牧者心聲
有你們，聖經好好讀
周曉暉牧師
2025 年 1 月 11 日 / 12 日
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記憶中，小學四年級我擁有自己第一本聖經，印象中是新約附詩篇、箴言。父母親把對我這個孩子的期望寫在扉頁上，希望我會成為一個天天讀經的人。當時我珍而重之的把聖經收好在床邊。這本聖經翻過了幾次，就一直被珍重地放在那裡。成長的過程中，我收過好幾本聖經作為禮物。青年時期的我，為了認真查經，也買了一本由神學院出版的串珠註釋聖經，內中有扼要的註解。只是，好些聖經都安好地放在書架、床頭櫃或茶几上，成為屬靈的裝飾品。
在我所擁有的聖經中，從頭到尾閱讀過一遍的，倒是一本手掌大小、有如迷你字典尺寸的聖經。初上神學院，我就和同學立志要速讀聖經一遍，因有同行者，最終完成了目標。
「聖言在心，真摯同行」是北宣家今年的年題。顧名思義，教會是希望推動大家讀一遍聖經，因為惟獨神的話語真正入心，冷知識也化為對神對人對己的認識，這才有意義。而要讀完，不是立志行善就足夠，還要有人與你相伴，就如行毅行者，獨行和與人同行，一定是後者更好。有你們，聖經好好讀。
速讀聖經一般會由新約福音書、或舊約創世記開始。我和自己團契一共30人，前幾天就開始了採用手機聆聽版聖經，每天聽20分鐘（每日一至二章舊約、一章新約、一篇詩篇），務求年內彼此提醒、互相負責，以全體一年順序讀完整本聖經為目標前進。你現在追上也未遲啊。
新一季的講壇是看創世記前半的選段。創世記是信仰的基礎和大背景，告訴我們宇宙萬物都由一位上帝創造而成。然而，世界萬物的來歷，只是引言或背景介紹；接下來，經文呈現的，卻是一個又一個人物的生命故事。從亞當到亞伯拉罕，上主與這些人物如何相遇、這些人如何活在天地之間、怎樣與家庭或他者相處？上主記下這些片段，也讓我們認識祂為人所定下的救贖歷史；同時，祂也讓我們看見人不是孤身一個，因那位將混沌變為井然有序的創造主，將人安置在祂所設定的家庭人倫和互為相關的社群中。
讀他們的人生故事，思想自己和群體的人生歷程，從中可意會到神如何使人生歷程和日常經驗變得具意義；上主的照管，帶領你和身邊的人一步一步，走到今天。回望自己的人生歷程，原來，你的一生並非連串意外，在每個片段的轉角處，你總能發現上主的愛眷與引領。
I remember I was in Primary Four when I had my first Bible. The Bible was a New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs. My parents wrote their hopes for me on the title page, that I would become someone who reads the Bible daily. I cherished the Bible and kept it by my bedside. I flipped through the Bible a few times, treasured it but put it there untouched since. Growing up, I received several Bibles as gifts. During my youth, I even purchased a study Bible published by a seminary with cross-reference and concise notes in order to study the Bible seriously. Yet, many of these Bibles remained neatly placed on the bookshelf, the nightstand, or the coffee table, serving as spiritual ornaments.
Among all the Bibles I owned, the one that I had read cover to cover was a pocket-size edition, similar in size to a small dictionary. During my early seminary days, I made a commitment with my classmates to read through the Bible once. With companions by my side, I eventually achieved that goal.
"Cherish God's Word in Our Hearts, Journey Together in Genuine Fellowship" is the theme of the NPAC family this year. As the theme suggests, the church aims to encourage everyone to read through the Bible once. It is because when God's word takes root in our hearts, even mere knowledge will be transformed into understanding of God, others, and ourselves. That is what truly matters. In order to finish reading, determination alone is not enough. Having companions makes all the difference. It is just like participating in Trailwalker. Between walking alone and walking with others, the latter is definitely better. With you, Bible reading is delightful.
A common starting point for a quick readthrough of the Bible is the New Testament Gospels or the Book of Genesis in the Old Testament. My fellowship, which comprises 29 members including myself, recently started using an audio Bible app to listen to the Bible for 20 minutes each day (covering one to two chapters of the Old Testament, one chapter of the New Testament, and a Psalm). By encouraging one another and holding each other accountable, we aim to complete reading the entire Bible in a year. It is not too late if you catch up now.
This quarter, our sermons focus on selected passages from the first half of Genesis. Genesis lays the foundation and is the backdrop of our faith. It tells us that the universe and everything in it was created by one God. However, the origin of everything on earth is just the introduction or background portrayal. What follow are one life story after another. From Adam to Abraham, how did these individuals encounter the LORD, how did they live under the heavens, and how did they navigate relationships in the family and with others? The LORD recorded these accounts to let us know the history of His redemption for humanity. At the same time, we also see that man is not alone because the Creator who brought order out of chaos has placed man within families and interconnected communities.
Reading their life stories and reflecting on the journey of our own lives and our communities would allow us to realize how God gives meaning to our life events and daily experiences. The LORD's providence has brought you and those around you step by step to where you are today. Looking back at your life journey, you will see that your life is not a series of random events. At every turn, you will be able to trace the lovingkindness and guidance of the LORD.
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