The Miracle of the Moment

Every Sunday morning I publicly gather with other believers.  We break bread together without fear of interruption.  We take hymnals from their places and freely sing hymns of praise to the Rock of our salvation.  We read God’s Word together from all portions of Scripture.  We hear messages that have been prepared beforehand with the help of Biblical study aids.  We do not quietly whisper the gospel or place lookouts at the doors.  We do not use codes to inform the believers of the time and place of worship.  We do not baptize new believers or conduct corporate prayer meetings in secret.

These worship privileges have become common in our everyday North American lifestyle.  We often take them for granted in the same way the Israelites seemed to take manna from heaven for granted.  In our eyes they have lost their miracle status.  Yet, in countries like China, where believers are persecuted for their faith, these privileges are considered miracles.  This is one lesson I learned from Nik Ripken in his book The Insanity of God.  He writes, “The truth is, these things that we take for granted are all miracles!  Chinese house-church believers taught me that.  Their remedial lessons gave me new eyes to see and appreciate the miraculous power of God still present and at work in our world today.”

Chinese house-church believers meet in secret.  They move about from farm to farm and house to house, often at night.  Many house-church leaders are without a complete Bible.  Bibles are torn apart and divided so that each pastor can take home a portion of Scripture to share with his people.  House-churches are also without hymnbooks.  Christian music is absent from the public airways as is any Christian teaching.  Instead the house-church leaders find that they gain their most important theological education while they are in prison.

The Chinese house-churches do see miracles.  They see God’s faithful provision of strength and courage while in prison.  They experience His repeated protection from authorities and His supernatural guidance through dreams and visions.  They witness amazing answers to prayer and their church has grown with new believers.  In fact, at least one hundred million new believers have come to Christ despite fifty years of oppression under communism.  Yet, in comparison to the miracle of religious freedom in North America, the Chinese believers asked, “So tell us, Dr. Ripken, which of these things do you think are the greatest miracles?”  This question humbles me because I realize how much I take for granted, how much I fail to appreciate. 

Ripken ends his book with Samira, a Christian believer out of Islam who was forced to flee her home country.  She worked as a women’s advocate in refugee camps and later, for her own protection, she was relocated to the American Midwest.  She was able to spend a week with the Ripken family and while there she witnessed a public baptism.  She questioned, “Why aren’t all these people standing and cheering and clapping at such a miracle from God?  I think that I am going to burst with joy!  I think that I am going to shout!”

She didn’t shout, but she did see something that we often fail to see.  She saw the miracle of the moment.  She saw the miraculous power of believers in Christ coming together to publicly testify the name of Jesus.  I often miss those moments.  I pray that God would give me new eyes to see the miracles of the moment and greater appreciation for His miraculous power so that I might more freely respond with shouts of praise and thanksgiving.