读书报告：河南家庭教会简史

A Brief History of China's House Church in Henan

China’s House Church has experienced phenomenal growth since 1949 with the founding of a new China, amid violent persecutions and rampant crackdowns. China’s House Church includes all Christian churches not sanctioned by the Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) and the Chinese Christian Council. One of the foremost growth events in China’s House Church history happened in Henan. This paper will chronicle the history of China’s House Church in Henan, based on Paul Hattaway’s thoroughly researched book “Henan: The Galilee of China” (The Church in China “Fire and Blood” series: Volume 2). This snapshot of China’s House Church will provide a basic understanding of how God’s spirit has been mightily working in the most populous province of China. A concise summary of pre-1949 formative years will be followed by a decade by decade outline and year by year highlights of the milestone events and their movers and shakers.

Pre-1949 missions

The earliest mission dates back to over1300 years ago when Nestorian missionaries came to China from Central Asia and the Middle East. The Nestorian influence was limited and not long lasting. Then Jesuit missionaries came to Henan in the late 16^th century. Following Matteo Ricci’s footstep to China, Nicholas Trigault of Belgium set his foothold in the early 1620s in Kaifeng, Henan. Shortly thereafter, Jesuit priest Rui Figueredo established a church there, only to be destroyed in 1642 by a flood from the Yellow River whose embankment was breached on the Emperor’s order to quell rebels. Figueredo drowned. Giampaolo Gozani remained in Henan by 1703, seeing 3,000 Christians and ~300 baptisms a year. But the growth slowed to a grind and declined to ~500 Chinese Christians by 1834 in Henan. Baldus Jean Henri, a French monk, was appointed nuncio for Henan by the Vatican in 1835. A prominent Catholic presence was in a tiny village of Jiangang in southern Henan, thanks to Bishop Simeon Volonteri’s effort. The Vatican entrusted Henan to the missionary care of the Lazarists from that of Jesuits since 1865. By the end of the nineteenth century, Catholics numbered only a few thousand in Henan.

The Box Rebellion around 1900 proved futile to curb the church growth. In a span of twenty years, 12 mission stations with four mission agencies grew to 67 stations with 16 agencies and 394 missionaries in Henan. Among the most influential was Bishop Joseph Noe Tacconi who worked in Henan for 45 years (1895-1940). The Catholics in Henan grew to 170,000 during his tenure. The Bishop also encouraged the mission from American-based Sisters of Providence, of forming middle schools for girls and tending to the care of orphans. The escalating invasion of Japan and fighting between the Nationalists and the Communists created harsh conditions for missionaries. Sisters Zhang Delan and Mary Bai were murdered by Nationalists who tossed their bruised and stone-tied bodies into a well on November 29, 1938. Six Italian martyrs were brutally murdered, some buried alive, by Communists. They are Cesare Mencattini, Antonio Barosi, Mario Zanardi, Bruno Zanella, Carlo Osnaghi and John Botton.

Two centuries later than the Catholic mission, Protestant missionary came to China with the arrival of Robert Morrison in 1807. Henan was visited by missionaries in 1875 from the China Inland Mission (Henry Taylor, not related to Hudson Taylor) and a Chinese evangelist from Hubei (Yang). Henry Taylor left Henan and CIM amid interpersonal acrimony. A.W. Sambrook and J. A. Slimmon set up mission stations in Eastern and Southern Henan, respectively, since 1884 and 1886. The first Protestant church on record in Henan was established on November 27, 1887 with the baptism of nine people by Joe Coulthard of CIM (who later married Hudson Taylor’s daughter Maria). By the end of 19^th century, the Protestant believers in Henan grew to 649, thanks to missions by CIM (such as Howard and Geraldine Taylor) and Canadian Presbyterians. All 28 CIM workers in Henan survived the Box Rebellion.

Canada’s Jonathan Goforth is billed as “China’s greatest evangelist”. In Guangshan, Henan alone, converts increased from 2000 to 8000 in four years. He also helped convert nearly 5,000 officers and soldiers under Christian general Feng Yuxiang. The civil war embroiled Henan saw two Protestant martyrs in Whitefield Guinness who died of typhus in 1927 and Daniel Nelson who was killed by a straying bullet in bandits’ crossfire in 1932. Marie Monsen who came to China in 1901 and returned to Norway in 1932 traveled widely in China with a message of confession and restitution. She was regarded as the “Mother of the House Churches”. Anna Christensen of Denmark kept the revival fire going into the 1930s.

