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兒子在追思屬靈益師良友禮拜聚會中的頌詞
2023/04/07 00:18:09瀏覽261|回應2|推薦22
幾個禮拜前妻子和我參加了一個追思禮拜。這位過世的牧師Paul Barton是輔導我兒近廿年的一位屬靈益師良友。他的兒女特別邀請我兒在會中給予頌詞。以下是我兒事先讓我們評論的原文提示的翻譯,供大家參考指正。 ——————— 在2000年代初我遇到Paul Barton牧師時,他已經正式從雙湖教會的副牧師的職位上退休下來。 所以在今天準備時,我諮詢了目前最流行的所謂最上乘的知識和真理來源 - ChatGPT。 我要求它列出一些牧師在退休後應該做的一些事情。 這是它的前3個最好答案: 1。享受一些當之無愧的休息和放鬆:經過多年的服務會眾,一個退休的教會牧師可能需要花些時間休息,旅行和追求他們可能在活躍的事工中未能實現的愛好和興趣。 如果有人應該享受休息和放鬆的人,那麼在他多年的忠誠事工之後應該是保羅牧師。 但是,任何了解保羅的人都知道這絕對是保羅所想做的最後一件事。 他用每盎司的能量為上帝服務一直到他在世最後的一刻,這會讓那些年齡只有他一半的人黯然失色。 到目前為止,這個ChatGPT 答案並我覺得不是那麼好。所以讓我們看下一個: 2。繼續與教會社區保持聯繫:退休並不意味著與教會社區斷開連接。 退休牧師仍可選擇性參予一些服務,活動和志願者的機會,來保持聯繫,並支持新牧師和教會的使命。 我認為這次ChatGPT 的答案倒是正確的。 保羅在退休後仍然與雙湖教會保持聯繫,定期參予各類服務,並與其他在職牧師們與工作人員們見面。 他還繼續通過在多米尼加(Dominican)醫院的教會成員和朋友的醫院中訪問並服務教會的肢體們。這是第三個建議: 3。指導或諮詢:許多退休的牧師有數十年的寶貴經驗和智慧能夠分享。 他們可以向其他可以從其見解中受益的牧師或教會領導人,提供諮詢或教導的服事。 值得注意的是,我認為這次ChatGPT 也答對了。 這最後一個答案倒是和我的親身體驗有了共鳴。 在2000年代初,我被要求在我們教會的董事會中服務,那就是沃森維爾(Watsonville) 的第一浸信教會。 我當時向我的父母表示自己覺得沒有能力在那個位置上服務。畢竟我那時才30歲 - 我不夠年長,我只是一個年輕人。 但我的父母告訴我,我應為這事祈禱,特別是他們也為我能得到一位屬𤫊的導師祈禱。 保羅正是上帝對這些祈禱的答案。 那時保羅正在輔導我從前的業務夥伴 - 威廉·亞當斯博士和他的妻子凱西博士,而保羅同時也剛剛成為我醫治的患者。 因此,在保羅一次的醫診會面中,我向他解釋了我的情況,並且徵詢他是否願意為此事和我見面,在我的新角色中帶領我。 他慷慨地接受了,從此開始了我們近二十年的友誼。 當時,保羅有一個禱告早餐會,他每週四早上都會參加。 會後然後他就去我其中一個診所旁邊的多米尼加(Dominican)醫院拜訪教會會友,然後每隔一周都會順便來到我的辦公室接我去共餐,這就成為我們的固定的午餐日聚會。 在午餐時,我們會討論各種問題,從我一個年輕的教會領導者的表現中,教會同工們也間接地感受到了他的深度影響力。 特別是作為一個外行的領導者的我,能夠有從牧師的角度來更深地了解事物,保羅提供了我具有洞察力又合聖經的敬虔智慧。 