Ministry in Australia

persons to meet visitors at the services. The ushers would ask them for their names and addresses and would visit them the following week. No collection was taken up during the services, as the church didn't want to take money from people not yet committed or from visitors. Church members gave sacrificially by other means.

Mr. Shen told us that there was a real spiritual thirst among the Chinese people. China had changed over the last years. A better standard of living had removed the need to run after material necessities, and combined with better education, the people felt a great need for spiritual values. Since 1949 the church had become completely indigenised, not only as far as staff was concerned, but also in its theology. The gospel is therefore no longer seen as something coming from abroad or foreign, but truly Chinese. The Prodigal Son, for instance, depicts good Chinese traditional values, like a strong relationship between parents and children, and honouring ones parents is how our relationship with God should be.

We took a river cruise on the Huangpu, about 80 km down stream just before it flows into the Yangtse. We had never seen such a busy harbour before. The parks in Shanghai were also quite famous. One in the centre had a 'floating' pagoda where one of the most famous teas in China was served, or it must have been, judging by the price. To us it tasted like muddy water and not at all special.

One evening we were just resting in a park by the harbour, when a young man joined us on the bench. He was working in a shipping office and said he came here to get away from the overcrowded city, even from the place he lived, which was always crowded. When he heard that I was a minister in the church, he wanted to know 'all about christianity'. He had never met a christian before, but was well-read and obviously interested in christianity. What an opportunity.

I started by asking him: "Have you ever felt guilty about anything?" "Yes, of course, when I do wrong," he replied.

"Do you usually want to do wrong?" "No, of course not. That's why I feel guilty about it." "This is called 'sin'. All religions in the world are trying to overcome it by working or doing something 'for God', as they say. They make an offering, fast, beat themselves or even mutilate themselves, all in an effort to earn God's favour and to get rid of their guilt."

"Yes, I understand that, but É" "Wait a moment, I'll come to it. This is where Christianity is different from other religions. Jesus had recognised that in his days the religious people had laid down a law, which was to help people get over this guilt feeling, keep them on the straight and narrow, as it were."

"We have a law here too to keep people honest, but somehow it doesn't work. There will always be some who can't stay within the law."

"You are quite right, no one can ever keep the law in all its details, and that will make some people feel guilty at one time or another, as I have

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