는 목사관을 통해 부부의 문제를 해결하기 위하여 이혼을 해야 되겠다는 이들을 많이 만났었습니다. 성격차, 배우자의 부정, 경제적인 타결 모색, 자녀문제 해결을 위해 이혼이 마치도 모든 인생문제의 해답이라도 되는 것처럼, 그 길을 택하기를 원합니다. 하물며, 어머니가 딸에게 이혼을 강요하는 모습을 보기도 했습니다. 그들은 말하기를 “그까짓것 다 청산하고 깨끗하게 다른 사람과 다시 시작하면 오히려 낫지 않아?” 하는 분도 만났습니다. 그러나 세상 일이 그렇게 간단치는 않은 것 같습니다. 이혼한 부부의 100이면 100 사람이, 이혼한 후 3 개월이 지나면 후회합니다. 문제가 해결된 것이 아니라 오히려 더 큰 문제로 고민하며 아파하는 많은 경우를 보았습니다.
경제적으로 정신적으로 고통과 피해를 주는 이혼을 원하는 사람은 이 땅에 한 사람도 없을 것입니다. 누구나 가정을 아름답게 꾸미기를 원하고 자녀들이 불행해지기를 원치 않습니다. 그럼에도 불구하고 세월이 갈수록 이혼이라는 위기 앞에 서있는 가정들이 늘어만 갑니다. 그것은 결혼의 신성을 잊어가고 있기 때문이 아닌가 생각해 봅니다. 내가 좋아하기 때문에 무엇을 희생하더라도 양보할 수 없고, 내가 싫어하기 때문에 끝장내어야겠다는 생각은 나의 삶을 파멸로 인도하는 지름길입니다. 또한 그 지울 수 없는 상혼들을 자녀들에게 대대로 남기게 됩니다. 이혼은 동경할 일점의 가치도 없는 것입니다.
“모든 사람은 혼인을 귀히 여기고 침소를 더럽히지 않게하라 음행하는 자들과 간음하는 자들을 하나님이 심판하시리라 (히 13: 4)
“각각 거룩함과 존귀함으로 자기의 아내 취할 줄을 알고 하나님을 모르는 이방인과 같이 색욕을 좇지 말고 (살전 4: 4~5).
우리는 많은 것을 위해 기도합니다. 그러나 결혼의 신성을 위해 얼마나 노력하고 기도하는지… … 사랑하는 남편과 아내의 영혼을 위해 하나님 앞에 기도하는 시간을 갖는 이들에겐 불륜이 끼어 들어올 수 없습니다. 성격 차이와 경제적인 난관도 두 사람의 사랑 속에 끝내 극복하는 아름다움을 봅니다. 특히 자녀들의 배우자들을 위해 기도하는 것을 잊어선 안되겠습니다.
우리 교회의 젊은 아버지 한 분은, 세 아이들이 이제 겨우 초등학교에 들어가는 연령임에도 불구하고 그들의 배우자들을 위해 간절히 기도하시는 분이었습니다. 배우자의 선택을 위해 이토록 오랜 세월을 두고 기도하는 이유는, 결혼을 통해 부모의 믿음과 신앙 밖의 울타리로 옮겨질지라도 거기엔 하나님의 강한 손길이 틀림없이 보장되어 있기 때문입니다.
저는 행복한 가정을 이루고 사는 찰스 황태자 부부와 만벨라 대통령 부부와 테너 가수 루치아노 파바로티를 잠시 그려봅니다. 서로의 영혼과 육신을 정결하게 평생 지키는 일은 그리스도를 향한 교회의 역할만큼이나 중요한 일입니다. 혼인을 귀히 여김은 이미 지상천국의 낙원에 사는 것이며, 이 낙원을 떠나서는 그 어디서고 행복을 찾을 수 없습니다.
Lord, thank You for opening my eyes again today. Thank You for the gift of breath— already enough to begin this day.
Teach me, in every moment, that even after my final breath, the world will continue within Your hands. So let Your peace remain in my soul even now.
As I slowly stretch my body stiff from the night, through fifteen minutes of grateful breathing, lead my body and spirit from darkness back into light.
