CYSK 15 J Hudson Taylor

Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

[James] Hudson Taylor (Chinese: 戴德生) (1832–1905) was a British Protestant missionary to China and founder of the China Inland Mission (CIM) (now OMF International). He spent 51 years in China. CIM was responsible for bringing over 800 missionaries to the country who were used to bring some 18,000 to faith, as well as establishing more than 300 stations of work with more than 500 local helpers in all 18 provinces and beginning 125 schools. He was known for his sensitivity to Chinese culture and zeal for evangelism. He adopted wearing native Chinese clothing, rare among missionaries of the time. Under his leadership, CIM was singularly non-denominational in practice and accepted all sorts of people. Primarily because CIM's campaign against the Opium trade, Taylor has been referred to as one of the most significant Europeans to visit China in the 19th Century. Historian Ruth Tucker summarises the theme of his life: No other missionary in the nineteen centuries since the Apostle Paul has had a wider vision and has carried out a more systematised plan of evangelising a broad geographical area than Hudson Taylor. Taylor was able to preach in several varieties of Chinese, including Mandarin, Chaozhou and the Wu dialects of Shanghai and Ningbo. The last of these he knew well enough to help prepare a colloquial edition of the New Testament written in it. He was from a Methodist background but after being converted at 17 he espoused many principles of The Brethren.

Novelists 44 - Zane Grey

[Pearl] Zane Grey (1872–1939) was another American author best known for his popular adventure novels and stories that were a basis for the Western genre in literature and the arts; he idealised the American frontier. Riders of the Purple Sage (1912) was his best-selling book. In addition to the commercial success of his printed works, they had second lives and continuing influence when adapted as films and television productions. As of 2012, 112 films, two TV episodes, and a TV series (Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater) had been made that were based loosely on Grey's novels and short stories. Wikipedia lists over 90 of his books mostly westerns. He was one of the first millionaire authors.

HMDUK 2 Why do we shake hands on meeting?

Why do we shake hands on meeting? Students of folk-lore trace the origin of handshaking to primitive magic; the physical contact of the hands symbolised that each of the parties yielded himself up to the power of the other and united with him in peace and friendship; or signified the ratification of a compact or pledge. We still clinch an agreement or a business deal by “shaking hands on it.” This element of contact is clearly seen in the Roman marriage ceremony, in which – as also among the ancient Hindus – the clasping of hands by the bridge and bridegroom was a prominent feature.

Coats V - Vicuña Coat

(A Vicuña is an alpaca like animal)

The death of Sir Fred Catherwood

See here

CYSK 14 Adoniram Judson

https://www.frontlinemissionsa.org/missions/adoniram-and-ann-judson

Adoniram Judson, Jr. (1788–1850) was an American Baptist (formerly Congregationalist) missionary, who served in Burma for almost forty years. At the age of 25, Judson became the first Protestant missionary sent from North America to preach in Burma. His mission and work with Luther Rice led to the formation of the first Baptist association in America to support missionaries. At times mistakenly referred to as the first missionary to Burma, he was in fact preceded by James Chater and Richard Mardon (both arrived in 1807) as well as by Felix Carey. However, since none of them remained long, and Judson also translated the Bible into Burmese, as well as establishing a number of Baptist churches in Burma, Judson is remembered as the first significant missionary in Burma, as well as one of the very first missionaries from America to travel overseas. When he died, he left the Bible (his translation remains popular), 100 churches, and over 8,000 believers. In large part due to his influence, Myanmar has the third largest number of Baptists worldwide (behind the USA and India). The majority of adherents are Karen and Kachin. Each July, Baptist churches in Myanmar celebrate "Judson Day". Judson compiled the first ever Burmese-English dictionary. The English-Burmese half was interrupted by his death and completed by missionary E A Steven. Every dictionary and grammar written in Burma in the last two centuries has been based on ones originally created by Judson.

