喪鐘為誰而鳴-約翰·唐恩

No man is an island,
entire of itself;
every man is a piece of the continent,
a part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less,
as well as if a promontory were,
as well as if a manor of thy friend’s or of thine own were:
any man’s death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind,
and, therefore,
never send to know for whom the bells tolls;
it tolls for thee.

-John Donne

 

沒有誰能像一座孤島
在大海裏獨踞
每個人都像一塊泥土
都是歐洲大陸的一部分

如果海浪沖掉一塊泥土
歐洲就會因此而縮小
如果海浪淹沒一塊海岬
歐洲大陸就失去一部分
也如同你的朋友和你自己
無論誰死去了
都是自己的一部分在死去
因為你包含在人類這個概念裏
所以當喪鐘敲響的時候
請不要問喪鐘為誰而鳴
喪鐘為你而鳴

–

We are all members of the body of Christ and are members of each other. While this poem captures the spirit of the oneness of human race, shouldn’t we Christians, as members of the body of Christ, touch the same spirit even more so?

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The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both.

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.
–

黄樹分出兩條岔路
我遺憾未能二路皆行
獨自旅行的我佇立許久
極目眺望其中一路的盡頭
直至它拐進灌木深處

但我走了另一同樣美麗的路
它似乎是更佳的選擇
草長如茵，人跡罕至
儘管往來的足跡
對兩者的磨損相當

清晨兩路被落葉覆蓋
不見前人腳步 ，
啊我將原路留待他日
但知一路連至一路
不禁懷疑可否重遊

多年之後，在某處
我輕聲嘆息，回敘此事
一樹分出兩條岔路
我選了足跡較少的那條
因此造成了一切的截然不同

Robert Frost (1874–1963)

When my heart grows

My heart grows

when its center shifts from myself unto God

when it treasures the unseen more than the seen

when it discards earthly pleasure and pursues heavenly vision

when it seeks the light of truth than my own gains

 

My heart grows

when it knows Christ is my captain, not myself

when it realizes that Christ is my only cure to my incurable self

when it learns the secret to trust Christ rather than my strength

when it is empty before Christ, even when I have known Him

 

My heart grows

when it cheers for others’ success that I don’t share

when it does not expect others to do what I expect myself

when it does not judge what I consider unrighteous

when it is not provoked, even when there are good reasons to

 

My heart grows

when it despises my pride, even when I feel capable

when it would not discard a path because it is less traveled

when it is filled with love of God, not with self-love

when it abandons the need to feel superior than others

 

My heart grows

when it is honest even when being not truthful is easier

when it desires righteousness over popularity

when it speaks the truth in spite of its harsh sound

when its choice is not always the less suffering one

 

My heart grows

when I love my neighbors as myself

when I care others’ need as mine

when I labor not because of recognition

when I desire to be serving than be served

 

Amen.

 

 

 

Lord Undo Me – by Blake Williams

I don’t really worship these day
I don’t really stand up to praise you with songs
Or prayers or actions
or with anything
I am full of all the right moves
I am full of all the right words
I am full of all the right religion
But it is all just illusion
I am really
Lonely
Lost
Calloused
Jaded
Cynical
Too religious
Too realistic
and well really just to lazy
to worship you anymore
I have lost my first love
I have lost the joy of your presence
But most of all I have lost the fear of your glory

Father I need to see you again
Like Isaiah I want to stand in awe of your glory
To fall down at your feet
To come face to face with your
Perfection,
Radiance,
Goodness,
Holiness,
Awesomeness
I want to stand before you and see you for who you are
and me for who I am
I want to be undone

I want to know me for who I really am
I want to see the depths of my heart
And know that you are the only way
You are the only truth
You are the only life
I want to see me and understand
What it really must have taken for you to
Love me
Care for me
See me
Speak to me
Want me
Communicate with me
Die for me
Die for me
Die for me

Lord, I want to stand in that place where all I can see is your glory
And my sin
Because in that place I can’t help but worship you.
Lord let me come undone
Undo my heart
Lord, undo my heart
break down these walls that I love so much
No, wait don’t,
I’m scared I don’t know if I can handle this
don’t
But I can’t live this way anymore
I can’t stand here in this half-life
this going through the motions life
this not really alive life
Father, I need you so come in and do what you must
Cut out the tumor on my heart
Break down the walls that I love
Lord let me come undone
Undo my heart
let me worship you again

*Blake Williams

http://www.klove.com/blog/jd/post/2011/09/15/Facebook-Prayer.aspx

主, 你居所何等可愛 (詩歌615首)

