Journeys

If you want a seat, you need to come at least a half hour early and stand in line. With more than 1500 attending the English service, seats are at a premium. The line winds around the shady side of the huge building, and where it hits the sunshine there are big umbrellas to shade those waiting. The atmosphere in line is chatty and relaxed with many still eating breakfast or sipping drinks.

We arrive with our friends and connect with English speaking friends from another part of town and another university. Introductions are made, and there’s some “Do you know X or Y?” passed between our friends, the English professors, and our acquaintance, a man who started one of the largest English programs in China.

Our friends have never been to a church in their life.

The line begins to move and quickly hundreds of people climb the wide staircase into the church, holding to the right while equal hundreds flow down the left out of the most recent Chinese service. Sunday is a busy day here.

The auditorium is instantly filled to capacity, most with young adults. There are more standing along the walls, and in the back. We start with a series of worship songs, some in Chinese and some in English, some familiar, and some brand new. There’s a guitar and a violin, drums, several leaders and a row of young singers as the backup. The worship time is rousing and our friend’s little son claps along.

When it’s time for the message, the auditorium quiets and the speaker, a tall Chinese man of about 45, dives into John 15:1-8. He speaks in extremely clear and quite simple English, using power point to show verses and to give simple outlines and application questions. We’ve heard this man several times now and his clarity is incredible. The little son has gotten restless and his mother takes him to the narthex, but the dad sits glued to the words of the speaker.

At exactly one hour, the service comes to a close with a final song, and then a bright welcome song. Volunteers hand out CDs and information pamphlets to visitors, probably 10% of the crowd. In addition to our friends, I count at least 25 of our program students who have also come for the first time. Many had no idea there were churches in China.

After the service we connect with mom and little son and head to lunch at a nearby restaurant. On the way we catch up with the pastor who spoke and introduce ourselves and our friends. He warmly greets our friends and invites them to come back. He tells us that he is actually from the West Indies and it was his great-grandparents who emigrated away from China.

Lunch is a delightful time of relaxed food, peppered with questions. What is the difference between Catholic and Christian? Why didn’t the leaders wear robes? Why is it so informal and relaxed? We have no idea if our friends will go again without us, but they now know what a church is like.

“We really enjoyed it,” they tell us. “You can feel a different spirit there.” Baby steps on a long journey.

Arriving back at the hotel a former student comes by to talk. She’s been reading Matthew and has a whole page of references and questions. I take the questions one by one and explain the context, the culture, and what is going on in the verse. She takes copious notes. This young woman is much further on her journey and in fact, she might have arrived already at belief and doesn’t know it. As she leaves, we promise to continue to answer questions on email.

In just a few minutes yet another young woman will drop by. She has been in the Kingdom for several years and is truly a sister. We’ll talk and deliver what is left of some books and materials that she gave us for anyone who showed interest. There aren’t many left – that’s a very good sign.

Then another guy will come by to get the printer we’ve used from the university. He is our IT fixit go-to guru who is never more than a text away. He doesn’t even know there IS a journey, but we sure love him like a son.

Next year. Next time.