Chinese evangelists also played an important role, including evangelist Wang of Zhengzhou, blind evangelists Yang Dedao and Zhong Mo, James Liu and Stephen Wang (of Mennonites), evangelists Liu Daosheng and Wu Zhenming (coworkers of Monsen), evangelists John Sung and Andrew Gih.

The first three decades after 1949: 1950s to 1970s

Chinese churches endured wholesale persecution since the founding of PRC in 1949. Foreign missionaries were kicked out of China soon afterward. Christians were forced to disband from public gathering and to go underground. As few as two or three believers chose to meet secretly in private homes. Christian leaders who refused to join the TSPM were put into prisons and labor camps, if not tortured to death. Dong Shaowu, one of the ten most wanted in China in 1950, went into hiding. The other nine were found dead by 1951. Dong traveled to Beijing in 1954 and had a close relationship with Wang Mingdao. Dong was arrested in 1958 and committed suicide after unbearable tortures. His death epitomized the suffering of the Christian churches in Henan and all of China.

In the 1960s, Henan was singled out, along with Zhejiang and Inner Mongolia, to be an experimental zone for anti-religion campaign by the Communist Party. By governmental estimate, Protestant Christians dropped to 78,000 in 1965 (a year before the Cultural Revolution) from 120,000 in 1949. Nevertheless, many of God’s remnants kept their faith and rekindled the fire of evangelism in the dark decades of 1960s and 1970s.

1971 was a turning point, according to Christian leaders such as Peter Xu Yongze. People were getting disillusioned with Communism and began seriously searching for the purpose of life. The supernatural work of the Holy Spirit, including all types of biblical precedence, was drawing a multitude to Christ.

The second three decades after 1949: 1980s-2000s

Henan as the Galilee of China experienced explosive growth since 1980s when China relaxed its outright clampdown on churches after opening its door to the West. Nevertheless, the house churches continue to suffer under the persistent persecution of government. Eight different models of house churches sprang up. They include: (1) traditional model, (2) Amphibious model (rural believers often move between TSPM churches and house churches), (3) Foreign missionary model (believers led to the Lord by foreign missionaries form their own fellowships), (4) Overseas returnee model (Christians who return from overseas form their own fellowships), (5) Cultural model (highly educated intelligentsia came to know the Lord through university religion and Christian culture studies), (6) virtual church model (people came to the Lord through Christian radio broadcast or internet ministries), (7) imperialist model (foreign missions return to China to reestablish their denominational churches), and (8) synergetic model (a combination of two or three of the above models).

China’s house church signaled its coming of age by issuing an open document on Aug.22, 1998. This seven-point document (see p.160) addressed to the Chinese government is entitled “A United Appeal by the Various Branches of the Chinese House Church” after 12 house church leaders convened a secret meeting in Henan.

Adeney summarized 11 attributes of China’s house churches (see p.162): They are indigenous, rooted in family units, stripped of non-essentials, emphasize the lordship of Christ, have confidence in the sovereignty of God, love the word of God, are praying churches, are caring and sharing churches, depend on lay leadership, have been purified by suffering, and are zealous in evangelism.

Revival and persecution in the 1980s

1980 was a phenomenal year for the church in Henan, according to brother Yun whose story was chronicled in “Heavenly Man”. Miracles included the simultaneous resurrection of an older woman and two daughters of sister Chan in one place. In 1981, 232 tons of Chinese Bibles was secretly delivered to China by the American missionary Brother David, many to Henan province. In 1982, Henan house churches sent out their first inter-provincial preaching teams to eastern Sichuan. In 1983, the government launched an anti-spiritual pollution campaign to rid “undesirable elements” from the society. Christians became collateral victims, with many leaders arrested. This continued to 1984. A 49-year old Christian brother, Zhang Wuji, was tortured to death on Aug.10, 1984. The persecution fanned the flame of revival in 1985, leading to exponential growth in 1986. One house church preacher, Zhu Baoshan, led over 3000 people to Christ in one year after his release from prison. 1987 saw an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, thanks to the Pentecostal teachings by Hong Kong-based American missionary Dennis Balcombe. The hunger for the Word of God intensified as foreign missionaries witness “Walking Bibles” among the Christians in 1988. 1989 marks a watershed in China’s recent history, due to the massacre of pro-democracy students on Tiananmen Square. Many disillusioned students turned to God as a result.

