2008年12月30日 星期二

尼布爾祈禱文


God,
give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed,
courage to change the things which should be changed,
and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.


Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace


Taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it,

Trusting that You will make all things right, if I surrender to Your will,

So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.
Amen.

~Reinhold Niebuhr 1942


祝福大家2008年有個美好的句點.
2009年! 我們來啦! 靠主得勝的一年!
JBC.Taipei.Hoping

2008年12月11日 星期四

When Time is Up!


某一天,正在電腦前的外子高聲地念出新聞快訊,一位商界名人高壽過世了;我睜大眼睛,外子說:妳很驚訝嗎?我說:我以為他會永遠活著。雖然有些無厘頭,但我們的確會驚訝於人生命的結束,想:怎麼會?其實,怎麼不會!

小嬰兒一出生,他(或她)的生命就開始進入「倒數計時」,由古至今無人例外!馬錶在神的手中,滴答、滴答,可是我們有準備嗎?我們真正理解「將來的日子比今生更長久」嗎?

耶穌並不是以「金剛不壞之身」被釘十字架,而是和我們一樣脆弱的身軀,在那之前,「耶穌說:我去原是為你們預備地方。」約14:2。耶穌為我們預備永恆的家--是那更美的家鄉,我們靈魂永遠的歸宿。直到門徒們見到復活了的耶穌,才稍稍理解「永遠活著」是怎麼一回事!

多久才算足夠?著名的美國影集ER(急診室的春天),曾播過一集描述一對年齡都超過90歲的夫妻,老太太幾乎進入彌留狀態,結褵超過60年,面對這樣的時刻,老先生說: I am not ready to let her go yet!對於彼此相愛的人(夫妻、親子、朋友…)來說,多久才算足夠?唯一令人滿意的答案,只有在基督永恆的國度裡才找得到!

<When Time is Up>

When time is up......

Will I say to the LORD:
I’ve been waiting for YOU to come?

Will I farewell my beloved ones:
there I shall be in paradise?

Will I be ready to go
back to where my soul truly belongs?

When time is up......

I shall not want
for HE will look after whom I love

I shall soar like an eagle
for HE has given me the wings of faith

When time is up......

I shall be glad
for HE is taking me home !


JBC.Taipei.Hoping.2008/Dec