11. Manna issue 88 - Evangelism: Inspired by Jesus: My Evangelistic Wedding 傳福音：受耶穌啟發：我的佈道婚禮
Mellisa Ho—Sunter, Indonesia 印尼巽特河 Mellisa Ho
MY THOUGHTS, NOT GOD’S THOUGHTS 人的意念，不是神的旨意
Most of us dream of one day finding that one person we love
—the one we will marry and live together with for the rest of our lives.
That sense of anticipation culminates on the wedding day,
which is the start of a shared life together.
It is no surprise that weddings are highly esteemed, pompously celebrated, and planned to perfection.
We even imagine the smallest of details, perhaps paying no attention to how much time or money it may cost.
我們大多數的人都會夢想著，有一天能夠找到一個自已所愛的人，
- 我們將與這個人結婚，並一起度過餘生。
那種期待感，會在婚禮當天達到頂點，
這就是共同生活的開始。
婚禮會受到高度重視，空前盛大的慶祝，規劃到完美無缺，這並不足為奇。
我們甚至可以會考慮到那最小的細節，但或許並不會注意到，它可能會花費多少時間或金錢。
I was no different.
A beautiful wedding dress, a wedding venue lavishly decorated with luxurious flowers and sparkling crystal chandeliers,
an extravagant wedding cake in the shape of a small white castle,
hundreds of lavish and sumptuous banquet dishes,
with strains of romantic arias in the background
—that was my dream wedding.
Such a wedding was not going to be easy to achieve,
but my then-fiance and I were willing to save up to make our dream a reality.
我也不例外。
美麗的婚紗，華麗的婚禮場地，佈置著毫奢大氣的鮮花，垂吊著閃閃發亮的水晶吊燈，
還有極度誇張奢華白色小城堡造形的婚禮蛋糕，
佈滿幾百道的高檔華麗的宴會菜餚，
搭配著一連串安排的浪漫抒情音樂為背景，
—那才是我夢幻中的婚禮啊。
要舉辨這樣形式的婚禮，絕非容易之舉，
但當時我和未婚夫，願意積攢儲蓄，好讓夢想成真。
It was a truth universally acknowledged: weddings had to be this way.
Or so I thought…
這是一個普遍公認的真理：婚禮必須這樣。
或者我是這麼想的……
In the months before my wedding,
as my fiance and I were chatting with other brothers and sisters about their wedding experiences,
we were astonished to discover that several of them had nothing more extravagant than a simple church ceremony.
A preacher even suggested,
“Maybe it is not necessary to have a wedding feast.”
結婚前的幾個月裡，
當我和未婚夫，與其他弟兄姐妹聊起他們的婚禮經歷時，
我們驚訝地發現，他們中許多人所擁有的，是那比沒有任何事物更加奢侈的，簡單的教會婚禮。
甚至有一位傳道建議，
“或許沒必要辦婚宴吧。”
No feasting and no banquet?
I had always thought that a banquet was an integral part of any wedding
—it would be strange not to have one.
My wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, I thought.
It should be perfect!
不招待大家，不準備宴席？
我一直認為，宴會是任何婚禮不可或缺的一部分
—若真的沒有婚宴，就真的很奇怪。
我認為，自已的婚禮是一生一次的體驗。
應該要辨得很完美才對！
What should I do?
What does God really want me to do?
My thoughts were in disarray
—torn between having my dream wedding and the simple wedding that everyone around me espoused.
I thought that I was not strong enough to let go of my dream wedding.
However, as I look back and reflect,
I realize the truth of this Bible verse:
我該怎麼辦呢？
神真正要我做什麼？
我的思緒一片混亂
—在我的夢幻婚禮，和周圍大家都支持的簡單婚禮之間，掙扎著。
我以為自已會不夠堅強，而無法放棄夢幻的婚禮。
然而，當我回顧和反省的時候，
我明白這節聖經經文的真理：
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.”
(Isa 55:8–9)
8耶和華說：我的意念非同你們的意念；我的道路非同你們的道路。
9天怎樣高過地，照樣，我的道路高過你們的道路；我的意念高過你們的意念
(賽 55：8-9)
UNDERSTANDING FROM GOD 從神而來的領悟
These thoughts were running through my mind as I attended several wedding banquets held by relatives and friends.
Then, the most peculiar thing happened:
my feelings began to change.
Attending those banquets,
I felt a deep sense of emptiness and lack of meaning.
The more banquets I attended, the stronger this feeling grew.
當我參加了幾場親友的婚宴時，這些想法在我腦海中閃過。
然後，最奇葩的事情發生了：
我的感覺開始改變。
參加了那些婚宴，
我感到深深的空虛及毫無意義。
參加了宴會越多，這種感覺就越加強烈。
It was confusing and unnerving.