Revival and persecution in the 1990s

Government’s attention to pro-democracy student gave the house churches a temporary respite. 1990-1991 was a more relaxed time period. This was short-lived, as large scale arrest of hundreds of church leaders came in the Spring of 1992. Many were levied a heavy fine before release. Such renewed persecution did not deter but emboldened the witness by Christians, first to fellow Chinese in prison. In 1994, a high profile detention of Dennis Balcombe brought embarrassment to China after Balcombe went public with his mistreatment in the hands of police. In 1995, the fear of God gripped Henan, as a blasphemer suddenly died in front of three women evangelists. Yet persecution continued. Pictures of police torturing believers were smuggled out (p.189). 1996 marked the torture-induced death of two Christian martyrs, brother Shi Yunchao and sister Zhang Xiuju. Systematic crushing led to the arrest of eight senior house church leaders, including Peter Xu Yongze, Enoch Wang, Wang Baoquan, Feng Xian, Mu Sheng, Qing Jing, Elder Qiao and Brother Yun. The crackdown continued in the second half of 1998, with the rounding up of 140 key house church leaders who gathered in a factory owned by a Christian businessman. More house church leaders were arrested in 1999, amid extraordinary growth in church membership.

Revival and persecution in the 2000s

The new millennium began with the martyrdom of Liu Haitou, a new believer for only 18 months. He died in his mom’s arm on October 15, 2000 after receiving severe beating from police. 2001 belonged to those faithful believers who were pursued by police as if not worthy of the world. Many were arrested. Highly abusive pictures taken by police for self-promotional documentation leaked into the outside world in 2002-2003 (p.203-206). 2004 saw the arrest and later release of Deborah Xu Yongling, the sister of Peter Xu Yongze. Wang Guizhen and Xing Baoying were jailed for downloading materials from a Christian website. In 2005, the Argentine-American evangelist Luis Palau caused a stir in chiding the Chinese house churches to embrace registration, only to reconsider his statement ten days later. Starting in 2006, imprisoned Christians in Henan employed legal means including hiring lawyers for their defense of freedom of religion, after an Easter service was raided. In 2007, international pressure led to the release of Dong Quanyu and Li Huage, husband and wife as church leaders. 2008 was the year when Paul Hattaway’s book went to print. Revival remains strong under persecution.

Movers and shakers

The Nanyang church is part of the revival triangle (Tanghe, Fangcheng, Nanyang) in Henan. Elder Fu is one of its founders and regarded as “the Elijah of China” due to his countless arrests and severe torture suffered. Brother Yun is another leader of Nanyang church. He miraculously escaped the prison without anyone detecting him after the prison swung open by divine force. He now lives in Germany and travels worldwide. Brother Timothy is a young leader who succeeds the elderly leaders.

The Born-again movement (Word of Life Church) was called an evil cult by the government on trumped up and false charges. It emphasizes training and seminaries, producing legions of effective leaders all over Henan and China. Peter and Deborah Xu were the two foremost leaders. They escaped China in 2001 and 2005, respectively. They now live in Los Angeles area. Peter Xu Yongze was detained after attempting to see Billy Graham in 1988. His first marriage was unilaterally dissolved by his wife who could not withstand the constant and long separation (the longest being 23 years from 1968-1991!). He remarried in 1996 to sister Guan Yin Ge, over 20 years of his junior. This remarriage was a catalyst for Peter to be rebuked by the church leaders and to be exiled in America.

The Local Church’s leader in Henan is Enoch Wang. His baby daughter was raised from the dead. China Gospel Fellowship (The Tanghe Church) received worldwide attention when its 34 church leaders were kidnapped by the Eastern Lightning Cult. They were released after almost two months of unsuccessful brainwash and threats, largely because the church went public with police. Its founders include Feng Jianguo, Shen Yiping and his nephew Shen Xianfeng. The Fangcheng Church (China for Christ) was born under the influence of its native son Li Tianen who later spent most of his time in Shanghai. One of its foremost leaders is Zhang Rongliang who went to prison a sixth time for using 13 passports under fake names to make 15 trips abroad. Other leaders include Zheng Shuqian, one of China’s most arrested church leaders, Sister Mei and Ding Hei. Sister Lu Xiaomin is best known for composing over a thousand inspirational hymns, despite her very limited education without formal training in music.

One welcoming trend of Henan churches is the formation of Sinim Fellowship in 1994 and Shenzhou Fellowship in 2002-2003 in its collective drive toward unity. With the old generation of leaders declining in influence, a new generation of leaders are rising up and taking the baton of evangelism, mission and discipleship.

May the kingdom of God continue to establish its ever stronger presence in Henan and the entire Land of God (Shenzhou).

