Muddling Toward Maturity Blog

CHINA PLANS TO WIPE OUT HOUSE CHURCHES

Jonathan Saruk reports for Morningstar News:

Government sponsored persecution rose 42 percent in 2012

China's Christians felt a noticeable rise in persecution in 2012 as the Communist government began the first of a three-phase plan to eradicate unregistered house churches, a new report says.

Incidents of persecution of Christians rose by about 42 percent last year compared with 2011, according to the report by human rights group China Aid. Many of these incidents involved groups of Christians. In total, the number of individual persecuted Christians rose by roughly 14 percent and total individual detentions increased by nearly 12 percent. China Aid said overall total persecution in six categories was about 13 percent worse than in 2011-though China Aid termed its statistics just "the tip of the iceberg."

At least 132 incidents of persecution affecting 4,919 Christians-442 of whom were clergy-were reported in the country last year, according to China Aid's annual report. The Texas-based group tracked detention of at least 1,441 Christians, the sentencing of nine of them, and the abuse (verbal, mental and physical, including beatings and torture) of 37 Christians.

Beijing, administered directly under the central government, witnessed the highest number of persecution cases, at 62, affecting 934 Christians; Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in northwest China followed with at 11 cases involving 382 Christians. Persecution was also high in central China-comprising Henan and Hubei Hunan provinces-where 1,056 Christians were affected, and in east China, which includes Shandong, Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Jiangxi provinces, which witnessed harassment of 750 Christians.

The report also notes that persecution last year was 61 percent worse than in 2010; 85 percent worse than in 2009; 120 percent worse than in 2008; 308 percent worse than in 2007; and 372 percent worse than in 2006.

WHAT MOTIVATED THE CHRISTIAN VILLAGERS OF LE CHAMBON TO RESCUE JEWISH CHILDREN DURING WORLD WAR II?

Charles Colson recounts the story.

[...] Drayton Nabers writes [in The Hidden Key to Happiness] that when the Nazis began rounding up French Jews to send to concentration camps, Trocme -- a French reformed pastor -- determined to provide sanctuary for them.

They did so despite the fact that the punishment for sheltering Jews was death. They did so even though the villagers themselves were desperately poor;  since the Trocmes often had several children staying in their  home, the Trocmes’ own four children often had very little to eat.

At various times, government and even church authorities ordered Trocme to turn over any Jews hiding in the village. He refused, and was himself thrown into prison. His cousin Daniel Trocme, who also rescued Jews, was executed in a concentration camp. Other villagers also died while protecting Jews. By the war’s end, Le Chambon was known to be a city of refuge, and the Trocmes were recognized by Holocaust memorial groups for their heroism.

Learning about the people of Le Chambon, Nabers wondered: How are we to understand such extraordinary group submission to the call of God, and Trocme’s ability to lead his people to such valiant obedience?

First, Trocme’s sermons “were biblically based with a heavy emphasis on the source of the believer’s power to follow God.” He often focused on the Christian’s obligation to protect the helpless, even in defiance of the authorities.

Second, the courage of the villagers was strengthened by regular small group meetings that were washed in prayer, moving “the hearts of those who would later provide refuge at risk of their lives.”

Third, the Protestant villagers could identify with persecution, because their Huguenot ancestors were persecuted in Catholic France.

Fourth, the villagers had developed habits of virtue, compassion, helping; rescuing the Jews was the fruit of these habits.  [more . . .]

Me: I'm impressed with the factors that enabled and inspired the people of Le Chambon to act so courageously.   There's a real pattern here to emulate.

A PREACHER'S LIBRARY (MARK DEVER'S) TO BEAT ALL LIBRARIES

Mark Dever is the pastor of Capital Hill Baptist Church in Washington D.C. and a prolific author.  The video comes from Together for the Gospel.  I can imagine many people struggling with jealousy when they see this video.  Others, on the other hand, will be pleased to show this video to complaining wives saying, "See, by comparison I don't have many books at all!"  Some of us will be encouraged by the "pile" he has on the floor!  It's comforting to know we're not alone!  (See also this picture of William F. Buckley's desk.  How does he find anything?)

LISTENING TO PREACHING AS A SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE

 Craig Brian Larson, penned an interesting article on preaching as a spiritual discipline.  Most books and articles on "spiritual formation" pay scant attention to the discipline of listening to preaching.  Larson emphasizes: "There are at least nine characteristics that separate sound, biblical preaching from Bible reading, memorization, and meditation."  He lists them as follows: