大雪

大雪呀！早晨起床，原已白茫茫的大地，積滿了更多的雪，是在愛丁堡第四個冬天以來最凶的一次。「咁俾面啊！」是我和老婆大人的感覺！因這個冬天也會是我們在愛丁堡最後一個冬天了。明年暑期返馬日子已確定，沒想到竟能真正渡一個真正白色聖誕。

積雪是從上周四開始的，但心中不帶著太大的盼望，前天趁雪未溶，帶著女兒去獅子山Arthur Seat山腳玩雪球，沒想到昨天一早，發現雪更多了，與老婆約定讓孩子在學期最後半天課，十二點鐘聲響起放學後，馬上再帶她們去玩雪。途中遇到QQ之同學們，都帶著雪橇、趁著白雪還在，盡情玩樂。

真正沒想到的是：今晨，積雪竟達半尺之厚度。有圖為證，而且足以讓我們蓋雪屋！

Windsor Legoland 把我們害慘了

話說倫敦護照更新一行，第三天是Legoland之遊，行程無甚特別之事。像一般主題公園，每一項機動遊戲都要排大半到小時以上，差別的是這裡各樣遊戲都是較小兒科，刺激指數較低，差不多是香港迪斯尼的級數。

但它是怎麼把我們害慘的呢？原計劃從Legoland乘穿梭巴士回到溫莎(Windsor)火車站，四點十五鐘提早一站下車，避開塞車，拖著二小連走帶跑衝到車站，心中慶幸沒有遲到。沒想到之後便是一等再等，沒報告原因，問了站長第二次也沒說原因，只說五點半才有車，還說可以去另一個車站回到倫敦Waterloo站，由是一輪的又拖又跑。我當然是辛苦一點都跑過去搭。去到，說是不同公司，原車票不能用於他們的火車！之前那站長怎麼不說！當然，我也不懂得問。

問題是我們幹甚麼要這麼趕？原因是我們從倫敦King’s Cross 開出回愛丁堡的火車班次是六點。五點半Windsor離開，至少六點半才能到King’s Cross呀！而且還要回Earl’s Court之酒店拿行李。

我們左商量右商量，五點半的火車不管如何是唯一的選擇，只能要求站長給我們一個證明，是因火車之延誤，我們不能上到National Express 之六點鐘的火車。長話短說，辛辛苦苦的回到 Paddington是六點十五分，不必先到 King’s Cross了，還是先去Earl’s Court拿行李吧！然後再到King’s Cross 去辦理申請補票的事。

周六晚上沒有火車班次了，夜車也沒有開，票務員說。感謝主的是，她亦同情我們的遭遇，非常細心的為我們安排，最後只能給我們第二天一早九點鐘的火車。至於住宿，實在是愛莫能助了，的確不是National Express 的責任，因為Windsor 一線，是另一家火車公司，後來老婆大人回到愛丁堡後上網一查，竟然網頁上寫著如搭剩該公司火車誤點，該下載甚麼表格索賞。可見這對他們而言是稀鬆平常，經常發生的事。問題是明寫著的是賠賞火車票，我們想索賞的是周六晚上的酒店住宿費。求主憐憫了！

話說這遭遇不知是否主的美意。周五晚上，我們一家還為兩天以來行程和辦理護照的事感恩，我還說因祂是耶和華以勒，他會為我們預備。並且將第二天去Legoland 的行程和當天天氣交託，相信祂的帶領是最美好的。真沒想到可真靈，就讓我們經歷信心的實驗了。新約雅各書說信心經歷試，要以為大喜樂！真是如此！

倫敦護照更新，Legoland順便一遊

明天一早出發到倫敦，就為了兩個女兒和我都要換護照，無端端就會花上一筆交通費和住酒店費。太太是護駕陪行（她的香港護照沒到期）。

不過，因著錢已經花了，就順便帶她們去Legoland，算是今年暑假旅行了。我們是一早八點鐘的火車出發，帶著小孩，意謂六點要起床預備。到倫敦已是一時許，稍作休息，在徒步在酒店附近走走。第二天一早便要去拿「籌」申請護照，中午四處溜達，等下午三時去領取之護照。第三天才真的是 Legoland 玩。一早去，四點鐘便須離開趕回 King’s Cross 火車站，搭六點左右的火車回愛丁堡。

