2020 06 27
作者 Article by: Joel Chiu
隨著安省在三月中宣報進入緊急狀態以來，不覺過了百多日，剛剛過去的星期三，我們所在的皮爾區，開始第二階段恢復經濟，可算是等了不少日子的令人雀躍的消息。再者，本省的疫情亦稍露曙光，昨日的公佈新增感染病毒單日個案數目是三月廿五日以來最少的１１１人。我上次在這裏寫的分享（六月初）提到期望粵語崇拜如果仍然不能在教堂舉行，希望盡早以網上形式進行，也是不錯的代替，結果，上主日我們開始了第一個頌主堂的粵語網上虛擬崇拜。相信當日有近百分之八十經常參加粵語崇拜的會友參加了那個崇拜。為了迎接那重要日子，有份事奉的弟兄姊妹在事前都不敢怠慢，連原本答應了為我們證道的余主教亦是第一次用ＺＯＯＭ講道，所以他說他也嚴陣以代。一方面期待再次與教友見面，一起祈禱、唱詩，互相問安；一方面又要確保教友預先下載好有關的應用軟件，好使他們都能夠參與這種對大家來說都是新方式的粵語網上虛擬崇拜。感謝上主，我們都克服了障礙。明早十一點十五分我們會作第二次這樣的粵語網上虛擬崇拜。最後和大家分享撒母耳記下廿二章七節：
我在急難中求告耶和華，
向我的上帝呼求。
他從殿中聽了我的聲音；
我的呼求進入他的耳中。
More than a hundred days have passed since the Ontario Government announced an emergency. Last Wednesday, Our Premier allowed Peel Region to start venturing into the second stage of economic reopening. It is considered as one of the exciting news for months. Furthermore, COVID-19 influence lessened lately. New confirmed case number announced yesterday for a single day in Ontario was 111 which was the fewest since March 25. In my last sharing in early this month, I said I anticipated a workable form of virtual worship service in the Cantonese congregation if this suspension of worship at church would last for some time longer. Thankfully, Saint Elizabeth’s saw her first Cantonese virtue worship on-line on last Sunday. I believe about 80% of regular Cantonese congregationers joined. In order to make that service a smooth one, brothers and sisters who were to lead it took it seriously, even Bishop Yu who promised to give his homily for us on that Sunday felt similarly for that was his first time using Zoom to deliver a sermon. On one hand, we longed for seeing our fellow parishioners once again to say prayers, sing hymns and greet one another together; on the other hand, we need to make sure the necessary software app is properly downloaded to parishioners’ devices so that they can join this new type of on-line worship service. We are grateful to God, all technical obstacles have been overcome. We are having another such virtual worship service on the internet for our Cantonese congregation tomorrow morning.
May I share 2 Samuel 22:7 with you:
In my distress I called upon the LORD;
to my God I called.
From his temple he heard my voice,
and my cry came to his ears.