April 1/2, 2023

From the Pastor’s Desk : Rev. Francis Chan

The Apostle John used 5 chapters to recount Jesus’ parting words to his beloved disciples in the upper room. Jesus said that he would leave them to go to a place where they could not go with him, and that he would be betrayed by a disciple and eventually killed. Although Jesus also said that he would leave to prepare a place for them, and that he would rise from the dead and come back for them, his disciples had failed to listen up and could not understand because their hearts were filled with worries, confusion, sorrow, and fear.

Jesus was not only their teacher, but also their family who had lived with them for three years. Jesus’ way of loving them meticulously, teaching them patiently, saving them mightily, and leading them authoritatively had become the most unforgettable and irreplaceable experience in their lives. Thanks to Jesus, they had received a renewed insight into their faith and the meaning and purposes of their lives. Jesus had become an integral part of their lives and the foundation of all their hopes for the future. When Jesus was about to depart, their reluctance, their trepidation, and their difficulty in accepting it were only natural.

In our lives, there are people who are very dear to us. They are an integral part of our lives. For example, our families, our relatives, our best friends, as well as our pastors who have enlightened us and brothers and sisters in the Lord who have walked with us in our journey of faith. When these people leave us for different reasons, it is as if a part of our life is leaving us. Our hearts have sunken into an abyss.

Jesus’ temporary departure was God’s will. In God’s time, Jesus will come again to welcome us into the new heavens and new earth to enjoy the presence of God and all the goodness and happiness that God has prepared for us. If the disciples could see Jesus’ departure from a heavenly perspective, they would understand that everything Jesus experienced on earth, from his birth to his death, was in God’s plan. Jesus’ life was to fulfill the mission God had given him.

The same goes for our lives. From the moment God called us to be his children, God’s wonderful plan for us had begun. Maybe we will stop here for a while and go there. Maybe sickness, death will temporarily separate us from our loved ones. If we can just see things from a heavenly perspective, willing to believe that God’s plan is good for us and his kingdom, we can accept such separation with peace amid our sorrow. As long as those who leave and those who stay are willing to follow God’s will and fulfill God’s mission faithfully, all temporary separations and departures in this life would be bearable in God’s love and mercy.

Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Francis Chan

2023.04.01/02

親愛的列宣家弟兄姊妹：

使徒約翰用了很長的篇幅去記述耶穌在樓房上對他所深愛的門徒作出的臨別贈言。耶穌說他要離開他們去一個他們現在不能同去的地方，又說他要被自己的門徒出賣，最終被人殺害。雖然耶穌也說自己離開是去為他們預備地方，也說自己會從死裏復活。但是，當門徒的心被徬徨、困惑、哀傷和恐懼所充滿，他們就聽不明白，也聽不進去。

耶穌不但是他們的老師，更是和他們一起生活了三年的親人。耶穌對他們無微不至的愛，循循善誘的教導，在危難中大能的拯救，在所有事上堅定的領導，都成為他們人生中最刻骨銘心，無可替代的經歷；也改變了他們對信仰，對生命，對人生意義的看法。耶穌就是他們生命中不可分割的部份，也是他們對將來一切期盼的基石。當耶穌要離開的時候，他們的依依不捨，他們的惶恐不安，他們的難以接受，都是很自然的。

在我們的生命中，也有一些對我們非常重要的人。他們是我們生命中不可分割的部份。例如我們最深愛的家人，最掛念的親人，最珍惜的朋友，還有在信仰路上啟迪我們，與我們同行的牧者和主內弟兄姊妹。當這些人因為不同原因要離開我們的時候，就好像我們生命的一部份要離開我們一樣。我們的心情就好像跌進了一個深淵。

耶穌的暫時離開是上帝的旨意。在上帝預定的時間，耶穌會再次降臨，迎接我們與他一同享受羔羊的婚宴，一同進入新天新地去享受上帝的同在和上帝為我們預備的一切美善和福樂。如果門徒可以從一個天國視野去看耶穌的離開，他們就會明白：耶穌在世上所經歷的一切，他的降生以至他的死亡，都是在上帝的計劃裏面。耶穌的一生，就是要完成上帝給他的使命。

