1. Manna issue 66 - Building Our Family Altar 建立自已家庭的祭壇
Is God the center of our home?
你的家是以神為中心嗎？
Guat Kim Tan—Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
馬來西亞，吉隆坡，蕉賴 -
“You shall teach them diligently to your
children, and shall talk of them when you
sit in your house, when you walk by the
way, when you lie down, and when you rise
up.” (Deut 6:7)
7也要殷勤教訓你的兒女。無論你坐在家裡，
行在路上，躺下，起來，都要談論。
(申 6：7)
This advice given by Moses to the
Israelites serves as a scriptural command
to build up family worship. Worshipping
God begins in the home and includes all
family members. For the Israelites, family
life and faith were closely intertwined. In
the evenings, parents taught their children
the laws of God. They were encouraged
to memorize and recite God’s words, and
to inquire about their faith and history (Ex
13:14).
摩西留下來給以色列人的建議，
要建立家庭祭壇，就是一個屬靈上的命令。
要從家中開始敬拜神，要包話所有的家人。
對以色列人而言，家庭生命和信仰，是緊緊的糾纏在一起。
晚上的時候，父母會教小孩神的律法。
鼓勵小孩子要背起來，要能複訟神的話語，
要問一些有關信仰和歷史的問題。
(出 13：14)
When Abram departed from Haran
and entered Canaan, the first thing he
did was to build an “altar to the Lord”
(Gen 12:7). This altar was a structure
used as a place of sacrifice – particularly
for animal sacrifice – and it became the
focus of Abram’s family life. It was a
place of worship where he and his family
offered to God and acknowledged that
they as a family needed His direction and
leadership. God honored his sacrifice and
blessed him in return.
當亞伯蘭離開了哈蘭地，進入了迦南地，
他第一次事，就是建築"神的祭壇"。
(創 12：7)
祭壇是一個建物，用來當作獻祭的地方 -
特別是用動物來獻祭 -
這裡就成為了亞伯蘭家庭生活的焦點。
那裡是敬拜神之地，他們會獻祭給神，
並且確認，他們一家人，需要神的帶領和領導。
神喜悅他的獻祭，用祝福來回報他。
A family altar means that family
members dedicate time to worship God
together at home. Building a family
altar is a vital and important practice in
a Christian home because it affirms that
God is the center of our household. We
need His guidance, just as Abram did.
A family altar also offers a private
setting for family members to worship
God, discuss spiritual matters and pray as
a family. Establishing a family altar serves
as a key building block for building up a
strong family in the Lord.
家庭祭壇代表了，
家人一起在家中，一起拿出時間來敬拜神。
對一個基督徒而言，
建立家庭祭壇是至關重要的基督徒生活實踐，
因為這個動作就確認了，神是我們家庭的中心。
我們需要祂的帶領，就像亞伯蘭一樣。
家庭祭壇也提供家人一個私人的環境來敬拜神，
討論有關屬靈的事情，像一家人一樣一起禱告。
在主裡，建立家庭祭壇，就像建立了一個非常重要的建物磚頭，
讓這個家得以變得強大。
OBJECTIVES 目標
Worship God as a family 像一家人一樣敬拜神
A family altar begins at home.
Worshipping God together as a family
serves as an important conduit for family
interaction—a time to sit down together
to listen, learn, petition and express
thanks. This intimate setting engenders
oneness of heart and mind. In turn, family
members develop an excellent rapport as
they bond as a family. Spending quality
time also enhances each family member’s
spiritual development and fosters spiritual
growth.
家庭祭壇從家裡開始。
一家人都一起敬拜神，
就是一種家庭互動的管道-
是大家一起坐下來聆聽，學習，代禱，表達感謝的一段時間。
這種親密的環境，會產生內心和想法上的合一。
反過來，家人就會產生很好的親密關係，
彼此緊密連結成為一家人。
花費這些寶貴的時間，
也會增加每個家人靈性的成長，
促進靈性增長。
Root the family in faith and God’s
word
讓家庭札根在信教和神的話語中
A family altar gives the whole family an
opportunity to be rooted in the word of
God, our unerring guide (Prov 6:23). In
fact, a Christian home where God and
His word are exalted creates an ideal
environment for parents to nurture
and strengthen their children’s faith. As
parents, we should strive to establish
consistent family worship. By doing so,
our children will imitate and follow our
footsteps.
