마지막 라운드(Last Round)

12월 첫 주일입니다. 우리는 이미 11개월을 살았습니다. 그리고 마지막 12월을 살고 있습니다. 권투로 치면 마지막 한 라운드를 싸우고 있는 것입니다. 마라톤으로 치면 마지막 한 바퀴를 남기고 있는 것입니다. 올 한해를 시작하며 모두가 올 해를 잘 마치고 다음 해를 소망으로 맞이하길 원했을 것입니다. 그러나 수많은 이들이 중도에 생을 마감했습니다. 질병, 사고, 재해로 인해 죽고 올 해의 끝에 이르지 못했습니다. 스스로 목숨을 포기한 분들도 오늘을 맞이하지 못했습니다. 그러나 우리는 모두 12월 첫 번째 주일 예배를 드리고 있습니다. 밀려서 왔든 달려서 왔든 걸어서 왔든 우리는 더 빨리 갈 수도 없고 다같이 12월 4일을 살고 있을 뿐입니다. 이것은 하나님의 은혜입니다. 어떠하든 지금까지 오신 것은 잘 하신 것입니다. 여러 어려움을 겪으며 실망과 좌절도 있었을 것입니다. 포기하고 싶은 유혹도 있었을 것입니다. 기쁜 순간도 있었을 것입니다. 소원하는 것을 이루신 것도 있었을 것입니다. 반면에 하고 싶은 일을 하지 못한 것도 있었을 것입니다. 후회되는 일도 있었을 것입니다. 하지만 이 모두는 과거가 되었습니다. 인생이란 큰 그림의 일부가 되어 조화를 이룹니다. 여러분이 현재에 이른 것은 장한 일입니다. 여러분 모두에게 격려의 박수를 드리고 싶습니다. 그런데 아직은 마지막이 아닙니다. 우리는 여전히 한 라운드를 남겨두고 있습니다. 어쩌면 여러분은 지금쯤 숨을 헐떡이고 있을 것입니다. 마지막 라운드 싸움을 못할 것 같은 느낌이 있을지도 모릅니다. 영적으로 신체적으로 지쳐 있기 때문일 것입니다. 이러한 피로감에도 우리는 싸우며 달려가야 합니다. 학생들은 학기말 시험을 마쳐야 합니다. 사업가나 회사원들도 맡겨진 일을 마쳐야 합니다. 교회도 한 해를 결산하고 다음 해를 예산해야 합니다. 어떻게 마지막을 잘 달려 갈 수 있을까요? 답은 절기들의 의미를 기리고 하나님의 은혜로 영혼을 재충전하는 것입니다. 주님은 이미 우리에게 감사절을 지키게 하셨습니다. 한 해를 돌아보며 주님께 감사로 예배하였습니다. 영적, 신체적 재충전의 시간이었습니다. 이제 우리는 우리 구주 예수님의 탄생을 즐거워하는 성탄절을 바라봅니다. 구주의 탄생은 죄로 어둔 세상에 소망의 빛입니다. 우리와 같은 죄인을 구원하기 위하여 오신 주님을 환영하며 예배하는 것은 우리 영혼에 큰 기쁨입니다. 우리는 바로 이러한 기쁨으로 마지막을 달려가야 합니다. 주님 탄생의 의미를 기리고 기뻐하는 마음이 영혼의 지침을 이기게 합니다. 주님은 연말에 있는 우리의 지침을 아시고 감사절과 성탄절을 허락해 주셨습니다. 또한 신년을 예비해 주십니다. 그 날을 바라보며 주님 안에서 소망을 발견합니다. 이러한 절기들은 우리로 영적, 신체적 시간 안배를 하고 달려가게 합니다. 이것들은 우리의 신체와 영혼의 사이클을 아시는 주님의 배려입니다. 마지막 라운드에 진입한 여러분에게 주님 탄생의 기쁨이 힘이 되시길 기원합니다. 

This is the first Lord of December. We have already spent the eleven months of the year. We are living for the last month of December. If it were a boxing match, we would be fighting in the last round. If it were a marathon race, we would be left with the last one round to finish. All of us, when we started off this year, would wish to finish this year well and welcome the next year with hope. But a great number of people had to face the end of their lives on the way. Diseases, accidents, or disasters claimed their lives; so they were unable to have come thus far. Those who took their own lives weren’t able to see this day.  But all of us are worshiping God on this first Lord’s Day of December. No matter how we have reached this day, whether we may have been forced to come, or have run, or have walked, we can’t go faster but all of us are simply living this day, December 4. This is all God’s grace. No matter how we have come this far, we have done well to come this far. We may have encountered difficulties and suffered disappointments and frustrations. We may have faced the times of temptation to give up. We may have had moments of joy. We may have accomplished our wishes. On the contrary, we may not have done what we desired. We may have done things regrettable. But all this has become part of the past. Being a part of the big picture called “life,” all this form a harmony with the rest. You have done well in that you have come this far. I would like to give a round of applause to all of you. But you have not finished everything yet. You have the last one round to finish. Maybe, you may be feeling out of breath. You may feel as if you couldn’t fight for the last round. It is because you may be spiritually and physically tired. In spite of such a tiredness, however, you must fight and run. The students should finish their final exams. Business owners or office workers should finish their tasks. Our church should settle accounts at the end of this year and make a budget for the next year. How should we race the final round well? The answer is that we should remember the meanings of holidays and refresh our souls with God’s grace. The Lord already made us celebrate Thanksgiving. Looking back over the year, we worshiped God with gratitude. It was a time of spiritual and physical recharging. Now, we anticipate the Christmas holiday in which we rejoice in the birth of our Savior Jesus. The birth of a Savior is the light of hope to a sin-darkened world. It is a great joy for us to welcome and worship the Lord who came to save sinners like us. We must run the final round with such a joy. Recalling the significance of the Lord’s birth and rejoicing in Him would give us strength to overcome our spiritual tiredness. Knowing our tiredness at the end of the year, the Lord has granted us Thanksgiving and Christmas. Also, He prepares a new year for us. As we look forward to it, we find a hope in the Lord. These holidays are helpful for us to run according to our spiritual and physical pace. They are an indication of the care of the Lord who knows the cycles of our body and soul. It is my prayer that all of you, who have entered the last round, would find strength in the joy of the Lord’s birth.