我們不灰心氣餒（1）：勿忘我們是在承擔聖靈的職事

2022.01.29/30
From the Pastor’s Desk: Rev. Jason Cheung

Dear brothers and sisters of RCAC,

Twitter, Instagram, Facebook – whatever social media we use, the media also chooses for us.  Algorithms fueled by our history present a future to us that is so much better than “our now.”  Whatever I like or whatever I dwell on, whatever quote I retweet, or photo I share, I’m not just expressing my preferences, but creating a forever-profile for corporations to target me with restaurant deals, goods and services.  And yet – knowing this – I still do what I do, and go ahead and like that Gif of a dog surprised by itself while walking by a mirror for the first time.  (I don’t regret this, of course)

Yes, we can carefully choose our content, but we’re also programmatically fed content.  And this is a very real possibility: We encounter only the things an algorithm has determined we will like and enjoy.  But what if there is so much more than what other people/computers say?

Now picture this:  A toddler having just learned to walk a few months ago, steps for the first time into a large uncut grassy field, brimming with dandelions and grasshoppers and baby butterflies.  And she is running, laughing, seeing fluttering canvases of colour through the gentle glare of the morning sun.  The child is elated, giggling and chasing every fresh beauty that meets her senses.  Her curiosity is awakened.  Her heart is erupting in joy, and she cannot yet even spell “joy.”

What can we learn from such a child, who seems a natural in the kingdom of heaven?

I do wonder, sometimes, how our senses to the Spirit have grown dull as it has?  Is it because we are unfamiliar with his prompts?  Unaware of his presence?  Perhaps we have curated our own expectations for God to meet us exactly when and where we want him to meet us.

But, what if God meets us whenever he chooses, and however he chooses?

Scripture is full of stories where God meets people unexpectedly.  Paul on his way to Damascus, knocked down by the light from heaven – the LORD met him.  The Samaritan woman at the well – Jesus met her.  Jonah while running away from LORD.  Job met by God through his sufferings.  Adam and Eve try to hide from God, and yet God searches and finds them.

God is always after us, always speaking, always revealing, always awakening our fickle hearts to his glory and his salvation.  But are we attentive?

One of the things I have missed most – because of COVID – is travelling to new places.  Exploring.  Discovering.  Meeting a place and people I have never met before.  I recall walks through the streets of New York, hikes atop mountains in Switzerland, and that hidden trail between houses to a quiet beach in Oahu.  The thrill is what lies around the next corner, past those trees, over that hill, through that corridor.  The morning commute to work, or other daily rhythms have their place.  But also, new and unfamiliar roads that beckon us to see what’s next, what is ahead, and most importantly – where God is leading.

In what surprising way is the Spirit reaching you?
What of God’s wisdom and will, do you sense as his call to you?
What beauty in this world makes your child-like heart arise in joy?
Go and see what’s around the corner.

Your servant in Christ,
Rev. Jason Cheung

2022.01.29/30
作者: 張志成牧師

列宣家親愛的弟兄弟姊妹：

 Twitter、Instagram、Facebook－無論我們使用什麼社交媒體，媒體也會為我們選擇。透過我們搜尋的記錄會幫我們計算一個比「我們的現在」更好的未來。無論我喜歡什麼，我談論什麼，我轉發什麼訊息，或者我分享什麼照片，我都不僅是在表達我的喜好，並且是為商家創建一個檔案，成為餐廳、百貨公司和消費服務的客戶目標。雖然如此，我仍然會做我要做的事，就好像一隻小狗第一次走過鏡子時，驚訝見到自己樣子，然後施施然繼續向前走。

當然，我們可以仔細選擇我們的搜尋內容，但同時我們也提供了資料給程式編寫內容。這是一種非常現實的可能性：我們只會見到計算程式決定我們所喜歡和享受的內容。但是，還有其他人和電腦計算的內容呢？

試想像：一個剛學會走路數月的小孩，蹣跚學步第一次踏入一片未被修剪的大草地，滿地蒲公英、蚱蜢和小蝴蝶。她邊跑邊笑，在柔和的晨光下，見到一片色彩斑斕的景象。小孩子興高彩烈，咯咯地笑著，追逐著每一個滿足她感官的新鮮美。她的好奇心被喚醒了，她連「喜悅」這個字也不會說，但她的內心有說不出的喜悅。

我們能從這樣一個在天國裡看來很純真的小孩子身上學到什麼？

有時，我確實想知道，如何我們對聖靈的觸覺變得如此遲鈍？是因為我們不熟悉祂的提醒嗎？不知道祂的存在？也許我們已經制定了自己的期望，讓上帝在我們希望祂與我們見面的時間和地點與我們見面。

但是，假若上帝在祂選擇的時間和如何與我們相遇呢？

聖經中充滿了上帝出乎意料地與人相遇的故事。保羅在去大馬士革的路上，被天上的榮光擊倒－神與他相遇。井傍的撒瑪利亞婦人－耶穌遇見了她。約拿逃避耶和華，約伯在苦難中遇見神，亞當和夏娃試圖躲避上帝，但上帝卻尋找並找到了他們。

上帝總是在我們身後，總是說話，總是啟示，總是喚醒我們善變的心去體驗祂的榮耀和祂的救恩。但是，我們是否察覺到？

由於新冠疫情，我最想念的一件事就是去外地旅遊。去探索、去發現。去一個自己從未到過的地方，與從未遇見過的人見面。我回憶走過紐約的街道，在瑞士的山頂遠足，以及在瓦胡島小屋隱蔽的小徑慢步走到寧靜的海灘。令人興奮的就在下一個拐角，越過那些叢林、越過那座山，穿過那條走廊。早上上班，或其他日常生活節奏都有它們的位置。但是，一些新的道路在召喚我們去查看接下來會發生什麼，前方會發生什麼，最重要的是－上帝正在引領我們走向何方。

聖靈以什麼驚訝的方式臨到你？
神的智慧和旨意，你感受到祂向你呼喚嗎？
世界有什麼美好的事物讓你童心如初？
去吧，看看拐角處有什麼！

主僕,
張志成牧師

2022.01.15/16
From the Pastor’s Desk: Pastor Alex Poon

Dear brothers and sisters of RCAC,

In Matthew 26 Jesus, after falling on his face in prayer, praying words that never cease to amaze us, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will”, found his disciples sleeping.

