他们在家中擘饼
有一段时间,我们教会收到附近一间面包坊送给我们一些前一天烘好的面包。邻近教会的一位长者会到面包坊取面包,然后在星期日早上带给我们。不过,有些面包太硬了,他自己教会的会友吃不了,因为他们当中很多人都没有能力看牙医、以致牙齿脱落了。他们可以享用较松软的面包,但不能吃硬面包圈、欧式面包、和类似的面包。于是我便建议,我们教会有些会友或许会喜欢吃这些不适合他教会会友的面包,这位长老同意这是一个很好的安排。
每逢星期日早上,他很早便带来几个巨型袋子,里面有硬面包圈和有籽粒的欧式面包,每一次他都开玩笑说,这是他送给“有坚固牙齿的教会”的礼物 - 而每个星期我们也必定会因此开怀大笑。他把松软的面包留给他自己的会友,我们教会的年青人则在早堂崇拜后享用硬面包圈 - 而且整个星期的每天早上都有多余的面包吃。它已经成为我们的星期日聚会的一部份常规,我们教会会友之间的关系因此变得更紧密,我们真的做到“存着欢喜、诚实的心用饭”了。
使徒行传2章,让我们看到初期教会及会友怎样聚集敬拜和一同用餐的情景。我们存着欢喜的心一同擘饼时,我们就是在记念耶稣、并且有份于分享初期信徒的喜乐呢。
耶稣啊,我们聚在一起擘饼时,求你藉着你的灵与我们同在。阿们。
使徒行传 2:36-47
36故此,以色列全家当确实地知道:你们钉在十字架上的这位耶稣,神已经立他为主、为基督了。”
37众人听见这话,觉得扎心,就对彼得和其余的使徒说:“弟兄们,我们当怎样行?”
38彼得说:“你们各人要悔改,奉耶稣基督的名受洗,叫你们的罪得赦,就必领受所赐的圣灵。
39因为这应许是给你们和你们的儿女,并一切在远方的人,就是主我们神所召来的。”
40彼得还用许多话作见证,劝勉他们说:“你们当救自己脱离这弯曲的世代!”
41于是,领受他话的人就受了洗,那一天,门徒约添了三千人;
42都恒心遵守使徒的教训,彼此交接、掰饼、祈祷。
43众人都惧怕,使徒又行了许多奇事神迹。
44信的人都在一处,凡物公用,
45并且卖了田产、家业,照各人所需用的分给各人。
46他们天天同心合意恒切地在殿里,且在家中掰饼,存着欢喜、诚实的心用饭,
47赞美神,得众民的喜爱。主将得救的人天天加给他们。
They Broke Bread In Their Homes
"Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts. . . ." - Acts 2:46
For a time, our church received donations of day-old bread from a bakery nearby. An elderly man from a neighboring church would pick up the bread and bring it to us on Sunday mornings. Some of it, however, was too tough for his church members to eat, he said, because many of them couldn't afford dental care and were missing teeth. They could enjoy soft breads, but not the bagels, artisan loaves, and so on. So I suggested that some members in our church might like the breads that their members couldn't use, and the elder thought that would make a great arrangement.
Early each Sunday morning, he dropped off a few gigantic bags of bagels and seedy artisan loaves, joking each time that this was his gift for "the church of the strong teeth"—and every week without fail we laughed about it. He saved the soft bread for his congregation, and our young people ate bagels after the morning service—and then also each morning throughout the week. This became a regular part of our Sunday gatherings. Our churches became closer because of it, and in a very real way we "ate together with glad and sincere hearts."
Acts 2 gives a glimpse of the early church and how they gathered for worship and ate bread together. When we break bread together with glad hearts, we remember Jesus and take part in the joy shared by those early followers.
Jesus, by your Spirit be present among us as we break bread together. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
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