At the end of August, we shared an inspiring service of worship in the company of many Burmese Christians. The sermon was shared in both languages, and several remarked how the experience confirmed the unity of the church that comes by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Burmese Christian Congregation at Yates has been meeting for some time on Sunday afternoons in the Fellowship Hall. As time has passed, we have found ways to work together for common ministry. This is what we do for one another as sisters and brothers in Christ.
The relationship between Burmese Christians and Baptists is not a new one. In fact, the missional relationship between Baptists in America and the Burmese is among the oldest in history. As the worship service unfolded, I couldn’t help but think about a young married couple named Adoniram and Ann Hasseltine Judson, who set out on mission to India all the way back in 1812.
The Judsons were Congregationalists who carefully studied the baptismal positions of the English Baptists over their four-month journey east. By the time they arrived at Calcutta, they found that their convictions aligned most fully with Baptist principles and were baptized by William Carey upon their arrival. Political events in India, however, necessitated a hasty exit from their newly established presence there, and so the Judsons sailed to Burma.
The story of the Judsons’ evangelistic mission in Burma is an incredible account of adversity, imprisonment, disease, courage, resilience, and creativity. What I remembered on that Sunday was the passionate love the Judsons held for the Burmese people and the deep immersion they made into the life, culture, and traditions of the Burmese. When Ann died in 1826 at about age 38, the last words on her lips were Burmese. Such was the way the gospel knit her to the people she was called to serve.
How wondrous, then, to hear the Scriptures read in Burmese in our Baptist church — and to remember that this was not new. It was the next chapter in a story of relationship that has been written for over two centuries. Can you imagine the Judsons in that cloud of witnesses seeing Yates on that Sunday? Can you hear them cheering on the work?
We never know how the service we offer in Christ’s name will continue to unfold across time. Someone may plant a seed, another may water it, but it is God who gives the growth. What remains for us is the call to respond when we are sent out into the world to make disciples. Let us continue to be faithful to the task and be a part of the story of faith, hope, love, and salvation that God is writing through us.
Grace & Peace,