英國豬流感橫行，要到倫敦這擁擠大城，請網友代禱了。

學子、雪球、落葉

兩年多前，來愛丁堡不久，我心中就想，未來幾年，中國學子會一年比一年多，這裡的教會是「中途站」型的教會，會不斷有人來，也不斷有人走。

然而，那時我心想，是的不斷人來人往，但來的人會越來越多，走的越來越多，人流一年比一年增長。

來的不但有非基督徒，然後在此信主成長，而後離去。也會越來越多基督徒來，從英國其他地區來，從中國來。

像滾雪球似的，越滾越大。

這一個夏季，這現象是顯然的，風吹起了一片片的葉子，捲起了，落向遠方。

包粽子

教會昨天會後有包粽子活動，手癢從頭包到尾，還收了些徒弟。

結束後剩下不少香菇，獲贈帶回。為了這些香菇，我不但立志、而且是馬上行動，把兩年前買的粽葉取出泡在水裡，另把幾乎同樣年日的糯米如法泡水裡。中午到TESCO添貨，午後寫了點文，便開工。請看成品。

以前都是別人把材料預備好，自己湊湊熱鬧，這次是從頭到尾親自動手，可惜有幾個不理想之處：

一、沒有栗子，想起有walnut，結果非常不理想，可能是放置太久，有油膩味；

二、壓紮得太緊，打開後，糯米飯不夠鬆爽；

三、因怕太鹹，沒計算水煮後，鹹味會稀釋。

不過，恭喜自己，成績還不錯。本想拿些給好友，但基於以上三點不理想，就作罷了！

四福音．四象徵Four Gospels, Four Icons

In Mayfield Salisbury Church, Edinburgh, the place where I go and Chinese Evangelical Church in Edinburgh meet, against the wall behind the alter, four glass windows are icons of four gospel canons. I once thought somehow two of them were misplaced, but having read the following post, though very brief, I think I might be wrong about that.

The reason is I always thought the lion symbolizes Matthew’s image of Jesus as king.

所參加的華人教會位於Mayfield Salisbury Church, 象徵祭壇的中心，後方牆上四片彩玻璃是代表四福音正典的圖像。一度以為圖象有誤置，讀了下文，我猜有誤的大概是我自己，誤會來自我以直以為馬太福音是獅子所象徵者，原因是馬太所呈現耶穌是王的形象。但這一切都是印象！

印象可以誤導！

以下一文由耶魯神學院新約教授所撰寫！

Excerpt from

Emergence of the Four Gospel Canon

Dozens of gospels circulated in early Christian communities. How were the four now contained in the New Testament chosen?

Written by multiple authors! The following is one of them.

Harold W. Attridge:

The Lillian Claus Professor of New Testament Yale Divinity School

SYMBOLS OF THE GOSPELS

Some of the symbols that Irenaeus uses of the gospels have come to be quite traditional and quite influential in the the symbolism associated with the gospels. So the ox, the lion, the winged man and the eagle that [are] used for the evangelists in many contexts, both artistic and literary, go back to Irenaeus.

The eagle is the usual symbol for the Gospel of John, because his thought is so lofty and it flies so high. And the ox is the symbol of the third gospel, the gospel according to Luke, perhaps because of the way in which Jesus is presented as as someone born in a manger. It’s unclear exactly why but that’s certainly an element. The man with wings is associated with the Gospel of Matthew. And this may go back to traditions about Matthew having some sort of angelic assistance in the composition of his gospel…. Mark is symbolized by the lion, it’s unclear why, but perhaps because the lion is a symbol of Jesus in the book of Revelation. And Mark does have connections with an apocalyptic view of Jesus.

POLITICS BEHIND THE CANON

I think the composition of a four-fold gospel canon reflects complicated developments during the course of the second century. One of the factors that played a role here certainly was the fact that certain gospels were revered in certain ecclesiastical centers, so it may be that Antioch had a special affection for the Gospel of Luke. We don’t know that for a fact, but this is certainly an element in the development of the gospel canon. So as the centers got together and wanted to share fellowship and shared their readings, it would have been important for them to recognize one another’s principle texts. There may also have been some theological issues that were being debated, and the use of certain texts in connection with those debates probably played a role in the recognition of those texts as authoritative. We know that that was the case with the Gospel of John; by the end of the second century there was a faction among the Roman church leadership that rejected the fourth gospel and said, “We ought not have it.” They thought that perhaps there was a portrait of Jesus that compromised his humanity. And so the insistence upon the full humanity of Jesus would have been an issue in the acceptance of John as authoritative. So there were both some political and also some theological reasons that no doubt played a role. And then there were various other gospels that were not included within the fourfold canon that probably did not have the sponsorship of a major church, or had some feature to them that was particularly problematic from a theological point of view.

