牧者心聲
在 koinonia 中獻呈感恩
陳小宛牧師
2023 年 12 月 16 日 / 17 日
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「現在到小組去作靈修分享吧！」
「我們不如去關心一下，她已有一段時間沒來教會了！」
「請報名參加聖誕報佳音和外展活動！」
過去一年我常在英語群體中聽到類似的話，這令我想起已故的斯托德牧師在 One People 裡闡述基督徒相交生活（希臘文為 koinonia）中的三個面向——share in：我們在上帝的救贖中分享著一個共同基業，我們是藉著信白白得著這救恩的；share out：我們夥同其他信徒一起參與一個共同的服事，就是把耶穌基督的福音分享出去；share with：當我們彼此相愛、服事、和守望，就是分享著彼此承擔的共同責任。
很感恩，英語群體的團契恆常有查經、靈修分享的內容，讓弟兄姊妹透過基督的話語得著餵養，然而，不論對於個人，或是整個信仰群體，這還是不夠的。
使徒保羅為帖撒羅尼迦的信徒謝恩，不單是因為他們的信心增長，亦是因為他們彼此相愛的心也都增加（帖後一 3）。誠然，相愛是不容易的，在團契中，我們常因為弟兄姊妹處於不同的經濟處境、經歷不同的人生階段等等，以致會出現挑戰和張力。在這情況下，肢體間便要額外努力，顧及其他人的處境，協調彼此的不同，從而顯出上帝的愛。當然，這是難學的功課，但感謝上帝，弟兄姊妹相愛的心不斷在增長，而大家也不斷學習倚靠主的恩典、智慧和大能，活出祂吩咐我們彼此相愛的誡命。
我們怎能不去感謝上帝呢？祂已為我們預了傳福音和外展的機會，尤其是今年初已經撤銷了防疫的限制。我們已恢復了每年的短宣和聖誕報佳音；而我們的青年團契也在教會舉行了福音性的感恩聚餐；我們亦剛剛成立了一支福音團隊，在英崇的網頁上加插了福音性的專頁。我祈求上帝幫助弟兄姊妹團結彼此的力量，將主耶穌基督的福音在本地、在全世界分享出去。
在一帆風順的日子，向上帝謝恩當然並不困難，但當生活遇上阻滯，情況就不一樣了。願我們能謹記聖經的勸勉：「
"Now, let's go into our groups and have devotional sharing!"
"Let's check on her. We have not seen her at church for a while!"
"Remember to sign up for Christmas caroling and outreach!"
These and other similar words among the English congregation this year remind me of how the late Rev. John Stott explained the threefold aspect of Christian fellowship (koinonia in Greek) in One People: Christians are to share in a common inheritance in God's salvation in which we have all come by grace through faith, share out a common service as we partner with others in sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ, and share with each other in a common accountability as we love, serve and keep watch over one another.
I am always thankful that the fellowship groups in the English Ministry (EM) have regular Bible study and devotional sharing that brothers and sisters can feed upon Christ together in and through His word. But these are not enough for both the individuals and the faith community to grow.
The Apostle Paul gave thanks for the Thessalonian Christians not only for their flourishing faith but also their increasing love for one another (2 Thessalonians 1:3). Indeed, love is hard work. In the same fellowship, challenges may come and tensions may arise when brothers and sisters have different financial statuses, go through different life stages, etc. It requires members to take intentional effort to consider the situation of others and "work out the differences" in a way that exhibits the love of God, which can be a difficult lesson to learn. Give thanks to God that brothers and sisters’ love for each other is growing, and they need to continually rely on His grace, wisdom and power to live out His commandment to love one another.
And how could we stop giving thanks to God? He has prepared evangelistic and outreach opportunities for us, especially since the pandemic restrictions were lifted early this year. We have resumed our annual short-term mission trip and Christmas caroling, and our young adult fellowship had held a thanksgiving dinner with evangelistic purpose at church. Together with the newly formed Evangelism Team and the evangelism page of the EM website, it is my prayer that brothers and sisters will be united in their efforts to share the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ both locally and around the world.
It is easy to give thanks to God when things are going well, but not so when life is treating us badly. Let us remember the exhortation of the Bible to "give thanks in all circumstances" (1 Thessalonians 5:18, italics mine). That is why thankfulness is a spiritual discipline which we all need to practice and develop. May "thankfulness to God" be the pure motivation, the uniting force and the God-glorifying purpose of the English congregation and the NPAC family as we practice koinonia with His enabling power.
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