A church in Baoji, Shaanxi, held a Sunday service on June 13, the day before the Dragon Boat Festival, commemorating Qu Yuan, a patriotic poet and stateman in ancient China.
Around 8 o'clock in the morning, churchgoers rushed to Shilipu Church in Baoji City from all directions. Following COVID-19 protocols, they wore masks to enter the sanctuary on the second floor.
At 8:30 a.m., the service began with the intercession from Yao Chao. Then, the choir came on stage to sing two hymns, Preaching the Gospel to All Nations and To God be the Glory, accompanied by piano.
Based on Leviticus 11:45 and Romans 12:17, Elder Liu Xifeng gave a sermon titled The Enlightenment of the Dragon Boat Festival from two parts. She reviewed the poems of Qu Yuan to commemorate him on this festival, urging congregation to do what is right in the eyes of everybody, which is the Christian’ mission.
The Dragon Boat Festival is the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar, also known as the Duanyang Festival, Afternoon Day Festival, May Festival, etc. People eat zongzi (rice dumplings), race dragon boats, hang calamus, wormwood, and moxa in front of and behind their houses. Adults drink realgar wine, while children wear spice bags, aiming to ward off evil and diseases. This series of activities is to commemorate the patriotic general Qu Yuan. The festival is one of China’s statutory holidays and has been included in the list of World Intangible Cultural Heritage.
During the warring states period, Qu Yuan (343-278 BC) offered advice to the King of Chu who listened to treacherous court officials. The king was so stupid that he not only dismissed Qu Yuan from his official position but also expelled him from the capital.
While in exile, he heard that the capital of Chu was held by the enemy and witnessed people suffering; so he held onto a heavy rock and jumped into the Miluo River, thereby intentionally committing suicide instead of living while his country is in a state of dishonor.
When the nearby people heard about it, they rowed to search for his body, and spontaneously dropped rice balls wrapped in rue leaves into the river, hoping that the fish and shrimps would not eat his body. Later on, people designated the day when Qu Yuan died as the "Dragon Boat Festival."
Besides the legends of Qu Yuan and the Dragon Boat Festival, Elder Liu also shared that though Qu Yuan had not met God in his life, he already felt His existence. He mentioned God many times in his long poem, Ask Heaven: "Why did God make states angry with each other inside the whole country?" and "Did you still pray to God when the country had fallen?"
After the sermon, Yao Chao, the host of the service, announced an upcoming event that a three-day prayer meeting for students going for high school entrance examinations would be held from June 19, and their parents would be welcome to attend it.
(The author is a Christian in Shaanxi.)
- Translated by Abigail Wu
宝鸡十里铺教会在6月13日（即农历五月初四）这一天，举行了纪念屈原的主日聚会。
8点左右，弟兄姊妹从四面八方赶到十里铺教会。大家在二楼主堂门厅口登记个人信息、测量体温后戴好口罩进入主堂。
8点30分，宝鸡十里铺教会纪念屈原主日聚会在主持人姚超弟兄代祷后开始了。
首先是教会诗班登台献唱，他们在钢琴音乐伴奏下，献唱了《向万邦传福音》《荣归天父歌》两首赞美诗歌。
接下来，是刘西凤长老的一堂证道。她以利未记11章45节以及罗马书12章17节为依据，围绕主题《端午节之悟》讲了两部分内容。
第一部分为屈原与端午节，其中包含“纪念屈原”以及“屈原诗词”两小点内容；第二部分为基督徒与端午节，其中包含“留住美善之事”以及“基督徒使命”两部分内容。
刘西凤长老在证道中，简要讲述了屈原与端午节的故事。
刘西凤长老还说，屈原一生没有能够遇见上帝，但他已经在脑海的冥冥之中感到了上帝的存在。他在《天问》中曾经多次提到了上帝：四海之中，万国共处，上帝何以要使他们相怒? 国家庄严不复存在，对着上帝有何祈求？（参：夸克文献）
证道结束后，主持人姚超弟兄向大家报告了一项重大事工。说是从6月19日早晨8时30分起，至6月21日下午17时结束，教会将举行为期三天的为中考学生祷告会。届时欢迎中考学生家长报名参加。
