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Pastor's Corner by Larry Tong

October, 2006

During this time every year, we are busy putting together a group of brothers and sisters to serve as church officers for the next two years. This year is no exception. While we are preparing to engage in new challenges for the upcoming year, and finishing up what needs to be done for the rest of this year, we also need to once again remind ourselves that ministries are not performance-based. This is particularly important for church leaders (officers) to remember.

I went to a Church Growth Conference one time and attended a special workshop in the area of “how to reduce stress in ministry.” I figured I needed to learn from the speaker with this kind of expertise. To my surprise, with the speaker was an assistant who acted like his personal attendant who followed and tended to his needs, including carrying his materials and putting his jacket on for him after he finished the workshop. What he said during the workshop made sense, but I could only look on with envy. I found myself thinking, if I had an assistant tending to all my personal needs, I probably wouldn’t have as much stress as I experience.

I’m not saying anything bad about the speaker, but serving in God’s eyes is very different from ours. The theme of the Gospel according to Mark is, “Jesus is the Humble Servant.” The author recorded Jesus relentlessly going from place to place addressing the needs of others. Jesus sought out the abandoned lepers, the sick and outcasts who longed to be accepted by society. If you want to know what ministry is all about, read Mark. Even our Lord, the God Incarnated, came to serve, and not to be served. How much more we should be as His disciples!

In our eyes, we measure “leadership greatness” by how successful we are in directing others, but in God’s eyes, “leadership greatness” is measured by the amount of love we have for others, and the willingness to roll up our sleeves and get “dirty” with others to do the “menial” jobs. Today, we measure success by the numbers of church attendance, by the size of the building, and by the variety of programs. This is quite a deviation from how God measures success. He measures success by the things we do for others. He looks for those who are willing to bend their knees to pick up a piece of litter that everyone else ignores on the floor or the kinds of work people often look upon as unimportant.

The road to greatness in God’s eyes is by way of self-forgetting. Jesus “forgot” and “forfeited” His place as God, and was therefore, willing to die on the cross so that you and I can walk on His cross to go to Heaven. As we are walking on His cross, let us not forget to bend our knees to feed the lambs of the flock, as Jesus commissioned Peter to do. Greatness is found in serving others with joy and love.

Before I sign off, I would like to encourage you to get involved in the Kingdom of God. It doesn’t matter whether you have a title of an officer or not, you are God’s servant, and therefore follow your Master’s example to humbly serve others. A reward is awaiting for you to claim: “Well done, good (better rendering is kind) and faithful servant . . . come and share your master’s happiness!”  

Pastor Larry

每年在這個時候，我們都是忙碌地選出一群弟兄姊妹作為未來兩年的教會職員，今年也不例外。當我們正努力完成今年的事工，和準備面對明年度的挑戰時，我們亦要提醒自己，事奉不是以表現來衡量，這對教會領袖﹝職員﹞來說，更要緊記。

我曾經參加在這地區舉行的一個主題為「如何減低在事奉中的壓力」的研討會，我希望想從講員的身上學習這方面的專長。但有一件事使我覺得奇怪是這位講員有他的私人助手，他跟著講員並且照顧他的需要，包括為講員提帶他的物品、在講員完成他的講習班後為他穿上外衣等。他所講的都合情合理，但我只能報以羨慕。我自己在想，如果我有一個私人助理來照顧我的需要，我可能沒有我現在所面對的那麼多壓力。

我不是要說講員的不是，但在神眼中的事奉與我們所看的大有分別。就馬可而言，福音的主題是「耶穌是那位謙卑的僕人」。作者不斷地記述耶穌到不同的地方來滿足人的需要，耶穌尋找被遺棄的痳瘋病人、患病的人、和那些被排斥而希望被社會接納的人。如果你想知道事奉是怎麼的一回事，請讀馬可福音吧！就算是神道成肉身我們的「主」，祂來是要服事，而不是受人的服事。我們是祂的門徒又應當如何呢？

在我們的眼中，領袖之偉大在乎我們如何去指揮別人；但在神的眼中，領袖之偉大是以我們對人的愛，和是否願意以身作則與人一起作奴僕的工作來衡量的。今天，我們往往以教會出席人數的多少、以建築物的大小、和不同的節目來衡量成功與否。這離開神的標準多遠啊！祂以我們為別人所做的事來衡量成功，祂看重那些拾起地上那片別人不以理會的垃圾，或是做一些別人時常不以為然的工作的人。

在神眼中，達至成功的路是在乎我們忘記自己。耶穌「忘記」及「放棄」祂的「神」性，所以，祂甘願死在十字架上，以至你和我可以走上祂的十字架去到天堂。當我們在祂的十字架道路時，讓我們不要忘記屈膝來餵養主的羊群，就好像耶穌吩咐彼得一樣。事奉的偉大是在乎喜樂和有愛心地服事別人。

在我擱筆前，我願意鼓勵你參與神國的事工。不論你是否有職員的職銜，你都是神的僕人；所以，跟隨你「主人」的榜樣來謙卑服事別人。獎賞是等著你去領取的：〝好，你這又良善又忠心的僕人…….可以進來享受你主人的快樂！〞

唐若愚牧師

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