He said to Peter, “… the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41b)

In one sense or another, you may find yourself weak these days. And that’s ok. Sometimes we get up in the morning finding ourselves just in a bit of a sour mood. We wonder why. It wasn’t like the previous evening was eventful in that there was anything to upset us. You might even think to yourself that there isn’t one particular issue in your life that is causing you great stress. Or there might be. There might be something causing you to wake up in anxiousness, or as the saying goes, “on the wrong side of bed”. Sad to say, but that reality is ok too.

How does our Lord Jesus invite us to respond?

He went and fell on his face in prayer when the most trying moment of his life was just around the corner. And then he showed understanding to his disciples when he found them asleep – even if their spirit was willing, their flesh was weak.

And then Jesus went and prayed a common prayer familiar to all of God’s people, “your will be done.”

The point is this; consider, on the days where you want to pray but find it difficult to pray, to pray the words gifted to us by God and the inspired authors.

Consider praying the common words of God’s people.

Consider finding the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6 and praying as he teaches us to. Consider opening the book of Psalms to allow the Biblical authors to usher us into seeking God in all circumstances.

You see, in God’s loving heart of compassion; He knows His children need Him. He knows that for those children who depend on Him, our hearts are longing to cry out to Him – but sometimes we just don’t have the words to muster up. And so, He left us with some.

In particular seasons we will experience tiredness, despair and indifference and we’re assured that without exception we’re all going to experience seasons where prayer is dry and honestly really challenging.

And so, it’s like God has left us with handrails to grip onto so that we might know how to pray and what to pray.

Know this; prayer doesn’t have to be full of enthusiasm and passion, but sometimes it will feel like a challenge of enduring stamina.

Keep praying and may you long to pray, still.

Our Lord inclines his ears to us, to hear our every word and cry. And He understands both the joy and longing that fills our hearts.

When the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. When we are falling on our face about to enter into a deep darkness, our Lord Jesus invites us to lean into the words that keep us tuned to Him.

Let us follow Him, let us pray together,
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. (Matthew 6:9-13 ESV)
For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Alex Poon

2022.01.15/16
作者:潘啟華傳道                                  

列宣家親愛的弟兄弟姊妹：

馬太福音26 章39-40節述說耶穌俯伏在地上禱告後，回頭卻看見祂的門徒睡著了。祂禱告說：“我的父啊，可能的話，求你使這杯離開我；但不要照我的意思，只要照你的旨意”。一個我們驚嘆不已的禱告。

祂對彼得說：“……你們心靈雖然願意，肉體卻是軟弱。”（馬太福音26:41b）

從某程度來上說，當下這些日子你可能會發覺自己精神不振。不要緊；偶爾我們早上起床發覺自己心情有點低落，我們都莫明其妙？是否前一天晚上太多事情煩擾，令我們感到不安。甚至可能會問自己，我的生活沒有甚麼特別的問題會給我帶來巨大的壓力。又或者，一覺醒來發覺自己非常焦慮。無論如何，現實就是如此。

我們的主耶穌邀請我們如何回應？

當主耶穌在祂生命中最艱難的時刻即將到來時，祂俯伏在地上祈禱。然後，當祂發現門徒睡著時，祂向他們表示理解－你們心靈雖然願意，肉體卻是軟弱。

隨後耶穌再次走開去禱告，一個神子民耳熟能詳的禱告：“願你的旨意成全”。

重點是，當你想祈禱但發覺難以祈禱的時候，嘗試用上帝已經賜予我們和默示給作者的話來祈禱。參考上帝子民常用的話語禱告。參考馬太福音六章中的主禱文，按照主耶穌教導我們的方式祈禱。又或者打開詩篇，讓聖經作者引導我們在任何情況下尋求上帝。

上帝慈憐的愛心，祂知道祂的孩子需要祂。祂知道我們那些信靠祂的孩子，我們的心渴望向祂呼求－我們卻不曉得如何開口說話。所以，祂給我們留下了一些話語。

在某些日子裡，我們感到疲乏、絕望和不安；我們會經歷心靈乾涸，缺乏力量去祈禱。因此，上帝給我們留下了幫助，教導我們如何禱告。要知道祈禱不一定是滿腔熱情和激動，反而感覺像是持久耐力的挑戰。不住禱告，願我們仍然渴望禱告。

我們的主耶穌在聆聽我們的每一句說話和呼求。祂明白喜悅和盼望充滿我們的內心。當我們心靈願意，肉體卻是軟弱，當我們落在深邃的黑暗裡，我們的主耶穌邀請我們靠著祂的話語與祂同行。讓我們一起跟隨祂，我們一起禱告。

“我們在天上的父，願你的名被尊為聖，願你的國降臨，願你的旨意成就在地上，如同在天上一樣。我們每天所需的食物，求你今天賜給我們；赦免我們的罪債，好像我們饒恕了得罪我們的人；不要讓我們陷入試探，救我們脫離那惡者。(太6:9-13新譯本)。因為國度、權柄、榮耀，全是你的，直到永遠。阿們”

主僕,
潘啟華傳道