I asked myself, Why do I no longer feel the same joy and desire for my own dream wedding?
I prayed and asked God what these feelings meant.
這令人困惑和不安。
我問自己，為什麼我不再對自己夢幻婚禮，感到同樣的喜悅和渴望？
我祈禱並求問神，這些感覺代表了什麼呢。
I said in my heart,
“Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure”;
but surely, this also was vanity.
(Eccl 2:1)
1我心裡說：來罷，我以喜樂試試你，你好享福！誰知，這也是虛空。
(傳 2：1)
If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above,
where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.
Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
(Col 3:1–2)
1所以，你們若真與基督一同復活，就當求在上面的事；那裡有基督坐在神的右邊。
2你們要思念上面的事，不要思念地上的事。
(西 3：1-2)
God is truly miraculous.
In the midst of my confusion towards my change of heart,
He gave me a clearer understanding.
I started to question myself: Why did I want a wedding feast?
Was it because I wanted to be the “princess of the day,” the fairest of them all?
All eyes would be on me, as the center of attention, for all to admire.
But if so, where do I place my Lord Jesus?
神真的很奇妙。
在我對心意變化感到迷茫的時候，
祂讓我有了更清晰的認識。
我開始自問：我為什麼想要辦婚宴？
難道是因為我想成為“當日最閃耀的公主”，成為大家中間那位最美麗的新娘嗎？
所有人的目光都會集中在我身上，成為關注的焦點，
讓大家很羨慕。
但如果只是這樣，我把自已的主耶穌的位置，放在哪裡呢？
I came to realize that, after being baptized as God’s child,
“I” am no longer the most important.
We should always put God first whatever the situation, even on our wedding day.
We should walk a God-centered life,
“[f]or [we] were bought at a price;
therefore [we ought to] glorify God in [our] body and in [our] spirit,
which are God’s”
(1 Cor 6:20).
This way, our life will not be empty and full of vanity.
我逐漸明白，受洗成為神的子女後，
“我”不再是最重要的。
不論在任何情況之下，我們都應該始終以神為優先，即使那是我們的結婚日。
我們應該過以神為中心的生活，
20因為你們[我們]是重價買來的。
所以，要在你們[我們應該]的[我們的]身子上榮耀神。
(林前 6：20)
只有這樣，我們的生活才不會空虛，充滿虛空。
MY WEDDING, A CHANNEL FOR MY GOD 我的婚禮，成為神的通路
After a great struggle, God finally changed my heart,
and I no longer wanted that girlish “dream wedding” anymore.
Instead, I wanted to do something meaningful for God.
經過一番激烈的掙扎，神終於改變了我的心，
我不再想要那少女般的“夢幻婚禮”了。
相反地，我想為神做一些有意義的事情。
As I pondered on how to have a meaningful wedding,
a thought suddenly came to mind.
I recalled a sister and her husband once told me
their dream wedding was an “evangelistic wedding service.”
This was because, during a matrimonial service,
many family members and friends willingly come to church,
like “fish happily swimming into the net.”
It would be an excellent opportunity to preach the gospel to them.
This felt like a eureka moment,
as if the Lord Jesus were telling me that this is the type of wedding He wanted me to have.
正當我在思考如何舉辦一場有意義婚禮的時候，
一個念頭突然湧上心頭。
我記得一位姐妹和她的丈夫曾經告訴我，
他們夢想中的婚禮是“婚禮佈道”。
這是因為，在婚禮聚會的時候，
許多家人和朋友都願意進來教會，
就像“魚很快樂地游進網中”。
這將是向他們傳福音的絕佳機會。
這種感覺就好像是靈光一現，
好像主耶穌在告訴我，這就是祂所要我辦的那種婚禮。
Moreover, if we did not have a separate banquet in another venue after the wedding service,
all of our guests would have to come to church.
They can learn about and experience worshipping in the True Jesus Church.
As the Bible says:
而且，如果我們婚禮聚會結束後，沒有再另外的會場單獨舉辦婚宴，
我們所有的客人就都要來教堂。
他們可以在真耶穌教會中，學習體驗聚會敬拜。
正如聖經所說：
Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season.
Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
(2 Tim 4:2)
2務要傳道，無論得時不得時，總要專心；並用百般的忍耐，各樣的教訓，責備人、警戒人、勸勉人。
(提後 4：2)
My fiance supported the idea, and we reorganized our plans
so that we could have an evangelistic wedding service.
Throughout this whole process,
it felt like God was guiding us each step of the way.