家庭祭壇給整個家庭有機會，札根在神的話語之中，
而神的帶領是不會有偏差的。
(箴 6：23)
事實上，一個基督徒的家庭，
是注重神和神話語的，
對父母而言，會營造出一個很理想的環境，
來培養且強化他們子女的信仰。
身為父母，我們應該要努力，
去建立一致性的家庭禮拜。
藉由這麼作，
子女就能學習並效法他們的腳蹤。
Worshipping God in a family setting
is a viable channel for God’s word to
be passed on from one generation to
the next. God instructed the Israelites
to do just that. A father was to teach
his children to “set their hope in God
and not forget the works of God, but
keep His commandments” (Ps 78:7).
By establishing their own family altar,
families can preserve the faith of future
generations.
在家裡的環境中敬拜神，
是一個可行的管道，把神的話語從上一代傳到下一代。
神命令以色列人，正是要這麼作。
父親必需要教導子女，
7好叫他們仰望神，不忘記神的作為，惟要守他的命令。
(詩 78：7)
藉由建立自已的家庭祭壇，
家庭就能保存下一代的信仰。
A fine example was Timothy, Paul’s
companion. His genuine faith dwelt first
in his grandmother and mother (2 Tim
1:5). Through godly parental influence,
he was able sustain a genuine faith.
提摩太就是一個很好的例子，他是保羅的同伴。
一開始他真正的信仰，是從祖母和母親身上建立起來的。
(提後 1：5)
因為有敬虔父母的影響，
他才能夠維持真正的信仰。
Bridge the family gap 彌合家中的代溝
A family altar is important because it
helps to bridge the generation gap
at home. Today, family members lack
sufficient personal interaction as they
struggle through grueling schedules and
commitments. Parents may complain that
they hardly see their children and likewise,
children lament that their parents barely
spend any quality time with them! This
is becoming very common in the world
today.
家庭祭壇很重要，
因為可以在家中，彌合代溝。
今日，家人都缺乏個人之間的互動，
因為大家都在努力為各種累人的排程和責任奮鬥。
父母或許會抱怨，自已幾乎很難看見自已的子女，
而子女也有同樣的想法，
子母則哀嘆著，自已的父母幾乎都沒有發任何寶貴的時間和他們在一起！
在今日的世界上，這種情況已經變得很平常了。
Undeniably, both younger and older
family members have their personal needs
and problems. Parents are confronted
with financial and work pressure, while
children deal with their own issues. If
such issues remain unaddressed, there
may be breakdowns of communication
straining the bond within the family.
不可否的，不論是年長或是年幼的家人，
都有他們自已的需要和問題。
父母會面對到經濟及工作上的壓力，
而子女則要處理他們自已的問題。
若這些問題都沒有說出來，
或許會有溝通方面的失敗，
讓家中的連結變弱了。
For this reason, maintaining a family
altar is essential to creating a strong family
bond. Family altar time should be quality
time, during which we can share our
problems openly as well as remind and
reassure each other of God’s providence,
presence and involvement in our family.
In this way we will focus on worshipping
God only, instead of using such time to
criticize church members, focus on church
problems or expressing grievances during
our family worship time.
因為這個原因，維持家庭祭壇是至關重要的，
為了可以營造出家中堅固的連結。
家庭祭壇應該是寶貴的時間，
在那個時候，我們可以公開分享個人的問題，
同時也彼此提醒，在我們家中，
主必預備，主會同在，主的安排，可以讓大家安心。
只有這種方式，我們才會只注意敬拜神，
而不是在這家庭禮拜的時間，
用這樣的時間，來批評教會的信徒，
討論教會的問題，表達個人的哀傷。
More importantly, as a Christian family,
we must set our hearts and home right,
evaluate our priorities in life and “set
our minds on things above” (Col 3:2).
When there is good communication, a
healthy family altar will strengthen the
bond within the family, bridging the gap
between parents and children.
更重要的是，身為基督徒的家庭，
我們一定要有自已正確的想法，
也要把家建立好，
衡量自已生活中的優先順序，
2你們要思念上面的事。
(西 3：2)
只有要好的溝通，
一個健全的家庭祭壇就會加強家中彼此的親密連結，
彌合在父母和子女之間的代溝。
Offer prayers at the family altar
在家庭的祭壇中，獻上禱告
“A family that prays together stays
together”
"一起禱告的家庭，就會聯合在一起"
Praying together as a family shows its
unity in faith. For this reason we must
regularly dedicate time from our busy
schedules and gather to pray as a family.
