大象传媒

Please note:This script cannot exactly reflect the transmission, as it was prepared before the service was broadcast. It may include editorial notes prepared by the producer, and minor spelling and other errors that were corrected before the radio broadcast.It may contain gaps to be filled in at the time so that prayers may reflect the needs of the world, and changes may also be made at the last minute for timing reasons, or to reflect current events.

Today鈥檚 service is led by the Revd Henry Lu of Chinese Overseas Christian Mission.聽
Welcome and Good morning.聽
The most famous verse in the Bible tells us:
鈥淕od so loved the world that he gave his only son so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life.鈥澛�
Across the country there are many thriving Chinese churches that witness to the love and mercy of God to all people. This week is important to Chinese people for two reasons. Firstly, two billion people around the world will be celebrating Chinese New Year. Secondly, after the UK government has invited up to three million Hong Kong Chinese people to come and live in the UK, the official immigration route to do so opened this week.In our service this morning, we will be thinking and praying about what it means for us to show hospitality to strangers even in these challenging days of lockdown. It is appropriate then that, for the first time in 大象传媒 history, our Sunday Worship this morning will be conducted by Chinese Christians living in the UK.聽We will be worshipping God together with some familiar hymns in English that have been recorded for us by Laurence Mo and a group of Chinese Christians living in Milton Keynes. But you will also hear some songs in Mandarin and Cantonese, written by Chinese worship leaders.聽The Bible tells us that one day people from every tribe and tongue will gather to worship Jesus, the Lamb upon the throne. So consider this a trailer of that time of multicultural worship we will celebrate together.聽
Be Thou My Vision (Mary E Byrne/Slane)Laurence Mo
Rev Connie Yu who first came to the UK from China to study 17 years ago, will now lead us in prayer鈥�
Dear heavenly father, we thank you for your love, your love for us is so deep that it鈥檚 beyond measure.聽 You love us so much that you gave us your only son, our Lord Jesus, to die for our sins, so that we may have eternal life with you.聽聽At this Chinese New Year time, may your blessings be upon not only Chinese people, but all people. Out of your glorious riches, may you strengthen us all with power through your Spirit, so that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith. May we be rooted and established in love, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.聽You are able to do immeasurably more than all we ask for or imagine, according to your power that is at work within us. To you be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations for ever and ever, amen!

