Apr 3-4, 2021
From the Pastor’s Desk: Rev. Simon Lee

Dear brothers and sisters of RCAC,

First, happy Easter to you all. Easter is the most important day in our Church year when we remember and celebrate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour. The world celebrate Christmas, but we celebrate Easter above all. May this Easter be another new beginning for us all because Christ has risen, He has risen indeed.

The Coronavirus pandemic is still very much with us, and with a new strain of the virus and the number of confirmed new cases still over 900 daily, we are still very much in the pandemic and still deeply affected in our daily lives. This even though vaccination has started. We have been on a rollercoaster in the past year, as we began well with the lowest infection numbers in BC and just as we thought we were getting out of this pandemic at the beginning of the fall, we saw the rise in the curve and now when other provinces have started to get things under control, our number of cases tested positive for the virus is among the highest in Canada. We shall keep being vigilant and cautious in our own reopening and back to church schedule. We know that God is still in control because Christ has conquered death and gives us hope in His resurrection.

On a family level, the COVID hit closer to home when my own daughter Sarah was tested positive for Coronavirus after she was taken ill with many of the symptoms and had to go into quarantine for 14 days. The same quarantine had to be taken by my son-in-law Vernon and grandson, Elliott. Because Lydia was in close contact with Sarah, she had to be quarantined as well, which of course means that I too was affected and spent 14 days separated from her with her inside own room! To me that was what I was forced to give up during Lent. 14 days was like 40 days. It was nevertheless a good discipline. Eventually we all got through it. Praise be to God for His mercy and healing. We now treasure each and every day we have even more, knowing that each day is a gift from God.

These days I have been thinking about life and death a lot. A few days ago, we participated online in the first anniversary of the passing of Rev. Nick Tsang in a Celebration of Life. Nick was a dear friend of ours who gave up his prosperous business, in his words, to be engaged in the even bigger enterprise of God’s heavenly business. He was an energetic tireless servant of God and a mission pioneer, faithful to the end. Not long ago we also bade farewell to two of my esteemed teachers from Regent, Dr. JI Packer, Dr. Ward Gasque (also our colleague). I am privileged to have them as my teachers over 40 years ago. Another, my own most respected Regent classmate, Rev. Dr. Philip Yeung, who served together with me in the field of theological education in Hong Kong for 18 years also succumbed to pancreatic cancer, just like Nick. Another university mate from UM we had was Dr. Cynthia Chan (陳兆儀醫生), a brilliant family physician who served her patients and the Lord faithfully, also died of cancer. Nick, Phillip and Cynthia were all my peers, and they have all have finished the race set for them. There are many others faithful senior servants of God who had finished their journey, including Rev. Dr. Hay Chun Maak and Rev. Dr. Cyrus Lam, who were all my models in ministry.

Our latest loss, early this month, is in Rev. Matthew Wong, our dear colleague who definitely deserved to be called by God “a good and faithful servant.” It has been the privilege of Lydia and I to have known Matthew and Stella for over 45 years since our days in Winnipeg Chinese Alliance Church, where we served together in the Sunday school. When Matthew retired from the ministry several years ago (after many years in the business world), he never stopped to serve the Lord and was active serving locally in establishing new churches and also in short term missions, especially in helping the young Alliance Churches in KL, Malaysia. When we were without a pastor to take charge of the Putonghua ministries at RCAC, I phoned him to get him to help us on an interim basis. He agreed immediately with the one condition, that he could still visit and serve in Malaysia every year in the fall and the Spring. The success we have in this ministry owe a lot to his leadership and support. About a year ago, after his last trip to Malaysia, he was taken ill and later diagnosed to have pancreatic cancer. We shall miss him dearly. What impresses me most is that throughout his illness, he was always so encouraging to us, and he truly believed in prayer, and was totally submissive to the will of our Lord regarding the final outcome of his illness. In the end, he taught us to see heaven as God’s Paradise as he himself marched towards this eternal home. At the burial with only the family present, Stella mentioned how the burial site was a most profitable investment Matthew made many years ago, and to me it is so symbolic of Matthew’s life which was invested in eternity.

A hymn that Pastor Matthew loved was “Precious Lord, Take My Hand” and it was sung by the family at the burial. The words are so precious”:

Precious Lord, take my hand
Lead me on, let me stand
I’m tired, I’m weak, I’m lone
Through the storm, through the night
Lead me on to the light
Take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home.

What a lovely hymn that came from the heart of our dear colleague, Matthew. Indeed, he is now home, led there by the hand of our precious Lord, even though he was tired and weak, he was led through the storm and through the night, to God’s eternal light.

Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.”
Yes, this we believe and therefore we have hope, because Christ has risen, He has risen indeed.