Let me receive my wife’s morning song as a gentle gift. Tune my ears to the soft sounds flowing through our home. And in the colors quietly awakening upon her canvas, let me behold Your creation.
As we share a simple breakfast, seated face to face, let me know Your love, already full even within our silent stillness.
As each of us steps gently into each own space You grant, into our own unhurried time, where time loosens its grip, let us discover the image of God within ourselves.
Not for ambition or desire, but for humility, love, and meaning, let me live this day.
Grant my thoughts wings— to cross the quiet heavens, to return as Your word and as poetry.
All day long, as fresh air passes through open windows, as sweat and soil become flowing melodies, let my labor lead me to meet You.
Every holy Sunday, let my voice join humbly the church choir where none are judged, and become a prayer of praise.
Lord, I know that all these things are neither achievements nor possessions, but simply Your gifts.
Therefore, in this quiet life, let me live as a grateful person.
After the spring‑bearing rains have fallen three or four times, the lawns in front and behind the house burst forth in deep green light and fragrance, singing a full-throated hymn of joy. Watching the tender faces—hidden all winter—rise day by day on the sap-filled branches, my heart begins to stir with a needless but pleasant urgency.
No matter how busy and breathless life in the parsonage becomes throughout the year, cultivating a small garden in spring—growing vegetables and tending flowers—is one annual ritual I cannot give up. The quiet covenant with nature, that things grow as they are sown and yield as they are planted, brings me immeasurable joy and a deep spiritual rest. This year, as I pondered what to plant around the new parsonage, I decided to choose not annual flowers but climbing roses and grapevines—plants that, once rooted, bloom again each year. I ordered the seedlings, and within a few weeks the package arrived.
With excitement, I tore open the wrapping and imagined red, yellow, and white climbing roses intertwined, covering the parsonage walls. Their rich fragrance seemed already to drift through the windows, and I found myself humming. Then, as I carried the rough and rather scrawny grapevine seedlings, I pictured the heavy clusters of grapes that would one day fill my hands, and my heart swelled with a sense of abundance that made even King Solomon’s garden seem no envy at all.
Turning the soil once a year is a cheerful task. When I press my foot down and thrust the shovel deep, flipping the earth over, I feel both pity and apology for the pink earthworms—startled from their late-morning slumber—wriggling in panic. And not only the worms. Tiny microorganisms, whose names I do not know, dash toward the dimness in shock at the sudden flood of brilliant sunlight. Watching these small creatures, each surviving in the soil, I glimpse the tender hand of God who cares for and oversees every living thing. God’s promise through the soil never fails. Even without the scientists’ claim that a single seed can hold life for over ten thousand years, the mystery of the life God has hidden in the earth already overflows in the mountains and fields like a cup of blessing.
For years I planted annual flowers and vegetables around the parsonage. Yet until last year, I never harvested blossoms beautiful enough to satisfy, nor fruits worthy of delight. Though I tended them with care, the flowers were barely enough not to feel embarrassed, and the vegetables—pumpkins with only leaves and no fruit, or tomatoes that ripened too late and remained green, stiff, and bitter—often left me disappointed after a whole spring and summer of watering. I would mutter to myself, “This soil is too rough! It’s barren, with no nourishment at all—how could it bear fruit?”
One day, while speaking with a church member known as having a “green thumb,” I learned the secret. Her home was always overflowing with fresh vegetables and beautiful flowers, and neighbors often received gifts from her garden in summer. She told me that when autumn comes, she already plans what to plant and where for the next year, and orders the seeds in advance. Then, for soil exhausted by summer’s growth, she buys compost in early winter, mixes it thoroughly into the earth, and lets it rest all winter long. When spring arrives, she distinguishes between plants that need full sunlight and those that thrive without it, planting each in the right place. With regular watering and proper fertilizer, she said, they grow without much difficulty.
How often have we, claiming to believe in the Lord, labored in vain—sweating over fruitless tasks and flowerless efforts—because we lacked the Word and prayer? What harvest can we expect when we plant this and that in the desolate garden of our lives, hoping for abundance on a starving soul? Each day, countless calls and meetings push us into a flood of words. Yet how often do we share true words—words that are necessary, words that bless?
