Annunciation

Artist John Collier has a beautiful and contemporary version of Gabriel's visit to Mary that still pays tribute to the great renaissance painting of the same subject matter. He talks about it here.

A Korean Grace

Today was Joe's and my last Sunday at Grace and Peace Mennonite Church in Hongdae, Seoul. One of my biggest regrets about leaving Korea now is that we did not have an opportunity to visit there more often, or become better acquainted with those welcoming, generous, caring, peace-and-justice-seeking people. I am grateful that the Mennonite Church includes these brothers and sisters.

Every time Grace and Peace meets for worship, they celebrate Communion and every time they meet they eat a simple meal together that is also a communion. Both there and at the Korea Anabaptist Center, where staff take turns cooking for each other every day for lunch, we sing the same grace. (I took my turn too - I made my kind of Mennonite food; see here and here for more or less what I made) I thought I might bring it back to Seattle with me. Below it appears in Hangul (the Korean alphabet) and an English alphabet transliteration as well as a literal translation. I also took a stab at a more poetic English rendering.

Hangul
날마다 우리에게
양식을 주시는
은혜로 우신 하나님
참 감사합니다
아멘

English transliteration
namada oori aegae
yangshikeul jushineun
eunhyaero ooshin hananim
tcham kamsahamnida
amen

English more or less literal translation
Everyday, to us
giving food
gracious God
thank you very much
amen

My English version
The gift of daily bread
On this and each new day
You feed us thus, most gracious God.
In praise and thanks we pray.
Amen