主題:活潑生命的敬拜theme: Vibrant Worship
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主題:活潑生命的敬拜 Theme: Vibrant Worship 目錄 Table of Contents 頁(P) 編者的話 From the Editor 張李敏儀執事 1 牧者的話 From the Pastors Pastor Eddy Writes...Vibrant Worship Rev. Eddy Lim 2 Zach’s Story Pastor Robert Sterie 6 主題文章 Theme Articles 敬拜在乎歸回神的話語 晴 8 活潑生命 耆英小牛 9 生活與敬拜 彩雲 10 My Little Sharing About Worship Charles Ung 11 Journey of Worship Bernice Cheung 11 Vibrant Worship Evelyn Lai 12 兒童事工分享 Children Ministry Sharing Handprints on Our Hearts Jessie & Nicole Fung 14 Come Join the Adventure! Joey Ung 15 分享文章 Sharing Articles 彼此相愛!真的談何容易嗎?(下) 梅浩濱 16 我与雅各 郭锐 18 疑神疑鬼 小蔥 18 創意革新,追求卓越! 龔敬賢 19 冬之戀 棋子 21 帶著愛到印度—德蘭修女愛的傳遞 陳伍惠容 22 愛的生命獻中華—戴德生獻身中華 陳伍惠容 23 Son of Hamas Jar of Clay 24 The Giving of Hope Jeremy Fan 28 人物專訪 Profile Interviews 李錦強、李吳錦鳳夫婦 記者:程王淑嫻 31 任維山,白江夫婦 記者:吳小敏 32 Serena & Samuel Chui Reporter: Anonymous 34 洗禮見證 Baptismal Testimonies 37 陳振樂 Chris Chan, 張家齊 Alix Cheung, 蔡德和 Tak Wo Choi, 周宋富華 Queenie Chow, 戴迎春 Carl Dai, 李錦鎏 Kam Lau Lee, 雷玉霄 Lucy Lei, 梁儷瓊 Kayla Leung, 廖彦彰 Calvin Liao, 凌碧雲 Pik Wan Ling, 劉秀珍 Xiu Zhen Liu, 任愛珍 Jen Ren, 張睿琦 Haley Truong, 王嬌嬌 Nancy Wang, 庾珺珺 Gwyneth Yu, 張麗 Li Zhang 教會資訊 Church Information 二零一二年行事曆(6 至 12 月)Calendar of Events 2012 (June - December) 45 統計數字 Statistics 48 非賣品 內部傳閱 請勿翻印 編者的話 Shalom!親愛的城西堂弟兄姊妹帄安!《城西之聲》又跟大家見面了!這一期六月刊的主題是「活潑 生命的敬拜」。『敬拜永生神』是教會今年的事工重點,而「活潑敬拜」是城西堂十個核心價值中被列在 首位的,可想而知其重要性。我們要向神呈獻真誠的敬拜和讚美,但如何藉著個人和教會的敬拜,將榮耀 歸給神,宣示祂的至高地位和偉大呢?「我們要讚美耶和華,向耶和華唱新歌,在聖民的會中讚美他!」 詩人大衛在詩篇中盡顯他的音樂才華,活潑的想像力、生動的語言,再加上豐富的情感,帶領眾子民用音 樂及舞蹈去敬拜神和讚美神,因為凡有氣息的,都要讚美耶和華! 敬拜神與每日的生活是不能分割的,所涵蓋的層面亦很廣泛。英文堂林牧師的主題文章中清楚的闡釋 何謂「活潑敬拜」,我們當如何去盡心、盡性、盡意和盡力愛主你的神,他在這四個不同的層面裏加以剖 析。其他的主題文章分享到敬拜與神的話語的密切性,更勉勵我們一家老少齊齊加入讀經行列的大軍來敬 拜神,並活出基督的樣式,實在是一件美事!此外我們又應該有小孩子活潑生命的特賥,尌是天真無邪、 單純、信靠和有活力的表現;使我們與神的關係更加親密。冀能透過這些文章,大大的提升我們個人和全 教會敬拜的屬靈氣氛;更希望大家並肩地配合教會的事工發展,致力推行「歸屬基督,跟隨基督,傳揚基 督」的使命。阿們! 今期有三篇的分享文章提到三位不同的人物,其中兩位是名垂不朽的德蘭修女和戴德生宣教士。他們 都是神所特別選召,叫他們的生命帶著愛去影響生命,那是跨越文化的愛,無種族國界的愛。這種無私的 愛是人類最高尚的情操!他們雖處於惡劣的環境,仍能靠著神綻放人性最高貴的美德,將神的美善彰顯於 普世,令人肅然起敬,更是我們學習的榜樣!第三位是一位傳奇人物,是回教恐怖組織「哈瑪斯」七個創 辦人之一的長子,在他的回憶錄中揭露那十年危險的間諜生涯,並他的信主歷程,猶如使徒保羅在二千多 年前在大馬色路上遇見主的經歷,再一次的重演。他體會到主耶穌憐憫人的心腸,去愛仇敵,如今到處去 傳揚神的福音。除此之外,還有多篇的分享文章及十多位新葡洗禮的見證,都能帶給讀者們屬靈方面的啟 迪。 《城西之聲》每期都有人物專訪,而藉著這些專訪,讓弟兄姊妹對他們有更深的認識。今期亦如往常 一樣,分別訪問粵、英及國語堂的三個家庭。這三個家庭雖然年齡和語言有別,但不約而同都是非常愛主 的弟兄姊妹,是神又良善又忠心的僕人。從他們身上看到神信實的應許,事主蒙福,誠如詩歌所說:「一 切勞苦主必報償不虧負,天天事奉主必蒙福。」,甚願讀者們得到激勵,更願意投入事奉,因為這是神所 喜悅的,我們事奉也是理所當然的。 在過去的十多年,《城西之聲》經歷了多次的革新,神藉著這份家刊在文字上造尌了無數的弟兄姊 妹,透過文字分享互相激勵,神亦大大的賤福他們。在此謹代表《城西之聲》全體工作人員,感謝各位撰 稿人對本刊的支持,讓讀者們閱後獲益良多。並感恩今期有新的同工加入編輯組,大家一同事奉,一同學 習,一同向前邁進。願榮耀頌讚歸與父神! 主內, 張李敏儀執事 城西之聲 The 7th Trumpet 1 Pastor Eddy Writes...Vibrant Worship From the Pastor Rev. Eddy Lim INTRODUCTION warmth and the vibrancy of fellowship. Love and worship are intimately connected. Our Creator (creative) God, elohim, has made us all with different temperaments. And it goes without If you don’t have love for God, I dare say that saying that people with different temperaments your worship experience will not be vibrant. Love and relate to God differently. My friends from a Bible- worship are intimately connected. Have you heard believing Church in Trinidad would find that the saying “He worships the ground she stands