Pastor’s Corner April 2009 (SIU) and staff news

牧者心聲                蕭智雄牧師
『蕭牧師，恭喜您今天按牧！』還沒走進聚會的地方，弟兄姊妹已經跑過來向我恭賀。
『感謝主，如果沒有您們，我也不會有今天的。。。』

是的，如果不是神愛的激勵，我們不會選擇牧會；如果不是弟兄姊妹的關愛扶立，我們走不下去。從遠方，從近處，您們帶來的祝福、禮物、賀詞、心意，一直在感動著我們。謝謝您們的愛心！

兒女們也為我們精心製作了賀卡，別出心裁，十分創意；但願我和我家，都能專一事奉耶和華。母親的賀卡，早一週就收到；卡是由弟弟挑選，妹妹寫下金句：『務要牧養在你們中間　神的群羊，按著　神旨意照管他們；不是出於勉強，乃是出於甘心；也不是因為貪財，乃是出於樂意；也不是轄制所託付你們的，乃是作群羊的榜樣。』（彼前5：2-3），還添上母親親筆的祝福。 按立禮後，打電話給母親詳細報告，她再三跟我說，每天為我們禱告。多年來，生活在異國他鄉，總有點像斷線的風箏，隨風飄泊的感受。只是家人和弟兄姊妹的關愛與禱告，讓我們在人生的窄路上并不孤單，更是溫暖，亦有依靠。

有一位認識多年的牧師好友，送來一本剛出版的新書『為什麼教會不像樣』，作者陳喜謙牧師是我信仰啟蒙期的導師，所以一口氣讀了近百頁，猶如當年坐在臺下，聆聽他的訓誨；我在自省：我有一個整全健康的教會觀嗎？對我這個牧場新丁，實在受用非淺。書中的圖片，也讓我想起依稀的往事，回顧神先在的恩典，長輩們對我耐心的牧養；記得中學畢業那年，剛信主不久，卻被謙叔請去參加學生領袖的培訓營會；往後的數十年，我就與學生結了不解緣。大學時代認識了OMF的宣教士David Michell，替他打字、看家、做保姆。。。眼見先生和夫人對主的忠誠，對人的愛心和關懷，對傳福音的熱心和迫切，我也曾經一度衝動，想去當宣教士；作研究生的時候，蒙游宏湘牧師接待，住在他家裡一個月，跟他實習傳道；可我不肖，蹉跎三十載，還不願放棄纏身世務。這些年來，幸得教會牧長，校園的同工義工，多方策勵鼓舞。。。一幕一幕的往事，都是神豐厚恩典的明證。

弟兄姊妹的賀卡賀詞，語意深長，我們細讀一遍又一遍，徘徊在字裡行間所流露的情意。忽然從卡堆中掉出一張ESSO卡，督促我們趕快『加油，直奔標桿！』
凝視窗臺前弟兄姊妹送來的鮮花盆栽，令吾家郁香芬芳，生機活潑；惟願我們身上，也能恒常發出基督的香氣。

同工消息
1. 在4月5日﹐我們感恩地慶祝蕭傳道的按牧典禮﹐及柯傳道與任傳道的就職典禮。
2. 李傳道在4月回港一星期探望他垂危的姐姐﹐為她在床邊施洗。她在4月14日安然離世與主同在﹐求主安慰他的家人。
3. 利民牧師將在4月25日至5月9日回到中國西安探望他的女兒Colleen﹐並會在4月28日與她一起回到西部探望2年前短宣接觸的學生﹐求主賜福機會﹐保守出入村莊的平安。
4. 恭喜英文堂實習傳道蕭重信(Joshua)弟兄將在7月結婚﹐此後因應神學院要求﹐他將會轉到另一間教會事奉。
5. 五月開始英文堂將有一位新的實習傳道Tom More, 他會接管蕭弟兄現有在青少年中的事奉﹐Tom 是天道神學院的學生。
6. 國語堂實習傳道田寧姊妹將繼續帶領中學生事工﹐並探訪會友﹐給與牧者的關懷。
7. 萬民堂現正尋找英語少年事工的實習傳道來開展英文事工。

Pastor’s Corner            Rev. Chi Hung Siu
“Rev. Siu, congratulations on your Ordination!” Brothers and sisters warmly greeted me warmly even before I stepped into Sanctuary A! “Praise the Lord, I would not have become the person I am today without you all!”

