Not China but Christ
I have recently been wonderfully reminded of the extraordinary life of James Hudson Taylor. Even those who know little to nothing about Hudson Taylor have been affected by his life and ministry.
A powerful statement by the founder of the China Inland Mission who first arrived in China in 1854 at the age of 21 follows:
If I had a thousand pounds China should have it—if I had a thousand lives, China should have them. No! Not China, but Christ. Can we do too much for him? Can we do enough for such a precious savior?
Sometimes when this quote is repeated, only the first half is mentioned—the part about Dr. Taylor’s commitment to the Chinese people. It’s easy to do, because on this side of history we know that Hudson Taylor was true to his zealous pronouncement.
However, we miss the crux of the issue if we omit the Christ of the cross. “No! Not China but Christ. Can we do too much for him? Can we do enough for such a precious savior?”
From a very early age it is clear that Hudson Taylor waited upon, and listened to, the Good Shepherd. In those times of worship and meditative prayer the love of Christ for young Hudson was what compelled the love in action that he had for the Chinese people. He would spend the rest of his life not only serving in China but traveling the world and writing of that love to raise up workers for God’s harvest there.
What Wilt Thou Have Me to Do?
Along the way, Dr. Taylor also provided a specific means of contemplative prayer, when we are praying the Lord’s Prayer:
Beloved brothers and sisters, we cannot but believe that the contemplation of the solemn facts we have laid before you has awakened in each one the heartfelt prayer—Lord, what will Thou have me to do, that Thy name may be hallowed, Thy kingdom come, and Thy will be done in China? (China’s Spiritual Needs and Claims)
The fellowship that Hudson Taylor had with our triune God of Grace resulted in a vast movement and advance of the kingdom of God, energized by missional distinctives that were informed by the Holy Spirit, generations ahead of their time, bearing fruit to this very day.
In this hour of rapid and restrictive change, we will do well to focus not only on what Hudson Taylor did, but how he did it. His words again are instructive: “It is not lost time to wait upon God.”
Thankful for Peter!
I am glad and thankful to announce that our Donor Relations Manager, Peter Arneson, is now the Director of Advancement for ChinaSource! Peter will be overseeing the fund development direction of ChinaSource, in a way that will, by God’s grace, align generosity and a heart for China and Christ’s glory. Peter has been serving with ChinaSource for 18 months now, and we’re grateful that he is called and ready to step into this role. More details to come.
Kerry Schottelkorb
President
Ways to Pray
- Praise the Lord and continue to ask God to bless the powerful and fruitful ministry of evangelism through the women of China (See “The Vital Role of Chinese Women in Evangelism,” reposted from Christianity Today, ChinaSource Blog, August 8 and “Women and the Missio Dei in China,” ChinaSource Quarterly, Spring 2021).
- Praise the Lord for his saving grace, plan, and purpose for the students of China (See “God’s Grace in the Life of a Peking University Grad” by Jing Kong, ChinaSource Blog (CCV), August 10).
- Pray that the Holy Spirit will provide Christ’s church in China with the wisdom, resourcefulness, and power to adapt in season and out of season (See “Three Trends in the Post-Pandemic Church,” ChinaSource Blog (CCV), Part 1 on July 19 and Part 2 on July 26).
- Pray for those telling the stories of China that they would accurately represent the work of God in China (See “Ethical Storytelling” by Brent Fulton, ChinaSource Blog, June 29).
- Let’s continue to pray for our brothers and sisters in China, both in the registered and unregistered churches, as they navigate the increasingly difficult online environment (See “Internet Regulations Six Months On” by Joann Pittman, ChinaSource Blog, August 12).
- Ask God to bless Peter Arneson as he begins his new role as the ChinaSource Director of Advancement (as of August 1) for wisdom, grace, and peace as he directs this vital ministry.
News and Notes
ChinaSource Team News
- On July 20, Joann hosted a virtual book club for ERR China. It was the second of three meetings to discuss the book Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China. The group will be meeting again on August 17 at 9:00 PM CDT, focusing on the last ten chapters of the book. If you would like to join the discussion, please click here to sign up.
- On July 23, Kerry Schottelkorb was privileged to participate in the ordination ceremony for Rev. Jeremy Liou at The Home of Christ Church in Newark, California.
- On July 31, Kerry Schottelkorb led the congregation at La Habra Hills Presbyterian Church in the practice of Lectio Divina during the morning worship service.
ChinaSource Schedule Changes
- Beginning this month, you’ll notice a change in the publication schedule for Chinese Church Voices (CCV). Given the changing environment in China, especially with respect to internet regulations, it has become increasingly difficult to source the kinds of articles and other items that we have featured in CCV that have allowed you to “listen in on the conversations” that church leaders and other believers in China have been having in the online public square. We will continue with CCV as an occasional column of the ChinaSource Blog, completing our series of university testimonies and posting appropriate articles when available.
- In another scheduling adjustment, we have moved the Weekly Digest email from Friday to Saturday.
In Case You Missed It
A selection of recently published items:
- An Unwelcomed Journey Out of China, ChinaSource Blog, August 15.
- Internet Regulations Six Months On, ChinaSource Blog, August 12.
- God’s Grace in the Life of a Peking University Grad, ChinaSource Blog (CCV), August 10.
- The Vital Role of Chinese Women in Evangelism, ChinaSource Blog, August 08.
- A Conversation from Down Under, ChinaSource Blog, August 05.
- No Need to Pack for a Dream Trip to China, ChinaSource Blog (CCV), August 03.
- Chinese Christian History 101, ChinaSource Blog, August 01.
- Is the Door Slowly Opening?, ChinaSource Blog, July 29.
- A COVID-Fatigue Antidote, ChinaSource Blog, July 27.
- Three Trends in the Post-Pandemic Church in China (2), ChinaSource Blog (CCV), July 26.
- A Visit to Shaoshan and What I’ll Not Forget, ChinaSource Blog, July 25.
- Summer Watch List, ChinaSource Blog, July 22.
Image credit: Annie Spratt @annieapratt via UnSplash.
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