HC
Going to HC was an adventure in itself. We split up in groups and left the house at different times, to avoid standing out as much as a whole pack of americans would. Many of the Chinese students that came with us wore hats, and we were all silent when walking down the street their neighborhood was on - to avoid as much attention as possible.
I was shocked, and extremely convicted by the service. Within 5 minutes of worship, we were all dripping with sweat because the windows and door was closed in order to keep the noise from being carried out to neighbors. Within 3 hours, HC was still going strong. And our butts were completely numb from sitting on 1ft tall plastic stools.
I don't know about the rest of the foreigners, but I was restless at best. But here were the Chinese: desperate for the Holy Spirit, clinging to every word that their brothers and sisters were sharing, hungry for the Lord's Presence. I can honestly say that there are few churches in america that would have kept a captive audience for longer than 10 minutes of sweat, in that situation.
And i think that's part of the problem with america's churches - we go as "audience" members rather than as the Body of Christ. Many of us are taking part of a weekly tradition that labels us as "good" people, instead of going desperate to hear something from/about the Lord. We're spiritually bloated from all the religion we are fed, so we aren't hungry for anything. We merely pile on top of a full belly that which we neither think we need, nor do we desire.
Conviction. Ehh. Don't worry, it got me too.
Some really cool stuff the Lord did in HC:
My friend had a vision about the China trip before we left athens. In church we had been talking about revival and how it was like growth. And he had a vision of a big sunflower with a tiny little buddha figurine sitting in the middle of it. The buddha was so small that amongst the new growth of the flower, it looked like a toy. The second vision he had was of a red door being opened.
I had thought about the visions before I left and was being self-centered and thought the sunflower was just because it was my favorite flower and God knew I'd like it (which is definitely possible.. He is my Daddy. And likes to do silly things just to make us happy sometimes :) ) The red door I automatically assumed it was a symbol of the government there opening up.
So i'm sitting in HC looking around, and i look over at the water dispenser in the corner of the room... It's covered in sunflowers... The flower had nothing to do with me, it had everything to do with the revival stemming from this HC and the false idols that were going to be dwarfed by the growth it brought about in its people.
One of the first days I was in Beijing I found out traditionally red was the color for weddings in China. That makes the red door have an entirely different meaning besides the obvious one I could come up with on my own strength. And it all came together in HC. I really feel that vision of the red door opening is the Lord saying that Jesus (the Bridegroom) is coming for His Bride in china (the Body).
Wow. God. You are Good.
a bride taking her wedding picture near the Forbidden City
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God's will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you--that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine. - Romans 1:12
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