生活小札 ~ Musings on a Sunday Night

#2026-1108

Jean has been in Kaohsiung since Thursday afternoon, taking care of our younger grandson, Shine, while his parents were away. They both attended the consecration service for our new bishop, the Rt. Rev. Keith Lee, at St. John's Cathedral in Taipei yesterday.

Meanwhile, I had to stay in Wufeng to look after our older grandson, James, who attends school on weekdays. Even on weekends, it's probably better to have at least one adult around to keep an eye on a teenager. Am I right?

I'm looking forward to Jean's return home tomorrow (Monday). I've already prepared breakfast for James and myself. Around dusk, besides picking up two boxes of rice and something for supper, I stopped by a well-known local bakery and bought two sandwiches that looked delicious. They're now waiting in the kitchen refrigerator!

At first, I thought I'd invite James to go hiking with me somewhere in the nearby mountains, if he was interested. To my surprise, however, he already had plans of his own. He spent almost the entire day today (Sunday) meeting up with his classmates somewhere in Nantun District, Taichung, as he told me afterwards.

As a result, I had plenty of "free time" today. I didn't even make it to church this morning because I overslept and got up too late. Instead, I hiked along some familiar nearby trails and enjoyed a beautiful sunset at dusk. Look! The western sky was ablaze with shades of orange and red.

What's more, I came across quite a few lovely photos on St. James' Church's Facebook page, including a group photo with the Rt. Rev. John H. Taylor, who visited and preached at St. James' this Sunday. I also found some lovely photos in our family LINE group, the Liangs. My son, Rev. Antony, shared a photo with me on LINE showing four people: Antony and Anita standing alongside our new bishop, the Rt. Rev. Keith Lee, and his wife.

What a memorable photo! (See this and other photos below.)

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相關文章 (See also)：

1)  夕陽之美：Beautiful Sunsets!     (2024)

2)  Wufeng Ecological Trail (嶄新的一段)     (2022)

3)  An Afternoon Hike: 登上「望月峰」     (2026)

4)  Love in Christ     (2021)

5)  敬祖主日 (Ancestor Remembrance Sunday)     (2026)

I Pray... (我心祈禱)

#2026-1106

"Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping; that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep we may rest in peace." (BCP, pages 134–135)

「主阿，醒來時求祢引導，睡眠時求祢保護：使我們覺醒時可以與基督一同守候，睡眠時可以在平安裡歇息。」(公禱書中文版，第 98 及 99 頁)

This morning, I visited my eldest sister, Xiuzhi, who lives in Nantou City, about a 25-minute drive from my home. I felt deeply sorry to see that she had been suffering from cancer for months and was now too weak to undergo surgery to remove the tumor.

We spent less than an hour together in her apartment, sharing some of our recent experiences as well as memories of things that had happened long ago in "those good old days." Unfortunately, her physical weakness made it difficult for us to chat as freely and cheerfully as we used to.

O God, make speed to save us;

O Lord, make haste to help us. Amen and Amen.

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相關文章 (See also)：

1)  探親記 (附圖：花、鳥)     (2025)

2)  Lunch plus Tea or Coffee (梁家聚餐)     (2024)

3)  從牆上到窗外，都是 "藝術"！     (2023)

4)  A Small but Beautiful Bug?     (2021)

5)  A Photo Album by Xiuzhi Liang (大妹的作品)     (2017)

The First Day and Sunday in November

#2026-1101

All Saints' Day with Taizé Songs

On Sunday, November 1, 2026, we celebrated All Saints' Day with Taizé songs!

There were 58 people attending the service, and 51 of them received the bread and wine during Communion, while the other seven, who were not yet Christians, received blessings from the clergy.

Cheerful Coffee Hour after the Service

After the service came to an end, we enjoyed our lovely coffee hour, as usual. The first three photos below show just some of the people who joined us for coffee. Others preferred to sit and chat outdoors in the open backyard garden!

Thanks be to the Lord, we have recently welcomed more and more brothers and sisters in Christ to St. James'. It's wonderful to see the number of participants in our English-speaking Sunday worship service growing.

A Group of Ten Visits the Liao Family

In the afternoon, a group of ten brothers and sisters in Christ visited the Liao family. We wanted to spend some time with Mr. Ian Liao, his wife Helen Chiang, and their eldest daughter, Shirley Liao, following the sad loss of their second daughter, Wanling, who passed away from cancer in August. For more than a year, many of us at St. James had been praying for Wanling's recovery. Although we had hoped and prayed for a different outcome, she eventually went home to be with the Lord.

It was a meaningful opportunity for us to visit the family, share our thoughts, and express our love and care for them. I believe that sometimes our presence speaks louder than words. We may not fully understand the sorrow they have experienced, nor can we take away their grief, but we hope they feel that they are not alone. May the Lord continue to comfort and strengthen the entire family, and may His love and peace be with them in the days ahead.

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相關文章 (See also)：

1)  Holy Eucharist with Taizé Songs     (2021)

2)  St. James' English Congregation Retreat, 2018     (2018)

3)  Confirmation (堅振禮 / 堅信禮)     (2018)

4)  Confirmation (新主教來堂主禮)     (2020)

5)  Prayer for Each Other (彼此代禱)     (2023)

We Felt So Blessed ~ 感謝陳牧師和師母...

#2026-1027

Today, Jean and I felt especially blessed.

The Rev. Charles Chen, our rector emeritus at St. James’, and his wife, Joe, invited us to lunch at Wa Cheng (瓦城), a Thai restaurant inside Kuang San SOGO Department Store. Our neighbors, the Rev. Sam Cheng and his wife, along with Brother “Can Ge” (燦哥) and his wife, Diana Wang, joined us. There were eight of us in all.