Novelists 43 Stephen Crane

Stephen Crane (1871–1900) was an American author. Prolific throughout his short life, he apparently wrote notable works in the Realist tradition and early examples of American Naturalism and Impressionism. He is recognised by modern critics as one of the most innovative writers of his generation. The eighth surviving child of Methodist parents, he began writing at four and had published several articles by 16, leaving college in 1891 to work as a reporter and writer. His first novel (1893) Maggie: A Girl of the Streets, is generally considered by critics to be the first work of American literary Naturalism. He won international acclaim for Civil War novel The Red Badge of Courage (1895), which he wrote with no battle experience. In 1896, he endured a highly publicised scandal after appearing as a witness in the trial of suspected prostitute, Dora Clark. Late that year he accepted an offer to be a war correspondent in Cuba. En route, in Jacksonville, Florida, he met brothel madam Cora Taylor, with whom he began a lasting relationship. His ship to Cuba sank off the Florida coast, leaving him and others adrift for several days in a dinghy. He describes the ordeal in "The Open Boat". During his final years, he covered conflicts in Greece (accompanied by Cora, the first woman war correspondent). They later lived in England. He was befriended by writers such as Conrad and H G Wells. Plagued by financial difficulties and ill health, he died of TB in a German sanatorium aged 28. Considered at his death an important figure in American literature he was nearly forgotten for two decades, before interest revived. I first became aware of him doing American Studies at University. His writing is apparently characterised by vivid intensity, distinctive dialects and irony. Common themes are fear, spiritual crises and social isolation. Recognised primarily for The Red Badge, an American classic, he is also known for his poetry, journalism and short stories ("The Blue Hotel", "The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky", "The Monster"). His writing made a deep impression on 20th-century writers, most prominent among them Hemingway, and is thought to have inspired the Modernists and the Imagists.

Coats U - Ulster

Midweek Meeting December 3 2014

We had a change last night. Our friend Henikaja from Madagascar who has been studying at the John Owen Centre this term spoke to us about the work of the gospel in Madagascar. We have known about the situation for some years now, three students having been based with us while the studied at the LTS. It was good to get this clear overview of the situation among the Baptists, which is generally very encouraging with many men preparing for the ministry. There are needs, of course, such as translations into the local Malagas language. We were about 12 of us present, including my parent-in-law, up for the conference. I arrived late having been at another meeting in town before coming. We had a good prayer time, praying especially for Madagascar and our Meal & Message with Brad Franklin tonight.

HMDUK Why is the sky blue?

Why is the sky blue? The rays of the sun, in striking the earth's atmospheree, are scattered by the countless tiny specks that fill the air, the blue rays being scattered farther than the red. It is thus the blue rays which we see, and which lead us to believe that the sky is of that colour. If the air were free of all particles of dust, the sky would be quite dark, relieved only by the brightness of the sun and the moon and of the stars which would then always be visible.

(When I was a boy we had a little book from my dad's home called How much do you know? By a man called Harold Wheeler, it came out in the thirties and is a fascinating read. I saw an edition in a second hand shop this morning and bought it. This is the first question in the general knowledge section).

Westminster Conference 2014 Day 2

Dr Robert Strivens on his feet (back to us) to ask a question following the paper by Dr Mark Jones (seated). Chairman Jeremy Walker stands pensive while Phil Arthur looks on (in profile). We can also see the backs of the heads of Gavin Beers and Dr Robert Oliver.

Yesterday was good but today was, if anything, even better. Numbers were perhaps slightly lower but 120 have attended, most of them on both days. The Oxford Street venue is proving ideal.

Today we had three excellent papers. Mark Jones kicked us off with his paper on the law, dealing with antinomianism (do see his book on the subject). Robert Strivens then gave an excellent overview paper on the enigmatic but godly Richard Baxter, author of 60 volumes. Both papers were followed by good discussion times well chaired by Jeremy Walker and Ken Brownell. In the Baxter session we discussed why we think N T Wright is much more dangerous than Richard Baxter, whose view of justification was defective. The final paper is traditionally a biography with no discussion and Andy Young of Cheltenham served us well in this respect with a well nuanced paper on the great John Knox concentrating on his international career. These papers would be well worth reading when published next year.