Your servant in Christ
Rev. Simon Lee

Apr 3-4, 2021
李耀全牧師

列宣家親愛的弟兄姊妹：

首先謹在此祝賀各位復活節快樂！復活節是教會年度中最重要的日子，我們必須謹記並慶祝主耶穌基督我們救主的復活。聖誕節是普天同慶的日子，但於我們而言，慶祝復活節更是首要。願今年的復活節讓我們能開啟另一新頁，因為基督已經復活了，祂確實已復活！

冠狀病毒蔓延仍然與我們息息相關，並且呈現新的病毒變異，每天確診的新病例持續超過900宗，我們仍然處於病毒蔓延的威脅中，並在日常生活中受其深遠的影響，儘管我們已開始接種疫苗。在過去的一年內，我們一直處於過山車狀態中，正當我們認為本省的感染率保持下降，以為在秋季開始時就可擺脫這病毒的威脅，我們卻看到了感染率曲線的上升。正當其他省份病毒疫情開始受控制時，我們檢測出的病毒感染例數是加拿大各省最高之一。對於教會可否重新開放實體聚會的時間，我們仍在密切注意，並保持警覺和謹慎。我們深信神仍在掌管一切，因為基督已經戰勝了死亡，並帶給我們復活的盼望。

在家庭層面上，我一家也切身地體驗疫情的威力。由於大女Sarah因身體不適，其後在冠状病毒病檢測呈陽性時，她不得不隔離檢疫14天，女婿Vernon及外孫Elliott也同樣必須隔離。師母Lydia亦因曾與Sarah密切接觸而需要在主人房間內自我隔離，這也意味我也被隔離在家。對我來說，這是我在大齋節期間迫於與師母分離的體驗。這14天有如40天般漫長。可是，這是一個很好的操練。隔離終於完成了，讚美主的憐憫和醫治。現在，我們更珍惜每一天，因為知道每一天也是神的恩賜。

近期，我一直在思考生與死的事實。數日前，在網上參加了曾湛光牧師(Rev. Nick Tsang) 逝世一周年的生命禮讚追思會。曾湛光牧師是我們親愛的朋友，以他自己的話來形容，他放棄了蓬勃的生意，轉而投入天上的神更大事業之事奉。他是神的一位充滿活力、孜孜不倦的僕人，也是宣教的先驅，為主盡忠不遺餘力。不久前，我也告別了兩位來自維真神學院，我尊敬的老師巴刻博士(JI Packer)及Ward Gasque博士(也是同事)，我有榮幸於40多年前受教於他們的門下。另一位與我一起於香港並肩在神學教育領域事奉18年、我甚為景仰的維真同學楊錫鏘醫生牧師，也像曾湛光牧師一樣，被胰臟癌所奪去。還有一位我們過往在緬省大學的同學陳兆儀醫生(Dr. Cynthia Chan)，她是竭誠事主、盡心服務病者的出色家庭醫生，也死於癌症。曾湛光牧師、楊錫鏘醫生及陳兆儀醫生都與我同輩，他們都已完成了世上當跑的全程。還有許多主內前輩，神忠心的僕人也完成了他們的人生賽程，其中包括麥希真牧師和林安國牧師，他們都是我的事奉佳模。

在三月初，我們失去了親愛的同工王允志牧師，他絕對堪稱為主所稱讚的“良善忠心僕人”。自從我們在溫城華人宣道會一起在主日學事奉開始，我們與王牧師和王師母相識，已超過45年。能與他們認識是我和師母的榮幸。王牧師於數年前退休後(之前他曾於商界從業多年)，仍馬不停蹄地為主擺上，並積極在當地服務建立新教會和短期事奉，特別是幫助位於馬來西亞吉隆坡新成立的宣道堂會。在本會欠缺普通話會眾負責同工時，我打電話給他，請他在短期內幫助我們。他立即首肯，只是其中的附帶條件，就是每年秋季和春季他仍可前往馬來西亞事奉。我們在普通話事工上的進展，在很大程度上，實在是出於他的領導和支持。大約一年前，他和師母在最後一次完成馬來西亞之旅後，王牧師患病了，後來被確診罹患胰臟癌。我們實在極為想念他。令我印象深刻的是，他在整個疾病期間，也一直在鼓舞激勵著我們，他確切地相信祈禱，並且完全順服主容讓他患病的旨意。在最後，他教導我們將天堂視為神的樂園，因他本人已邁向這個永恆的天家。在只限於家人在場的安葬禮上，王師母提到了安葬的墓地是王牧師於多年前最賺錢的投資，然而對我來說，這是王牧師將生命投資於永恆的象徵。

一首王牧師很喜歡的詩歌是：“親愛主，牽我手”，是他的家人在安葬禮上一同頌唱的。歌詞是可等的珍貴：

Precious Lord, take my hand
Lead me on, let me stand
I’m tired, I’m weak, I’m lone
Through the storm, through the night
Lead me on to the light
Take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home.
親愛主，牽我手，建立我，領我走；
我疲倦，我軟弱，我苦愁；
經風暴，過黑夜，求領我，進光明；
親愛主，牽我手，到天庭。

以上是來自我們親愛的同工王牧師發自內心的動人詩詞。確實地，他現在已回到天家，在我們寶貴主的手拖帶下，儘管他疲倦又虛弱，且走過了風暴和黑夜，帶領他安穩到達了神那永恆之光。

耶穌說：“我就是復活和生命；信我的人，雖然死了，也要活著。”
是的，這就是我們所確信的，因著基督復活了，我們有盼望，祂確實復活了！

主僕,
李耀全牧師

Mar 13-14, 2021
From the Pastor’s Desk: Rev. Simon Lee

Dear brothers and sisters of RCAC,

Even as we human beings should be proud of the latest further exploration by the United States of Mars, one planet in the huge universe, we should marvel even more at all of God’s brilliant creation, created so long ago. Jesus is the Lord of time and space as we saw in “Crown Him the Lord of years” in our last article.