This year again, spring has come to us wrapped in its strange mystery. Those who stayed indoors now long to walk under the warm sunlight. In every heart rises a renewed passion to love. Beneath the drooping willow branches, one feels the urge to gaze across the wide fields and sing a song of love.
As this spring announces the birth of new life across the world, I wonder how many springs remain in my own life. Counting them on my fingers, I pause amid my busy days to look back at the “garden of my life.” And just as one digs into the soil to uncover hidden mysteries and treasures of life, I resolve this spring to uncover the mystery of God still sleeping within me. And so, waiting for the most beautiful and abundant blossom my life may yet bear, I begin again to cultivate spring.
봄을 싣고온 비가 서너차례 뿌려진 후, 집 앞뒤의 잔디밭은 진초록 빛과 향취를 마음껏 토해내며 환희의 찬가를 부른다. 물오른 가지마다 겨울내 숨기고 있었던 그 보송보송한 얼굴들이 하루가 다르게 들어 올리는 모습을 바라보며 마음이 괜시리 바빠지기 시작하였다.
한 해의 목사관 생활이 아무리 바쁘고 눈코뜰새 없어도 봄이면 작은 터밭을 일구어 채소를 가꾸고 꽃들을 키우는 일은 내게있어 빠트릴 수 없는 년중 행사의 하나이다. 뿌린대로 자라고 심은대로 거둬들이는 자연과의 묵계는 내게 무한한 기쁨과 정신적인 쉬임을 갖게한다. 올해는 새 목사관 주변에 무엇을 심을까 궁리하던 중, 일년생 화초보다는 한번 심어두면 해마다 피어나는 넝쿨 장미와 포도나무를 심기로 작정하여 묘목을 주문하였더니, 몇주만에 소포가 도착하였다. 흥분한 마음으로 도착한 포장지를 뜯으며, 빨강색과 노랑색 흰색의 넝쿨장미가 어우러져 목사관을 덮은 모습을 상상한다. 그 진한 향기가 어느새 창문을 넘나드는 것 만 같아 콧노래가 흘러 나왔다. 그리고, 모양새가 거칠고 왜소해 보이는 포도나무 묘목을 옮기며 주렁주렁 열려질 탐스러운 포도송이들이 어느새 두손으로 움켜쥘 것 만 같아 솔로몬 왕의 정원이 부럽지가 않은 부유한 마음 으로 가득찬다.
일년에 한번 흙을 일구는 일은 경쾌한 일이다. 발에 힘을 주어 힘껏 삽질을 한 후 흙을 뒤엎을 때면, 늦잠을 즐기던 분홍색 지렁이들의 혼비백산한 꿈틀거림은 안스럽기도하고 미안하기도 하다. 지렁이 뿐 만이 아니다. 이름을 알 수 없는 작은 미생물들이 갑짜기 쏟아지는 눈부신 햇살에 놀라 칙칙한 어둠을 향해 질주하는 모습들을 볼땐 흙속에 생존하며 살아가고 있는 생물체 하나하나까지도 돌보시며 관리하시는 하나님의 자상하신 손길을 엿보게 된다. 흙을 통한 하나님의 미래의 약속은 언제나 틀림없다. 한알의 씨앗의 생명체가 일만년 이상을 간다는 과학자들의 증거가 아니더라도 흙속에 묻어두신 생명체의 신비는 산천초목에 축복의 잔으로 이미 넘쳐 흐르고 있다.