我的未婚夫贊同這個想法，我們重組織了計劃
這樣我們就可以有一個佈道婚禮聚會。
在這整個過程中，
感覺就像神在引導我們走每一步。
IMPLEMENTING OUR PLANS 執行計畫
To start off, we had to explain the concept of an evangelistic wedding service
to the officiating preacher and the members who would be helping to organize the big day.
Firstly, we requested that the sermon message during the ceremony be changed
to emphasize how man needs Jesus and the truth.
Secondly, we requested that the choir presentation and hymns be themed on God’s love, and man’s need for God.
Thirdly, we invited a brother and a sister to share testimonies,
under the guise of “speeches from the friends of the bride and groom.”
My fiance even prepared a testimony on how God’s grace had led us to that moment.
Fourthly, we prepared evangelistic pamphlets,
a ten basic beliefs flyer, and a pen as our wedding souvenirs.
Last of all, we recruited brothers and sisters as ushers,
to accompany and preach the gospel to our non-believing friends and relatives
during the post-ceremony lunch at church.
We even went to the extent of preparing seating plans
and providing background information on target guests.
一開始，我們要說明佈道婚禮聚會的想法，
給主持聚會的傳教道及信徒，他們會來幫助舉辨這個重要日子。
首先，我們要求婚禮的講道稍作修改，
強調人類是多麼需要耶穌和真理。
其次，我們要求，詩班獻唱及挑選的讚美詩，要以神的愛及人類需要神，為主題。
第三，我邀請了一位弟兄和一位姊妹來作見證，
以“新郎新娘朋友的角色發言”作為藉口。
我的未婚夫甚至準備了見証，說明神是如何以恩典帶領我們走到這一刻。
第四，我們準備了很多福音小冊子，
十大基本信條的傳單，及贈送一支筆，作為我們的婚禮紀念品。
最後，我們徵求兄弟姐妹，作為招待員，
在教會婚禮會後午餐期間，
給我們未信的親朋好友作陪伴及傳福音。
我們甚至詳細到準備了座位安排表的程度，
並且事先準備了目標來賓的背景信息。
Initially, we were really anxious because this evangelistic wedding concept was very different,
and had never been done in our local church before.
I was afraid to ask the church to help with our plans,
but God gave me the courage to go ahead.
By the grace of God, the evangelistic team were very supportive
and more than willing to assist with our wedding plans.
I thank God that He gave me the strength to carry out His will for me.
起初，我們真的很緊張，因為這次的婚禮佈道想法真的很困難，
而且以前從來沒有在我們的本地的教會這樣做過。
我有些害怕，來請求教會幫助我們執行計劃，
但是神給了我繼續前進的勇氣。
靠著神的恩典，佈道團隊非常支持，
並且比我們自已執行婚禮計劃還更加積極來幫忙。
我很感謝神，祂給了我力量，來執行祂在我身上的旨意。
My fiance and I pressed on with our plans and, praise the Lord, the wedding went smoothly!
Afterwards, one of the non-believing guests shared with one of the ushers
that he was touched by the ceremony
and would be willing to return to attend church service.
我和我的未婚夫繼續執行我們的計劃，感謝主，婚禮進行得很順利！
之後，一位未信的來賓向招待員分享，
他被婚禮的儀式感動了，
並且願意回來參加教會的聚會。
The “evangelistic wedding” also edified the members,
and many even started encouraging young couples to do likewise.
Rather than spending our money to glorify ourselves,
it would be better if we use it to bring glory to our Lord Jesus Christ instead.
Sometimes we have to take a step back and reflect on our true intentions
and the underlying desires that we are seeking to satisfy.
“佈道婚禮”也造就了許多信徒，
許多人甚至開始鼓勵年輕夫婦也這樣做。
與其花費自已的錢來榮耀自己，
若相反的，我們能用它來榮耀我們的主耶穌基督，那就更好。
有時我們不得不退一步，好好反省自已的真實意圖，
以及我們直正想要尋求滿足的潛在慾望到底是什麼。
Remember, we have all been bought at a price,
and our lives are no longer ours
(1 Cor 6:19–20).
In all that we do, we ought to give glory to God
(1 Cor 10:31).
May all the glory, honor and praise be unto Him.
Amen.
記住，我們全部都是神重價買來的，
我們的生命並不屬於自已。
(林前 6：19-20)
在我們所作的一切事上，都要歸榮耀給神。
(林前 10：31)
願一切榮耀，尊貴，讚美，都歸予神。
阿們。
小頁 markvmax@hotmail.com
歡迎主內同靈來信加入翻譯
Manna 嗎哪 56 (1)