我們的一生也是如此。從上帝呼召我們成為他的兒女那一刻開始，上帝在我們身上那美妙絕倫的計劃就要展開。也許我們會在這裏停留片刻，再往那裏去。也許疾病、死亡要將我們和我們的至愛暫時分開。如果我們都可以從一個天國視野去看事情，願意相信上帝的計劃是美善的，是為着我們和天國的好處而設立的，我們就可以在憂傷之餘，仍然帶着平安去接受。只要離開和留下的人都願意用心去領受上帝的旨意，忠心去完成上帝的使命，人世間的一切生離死別，在上帝的慈愛和憐憫裏面，都可以成為我們的祝福和安慰。

主僕,
陳榮基牧師

March 25/26, 2023

From the Pastor’s Desk – Rev. Mark Liu

Hello, brothers and sisters, thank God for giving me the opportunity to share with you some of my thoughts through this channel.

If I tell you that everyone will face suffering, I believe no one will disagree. Maybe you are in suffering right now. There are many kinds of suffering. First, we cannot and should not judge the suffering others are facing. Because at one level, this type of thinking is pride.

Regarding suffering, the Bible stresses more about how to get out of suffering rather than knowing why suffering happens. Job is a good example. It seems to the end, Job was not told about why sufferings happened to him.  He thought he deserved an answer but God did not give Job the answer.  God gives Job more: Himself.  In fact, when we think carefully, we will find that knowing the cause of suffering is not what we most want to know. Although, our instinctive reaction is to ask “why”. But, in all fairness, do we really want to know why? Or do we want to know the way out of suffering?

When Moses told the Israelites to obey God’s commandments, or they would face difficulties, the Israelites thought that they needed to maintain their relationship with God through a set of behaviors. But they did not know that behaviors are just the sign, and what is more important is the relationship with God. The first and second of the Ten Commandments speak of the importance of a relationship with God.

When we care about a relationship, our whole life will be changed because of this relationship. First, the cross of Jesus Christ enables us to restart our relationship with God that was broken by sin. By accepting salvation, we can re-establish our relationship with God. However, this is just the beginning. Many times we only stay at the beginning stage, but we do not cultivate the relationship with God. In the Bible, when it comes to the verb “cultivate”, it is often used in the present continuous tense. This means that we must persevere in building a relationship with God. This relationship is actually not equal, because we are not in the same position as God. God is the Creator and we are created by Him.

In John 17:1-26, Jesus Christ allows His disciples and us to hear His prayer up close and know His close relationship with His Father. This relationship with Heavenly Father helped Jesus faced suffering. If this is the case, we can also learn from this. When we care about our relationship with God, we will look at our lives from a higher perspective with a wider dimension. In Jesus’ prayer, He said all of these are to glorify God. Can suffering glorify God? Yes. The answer lies in our relationship with God. Are we willing to use our lives to glorify this God who loves us? Perhaps this is the crux of facing suffering.

May God bless you all.  May God bless RCAC.

His servant,
Rev. Mark Liu

2023.03.25/26

弟兄姊妹大家好，感謝神的恩典，讓我能夠在這裡透過文字和你們分享一些想法。

如果我告訴你，每一個人都會面對苦難，相信沒有人會有異議。可能你現在就是在苦難中。苦難有很多種。首先，我們沒有辦法，也不應該評斷別人的苦難。因為在某一個層面來說，這種評斷就是驕傲。

對於苦難，聖經用了不少的篇幅來告訴我們如何走出苦難，而不是知道為什麼苦難會發生在我們的身上。約伯就是一個很好的例子。其實，當我們細心思考時，就會發現，知道苦難的來由並不是我們最想知道的。雖然，我們的本能反應就是會問【為什麼】。但是，平心而論，我們真的想要知道為什麼嗎？還是我們想要知道能夠走出苦難的方法呢？

