“愿主耶稣基督的恩惠、神的慈爱、圣灵的感动,常与你们众人同在。” – 林后13:14
Anthony身穿一件黑色飞行服外衣、戴着一副飞行员太阳眼镜,在我办公室的门外不停徘徊踱步。我正在讲电话,但他不断打手势要求我“挂上电话。”现在他已经站在我的办公室里面,却仍在踱步。他用力摘下太阳镜、迫不及待说道:“我需要领圣餐,牧师,先生,我现在真的很需要,请您行个方便吧。”
Anthony 的精神健康出了问题,但他得不到良好的治疗;因此他常在街道上游荡,并且与他头脑中发出的声音对话。他使用可卡因、大麻、和酒精作自我治疗,五年前他又被诊断患了爱滋病。他因情绪失控爆发而被社区的庇护所拒之门外,晚上他只能睡在亲戚家车库里的的床褥上。
“牧师,我需要领圣餐。先生,我现在就需要啊。”精神上、肉体上、和情绪上的创伤,令他无法与人建立彼此的信赖和关系;他需要知道他是有归属的 - 他是属于神的,也属于他身边的邻舍。
RCM理事会的成员Felisha和Raphael当时恰巧也在场。等我们找到一些面包和葡萄汁后,我们四人就在我的办公室内围成一个圆圈。“Anthony,基督的身体为你擘开,基督的宝血为你流出。”
Anthony深深地吸了一口气,然后回应说道:“基督确实为我擘开了衪的身体啊。阿们。”
祷告
主神啊,求你推动我们,去与你、与社区、和与你创造的世界建立关系。奉耶稣名祈求,阿们。
哥林多后书 13:11-14
11还有末了的话:愿弟兄们都喜乐!要做完全人,要受安慰,要同心合意,要彼此和睦,如此,仁爱和平的神必常与你们同在。
12你们亲嘴问安,彼此务要圣洁。
13众圣徒都问你们安。
14愿主耶稣基督的恩惠、神的慈爱、圣灵的感动,常与你们众人同在!
Communion
“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” – 2 Corinthians 13:14
Anthony, wearing a black bomber jacket and aviator sunglasses, paces back and forth outside my office. I’m on the phone, but he gestures repeatedly that I should “hang up the phone.” Now inside my office, he continues to pace, rips off his sunglasses, and blurts out, “I need communion. Now, Pastor. Sir. Now indeed. Indulge.”
Anthony struggles with his mental health. He has no access to quality mental care, so he wanders the streets talking to voices in his head, and he self-medicates with cocaine, marijuana, and alcohol. Five years ago he tested positive for HIV. His outbursts have led to his being barred from shelters around the city. He sleeps on a mattress in his cousin’s garage.
“Pastor, I need communion, sir, and I need it now.” Mental, physical, and emotional trauma have left him incapable of building trusting relationships. He needs to know he belongs—to God and neighbor.
Felisha and Raphael, church council members at Roseland Christian Ministries, are both present. We scrounge up some bread and grape juice and gather in a circle, the four of us in my office. “Anthony, the body of Christ, broken for you; the blood of Christ, shed for you.”
Anthony breathes deeply and says, “The body of Christ for me. Indeed. Amen.”
Prayer
Lord God, move us into relationship with you, community, and creation. In Jesus, Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