端午节相关介绍：
端午节是每年的农历五月初五，又称端阳节、午日节、五月节等这天，人们吃粽子，赛龙舟，各家门前屋后挂菖蒲、蒿草、艾叶，大人尽喝雄黄酒，儿童喜戴香包等。这一系列活动都是以纪念爱国诗人屈原为核心。“端午节”已为我国法定节假日之一，并被列入世界非物质文化遗产名录。
在那个秦楚争霸时期，屈原（生于公元前343年，死于公元前278年）为楚王献计献策，不料楚王昏庸无道，不但罢免了屈原的官职，还把他赶出了京城。
屈原被迫漂流他乡，每走一处，看到的是国破家亡的悲惨现实，他万念俱灰。一天，他来到汨罗江畔，抱着誓与国家同存亡的信念，投江自尽。
附近百姓听闻屈原投江，便划船赶来搜寻屈原的遗体，又自发地往江里投下箬叶包裹的饭团，希望河里的鱼虾不要啃食屈原的身体。后来，人们就把屈原投江的这一天定为 “端午节”。
（本文作者渭水，为陕西一基督徒。）
http://www.gospeltimes.cn/article/index/id/56639
记陕西宝鸡十里铺教会端午节主日聚会
A church in Baoji, Shaanxi, held a Sunday service on June 13, the day before the Dragon Boat Festival, commemorating Qu Yuan, a patriotic poet and stateman in ancient China.
Around 8 o'clock in the morning, churchgoers rushed to Shilipu Church in Baoji City from all directions. Following COVID-19 protocols, they wore masks to enter the sanctuary on the second floor.
At 8:30 a.m., the service began with the intercession from Yao Chao. Then, the choir came on stage to sing two hymns, Preaching the Gospel to All Nations and To God be the Glory, accompanied by piano.
Based on Leviticus 11:45 and Romans 12:17, Elder Liu Xifeng gave a sermon titled The Enlightenment of the Dragon Boat Festival from two parts. She reviewed the poems of Qu Yuan to commemorate him on this festival, urging congregation to do what is right in the eyes of everybody, which is the Christian’ mission.
The Dragon Boat Festival is the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar, also known as the Duanyang Festival, Afternoon Day Festival, May Festival, etc. People eat zongzi (rice dumplings), race dragon boats, hang calamus, wormwood, and moxa in front of and behind their houses. Adults drink realgar wine, while children wear spice bags, aiming to ward off evil and diseases. This series of activities is to commemorate the patriotic general Qu Yuan. The festival is one of China’s statutory holidays and has been included in the list of World Intangible Cultural Heritage.
During the warring states period, Qu Yuan (343-278 BC) offered advice to the King of Chu who listened to treacherous court officials. The king was so stupid that he not only dismissed Qu Yuan from his official position but also expelled him from the capital.
While in exile, he heard that the capital of Chu was held by the enemy and witnessed people suffering; so he held onto a heavy rock and jumped into the Miluo River, thereby intentionally committing suicide instead of living while his country is in a state of dishonor.
When the nearby people heard about it, they rowed to search for his body, and spontaneously dropped rice balls wrapped in rue leaves into the river, hoping that the fish and shrimps would not eat his body. Later on, people designated the day when Qu Yuan died as the "Dragon Boat Festival."
Besides the legends of Qu Yuan and the Dragon Boat Festival, Elder Liu also shared that though Qu Yuan had not met God in his life, he already felt His existence. He mentioned God many times in his long poem, Ask Heaven: "Why did God make states angry with each other inside the whole country?" and "Did you still pray to God when the country had fallen?"
After the sermon, Yao Chao, the host of the service, announced an upcoming event that a three-day prayer meeting for students going for high school entrance examinations would be held from June 19, and their parents would be welcome to attend it.
(The author is a Christian in Shaanxi.)
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Shaanxi Church Hosts Sunday Service Before Dragon Boat Festival
