牧者心聲
少年洗禮
程續戰牧師
2024 年 7 月 20 日 / 21 日
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炎炎夏日，少年科的夏令活動一浪接一浪，其中7月21日更是少年科的大日子——第25屆少年科洗禮。
少年人上洗禮班前，教牧會先約見他們。我問一位少年人為何報讀洗禮班，她說：「我中二時已想報名，但當時未夠年齡，所以中三就一定要報讀，因為我相信神是真的。」我再問她如果好朋友不報讀洗禮班，她會如何？我正狐疑她會如何回答的時候，我聽到一把堅定的聲音，說：「我會繼續報讀！」我心裡很為她的決心雀躍。
我特別喜歡和少年人傾談他們如何經歷主，以下是四位少年人的心聲：
一、「小學時候，我的成績很好，但升到中學後，成績一落千丈。我一直想不通神為何會愛這麼『廢』的我⋯⋯有一次，因學業壓力太大，我大哭了一場，我求神讓我感受到祂的同在，那刻，我真的感受到被神擁抱著⋯⋯另外，『不要憂慮』這首詩歌告訴我，無論我怎樣，神都愛我⋯⋯我對神愛我的疑惑慢慢消除了。」
二、「我在競爭力極高的學習環境中成長⋯⋯我習慣了凡事跟人比較⋯⋯自卑感無處不在，我甚至會懷疑神為甚麼創造這個『無用的我』⋯⋯有一天，我如常參加組長會，聖靈突然呼召我，吩咐我要令組員感受到在基督徒群體中被愛。那一刻，我深深感受到神對我一直的憐憫和包容⋯⋯我好像浪子比喻的小兒子般，雖充斥著污穢⋯⋯上帝卻毫不懷疑地將我抱進懷裡。」
三、「手術後，我需要一段時間坐輪椅和拿拐杖⋯⋯我害怕那些奇異的眼光，令我感到自卑⋯⋯媽媽提醒我，聖經教我們看自己要合乎中道，不可太自高或太自卑。我明白在耶穌的眼中，我是寶貴的，是神的女兒⋯⋯自此，我漸漸不太介意別人對我的看法。我親身經歷了詩篇三十一篇24節所說：『凡仰望耶和華的人，你們都要壯膽，堅固你們的心！』」
四、「同學在學校論壇上開名指責我，說我『冇品』⋯⋯這件事令我情緒幾乎崩潰⋯⋯我自己一個人哭了很久⋯⋯我突然想起可以向神祈求，求神教我怎麼面對，後來，我告訴了同樣信主的老師和媽媽，他們告訴我：『你沒做錯！』這句話對我起了極大的鼓勵，我逐漸明白，神一直在我的生命中幫助我。」
聽著少年人的生命故事，有心痛時刻，但也有無限驚歎，神親自讓我們目睹生命被轉化的美麗，整個過程實在令人欣喜。
In the hot summer, the Youth Ministry has a host of seasonal activities, among them our big day – the 25th Youth Ministry Baptism on July 21.
Before attending the baptismal class, the church will first interview the youth. I asked one of them why she enrolled in the baptismal class. She said, "I already wanted to enroll when I was in Form 2 but I had not reached the minimum age yet. So I must enroll in Form 3 because I believe God is real." I continued to ask her what she would do if her good friends did not enroll in the baptismal class. While I was wondering how she would answer, there came a firm reply: "I will still enroll!" I was overjoyed at her determination.
I particularly enjoy discussing with the youth how they have experienced God. Below is the sharing by four of them:
- "My academic results in primary school were very good. But in secondary school, they became poor. I could hardly understand why God would still love someone as useless as me… One time, I cried my heart out at the great pressure of exams. I prayed to God to let me feel His presence. At that moment, I really felt I was being embraced by God. Meanwhile, the worship song "Do Not Worry" tells me that God will love me however I am… My doubts about God's love for me gradually faded away."
- "I grew up in a highly competitive learning environment… I am accustomed to comparing with others all the time… I felt a sense of inferiority everywhere. I even doubted why God would care to create a "useless me"… One day, I attended a group leaders' meeting as usual. The Holy Spirit suddenly called on me to make members feel they were being loved in a Christian community. At that moment, I deeply felt the mercy and tolerance God had for me all the time… I was like the younger son in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, covered in filth. Nonetheless, God embraced me without doubt."
- "For a period of time after the operation, I needed to use the wheelchair and clutches. I was afraid of how people looked at me. It all made me feel inferior… My mom then reminded me about the biblical teaching that we should think with sober judgment and should neither think of ourselves more highly than we ought, nor too lowly. I understood that in the eyes of Jesus, I am precious. I am the daughter of God… Since then, I have not taken seriously what others think of me. I personally experienced Psalm 31:24 which says: "Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord."
- "A classmate criticized me by name in a school forum, calling me "shameless"… This made me almost collapse… I cried alone for a long time… Then it suddenly came to my mind that I could pray to God and ask Him to teach me how I should deal with this. Later, I told my teacher and my mom, both Christians, about this. They told me, 'You did nothing wrong!' This gave me much encouragement. I began to understand that God has all along been helping me in my life."
Listening to the life stories of our youth, there were moments of heartache but also endless astonishment. God allowed us to witness the beauty of transformed lives. The process is truly amazing.
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