在舊約，當摩西告訴以色列人要遵守神的誡命，要不然就會面對困難的時候，以色列人以為是透過一堆的行為來維持與神的關係。卻不知道，行為其實只是表徵而已，更重要的就是與神的關係。十誡的第一和第二條就是講到與神的關係的重要性。

當我們在意一段關係的時候，整個人的生命都會因為這個關係而改變。首先，耶穌基督的十字架讓我們能夠與神重新開始因著罪而破裂的關係。接受了救恩，我們就可以與神重新建立關係。但是，這個只是開始。我們很多時候只停留在開始這個階段，卻沒有好好建立與神的關係。在聖經裡，當講到“建立”這個動詞的時候，往往都是用上現在進行式的。這個就代表了要持之以恆地與神建立關係。這個關係其實不是對等的，因為我們與神不是處在相同的位置上。神是創造主，我們是被造的。

在約翰福音17:1-26，耶穌基督讓門徒和我們能夠近距離聆聽祂的禱告，從而知道祂與天父的關係是如何密切。與天父的關係幫助耶穌面對苦難。如果是這樣的話，我們也可以開始學習。當我們在意與神的關係的時候，我們會在一個更高的角度，更寬的維度來看自己的生命。在耶穌的禱告中，祂說這一切都是榮耀神。苦難也可以榮耀神的嗎？可以的。答案就在與神的關係上。我們願意用生命來榮耀這一位愛我們的神嗎？可能這個就是面對苦難的癥結所在。

願神祝福你們。願神祝福列宣家。

主僕，
劉展權牧師

March 11/12, 2023

From the Pastor’s Desk: Rev.Jason Cheung

Dear brothers and sisters of RCAC,

There are two kinds of people you meet in life: those who love you, and those who use you.

Even parents can use their children. Unfulfilled dreams of our past can be burdened onto our children.  Inordinate pressure to be successful in certain vocations, for certain incomes, for certain lifestyles, for certain prestige.

Our supervisors at work may also, at the bottomline of things, be drawing the most productivity out of us.  Nothing wrong with this; efficiency and wise management can be a virtue of stewardship.  But, where is the line between good business and being a good human?

Using people to benefit you, ultimately, is image marring.  The Scriptures attest to God’s design and plan, that each person is created in his image (Genesis 1:27), and if the basic ethic woven in humans is love, then any type of using another is not only unloving, but also harmful.

The vision of the kingdom of God, that Jesus speaks of – and lived out – is essentially a reverberation of the core design of humans: to love God and to love one another.  Love.

Stamped deeper within than our DNA is a desire to be known, and to know the other.  Andy Crouch, in his book, The Life We’re Looking For, begins “Recognition is the first human quest.”  From every infant’s first breath they are searching for a face, to see and be seen.  Crouch writes, “They are looking for a face, and when they find one–especially a face that gazes back at them–they fix their eyes on it, having found what they were most urgently looking for.”

This ‘looking for a face,’ stays with us our entire lives, I believe, because it is part of our ‘image-of-God’ bearing nature.

This is a cornerstone reason why Christians gather together.

Some regard small groups or fellowships or bible studies as one of either social gatherings or for Chrisitian discipleship (or education).  This is true.  But, seeing only these categories assumes the Christian life is fragmented into the social or educational realms.  (We have these same categories for our children)

But, if we rigidly apply this same fragmented framework to discipleship we miss out, and miss out big.  Instead, we are made to face God and face one another – face to face.

At the heart of our faith is a relationship with the Holy, Almighty God – Yahweh, who reveals himself as the Triune God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  And as we learn more of who he is, and how he loves us, and how he created us – “made in his image” – we learn more of who we really are.

So, for those who argue, “I only need God, I don’t need the church (or to fellowship with others)” – not only is this view  theologically shallow, it will lead to a wafer-thin Christian life.

For those who say, “I only need people (brothers and sisters in Christ), and I don’t need to worship God” – the danger here is of idolizing human relationships (or at least, whatever benefits I gain from others).

