Reflections on Worship
The piece translated below is from a post on the Weixin (WeChat) page of the Beijing Gospel Church, one of the citys more prominent house churches. The writer is sharing his thoughts on the nature of worship in the church.
Stories
Firsthand accounts of faith lived out in the context of Chinese Christianity.
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服事后现代族群 ── 一个北美华人留学生事工的管见
笔者从前在北美， 并与当地的中国留学生一起工作, 他提出北美的中国教会应如何修改自己的策略，以达到这些学生的问题。他与后现代学生接触，并从他的经验来解释及引申有用的例子。
渴求信仰：中国城市人的后现代信念
毛泽东死后的中国，是意识型态的真空。认为凡事没有绝对价值的后现代主义，并没有成功填补这个空档。为了避免社会纷乱及政治动荡，人们登上寻索之旅，对宗教信仰产生强烈甚至迫切的渴求… …
Turning Bricks into Jade
I have done a lot of cross-cultural training over the years for people heading off to work in China, and one of the resources that I turn to again and again is Turning Bricks into Jade: Critical Incidents for Mutual Understanding among Chinese and Americans. Edited by Mary Wong and others, this book is a collection of "critical incidents" or stories of cross-cultural conflict and misunderstanding between Chinese and Americans.
No, China Is NOT Nationalizing Christianity
On Monday, The Diplomat published an article titled "Why is China Nationalizing Christianity?" The subtitle read "Last week China announced that it was nationalizing Christianity. What are the motives behind this?"
Churches Respond to the Earthquake in Yunnan
On August 3, a 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck a remote region of Yunnan Province, in China's southwest, killing more than 600 people. The Chinese government quickly launched rescue operations and continues to provide relief for those affected. But what about the churches in the area? A reporter from the mainland site Christian Times talked with a local pastor in the area about how the churches in the area are responding. The article is translated below.
Pastor Steve Um Talks about the Chinese Church
Rev. Stephen Um, pastor of City Life Presbyterian Church in Boston, recently talked with the folks at China Partnership about his observations and hope for the Chinese church.
Keep Praying for MH
On July 17, a Malaysian Airlines flight travelling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was shot out of the skies over eastern Ukraine. 298 souls perished. In the days following, many Christians took to Weibo to express their condolences. We have translated a few of those posts below.
To Tattoo or Not to Tattoo?
"Where are their pastors?" my Chinese colleague asked incredulously as she counted the visible tattoos on the arms and legs of some of the newly arrived Christian English teachers. "How can their pastors allow them to have tattoos?"
Religion and Control in Chinese History
The rigid control structures comprising the "box" within which China's church currently operates are often assumed to be merely a function of China's Leninist political system. Were this system to be dismantled, one might argue, the "box" would come apart and China's Christians would enjoy genuine freedom of religion.
A Book on Drums and Worship
As the church in China continues to grow and mature, one of the issues that is coming to the fore is that of music. Until recently, much of the music played and sung in Chinese churches has been on the traditional side translated western hymns or indigenous folk-style music (popular in rural churches). Only in the past few years have we seen the emergence of what might be described as Christian Contemporary Music, popular, as one might expect, among the younger generation, particularly in the cities.
Some Common Mistakes
One of my favorite blogs is the China Law Blog, maintained by lawyers with extensive knowledge of and experience in China. It seems like they always have something interesting and helpful to say.