Feminist Criticism and Women’s Ordination

(Note: This is one of my seminary research papers written in 2011)

There are two opposing camps on the issue of women’s ordination (a critical part of the larger issue of women’s roles in church ministry and leadership). The Council of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW) maintains the position of “complementarianism”. Both men and women are equal in essence but different in role, with women in subordinate (but not inferior) position under male leadership in both family and church. CBMW publishes Journal of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. Wayne Grudem, J.I. Packer and Mary Kassian are among the notable spokespersons for this camp. Christians for Biblical Equality (CBE) counters such a perspective with an egalitarian view. Men and women are equal in both essence and role, with God-given and gender-blind gifts exercised in mutual submission. CBE publishes Priscilla Papers. Ronald Pierce, Rebecca Groothuis and Gordon Fee are some of the evangelical feminists for this camp which is also known as the feminist criticism. This paper is based on three journal articles (see bibliography), all written by women, and summarizes their arguments, source of authority, assumptions, scriptural evidence, and blind spots and concludes with my learning and reflection.

In reviewing Grudem’s Evangelical Feminism and Biblical Truth: an Analysis of 118 Disputed Questions, Karen Fulton singled out gender roles and individuality and cast doubt on the adequacy of Grudem’s arguments. For example, while Adam’s naming animals may connote authority, but Eve’s naming (“She shall be called woman”) is without such a requisite subject noun. Adam’s authority over Eve is thus not firmly established on the naming formula. The assumed intrinsic association of maleness or masculinity with leadership by Grudem is also seen without merit. Fulton retorted, “Is a girl who enjoys a 'masculine' activity such as woodwork less of a girl because she does so? Or is she simply reflecting the gifting God has given her?” Fulton also selected two key issues. She questioned Grudem’s presumed education level of women in the first century of Asia Minor (the context of 1Timothy) and attributed women’s general lack of leadership roles then to their possibly inadequate education. The Greek word “authentein” in 1Timothy 2:12, an orphan word appearing only once in the New Testament, is semantically unclear as to its positive or negative connotation, given the very sparse extrabiblical use (only 4 out of Grudem’s 82 examples cited from ancient Greek literature fall within 100 years of 1Timothy). Finally, Fulton questioned Grudem’s wisdom in elevating the gender issue to the level of biblical orthodoxy based on two highly controversial verses (2 Tim. 2:8-15 and 1 Cor. 11:2-16).

In a friendly review of Grudem’s book, Sharon James credited him for his acceptance of women’s gifting in evangelism and prophesy. James then identified three significant arguments advanced by Grudem. First, the Son’s subordination to the Father, even if only temporary during his incarnation, examplifies the complementarian model of “equal in essence, different in role”, contrary to Kevin Gile’s egalitarian reading of Trinity. Webb’s redemptive hermeneutic movement “nullifies the moral authority of the New Testament”. Groothuis’s equating “different in role” to unequal in role thus unequal in being commits a logical fallacy based on the feministic presupposition (but never biblical teaching) that male leadership or patriarchy is wrong. Second, Catherine Kroeger’s redefinition of kephale as source, rather than authority over, by appealing to Chrysostom as well as Greek literature, was groundless upon closer examination of the context. Third, egalitarianism was blamed for a plethora of social ills, including biblical liberalism, church membership decline, marriage breakdown, intolerance to the complementarians, and approval of homosexual practice.

Sharon James also reviewed the opposing egalitarian views expressed in Discovering Biblical Equality. She complimented this comprehensive collection of egalitarian essays as a one stop source for their main arguments but faulted them for failing to listen to and engage with the complementary perspective which is different from the “traditionalist” hierarchical and patriarchal view. Such a failure commits the logical fallacy of excluded middle (the middle being the complementarian view between the two extremes of egalitarian and hierarchical views), according to John Piper. This failure also sets up a straw man of, for example, strongly hierarchical marriage in which a power-driven husband rules over a submissive wife. James appealed to her own marriage experience where she affirms her husband as her leader who does not pretend or have to know all. Seeing nothing positive about being a man or woman, James says, “It was this vacuum of positive teaching about BM&W (as well as a failure to be convinced by the egalitarian biblical arguments) that led me to reject egalitarianism some years ago”.

Ruth Gouldbourne countered with a review in support of the egalitarian stance. She bemoaned what she terms “biblical badminton”, trading bible verses and/or their own favorite interpretations without resolving the differences. She commended the balanced biblical scholarship in exploring the hermeneutical assumptions and philosophical presuppositions. She affirmed Groothuis’s assessment of complementarian’s illogical link between equal in being and unequal in role. Gouldbourne also appreciated Kevin Giles’s rejection of subordinationism (Son’s purported subordination to the Father). She also found Webb’s redemptive movement hermeneutics helpful. She believed it was possible to be both evangelical and egalitarian, and she agreed to Alice Matthews’s plea for reconciliation between both sides.