These views are deficient because, first, both are bent to use the other (God and people) for their own purpose, and second, both neglect Jesus’ command that both loving God and loving others are the most important commandments in the kingdom of God.   Matthew 22:36-40 –

³⁶ “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Sisters and brothers, our church is not merely to be a place for gathering socially.  Neither is it a place only for transcendent worship, reaching into the mystery through Scripture and song.  Our church is for both – gazing into the face of our Lord Jesus, resplendent in glory and grace, and seeing one another, face-to-face, bearers of the image of God, basking in the love of God together.

May the Spirit grow this fruit in us, the fruit of love.

Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Jason Cheung

2023.03.11/12

親愛的列宣家弟兄姊妹：

人生裡你會遇到兩種人，一種是愛你的人，另一種是利用你的人。

甚至父母也會利用他們的孩子，他們從前未能實現的夢想，或會成為孩子的重擔。父母的期望使孩子為了在職業、收入、生活方式、名聲上取得成功，而構成龐大的壓力。

職場上的上司也一樣，他們要在各人身上汲取最高的生產力，這沒有錯。效率和明智的管理可以是管理的優點。但是，一盤成績卓越的業務和做一個善待他人的人的界線在哪裡？

利用他人為自己謀利益最終是在損害形象。聖經印證上帝的設計和計劃，每一個人都是按照神的形象被造的（創世記1:27），如果人類的基本道德是愛，那麼任何形式的利用他人不僅缺乏愛心，而且是有害。

上帝國度的異象是愛，愛上帝和彼此相愛，是神造人核心的設計，耶穌已闡明並彰顯在祂生命中。

深究我們人類的基因是渴望被認識並認識對方。安迪·克勞奇 (Andy Crouch) 在他的書《我們正在尋找的生活》(The Life We’re Looking For) 開始說：“認可是人類的首要探索” 從每個嬰兒的第一口呼吸開始，他們就在尋找一張臉孔，想要看到和被看到。克勞奇寫道，“他們正在尋找一張臉孔，當他們找到一張臉孔時－尤其是一張回望著他們的臉孔－他們會盯著他看，因為他們已經找到了他們最迫切想要尋找的東西。”

我相信，這種“尋找臉孔”會伴隨我們一生，因為它是我們擁有“上帝形象”的本性的一部分。這是基督徒聚集在一起的基石原因。

有些人將小組或團契或查考聖經視為社交聚會或基督徒訓練（或教育）之一，這是真確的。但是，只看到這些類別就假設基督徒的生活被分割成社交或教育領域（我們的孩子也有這些相同的類別），特別是如果將同樣的框架應用於門徒訓練，我們就錯過了許多。相反，我們被造是為了面對上帝和彼此面對，面對面。

我們信仰的中心是與聖潔全能的上帝耶和華的關係，祂將自己啟示為三位一體的上帝，聖父，聖子和聖靈。隨著我們更多的認識祂是誰，祂如何愛我們，以及祂如何創造我們－“按照他的形象創造”－我們會更多的了解我們到底是誰。

所以，對於那些爭辯 「我只需要上帝，我不需要教會（或與別人有團契生活）」的人來說－這種觀點不僅在神學上留於表面，而且會導致基督徒的生活變得淺薄。

對於那些「我只需要與人（主內的弟兄姊妹）一起，我不需要敬拜上帝」的人來說－這裡的危險是崇拜人際關係（或者至少，從別人身上得到的任何好處）。

這兩個觀點都有不完善的地方。首先，兩者都傾向於利用對方（上帝和人）來達到自己的目的，其次，兩者都忽視了耶穌的吩咐，即愛上帝和愛別人是上帝國度中最重要的誡命，馬太福音 22:36-40已經說明了。

弟兄姊妹，我們的教會不僅僅是一個社交聚會的場所。它也不僅僅是透過聖經和詩歌進入奧秘，超然敬拜的地方。我們的教會是為兩者而設的－注目在我們主耶穌的面容，在榮耀和恩典中熠熠生輝，並面對面地看到彼此擁有上帝的形象，一起沐浴在上帝的愛中。

主僕
張志成牧師