Such prayers are a prudent way to remind
family members of God’s presence and
involvement in our lives. As Christians,
our house must be a house of prayer
where we develop a union with God and
man.
以一個家來一起禱告，
可以表現在信仰上的聯合。
因為這個原因，
我們一定要從每日非常忙碌的生活排程中，
定期的排出專門的時間，以一家人集中在一起禱告。
這樣的禱告，是一種謹慎的方式，
可以提醒家人，神的同在和生活中神的安排。
身為基督徒，，我們的家，一定要是一個禱告之家，
在其中我們可以和神與人，產生聯合。
Praying together plays a significant
role during family worship. As we pray
together, our whole family builds a closer
relationship with God. We can seek God’s
guidance, assurance and blessings. In
times of crisis, we can bring our family
problems to the Lord’s attention by
praying in one accord. Doing so shows
our personal conviction that we are
intimately connected with Him and that
He is the force, which binds the family
much closer together.
家庭禮拜中，一起禱告扮演很重要的角色。
因為我們一起禱告，全家都能和神，建立緊密的關係。
我們可以尋求神的帶領，神的保証和祝福。
在危機的時候，我們可以把家中的問題，
藉由同心禱告，拿到神面前求神注意。
這麼作代表了，我們個人都深信，
自已與神有親密的連結，
也深信神有力量，可以把整個家更加緊緊的連結在一起。
Moreover, we should also cultivate the
spirit of intercession within our family.
Apart from praying for our family, we
should also intercede for our fellow
brothers and sisters in Christ who may
be encountering personal or health
problems. Additionally, we can intercede
for our church leaders and ministers, as
all are in dire need of God’s abidance
and guidance. Setting our hearts and
minds together in prayer also unites and
strengthens the family bond through the
Spirit of God.
不僅如此，我們應該在自已的家中，
營造彼此代禱的精而。
除了為自已的家禱告之外，
我們也應該為自已基督裡的弟兄姐妹代禱，
他們或許面對了個人的困難和健康的問題。
除此之外，我們可以為教會的領導人和長執代禱，
因為大家都極度需要，神的同在和帶領。
在禱告中，把我們的內心和想法統一在一起，
也可以把家中的連結，經過神聖靈的帶領，
加以聯合和加添力量。
Therefore let us pray earnestly and
“without ceasing” (1 Thess 5:17), that
the peace of God may guard our hearts
and minds through Christ Jesus (Phil.
4:6-7).
所以讓我們逼切及"不住的禱告"，
7神所賜的平安必在基督耶穌裡保守你們的心懷意念。
(腓 4：6-7)
SETTING UP THE FAMILY ALTAR 建立家庭的祭壇
Setting up a family altar involves every
family member’s cooperation and
participation, which requires personal
dedication and sacrifice.
建立家庭祭壇，牽扯了每個家人一起合作和參與，
也需要個人獨自的奉獻和犧牲。
Fixed and convenient time 固定時間及自由的時間
Family members should agree on the
most suitable time for having family altar.
While it may not be easy to arrange a set
time, family members must be willing to
sacrifice and work together to find the
most suitable time. Families should avoid
evenings when there are ongoing church
services. Ideally, it should be a daily
practice, but realistically, families should
strive to have family altar at least once
a week.
家人應該同意在一家最合適的時間，
大家一起來進行家庭祭壇的活動。
雖然或許沒有那麼容易安排一個固定的時間，
家人一定要願意一起犧牲和努力，
來找出最合適的時間。
每個家庭都應該避免晚間的時候，
因為那個時間會進行教會的聚會。
最理想的狀況，就是每天都要有活動，
但是要符合現實合理的安排，
整個家都要努力一起來舉行家庭祭壇，
最少一週一次。
Program 活動安排
Family worship can be less formal than
church services, but must be reverent.
It should not be too rigid, but can be
flexible instead. The service should be
more interactive and lively rather than
didactic. Despite being less formal, family
worship must never lose its purpose or
direction.