四福音．四象徵Four Gospels, Four Icons

In Mayfield Salisbury Church, Edinburgh, the place where I go and Chinese Evangelical Church in Edinburgh meet, against the wall behind the alter, four glass windows are icons of four gospel canons. I once thought somehow two of them were misplaced, but having read the following post, though very brief, I think I might be wrong about that.

The reason is I always thought the lion symbolizes Matthew’s image of Jesus as king.

所參加的華人教會位於Mayfield Salisbury Church, 象徵祭壇的中心，後方牆上四片彩玻璃是代表四福音正典的圖像。一度以為圖象有誤置，讀了下文，我猜有誤的大概是我自己，誤會來自我以直以為馬太福音是獅子所象徵者，原因是馬太所呈現耶穌是王的形象。但這一切都是印象！

印象可以誤導！

以下一文由耶魯神學院新約教授所撰寫！

Excerpt from

Emergence of the Four Gospel Canon

Dozens of gospels circulated in early Christian communities. How were the four now contained in the New Testament chosen?

Written by multiple authors! The following is one of them.

Harold W. Attridge:

The Lillian Claus Professor of New Testament Yale Divinity School

SYMBOLS OF THE GOSPELS

Some of the symbols that Irenaeus uses of the gospels have come to be quite traditional and quite influential in the the symbolism associated with the gospels. So the ox, the lion, the winged man and the eagle that [are] used for the evangelists in many contexts, both artistic and literary, go back to Irenaeus.

The eagle is the usual symbol for the Gospel of John, because his thought is so lofty and it flies so high. And the ox is the symbol of the third gospel, the gospel according to Luke, perhaps because of the way in which Jesus is presented as as someone born in a manger. It’s unclear exactly why but that’s certainly an element. The man with wings is associated with the Gospel of Matthew. And this may go back to traditions about Matthew having some sort of angelic assistance in the composition of his gospel…. Mark is symbolized by the lion, it’s unclear why, but perhaps because the lion is a symbol of Jesus in the book of Revelation. And Mark does have connections with an apocalyptic view of Jesus.

POLITICS BEHIND THE CANON

I think the composition of a four-fold gospel canon reflects complicated developments during the course of the second century. One of the factors that played a role here certainly was the fact that certain gospels were revered in certain ecclesiastical centers, so it may be that Antioch had a special affection for the Gospel of Luke. We don’t know that for a fact, but this is certainly an element in the development of the gospel canon. So as the centers got together and wanted to share fellowship and shared their readings, it would have been important for them to recognize one another’s principle texts. There may also have been some theological issues that were being debated, and the use of certain texts in connection with those debates probably played a role in the recognition of those texts as authoritative. We know that that was the case with the Gospel of John; by the end of the second century there was a faction among the Roman church leadership that rejected the fourth gospel and said, “We ought not have it.” They thought that perhaps there was a portrait of Jesus that compromised his humanity. And so the insistence upon the full humanity of Jesus would have been an issue in the acceptance of John as authoritative. So there were both some political and also some theological reasons that no doubt played a role. And then there were various other gospels that were not included within the fourfold canon that probably did not have the sponsorship of a major church, or had some feature to them that was particularly problematic from a theological point of view.

上帝及時雨

上帝知道
我的心在下墜，
深深認識我的祂
總是知道如何激勵我
適時地給予鼓勵
免我沉淪

煮、小孩、時間

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匆匆忙忙從圖書館離開，到TESCO超市買幾件肉食，直奔小學接情與橋，回到家預備午餐：玉米西芹沙拉、蒸魚，邊吃邊預備，再送上荷包蛋一人一個，吃飽再把未完成的晚餐，肉碎鮮蝦炒米粉完成，隨已是最快速度，坐在書桌前，已經快三點。說寫論文，豈有心情呢！最恨有時還得逼自己。

至於夫人，則見導歸師隨即上班賺錢去也，大概今晚十一時才回到家！

煮、小孩、時間

匆匆忙忙從圖書館離開，到TESCO超市買幾件肉食，直奔小學接情與橋，回到家預備午餐：玉米西芹沙拉、蒸魚，邊吃邊預備，再送上荷包蛋一人一個，吃飽再把未完成的晚餐，肉碎鮮蝦炒米粉完成，隨已是最快速度，坐在書桌前，已經快三點。說寫論文，豈有心情呢！最恨有時還得逼自己。

至於夫人，則見導歸師隨即上班賺錢去也，大概今晚十一時才回到家！