1.
主，你居所何等可愛！我心渴慕你的院宇！
切望得到你的同在，我的心腸向你呼籲。

2.
在你祭壇所在之處，並你香壇所在之所，
麻雀找著可居房屋，燕子找著菢雛之窩。

3.
微弱雖如麻雀、燕子，住在你殿，便為有福！
憑著祭壇贖罪價值，享受香壇所有好處。

4.
因著靠你而有力量，前途險阻毫不思顧，
錫安大道心中想往，如此之人，便為有福。

5.
雖經巴迦，流淚之谷，亦使變成泉源之地，
並且蓋滿秋雨之福，成為路中福分之一。

6.
他們行走，力上加力，要到錫安朝見主神；
如此尋求你的自己，也需你來垂顧賜恩。

7.
在你院宇一日之留，勝住別處千日之久，
寧在你殿看門守候，不在惡人帳棚住留。

8.
你是日頭，你是盾牌，你要賜下恩惠、榮耀，
以你自己和你同在，滿足我的一切需要。

9.
你未留下一樣好處，不給行動正直的人；
倚靠你的，便為有福，必得恩惠、榮耀無盡。

詩篇 八十四篇
(可拉子孫的詩，交與歌詠長；用迦特樂器。)
84:1　萬軍之耶和華阿，你的居所何等可愛！
84:2　我的魂羨慕，甚至渴想耶和華的院宇；我的心腸，我的肉體，向活神呼籲。
84:3　萬軍之耶和華，我的王我的神阿，在你的兩座壇那裡，連麻雀也找著房屋；燕子也為自己找著菢雛之窩。
84:4　住在你殿中的，便為有福；他們仍要讚美你。　細拉
84:5　因你有力量，心中想往錫安大道的，這人便為有福。
84:6　他們經過流淚谷，叫這谷變為泉源之地；並有秋雨之福，蓋滿了這谷。
84:7　他們行走，力上加力，各人到錫安朝見神。
84:8　耶和華萬軍之神阿，求你聽我的禱告；雅各的神阿，求你側耳聽。　細拉
84:9　神阿，求你垂顧我們的盾牌；求你觀看你受膏者的面。
84:10　在你的院宇住一日，勝似在別處住千日；我寧願站在我神殿的門檻，也不願住在惡人的帳棚裡。
84:11　因為耶和華神是日頭，是盾牌；耶和華賜下恩典和榮耀；祂未嘗留下一樣好處，不給那些行動正直的人。
84:12　萬軍之耶和華阿，信靠你的人，便為有福。

–

詩篇八十四篇有四方面。

第一方面是神殿的可愛。（1）

第二方面是詩人羡慕進入神的殿。（2）

第三方面是往神殿的大道。（5）

第四方面包含住在神殿裏的福，享受神作日頭、盾牌、恩惠和榮耀。在這樣的殿裏，我們享受神作日頭供應我們生命，作盾牌保護我們脫離神的仇敵，作恩惠給我們享受，並作榮耀以彰顯神。

詩篇生命讀經

A short prayer

Oh Lord Jesus!
I call upon Your sweet name.
How I love and need You.
Lord, I praise for who You are.
I thank for what you have done.

Grant me a pure heart.
Teach me to be empty.
Cleanse my inner being.
Clear my mind and thoughts
Crucify my self and natural man.

I want to touch You
in every meeting I go
in every prayer I make
in every fellowship I partake
in every hymn I sing
in verse I read.

You are my Goal and my Center,
My King, my Master, my Lord,
My Reality, my Light, my Truth,
My Road, my Stand, my Land,
My Strength, my Wisdom, my Power,
My Joy, my Supply, my Destiny.

Lord, forgive my offenses
Refresh my heavenly vision
Grant me a new beginning
Draw me once more
I shall run after You.

Amen.

4個特別的祷告

1. 主的祷告

马太福音 6:9-13
所以你们要这样祷告：我们在诸天之上的父，愿你的名被尊为圣，愿你的国来临，愿你的旨意行在地上，如同行在天上。愿你的国来临，愿你的旨意行在地上，如同行在天上。我们日用的食物，今日赐给我们；免我们的债，如同我们免了欠我们债的人；不叫我们陷入试诱，救我们脱离那恶者。因为国度、能力、荣耀，都是你的，直到永远。阿们。

2. 使徒保罗为召会得启示的祷告

以弗所书 1:17-23
因此，我既听见你们中间对主耶稣的信，并对众圣徒的爱，也就为你们不住的感谢，在我的祷告中常提到你们；愿我们主耶稣基督的神，荣耀的父，赐给你们智慧和启示的灵，使你们充分的认识祂；光照你们的心眼，使你们知道祂的呼召有何等盼望；祂在圣徒中之基业的荣耀，有何等丰富；以及祂的能力向着我们这信的人，照祂力量之权能的运行，是何等超越的浩大，就是祂在基督身上所运行的，使祂从死人中复活，叫祂在诸天界里，坐在自己的右边，远超过一切执政的、掌权的、有能的、主治的、以及一切受称之名，不但是今世的，连来世的也都在内，将万有服在祂的脚下，并使祂向着召会作万有的头；召会是祂的身体，是那在万有中充满万有者的丰满。

3. 使徒保罗为召会求经历的祷告

以弗所书 3:14-21
因这缘故，我向父屈膝，在诸天里以及在地上的各家族，都是从祂得名，愿祂照着祂荣耀的丰富，藉着祂的灵，用大能使你们得以加强到里面的人里，使基督藉着信，安家在你们心里，叫你们在爱里生根立基，使你们满有力量，能和众圣徒一同领略何为那阔、长、高、深，并认识基督那超越知识的爱，使你们被充满，成为神一切的丰满。然而神能照着运行在我们里面的大能，极其充盈的成就一切，超过我们所求所想的；愿在召会中，并在基督耶稣里，荣耀归与祂，直到世世代代，永永远远。阿们。

4. 众圣徒在金香坛前的祷告

启示录 5:8
当祂拿书卷的时候，四活物和二十四位长老，都俯伏在羔羊面前，各拿着琴，和盛满了香的金炉，这香炉就是众圣徒的祷告。

启示录 8:3-5
另一位天使拿着金香炉，来站在祭坛旁边，有许多香赐给祂，好同众圣徒的祷告献在宝座前的金坛上。那香的烟同众圣徒的祷告，从那天使手中上升于神面前。那天使拿着香炉，盛满了坛上的火，丢在地上，于是有雷轰、声音、闪电、地震。