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10 Reasons to Never Miss a Sunday
十個不錯過主日敬拜的理由
作者
Kristen Terrette
Days are short, and we are busy. Carving out time to spend Sundays in a church community may seem impossible. I know because I’ve missed quite a few in my thirty-six years, which is why I’m the perfect person to offer some reasons to never miss one.
日子很短，我們很忙。留點時間給禮拜天的主日敬拜似乎不可能。我知道，因為我過去三十六年也曾錯過一些敬拜，所以我正是提供不錯過主日敬拜理由的完美人選。
I grew up going to church and believed in Jesus at a young age, but during my young adult life I thought I had better things to do on Sundays. I wandered, thinking I was invincible and in control of my destiny. On the surface, I was doing okay. I didn’t get into trouble with the law. I worked and paid my bills. I tried to be kind and encouraging to those around me.
我在教會長大，也很年輕就信耶穌，但是我年少的時候，我以為禮拜天有更好的事情可以做。我流浪，我認為我無敵，而且我能控制我的命運。表面上，我看似還行。我沒有犯法。我工作來付帳單。我試著對身邊的人很好也鼓勵他們。
But my insides were anything but okay. It wasn’t until God used events like my tough marriage, parenthood, a bankruptcy, and a failed business to reorient my life back to Him that I became healthy internally as well. A big part of getting healthy involved my church attendance, so I know the power of sitting in those rows.
但是我的內在完全不好。直到上帝利用我觸礁的婚姻，破產，還有失敗的事業來重新導正我回到祂的道路上，我的內在的狀態才跟著健康起來。而健康起來很大的一部分就是參與教會，所以我知道坐在椅子上聽講道的力量。
Here are my 10 reasons to never miss a Sunday: 以下是完全不要錯過主日敬拜的十個理由:
1. God Deserves the Sacrifice of Our Time
上帝值得我們犧牲時間
I’ve now walked with God long enough to be able to look back at both the trials and celebrations in my life, and see how good He is. He brought me out of financial failure, He saved me from an addiction, He resurrected my marriage when it was heading toward ruin, and He healed my sister from a devastating sickness. Every heartbreak was used for good, and because of His faithfulness and love, He deserves a sacrifice of my time.
我跟上帝同行已經久到足以回顧我人生的挑戰還有值得慶祝的事情，然後看到上帝的美好。祂帶我走出經濟上的失敗，祂把我從犯癮中救贖，祂重建了我的婚姻，當我的婚姻已經要走向毀滅，祂治療我姐姐可怕的病痛。每一次的心碎都是為了成就更好的，因為祂的信實還有愛。祂值得我犧牲時間。
If you are in a desperate place, know that He can bring you wholeness and healing. He can save you; His death on the cross already has. A church community provides a safe place to hear and accept His message of salvation. The time you sacrifice on Sundays to learn about His love for you and how He works is never wasted.
如果你正經歷危難，祂可以讓你完整，以及帶來治療。祂可以拯救你；祂死在十字架上就已經救贖我們了。教會的社群提供一個安全又可以聽到祂救贖之道的地方。你犧牲你禮拜天的時間去學習上帝的愛，還有祂的動工，永遠不是浪費。
2. A Worship Service Starts My Week Out Right
主日敬拜給我一整周好的開始
That is such a cliché statement, but sometimes clichés make sense. Many times I’ve entered a Monday, the worst day of the week according to my Facebook feed, and almost reacted to—let’s call it an issue—in an un-Christ-like way. Thankfully, I’m able to pull from a reserve of grace stored up during Sunday worship and change my reaction before it gets me into trouble.
這聽起來很老掉牙，但是老掉牙的說法有時候挺合理。很多時候，我在禮拜一，也就是臉書公認整個禮拜最糟的一天，幾乎反應為-我們姑且稱之為問題-一種不像基督徒的方式。感謝主，我可以從禮拜天的主日敬拜的恩典之泉來幫助我不要因為我的反應而自找麻煩。
If Sunday messages fulfill their purpose to teach me about Jesus’ love and saving grace, then certainly I should be able to use this knowledge to diffuse a situation or shed light in a dark place. Carrying a heart full of knowledge and praise for God into our week can never be a bad thing.
