天 國 宴 會
Kingdom Feast
Chinese Fellowship
牧羊人真不容易!
我 必 立 一 牧 人 照 管 他 们 ， 牧 养 他 们 ， 就 是 我 的 仆 人 大 卫 。 他 必 牧 养 他 们 ， 作 他 们 的 牧 人 。以 西 結 書 34:23
前 天 我 们 去 了 许 诺 公 元 的 小 优 圣 美 地 . 那 天 的 天 气 又 晴 朗 又 暖和 . 四 十 多 人 上 午 十 一 点 在教 会 的 停 车 场 聚 集 了 . 祷 告 之 后 我 们 都 上 了 车 准 备 开 过 去 . 大 家 都 有 了 地 图 . 手 几 电 话 号 码 都 存 在 名 单 上 . 三 十 分 钟 的 路 程 一 眼 而 过 . 到 公 元 门 口 的 时 候 我 们 才 发现 手几 都 没 有 信 号 . 四个 家 庭 的 车 都 没 有 看 到 . 几 家 人 马 上 就 开 始 走 那 条 向 小 优 圣 美 地 的 道 路 . 我 在 停 车 场 等 还 没 有 到 的 车 . 那 时 候 我 开 始 祷 告 . “ 神 阿! 牧 羊 人 真 不 容 易 ! 请 带 领 我 ! ”
明 天 欧 巴 马 就 开 始 任 总 统 . 我 们 这 一 代 人 的 期 望 是 非 常 高 的 . 战 争 要 停 住 . 经 济 要 恢 复 . 美 国 在 国 外 的 名 誉 要 有 好 转 . 不 过 我 们 也 知 道 我 们 美 国 人 的 期 待 各 个 不 一 样 . 同 性 恋 的 平 等 和 我 的 道 德 有 很 大 的 区 别. 妇 女 人 权 和 胎 儿 人 权 有 很 大 的 区 别 . “ 神 阿 ! 牧 羊 人 真 不 容 易 ! 请 带 领 欧 巴 马 ! ”
我 作 牧 师 的 指 南 记 在 旧 约 圣 经 里 的 以 西 結 書 34 章 . 请 读 者 来 看 . 以 西 結 是 公 元 前 车 之 鉴 650 年 写 的 . 那 时 候 的 优 太 人 的 领 袖 都 非 常 腐 败 . 他 们 都 虐 待 优 太 老 百 姓 . 通 过 以 西 結 的 笔 , 神 答 应 惩 罚 他 们 而 援 救 祂 的 子 民 . 我 每 次 看 到 这 段 经 文 我 就 希 奇 地 祷 告 : ” 神 阿 ! 牧 羊 人 为 什 么 有 这 么 难 ? 祢 为 什 么 愿 意 降 下 来 为 了 拯 救 我 们 呢 ? 谢 谢 祢 没 有 撇 下 我 们 ! ”
在许诺 公元我迷失之羊越来越分散.五个家庭觉得带餐上小优圣美地太远. 他们就回头来到停车场吃饭.五个家庭往前跑,但是他们没有去过那里.非常容易走过而进入公元的旷野荒地.而且那五个家
庭领我的小黑狗跟他们一起走.我就开始追赶他们.我才追到最后两个人,他们已经过了小优圣美地.我就带领那十个人还有
我的小狗坐在小优圣美地的安歇的溪水边.然后我就跑回停车场要带领那里的二十个人过来.来回跑有四公里左右.我带领那
二十个人过来的时候,原来的六个人已经走了.道路上也没有碰到他们还有我的小狗! 我们二十个人按时回到停车场,但是那迷失的六个人没有在.我安排那二十个人上车回教会.我自己等那六个人下山.我在寻找他
们的时候,我也遇到原来没有到公元 家庭.但是那六个迷失的家庭还没有找着.我上了山区为了得手几的信号.那信号拿到了但是那六个迷失的人还有
我的狗都没有接电话.
我真的无可奈何.我就站在车的附近. 公元下午五点关门.那六个迷失的人440就回到停车场.我高兴的不得了.我们平平安安地回家了.
弟兄姐妹阿,我们都是神所创造而救赎的子民. 我求神带领我们这些不好牧羊的迷失的人平平安安地回天家.
Why is Shepherding People So Hard?
My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them. So I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. Ezekiel 34:6,23
On January 17, our Chinese Fellowship went on an outing to Sunol Park’s Little Yosemite. Over forty of us gathered at the church, passed out maps and cell phone numbers and set off in our cars. It was a beautiful day as we left the city for a day of fun and adventure. The fun ended and the adventure started when our cell phones lost reception in valley. Four of the families that left the church with us were nowhere to be seen. While we waited, some of the families decided to get a head start and headed up the trail. As I stayed behind to wait for the others, I prayed, “Dear God, why is shepherding people so difficult! I need your help!”
Tomorrow, Barack Obama will be inaugurated as President of the United States. I have hopes that with Obama as president, our wars will end. I have hopes that with Obama as president, our economy will improve. I have hopes that with Obama as president our nation’s reputation among the family of nations will improve. I have hopes, but I also know that shepherding people is difficult. I know that my definition of morality is defined by others as hatred. I know that my definition of human rights is defined by others as a woman’s right to choose. I pray, and I ask everyone to pray for
President Obama, because shepherding people is difficult!
One of my favorite guides on what it means to be a pastor is found in Ezekiel 34. Read it for yourself! Ezekiel was written at the time of the Babylonian captivity. The leaders of Judah were corrupt, and God’s words through Ezekiel promised that God would punish the evil leaders and save his people. It was both a powerful warning and also an amazing promise. The people of Judah were hard to shepherd, so the shepherds took advantage of the people. Why would God get involved in such a mess? Moreover, why would God leave his throne to come down and live in the midst of people who were impossible to shepherd, and even give his life for his sheep? Our shepherd’s love is amazing!
Meanwhile, back at Sunol Regional Park, my shepherding skills were going from bad to worse. My split flock of those walking on the trail and those still driving on the road split once again. Some of those on the trail turned back thinking Little Yosemite was too far to carry our lunch. Others, including the family with my dog, kept going, but had no idea where Little Yosemite was. From the parking lot, I ran the two kilometers up to Little Yosemite and found some people had already passed it and were heading into the back corner of the park miles from the car. I shepherded those first ten to the creekside known as Little Yosemite and ran back to the parking lot to shepherd the other twenty. By the time, I arrived with the other twenty, six of the first ten, including the family with my dog, was nowhere to be seen. At 3:30, I got back to the cars with the 24 remnants of our group of forty. I sent them back to Fremont while I stayed behind to search for the lost. In searching around the parking area, I found six people who had made it to the park, but never found the group by the Little Yosemite Trail. But no sign of the six lost people, and my dog. I climbed a hillside to find a cell phone signal and called the lost families. There was no answer. I asked. I walked. I looked. I prayed. But no sign of the six lost people, and my dog. At 5:00 p.m. the park gates would be shut for the night. At 4:42, the six lost people and my dog arrived at the car. I was overjoyed. Everyone had safely returned. We relived the fun and adventure of our trip as we drove safely back to Fremont.
Brothers and sisters, the God who created us and gave his only Son to redeem us lost sheep will never give up his search. I pray that all of us who are so difficult to shepherd would be guided safely back by our loving shepherd to our heavenly home.