For over 70 years Chinese Overseas Christian Mission has been sharing the good news of Jesus Christ to Chinese people coming to the UK from all over the world. There have been different waves over the years; first from Southeast Asia, then from Mainland China. Some come to work in the restaurant business while others come to work in the NHS.聽 There are professionals as well as students amongst us in the UK today. Our vision is to see generations of mature Chinese believers working together throughout the UK and Europe. We wish to share the good news of Jesus Christ through Bible-believing churches which serve local communities. There are now around 100 ethnic Chinese churches in all parts of the country. Some of our church members would like to tell you about the significance of Chinese New Year which we will celebrate this week, and what life is like for them as Christians here in the UK today.聽
Give Us Vision (Sandy Yu)Stream of Praise Ministries
Our first reading this morning comes from the book of Genesis and recounts an encounter between Abraham and three strangers. Abraham does not know that these strangers are in fact God himself turning up in disguise.聽 This challenging story is read to us by Councilor Alex Yip, from Sutton Coldfield in Birmingham.聽
Genesis 18: 1-12
The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. 2 Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.3 He said, 鈥淚f I have found favour in your eyes, my lord,[a] do not pass your servant by. 4 Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. 5 Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way鈥攏ow that you have come to your servant.鈥濃�淰ery well,鈥� they answered, 鈥渄o as you say.鈥�6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. 鈥淨uick,鈥� he said, 鈥済et three seahs[b] of the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread.鈥�7 Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. 8 He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree.9 鈥淲here is your wife Sarah?鈥� they asked him.鈥淭here, in the tent,鈥� he said.10 Then one of them said, 鈥淚 will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.鈥漀ow Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. 11 Abraham and Sarah were already very old, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, 鈥淎fter I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?鈥�
How Deep The Father鈥檚 Love For Us (Stuart Townend)Lawrence Mo
Theologian and social entrepreneur Dr Krish Kandiah who is involved in helping churches get ready to welcome immigrants from Hong Kong鈥�
Krish Kandiah
Over two decades since the official handover of Hong Kong to China, the government鈥檚 new British National Overseas Passport (BNOP) immigration route to the UK is officially open. According to the government鈥檚 impact assessment we should expect around 130,000 people from Hong Kong to settle in the UK over the next 12 months.聽Many Hong Kong BNOP holders are already beginning to tackle the challenges of navigating our education and healthcare systems in a new language, climate and culture. Moving continents is difficult at the best of times but this migration, which is the largest planned migration from outside of Europe to the UK since Windrush, is happening during a global pandemic.聽Driven by the challenges facing these invited guests, and by the Bible鈥檚 clear and frequent emphasis that hospitality is one of the clearest markers of genuine faith, the church is stepping forward to offer welcome and help. Chinese and English-speaking churches across the UK are getting involved in a new initiative called 鈥淗ong Kong Ready Churches鈥�. They hope that with the training and resources provided they can help play a significant part in helping newcomers settle and integrate into their communities. You can find out more at聽
Some people have already arrived from Hong Kong in recent months 鈥� we鈥檒l hear from one of them now鈥�
That was Gordon who鈥檚 been here in the UK now for two months. Joanie is a missionary based in Manchester but she鈥檚 been back home in Hong Kong in recent months because of the pandemic. She has shared her experiences of some of the issues facing the churches there at the moment鈥�Our second reading today comes from the letter to the Hebrew church. It challenges us all, whatever our background, to show love to each other, hospitality to strangers and sympathy to those who are persecuted.
Hebrews 13:1-3
13 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. 2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. 3 Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
We鈥檙e now going to hear the Cantonese song 鈥淏y Faith鈥�. This song takes as its theme people on the move, God鈥檚 leading and a faith in journeying with God. The music is very familiar to people from Hong Kong.
By Faith The Heralders
Our sermon this morning is brought to us by Rev Connie Yu.
Connie Yu
The Bible teaches that one of God鈥檚 tests for a just society is the way that society treats immigrants. In Leviticus, God鈥檚 people were clearly instructed:聽鈥溾�榃hen a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.鈥� Leviticus 19:33-34
This theme of hospitality runs through the Bible like a golden thread. It begins with God preparing a place where Adam and Eve can live. The wonderful story of Abraham inadvertently hosting God, Ruth settling from Moab to Israel with her mother I law Naomi, or Esther鈥檚 intervention on behalf of the Hebrew people living in the Persian empire all demonstrate God鈥檚 instructions to show mercy and compassion to the orphan, the widow and the stranger.聽聽The New Testament reiterates these themes and in Matthew chapter 25 includes Jesus鈥� words: 鈥淚 was a stranger and you welcomed me in鈥�whatever you do for the least of these you do for me.鈥澛燬howing hospitality is a mark of a just nation but also of a justified individual. It is one of the markers of genuine faith in God.聽 All sorts of people need our help and hospitality:聽 refugees, unaccompanied asylum seeking children, children in need of foster care or adoption, care leavers, women fleeing from domestic abuse, those finding themselves in poverty or victims of crime. The church has both a great track record and much more to do in all of these areas. Now, with the large numbers of people due to arrive imminently from Hong Kong in a challenging time in their lives, in our nation鈥檚 life and in the history of the world we have a truly unique and urgent opportunity to practice hospitality.I became a Christian in university in China, after graduation, I came to the UK to do my post-graduate degree.聽 I arrived in Worcester, and went to St Paul鈥檚 Church.聽 An English couple from that church took me under their wings, treating me, a stranger from China, like their daughter.聽 The love I received in their home contributed immensely to the growth of my young Christian faith, inspiring me to love God and people like they do.聽 When I was in Bible College, I met another couple in my ministry placement, and they too embraced me as their daughter.聽 When I moved to Leicester, new to the ministry and place, and lonely, apart from my Chinese friends, two lovely English ladies showed me hospitality, and welcomed me as their friends.聽 聽My life is enriched by all these people who not only invited me into their homes, but also into their lives; not just opening their doors, but their hearts too.聽聽Since I became a Christian, the biggest burden on my heart was for my parents to come to know the Lord.聽 In 2013, they had an opportunity to visit me in the UK.聽 They were totally overwhelmed by the welcome and love they experienced from all my Christian friends, especially the British ones:聽 they could understand that while their daughter is overseas, her Chinese fellow countrymen would help her, because they are from the same motherland; but they couldn鈥檛 explain the love and hospitality from the non-Chinese ones:聽 what benefit can a Chinese stranger like their daughter bring them? Nothing!聽 What do they get from giving so much of their time, money and love to a stranger?聽 In the end, my parents found the answer to their questions:聽 it must be God, the God that these people believe, He must be real!聽 Because God is love, so that His people can love.聽 At the end of their visit, my parents invited Jesus to become their personal Saviour and Lord, and got baptised before returning to China!聽 Praise the Lord, hallelujah!聽聽So a Chinese girl like me, received so much love from people in the UK.聽 And I pray that any visitors here, whether for a short time or long term, will be asking the questions that my parents asked, and will also find the answer to that question, that we love, because God first loved us.聽 Being a friend to someone struggling to feel at home in a new country, providing local knowledge to someone who doesn鈥檛 know how the systems work, can make a big difference. Whether you speak Cantonese or not, all of us have something to offer those arriving from Hong Kong.聽 Whatever our political opinions or religious leanings, we can all agree that we should show the better angels of our nature by welcoming the stranger.聽 In so doing, some of us may entertain angels, without even knowing.聽
Peace (Sandy Yu)聽Stream of Praise Ministries
That was the Mandarin praise song 鈥楶eace鈥�, written by Sandy Yu.
We conclude with a prayer read by Helena, a Chinese Student from the University College London Chinese Christian Fellowship
Dear Lord Jesus, you are the Prince of Peace. You said that in this world we will have trouble, but you have overcome the world; you encourage us to take heart, for in you we have peace.聽 I pray for all the people who may be experiencing hardship at the moment, whether it鈥檚 financial difficulty or the loss of a loved one in the pandemic, or for those people who are experiencing a huge change in their lives, I pray that they will not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present their requests to God.聽 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard their hearts and their minds in Christ Jesus. In Jesus鈥� precious name I pray, Amen!
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done,on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power,and the glory are yours now and for ever. Amen.
In Christ Alone (Stuart Townend)Lawrence Mo