During the Holy Week, the faculty and students of Guangdong Union Theological Seminary participated in foot-washing and communion services, and they walked the Stations of the Cross, commemorating the suffering of the Lord Jesus.
Jointly with Guangzhou Union Church, the seminary hosted the foot-washing and communion service on its playground on Maundy Thursday. President Rev. Xu Jieping delivered a sermon titled "Love One Another," encouraging all teachers, students, and believers to obey the new commandment involving loving one another and following the Lord’s example, said the school.
After the sermon, a foot-washing ceremony was held as part of Maundy Thursday, where all attendees imitated Jesus' example by washing one another's feet with prayers, followed by the communion service.
The next day, the school conducted a morning worship service at Union Church, with a sermon titled "Grace of the Cross" from a student named Qiu Raoping. Afterward, the faculty and students walked the Way of the Cross around the campus, meditating on the suffering of the Lord Jesus.
On Thursday, the Holy Light Church in Nanjing, Jiangsu, preached on the biblical teaching of “A Kernerl of Wheat” to commemorate the Passion Week.
Following a nearly fifty-minute prayer session, Senior Pastor Wu Jiangang began his sermon on John 12:20–33, pointing to the self-sacrifice of the Savior Jesus by drawing a parallel with the natural law of sowing a grain of wheat. Later certain scenes of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection from the movie "The Passion of the Christ" were played in the hymn video "You are My Eternal Savior." Rev. Wu remarked, "We are not looking at a distant figure but our savior, the God in heaven."
Pastor Wu then explained how the bronze snake in the Old Testament story was the only thing keeping the sinful Israelites alive. By listing all the heartbreaking evils nowadays, such as child trafficking, bullying, corruption, and perversion of the law, etc., Wu claimed that confession and repentance are the redemption for each sinner. Recognizing that some believers attend church for healing, companionship, or spiritual solace, he still anticipated that the congregations would eventually confess their sins, repent, and embrace Jesus as their savior.
Pastor Wu proceeded by stressing the need to live a life of imitating Jesus’ self-sacrifice once one becomes a Christian. He knew that various Christians still enjoyed their pre-conversion lives and were unwilling to live a self-denying life because they were unable to let go of their pride. He noted that such Christians had no spiritual influence, asserting that only by living humbly and following Jesus can Christians inspire others to believe in him.
Pastor Wu quoted the story of Abraham and Lot to illustrate two different states of life. When the two had to part company for their abundant flocks, Abraham let Lot choose the land first, leaving the rest for himself. The nephew, however, selfishly chose a place with well-watered and near-city land. Abraham accepted the remaining mountainous land without complaint. Wu exhorted everyone to follow a life of humility and self-sacrifice like Abraham and Jesus.
- Translated by Abigail Wu and Poppy Chan