• Mark Jones (in his book page 114) “There is today a great deal of talk about ‘grace.’  It is described as scandalous, liberating, shocking, counterintuitive, unpredictable, dangerous, etc.  But when an emphasis on grace eclipses a focus on Christ, as it sometimes does, then grace is not being preached; rather, a sort of cheerleading experience takes place, in which very little is actually said about grace because it is divorced from the riches of Christ’s person and work”.
• Richard Baxter (Christian Directory) Becasue God hath made the excellent, holy writings of servants, the singular blessing of this land and age; and many an one may have a good book, even any day or hour of the week, that cannot at all have a good preacher; I advise all God's servants to be thankful for so great a mercy, and to make use of it, and be much in reading; for reading with most doth more conduce to knowledge than hearing doth, because you may choose what subjects and the most excellent treatises you please; and maybe often at it, and may peruse again and again what you forget, and may take time as you go to fix it on your mind: and with very many it doth more Than hearing also to move the heart, though hearing of itself, in this hath the advantage ... lively books may be more easily had than lively preachers.
• John Knox - "Grant unto us, O Lord, that with such reverence we may remember thy benefits received, that, after this, in our default, we never enter into hostility against the realm and nation of England. Suffer us never, O Lord, to fall to that ingratitude and detestable unthankfulness, that we should seek the destruction and death of those whom thou hast made instruments to deliver us from the tyranny of merciless strangers. Dissipate thou the counsels of such as deceitfully travail to stir the hearts of the inhabitants of either realm against the other. Let their merciless practices be their own confusion; and grant thou, of thy mercy, that love, concord, and tranquillity, may continue and increase amongst the inhabitants of this isle, even to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whose glorious gospel, thou, of thy mercy, dost call us both to unity, peace, and christian concord, the full perfection whereof we shall possess in the fulness of thy kingdom." (Old Scottish liturgy)

We are due to meet again December 1 and 2, 2015 when papers will be given, God willing,  on  Erasmus, Isaac Watts, John Owen (2), Andrew Fuller and Jonathan Edwards. The new website can be found here.

Westminster Conference 2014 Day 1

It was a good day today in Oxford Street at the Westminster Conference. Today had a very Welsh flavour with three Welsh speakers (Stephen Clark, Adrian Brake and Andrew Davies) and three Welshish subjects. Welshmen seemed thicker on the ground than usual too.

The first paper was called holy worldliness (almost the same name as this blog). After a laudatory introduction concerning Whitefield we moved to the way he and Harris were less than perfect in their approach to marriage. Certainly the Harris, Whitefield, Elizabeth James affair is bizarre and Harris's obsession with Mrs Griffith wrong but I felt it was harsh to criticise Whitefield's unsuccessful letter of proposal to Elizabeth Delamotte. Failures by two men in one area does not justify the accusation of dualism. Anyway we had a half decent discussion following the paper.

We then had an excellent introduction to Thomas Charles who died in 1814. His Bible Dictionary had an incredible impact. It makes you wish you spoke Welsh. It begins

"The Holy Scriptures are a treasure house of all profitable and essential knowledge ….. Since they have all been given by the inspiration of God, they must partake of his perfection, and befit it. Because of the perfection of his knowledge, he cannot err; and because of the integrity of his nature, he will not deceive us in any matter; therefore, the knowledge given to us in the Scriptures is lofty, certain and complete. There is nothing which pertains to our condition and our blessedness in another world; nor anything which pertains to our circumstances and our duties in this world, that God, in his holy word, has not given us full instruction, how to behave in all things, in all situations, and towards everyone. The great plan of salvation, through a Mediator, shines clearly and fully in it, before a world of sinners."

You can get one in leather on ebay for around £60-70. There appear to some volumes available online.

The final paper was on Calvinistic Methodism and so the focus was on Wales again but it went well beyond that. The discussion after limped along a little.

Coats T - Tail Coat

Lord's Day November 30 2014

So the last day of November proved to be another silent Sabbath for me. My problems started last Tuesday when I was in such pain that I headed in to an A&E en route home from Wales. The pain abated (with some help) before I left there but flared up again several times over the next few days necessitating another trip into A&E. It was late on Thursday that I decided I would not be able to preach and that more or less proved to be the case. I managed to get to church Sunday evening but until the middle of Sunday morning I was feeling pretty rotten and have been recuperating today.

Thankfully, my fellow elder Robert Strivens kindly arranged for my son, Rhodri, to preach in the morning, and my fellow Welshman and neighbour Spencer Cunnah, to preach in the evening. In the morning I stayed home and listened to a sermon from online (myself as it turns out, that's who I'm used to listening to). in the evening I was there to hear Spencer on Revelation 10. You really appreciate church when you've been deprived of it.

Coats S - Smoking Jacket