#103 疫中情 // Love in Pandemic

2021 01 05

作者 Article by: 盧頌欣

新機會

新冠疫症帶來很多的擔憂和不便,我們都熱切期望疫症結束, 讓生活能重新回復正常。不過,讓我們也看一下因著疫症而出現的幾個新機會吧。

孩子在留在家裏學習時參加過兩次網上歌詠團演出。老師先在網上教授, 然後每個同學各自在家裏錄音, 再電子傳送給老師。我決定也模仿一下, 在頌主堂搞搞網上詩班。既然要搞, 不如好好利用電腦和錄音工具, 唱一首輪唱的歌。通常如果大家在教堂裏做三部輪唱, 很容易會被其他聲部混淆, 結果大笑一場。這次我們每人在家裏錄自己的一部,然後我先生用電腦軟件把所有詩班員的錄音結合, 成為十月堂慶崇拜的獻唱。由於詩班員可以在家裏錄音, 不用在特定時間參與詩班練習, 所以一些在星期日需要工作的詩班員也能參與。十月那次網上詩班獻詩效果令人鼓舞, 所以我們在聖誕節再接再勵, 用網上詩班的模式做四部合唱。

以前在詩班練習的日子, 我很少請詩班員獨自唱歌。不過, 在結合詩班員的錄音時, 我有機會清楚聽到每個人漂亮的歌聲。我聽過後邀請了一些詩班員為主日崇拜的詩歌錄音, 他們都很樂意。還有, 我先生把他自己錄的崇拜歌曲放到頌主堂的社交網站上, 讓其他人也有機會聽一下。這些歌為一些朋友帶來喜樂和感恩, 更令他一位舊同學回憶起兒時上教堂的日子。説不定有一些未信的朋友也可能透過這些詩歌錄音而有機會接觸福音呢。

大家當然期望疫症盡快結束,但在生活“正常化”的時候, 我們應該繼續利用疫症期間發現的新機會, 好好侍奉神和為人服務。

New Opportunities

Joanne Loo

The COVID-19 pandemic brought along lots of worries and inconveniences. We all eagerly look forward to its end so that life can return to normal. Nevertheless, let’s have a look at the new opportunities that have arisen as a result of the pandemic.

During the time that the kids attended online classes at home, they participated in two online choir performances. The teacher first taught the song online, then each student recorded their singing and sent it back to the teacher. I decided to use the same format to form an online choir at St. Elizabeth’s. Since we were going to do it, we might as well take advantage of the computers and recording equipment to sing a round. Usually, if we try to sing a 3-part round in the church hall, it is very easy to get confused by other parts, and people just end up laughing instead. This time, we each recorded our own track at home, and then my husband used a computer software to combine all the choir members’ recordings. The result was the choir anthem presentation at our church anniversary worship service in October. Since choir members could record at home and did not have to attend practices at specific times, people who have to work on Sundays could still join in this project. The result of the anthem presentation in October was encouraging, so we decided to do it again for Christmas. This time, we used the online choir format to generate an SATB choir.

Back in the days when the choir practised at the church, I rarely asked members to sing individually. Nevertheless, as my husband and I were compiling the choir recordings, I had the opportunity to listen to each person’s beautiful voice. Afterwards, I invited some choir members to record hymns and songs for the Sunday online services, and they were all willing to take part. In addition, my husband put his worship song recordings onto St. E.’s social media site, so that other people could listen to them too. These recordings brought joy and gratefulness to some friends. For a former classmate, the songs even rekindled memories of her childhood days of attending church. Who knows, perhaps some friends who are not yet believers may get to know the gospel through these songs.

Of course, everyone would like the pandemic to end quickly. Nevertheless, as life become normal again, we should continue to use the opportunities we discovered during the pandemic to serve God and His people.