If it was not the compulsion of Jesus’ love, I would not have chosen to be a pastor; if it was not the care and support from the brothers and sisters, I would not have such enduring strength to serve. Therefore, I am deeply grateful for all your love, blessings, gifts, kind words and thoughts from near and afar.
My children have also designed a beautiful and creative card for us. How I wish myself and my house will serve the LORD diligently! What a blessing also to receive my mother’s handwritten card which is chosen by my brother. My sister wrote, “2Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; 3not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.” 1 Peter 5:2-3 Right after the ceremony, I called my mom and she repeatedly assured me that we are in her prayers every day. I used to feel like my life was wandering as a “broken kite” after so many years of living away from home, but with family and church’s love I had indeed found warmth and support.

A long-time friend and pastor gave me a newly published book “Why is the church so weak?” written by Rev. Hey-Him Chan. I quickly read through the first 100 pages as Rev. Chan has been my great mentor during my early Christian years. It was an experience as if I was listening to him by his feet. How great it helped me as a new pastor as I reflected deeply on: Do I have an integrated and healthy view of the church? The photographs in the book also bring back a lot of memories! They overwhelmed me with God’s grace by surrounding me with many great examples of faith who patiently shepherded me. As a new Christian at 18, I was invited by Rev. Chan to a Leadership Training Camp and from then onwards brought me decades into student ministry. While I was in university, I was blessed to meet OMF missionary Mr & Mrs David Michell. While I helped in his home typing, babysitting, doing chores….my eyes were opened by their example of faithfulness to the Lord , genuine care and love for people, and their zeal and earnestness for the Gospel. How impulsively I dreamt to become a missionary like them too! While I attended graduate school, I was blessed to live with Rev. Wally Yeu for a month and be his pastoral intern. However, I was so weak and unwilling to give up the world that I’ve wasted 30 years since then to answer God’s call. Yet, God has testified His unfailing grace on me through the patience of my church pastors and the campus co-workers’ various admonishment and encouragement throughout these years.

I cherish each and everyone of your kind thoughts and words and I have read them through again and again. Among them we also found an ESSO gift card! What a great reminder of “forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead!”
Flowers from you also brought sweet fragrance to our home. May we have the aroma of Christ each and everyday!

(translated by Mrs. Connie Liu)

Staff News
1. It was a blessed celebration when Pastor Siu received ordination and Pastor Or and Pastor Ren received induction on April 5.
2. Pastor Lee went back to Hong Kong for a week in April to see his dying sister. Although she went to be with the Lord on April 14 he was able to see her and administer baptism before she passed away. May the Lord comfort the family.
3. Pastor Lippman is now taking a leave without pay from April 25 to May 9 going to China to visit his daughter. This is a really special part as he gets to visit his old students from his mission trip 2 years ago. Colleen will go with him to the west on April 28. Please pray for good connections with his former students and access to the village where they taught.
3. Congratulation to Joshua Siu, the intern for English ministry, for getting married in July. After that he will serve in another church as required by his theological school.
4. Tom More will come as the new intern for English ministry beginning in May. He will take over Joshua’s ministry which is to oversee the teens’ ministry. Tom is now a student at Tyndale University College.
5. Tian Ling, the intern for Mandarin ministry, continues to oversee a growing high school ministry and provide pastoral care and visitation to many members.

任大立传道就职仪式

任大立传道于2009年4月5日正式就职

Ordination and Induction Service (April 5, 2009 - 2:30)

The service can be heard here.

您怎樣辨明神的心意﹖| How do you discern God’s will?