그동안 수년간을 일년생 꽃들과 채소들을 목사관 주변에 심어 보기도 했다. 그러나, 작년까지는 만족할 만큼 아름다운 꽃송이를 피운다거나, 탐스러운 열매들을 거두지를 못했다. 정성을 기울여 돌보았어도 겨우 미안하지 않을 정도의 연약한 꽃송이들과 열매 없이 잎파리만 무성하다만 호박이나, 뒤늦게 연 익지않은 토마토의 시퍼렇고 뻣뻣한 떯은 맛들은 봄부터 여름내내 정성을 기울여 물을 주던 나에게 적잖은 실망을 주곤하였다. 그리곤 혼잣말로 늘, ‘이 땅은 거친 땅이야! 전혀 거름기라곤 없는 척박한 땅이니 열매가 있을수 없지!’ 하며 실망했다. 어느날, 교인 가운데 “초록의 엄지 손가락”이란 별명이 붙은 분과 대화를 나누다가 그 분에게서 비법을 배웠다. 그 분의 집에는 늘 싱싱한 채소와 아름다운 꽃들이 무성하여 이웃들도 여름이면 그분의 밭에서 자란 채소들과 꽃들을 한번쯤은 선물 받기가 일쑤였다. 그분의 말씀은 가을이되면 이미 내년엔 무엇을 어디에 심을지 미리 구상을 하여 씨들을 주문한단다. 그리고 여름내내 영양분을 빼앗긴 땅을 위해, 초겨울에 퇴비를
사다가 골고루 흙과 섞어 뿌린다음 겨울내내 충분히 쉬게 한다는 것이었다. 그리고 봄이 오면 햇볕이 많이 필요한 식물들과, 햇볕이 종일 내려쬐지 않아도 잘자라는 식물들을 구분하여 그 땅에 심어 주고 정기적으로 물과 비료를 충분히 주면 별 어려움없이 잘자란다는 것이었다.
우리는 주님을 믿노라면서 말씀과 기도가 없어, 거두지 못할 열매들과 꽃피우지 못할 일들을 위해 얼마나 많은 헛수고와 땀을 흘리었던가? 황폐한 내 삶의 정원에 이것저것 심고, 굶주린 심령 위에 풍요를 기대한들 무엇을 거둘 수 있으리요? 하루에도 수 많은 전화와 만남은 우리를 언어의 홍수속으로 밀어넣는다. 그러나, 진정한 언어와 서로간에 진정 꼭 필요한 말들과 축복의 말은 얼마나 나누며 살아가고 있는가?
올해도 봄은 이상한 신비를 담고 우리를 찾아 주었다. 집안에 만 있던 사람은 따스한 햇볕 아래 걷기를 원한다. 사람마다 사랑하고픈 뜨거운 열정이 솟는다. 축축 늘어진 버드나무 아래서 넓은 들판을 바라보며 사랑의 노래를 불러보고 싶어한다. 온 누리에 새 생명의 출발을 알리는 이 봄, 나의 인생의 봄은 몇번 남아 있을까? 손꼽아 세어보며 분주한 일상에서 나의 “삶의 터밭”을 돌아본다. 그리고 흙속에 숨어 있는 생명의 신비와 보화를 캐듯, 내속에 숨어 아직도 겨울 잠을 자고 있는, 하나님의 신비를 이 봄엔 캐어 내리라. 그리고, 이 봄에 내 생에 가장 아름답고 탐스러운 그 한송이의 꽃을 기다리며 봄을 일구어 본다.
“Please forgive the small amount… I send this offering with the hope that it may help in some way. I pray that God’s great grace and blessing will restore Rev. Jang’s health, and that joy may fill his family, bringing glory to God.” — An anonymous believer in New York
“We were saddened to hear the news of Rev. Jang’s condition. We pray for the Lord’s healing work to be upon him.” — Korean American Presbyterian Church in the USA
“Thank you for giving your precious time and effort to help Rev. Jang. Your care and devotion will surely be a source of strength to him and his family.” — Northern Illinois Conference
“We pray that the healing gifts of Jesus Christ will rest upon Rev. Jang.” — General Board of Higher Education and Ministry
“When Rev. Jang was suffering, we prayed that God would lessen his pain, and if possible, grant the miracle of recovery. With this small offering, our family continues to remember him in prayer.” — Rev. H.
Last December, a request for prayer and support for Rev. Jae‑Sik Jang—who had been diagnosed with leukemia—was sent to United Methodist churches across the United States by the Korean Caucus of the New York Annual Conference. Though many had never met him or even heard his name, the news of a young pastor’s struggle stirred hearts across the country. Love poured in like a flood—letters, offerings, and prayers from every direction. Through this outpouring, we were reminded that we are indeed one body in Christ, and that the world is still a profoundly beautiful place.
