Message From The Pastor for May 4

Message from the Pastor Seventh Sunday of Easter
What is Easter? Easter is God telling us He is living and is present with us. When a man is desperate he cries to God. But sometimes God seems so far away He does not hear. Theologian Paul Tillich said, “It is the spirit of God that removes God from our sight.” But if we cry to Him in faith, He will return and take the empty space within us which is His space. On the first Easter day the disciples were scared and afraid. They locked themselves up in the upper room. But Jesus appeared and pronounced peace to be with them. He broke bread and shared Holy Communion with them. Their eyes were opened and their hearts were filled with joy. This is only one part of the story. The other part consists of all those other times in between when God seems to have evaporated from our lives. We find ourselves insecure and sometimes afraid. We sense the uneasiness like that of a child who suddenly has lost her mother in the crowded super-market. We are tempted to panic. Jesus understands. He finds it necessary to explain, “A little while and ye shall not see me, and again, a little while and ye shall see me.” No parent, including God can pamper his child if the youngster is to develop. God is never far away from us. Our loving parents who have left us at home alone for the first time have not abandoned us. He still loves us and cares for us, and underneath are his everlasting arms. What is Easter? Easter is the promise that God will never leave us and his promise has been fulfilled.
牧者信息分享
復活節是做甚麼的？復活節是告訴我們上帝活著並且離我們不遠。古語有云：人窮則呼天，痛則呼父母。但有時候，上帝好像離我們很遠聽不見我們的呼聲。神學家保羅田立克說：神的靈令我們見不到祂。若我們肯在靈裏呼求祂，祂會回來填補我們的空虛。復活節證實了耶穌沒有拋棄門徒。他們躲在樓房瑟縮懼怕，復活主來到他們中間，賜他們平安並與他們擘餅分享聖餐。但在此之前和之後，覺得上帝離開我們的感受還是常有的。好像小孩在超級市場失去了媽媽一樣。這個時候我們就要知道，我們並不孤單。耶穌了解，所以祂說：等不多時，你們就不得見我；再等不多時，你們還要見我。神暫時離開我們是要叫我們學習獨立。沒有父母終日抱著孩子可以叫他成長的。第一次父母離家留下孩子時，孩子要知道父母保護的手還是一直在托著他們。有時候上帝暫時離開我們，不愉快的事發生，我們就以為是不是自己做錯事，或者是上帝對我們不好，形成自咎，自責或自憐。這都是不必要的。我們應該用喜樂和信心來渡過這些日子。復活節是甚麼？復活節就是上帝答應我們，祂必不離開我們的事實，已經得到證明了。