牧者心聲 葉牧師                                                                                                         

March 2009 - Rev. Yip

“您怎樣辨明神的心意﹖” 

在過去35年來,我一直認為自己已經懂得﹐又能教導信徒如何明辨神的心意﹐但當我真正認識到Ignatius的靈修紀律後﹐我才明白自己過去在這方面實在知道得太少﹗

在2007年我完成了一個短篇的Ignatius靈修操練﹐使我經歷到靈命成長的高峰。在退修期間我第一次學習Ignatian有關明辨神心意的規則﹐但由於內容太密集的緣故﹐我未能完全掌握明白。但到了2008年﹐當我往尼日利亞訓練宣教士時﹐在沒有任何現代化的生活設備(電腦﹐電視等)中﹐我享受充裕的時間來繼續這操練的默想﹐接著我心中渴求明辨的渴望更為強烈。回到加拿大後我在網上搜尋更多的資料﹐神引導我找到兩本有關Ignatian明辨規則的書﹐使我更明白神的引導方法。

以往在明辨神心意上﹐我最常用的方法是禱告主給我智慧來決定事情先後次序和該做的事﹐只有在幾件重大事情上我才尋求神讓我聽到祂的聲音﹐而且往往總是沒有固定的方法可循。但Ignatian明辨規則卻補了我這兩方面的不足。為此我十分雀躍地渴望讀完這兩本書﹐但我發現﹐雖然書本字句顯淺﹐也有易明的例子﹐我卻很難讀完這兩本書。也許這就是屬靈的爭戰。

在這過程中我學習分別心理、道德、與屬靈醒覺(awareness)的不同之處。屬靈醒覺可以包含內心的醒覺﹐但超越後者。我第一樣學會的﹐就是要更醒覺自己 靈裡的喜樂 (Spritual joy) 與靈裡哀傷 (spiritual sadness) 的對比、平安與焦慮的對比、 還有心靈與神親密 或是與其他東西親密的對比等等…這些現在都成了我極為受用的操練。 

另外學習的功課就是怎樣從屬靈醒覺中明辨聖靈的指引。我已經用這方法來決定人生的幾件重要事情﹐這使我感到能與神同行﹐並且明辨祂心意﹐實在是何等美好﹗

 

“How do you discern God’s will?”

After teaching people how to  do it for over 35 years I thought I knew the answer very well. But after coming to know the Ignatian rules I began to realize how little I knew.

In 2007 I finished a short version of the Ignatian Exercises, which was a high point of my spiritual development. In that retreat I first learned of the Ignatian rules of discernment; but they were so compact that I was not able to fully comprehend them. In 2008 I went to Nigeria to train missionaries. Being deprived of all modern gadgets (computer, TV etc.) I had a lot of time to meditate as a continuation of  the Ignatian Exercises. My desire to learn the rules of discernment grew stronger.  After coming back to Canada I spent some time in searching the net and God led me to find two books that expound on the Ignatian rules.  They opened my eyes to understand in a deeper way God’s guidance.

In the past my dominant way of discerning God’s will was by using wisdom prayerfully in deciding on priorities and course of action. Only in some major decisions did I seek to find out God’s voice in communicating to me; and even so there were no clear rules to follow.  The Ignatian rules provide for that deficiency. That was why I was very excited in reading the two books. Yet it was not easy to finish the reading even though the writing style was easy to read and the examples very relevant. Maybe there was a spiritual warfare going on.

One thing I learned was to differentiate between psychological awareness, moral awareness, and spiritual awareness. Spiritual awareness may involve psychological awareness but is more than that.      My first lesson was to become more aware of spiritual joy versus sadness, peace versus anxiety, a heart drawn to God versus something else, and so on. This was an extremely profitable exercise.

Another thing I learned was how to relate the spiritual awareness to the moving of God’s Spirit. I have applied these lessons in making some major decisions in my life. What a wonderful thing to walk with God and discern His will!