如果禮拜天的訊息真正教導了我們關於耶穌的愛還有救贖的恩典，那我應當可以用這個智慧來緩和狀態或是在暗處點光。帶著一顆充滿智慧還有讚美上帝的心來度過一個禮拜永遠都不是壞事。
3. God Deserves My Worship and Praise
上帝值得我的敬拜還有讚美
Psalm 95:2 says, “Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.” The book of Psalms, the third-largest in the Bible, is full of songs and prayers to God. This should clue us in to the importance of worshipping Him. Whether it be through singing, clapping, raising our hands, dancing, playing an instrument, or swaying to the beat, God deserves our worship. If my week has been an epic fail or an epic victory, I need to lift my voice and sing praises to Him, the Creator of the universe.
詩篇95:2說: "我們要來感謝祂，用詩歌向他歡呼！"詩篇這本書，也是聖經裡面第三大部，充滿著讚美上帝的歌曲以及禱文。這應該暗示了我們敬拜上帝的重要性。不管是透過唱歌，拍手，舉手，跳舞，演奏樂器，或是隨著節奏搖擺，上帝值得我們的敬拜。如果我這禮拜超級好或是超級不好，我都需要拉高嗓門唱歌來讚美上帝，也就是宇宙的創造者。
This worship and praise can, and should, be done in an intimate space between you and God, but never underestimate the power of corporate worship. Notice Psalm 95:2 says, “Let us come before him…” Instances of people worshipping together occur again and again in Scripture. Imagine what God sees when He looks at a group of people collectively singing and praising Him on a Sunday.
敬拜還有讚美可以，也應該在一個你與上帝親密的場所進行，但是不要小看團體敬拜的力量。注意，詩篇95:2說"我們要來感謝祂"。在經文裡，一群人一起敬拜的例子層出不窮。如果上帝看到一群人在禮拜天一起唱歌還有讚美祂，想像一下祂所看到的。
4. It Sets a Pattern and Example for My Children to
Follow
成為孩子的模範以及榜樣
I was in children’s ministry for many years, so I’m an advocate of making regular church attendance a habit for your children. Proverbs 22:6 encourages, “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” A similar verse appears in Isaiah 30:21b: “This is the way; walk in it.” Then there’s John 14:6 in which Jesus declares, “I am the way…” These verses confirm that God wants our children to know about Him.
我曾在兒童主日部多年，所以我提倡讓孩子固定在教會聚會。箴言22:6鼓勵說: "教養孩童，使他走當行的道，就是到老他也不偏離。"在以賽亞書30:21裡面也有類似的經文: "你或向左或向右，你必聽見後邊有聲音說：「這是正路，要行在其間。」" 約翰福音14:6，也就是耶穌宣布: "我就是道路、真理、生命。要不是藉著我，沒有人能到父那裡去。"。這些經文確認了上帝希望祂的兒女可以認識祂。
Setting a godly example and teaching your children about Him through His Word at home is critical, but don’t fail to see the power of a godly community surrounding and encouraging this. If I place value on my Sunday attendance, it is my hope my children will mimic this behavior as adults.
作一個愛神的好榜樣，在家透過祂的話教導你們的孩子很重要，但是不要忽略以敬拜上帝為主且鼓勵敬拜的社群生活。如果我很認真看待主日敬拜，我也希望我的孩子可以模仿我的行為。
Start establishing the importance of learning and worshipping God with fellow believers early, while striving to do so as well. I’m already seeing the benefit of having other women, whom I respect greatly, pour in to my teenage daughter and help her to grow spiritually.
開始提早建立去學習群體敬拜上帝的重要性，當你自己也努力朝這方向前進。我已經開始看到我所景仰的女性對於我青少年女兒在她靈性成長的幫助了。
5. God Wants Me to Serve Others
上帝要我服事其他人
God has gifted everyone with talents and skills which are unique to them. Christ desires us to use these gifts and work together to reach His hurting world and to build up His body.
