約會

剛在facebook上看到這個感人的故事。

"A Date"

After 21 years of marriage, my wife wanted me to take another woman out to dinner and a movie. She said I love you but I know this other woman loves you and would love to spend some time with you.

The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit was my MOTHER, who has been a widow for 19 years, but the demands of my work and my three children had made it possible to visit her only occasionally.

That night I called to invite her to go out for dinner and a movie.
"What's wrong, are you well," she asked? My mother is the type of woman who suspects that a late night call or a surprise invitation is a sign of bad news.
"I thought that it would be pleasure with you," I responded. "Just the two of us."
She thought about it for a moment, and then said, "I would like that very much."

That Friday after work, as I drove over to pick her up I was a bit nervous. When I arrived at her house, I noticed that she, too, seemed to be nervous about our date. She waited in the door with her coat on. She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary.

She smiled from a face that was as radiant as an angel's.
"I told my friends that I was going to go out with my son, and they were impressed, "she said, as she got into the car. "They can't wait to hear about our meeting". We went to a restaurant that, although not elegant, was very nice and cozy. My mother took my arm as if she were the First Lady. After we sat down, I had to read the menu. Large print. Half way through the entries, I lifted my eyes and saw Mom sitting there staring at me. A nostalgic smile was on her lips.

"It was I who used to have to read the menu when you were small," she said.
"Then it's time that you relax and let me return the favor," I responded.

During the dinner, we had an agreeable conversation, nothing extraordinary, but catching up on recent events of each other's life. We talked so much that we missed the movie.
As we arrived at her house later, she said, "I'll go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you." I agreed.

"How was your dinner date?" asked my wife when I got home. "Very nice. Much more so than I could have imagined," I answered.

A few days later, my mother died of a massive heart attack. It happened so suddenly that I did not do anything for her. Some time later, I received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt from the same place mother and I had dined. An attached note said: "I paid this bill in advance. I wasn't sure that I could be there; but nevertheless, I paid for two plates, one for you and the other for your wife. You will never know what that night meant for me. I love you, son."

At that moment, I understood the importance of saying in time: "I LOVE YOU!" and to give our loved ones the time that they deserve. Nothing in life is more important than God and your family. Give them the time they deserve, because these things cannot be put off till "some other time."

小傳道夢想

有幸由七月起在世界華福（加拿大）的季刊「加國華人教會」中撰寫專欄「小傳道夢想」。以下是七月期的文章，願與大家一同分享。

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《加國華人教會》2008年7月新版第二十一期

小傳道夢想
誰是老大？

周振傑

「長執既為教會的監督，當然要盯住牧師有沒有講錯說話開罪會眾喇！」
「教會怎樣安排，我無權過問。一切都要由長執會決定。他們吩咐我在辦公室等 memo 喎…」

小弟自小在教會長大，如今又成為牧者，類似的說話聽過不少。除了用字和背景不同外，意思也都大同小異。

「誰是老大？」這個問題在教會中不常有人提問，至少不會敢問出口。事關除了上帝以外，試問有誰敢拍心口自認老大呢？但在實際運作上，特別在牧者和長執之間，這又是一個經常出現 (或出事) 的問題。

牧者和長執會的關係非常微妙，既為賓主，又是牧人與小羊。
當教會相安無事時，兩者當然相敬如賓。但當面臨艱難的抉擇時，究竟那一方是教會決策的最後權威呢？「誰是老大」的角力瞬間爆發，搞不好擦槍走火，輕則傷及無辜信徒，重則將整間教會弄跨。

面對「誰是老大？」這個燙手山芋，一般的回應都將牧者和長執的職權分類：
牧者管屬靈事物，專心以祈禱傳道為事，牧養會眾的屬靈生命。
長執則執掌行政事務，按恩賜去打理教會的運作。
這種河水不犯井水式的分類，看起來各有千秋，天衣無縫。唯一的問題是在實際運作時，有等於無。試運用上述分類去回答下列問題，就明白小弟的意思：

• 教會建堂，是屬靈事物還是行政事務？
• 崇拜程序安排，是屬靈事物還是行政事務？
• 青年聚會打鼓伴奏，是屬靈事物還是行政事務？
• 福音晚會聚餐向新朋友收費，是屬靈事物還是行政事務？

只要稍加思考，不難發覺上述分類只是紙上談兵。說得漂亮， 效果不彰。

小弟愚見，問題徵結不在於「誰是老大？」，而是在於「信任」兩隻字。
當長執對教牧沒有信任時，往往會過份敏感於牧者的一舉一動。牧者任何建議，那怕只是買什麼牌子的廁紙，只要是不能全面理解掌控，就會以陰謀論視之。繼而集結勢力，將陰謀揭露打壓。從此江湖無風起浪，人事鬥爭接踵而來，Deacon Driven Church 應運而生。

當牧者對長執缺乏信任時，做起事來便投鼠忌器。常以「人在江湖，身不由己」自勉之；以「退一步海闊天空」為座右銘。為免得罪貴人，講壇信息以大路為主導。擔心若果教導不慎搔到癢處，最終身痕的是自己。屬靈領導若淪落至此，教會還有什麼發展的期望？

小弟曾聽聞一位老牧者的分享，將牧者和長執比喻為兩條在大樹下經過的小溪，灌溉著大樹健康成長。作為一個小傳道，我的夢想是見到每間教會的牧者和長執，都能按真理彼此信任，以真誠互相肯定，建立出一個又一個叫生命轉化更新的屬靈群體。


（作者為卑斯省歌鄰基督教會傳道）

Never give up

爸爸：「囡囡，你第一次學溜冰，跌得痛嗎？」
小暄：「唔痛。」
爸爸：「雖然跌了許多次，但你都自己站起來，你真堅強呀！爸爸proud of you。」
小暄：「因為每一次當我跌下來時，我都對自己說 Never give up, Never give up。」

就在那一刻，我給我的女兒鼓勵了。（不愧是你父親的女兒！）