一个新纪元的开始
很多事情都可能会破坏教会的合一，甚至是供给饭食这件事。当日教会正在增长，成为一个能“满足需要”的信仰群体，可是增长却带来了问题，其中是教会落在“忽略”的过失中。
想想，当进入一个挤满人的房间时，我们通常都先找我们认识的人，以致我们可能会忽略了房里其他的人。
耶稣的门徒认识希伯来人的寡妇，因为这些寡妇与门徒所熟识或听闻过的家庭有关系。但是，门徒不大认识那些来自说希腊话犹太家庭的寡妇，因此，在每天饭食的供应上，她们很多都被忽略了——她们得不到食物。
不满的情绪变得越来越紧张，因种族引起的分裂正在酝酿中，于是使徒便召集众人来处理这个问题。使徒需要继续专心以祈祷传道的事为念，所以便选出另外七位来关顾有需要的人。从这七位领袖的名字，我们清楚看到，他们都是来自希腊背景的。如此教会便恢复了合一，她的故事也能继续下去。
即使在今日，如果教会因种族、性别、经济，或其他方面的原因，以致忽略了一些人，仍然会产生问题。惟愿神赐我们能洞悉问题的眼晴，好叫教会的故事能继续下去。愿颂赞荣耀归与祂！
教会的主，愿我们时常记着，教会是属于祢的，不是我们的。求祢帮助我们，成为祢的见证人。奉耶稣的名祈求，阿们。
使徒行传 6:1-7
1 那时，门徒增多，有说希腊话的犹太人向希伯来人发怨言，因为在天天的供给上忽略了他们的寡妇。
2 十二使徒叫众门徒来，对他们说：“我们撇下神的道去管理饭食，原是不合宜的。
3 所以弟兄们，当从你们中间选出七个有好名声、被圣灵充满、智慧充足的人，我们就派他们管理这事。
4 但我们要专心以祈祷、传道为事。”
5 大众都喜悦这话，就拣选了司提反，乃是大有信心、圣灵充满的人；又拣选腓利、伯罗哥罗、尼迦挪、提门、巴米拿，并进犹太教的安提阿人尼哥拉。
6 叫他们站在使徒面前，使徒祷告了，就按手在他们头上。
7 神的道兴旺起来，在耶路撒冷门徒数目加增的甚多，也有许多祭司信从了这道。
A New Era Begins
So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly. . . . — Acts 6:7
The unity of the church can be threatened in many ways—even over the distribution of food. The church was growing as a “needs-meeting” community of faith. And that growth brought challenges, including the challenge of “overlooking.”
If we enter a room full of people, we usually look first for people we know. As a result, we can overlook others.
The followers of Jesus knew the Hebraic widows. They were the ones connected with families that they knew, or knew of. But the widows who came from Greek-speaking Jewish families were relatively unknown. So in the daily distribution of food, many of them went unnoticed—and unfed.
As tensions rose, the potential for church division along ethnic lines grew. So the apostles called everyone together to address this need. The apostles would remain focused on prayer and the ministry of the Word of God. Seven others would serve the needy, and it’s clear from the names of these seven leaders that they were from a Greek background. So the church’s unity was restored, and its story continued.
The church is still threatened if we overlook others because of ethnicity, gender, economics, or other characteristics today. May God give us eyes to see so that the story of his church continues, to his praise and glory!
Lord of the church, may we always remember that it is your church, not ours. Help us to live as your witnesses. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳
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