上帝賜與每個人的才華還有技能都不一樣。基督希望我們利用這些恩賜，同心協力來接觸祂受傷的世界，然後建立祂的肢體。
Understanding lighting and sound equipment isn’t in my skill set, nor do I have the desire to learn about either. I do, however, love to get in front of elementary school children and bring a Bible story to life.
了解燈光以及音響器材不是我的技能，我也沒有想要學習的慾望。但是，我很愛在小學生面前跟他們分享聖經故事。
God may never ask a tech guru to teach on stage, and He may never ask me to get behind a sound board, but He will ask me to do what I can do. The church needs me. Don’t fail to use your talents and skills to serve Him.
上帝可能永遠不會要一個科技大師在台上教學，而且祂也可能永遠不會要我操作音控，但是祂會要我做我能做的。教會需要我。不要不使用你的才華以及技術來服事祂。
6. It's a Chance to Visit with My Church Family
這是我能探視我教會弟兄姐妹的機會
For believers, Jesus’ life on earth is our example to follow. Luke 4:16 tells us, “He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went to the synagogue, as was his custom.” Did you catch that? As was His custom, His norm. The New Testament is full of stories about Jesus going to synagogues, or the Temple to learn (as a child), teach, and worship God.
對於信徒來說，耶穌的生活就是我們在世的榜樣。路加福音4:16告訴我們: "耶 穌 來 到 拿 撒 勒 ， 就 是 祂 長 大 的 地 方 。 在 安 息 日 ， 照 祂平 常 的 規 矩 進 了 會 堂 ， 站 起 來 要 念 聖 經 。" 你看到了嗎? 這是祂的規矩，祂日常的生活。新約聖經裡面充滿耶穌去會堂，或是神殿去學習的故事(還是小孩的時候)，然後敬拜神。
His life with the disciples also demonstrates the need for friends with the same goal⎯to tell people about Him. His disciples were far from perfect, but they loved and believed in Him. They followed Him to synagogues and mountainsides. In return, Jesus loved and cherished those friendships.
祂跟祂的門徒也顯明了需要共同目標的朋友- 告訴人關於祂的事情。祂的門徒一點都不完美，但是他們愛祂也相信祂。他們跟隨祂去會堂，也去山邊。而耶穌也回以愛，還有珍惜他們之間的友誼。
By design, God’s church is a group of people seeking one thing⎯a relationship with Him, and with His followers. He desired this to be a group effort from the start, and we need to honor Him by not seeking to know Him in isolation, for that is not His example.
設計來說，上帝的教會就是一群人尋找一件事情-跟祂建立關係，跟祂的信徒建立關係。祂一開始就希望這是一個群體的努力，且我們需要透過不是單獨追求認識祂來榮耀祂，因為這不是祂給我們的範例。
7. Others are Watching
其他人都在觀看
My family doesn’t attend church for props; in fact, this world is increasingly hostile towards those who consistently go to church. We live near a large youth ballpark, and every Sunday morning we see cars spilling out of the parking lot. The mainstream no longer views Sundays as a time for worshipping God.
我的家庭上教會不只是表面功夫；事實上，這個世界對於固定去教會的人越來越不友善。我們住在一個大型的年輕人球場附近，然後每個禮拜天的早晨，我們都看到非常多輛車在停車場。主流社會已經不把禮拜天視為敬拜上帝的時間。
As 1 John 2:15 says, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.”
就像約翰一書2:15所說，"不 要 愛 世 界 和 世 界 上 的 事 。 人 若 愛 世 界 ， 愛 父 的 心 就 不 在 他 裡 面 了 。"
As Christians, we must demonstrate our love for our Father and His people by going against the mainstream’s norm. We have to show Christ to a hurting world, to be like Him amongst the chaos. This means not living as the world lives and loving what the world loves. Carving out time for Him on Sundays shows our commitment to make Him a priority.