on”? traditional worship is not as vibrant as his non- To love God is to worship Him. True worship must traditional worship. He is not a charismatic person necessarily spring from a motivation of love. It is but he comes from a culture which is very expressive possible to worship without love. It is possible to go and spontaneous. He would find traditional worship is through the motion without the passion for God. If not as vibrant. But of course, you can disagree with one worships without love and passion for God, God him. If you were to visit his church, you might find has strong words for him in Rev 2:2-4. that their form of worship would be uncomfortable With this close connection in mind, it is probably for you. Hence you see the difficulty in defining not wrong for us to say that as believers, as God’s vibrant worship. It is also difficult for Christians to beloved children, we are called to worship God with come to an agreement when we talk about form all our heart, soul, mind and strength. In other words, because form is cultural, whereas substance is supra- we are called to holistic worship, a worship which cultural. By substance, I mean the Word of God. You encompasses all that we are Our feelings, our cannot change the message of the Bible. understanding, our character, our personality, our So instead of trying to define vibrant worship in will, our spiritual nature, our physical bodies, our terms of form, I would like to define vibrant worship talents and our gifts. The whole person is called into in terms of principles. Scriptural principles are supra- relationship with God within worship. cultural, remember? When these principles are The essence of Jesus’ words, which is a understood and applied, vibrant worship occurs. quotation from Deuteronomy 6:4-5, is that we are to “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is love God and by analogy to worship Him with the one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your whole of our being and resources. A similar idea is heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” found in Romans 12:1. Worship should be holistic, an (Deuteronomy 6:4-5) integration of every aspect of our lives in relationship to God. On one occasion Jesus was asked to name the most important commandment and He replied with I would submit to you that vibrant worship the words: must necessarily encompass 4 aspects of our being. “And you shall love the LORD your God with all Vibrant worship is worshipping God with: your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, 1. All Our Heart and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.” (Mark 12:30) It encourages the participation of the whole person - The heart, the mind, the soul, and the I would like to suggest to you that love and strength. worship is closely connected. How do you define a vibrant marriage relationship? Love must be present, Generally speaking, on one hand, traditional isn’t it? If love is not present in a marriage service or liturgical service tends to be mindful, very relationship, that relationship has to be improved. intellectual BUT emotionally sterile. On the other How do you define a vibrant fellowship? Love must hand, the non-traditional service is frequently rich in be present, isn’t it? If we don’t have love for one development of our feelings towards God and one another, we would not be able to experience the another BUT tends to be arid, dry and dull in terms of intellectual stimulation. There must be a balance. 