Il giardino dolce di musica

Saturday, 2 March 2013

Jesus Is The Gift

Jesus is the gift that perfectly fits every heart and it is with His love that all celebration starts.
We rejoice in Him as we remember His birth and thank God for sending His only Son to earth.

His life led from a manger to a cross on a hill where He faithfully followed His Father's perfect will.
He freely laid down everything so that we could live and there is no greater treasure anyone could give.

Like a scarlet ribbon His love wrapped around the cross and He offered it to us all at the greatest cost.
So each time that we give we remember what He's done and honor the perfect Gift - God's one and only Son.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:16

Prayer of Release

I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until the day of His return.
2 Timothy 1:12 NLT

Heavenly Father, I release to you the burdens that I have been carrying, burdens that You never intended for me to carry. I cast all my cares upon You-all my worries, all my fears.

Father, calm my restless spirit, quiet my anxious heart, still my troubling thoughts with the assurance that You are in control. I let go of my grip upon the things I have been hanging onto, with opened hands I come to You.

I thank You for Your promise to sustain me, preserve me, and guard all that I have entrusted to Your keeping. Protect my heart and mind with Your peace, the peace that passes all understanding. Father, may Your will be done in my life, in Your time, and in Your way.

By Roy Lessin, DaySpring co-founder and writer

A Father's Love

A father is

respected because he gives his children leadership...
appreciated because he gives his children care...
valued because he gives his children time...
loved because he gives his children the one thing they treasure most-himself

The righteous man walks in his integrity; his children are blessed after him.
Proverbs 20:7 NKJV

Saturday, 16 February 2013

Ash Wednesday

自古以來，大齋期都是教會年曆中一個非常重要的節期，它最初的起源是為了社會的成年慕道者在洗禮前的預備而設。後來一些曾因忍受不住試煉離棄信仰的基督徒，在醒悟後盼望重回教會，大齋期便成為他們在重新被接納前的懺悔期，藉此期間反省悔罪，並在救主復活日前夕重申信仰接受聖餐。後因基督教成為羅馬國教，全國人民漸皆洗禮加入教會，加上嬰孩洗禮成為主流，大齋期作為成人洗禮前的預備期的意義也漸漸消失，但作為信徒反省悔罪以迎接基督復活的意義，則漸為教會所著重。

大齋期為期四十日，除了取材自舊約挪亞方舟事中，洪水降下四十天，及以色列人在曠野漂流四十年，喻意被上洗淨外，更學效耶穌基督在曠野禁食禱告，面對魔鬼試探的四十天。信徒在大齋期透過禁食、克己、節約、讀經、祈禱、反省和悔罪，經驗基督的受難與受死，並在復活日與基督一同復活。

大齋期由大齋首日（又稱為灰日）開始至復活前夕為止，一共四十六天，當中包括四十日齋日及六個主日（五個大齋主日及棕枝主日），主日並沒有計算為齋日，原因是每主日都是七日的第一日，是小復活日，乃紀念基督的復活，故此主日並不計算為齋日。

～摘取自《香港聖公會大齋期讀經運動 2013 每日讀經手冊》前言