在我們的討論中有時會延伸到教會之外有關其他生活中的事物。 在午餐結束時,他會拿出一個小小口袋型的每日行程計劃本,從當天兩個星期之後的週四中寫下我的名字。 如此週而復始, 我們繼續在未來18年內幾乎每隔一個禮拜四都會見面,即使在我已經不再是個年輕人,也已經是一個年長的所謂長老之後,即使在他親愛的Nelda過世之後,甚至在大流行疫情期間,一直到他過世之前的星期四,從沒中斷。 我不想把他幫助我的事情一一拿來嘮叨大家,但在那段時間裡,我們的小教會同時經歷了三個不同的主任牧師,兩個副牧師,五名青年牧師。 回顧一下,顯然上帝不僅僅是使用保羅來指導我個人,祂更利用保羅來間接影響了整個教會會眾。 在保羅的時間與精力上,我不但是一個直接受益者,更但間接使我們教會在其他地方受益。 所以在他的“退休”歲月裡,保羅仍舊做他“退休”之前同樣的事情 - 忠實地盡一個牧師的職份。只有在這種情況下,他不但正在牧養我一個失喪的羊,也同時牧養了一群其他的羊。 所以我有點不公平地利用ChatGPT提出我前面關於退休牧師的那些初始問題,因為實際上,從牧師保羅的展示中 - 根本不是這麼退休一回事。 但我不會為這作為道歉,因為我從來都不相信這所謂人工智能。 相反地,聖經才是真正的智慧和真理的來源。不得不強調這件事, 聖經從不談論退休,但它確實談到了完美地成事。 當我們想到完美地成事的例子時,經文中沒有比另一個保羅更好的榜樣了。 使徒保羅被鏈在羅馬監獄中,預計他即將被處死,他向提摩太寫下了這段經文:“我現在被澆奠,我離世的時候到了。 那美好的仗我已經打過了,當跑的路我已經跑盡了,所信的道我已經守住了。 從此以後,有公義的冠冕為我存留,就是按着公義審判的主到了那日要賜給我的;不但賜給我,也賜給凡愛慕他顯現的人。” 提摩太後書‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬-‭8‬ 我們的朋友Paul Barton已經打了美好的仗。 他跑完了當盡賽跑。 他持守了信仰。 我可以想像在天堂迎接他的巨大正義王冠。 保羅對我來說就是整個世界,我非常想念他,但我很感激他終於可以回家了。過去幾年,我知道他渴望去見主和他親愛的Nelda。 每週這都幾乎成了我們之間的笑話,因為我的慢成長,上帝需要他繼續指導我,他還得留在我周圍。 因此,謝謝保羅耐心,謝謝上帝給我一個敬虔僕人從不退休的的例子,而是要完美成事的榜樣。 ———————- 神的呼召和作為實在奇妙,從我兒成長的機遇與帶領中,妻子和我不得不衷心感謝神的恩典。這一切都是神的憐憫和聖靈的果効。從我兒的感受中,我也看到了妻的二哥子嘉牧師和她的弟弟子石長老成為真正信徒的忠心樣式,這都加深了我們依靠神的信心。信仰絕對不是自以為是!希望這分享能對大家有所幫助。
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新天新地
等級:8
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2024/03/20 14:26
假如這篇致詞有英文版,我就可以跟兩個兒子分享了。
tty(pk2007) 於 2024-10-11 23:22 回覆:

新天新地姊妹平安:

妳要的我兒英文原稿如下,希望有所幫助。祝以馬內利。

When I met Pastor Paul Barton in the early 2000s, he had officially retired from his position as associate pastor of Twin Lakes Church. So in preparation for today, I consulted the most popular source of so-called superior knowledge and truth out there - ChatGPT. I asked it to list some of the things pastors should do when they retire. Here are the top 3 best answers to it: 
1. Enjoy some well-deserved rest and relaxation: After years of serving a congregation, a retired church pastor may need to take some time to rest, travel, and pursue hobbies and interests that they may not have been able to fulfill while in active ministry. If anyone should be enjoying some rest and relaxation after his many years of faithful ministry it should be Pastor Paul. But anyone who knew Paul knew that was the absolute last thing Paul wanted to do. He served God with every ounce of energy until his last moments on earth, which would eclipse those half his age. So far, I don't think this ChatGPT answer is that great. So let's look at the next one: 
2. Continue to stay connected to the church community: Retirement does not mean disconnecting from the church community. Retiring pastors may still choose to participate in a number of service, activity, and volunteer opportunities to stay connected and support the new pastor and the mission of the church. I think ChatGPT’s answer this time is correct. After his retirement, Paul remained in contact with Shuanghu Church, regularly attending services and meeting with other serving pastors and staff. He also continued to serve the body of the Church by visiting and ministering to church members and friends in the Dominican Hospital. Here is the third suggestion: 
3. Mentoring or Counseling: Many retired pastors have decades of valuable experience and wisdom to share. They may provide consulting or teaching ministry to other pastors or church leaders who may benefit from their insights. It’s worth noting that I think ChatGPT got it right this time too. This last answer resonates with my personal experience. In the early 2000s, I was asked to serve on the board of directors of our church, First Baptist Church of Watsonville. I expressed to my parents at the time that I did not feel capable of serving in that position. After all I was only 30.  I wasn't old enough, I was just a young man. But my parents told me that I should pray about it, especially that they also prayed that I would get a mentor who was qualified. Paul is God’s answer to these prayers. At the time, Paul was counseling my former business partners, Dr. William Adams and his wife, Dr. Kathy, and Paul had just become a patient of mine. So, during one of Paul's medical appointments, I explained my situation to him and asked him if he would meet with me about it and lead me in my new role. He graciously accepted, and so began our nearly twenty-year friendship. At that time, Paul had a prayer breakfast meeting that he attended every Thursday morning. After the meeting, he went to the Dominican Hospital next to one of my clinics to visit church members, and then stopped by my office every other week to pick me up and have dinner together, and this became our regular lunch day gathering. During lunch, we would discuss various issues, and through the performance of a young church leader, my church colleagues also indirectly felt his deep influence. Especially as a lay leader who was able to gain a deeper understanding of things from a pastor’s perspective, Paul provided me with insightful, biblical, godly wisdom. Our discussions sometimes extend beyond the church to other aspects of life. At the end of lunch, he would take out a small pocket-sized daily planner and write my name down for the Thursday two weeks from that day. And so it went, and we continued to see each other almost every other Thursday for the next 18 years, even after I was no longer a young man and an older so-called elder, even after his dear Nelda passed away, and even after There was no interruption during the pandemic until the Thursday before his death. I don’t want to bore you all with the things he helped me do, but during that time our small church went through three different senior pastors, two associate pastors, and five youth pastors at the same time. Looking back, it’s clear that God didn’t just use Paul to guide me personally, He used Paul to indirectly influence the entire church congregation. I was not only a direct beneficiary of Paul’s time and energy, but it also indirectly benefited our church in other places. So in his "retirement" years, Paul continued to do the same thing he had done before his "retirement" - faithfully fulfilling the ministry of a pastor. Only in this case, he was not only shepherding me, a lost sheep, but he was also shepherding a group of other sheep. 
So I'm somewhat unfairly using ChatGPT to ask those initial questions I had earlier about retiring pastors, because actually, from Pastor Paul's presentation - that's not what retirement is all about. But I will not apologize for this because I have never believed in this so-called artificial intelligence. Rather, the Bible is the source of true wisdom and truth. I have to stress this, the Bible never talks about retirement, but it does talk about doing it perfectly. When we think of examples of things done perfectly, there is no better example in scripture than the other Paul. The apostle Paul, who was chained in a Roman prison and expected to be executed, wrote this to Timothy: "I am now being poured out as a drink offering, the hour of my departure has come. I have fought a good fight, when I have finished my race, I have kept the faith. From now on, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, who judges righteously, will give me on that day; and not only will it be given to me. , and to all who love his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:6-8 
Our friend Paul Barton has fought the good fight. He has finished the race. He kept his faith. I can imagine the huge crown of righteousness that greets him in heaven. Paul meant the world to me and I miss him terribly, but I am so grateful that he is finally home. Over the past few years, I have known that he longed to see the Lord and his dear wife Nelda. It almost became a joke between us every week because I was slow growing up and God needed Him to continue to guide me and He still had to be around me. So, thank you Paul for your patience, and thank you God for giving me an example of a godly servant who never retires, but who strives to be perfect.

新天新地
等級:8
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2024/03/20 14:24
不是每一位尋求生命的屬靈長者都可以如願的。您的兒子得蒙神的恩待,二十年近距離有長者陪伴,實在太豐盛了。

二十年的陪伴,化作一篇有限的致詞,感動了我的心和淚光。