城西之聲 The 7th Trumpet 2 Involvement of the whole person in worship must wide range of emotions were expressed. Thus include the aspects alluded to in Jesus’ summary of worship should involve us in an awareness of awe and our love for God. wonder, emotions of joy and sorrow, feelings of love, Firstly, we are called to worship God with all our peace and security. How the worshiper expresses all heart. The “Heart” is a reference to the “emotional these wide range of emotions is culturally related. I nature”, the seat of “feeling” as distinguished from think the younger generation finds it easier to express our “intellectual nature”, the seat of “thought”. Heart their love and affection than the adults. Whatever it is a symbol of feeling and emotion. A love which does is, the principle remains. When a worshiper not express itself in feeling and emotion is an experiences a wide range of feeling and emotion as inadequate love. he or she worships God in praying, singing and praising, it is not unbiblical. Worship God with all I can’t be telling my wife or my children that I your heart which is a reference to the emotional love them and yet showing no outward display of my nature of our being. feeling and emotion of love. What type of love is that? It is inadequate. If you love someone, you must 2. All Our Soul express it. Does it make sense to you? And how you Secondly, we are called to worship God with all express your feeling and emotion of love is culturally our soul. In other words, worship is far more than related. The British has their stiff upper lip mindset. just the expression of feeling and emotion, it has a The traditional Chinese is known for their suppression spiritual dimension. We are spiritual creature, made of outward display of feeling and emotion. It is in the image of God. culturally related. So when it comes to worship, As such we have the ability to relate to God who while the outward display of feeling and emotion is is a Spirit, and we are called to worship Him in spirit associated with non-traditional worship services and and in truth. charismatic culture, we must not judge their style as unbiblical just because that is not our culture, nor our There is a spiritual element to worship which preference. We can only say that we are not used to goes beyond our understanding and feelings and it. allows us, by the help of the Holy Spirit, to communicate with God right deep from within our The Psalms, the Hebrew hymnody is awash with soul. examples of passages rich in expression of feeling in the context of private devotion or public worship. The Holy Spirit is the one who mediates our worship and enables us to approach God and enjoy You shall love the Lord with all your heart means that intimacy with our heavenly Father and to call you shall put feeling or warmth into your affection for Him Abba, papa (cf.