OUR FIRST CHRISTMAS WORSHIP IN CHINA

The crowd gathered slowly at the IF [International Fellowship held in an ‘approved Chinese church’].  The worship began at 10:10 AM.  By the end of the service there were probably fifty present (good in light of the fact that many had gone home for Christmas).  Debbie and I were the only Americans in the service!  The make-up was probably 1/3 Africans, 1/3 Europeans, and 1/3 Chinese and other nationalities. 

A new friend of Debbie’s introduced a young, Chinese man, Charlie, to the congregation.  She had met him in a restaurant.  He asked if she was a Christian.  She said yes.  He told her he wanted to become a Christian!  We celebrated his new birth in Christ!  Pastor Francois anointed him and had several pray over him (in different languages).  It was a thrilling moment. 

Then Frank came forward to give his testimony.  I had met and spoken extensively with Frank months ago at the Quanping Church.  He is an exciting new believer who wants to come to America to study in a Bible College!  I’ve been praying for him daily since that first meeting.  He spoke of being fatherless – until he met God!  He told of harassment in his workplace because of his faith.  He is currently looking for a new job!  His mother was with him in the service as well.  Francois called all the fathers to the front of the sanctuary to hug Frank and pray over him!  It was amazing!  Powerful!  Typically, Chinese nationals are not allowed to attend IF services.  However, Francois and Mimmie (the IF leaders – from South Africa) made an exception this morning because of these two testimonies.

Next, a group of about eight black, South Africans came forward and beautifully sang several familiar carols in French.  Attending IF is such a blessing because of its international flavor!  Then a beautiful, Chinese woman came forward and sang a Chinese Christmas song for us! 

Then a leader in the IF named Wes, came forward to give the message.  He spoke of the silent 400 years between the Old Testament and the New Testament and explained that they were anything BUT silent!!!

NOTES FROM HIS MESSAGE:

    · 586 BC Jerusalem destroyed
    · The Captivity - the ministry of Ezekiel and Daniel
    · Jeremiah’s message: “This is NOT the end of your story!”
    · King Cyrus and King Darius have their hearts changed by God and are used to         advance His purposes!
    · The Return to Jerusalem!
    · Judaism changed:
        Synagogues became the center of religious life.
        The Old Testament was canonized.
        The rise of rabbi’s – Gamaliel.
        The rise of political parties: Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and Zealots.                     Pharisees accept all of the OT and believe in an afterlife. Sadducees                         accept only the first five books of the OT and don’t believe in an afterlife.
    · Wars:
        Babylon over Judah
        Persia over Babylon
        Greeks over Persia
        Romans over Greeks

Then a group of Africans came forward and sang a traditional Christmas song in Swahili.  Then a German woman played the piano to accompany her young, teenaged son playing the trumpet (we thought of our nephew, Sam). 

One of the things I love about worshipping with the Africans is the way they give a high-pitched yell when something makes them happy!  The rest of us applaud;  but these women give this joyful, high-pitched wail!  I LOVE IT!

Mimmie gave two PowerPoint presentations:

1.      The first was on the differences between a secular celebration of Christmas and a Christian celebration (she had used this with her students)!

2.      The second talked about the two gifts that God gave at Christmas:  His Son and Eternal Life (John 3:16).

We ended the morning singing a number of Christmas songs together.  The Africans helped us with our hand-clapping!  Several people bring tambourines and add to the joyful expression also.  Some of the people enjoy dancing as a part of their expression of worship!  Together, it is all beautiful and very joyful!

Following worship we just missed the 149 bus and ended up waiting a long time.  Mimmie went by and invited us to a church dinner at a nearby restaurant.  We had not registered for this meal, but she included us anyway!  It was an absolute joy!  I sat beside Frank’s mother.  We gathered in two banquet rooms around large round tables (about fifteen at the table).  Typical Chinese format:  round lazy Susan with many entrees.  The conversation was fascinating!  We were privileged to have a group of German women at our table.  One had been raised in East Berlin.  She spoke of the severe conditions of her childhood the constant fear that they lived under.  She told of trucks arriving with a load of bananas;  each person was given one banana.  She also told of going to a store and waiting in a long line to get a banana.  Then she would go to another store and wait again to get another banana.  And on and on till at the end of the day, she would have eight bananas to take home to her mother!

The other woman spoke of crossing into East Berlin to visit with family.  She talked of the constant fear that they would not be allowed to return to West Berlin!  She spoke of the intimidation of the East German soldiers and the constant fear until they would finally return home!  These are glimpses that we’ve never had before.  They dominated the conversation – and we were delighted to listen.  We felt that we had nothing to contribute to this conversation!  We listened in rapt attention! 

All of these people have been here for ten to fifteen years.  They are here because of their love for Jesus and their love for the Chinese people!  They are bold and courageous people of faith!  We are honored to spend time with them.

Debbie sat beside Francois and Mimmie.  He told of having a large family farm in South Africa.  Francois is a direct descendent of the French Huguenots.  About twelve years ago they felt God’s call to come to China.  They figured they would auction the farm and all their belongings and have significant wealth to subsidize their venture.  Unfortunately, at the auction things went for very low prices.  Then the government stepped in and claimed the family farm.  The government has never paid them a cent for the farm [This sounds like news reports from 2025].  They were immediately in financial crisis upon arriving in China.  They spoke of God’s amazing provision every step of the way.  They are passionate leaders who serve as the pastors of the International Fellowship.  They are Spirit-filled servants who love everyone that God puts in front of them!  They give sacrificially of everything they have to advance God’s Kingdom purposes!  They’re the kind of people that you just want to hang out with all the time!  We love them!  We feel privileged to have met them.  He asked me if I would speak at the IF and Quanping [another location] a few times this winter.  Of course I agreed to.

We are SO GRATEFUL that God gave us this three-year opportunity. Our lives have been so enriched by these experiences.

WHAT IS AN 'ENGLISH CORNER'?

Thirteen years ago today, the weather in Changchun, PRC, had already turned cold! It was 29 degrees, felt like 22 degrees with 6 inches of snow on the ground!  Brrrrr...  This would be the norm - only significantly colder - until April!

One of the things we enjoyed about living on a large university campus was the weekly opportunities to be involved in 'English Corners'. 

An 'English Corner' was a voluntary meeting of students and others who were interested in refining their use of the English language. It was led by students who usually provided some structure for the evening. The typical format allowed for the forming of small groups that would allow more engagement by more people. Involvement was encouraged, but not required.

The following is a description from my journal of a particularly interesting evening when Debbie accompanied me.  [FYI - our students adopted English names.]

In the evening, Deb and I attended the West Campus English Corner.  Alexander and Viola - students from my classes - led the evening with great finesse and clarity.  After a very cute video clip and a presentation of imitating, we were turned loose to have a discussion around the following questions:

·         What is the greatest gift that you have received?

·         How do you pursue your true love?

·         What can you not afford to do without?

·         What do you think is more important:  power or freedom?

When Deb, Rie, Peter, or I are in a group, it often goes in other directions following the interests of the students.  This is obviously fine;  the purpose of the evening is to give the students an opportunity to speak English.  We alternated groups after about half of the time was gone, so each of us worked in two different groups of students.

Each time, Debbie ended up with groups of girls from my classes crowded around her.  They grilled her on questions about how to develop a great relationship and how to make a great marriage.  My groups also wanted to talk a lot about marriage.  The girls in my group were fascinated when I explained that I was a one-woman man!  Once again, our marriage has become a focal point here on campus! 

You can imagine how I responded to questions like:

1.      What is the one thing you cannot do without?

2.      What is the best gift you ever received?

3.      How do you celebrate Christmas?

I was asked these question over and over at this event!  The harvest is white!  I felt like a farmer sowing seed;  digging deep into the bag and throwing seed far and wide!  I felt deeply privileged!  I felt like I was working in direct partnership with God!  I experienced a joy unlike any I have known before!  I felt a greater satisfaction from this one evening than I did from years in ministry in America! 

At the end of the evening we walked home with Jason and Jack and Bob who are post-graduate students who live on South Campus (where we also live).  We are feeling drawn to build bridges to these students.  We keep meeting them at various places and at English Corners;  they often find it difficult to find people to speak English with!  

I wish I had a picture of one moment from this evening.  As we left building one on West Campus, we went down many stairs.  I was walking and talking with one of my students.  These three guys (just mentioned) all took great care to help Debbie down those slippery stairs.  They cared for her like she was their own grandmother.   There was no way she was going to fall while going down those stairs!  Hahaha...  She was deeply respected by all the students and so many others as well!

CHINA UPDATE

I love reading my China Journal from time-to-time. I tried to write daily about where we went, who we saw, and what we did. Sometimes – to be honest – it’s a boring read; but other times it is utterly fascinating. I read about things that I barely remember. I typically read regarding the current day’s date during one of our three years there.

Today I read about a correspondence from Tracie regarding our finances. Two checks had bounced and we had outstanding NSF charges on our account. Being on the other side of the world with a 12-hour difference makes it challenging to try to address issues like this.

We immediately asked her to check our ‘mission’s account’ with the Free Methodist Church. She responded later that six family and friends had given during the summer months [while we were home]. Their gifts totaled $2,175!!!!!!!!! WOW! We were SO BLESSED at this remarkable support.

Tracie contacted us a day later and had cleared up the problem. All the NSF charges were dropped and the error was corrected! PTL!

What we were paid in China was adequate for living in China. However, the exchange rate hurt significantly when we came home for five or six weeks in the summer.  If we saved $7,000 yuan, when we came home we had a little more than $1,000. This was when the gifts became an important resource for us as we travelled to see our family and took care of medical concerns.

Reading all of this really blessed me this morning as I was given opportunity to recall how gracious God was in providing for our needs! It may seem small to others, but it often seemed miraculous to us! Just the fact that He had gotten us to China was amazing. Then, His provision was so faithful and timely.

_____________________________________________

 Since leaving China in July, 2015, I have tried to maintain contact with some of the friends and students from that season of our lives. A year ago, I sent a message of inquiry to a young woman who was part of a Monday night group that met in our apartment [they were the brightest students on a campus of over 20,000]. She did not respond until two weeks ago. She had been going through difficult times and didn’t want to share that with us. But now, she has come out stronger than before – having cleared up some issues that had been plaguing her life! She now is studying to be a counselor/psychologist so that she will be able to help others.  She indicated that she observed how important our faith was to us and decided to become a person of faith as well!

It was so exciting to talk with her and hear her report. She is a VERY capable young woman and I’m confident that God will use her for significant purposes.

I also just chatted with my favorite student, Colleen [English name]. She and her husband, Wudsi, had a little girl back in 2020. She sent me a picture of ‘wu muchen’ and she is as beautiful as her mother!

I still get brief messages from lots of my former students on China’s annual ‘Teacher’s Day’. Teachers are held in VERY HIGH ESTEEM in China! I rarely had any problems in my classes. Most boys studied in the science department. My classes typically had about twenty girls and possibly three boys.

These years were a great privilege and the highlight of my life! I’m so grateful that God gave us this opportunity! We cherish our memories and the many connections we made there. Although I don’t share about China very often, I have a host of wonderful stories from that season of our lives! 😊

A CHINA STORY: A HIGH SCHOOL FRIEND

It was just about this time of year in 2013, that we were seriously deliberating whether or not to return to China for a second year. Our initial commitment was for one year. God used several things that happened to us to guide us to commit to a second year. The following was one of those things. [By the way, we actually stayed for three years! 🙂]

__________________________________________________________________

When I was leaving our hotel one morning, a high school boy approached me with a smile and said: "Hi! Would you like to be my friend?"

His English was good. His charm was over-the-top! I couldn't help but respond: "Sure! I'd be glad to be your friend!"

He smiled a big smile and then asked for my phone number.

I balked at this request and this seemed to surprise him. He asked me why I didn't want to give him my phone number.

I told him that I was reluctant to give my phone number to a stranger.

He responded: "But we're friends!"

I had to move on, so we said a quick 'Good-bye' and I headed off on my way.

However, I immediately found God on my shoulder asking me why I came to China. I responded quickly and chased him down. I told him that I changed my mind and gave him my phone number!

That evening he texted me 😆.

[The text exchange follows:]

王小贱 [This is his name - I knew him as Steve] 9:13:40 PM
wow
I have a question

Hal 9:13:57 PM
Fire away!

王小贱 9:15:40 PM
Why u changed ur mind that day?

王小贱 9:17:35 PM
could u tell me?

Hal 9:17:56 PM
Well, to be honest: I felt that God wanted me to reconsider and accept your offer of friendship.

王小贱 9:18:59 PM
wow。

Hal 9:19:10 PM
Yeah.

王小贱 9:19:15 PM
If I want 2 believe god,what should I do

Hal 9:19:57 PM
Steve, talk to Him!
I do it all the time!

王小贱 9:20:18 PM
Who?God?

Hal 9:20:27 PM
Yep!
I just talk with Him like I talk with you.

Hal 9:21:28 PM
A lot of the time I try to get alone so that I can actually talk with Him out loud!

王小贱 9:21:49 PM
A priest had already let me join it，he asked me 2 read some words

Hal 9:22:25 PM
What kind of priest?

王小贱 9:22:48 PM
But I dont have a cross and i dont know the rules
I went 2 Macao in 2010,and there has a big church,very famous,

Hal 9:23:49 PM
It's not about rules, it's about having a day-to-day relationship with God!

王小贱 9:24:18 PM
The priest asked me 2 read some words.

Hal 9:25:36 PM
I read the Bible every day. It's important to me. But it's a big book and can be very confusing to someone reading it for the first time.

王小贱 9:25:38 PM
He gave me some books about god

Hal 9:26:06 PM
Just start by talking with Him! Keep it simple.
See what happens?

王小贱 9:26:41 PM
Now?
I don't have a cross .

Hal 9:27:44 PM
You don't have to have anything special to talk to Him. He's always near you! Always!

王小贱 9:28:41 PM
I want 2 try it now .Doesnt he sleeping now?
Ok,I try it now

Hal 9:29:50 PM
Nope, He doesn't sleep. He knows you already and loves you more than you can imagine!

王小贱 9:31:40 PM
I had try it
Nothing happened

Hal 9:32:33 PM
Yep. That's the way it seems sometimes. But I trust that He hears me. I'm absolutely sure He does!
Be sure to ask Him to help you with your examination for the military! I believe He will!

王小贱 9:33:27 PM
I believe him ,too

Hal 9:34:06 PM
It's a good start! I'm proud of you, Steve!

王小贱 9:34:50 PM
Thanks
Am worried now.

Hal 9:35:26 PM
I'm going to go to bed now. I get up really early to read my Bible and talk with Him! :-)
Worried about waht?

王小贱 9:36:04 PM
My classmates

Hal 9:36:16 PM
What about them?

王小贱 9:37:37 PM
Some of them really don't care their life,their future

Hal 9:37:54 PM
That makes me sad!

王小贱 9:38:00 PM
Just some small problems,they will fight
We are all Chinese ,we are all humen
Why should we fight ,I really can't understand

Hal 9:38:52 PM
Everybody has hard times. Teen years are especially hard to get through!
Be strong! Make good decisions!
Hang out with the right people.

Hal 9:39:57 PM
You can be a good influence on your friends!

___________________________________________

You can have a dialogue like this with your friends, relatives, neighbors and co-workers at any time! 

Point them to God!

Share openly and honestly with them!

Be available to answer questions and give direction!

IT'S WHY GOD PUT US HERE!

CHRISTIANS FACED WITH CORRUPT GOVERNMENTS

My seminary years span a lengthy period.  I studied at Asbury Theological Seminary from 1973-1976.  Not having graduated, I decided to continue my studies at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary from 1980-1991 [part-time, commuting].

The seminary experience is a very heady, theological and competitive environment.  If various theological perspectives are present – as was true of PTS – then these debates can become quite passionate.  However, engaging in these debates sharpens one’s thinking and forces students to think about the subjects they are studying. 

The following passage would be fodder for a vigorous debate among theologians. [I have quoted The New American Standard Version which is held to be highly faithful to the original languages.]

ROMANS 13:1-7

Every person is to be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a servant of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a servant of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. Pay to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; respect to whom respect; honor to whom honor.

___________________________________________________

The crux of these verses is: God establishes and maintains all systems of authority and His people should therefore honor and obey these systems.

Let’s begin the debate:

But what if systems of government become corrupt and evil?

Good question!  Fortunately, we have a first century case of this being true.  From 54-68 A.D., the Roman Empire was led by Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus.  [You remember this from high school, right?]  Some suggest that this ruler actually started the great fire in Rome in hopes of clearing land where he intended to build his planned ‘Golden House’.  Tacitus claims Nero seized Christians as scapegoats for the fire and had them burned alive, seemingly motivated not by public justice, but personal cruelty.  Nero was eventually declared a public enemy and condemned to death. He fled Rome, and on 9 June AD 68 committed suicide.  [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nero]

So, what happened to Christians during this oppressive time?

Many died on burning crosses along the roads that led to Rome.  Many more became the subject of sport in the Colosseum fighting lions to the death! 

Did God deal with this situation and deliver the New Testament Church?

Yes, He did! 

During the reign of the Roman emperor Constantine the Great (306–337 AD), Christianity began to transition to the dominant religion of the Roman Empire. 

Did this affect Christians?  Yes.  It actually gave them a posture of favor!

But what about the 238 years between Nero and Constantine? 

The Church suffered continual and intense persecution.

How did the Church survive these intense times of opposition?

Christians continued to meet in homes, in catacombs, and in other secret places to avoid oppression.  [For instance, this is when the ‘sign of the fish’ was used by believers to protect their secret gatherings.  The fish symbol is based on a Greek acronym for the phrase Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior. In Greek, the phrase is Ίησοῦς Χριστός, Θεοῦ Υἱός, Σωτήρ. When we take the first letter from each word in that phrase, we have ΙΧΘΥΣ, which happens to be the Greek word for “fish”.  [https://www.gotquestions.org/Christian-fish-symbol.html]

This sign of a fish often marked the way to secret Christian gatherings.

Didn’t these early Christians violate the Roman laws by continuing to meet in secret?

They did.

How did they justify this breaking of the law?

They believed that they were adhering to a greater law!  Let’s also remember that many suffered – even to death – for their civil disobedience!

Are there modern day examples of this kind of situation?

Many!!!!!

Cite an example.

Christians in many countries – for example, China – often feel compelled to meet in secret places to avoid the punishment and persecution that would pursue them if they were exposed. 

But are Christian people suffering as a result of these unjust governments?

Indeed they are!

To what extent?  Pastors are imprisoned.  Churches are burned.  Christian’s homes are burned.  Christians are subjected to rape, beatings, destruction of property and death! 

So, to bring this to an end, in spite of the direct counsel that the Apostle Paul gives in his theological testament [Romans], there are times when believers who are faced with an unjust government may choose to break the law in order to maintain a higher commitment to their faith?

So it seems.

Is there a final word?

Yes!  A very important one.  If they are caught disobeying their government, they must submit to the governing authorities and willingly accept the punishment.  If there are legitimate ways to dispute their situation, they may feel free to use those systems – although the likelihood of finding justice in a corrupted system is minimal. 

__________________________________________

Oh Lord of the Church,

Be near to the millions who live in countries that exhibit oppression of those who follow You!  Be remarkably present to them in their secret gatherings.  Give them courage as they seek to maintain their faith in the midst of oppression!  When/if they suffer, grant them grace to stand firm in their faith – even if it costs them their life! 

Sovereign God, speak to the hearts of the leaders of these spiritually oppressive countries.  You confronted the greatest enemy of the New Testament Church and turned him into the fruitful innovator that we know as the Apostle Paul!  Do this again!  Convert the oppressors!  Convince the corrupt! 

Give wisdom to those who are faced with corrupt governmental systems!  Help them to exercise their rights fearlessly and accept the consequences gladly.  Strengthen the Church Triumphant even in the face of corrupt systems and leaders!

For the Kingdom’s sake.  Amen

BLINDED PEOPLE

 II Corinthians 4:4

The god of this age [Satan] has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Does it surprise you to hear an intelligent person referring to the reality of a being named Satan?  Have we really come so far that we now depersonalize the reality of this cosmic enemy of God?  

I believe in his reality for two reasons primarily:

1. The Bible clearly teaches his reality and even his authority in this world.
2. I see evidence of his influence in my life daily!

This very important verse reveals his tactics.  He blinds the minds of unbelievers!  In doing so, he prevents them from seeing the truth of the gospel - and therefore the glory of Christ who is the image of God.  

And the church keeps meeting and having committees and building bigger and nicer buildings.

Through some vital connections, I have been closely watching the developments in the country of  Myanmar.  Debbie and I spent a couple of weeks in Yangon some years ago.  We met the beautiful people there and saw their orphanages and schools.  They make much happen from very meager resources.  One church there served us 'foreigners' by washing all of our clothes for us and also by serving us a delicious meal.  I distinctly remember the line of teenage girls squatting at basins and washing our dishes as we finished our meal!  They understand servanthood!  

The military intervention that took place there a couple of months ago has cast the country into chaos and confusion.  This has happened repeatedly throughout their history.  The people are disappointed and angry.  Protests in the streets have cost lives.  None of this is secret;  with a simple search you can turn up reports and even videos.

And guess what?

The church is growing in converts as a result!  In desperate times, people turn to God!  

Now, many would say that we've been facing desperate times here in America over the past year.  Yet where is our harvest?  

I think there are two main explanations for this lack of spiritual renewal.

FIRST

The church is still focused on a 'come and see' approach.  We build beautiful facilities and try to get the crowd to come.  Churches use night-club contrivances, the latest video techniques, a constant barrage of new music and sermons bought from the most successful preachers in the country.  But what if lost people - for whatever reasons - just don't want to come to our churches?

SECOND

Christians are indistinguishable from spiritually lost people!  We look alike, dress alike, drink alike, talk the same, watch the same movies and TV shows, and our divorce rate is even higher than theirs!  BUT, we do go to church most Sundays!  That's our understanding of letting our light shine...

Yet, I'm trying to recall when Jesus spoke of gathering crowds to do evangelism.  What I do remember is Him telling His followers to GO INTO ALL THE WORLD AND MAKE DISCIPLES.  There's a creative thought!  Go to the lost!  Make friends with them.  Help them.  Serve them.  Influence them.  Go to where they are sick and dying (like Jesus did).  Feed the ones who are hungry (like Jesus did).  Attend their feasts (like Jesus did).  Develop a reputation of being a friend of sinners (like Jesus did).  

In doing these things, we rip Satan's hands from their minds and eyes!  We disarm Satan!  We show the love of Christ!  We reveal a Savior who can calm their fears, forgive their sins, and give them eternal hope!  

During our three years in China, the churches we were connected to would get extremely excited when Americans would come to teach them how to do church.  I had an ongoing discussion over this with a dear Chinese friend who shared this exuberance.  

The facts are that the Church grew phenomenally in China from the 1950's through the end of the century during severe times of persecution.  For four decades there was no outside presence in China!  The seed of faith planted by missionaries prospered and grew through the direct intervention of the Holy Spirit.  

I contended to my friend that the Chinese Church doesn't need to be taught by Americans.  The American Church is anemic and has failed in its mission.  It DESPERATELY needs an intervention from outside its borders!  

My prayer was and is:  God, protect China, Myanmar and other countries where You are at work from interventions by a church that has lost the fire and is nearly fruitless.  

Almighty God,

Thank You for the work You're doing in China, Myanmar, India, Cambodia and in many other places and countries! 

Renew Your work in the hearts and lives of American Christians!

Refresh Your Call on our lives.

Forgive our sins and lack of concern.

Open our eyes to Your mission - which is great in our land!

Make us a spiritual force in this world as we once were!

Help us to rebuild a platform that will give us the right to teach others and do it effectively and fruitfully.

For the Kingdom's sake.  Amen.

MY FAVORITE HOLIDAY

Community Thanksgiving services were part of my childhood.  In the early 1960's they were held at 10:00 AM on Thanksgiving Day.  They moved from one church to another as the years unfolded.  It could not have been convenient for the women who were trying to prepare feasts for their families.  I remember a couple of years that just my father and I attended.  We would worship that day with many of our neighbors, expressing our gratitude to God for His blessings and gifts!  Depending on what church was the host, we would experience different styles of worship.  I was always quite impressed with the pipe organs in a few of the churches - so majestic.  Their swells of tympanic music seemed to carry our thanksgiving hymns to the heavens in a far more appropriate manner than at other times.
The corporate reading of scripture was an expression of our unity.  The responsive readings caused us to breathe in unison.  The hearty exchange of greetings on a national day of giving thanks to God was filled with meaning and sincerity!  I remember clearly being moved by these experiences!

Over the years I always chose to participate with the local ministerial groups that represented the communities where I served churches.  I've helped plan the unity services and along with my people have also hosted them on many occasions.  I always tried to make them as special as I could.  Typically the communities observed three times of combined focus:  Thanksgiving, Holy Week and the National Day of Prayer.  Few communities still share these times of emphasis.

This year, Debbie and I attended the Mohawk Area Church Association Community Thanksgiving service at the Westfield Presbyterian Church.  It was held on Sunday evening.  I enjoyed the experience immensely!  It included a community choir of sixty members who gave us three musical treatises that lifted our spirits.  A local group of capable musicians - called Edelweiss - accompanied the choir (along with a drummer);  they also provided pre-worship music that helped focus our thoughts.  The Westfield Faithful Bells presented two magical bell songs that thrilled us with their skill and passion.  A very young lady sang "The Lord's Prayer".  A middle-aged man with an amazing tenor voice sang "Bless This House".  The hymns we sang (with pipe organ accompaniment) gave voice to words that many of us have sung for decades!  It was all very familiar - which can be a good thing, right?

The scripture readings were appropriate and the message was stimulating.  Host (Interim) Pastor Chris Carlson challenged us with inspiring thoughts.  I was particularly moved by his comments (based on Deuteronomy 26:1-12) about giving of the first fruits.  He pointed out that this instruction from God caused the people to act in faith!  They were to give the first fruits of their crops as an offering to the Lord.  They were to give these first fruits without any assurance that the rest of their crops would come with abundance or in good condition.  They were to exercise their faith by putting God first!  We were challenged to do the same!

All in all, the service was wonderful and was attended by a fair group from at least ten different congregations.  We were Methodist, Presbyterians, Catholics, Baptists, Covenenters, and probably a few others;  but Sunday night we were all just people who are grateful to God for His many kindnesses!  I was blessed!  I am blessed!

Personally, I have much to be grateful for!

•   Though deaf in one ear, with the help of hearing aids I can hear.
•   Though I had a torn retina in my right eye about seventeen years ago, I can see with that eye.  Every time I have an eye exam the doctor marvels that the eye still works!
•   I enjoy amazing good health;  typical, age-appropriate aches and pains, but strength and health abound!
•   God faithfully meets all our needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus!  Debbie and I love our retirement home.  After many years of living in parsonages, we can now put a nail in the wall anywhere we want to!  :-)  His provisions through the Social Security system and the Free Methodist pension program allow us to meet all our monthly needs.  We are abundantly blessed with material possessions!
•   We have friends from literally many nations around the world!  Living for three years with the Changchun University International students built a base of friendships with students from China, Russia, Mongolia, Viet Nam, Korea, the Philippines, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekastan, Ukraine, Myanmar, Thailand, India, Cambodia, South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Togo, and others.  We still keep in communication with many of these friends!  
•   We have family connections that are deeply meaningful to us!  Deb's family have been a support system for us through the years.  Her siblings are integral to  our lives!  My family has also always been a blessing to us.  We gathered recently for a weekend to make apple butter together.  What a wonderful time we had!
•   We have our children and our precious grandchildren (along with an awesome daughter-in-law and two incredible sons-in-law)!  They mean the world to us!  Our time with them is the most treasured thing we have on this earth!  We live for those moments!
•   We have our faith!  The most intimate thing Debbie and I do together is to pray!  Often it's done late at night or early in the morning as we lay with our arms around each other.  We enjoy sharing our faith with our family, our church and others!  It clearly gives purpose and direction to our lives!
•   And we have each other!  Today, our Thanksgiving meal included turkey, stuffing, corn, sweet potato cassarole, cranberry salad, and mashed potatos.  Later, we'll have some of Debbie's 'blue-ribbon' apple pie!  For the first time in forty-six years it was just the two of us at the table!  And that's okay.  I love her and she loves me.  We love being together!  She's God's greatest blessing to my life!  

So, we're thankful!  Truly thankful!  We came from godly homes and have replicated - by God's grace - that faith into the homes of our children!  What more could we ask for?  

Thank You, Father,

for the grace and mercy You've extended in our direction!

Thank You for filling our cups so full!

Help us to faithfully live to Your honor!

Help us to make a difference in our world!

Help us to love people with abandon!

Help us to be generous!

For Jesus' sake.

Amen.

Travel Journal 13

February 18, 2013  -  Monday

Our friend, Lena, arranged for us to have breakfast at 7:30 AM.  We reunited with our team-mate, Rie, and met many of the other foreigners teaching English across China.  Then we went back to our room (after a walk to 7/11), where I began to catch up my journal while Deb read.  Lunch was also provided.  After reading and napping, it was time for the evening barbecue – steak!!!!  Wow!  [One of the great things about the annual conference is that we get to eat American food all week!]  Then the whole evening was worship and instruction.  

I'm not going to write much about the conference, although it is a highlight of the year for all of our teachers!  I will, however, include one vignette:  (February 20)

VISITING SAMUEL LAMB

We were ushered to a small room on the second floor where we met Pastor Samuel.  He insisted that we sit close to him around a small table.  He greeted us and gave us gifts:  his testimony and about six of his sermons in pamphlet form.  He is a very gentle man, yet quite proud of his accomplishments.  He repeatedly reminded us that his church includes over 4,000 people, who meet in groups of 1,000 at four different times.  He walked us through some of the pictures in his book of testimony. 

He speaks English quite well, but at times didn’t seem to understand questions (it may have been a hearing problem).  One of our teachers translated some of our questions for him and that seemed to help.  He was curious to know where we were all from and asked about our home states.  His father had been a Baptist preacher in Detroit for many years.  He seemed surprised that several of our group could speak Chinese and that over half of us lived in China!

He talked about his years in prison briefly.  He was held in a prison in the extreme western province and was forced to work eight hours a day in the coal mines.  He was fed well because they needed the men to stay healthy to be able to do the work.  When he was released, his church had grown significantly!  He is proud of those who have been baptized under his ministry!

Today he preaches the first week of every month;  his associates take care of the other Sundays and train the people!  He is presently 88 years old and assumes he will be going to Heaven soon [he died August 3, that year].  He told us that the police used to bother him quite a bit.  One particular officer would come to his services every Sunday and insist that he join the Three-Self Patriotic Church.  Each time Pastor Lamb refused to do so.  Finally the officer insisted that he join!  Pastor Lamb looked at him and said, “Arrest me!”  The officer left and didn’t come back until four years later. 

Today, local police often direct foreigners to Pastor lamb’s church.  It is the only reason that foreigners come to this particular part of Guanzhou!  J  The government hasn’t bothered him since 1999.

He spoke with pride of having Billy Graham preach in his church; he translated for him!  He has been interviewed by 180 news organizations and 80 heads of state.  This now has become a barrier of protection for him and his church because if he was to be arrested again, it would become an international news item!

We toured his building at the courtesy of his young assistant.  We sang some hymns in his upstairs sanctuary.  He is an accomplished pianist and wrote forty hymns (he gave us a copy).  He reports that they have no difficulty getting Bibles now that they are being printed in China!  A few of our members brought Bibles and presented them to him.  Debbie and l left a gift in his hands as we said our good-byes!  Others may have done so, too. 

         

Glenn Teal and Samuel Lamb – 2^nd floor meeting room.    

Third floor sanctuary where the preaching originates.

              

A bench slides out when as the room fills to capacity!       

Outdoor seating behind the 3^rd floor sanctuary.

         

The 1^st floor sanctuary.                                                        

The church’s foyer – notice the tree.

          

  

             

Front of the church – looking one way……………………………and the other way.

Some thoughts on visiting a Chinese mega-church!

I remember the first time I visited a friends' large church in central Ohio.  I was so impressed!  It blew me away!  The building looks like a mall with 360 degree parking.  It has a café and children’s departments with play areas that equaled anything you’ve seen at MacDonald’s.  The youth area was cavernous and was set up like a night club with refreshments and pool tables and fooz-ball tables!  The sanctuary was a massive double gymnasium with a platform that is bigger than most churches.  Everything about the place impresses you!  It is home to close to 4,000 worshipers.

Now I’ve visited Samuel Lamb’s church.  It is tiny.  It is inconceivable that 4,000 worshipers gather here at four services every week!  Most sit on floors where they only get a video feed of the message and worship!  The restrooms are tiny and crude and accommodate one person at a time.  The stairways are narrow and steep!  The building is old and the rooms are small.  There is no parking at all!  You could easily walk by the building and not recognize that it is a church!  The whole building would fit inside the Ohio church at least 100 times! 

How did buildings become so important when the New Testament Church went for its first 400 years without any????

Travel Journal 9

February 14, 2013  -  Thursday  Valentine’s Day!

We rose for a 7:00 AM breakfast and then left for Guanzhou.  Our host took the kids in his car along with roses that they are going to sell.  His wife took the rest of us on a long walk to the bus stop.  [Deb and Jessica found a store nearby that had some towels, so we should be able to shower tonight!]

It was a long bus ride to the subway station.  Then it was a long subway ride to downtown.  Eventually we met up with her husband and the kids in an underground mall.  We have discovered that our host and his wife tend to make decisions and then unmake them in a very short time.  Gradually this became annoying to all of us.  Although they are a lovely couple, there seems to be some passive-aggressive stuff going on between them. 

A flowering tree at the bus stop!  

                 Debbie made friends with a young couple on the subway!

While the children attempted to sell roses, his wife took us on a tour around the plaza area which was decorated for the Chinese New Year!  We saw many shops, crafts, arts, displays, and shows.  It was delightful!

  

    We saw this tall skyscraper when we emerged from the subway!  

                             Beautiful flowers and tall buildings were everywhere!        

                          It was 8 degrees in Changchun today!  Glad we’re here!  J

            

 This was at the entrance to the plaza!       

After a while, we took a short subway ride to another area where we toured the Museum of Natural Science.  It was very well done and quite impressive!  We saw dinosaur bones and many other interesting things there.  We were probably inside for a couple of hours!

 

       A row of display areas like this on each side of the plaza. 

                                        An interesting looking artisan!

       

These trees drop tentacles that also take root!          



                                                                                   
                                                                       
This is the tallest building I have ever seen!  AMAZING!

The Guanzhou public library!  Incredibly beautiful!  

                           A by-passer offered to take our picture!

                                             The lights came on at dusk!

      

                            The darker it got, the prettier the displays became!

      

Children began flying kites as evening approached.                      

While we were waiting for the dark to come, we went shopping in the underground maul.  I got Debbie a nice crystal ring and earrings for Valentine’s Day!  Then we had a nice American meal at MacDonald’s.  Then we rejoined the group to view the lights!  Then came the long trip home via subways and bus.  Unfortunately, the children didn’t sell any of the roses!  So we had to haul them all home with us! 

While on the long subway ride I decided to entertain two sweet little girls sitting next to me.  I took out a balloon and blew it up.  That got their attention!  Then I pinched the neck and started making that squeaking noise.  Suddenly, everyone on the subway car was watching me – and their faces were all smiles!  Debbie was really glad that she wasn’t sitting near me!  It got a lot of laughter;  and then I gave each of the girls a balloon!  You should have seen them trying to do the same thing!  It was pretty funny!

When we got home we took showers!  Yay!  Feels so good to be clean again!  We sat and talked with Randy and Jessica a bit.  Then Deb read while I worked on this journal.  Bed at 11:30 PM.