玉麟筆記 Yulin ‘s Note

『我所親愛所想念的弟兄們、你們就是我的喜樂、我的冠冕．我親愛的弟兄、你們應當靠主站立得穩。』（腓四1）

預備為主說話的時候，常常會有一張張弟兄姊妹的臉浮現出來，想著他們的難處、軟弱與限制，然後思考如何在話語中給他們安慰、扶持與供應。但是讀到這節聖經，才發現保羅的服事的確是高、是更屬靈的、是更屬天的。他想到弟兄姊妹，雖然也知道他們的難處（2節，友阿爹和循都基），但他心中所浮現的卻是：他們是我的喜樂、我的冠冕。心中突然有一種感覺：這裡寫書信的保羅不是孤單在獄中，在灰暗的光中書寫出他對弟兄姊妹的勸勉與關懷。不，環境不是他的阻攔，他乃是喜樂地與弟兄姊妹同在，將基督的生命豐富供應出去的保羅。

「一同」實在是過教會生活的秘訣。如果一節是一幅美麗的圖畫，二、三節就是實化這幅圖畫的路。雖然這裡保羅所說的是他的勸勉以及一些情形的描述，但是在這兩節中說到的「同心」，「同負一軛」，「一同勞苦」，「一同作工」，因為他們的名字「都」在生命冊上。這些豈不是我們過教會生活的秘訣？沒有這些的「同」，有怎能將弟兄姊妹真實的擺在心中，見證他們就是我的喜樂、我的冠冕？

昨天剛知道一位親戚被主接走，心中有一種說不出的憂傷。但是訝異、安慰與感動的是，她兒子在FB寫著：媽媽說：『請好好珍惜任何與家人在一起的時光。』哦，在家中需要珍惜這個「一起」，在教會生活中豈不也是？求主讓我們看見那幅美麗的圖畫，更求主帶領我們實際地走路，珍惜我們身旁的「喜樂」與「冠冕」。

“Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.” (Phil. 4:1, ESV)

When I prepare my messages, I usually think of many faces of the brothers and sisters. Considering their difficulties, weakness, or limitations, I’ll try to figure how to give them comforts, supports, and supply in my speech. Recently I read this verse and realized that how high, how heavenly, and how spiritual Paul’s service was. He thought of the brothers and sisters, knowing their difficulties (for Euodia and Syntyche, as mentioned in verse 2), and what came into his heart is that they are my joy and crown. I have a feeling that Paul did not write these lonely under the gloomy light of the prison. No, the environment is not his hindrance. It seems that I could see him dwelt among brothers and sisters, and joyfully supplied them rich life of Christ.

“Togetherness” should be the secret of our church life. If verse 1 is a beautiful picture, then verse 2~3 must be the way to realize such picture. Of course, these are Paul’s exhortation and description, but in these two verses he talked about some kind of togetherness using “the same mind”, “true companion”, “labored side by side with me”, “my fellow workers”, and “whose names are in the book of life”. This is actually the secret of the church life. Without togetherness, how can we really put the brothers and sisters in our hearts and declare that they are our joy and crown?

Yesterday I felt so sad because one of my relatives has passed away. But I was surprised and touched to see a post by her son in FB, “Mom says, “please treasure any moment that you are together with you family.”” Oh, the family needs to treasure such togetherness, but how about the church life? May the Lord open our eyes to see such beautiful picture among the brothers and sisters, and pray that He can lead us to walk practically to treasure the “joy and crown” beside us.