Rev. Jang’s leukemia was discovered the previous summer. Normally healthy and full of energy, he visited a clinic for what seemed like a lingering cold—only to receive the devastating diagnosis. He was immediately admitted to Yale University Hospital in New Haven, Connecticut.
When the Korean Caucus of the New York Conference first heard the news, many pastors were unfamiliar with his name. Rev. Jang was a full member of the Alabama Conference, serving a mission church under the Northeastern Jurisdiction. Yet the shared conviction that pastors must care for pastors quickly united the group. At the November meeting, the caucus decided to organize a benefit concert to help cover medical expenses, especially since his insurance was set to expire in October 1999.
Finding musicians on short notice was not easy. But Rev. Jae‑Sook Lee—who had been ordained as a Permanent Deacon earlier that year—immediately volunteered. Before entering ministry, she had been an opera singer, a graduate of the Boston Conservatory, a choral conductor, soloist, and prima donna. Honoring her father’s dying wish, she had chosen the path of ministry, and she understood suffering and calling more deeply than most. Out of gratitude to God for calling her into ministry, she offered to perform at the benefit concert at her own expense. As a soloist, she poured herself into the event—singing, organizing, and tirelessly gathering support—deeply moving all who attended.
On that cold winter evening, church members and pastors from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and beyond gathered with one hope: the healing of a young pastor. Their prayers warmed the night. Through letters and offerings from churches large and small across the nation, nearly $35,000 was raised—an extraordinary expression of love.
But who can delay the call of God? Just two days after the benefit concert, on December 14, Rev. Jae‑Sik Jang answered the Lord’s call and departed this world at the age of forty.
Who was Rev. Jang?
According to The Centennial History of Korean United Methodist Churches in America, Vol. 3, he was born on September 25, 1959, in a Christian family in Daegu. He received probationary membership in the Tennessee Conference in 1991. He came to the United States in 1987 and is survived by his wife, Jung‑Mi Park, and their daughter, I‑Rang (age 10). He graduated from Yonsei University (B.Th., 1986), Vanderbilt Divinity School (M.Div., 1990), and Harvard Divinity School (STM, 1995–1997). His ministry included service at Nashville Korean Church (1987–1990), Birmingham Korean UMC in Alabama (1990–1991), and from 1991 until his passing, Grace Korean UMC. He also served the North American Christian Scholars Association as general secretary, treasurer, and clerk. His ministry philosophy was “faith working through love” (Gal. 5:6), and he had a deep interest in contextual and comparative theology. His dream for ministry in the new millennium was to develop a “cultural ministry” rooted in Korean heritage and local sensibilities. His writings include What Did You Go Out into the Wilderness to See? (Meditations on Matthew) and The Sea of Galilee.
Those who knew him describe him as a pastor of rare purity and sincerity. Fairfield, Connecticut—an hour from New York City—had very few Koreans, and Sunday worship drew about twenty‑five adults. Yet Rev. Jang served his small flock with the devotion of a shepherd caring for a hundred. He invested deeply in education, service, and mission training, faithfully following the theology and spirit of John Wesley. He especially encouraged women’s ministry, sending members to mission schools and leadership trainings, believing that women’s leadership would help heal a broken world. His life reflected the life of Jesus—quiet, humble, and steadfast. Truly, he was a great shepherd of a small flock, leaving a lasting imprint on the hearts of those he served. In a world full of leaders, he showed what true leadership looks like.
All the love and support gathered from churches across denominations was delivered to his wife, Jung‑Mi Park, and their daughter, I‑Rang. To the New York Conference and to every church, pastor, and believer who opened their hearts in prayer and generosity, we offer our deepest gratitude. The pure and beautiful life of this young pastor—who answered God’s call with sincerity and faithfulness—will echo in our hearts for a long time.
— Rev. Tae‑Hun Yoon, January 16, 2000, President, Korean Caucus of the New York Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church
You must be logged in to post a comment.