Los Angeles Bishop Suffragan Diane Bruce preaches in Taiwan

Posted Sep 22, 2014

Diocese of Los Angeles Bishop Suffragan Diane Bruce preached Sept. 21 at Church of the Advent in Taiwan, where the Episcopal Church’s House of Bishops in meeting Sept. 17-23.

Proper 20A 2014 — Church of the Advent, Taiwan

In the name of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit — Amen.

以聖父,聖子,聖靈的名—阿們。

I bring you greetings from the House of Bishops and from the people of the Diocese of Los Angeles — it is a great honor to be with you this morning, preaching here at the Church of the Advent.

我向大家帶來洛杉磯教區弟兄姐妹們的問候– 我非常榮幸今天早上能來到降臨堂,和你們在一起崇拜,並為大家證道。

Today’s readings are all about economics. Not just any kind of economics, though. Today’s readings are about a special kind of economics — God’s economics.

今天的經文是關於經濟學的。不過不是某種普通的經濟學,而是一種特殊的經濟學– 就是上帝的經濟學。

Starting with the reading from Exodus, God provides enough food for a grumbling crowd. Remember, the Lord said to Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day.” Do you remember what happens in the verses that follow this one? When the people try to gather more than they need, the food spoils.

從【出埃及記】的經文說起,上帝供應足夠的食物給怨聲載道的百姓們。記得,上帝對摩西說,“我要將糧食從天降給你們,百姓可以出去,每天收每天的分。”大家記得在這段經文之後發生了什麼事嗎?當人們試圖積攢超過他們所需的,食物就壞了。

Enough. God provided enough for the Israelites. God provides enough for us. But how does this work?

足夠多。上帝以前對以色列人的供應足夠多。上帝現在對我們的供應也足夠多。但是,這是如何做到的呢?

I think a clue comes in the Gospel lesson today.

在今天的福音書裡可以找到一條線索。

I must admit, before I talk about today’s gospel, that whenever we come to this parable in the cycle of readings …. the parable of the vineyard owner, I can’t help but smile. It’s not our economics, is it?

在討論今天的福音書之前,我必須承認一件事,那就是每次循環讀經讀到這段經文的時候。 。 。也就是葡萄園主的比喻這一段,我都忍不住會笑起來。因為這肯定不是我們概念中的經濟學。

I remember the first time I heard it – I mean really heard it. I was a manager with a staff of about 75 people working under me. I thought to myself….wait a minute…this isn’t fair! The workers that came last should receive less money than the workers that started early in the morning and toiled all day in the vineyard. How is that fair?

我記得當時的想法是。 。 。這在我工作的銀行里是絕對行不通的。之後我就想到,我用的是銀行經理的思考方式,而不是基督徒更不是耶穌基督的思考方式。這段經文深深地震撼了我,直到現在,我每次聽到這段經文時,依然同樣感到震撼,只是原因不盡相同。

For you see, in God’s economy, no matter when we start to work or what kind of work we do, we are to be cared for the same as anyone else. Everyone is entitled to have enough.

因為在上帝的經濟學中,不管我們是何時開始為祂做工或是為祂做什麼樣的工,祂對我們的看顧是一視同仁的。每個人都會得到足夠多的供應。

That’s really hard for people to understand, because, for us as human beings, it doesn’t make common sense, but it does make God-sense.

這種做法很難讓人理解,因為不符合人的常識。然而,這卻符合神的常識。

Friends in Christ, Jesus died so that we all might have life, and have it abundantly. And living with a sense of abundance in our lives we have a responsibility to live abundantly.

主內的朋友們,耶穌基督為我們而死,好使我們得著生命,且是豐盛的生命。如果我們在自己的人生中有這種豐盛的感覺,就有責任活出這種豐盛來。

How do we live our lives with a sense of abundance? I think the key is again in the readings today: Everything we have, everything we are, everything we do is a gift from God, and it is a gift that is meant to be shared.

我們如何能在人生中活出這種豐盛的感覺呢?我認為關鍵還是在我們今天的經文裡:我們擁有的一切,我們所做的一切,還有我們的身份地位,都來自於上帝的恩賜,我們理當與人分享這份恩賜。

Let me repeat that: Everything we have, everything we are, everything we do is a gift from God, and it is a gift that is meant to be shared.

我再說一遍:我們擁有的一切,我們所做的一切,還有我們的身份地位,都來自於上帝的恩賜,我們理當與人分享這份恩賜。

It means trusting that we will have ENOUGH — it may not be a lot, but it will be enough. That’s God’s promise.

這意味著我們相信我們會有足夠多 — 也許不是非常多,但會是足夠多。這是上帝的應許。

God gave God’s first fruits — Jesus, God’s Son — the greatest gift we could ever be given. We are called to give from our first fruits — not the leftovers or the dregs from the bottom — but our best.

