牧者心聲
復常非復舊，整裝再待發
鄧頌翹牧師
2023 年 8 月 19 日 / 20 日
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我終於感受到恢復日常生活了，過去幾年的疫情影響已在逐漸減退。最為明顯的是在整個暑假期間，親朋好友輪流前往外地旅遊；有人甚至準備在8月結束前作最後衝刺，出發第三次外遊！這段期間也有不少朋友和弟兄姊妹從外地回港，探望幾年未見的家人，大家也會戲謔，稱此為還旅行的債。
我自己也還了幾天旅行債給家人，同時亦想起另一筆復常後要還的債，就是保羅所說的：「無論是希臘人、未開化的人、聰明人、愚拙人，我都欠他們的債，所以願意盡我的力量把福音也傳給你們在羅馬的人。」（羅一 14-15，和修版）
身為基督徒，我們都欠福音的債。更確切的說，應該是我們都有福音要還給未信的人，對我們已領取福音恩典的人來說，基督耶穌已經把福音託付給我們，要我們傳達給未認識福音、未領取恩典的人。我們不能將福音據為己有，欠債不還，反倒要採取復常後去旅行的態度，拼命去把福音傳開，還福音的債。
另一方面，我們誠然恢復了日常，然而很多事情卻變了個樣，生活不但無法回復從前的模式，更甚的是把我們推向嶄新的境界——掃二維碼點餐、網上工作開會，甚至福音工作也如是，驅動著我們構思新形式、新常態來實踐大使命。讓我借用 7 月「北宣家書」內幾句話來重申一個事實：教會已經身處在新領域中，是在一個已經變化了的生態環境下復常。仔細回想，神藉著基督耶穌赦免我們的過犯，將聖靈賜給我們，改變舊有的我們，讓我們加入祂的新群體，這豈不是我們全新生活不復舊的最佳寫照嗎？復常後所面對的，是一個全新的景況，而我們要整裝待發，以全新的姿態向世人見證神大能的福音。
今年 7、8 月期間，北宣社區見證部和靈風團契在真理樓地下 Living Stone 合辦共六次的和諧粉彩興趣班，大家期盼透過這個行動來建立一種熱鬧輕鬆的氣氛，招待放暑假的學生以及親子家庭，讓他們體驗創作的樂趣之餘，更可以認識福音。神已經將福音託付給我們，又將活力和熱心賜給北宣的弟兄姊妹，祂更將需用的地方為北宣預備妥當，叫我們能夠無後顧之憂，可以嘗試用各種方法接觸未信的人，發掘不同的機會招待還未進入教會的人。深願神賜福和差遣北宣，叫我們盡力量把福音傳給所有的人。
Be Ready, Steady, and Go
I finally feel that we have resumed our daily lives. The impact of the pandemic in the past few years is fading away. This is most apparent from the fact that throughout the summer vacation, friends and relatives take turns to travel abroad. Some are even on the final stretch and are ready to go on their third trip before the end of August! During this period, many friends and brothers and sisters overseas also return to Hong Kong to visit families they have not seen for a few years. We would jokingly say this is to pay off the travel debts.
As for me, I also traveled with my family for a few days to repay my debt to them. At the same time, I also think of another debt, or obligation, that we need to repay after normalcy is resumed. It is what Paul says: "I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome" (Romans 1:14-15).
As Christians, we are all debtors of the gospel. More precisely, we are debtors to unbelievers with the gospel we have. To all of us who have received the grace of the gospel, Christ Jesus has already entrusted us with the gospel, which we are obliged to preach to those who have not heard of it and those who have not received God’s grace. We cannot just let the gospel rest with us and not repay our debts. Rather, like the attitude we have towards traveling after the resumption of normalcy, we must do our utmost to spread the gospel to repay our debts with it.
On the other hand, while our daily lives have resumed, many things are no longer the same. Not only can we not return to ways life used to be, but we have also been shifted towards new horizons – restaurant orders by QR code, online meetings at work, and the same applies to the work of the gospel. We need to come up with new concepts and ways to carry out the Great Commission. Here, I would like to cite the July issue of “Letters to the NPAC Family” to restate a fact: The church is already in the new horizons. We are resuming normalcy in an environment that has changed. If we think more carefully, God through Christ Jesus has forgiven our transgressions. He has given us the Holy Spirit, changed our old selves and let us join His new community. Is it not the best portrait of our brand-new life without resuming the old ways? We are faced with new circumstances on resuming normalcy. We need to get ready and steady to go and testify to the world about God’s mighty gospel in new ways.
In July and August this year, NPAC’s Community Witness Department in conjunction with the Wind of the Spirit Fellowship have organized six interest classes on Pastel Nagomi Art at Living Stone, G/F, Truth Center. The initiative was to create a lively and relaxing environment where students on summer vacation and families can get to know the gospel while experiencing the joy of artistic creation. God has entrusted us with the gospel and given brothers and sisters at NPAC vibrancy and zeal. He has also prepared necessary venues for NPAC so that would not be a concern. We can now try to use different ways to reach unbelievers and create new opportunities to receive those who have not come to the church before. May God bless and send NPAC, and we will do our very best to preach the gospel to everyone.
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