Mary Kassian’s article on the history of feminism and the church, an excerpt and summary of her own book The Feminist Gospel: the Movement to Unite Feminism with the Church (Wheaton: Crossway, 1992), dates the beginning of secular feminism to 1790s and early 1800s. Women gained their right to vote in 1920 and joined the workforce also. In 1960s, Betty Friedan’s book “The Feminine Mystique” americanized the French philosopher Simone deBeauvoir’s 1949 book “The Second Sex”, catalyzing a renewed movement for women to become like men in all areas of life inside and outside family. During the same period, Katharine Bliss began her Christian version of the feminism movement with her 1952 book “The Service and Status of Women in the Church”. Mary Daly took up the task of feminizing theology with her 1968 book “The Church and the Second Sex” before she left the Catholic Church. Feminists soon realized their biological destiny was a burdensome baggage that they must unload. Their efforts bear much fruit in many fronts: claim their right to name, recast negative psychological emotion as a healthy response to patriarchy, reclaim prehistorical matriarchy, appreciate their own bodies and practice holistic medicine, have right to abort and freedom to have sex with whomever they like. Kate Millette epitomized the movement’s achievement when she openly confessed her lesbianism with Gloria Steinem. Elisabeth Schussler Fiorenza took up the unfinished task of unchurched Mary Daly to reinterpret the Bible. Since 1970s, secular feminists (such as Merlin Stone and Robin Morgan) returned to witchcraft to rediscover feminine spirituality. Letty Russell joined the chorus by feminizing God in the church. The Bible is becoming gender-neutral, notably with NRSV, TNIV and the just released NIV. The two streams have merged to become biblical feminism, a watershed event. Mary Kassian’s narration is an interesting way of framing evangelical feminism in recent historical window of last two centuries far detached from biblical history.

Grace Ying May and Hyunhye Pokrifka Joe’s 1997 rebuttal to J.I. Packer’s 1991 Christianity Today’s article “Let’s stop making women presbyters” is grounded on both biblical and historical record. They pointed out the apparent internal contradiction between 1Cor. 14:34f, 1Tim. 2:11-14 and 1Tim.3:12, Rom.16, not to mention OT precedence in Deborah, Huldah, and the Prov.31 woman. They also noted Packer’s own inconsistency by allowing women to preach and teach under male supervision. They exegeted kephale in 1 Cor 11:8, 11-12 as clearly meaning “origin” of being in the context, and ezer in the Creation account not as subservient helper but a person of equal, if not greater, strength and ability. Nowhere in Gen.2 establishes a male headship. They further argued the authority in 1Cor.11:10 is mutual. They asserted that the mutual submission principle (Eph.5:21), not the alleged “male headship principle” (Eph.5:23), governs the husband-wife and other male-female relations. The maleness of Christ as the second Adam ought not to be misconstrued as male superiority, but rather his humanness. Christ’s subordination is an example for all, not just women. On the historical record, they noted Packer’s inaccurate assertion that feminism is a secular phenomenon of the 21^st century. Harriet Beecher Stowe, Sojourner Truth and other sisters played a leading role in abolition movement. Women also led in mission and relief works after Civil War. After WWI, women in church became more marginalized, partly due to dispensationalism and a desire to make church more appealing to men. They agreed to Packer’s statement on women’s exercising of God-given gifts including preaching and teaching. The spiritual gifts are never gender-biased. The first Christians in the early church lived by an egalitarian teaching of Christ. The modern Pentecostalism and women ordination simply followed a biblical and historical precedence. Qualified women and men must be ordained in a status quo changing, continuously reforming, gender-neutral, human ritual that affirms God’s calling to them.

Meditating on the arguments and counterarguments offered from both sides of women’s ordination helps me to see the divisive issue from different perspectives. Each side seems to have their favorite scriptural verses and historical precedence to back up their own view. A person’s own prior ideological inclination shaped by whatever circumstances in their upbringing will undoubtedly color or distort the reading and interpretation of the Scripture and history. Neither side is immune to this. A tentative and learning attitude with an open mind is always needed for a fair dialogue. Personally, I find it inconsolable and unbiblical to assign any God-given gifts to members of one specific gender. God’s empowering gifts of all types have evidently been given without regard to gender throughout history. Our imperfect understanding of theology must be continually informed by God’s work both recorded in biblical time and being recorded in our time. This is not to downgrade the supremacy of the Scripture, but to exalt God’s truth that must be practiced in all times. Women’s ordination will become a non-issue in New Heaven and New Earth where gender difference will cease. This issue therefore cannot be part of the essential biblical truth. Bickering over this nonessential truth shed more heat than light. Let God continue to call women and men to serve him. All God’s children are elected princesses and princes destined to rule with Christ. In that sense, we are all leaders in training for the unimaginably bright future.

