"From the snowy winter to the thriving spring, to the scorching summer, we go through three seasons, caring about each other. From January 26 to August 16, we are finally at the church after 204 days and nights of waiting!” Yan Peng, the senior pastor of Haikou Lu Church in Changchun, Jilin, said after church services were resumed following the coronavirus pandemic.
On August 16, Haikou Lu Church resumed in-person services. During these 204 days, they kept praying for the peace of China, for the end of the pandemic, and for the early resumption of collective gatherings.
On Sunday, three services were held. The believers made appointments online in advance and had their temperature taken in the church.
As usual, Pastor Yan stood at the door at six in the morning to welcome the believers. He led the co-workers in greeting the brothers and sisters with a warm smile, and the believers were excited to shake hands and hug him.
The believers were seated at a social distance and prayed quietly. Even in the quiet church, they couldn’t control their excitement. Some were crying silently.
Then the pastor gave a sermon entitled, "Look at that Glorious Country," based on Psalm 133. This is a song of ascents of David, sung by a group of Israelites, God's chosen people on their pilgrimage. They were marching towards Jerusalem just like our experience on this Sunday. Due to the limited time, the pastor only shared two points: open your spiritual eyes and see the beauty of the Lord.
Then the glory of the LORD rose from above the cherubim and moved to the threshold of the temple. The cloud filled the temple, and the court was full of the radiance of the glory of the LORD. (Ezekiel 10:4) At this moment, our God was in the church and the Lord Jesus was smiling in the midst of the congregation. We rejoiced at the first service after the pandemic, and praised the God of the Trinity loudly, the voice of Amen filling the heavens.
(The author of this article is a pastor from Haikou Road, Changchun, China's northeastern Jilin Province.)
-Translated by Abigail Wu
长春海口路教会复堂 “从皑皑白雪的冬天，到欣欣向荣的春天，再到炎炎烈日的夏天，我们带着彼此牵挂的心走过了三个季节。从1月26日到8月16日，历经204个日日夜夜的等待，我们终于回家了！”这是吉林长春海口路教会闫鹏主任牧师在疫情之后教堂首次复会时说的。 上周日，海口路教会恢复聚会了。在这204天里，他们不断祷告，为中国的平安，为世界止息疫情，为早日恢复集体聚会。 教会采取分三场聚会，网上扫码预约、现场检测体温的方式，将信徒分流。 为了迎接弟兄姐妹回家，海口基督教会鹏闫鹏主任牧师一如既往的，在16日早上6点钟，站在门口，迎接信徒。闫牧师带领同工笑容可掬的亲切的问候弟兄姐妹平安，信徒们激动万分的和牧师握手拥抱。 入场的弟兄姐妹按着一米间隔指示标落座，安静的默祷，但是安静的教堂也无法掩盖大家激动的心情，有的弟兄姐妹在默默的流泪。 接着牧师以《看看那个又美又善的国度》为题目和弟兄姐妹分享了诗篇第133篇的内容。这是一首大卫的上行之诗，是一群上帝的选民以色列百姓在朝圣的路上唱的诗歌。以色列百姓一同迈向耶路撒冷的场面正如我们在这个主日的经历。由于时间的关系，牧师只分享两个方面：一、睁开那属灵的眼睛；二、看见那至大的美善。 “上主的荣耀离开基路伯，停在圣殿门口；接着有云彩充满圣殿。上主的荣耀发出的光辉照耀着整个院子。”（以西结书10:4，现代中文译本）此时此刻的主日啊，我们的神就在圣殿，主基督就笑脸坐在聚会信徒的中间。在这疫情之后首次的复会喜乐的时刻，大家高声颂赞三一的神，阿们之声充满云天。 （本文作者为长春海口路教会教士。） http://www.gospeltimes.cn/portal/article/index/id/53357
"From the snowy winter to the thriving spring, to the scorching summer, we go through three seasons, caring about each other. From January 26 to August 16, we are finally at the church after 204 days and nights of waiting!” Yan Peng, the senior pastor of Haikou Lu Church in Changchun, Jilin, said after church services were resumed following the coronavirus pandemic.
On August 16, Haikou Lu Church resumed in-person services. During these 204 days, they kept praying for the peace of China, for the end of the pandemic, and for the early resumption of collective gatherings.
On Sunday, three services were held. The believers made appointments online in advance and had their temperature taken in the church.
As usual, Pastor Yan stood at the door at six in the morning to welcome the believers. He led the co-workers in greeting the brothers and sisters with a warm smile, and the believers were excited to shake hands and hug him.
The believers were seated at a social distance and prayed quietly. Even in the quiet church, they couldn’t control their excitement. Some were crying silently.
Then the pastor gave a sermon entitled, "Look at that Glorious Country," based on Psalm 133. This is a song of ascents of David, sung by a group of Israelites, God's chosen people on their pilgrimage. They were marching towards Jerusalem just like our experience on this Sunday. Due to the limited time, the pastor only shared two points: open your spiritual eyes and see the beauty of the Lord.
Then the glory of the LORD rose from above the cherubim and moved to the threshold of the temple. The cloud filled the temple, and the court was full of the radiance of the glory of the LORD. (Ezekiel 10:4) At this moment, our God was in the church and the Lord Jesus was smiling in the midst of the congregation. We rejoiced at the first service after the pandemic, and praised the God of the Trinity loudly, the voice of Amen filling the heavens.
(The author of this article is a pastor from Haikou Road, Changchun, China's northeastern Jilin Province.)
-Translated by Abigail Wu
Jilin Church Resumes Services After Lockdown
