今天晚上

过去的很多感觉又袭来

脆弱与破碎

孤独和寒冷

可是却没有再感到无助

却几个月来从未如此确定的知道神的存在

他就在我身边

就在我里面

 

－－－－－－－－－－－

 

这段时间很累，很疲倦，周一到周五上班，大部分的周末也没有休息，总有事情。上班，别的事情，找工作压力。很希望能有一个上学的时候的假期，真正完全的假期。这份工作五月底就结束了，想休息一下，但又担心以后的工作，又想找一个在学校里的相关的工作接着做。可又真的很想休息，放开不再管，放一阵子。哪怕仅仅是个完全的周末。

 

 凡劳苦担重担的人，可以到我这里来，我就使你们得安息。
 我心里柔和谦卑，你们当负我的轭，学我的样式，这样，你们心里就
必得享安息。
 因为我的轭是容易的，我的担子是轻省的。”

 

 

Wednesday Bible study in the book of Acts

 

This week’s Wednesday Bible study was continuing the book of Acts in the Bible, New Testament.

 

Acts is the book follows right after the four gospels in the Bible New Testament. It’s about the stories of apostles happened after Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection. Acts is widely taken as the book which records the history of establishing the Church. But when I read it before, all I have read in this book were the stories of some individuals, they travelled around, did some preaching, did some miraculous things by the power of God. It’s more like just a story book of some missionaries. This time was my second or third times read the books of Acts, I suddenly realised how it records the history of the establishing of the church, how to understand it’s a book of early history of the church. The book of Acts itself doesn’t have any words of comments or conclusions about the apostles’ activities or the stories recorded in the book. It just simply describes the stories, but through which, we can see how church was built up and the situation in that period. The story helped me to understand this is the one recording Paul met Lydia in Philippi and Lydia converted to the Lord. (Acts 16:11-15).

 

Paul, Silas and Luke (in the scripture the believed writer of the Acts Luke started using ‘we’ as the subject), probably and some other companions went to the Philippi, which is the leading city in Macedonia, in that time was colonised by Roman. It was a Roman colony that time, and was Greek cultural area even before Roman came, so it’s definitely a gentile area. They met a lady called Lydia there. The Lord opened her heart and after listening to the message from Paul, she converted to the Lord and she and her whole household were baptised. Then she invited Paul and his companions to her house. It could be seen that it was not easy for Paul and his companions to make decision of staying in her house. In Acts chapter 16 verse 15, Lydia said ‘if you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay in my house’. It’s not only a invitation, but also includes the reason of ‘why not come to my house’, which means Paul and his companions maybe not willing to come. And Luke also said in the same verse ‘she persuaded us’. Why they didn’t want to go to her house? It might be Lydia’s identity. In the scripture it is said that Lydia is a worshiper of God (Acts 16:14), but no more description about her identity. She might be a Jew or a gentile. However, in the area of Philippi, it’s very possible that Lydia is a gentile. And certainly Lydia is a wealthy woman (she is a dealer in purple cloth, which is a very noble and expensive cloth), and maybe even very famous in the area. According to the Jewish law, the Jews could not enter a gentile’s house, could not eat with gentile. If Lydia is a gentile, this must be the reason why Paul would hesitate to go. And even if she is a Jew, Paul would consider it as improper to go to a woman’s house and this woman is the householder. Now the interesting place comes out. I thought, no matter the fact that Lydia is a gentile or the impropriety, can not justify Paul’s hesitation, for he is a Christian, should not discriminate the gentile or mind what others would say if they themselves did nothing wrong. Because when I was reading Acts, I just took it as a story book or a fiction, which has simple logic. I remember the story of Peter leaving for Caesarea to find Cornelius. (Acts 10) God showed Peter a vision that a cloth with all kinds of food. God asked him to eat but he didn’t, he said he would not eat unclean food (according to the Jewish Law). Then God told him ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean. Then Peter left for Caesarea and talked, ate, and stayed with gentiles in a gentile’s house. I thought from the moment, the understandings of the Christians were cleared. God’s love is unlimited, it’s for both Jews and gentiles, God bless everyone. But why Paul’s story in Philippi told another account? I suddenly realised that this is exact situation in the early church history. People’s faith was growing, understanding was changing. Everything was changing and struggling. Sometimes things were turning better, sometimes they went back again, the situation was going forwards and backwards. This is the situation in the early church. And this is exactly the situation in China now. I suddenly understood that this is what we call History. It helps me to consider the stories in Acts again and have a overall view how the church looked like in early time. More importantly, it helps me to understand today’s situation in China. Sometimes things are turning better, seems government’s control is looser and more positive; sometimes it is negative. People are struggling, sometimes they are hungry to the faith, sometimes they are limited by the social tradition, family’s traditional views etc. Some communist party members are at same time also Christians. It might seem ridiculous for some people (what? An atheist party member is a Christian?), but those changing, instability and struggles are just like the situation in two thousand years ago in early church time. Most significantly, in my personal life, it is believed that this understanding is exactly the message God wants me to take.

 

A different understanding about Three-self church

 

(This part is also based on some information from the Wed bible study)

 

Three-self church is the form of the government-sanctioned protestant church in mainland China. I understand that this church doesn’t have good reputations in some Christians, both Chinese and non-Chinese Christians.

 

However, I don’t know if people ever try to consider this issue from another different prospective. The concept of the three-self church is not originated from Communist Party, but from early foreigner missionaries in China. The concept of self-governance, self-support and self-propagation were first raised by Henry Venn, General Secretary of the Church Missionary Society from 1841–73, and Rufus Anderson, foreign secretary of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions; it was formally drafted in a Christian conference in Shanghai in 1892. It aimed to build up a Chinese church which is independent from control and influences of western churches, to build up a church which is not the Church of England, not the church of America of Germany; it is the church of China, a new type of church. But it couldn’t be realised at the moment. The early church in China was inevitably affected by the churches in western countries in form, structures, services and understandings. The independence from westernisation was realised actually after the P.R.China was built. People might argue that it is not independent at all nowadays. But in someway it was free from another even more powerful influence. It now has a foundation which supplies the possibility to be changed and improved.

 

But now I see another fact occurs. Now Christianity is rapidly growing in China. One of the factors which has effects on this changing is the returning home of the large number of Chinese students becoming Christians when they study abroad. They accept and grow their Christianity faith abroad, mostly in western countries. Some of them go to local churches and others go to local Chinese churches. No matter which type of church they go to, more or less their Christian views might be largely influenced by local Christian views, in terms of churches structures, form of services, method and style of propagation and so on. When they go back to China, they might play important role in the local churches, both three-self or family churches. And their understandings gaining from their life abroad might influence the church in China indirectly.

 

I don’t know if the situation I thought is or would be true in China. But this might be the issue worthy to discuss.

 

Roman Catholics

 

(From the discussion in CCF on Friday evening)

 

On Friday evening we had a discussion about various issues in the fellowship. One thing I realised is that the idea about Roman Catholics is very unclear. Maybe I was wrong, but it’s worthy to write some simple things in case any misunderstandings about Roman Catholics occur.

 

First of all and most important thing to remember, Roman Catholics are Christians, followers of Christ Jesus. In Chinese we have two different words about Christianity, one is 基督教 and 天主教. But in English, there is only one word, Christianity, which includes protestants (what we call 基督教), 新教in Chinese; Roman Catholics (天主教), Orthodox (东正教), and various types of churches (for example, free church). They are all Christians, only have some slight differences in some understandings. The division of these churches is rather complicated. For two of most influential denominations, Protestants and Roman Catholics, it is linked to the religious reforming in 14^th century. The division of Roman Catholics and Orthodox were even earlier, in the Roman period. The Roman Catholics in history might not have good reputations, mainly because of the corruption of the church and Pope system. But changing with the development of human civilisation, it is very different from the one in history. And today in some place, the communications between different Roman Catholics and other denominations are pleasantly increasing. The union of the churches is carried on in some areas in the universal love of the Lord and His grace.

 

清明时节雨纷纷

 

路上行人

 

欲断魂