Manna issue 73 A Heart to Serve 事奉的心
A.L.—Vancouver, Canada
撰文/A.L.—Vancouver, Canada 溫哥華/加拿大
翻譯/Nina
For many of us, serving in the various ministries of the church has become such an integral part of our lives that we
rarely stop to reflect on why we serve, how we serve, and most importantly, what a privilege it is that we have these
opportunities to serve. In recalling the first time she was moved to serve and her subsequent participation in the music
ministry, a sister gains precious lessons of faith.
前言：對許多人來說，在教會各項聖工上服侍，已經成為我們生活中不可缺少的一部份，
以致於我們很少停下來想想看我們為何要事奉、如何去事奉，
更重要的是，我們有機會事奉是怎麼樣的特權呢?憶起這位姊妹第一次受感動而去作事奉，
和她之後在音樂事工上的參與，她得到了信心的寶貴教訓
*integral不可缺的、必須的 *reflect 思考、反省 *privilege特權
*opportunity機會、機遇 *subsequent後來的 *participation參與
HE MOVED ME 他感動了我
Some of us may recall the first time
we served the Lord. But how many
of us can remember the moment
when we first felt the strong calling
to serve God? I remember the latter
very clearly.
有些人可能記得第一次的事奉主的經驗，但有多少人能記得第一次感受到強烈呼召要來事奉神的時刻？我很清楚記得這時刻。
I was then around twelve or
thirteen years old and attending a
hymn evangelistic service in church.
This was certainly neither my first
time attending such a service nor
hearing the choir sing. But that day
was different. My eyes were drawn
to the pianist; as I listened to the
music, I felt compelled to serve God.
At that moment, I resolved, “I want
to be like her one day and serve God
as a pianist.”
我當時大概十二、三歲，去參加教會的詩歌佈道，那次當然不是我第一次參加這類活動，
也不是第一次聽詩班唱詩，但是，那次不一樣，我的目光被司琴吸引住了，當我聆聽音樂時，
我感覺到我必須事奉神，在那時候，我立志：「有一天，我要像她一樣司琴事奉神。」
*evangelistic傳道的 *choir詩班、聖樂團 *compel迫使、強迫
*resolve立志、下定決心
Looking back, my resolution does
seem over-ambitious, for I barely
knew the basics of piano then.
Moreover, I did not even know how
to plan to realize my aim to play as
well as that sister. But at that moment,
all I knew was I wanted to serve in
the ministry, and I was determined to
make it happen.
現在想想，我的決心似乎過於遠大，當時我幾乎不懂鋼琴的基礎知識，
此外，我甚至不知道如何計劃去實現「彈得像那位姊妹一樣好」的目標。
那時候，我所知道的就是，我想在這項事工上服侍，而且我下定決心要讓這目標實現。
*resolution決心、決定 *over-ambitious過於宏大 *aim目標、目的
*determine 決定、下定決心
However, being a young teen, I
soon forgot this initial inspiration. It
was only a year later, when the church
held a training session for pianists,
that I remembered my resolution to
serve the Lord. I took the first step to
learn how to play the piano and God
guided me the rest of the way.
然而，當時作為年輕的青少年，我很快就忘了起初的感動。
只在一年後，教會舉辦了司琴人員培訓課程，我想起了我要事奉主的決定，
我邁出第一步，去學彈鋼琴，而神帶領了我接下來的道路。
*initia最初
Generally, most teenagers do not
practice an hour of piano every day
without being prodded by someone.
In addition, I was not a particularly
disciplined person. Even as an adult
now, I have difficulty dedicating an
hour each day towards something so
persistently! But back then, each day
after I returned home from school,
I would practice for an entire hour
without any parental reminder. Such
tenacity to practice could only have
come from God.
一般情況下，大多數青少年沒有被督促的話，一天練琴到不了一小時，
此外，我不是個特別有紀律的人，即使現在是成年人了，我還是很難每天堅持奉獻一小時在某事上，
但在當時，我每天放學回家後，不用父母的提醒，我就會練琴練整整一小時，這種對練琴的堅定不懈只能由神而來。
*particularly特別的、格外的 *disciplined有紀律的 *dedicate奉獻
*persistently一貫的、持續的 *tenacity堅韌
As I did not have a piano teacher, I
often asked other sisters from church
for advice. God later provided me
with a church sister who walked me
through all the hymns in the church
hymnal over the course of more than
a year. At first, it took me well over
two weeks to learn to play just one
hymn. Gradually, it took me less and
less time to learn a new hymn, and
three years after that memorable
hymn evangelistic service, I began to
serve as a pianist.