上帝賜給我們他初熟的果子– 他的聖子耶穌基督–這是我們能夠得到的最好的禮物。上帝也呼召我們給出我們初熟的果子– 不是挑剩下的,也不是盤底的碎渣– 而是我們最好的。

I learned this at a very early age, for you see, I grew up with a mother who understood what living with a sense of abundance meant. My mother was just like the vineyard owner — loving equally, treating people equally no matter when they came into her life, who they were or what they did.

我在很小的時候就學習了這門功課,因為撫養我長大的母親就懂得什麼是活出豐盛的生命。我母親就像那位葡萄園主任– 在她生命中遇到的人,不管是何時出現,是什麼身份,或是做什麼工作,她都一視同仁的對待他們,愛他們。

She always gave our best to our guests as they came, and she always shared whatever she had — including her time, talent, and treasure. She modeled God’s economics. My most vivid memory among all of the small kindnesses, the sharing out of our abundance was the way she showed kindness to the men who picked up our trash each week.

每當有客人來訪,我母親總是拿出她最好的來招待他們,總是分享她自己擁有的一切– 包括她的時間,才能,和金錢。她為上帝的經濟學做了最好的示範。在所有細小的善意之舉中,也就是把我們的豐盛分享出去的事情上,最讓我記憶猶新的, 就是她向每週為我們收垃圾的工人顯示慈愛的方式。

If the pickup was in the morning in the winter, she’d offer the men cups of hot coffee. If it was in the afternoon, mugs of hot chocolate. In the summer, it was ice water or lemonade in the morning, and in the afternoon lemonade, and on occasions if they were at the end of the route on a hot summer’s day, she offered them ice cold beer.

如果他們來收垃圾的時間是在冬天,早上她會為他們提供熱咖啡,下午則是熱巧克力。在夏天,她會為他們準備冰水和檸檬茶。要是碰巧那天異常炎熱,而我們家又是他們工作的最後一站的話,她會請他們喝冰鎮的啤酒。

The men would take a break when my mother brought out the drinks, and they would talk.

當母親把飲料端出去後,那些工人會稍稍休息一下,並和她說說話。

My mother understood that their work was hard and sweaty — it was before the days of, at least where I live, the man in the truck with the automatic grippers that pick up your trash.

我母親明白這些工人做的是汗流浹背的辛苦工作– 這是很早以前,至少是在我生活的那個地方,那時還沒有那種用自動機械裝置來清空垃圾箱的大卡車。

Some of the men working on the garbage truck couldn’t read or write. They brought any documents they were asked to sign to my mother to look at for them. She always did, and she often saved them money or stopped them from entering into a deal that was questionable.

那些在垃圾車上的工人很多不會閱讀也不會寫字。他們會把任何需要簽字的文件都帶來請母親幫忙看。她總是有求必應,並因此幫他們減少了財務上的損失, 或是及時的避免他們捲入有疑問的交易。

The men gave to my mother out of their first fruits as well — coming by to help her move heavy objects, or picking up extra trash for her without extra charge. Both my mother and the garbage men experienced God’s economy — and God’s love and grace.

同樣的,那些工人也給予了母親他們初熟的果子– 過來幫忙搬重的東西,或是收取多出來的垃圾而不額外收費。我的母親和這些垃圾工人一起體驗了上帝的經濟學– 就是祂的慈愛和恩典。

Friends in Christ, growing up we never had a lot of things in our lives, but we always had enough. We lived with a sense of abundance and never feared that we would run out of what we needed. My mother taught us to trust that we would always have what we needed as long as we were as generous to others as God had always and is always generous to us. We always did. And I still always do.

主內的朋友們,在我們成長的過程中也許並沒有擁有太多,但我們一直都有足夠多。我們在豐盛中生活,不必害怕供不應求。我的母親教會我們相信,只要像上帝慷慨對待我們那樣慷慨對待其他人,我們所需要的永遠都會得到供應。我以前相信這個道理,如今依然相信這個道理。

May today’s readings bring you into a deeper relationship with the one who loves you so much, he sent his Son for you. And may you always remember that everything you have, everything you are, everything you do is a gift from God, and it is a gift that is meant to be shared.

願今天的經文能讓大家與這位深愛你們,甚至將祂的聖子賜給你們的上帝之間的關係更加深厚。也願大家時刻記得,我們​​擁有的一切,我們所做的一切,還有我們的身份地位,都來自於上帝的恩賜,我們理當與人分享這份恩賜。願今天的經文能讓大家與這位深愛你們,甚至將祂的聖子賜給你們的上帝之間的關係更加深厚。也願大家時刻記得,我們​​擁有的一切,我們所做的一切,還有我們的身份地位,都來自於上帝的恩賜,我們理當與人分享這份恩賜。


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