家庭聚會，可以比教會聚會，少一點正式。
不應該太過硬梆梆，
但相對的應有些彈性。
聚會的性質應該有更多的互動，活潑的，
而不是以說教的形式進行。
雖然少了一點正式，
但家庭禮拜一定不可以失去其目標及方向。
Our program should be designed and
tailored to suit the needs of the family
members. We may study and discuss
certain passages of the Bible, share from
hymns or study a character from the Bible.
Family members can also utilize this time
to deepen their understanding of the ten
basic beliefs. For the younger members,
memorizing Bible verses, learning the Ten
Commandments and sharing favorite
verses can be an appealing activity as we
encourage them to read, understand and
commit the word of God into their hearts.
設計活動的時候，應該精心安排符合家人的需要。
我們或許可以研讀及討論某些聖經經節，
由詩歌內容來分享，或是研討聖經裡面的人物。
家人也可以利用這個時間，
來加深對十大信條的了解。
對年輕的家人而言，
記住聖經經節，學習十誡，分享自已喜愛的經節，
都是很吸引人的活動，
因為我們鼓勵他們閱讀，了解，
對神的話交託在他們的心中。
Duration 持續的時間
The length of each family service depends
on the children’s age group as well as the
family members’ level of spirituality. While
the length of the service is secondary, the
quality of the time spent is essential. It
also should not be rushed, for the length
of time depends upon the spiritual needs
of the family.
每個家庭聚會的時間要多長，
決定於子女的年齡層，及家人的屬靈程度。
雖然聚會的時間長度是比較次要的，
而時間利用的精緻度，則至關重要。
所以不應該很趕，
時間的長度決定於整個家庭屬靈的需求。
WHO SHOULD TAKE THE
INITIATIVE?
誰要一開始來帶頭？
The family altar must first be rooted in
the hearts of the parents. The father,
the head of the household, must take
the initiative to plan and lead the family
service.
家庭祭壇一定首先要在父母的心中札根．
父親是整個家的頭，一定要主動來規劃，帶領家庭聚會。
God has entrusted parents, particularly
fathers, with the responsibility to oversee
their children’s faith. If as parents, we
succeed in establishing a family altar,
our children will have deeply rooted
reverence, trust and love for God.
Therefore, we should teach our children
to fulfill their duty to God and obey
His voice and commands (Deut 30:2).
We should be role models, so that our
children can imitate us in faith, love and
moral integrity.
神已經交話父母，特別是父親，
有責任來監督子女的信仰，
若身為父母，我們可以成功建立家庭祭壇，
子女對神，就會有深入札根，敬畏神，信靠神，敬愛神。
所以，我們應該教導子女，完成自已對神的責任，
聽從祂的指示和命令。
(申 30：2)
我們扮演好模範，
這樣子女在信仰，愛和正直的品德上，效法我們。
Parents can seek their children’s
participation in leading part or all of the
family service, but the father must always
remain as the spiritual overseer. Giving
children an opportunity to lead at home
trains their leadership skills and selfconfidence,
which in turn prepares them
to serve as future leaders in the church.
父母可以請子女參與帶領聚會，
或是聚會全部的事情，
但是父親總要一直保持成為屬靈的監督。
讓子女在家有機會帶領，
可以訓練他們的領導技能和自信心，
接著就可以準備讓他們在教會中，未來可以服事神。
All family members should have the
chance to contribute to family worship
because each one must be appreciated
for their dedication and service to God.
全部的家人，都應該有機會來為家庭聚會付出，
因為每個人都應該為了他們的付出及服事神的工作，
而得到感謝。
OVERCOMING HINDRANCES 搭服阻礙
There is much to gain in building a family
altar, because it is a symbol of God’s
existence in our home. Church worship is
still of prime importance but we should
not undervalue the importance of family
worship. Our Christian faith instilled in
church must be reinforced at home. Yet
why do we often neglect to do so?
建立家庭祭壇，是有很多東西可以得到的，
因為這在我們家中，是神同在的象徵。
教會聚會，仍是最重要的，
但是我們也不要低估了家庭聚會的重要性。
我們基督徒的信仰可以在教會中，得到昇華，
就必要在家裡再重新夷加強。
然而，為何我們時常忽略了家庭聚會呢？
We always seem to encounter
setbacks. A common hindrance is time,
or a lack thereof. Today, due to our
hectic schedules, it seems impossible to
gather the parents and children together.
Parents often attend to house chores after
work and children are burdened with
schoolwork and extracurricular activities.
我們似乎總會遇到挫折。
常見的阻礙就是沒有時間。
今日因為我們忙碌的日常生活排程，
似乎很難聚集父母子女在一起。
父母下班後，常常要作家中的雜事，
子女則是背負著功課和課外活動的重擔。
However, we must not allow such
drawbacks to be excuses that deter
us from building a family altar. Many
families can find time to congregate to
watch their favorite television programs
but are sadly unable to gather for family
worship. Such action poses as a serious
threat to our faith. If we have a sincere
desire to worship God together, we will
make the effort to improve upon our time
management and discipline, prioritizing
our time to build a family altar.
然而，我們一定不可以允許這樣的阻礙，
成為藉口，來延緩我們建立家庭祭壇。
許多家庭都能找到時間聚集在一起，看最愛的電視節目，
但是很可惜的是，不能聚集在一起家庭聚會。
這樣的行為，就對信仰產很嚴重的威脅。
若我們真誠的想要一起敬拜神，
就會努力改進自已的時間管理，和自已的紀律，
會把自已時間的優先順序，留給家庭祭壇。
Another setback is the undervalued
importance of family altar. We may find
ourselves thinking that attending Sabbath
services and participating in church events
are sufficient. There is often reluctance or
a lack of enthusiasm, particularly among
teenagers who think that family worship
would further diminish their leisure time.
As parents, we must therefore impress
upon our children that family altar time
is a priority because it is God’s command
(cf. Deut 6:7). We also need to teach
and remind them of God’s blessings if
our family worship is pleasing to Him. As
children come to understand the value
of and willingly support family worship,
God will surely bless the family with His
abiding presence, peace, love, and joy
when we worship together.
另一種阻礙，就是低估家庭祭的重要性。
我們或許會發現自已認為，
參加安息日聚會，參加教會活動就足夠了。
常常人是不情不願，沒有熱情的，
特吸在青少年之中，他們認為家庭聚會，
會更進一步減少自已空閒的時間。
身為父母，所以我們一定給子女加強印象，
家庭祭壇的時間，一定要最優先的，
因為這是神的命令。
(參考，申 6：7)
我們也要教導他們，提醒他們神的祝福，
若我們的家庭聚會可以讓他喜悅。
隨著子女可以了解家庭聚會的價值，
願意來幫忙家庭聚會。
神就一定會祝福這個家庭，
讓家中有神同在，有平安，有慈愛，有喜樂，
只要我們一起敬拜神。
GOD WILL HELP US BUILD THE
ALTAR
神會幫我們建立祭壇
“Unless the Lord builds the house, They
labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord
guards the city, The watchman stays awake
in vain.” (Ps 127:1)
1（所羅門上行之詩。）若不是耶和華建造房屋，建造的人就枉然勞力；
若不是耶和華看守城池，看守的人就枉然警醒。
(詩 127：1)
Building a family altar is a much
needed spiritual discipline and should be
a priority in every family. While it may be
challenging to build a family altar, with
sincere commitment, ardent prayers,
and an unwavering faith, God will abide
with us to build a successful family altar.
No hindrances are insurmountable if
we diligently seek after the Lord with
a humble heart and are empowered by
the Holy Spirit. Undoubtedly, it will be a
milestone in the spiritual advancement
of the True Jesus Church, if every family
is able to build a strong family altar—an
altar that God would patently approve of
and bless.
建立家庭祭壇，是屬靈上非常有需要的操練，
不論那一個家庭，都應該是最優先。
雖然要建立家庭祭壇，或許很有挑戰性，
若是願意真誠的投入其中，逼切的禱告，及不動搖的信心，
神就會與我們同在，可以建立一個成功的家庭祭壇。
若我們用謙卑的心，得到聖靈的力量，
殷勤地尋求神，就沒有阻礙是不能克服的。
毫無疑問的，這就必是真耶穌教會，
在屬靈程度的進步上，一個值的紀念的時刻，
若每個家庭都能建立強大的家庭祭壇 -
就是神會明顯地同意及祝福的家庭祭壇。
小頁 markvmax@hotmail.com
歡迎主內同靈來信加入翻譯
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