Bibliography:

1. Karen Fulton, Ruth Gouldbourne and Sharon James “Biblical truth and biblical equality: a review article on two recent books from IVP on evangelical feminism and biblical manhood and womanhood” Evangelical Quarterly, 78(1):65-84 (2006)

2. Mary Kassian “The history of feminism and the church” Journal of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, Part I in 3(4): 8-9, 1998; Part II in 4(1):12-13, 1999; Part III in 4(2-3), 17-19, 2000.

3. Grace Ying May and Hyunhye Pokrifka Joe “A Response to J.I. Packer's Position on Women's Ordination”, Priscilla Papers, 11(1):1-10, 1997, first accessed online on March 14, 2011 at http://www.cbeinternational.org/?q=content/setting-record-straight-response-ji-packers-position-womens-ordination

(Interested readers may also wish to read my Summary for “Women in the Church” at http://poetic-evangel.blogspot.com/2010/11/blog-post_19.html)

写在自由前夜

你被失踪了

留在地上的影子

比活的日子还长

快活的两三年

很快活过了

只有一袋枯骨

和令人窒息的胶布

追忆你的故事

没有人确知你的生父

连你的生母也只能猜测

你大概属于跟她一夜情的短命男子

其实你不属于任何人

没有人配得拥有你

你是折翼的天使

路过迪士尼乐园而已

喜欢过美丽人生的人

明天就要重操自由

而你

在天上为她祈求

（2011/7/6）

加国行踪

老邓今天来电，说好久没有读到我的博客了，加上最近一位四十五岁的朋友突然去世，对活人谈永恒的博客文章越发有些想念。我告诉他，过去几周忙于巡回布道，实在不得闲码中文字。简单的英文周记倒是写了，给那些为我的旅程持续祷告的人。

今年从五月中到六月中连续五个长周末的第十七届全加海外中国人巡回布道，由恩福协会主办，加拿大当地华人教会协办。今年我被邀请去十四个城市布道，包括加西五城，加东九城，不包括八年前去过的温哥华与多伦多（因那里来往传道人很多）。八年前第一次受邀巡回布道，连续十一天走十一城。此行累积旅程超过一万五千英里，飞机起降二十二次，坐巴士一次，火车一次，小车二十多次。睡过十三张不同硬度的床，平均每夜睡眠时间五小时左右，包括半清醒浅睡眠一夜（晚餐时误喝铁观音的结果），倒头沉睡连续九个半小时一夜（次日早上差点误了火车）。此行先后共向约两千人传道，包括没有信耶稣的慕道朋友四百人左右。其中近一百人会后当场决定信耶稣。这些新信徒，都归功于主耶稣在十字架上的拯救。没有主耶稣，就没有我们这些信他的人的新生。

巡回布道旅程中印象最深的人事物，兹记录备忘。

每地的接待家庭总是给我宾至如归的温馨感觉，而且先生们都特能干。记忆中大部分都是由先生掌勺预备早餐或晚餐。顾教授风尘仆仆，刚刚国内讲学归来，不顾时差，一大早送我赶六点钟的飞机。他说国内讲学，听众中每几分钟都会有人“不得不”接听手机，因为如今科研人员有许多山头大爷大奶要拜，不能得罪。有位秋教授，晚上聚会完之后带我去港口买新鲜雪蟹，回家后亲自下厨，招待我跟他称呼胖子的同事和老干妈夫妇（其实赵教授夫妇一点也不老）。最大的雪蟹让我吃了，我连礼节性的推让也没有，就听话地干起嘴巴活了，边吃边聊直过午夜（那边比咱们美东时间还早一个半小时）。韩弟兄把我从胡医生兼教会长老家给抢过来了，坚持要接待我。有位曾弟兄，晚上特别在一个远离邻居吵闹空调的客房里为我准备了三瓶矿泉水，一包坚果，生怕我夜里闹饥渴。有位做大理石台面生意十分有成的东道主家庭，向我讲述教会某位乐于助人的弟兄如何在被人骗钱上万不还的经历后仍然帮助他走出困境而进入丰富的动人故事。郑牧师与我一见如故，畅谈甚欢。师母在旁一直以牧师尊敬地称呼他，让我大开耳界。温迪传道来自台湾，在爱德华王子岛来自大陆的新移民中宣道，她给我买了五只龙虾带回，虽然一路上死了四只，但妻子和孩子们还是享受到慷慨馈赠的美食。黄牧师买来上好的牛肉，亲自烧烤成可口的佳肴。