因為我沒有鋼琴老師，我經常問教會其他姊妹的建議，
之後，神就安排一位教會姊妹替我上一年多的課程，帶我練過教會讚美詩裡的所有詩歌。
一開始，學彈一首新的詩就花了我超過兩個星期，漸漸的，我學一首詩花的時間越來越短。
在那次難忘的詩歌福音佈道三年後，我開始作司琴服侍。
*memorable難忘的 *evangelistic傳福音的
HE QUALIFIES THE CALLED
祂使被呼召的人全備
My journey from that first moment
of inspiration to participation in the
ministry provided me with a good
lesson in faith—if we are willing to
serve, God will help us and give us
strength. However, as I served Him,
there were times when I questioned
myself and my ability to serve. I
often felt that I did not match up to
the others. In terms of technical skills,
I was certainly not as professional as
those brethren who specialized in
music. As for personal cultivation,
I felt that I was an ignoble vessel,
lowly and lacking.
從一開始的感動到參與這項事工的路程，給了我一堂很好的信心的課─如果我們願意服侍，神會幫助我們、給我們力量，
然而，當我服侍神時，我曾經對我自己、我服侍的能力感到懷疑，
我時常覺得我比不上其他人，在技術能力方面，我當然不像專門從事、專攻音樂的弟兄姊妹一樣專業；
至於個人修養，我覺得我是個卑賤的器皿，既微小又不足。
*specialize專攻、主修 *cultivation教化、培養 *ignoble 卑賤的
*vessel器皿、容器
Such thoughts bogged me down
and made serving in the music
ministry burdensome. I no longer
felt moved when playing the piano.
Neither could I feel the joy from
serving the Lord. Soon, playing the
piano during services became little
more than a task to be completed
dutifully.
這些想法讓我陷入失望，且讓音樂事工的服侍變得有負擔，
當我彈琴時，我不再覺得感動，也感受不到服侍主的喜樂。
很快的，彈琴服侍變成一項只須盡責完成的工作。
*burdensome 繁重的、有負擔的 *dutifully忠實的、盡職的
One day, a quote I had previously
heard popped into my mind: “God
doesn’t always call the qualified, He
qualifies the called.” I pondered on
that quote for some time, trying to
recall biblical characters to whom
the quote applied. I thought of the
disciples who, though uneducated
fishermen, were called by the Lord
Jesus to speak before the elite
scribes and Pharisees. I thought of
Moses who, though fearful at first,
was empowered by God to lead the
Israelites out of Egypt. I thought of
David who, though neither the oldest
nor the tallest of the sons of Jesse,
was chosen by God to be king. It
then dawned on me that “[t]he Lord
does not see as man sees; for man
looks at the outward appearance, but
the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Sam
16:7).
有一天，我以前聽過的一句話突然浮現在我腦海裡，
「神不呼召全備的人，祂使被呼召的人全備。」我用一段時間思索這句話，
試著回想這句話是用在哪個聖經人物身上，我想到了一位使徒，
他雖然是沒受過教育的漁夫，主耶穌卻呼召他到優秀的文士和法利賽人前講說；
我想到了摩西，雖然起先很懼怕，神卻加添力量給他、帶領以色列人出埃及；
我想到了大衛，雖然不是耶西最年長的兒子，也非最高大的兒子，神卻揀選他作國王。
然後，我恍然大悟：「耶和華不像人看人：人是看外貌；耶和華是看內心。」（撒上16：7）
*previously以前 *uneducated未受教育的 *scribes文士
*appearance外觀、外表
The “outward appearance,”
which includes factors such as looks,
wealth, education levels, or technical
skills, is not as important to God as
our hearts and attitudes in service.
If we have the heart to serve the
Lord, He will personally guide and
enable us to do so. Hence, if His
Spirit moves within us, compelling us
to take part in His work, we should
go forth with confidence that comes
from faith in God, for we know we
can do all things through Christ who
strengthens us (Phil 4:13).
