见证之日The Day of Testimonies
——记教会的复活节庆祝
约三千多年前，圣灵借大卫的口预言说：“
* 蒙神赐福
庆祝分两个部分。一部分是室内敬拜；另一部分是室外敬拜与活动。
* 十架苦路十四站默想
基督若不受苦，就没有复活。上周五受难节晚上，教会举行“
* 预尝天堂
《启示录》里天上场景的特点之一是“各国、各族、各民、
* 同工同心
“看啊，弟兄和睦同居，是何等的善、何等的美”（诗133：
*儿童复活袋
明芳阿姨亲手编织的复活节小兔子等手工艺品是小朋友的最愛。
* 众民喜悦
这次复活节庆祝大概有200多人参加，
大卫称颂主复活时说：“因此，我的心欢喜，我的灵快乐，
“Glad in heart, joyful in spirit, peacefully dwelling in the flesh”:
Easter Celebration in the Church
Over three thousand years ago, the Holy Spirit prophesied through the mouth of David, saying: “because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay” (Psalm 16:10). Around the year 30 AD, Peter confirmed during Pentecost that our ancestor David had died, been buried, and his tomb was still there. David was not speaking about himself, but about the resurrection of Jesus, as Jesus’ soul was not abandoned to Sheol, and his body did not see corruption (Acts 2:29-32). Jesus has risen! His resurrection conquered death, the grave, and the devil, granting new life to those who believe in him. The Church celebrates Easter to witness the resurrection power of the Lord Jesus Christ transcending time and space and to share the good news of the gospel with others. This year, everyone in the church is filled with joy during the Easter celebration. Here are a few points to share with our brothers and sisters in the Lord:
• Blessed by God
The celebration consists of two parts: indoor worship and outdoor worship and activities. Regarding outdoor worship and activities, we want to express special thanks to God for the weather He has provided. Previously, there were concerns about the hot weather, and tents were prepared for shade. However, God prepared a heavenly canopy with clouds for us, providing pleasant weather, and everyone’s mood was comfortable.
• Via Dolorosa Candlelight Meditation
Without Christ’s suffering, there would be no resurrection. Last Friday evening, the church held a “Fourteen Stations of the Via Dolorosa Candlelight Meditation” for Good Friday. The Via Dolorosa is a 600-meter-long stone road in the old city of Jerusalem, believed to be the route Jesus took to be crucified. The Latin term “Via Dolorosa” means “the sorrowful way.” Traditionally, people divided this way into fourteen stations, marking the suffering Jesus endured. Through candlelight meditation, we immersed ourselves in the scene, reflecting deeply on the sufferings endured by the Lord and our own sins through songs, scripture recitations, prayers, a short video of “The Passion of the Christ,” and prayers. Many brothers and sisters were deeply moved.
• Pre-taste of Heaven
One of the characteristics of the scenes in Revelation is “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands” (Revelation 7:9). This year, our Chinese church and the Antioch Church (an English-speaking church that shares the same building with us but meets in different areas) jointly celebrated Easter outdoors. We sang English hymns, listened to English messages with Chinese translation, and partook in the Lord’s Supper together. This unity was a testimony to the life of oneness that Christ’s resurrection has bestowed upon us.
• Unity in Service
“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1). The celebration was pleasant, brothers and sisters loved one another, and served one another. There were beautiful worship, delicious barbecue and various delicacies, children hunted for Easter eggs, played on jumping house, enjoyed ice smoothies, and everyone exchanged greetings and conversations. This was the result of teamwork in service. The morning prayer team prayed daily in preparation for Easter, and brothers and sisters actively invited friends through WeChat messages and word of mouth. Particularly grateful were those who prepared barbecue skewers on Saturday. Such enthusiasm for the Lord is pleasing! Everyone shares a common desire: to let more people feel the love of God and the warmth of brothers and sisters!
• Children’s Resurrection Bags
Handcrafted Easter bunnies and other crafts made by Sister Mingfang were children’s favorites. This year, she made exquisite bags embroidered with crosses for 59 children. As elders distributed gifts to the children, they explained the meaning of believing in Jesus to each child, sowing the seeds of the gospel in their young hearts. Mingfang had each child sign their bag as a memento and prayed for them one by one.
• Joy Among the People
This Easter celebration had approximately over 200 attendees, making it the largest gathering in the history of our church. Many people who had never been to our church before joined us, giving us the opportunity to share the gospel with them. One seeker said, “This Easter event at the church was really good. Both adults and children were happy. The barbecue was so delicious, and I’m sure it took a lot of effort to prepare so many. Thank you for your hard work.” Another invited seeker couldn’t attend due to work schedule, but his wife came with their child. After the event, he actively asked for the church’s address and expressed his desire to make some contribution to the church. All of this is by the grace of God, and we give all glory to the Lord. Of course, there were also many shortcomings in our service. We are thankful to all co-workers for their valuable feedback, which will serve as valuable guidance for better service in the future.
David praised the Lord’s resurrection, saying, “Therefore, my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also rests secure” (Psalm 16:9). May the life of the Lord’s resurrection continually fill us, so that we may live our lives with joy in our hearts, gladness in our spirits, and security in our bodies, always anchored in hope!