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「使你們知道所當走的路，因為這條路你們向來沒有走過。」(約書亞記3:4)
這是約書亞在帶領以色列進迦南應許之地前的說話。百姓將走一條向來沒有走過的路 - 過約旦河。當我們細想，其實以色列百姓該於四十年前己過了該河，祇因欠缺信心，高估敵人，忘記神同在的大能，以致曠野遊蕩四十年。
我們面對人生的困難，好比巨人在前。我們回頭便跑，以逃避代替接受挑戰，結果失去神同在的經歷。約書亞卻對百姓宣告，祇跟隨祭司所抬的約櫃前行，就可以「知道所當走的路。」而且這是一條「向來沒有走過」的路 - 乃是由河床中間到彼岸的新路。
在購新堂起步時，我們也彷彿看見一條「向來沒有走過路」擺在我們前面。
在很短時間內成立購堂委員會，簽定購買協議書、特別會友大會通過購買、這週內對建築物結構檢查、總會於合約條件限期前批准貸款申請。這一切，彷彿約旦河水在我們面前「從上往下流的水，必然斷絕，立起成壘。」(書3:13)。在這次參予的執事與肢體，深感放在我們前面的一塊石頭，已被神挪開。
前面有段渡河的日子，如每月向總會的還款，新堂的裝修工程，現有堂址售賣，將來事工發展藍圖等等，但深信神既開了第一步，往後的每一步，祂必與我們同在。讓我們眾人一心，攜手漫步這一條新路。
渡河後，以色列人立石為記(書4:3)。為要記念他們怎樣渡過約旦河，進入應許之地。有一天，當我們在新堂聚會時，彷彿像以色列人立石記念，對我們子孫說：「這座教堂，我也曾參予建造，見證神同在的恩典。」
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"Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before." (Joshua 3:4)
These were Joshua's words before leading Israelites into the promised land of Canaan. The people were stepping on a path never walked before: through the Jordan River. Think about it: the Israelites should have crossed the river forty years ago; however, since they lacked faith and forgot the power of God's presence, they ended up wandering in the wilderness for forty years.
The hardships in life are like giants standing in front of us. When we run back, choosing to flee rather than to take the challenge, we miss out on experiencing God's presence. Joshua instructed the people to follow the ark of the covenant carried by priests, and they would "know which way to go." It is even a path they had "never been...before"-a new path cutting across the riverbed to the other shore.
At the beginning of the new church property purchase, we seemed to have seen "a path never walked before" in front of us. Forming the development committee in a short time, signing the purchase agreement, passing the purchase proposal at the Special General Meeting, doing structural assessments of the building within a week, the MB Conference approving our mortgage application before subject removal-all these seemed like Jordan's waters "flowing downstream [to] be cut off and stand up in a heap" before us (Joshua 3:13). The deacons and members involved felt deeply that a rock in front of us was removed by God.
There is still a time of river-crossing ahead of us, such as the monthly repayments to the MB Conference, the renovation of the new church property, the sale of the current church property, and the blueprint for future ministry development. Nonetheless, we believe that since God has taken us through the first step, he will surely be with us on every step that follows. Let us all be of one spirit as we step on this new path.
After crossing the river, the Israelites set up stones to be a memorial of how they crossed the Jordan and entered the promised land (Joshua 4:3). One day, when we meet at the new church location-just like Israelites setting up the stones-we will tell our children, "I played a part in building this church here, which is a witness to the grace of God's presence."
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