「外在」包含了外貌、財富、教育程度和技能等條件，
對神來說，這不比我們在服侍上的心和態度重要。
如果我們有服侍主的心，祂將會親自引導，使我們能去作服侍，
因此，如果祂的靈在我們裏頭感動我們，迫使我們參與祂的工作，
我們應該用來自對神信仰的信心去做，因為我們知道：「我靠著那加給我力量的，凡事都能做。」（腓4：13）
*factor要素 *enable使…能夠 *strengthen加強；增強
Spiritual cultivation before and
during our service is key. Some may
think, however, that this means we
have to wait for a “better” time to
serve or for the day when we have
become “perfect.” God alone is good
and perfect, yet He wants us to pursue
His perfection. He understands that
this is not achieved overnight but a
journey that lasts through our lifetime.
Even though we may not be perfect
vessels, the Holy Spirit will constantly
refine and renew us if we submit to
His guidance.
關鍵是在服侍前和服侍之間的靈修。
有些人可能認為，這代表我們還要等待一個「更好的」時機去服侍，或等待我們變得「完美」的那一天。
只有神是神、是完全、全備的，但是祂希望我們去追求像祂一樣的完全，
祂知道這不是一夕之間可做到的，而是持續我們一生的旅程，
儘管我們不是全備的器皿，只要我們順從聖靈的引導，聖靈會一直不斷的精煉和更新我們。
*constantly不斷的、時常的 *pursue追求 *refine精鍊；改善
*guidance 引導
In fact, serving God is integral to
the path to perfection. By serving, we
learn more about Christ and how to be
more like Christ. We grow spiritually
and are able to better understand the
heart of God. By sharing in Christ’s
work, we shall also share in His glory.
事實上，在通往「完全」的道路上，服侍神是不可或缺的，
藉由服侍，我們更認識基督，還有學到如何更像基督，
我們在屬靈上成長且更能了解神的心；
藉由分享基督的工作，我們也分享了祂的榮耀。
*spiritually靈性上；精神上
MOVING FORWARD
向前進步
We are all at different stages in
our service to the Lord. However,
whether we are thinking about
serving God or are currently doubting
our own ability to serve, let us
remember that since God has called
us, it is His will for us to serve Him.
And the Scriptures assure us that if
we lack wisdom, strength, or zeal, we
can ask God, who gives to all liberally
and without reproach, and it will be
given to us (Jas 1:5).
我們都在服侍主的不同階段，然而，我們是否正在考慮要不要服侍神或現在正懷疑著自己服侍的能力？
讓我們記得，既然神呼召我們，服侍祂是神對我們的旨意，
且聖經應許我們，如果我們缺少智慧、力量或熱心，
我們可以求那厚賜與眾人、也不斥責人的神，主就必賜給他。（雅1：5）
*currently現在、目前 *assure保證；承諾 *zeal熱心；熱誠
*liberally豐富的 *reproach責備、斥責
God may call us to different areas
of service and may give us differing
levels of ability. But one thing is
common to all of us—we have all
received opportunities to work with
Him, to experience His power, His
grace, and His abundant blessings.
Do not allow the lack of skills or lack
of spiritual cultivation to hinder our
participation in the ministry. When
we resolve to serve the Lord, God
Himself will equip us and make us
qualified servants. Thus, whenever
the Lord calls, let us answer as Isaiah
did: “Here I am.”
Also I heard the voice of the Lord,
saying:
“Whom shall I send,
And who will go for Us?”
Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.“
(Isa 6:8)
神可能呼召我們到不同的服侍領域，給我們不同水平的能力，
但有一點對所有人都是相同的，我們都領受了與神一同工作的機會，體驗了祂的能力、祂的恩典和祂豐富的祝福，
不要讓技藝或靈修的不足阻礙了聖工上的參與，
當我們下決心要服侍主，神會裝備我們，使我們成為全備的僕人。
因此，不管何時主呼召我們，讓我們像以賽亞一樣回答：「我在這裡。」
我又聽見主的聲音說：「我可以差遣誰呢？誰肯為我們去呢？」我說：「我在這裡，請差遣我！」（賽6：8）。
*equip使有能力；使有資格
小頁 markvmax@hotmail.com
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