福音歌 (The Gospel Song)

This is absolutely beautiful!  William Chong’s daughter loves her daddy and helps him sing his song.  William is a gathered worship leader at Howick Baptist Church in Auckland, New Zealand.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OAPxinCISU

聖潔神以愛成為
完美人承擔我罪
十架上受苦犧牲
祂受死我得永生

Holy God, love becomes

Perfect bear my sins

Sacrifice on the cross of suffering

His death I have never

Shèngjié shén yǐ ài chéngwéi

wánměi rén chéngdān wǒ zuì

shí jià shàng shòukǔ xīshēng

tā shòu sǐ wǒ dé yǒng

The Flu Epidemic

15.This may seem to be off topic, but actually it is not.  Church services are gatherings of people, so anything which would affect the gatherings is a legitimate topic of discussion.  Currently in the United States and numerous other countries there are spreading influenza (“flu”) and norovirus  epidemics.

The H3N2 Influenza A virus is the predominant virus rapidly diffusing across the United States (as of today it has spread to 41 states).  As of 31 December 2012, 2200 persons have been hospitalized and over 18 children have died.  Annually, various forms of the flu kill an average of 36,000 persons in the United States alone.  The route of transmission of the H3N2 virus this time appears  to be East and Southeast Asia, to Australia and New Zealand, then to North America, Europe, and finally South America.  Basically, everyone.

The norovirus is not flu but is a gastrointestinal virus which causes vomiting, diarrhea, muscle aches, headaches, and stomach cramping.  It appears to be spreading in the following path: Australia to the United States, France, New Zealand, Japan, and Great Britain.  It lasts about three days and is not likely to kill anyone who is not already immunocompromised or debilitated.

There are numerous things which people can do to lessen their chances of contracting these viruses.

1.     Wash your hands often, especially after touching anything public such as doorknobs, hand rails, toilet handles, etc.

2.     If sanitary wipes or sanitary hand foam are provided, use them.

3.     Wipe your phone after someone else uses it.

4.     Wipe the handles of carts or baskets at shopping malls.

5.     Use your knuckle or the end of a pen to push the buttons on an elevator.

6.     Keep your hands away from your face, and out of your mouth, nose, or eyes.

7.     If advised to do so by public health officials, do not hesitate to wear a mask in public.

8.     Wash clothing thoroughly and machine dry.  Wash your hands after handling the clothing.

9.     Do not eat raw foods; thoroughly cook fish, meats, poultry, and seafood.  Wash fruits and vegetables under running water before processing them.  Wash your hands after handling uncooked food.

10. Avoid drinking from public fountains if at all possible.

11. Do not share cups, glasses, or eating utensils with other people, especially anyone noticeably sick.

12. If someone is repeatedly coughing or sneezing you might want to move away from them.

13. Sneeze into a napkin, handkerchief, or your shirt sleeve.

14. Before sitting on a public toilet, put down a paper seat cover.  If one is not available, lay down toilet paper on which to sit.

At least during the epidemics, it might be wise not to use a communal communion cup.  If everyone puts his or her mouth on the cup, medically it is the same as if everyone used the same toothbrush.

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, their religious beliefs, or their actions.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

Elizabeth Fairburn Colenso: (b. 1821, New Zealand - b. 1904) Missionary, school teacher,  and Bible translator in New Zealand.  She was fluent in Maori and Mota.  Her husband, Anglican missionary, William Colenso, was fired by his missionary society employers for infidelity (he fathered illegitimate children by two Maori women) and Mrs. Colenso continued in her missionary activities without his involvement. 

William Colenso: (b. 1811, Cornwall - 1899) Printer, botanist, author, explorer, politician, Anglican missionary to New Zealand.  He was a cousin of John William Colenso, Bishop of Natal.  Colenso was fired by his missionary society employers for infidelity (he fathered illegitimate children by two Maori women) and his wife (see above) carried on her work without him.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge: (b. 1772, England - d. 1834)Poet, intellectual, lecturer, pantheist.  He translated German works into English.  His understanding of Christianity was that it is primarily related to ethics.

William the Pious, Duke of Aquitaine:  About 909 or 910 he founded the Benedictine monastery at Cluny, France.  The ultra-pious Cluniac rule of order was adopted by about 600 other monasteries.

James Warren Jones: (b. 1931, Indiana - d. 1978) Pentecostal social activist, founder of Wings of Deliverance Church which became the People's Temple Full Gospel Church.  On 18 Nov. 1978 he led 913 of his followers in Guyana in a mass murder-suicide by poisoning.