旅程中遇到的生人远多于熟人同乡或校友，但他乡遇旧雨新知，总是喜事之一。有位曾经在我们教会短暂聚会过的詹姐妹，某次跟我妻子的高中同学路过我们家吃过饭（当时我外出不在），这次非得尽地主之谊，坚持餐馆请客。另有一位是我妻子的中小学同学，非要我带点礼物回去。我大学同学和她的老公在一个教会牧会，热情接待我吃晚餐，还陪我逛了逛据说世界最大的购物商城，里面有旅馆，游乐园，人造海滩，八百个商店。有位网友，虽然以前从没见过面，但他带了一位慕道朋友来听道，还特别为我祷告，会中我看见他不时低头暗祷。当夜他带来的那位朋友接受主耶稣。另有一位网友，很久没有网上露面了，聚会当晚带来全家五口来听道，会后过来打招呼，讲述上帝的恩典。有一对夫妇，十四年前在德国短宣时见过一面。后来他们信了主，移居加拿大，重逢之喜，溢于言表。有位学英文的姐妹，是大学校友，同吃过一个食堂，但从来就不认识。会后她主动过来打招呼，说她出生在基督徒家庭，祖父曾是宣教士。她的同伴告诉我，她如今在自己的教会当同声翻译。从事化学研究的大学校友黄弟兄在厨房忙前忙后，为教会弟兄姐妹的饭食操劳。他的身影和笑容，历历在目。有一位十来岁的男孩，期待一周后在海边受洗，发誓长大后要父母帮助出资建教堂。后生可畏，神国代有人才出。

见到的慕道朋友中，有不少特别认真的人。有人会后拉住我继续探讨信仰问题。或难题得解，或若有所思。相信播下的福音种子，有一天会在更多的人心中发芽长叶开花结实。

珍藏在记忆库中的还有许多，从加西维多利亚的海鲜晚餐到加东圣约翰的鳕舌午餐，从沙城覆盖丰富钾肥与石油的广阔草原到爱德华王子岛红壤沃野中的小桥流水龙虾馆，从爱城的世界顶级商城到蒙特利尔全加最大的山顶教堂，从雷城年即半百的宣道会到卡加利刚满五岁的彩虹堂，从渥太华的唐人街到京士顿边的千岛湖，从夏城的塘边雅屋到伦敦的雾中听鸟，从贵湖的小城风光到哈城的匆匆过往。还有那些在包装成叶形糖果的绿坪上悠然自得随时吃自助餐的牛羊驴马，以及在静水深流的河畔永不言渴的或白或灰的天鹅。这一切的一切，织成一大幅锦绣山水画，让我，一个朝圣者，穿越其间。

旅行期间，一直通过手机短信关心小女儿的球赛进展。上帝知道我的旅行布道与球赛的时间冲突，刻意安排了一次大雨，让开赛不到两局的冠军争夺战延期，等到我布道归来重开赛事。上周三晚上，小女所在的金色垒球队在比分犬牙交错上升至十二平后，进入立胜加时局。刚好轮到小女打垒。但见小女眼明手快，用力挥棒击球，球急速飞往无人之地，垒上队友冲刺跑回本垒，夺取冠军。赛后有位家长写信说，那场充满惊险而刺激的比赛，是他们平生观赛最好看的一次。

人生就是一场比赛。比赛的双方是旧我与新我。罪与死把旧我推往一个黑暗的深渊，义与活把新我拉向一个光明的天堂。基督是裁判。取胜之道无它，唯信。在别人的比赛中，我也加入啦啦队之列。

悼马弟兄之母

琴音

并不留恋

春回九十七次

断弦

从埃城

牵往一尘不染之地

她在那边继续弹奏

给一群天使

和爱侣

你睁大眼睛

再次倾听

新曲

别了，本拉登

深夜惊魂的直升机
把你吵醒
与假海豹面对面

你不想走
跟老婆们住大房子
总比蹲山洞好

但你面临不得已的选择
被活捉或者吃枪子
都不是你的上上策

保护你的混混很窝囊废
不想陪你走
抓住一个女人挡枪子

你的某个老婆指认尸体
你被带到天上
又被抬到地上

但你的安息之所
属于波涛汹涌的大海
那里有真海豹

你的头
无法对准麦加

婚礼啊婚礼

威廉王子和女友凯特本周五就要在英国西敏斯特教堂结婚了。数日来，天下媒体无不为之鼓噪，大造声势。据说届时有两千嘉宾应邀观礼。奥巴马总统夫妇都不在邀请之列。咱们跟总统一样，最多只能从电视或者网络来观赏这一伦敦奥运前的盛典了。

