Taiwan Church News 3207 Edition August 12 - August 18, 2013 Headline News Reported by Simon Lin On August 10th, to commemorate the suffered people and the related PCT rebuilding project since the 2009 Morakot Flooding,PCT General Assembly held the "The 4th Anniversary Service for Remembrance and Thanksgiving on Morakot Flooding". Rev. Lyim Hung-tiong, PCT General Secretary, lead the 1,700 attendants to offer thanks to the Lord. In prayer, Rev. Lyim said, he thanked God for his leading Taiwan people to accompany and help each other during this 4 year's rebuilding, and his granting PCT a prophetic voice to criticize the unjust rebuilding policy from government. He also prayed people could love each other to make this cherished island become a blessed kingdom of God. This Thanksgiving service was led by Rev. Hsu Jung-fong, Moderator of the 58th PCT General Assembly, inviting all pastors andbelievers from both inflicted areas of the Morakot Flooding and beyond. Magistrate of Pin-tong County - Tsao Chih-hon, government officials from Executive Yuan, and representatives of World Vision, Chinese Christian Relief Association were also invited to attend this service. Many aboriginal churches and choirs were dressed up in their traditional suit to sing their praise and thanksgiving to God, including the Apostle Band from the Youth Department of Paiwan Presbytery, Sandeemen Church, Rukai Presbytery, Song of Songs' Choir from Pintung Presbytery, Siraya Choir of Koupei Church from Tainan Presbytery, Laigee Church from Tso District, Gershen Church from East Presbytery, Chien-shan Church with her renown Pashibutbut from South Bunnun Presbytery and etc. Rev. Lyim preached in his sermon, titled as "Let Justice Prevail and Prepare The Way For The Lord", that three conditions ofa "correct relationship" are critical to make Taiwan a blessed, peaceful and harmonious society. First, people have to think if they have a correct relationship with God, meaning a humble heart to pursue the realization of the Kingdom of God; Second, people have to measure if they would live harmoniously with the creation of God, menaing that whether they would learn fromthe wisdom from the aboriginal, attend to environmental protection and turn away from the over-development and greedy takeover; third, people have to reflect their relationship with their own minds, because peace within human society could only achieved when their minds are anchored in the peace of God. Especially, Lyim criticized "The Special Re-Inhabitation Law After Typhoon Morakot Flooding" established by the administrationas too far away from what the inflicted refugee expected as "Escape the catastrophe but not away from town hall, Flee the village but not homeland", a humble request of to stay in their dear most homeland. Lyim condemned the authority's mindset to attribute all landslide disaster to the aboriginal culture, yet not reflecting any blind assumptions of the re-inhabitation policy. Actually, the government has to blame for her negligence on over development on mountain timbre resources which is systematically abused by burglar and vicious businessmen. In the service, seeds of the famous Taiwan Acacia plant, which symbolized as hope, were passed to all the attendants. It iswished through this symbolic seed passing, to encourage Taiwan Church to carry on their mission as light and salt, bringing God's peace and hope to every community. Translated by Peter Wolfe |