Jean and I hadn’t visited a department store in Taichung City for at least ten years, so it was a special outing for us. We enjoyed the restaurant’s warm, inviting atmosphere, delicious Thai food, and lively conversations filled with laughter.

Many thanks to the Chen couple! Over the past several decades, the six of us who joined them for lunch today have received so much love and care from them. They have truly been like spiritual parents to us. Now in their nineties, they continue to hold a special place in our hearts. May the Lord bless them with good health, joy, and all that their hearts desire! Amen.

Today’s blessings didn’t end with the lunch. We also received an AI-generated cartoon portrait of our son, his wife, and their two children, sent from Kaohsiung via LINE. What a lovely 全家福—a portrait of the whole family!

Then Facebook brought another pleasant surprise: a memorable image and a little poem I had posted exactly six years ago, on October 27. It reminded me of a similar gathering at the 92 Cafe in my hometown of Guoxing.

That memory made me wonder: What will Jean and I be doing six years from now? What memories will October 27, 2032, bring? Will Facebook remind me of today’s wonderful lunch at Wa Cheng?

Only the Lord knows what the future holds. For now, I am grateful for the blessings of today, the precious people in our lives, and the memories that connect our past, present, and future.

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相關文章 (See also)：

1)  Thanks for Such a Special Day!     (2010)

2)  The 92 Coffee     (2020)

3)  More Photos: 《典禮外 ● 足跡／留影》     (2018)

4)  祝賀陳牧師和師母 90 歲生日快樂     (2024)

5)  歡慶九十大壽 (Presented by Rev. Sam Cheng)     (2024)

A Wonderful Sunday Together

#2026-1025B

After attending the Sunday service at St. James', the three of us joined our good friends downstairs for coffee hour, chatting with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

When coffee hour came to an end, some of our friends stayed for the Bible study led by Rev. Ben Simmons. The three of us, however, headed to a nearby restaurant, Chun Shui Tang (春水堂), for lunch. The restaurant seemed especially busy on Sundays, and we had to wait quite a while before being shown to a table.

Despite the wait, we enjoyed a lovely lunch together.

Both Jean and I were delighted that our grandson James wanted to join us at church this morning. He had missed several Sunday services over the previous months, so it was especially nice to have him with us again.

All in all, we had a wonderful day, enjoying not only a meaningful worship service at St. James' but also a delightful lunch at Chun Shui Tang. It was a joy to share both experiences with James on the same Sunday!

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相關文章 (See also)：

1)  生活＆學習：Living in God's Love     (2026)

2)  Wufeng Summers, Then & Now     (2026)

3)  Happy Birthday to You, James!     (2026)

4)  高雄 (打狗) ～以圖紀實 (Coll. B)     (2026)

生活＆學習：Living in God's Love

#2026-1025A

Today is the 22nd Sunday after Pentecost. To review and reflect on what I have heard and read during the English-language service at St. James, I would like to share the Collect of the Day, Psalm 90:1–6, 13–17, and today’s Gospel reading, Matthew 22:34–46, as follows:

The Collect of the Day

Almighty and everlasting God, increase in us the gifts of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain what you promise, make us love what you command; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17              Domine, refugium

1. Lord, you have been our refuge *
   from one generation to another.
2. Before the mountains were brought forth,
   or the land and the earth were born, *
   from age to age you are God.
3. You turn us back to the dust and say, *
   "Go back, O child of earth."
4. For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past *
   and like a watch in the night.
5. You sweep us away like a dream; *
   we fade away suddenly like the grass.
6. In the morning it is green and flourishes; *
   in the evening it is dried up and withered.

  13. Return, O Lord; how long will you tarry? *
        be gracious to your servants.

  14. Satisfy us by your loving-kindness in the morning; * 
        so shall we rejoice and be glad all the days of our life.
  15. Make us glad by the measure of the days that you afflicted us *
        and the years in which we suffered adversity.
  16. Show your servants your works *
        and your splendor to their children.
  17. May the graciousness of the Lord our God be upon us; *
        prosper the work of our hands;
        prosper our handiwork.

The Gospel of Matthew 22:34-46

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them this question: “What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.” He said to them, “How is it then that David by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying,

        ‘The Lord said to my Lord,

        “Sit at my right hand,

        until I put your enemies under your feet”’?

If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?” No one was able to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.

Living in God's Love: Reflections on the Three Readings

The central theme connecting these three readings is living a life of love in response to God’s everlasting love. The Collect asks God to strengthen our faith, hope, and love so that we may not only obey His commandments but also learn to love what He asks of us.

Psalm 90 reminds us that our lives are brief, but God remains our eternal refuge. Aware that our days are limited, we should seek His loving-kindness and ask Him to bless the work of our hands, making our lives meaningful and fruitful.

In the Gospel, Jesus identifies loving God wholeheartedly and loving our neighbors as ourselves as the two greatest commandments. These teachings show us how to live out the faith and love expressed in the Collect and the Psalm. Jesus also invites us to recognize more deeply who He is as the Messiah and Lord.

Together, the three readings remind us that, although our time on earth is short, we can make it meaningful by trusting in God's enduring love, growing in our relationship with Jesus, and expressing our love for God through the way we care for others.

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相關文章 (See also)：

1)  "The Cross in the Heart"     (2025)

2)  Our Final Sunday Worship at St. Luke's     (2026)

3)  A Full Sunday at St. James'     (2026)

4)  The Sunday Right After Our Father's Day     (2026)

5)  The 16th Sunday after Pentecost     (2026)