In the past 12 months I have been made painfully aware of the finiteness of our time on earth and of the brevity of human lives as several of my wonderful mentors, dear friends and colleagues are taken away to be with the Lord. They hit close to home because they either were Christian leaders that I admired or mentored me, or were personal friends that I have known for a long time, my contemporaries. They include faithful Senior veteran pastor, Rev. Dr. Hay Chyn Maak, my own brilliant classmate and fellow theological educator from Regent, Rev. Dr. Philip Yeung, former professor and teacher, Dr. J.I. Packer, dynamic missionary colleague, Rev. Nick Tsang, and our former co-worker (and teacher), Dr. Ward Gasque and others.  On March 5, our dear and respected co-worker, my long-time friend, Rev. Matthew Wong, after a year of battling cancer, marched victoriously into God’s paradise! First may God comfort and console Mrs. Stella Wong, their children Wendy and Pamela and their families. We will deeply miss our dear brother and pastor, but he has ceased his labour on earth and returned to the bosom of the Lord. May we carry on his dying wishes to build his Church especially the Putonghua ministries, and the mission work in Malaysia which he started.

With each of the passings of these personal models and good and faithful servants, I have been reminded of the Psalm of Moses to “number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom”:

For all our days pass away under your wrath; we bring our years to an end like a sigh.

The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty;

yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.

Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you?

So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. (Ps 90:9-12)

Yes, may the Lord teach us to number our days, so that we may get a heart of wisdom to live for Him and crown Him with many crowns.

To worship Christ as the Lord of years is to recognize that our lives, no matter how short or long, are totally in the hand of God. We should first ask not for longevity of life but rather ask for the wisdom to live, in ways that will fulfill God’s mission for us on earth, and in ways that will glorify God.

Similarly, in the New Testament, because we live in evil days, Paul also urges us to “make the best use of the time” according to the will of the Lord: He says, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the best use of the time (KJV, redeeming the time), because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish but understand what the will of the Lord is.” (Eph. 5:15-17) The same phrase is found in Colossians 4:5,6: “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. ⁶ Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” We therefore understand that for Paul in “making the best use of the time,” he has in mind having the wisdom in knowing how to communicate and relate to others, like ambassadors of Christ. The NIV translation uses the phrase “making the most of every opportunity,” that is, always ready, to be a living testimony for Christ in our daily lives.

Jesus taught His disciples the necessity of redeeming the time: “We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.” (John 9:4) Jesus was constantly conscious of His mission on earth and always have in mind when “the hour” will come to glorify God the Father, in a life of obedience by going to the cross to die for our sins.

There is a song “Live Like You Were Dying” by American country music artist Tim McGraw (2004). The song was written by Tim Nichols and Craig Wiseman based on stories of family and friends who learned of illnesses (cancers), and how their perspective of life change as a result. The story of the song is about a middle age man upon being told he had cancer and only had a short time to live, wanted to do all the fun things he missed. While the focus of the song is mainly on pursuing earthly fun things in the time we have left, the lyrics also make an important point with the concluding thought, as inspired after reading the Good Book (Bible):

“I finally read the Good Book, and I
Took a good, long, hard look
At what I’d do if I could do it all again…

Someday I hope you get the chance, to live like you were dying.”

Indeed, as Christians, we should live like we were dying and pursue all God has given us to do while we have time.  James reminds us that our earthly lives are like a fog that appears and then quickly evaporates. (James 4:1) Carpe diem, (Latin: “pluck the day” or “seize the day”) is a phrase used by the Roman poet Horace to express the idea that one should enjoy life while one can. But for us Christians, Carpe diem should mean rather that we live our life fully and give the best to the Master, for He is the Lord of years.

My thought goes back to my friend and UM university mate of 45 years and dear colleague at RCAC, Rev. Matthew Wong, came out of retirement, to serve as our Pastor of Putonghua Ministries while serving as a short-term missionary with his wife Stella to places like Panama and KL in Malaysia. He never missed a beat. In the past 12 months, even though he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, he continued to be an encouragement to all of us, on what he called “The march to God’s paradise.” He has now finished his race. May the examples of the Wongs encourage us all to be faithful and “Crown Him (Christ) the Lord of Years.” May we at RCAC “Crown Him (Christ) with many Crowns,” this year and beyond.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Simon Lee