在群体中一起感谢
人生中，一件最令我感到兴奋的事，就是看见基督的门徒活出与这个身份相称的生命。事实上，当我探望病人时，往往瞥见这些美妙的景象。我看到病人收到许多问候卡，我听到他们提及前一个晚上某人送来的饭食，我也知道某位会友会在第二天陪他们去看医生。在别的事情中我也瞥见另一些美妙景象，例如我看到基督的门徒教主日学，与贫乏的人分享自己拥有的，在监狱中带领查经班，为无家可归者送上饭菜，或努力争取世界的公义与和平。这样的例子实在数之不尽。
保罗教导我们应该怎样生活、服事，和在教会里互为肢体，他所说的极具挑战性，但同时我也为此感谢。我感到挑战很大，因为明白到为耶稣而活原来是很不容易的，而其中最难遵行的，可能就是要彼此和平共处以及尽力善待别人，甚至善待那些与我们意见不合的人。
因此，保罗又吩咐我们，要时刻记着，我们的根基是在基督里面的。常常喜乐、不住祷告、凡事谢恩，并不是说我们在自我安慰，不切实际，乃是无论作何事，都要谨记基督舍己的爱和恩典。天天怀着感谢的心，能帮助我们学习如何向世人见证基督救赎的大爱。
耶稣啊，求祢今天使我们成为传送祢的平安、慈爱和恩典的管子。我们怀着感谢的心，奉祢的名祈求，阿们。
帖撒罗尼迦前书 5:12-18
12弟兄们，我们劝你们敬重那在你们中间劳苦的人，就是在主里面治理你们、劝戒你们的；
13又因他们所做的工，用爱心格外尊重他们。你们也要彼此和睦。
14我们又劝弟兄们，要警戒不守规矩的人，勉励灰心的人，扶助软弱的人，也要向众人忍耐。
15你们要谨慎，无论是谁都不可以恶报恶；或是彼此相待，或是待众人，常要追求良善。
16要常常喜乐，
17不住地祷告，
18凡事谢恩；因为这是神在基督耶稣里向你们所定的旨意。
Gratitude In Community
"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." — 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
One of the most gratifying experiences in life, I believe, is to see Christ’s followers living as Christ’s followers. I often get glimpses of that when I visit a person who is sick and I see the many cards they have received, hear about a meal someone brought the night before, or learn that another church member will be bringing them to an appointment the next day. I get other glimpses when I see Christ’s followers teaching Sunday school, sharing their resources with people in need, leading Bible studies in prisons, serving meals to people who are homeless, or working toward justice and peace in our world. I could go on.
As Paul describes the way we should live and serve and be the church together, I feel both challenged and thankful. I’m challenged in realizing that living for Jesus is hard work. Perhaps the hardest instruction is to live peacefully together and to always strive to do good to others, even those with whom we deeply disagree.
It must be why Paul also calls us to constantly remember our rootedness in Christ. To rejoice and pray and be thankful continually isn’t about skipping through life with our head in the clouds. It’s about remembering, in all we do, the sacrificial love and grace we’ve been shown in Christ. Carrying gratitude around with us daily helps to shape our witness of Christ’s saving love to the world.
Make us channels of your peace, love, and grace today, Jesus. We pray with thanks. Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳
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