身為基督徒，我們必須顯明我們對於天父的愛，還有對於祂兒女的愛，藉由跟主流上會相反而行。我們必須顯明基督給受傷的世界看，在混亂中有祂的樣式。這也意味著不要跟隨世界生活的方式，不要愛這個世界所愛的。把禮拜天的時間分割出來給祂，顯示我們把祂當成最重要的事情。
8. It's Good for My Relationships
對於我的關係有好的幫助
Typically, my husband and I are working on different Bible studies. I’ve often found that sitting side-by-side in those uncomfortable church chairs and listening to a message helps our spiritual journeys intersect. We regularly discuss songs the band played or something our pastor said during his teaching. We draw closer to one another because of our mutual desire to grow in a strong, loving relationship with Jesus.
通常，我的先生跟我都會研讀聖經不同的部分。我發現坐在位子有點小的教會椅子上，肩並肩聽講道對於我們的靈性旅程有所銜接。我們固定會討論敬拜樂團的歌曲，或是牧師講道的時候所說的話。我們越來越靠近，因為我們互相有渴望跟耶穌建立堅固，充滿愛的關係。
This is true for singles as well, because your church service should feel like time spent with like-minded friends. If you don’t have someone you can attend with, discuss the teachings, and worship with on a regular basis, start looking for someone to fill this place in your life. They may already be sitting next to you in service.
這對單身的人來說也是正確的，因為你的教會應該讓你感覺是跟志同道合的人交朋友。如果你沒有一起聚會的人，討論講道，還有固定敬拜，就要開始尋找那個人了。他們可能就坐在你旁邊聚會。
9. It Reminds Me to Give Back
這提醒我要回饋
I’ve seen God vastly improve our finances once we committed to giving back, monetarily, to Him; but this topic is for another article altogether.
我有看過上帝大幅的改善我們的財務，當我們奉獻回饋祂的時候；但是這個議題又可以寫一篇新的文章了。
Did you know that during the summer, when families typically vacation, offerings are at their lowest for the year? Out of sight, out of mind, right?
你知道暑假的時候，家庭通常會去渡假的時候，奉獻的金額就是一年裡最低? 不去看，不去想，對吧?
This impacts the church, our communities, and the world. My church donates locally and globally to non-profits and missions, and I know many churches do the same. Most can’t deny the positive impact of charities which help the poor, hungry, and hurting. Attending a church service always reminds me to give back, to go above and beyond to give and serve. And in doing so, God has never failed to take care of my house and I.
這對教會產生影響，我們的社群，還有世界。我的教會在地方上還有國際上都捐獻給非營利組織還有佈道團，然後我知道很多教會也這樣做。大部分的人都不能否認慈善的好處，就是幫助窮人，受飢寒的人，還有受迫的人。參與教會活動一直都提醒我要回饋，甚至更多更深的給予還有服事。當我這樣做，上帝也不會忘記照顧我的家人跟我。
10. God Wants to Use Me
上帝要使用我
We’re given choices, both small and large, each day. Sometimes what I think are small choices are actually big ones to God.
每天，我們都被給予選擇，不管是大的或是小的。有時候我認為小的選擇，對於上帝來說事實上卻是大的。
Have you ever had the urge to go say hello to someone and discovered they were in crisis and needed prayer? Have you ever texted someone God placed on your heart and found they really needed to hear those words? Have you ever smiled at or given a hug to someone and later learned that one small gesture changed the course of their day?
你有沒有想要跟人打招呼的衝動，然後發現他們正經歷危機，也需要禱告? 你有沒有傳訊息給上帝放在你心上的人然後發現他們很需要那些話? 你有沒有對著一個人微笑或是給他一個擁抱，然後發現這樣的小舉動對他們的一天產生改變?
God uses us to reach people, and sometimes it’s in the smallest of choices that He uses us to make the biggest impact. But … He can’t use us if we’re absent.
上帝使用我們去接觸人群，有時候是在最小的選擇上祂來創造最大的影響。但是，如果我們不在祂就不能使用我們。
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