我参加过若干次婚礼，属于自己的有两次，加上将来的那次，共三次，一次比一次惊心动魄。

第一次婚礼是在高堂举行。那年才22岁，算是少不更事。但别看咱那时年轻，憧憬结婚可是从小就念念不忘的。母亲告诉我，我穿开裆裤的孩提时代，就希望丈母娘能打制花大柜送嫁，而我则开“舵舵”（指拖拉机）。虽然后来没有得到花大柜，但得到的姑娘绝对如花似玉。结婚不久，就开起不是“舵舵”的小车。近二十五年来，换了几部车，跑了不少路，合计里程可以从地球到月亮，再从月亮回到地球。记得有一次跟赵弟兄一同去一家车行买了同样款式的车，几年后我那部车的里程数是赵家的两倍还多。

第二次婚礼是在教堂举行。那年快36岁，算是重新结婚，或者重盟婚约，因为穿婚纱的是同一位。那年情人节重盟婚约的还有另外17对结婚后信主的夫妻，结婚五至45年不等，包括岳父母在内。记得有一位李弟兄在婚誓中，即兴加了一句：要多多洗碗拖地。别人的誓言，也成了我的实践。十年过去了，我个人发展出洗碗灵修学。比如说，洗碗总是值得感恩的，因为咱们竟然有碗可洗，而且数目可观，说明神对我们的饮食供应是何等丰富。每洗一个碗，就当多赞美感谢上帝的养育之恩。此外，做人要像洗干净的碗，里里外外都干净。耶稣受难前责备人：“你们这假冒为善的文士和法利赛人有祸了！因为你们洗净杯盘的外面，里面却盛满了勒索和放荡。你这瞎眼的法利赛人，先洗净杯盘的里面，好叫外面也干净了”（马太福音23：25-26）。

第三次婚礼将在天堂举行。那年准是返老还童，因为身体复活了。同时参与集体婚礼的还有“各族，各方，各民，各国”的新新人类（启示录5：9，7：9，14：6）。虽然天堂里的新新人类彼此不再有类似地上的婚姻关系，但这一次婚礼空前绝后，独一无二。新郎只有一位，是耶稣基督，新娘或新妇就是“羔羊的妻”（启示录21：9），即普天下同属基督的教会，也就是“照父神的先见被拣选，借着圣灵得成圣洁，以致顺服耶稣基督，又蒙他血所洒的人”（彼得前书1：2）。

耶稣复活前后，给了他的教会两个应许，一是预备房屋住处，二是保证来接她，如同当时犹太人新郎许诺给新娘一样。论到第一个许诺，耶稣在最后的晚餐那夜，对门徒说：“你们心里不要忧愁；你们信神，也当信我。在我父的家里有许多住处；若是没有，我就早已告诉你们了。我去原是为你们预备地方去。我若去为你们预备了地方，就必再来接你们到我那里去；我在哪里，叫你们也在哪里”（约翰福音14：1-3）。

论到第二个许诺付诸实现时，复活升天的耶稣在异象中宣告：“看哪！我站在门外叩门，若有听见我声音就开门的，我要进到他那里去，我与他，他与我一同坐席。得胜的，我要赐他在我宝座上与我同坐，就如我得了胜，在我父的宝座上与他同坐一般。圣灵向众教会所说的话，凡有耳的，就应当听”（启示录3：20-22）。这个说法乃是借题发挥。按照犹太婚俗的传统，当新郎预备好住处，履约回来应娶新娘时，新娘会被人带到新的住处，关上门。在欢庆的中途，有人会明知故问，新娘何在？当新郎带队前往新娘等候的地方，新郎会站在门外叩门，直等到新娘主动开门。婚宴开始，婚庆推向高潮。

没有一次人类历史上的奥运大典或世纪婚姻比来自“各族，各方，各民，各国”的“羔羊的妻”被主耶稣基督在新天新地所迎娶更值得瞩目，也没有一次人类历史上的盛典会持续到永恒。因为只有上帝的爱乃是永不止息。

从高堂，到教堂，到天堂，完成人生的婚约之旅。