Mothering the Chinese Churches: the Courage of Norwegian missionary, Marie Monsen

Marie Monsen (1878-1962) is a name held in high honour among Christians in China, yet she is barely known in the West, even in her native Norway.

In 1900, a nationalist uprising in China, the ‘Boxer Rebellion‘, had seen many foreign missionaries slaughtered. Suspicion and fear were everywhere. Even so, Monsen travelled alone to Henan province in September 1901, to work for the Lutheran China Mission Association. Not long after her arrival, she fell down some stairs and hit her head so hard that she was unconscious several days. The trauma left her unable to study language for two years. For six years she suffered debilitating headaches, as well as dysentery, malaria, pain, and frustration. The first 20 years of her service were God’s learning curve for her, causing her to be constantly aware of her weakness and to cast herself on Him in constant dependence. Marie learned the power of endurance. This blog post from Sarah Alexander gives more details.

Monsen’s devotional life was her mainstay. taken to a new level in the 1927 Shantung Revival. She had an uncanny sense that the Lord was directing her, speaking clearly in words that seemed almost audible. She sensed that God intended to move powerfully in China, and she prayed fervently for 20 years until it began in Shantung in 1927 – a revival that is still continuing and is being called ‘the biggest revival in history‘. In order to serve her Lord better, she remained a lifelong celibate. She also endured severe trials with fortitude and trust.

Her courage was remarkable. She was fearless, traveling hundreds of miles through bandit-infested territory to share the gospel. Once, the ship she was on was captured by pirates (details in this link) and she used it as a preaching opportunity. When an invading army of looters was ravaging a whole city, Monsen urged the Christians not to fear but to pray; the looters were prevented from coming near her mission compound because of angels standing sentry over it! This and many more examples can be found in her book A Present Help: Standing on the Promises of God.

She was no respecter of persons: she would tell church leaders to their face that they were hypocrites! This article tells how ‘she greeted the Chinese and missionaries alike with the probing question, ‘Have you been born again?’ The question insulted some and angered others. But she spared no one, asking preachers, deacons, missionaries and others the same question. When their anger subsided, the Holy Spirit began to search hearts. People discovered and admitted they had not been born again.’

A present-day house church leader writes: ‘She didn’t speak smooth words to impress the people. Instead, she brought fire from the altar of God.’  She took the emphasis off the human wisdom so prized by Chinese, and showed each person they were individually responsible before God for their own inner spiritual life. For this she was greatly loved, and church leaders saw her as ‘mother in Christ’.

Monsen was bold enough to say no to prospective baptism candidates on occasions. She discouraged ‘cultural’ emotion (Chinese weep easily). She cared nothing for numbers, but wanted to be sure each soul had left the way of destruction and truly encountered God. Don’t gather unripe fruit was a maxim of hers.

When she died, Monsen was buried in at Solheim cemetery in Bergen, Norway. In his best-selling book The Heavenly Man, a leader of the Chinese house church movement, Brother Yun, tells of how Chinese believers were incredulous to find that Marie Monsen’s grave in Denmark was unmarked. So they made the need known and donations came in, such that in 2001 a monument was erected to one of God’s outstanding (but humble) warrior women.

Further Anecdotes about John Wesley, the Methodist Pioneer

(c) John Wesleys House & The Museum of Methodism; Supplied by The Public Catalogue Foundation

I complete my trawl through Anecdotes of the Wesleys: illustrative of their character and personal history, published in 1869 by Joseph Beaumont Wakeley. (A rather error-strewn typescript is available here.) These instances give a sense of Wesley as a man of faith, but also just a man.

The Highwayman

John Wesley was once stopped by a highwayman, who demanded his money or his life. Mr Wesley, after giving him the money, said, “Let me speak one word to you . The time may come when you will regret the course of life in which you are now engaged. Remember this, ‘The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from all sin’.” No more was said, and they parted.

Many years after, as Mr Wesley was leaving a church in which he had been preaching, a stranger introduced himself, and asked Mr Wesley if he remembered being waylaid at such and such a time. He said he recollected it. “I was that man,” said the stranger, “and that single verse you quoted on that occasion was the means of a total change in my soul and habits. I have long since been attending the house of God and of giving attention to his word, and trust that I am a Christian.”

Laughter

Charles and John Wesley in the early days of their Christian experience were in the habit of spending a part of the Sabbath walking in the fields and singing psalms. One Sunday, while they were in the fields and just about to begin to sing, a sense of their ludicrous situation came upon Charles, and he burst into loud laughter.

John was horror-struck at his lack of reverence and inquired in an angry tone, “Charles, are you distracted?” No sooner had he asked the question than he began to laugh as loud as Charles. They were obliged to return home without singing a line.

The Egg Man

In 1769, Wesley preached near Bedford. The audience were tolerably quiet till he had nearly finished his discourse. Then some bawled at the top of their voices, and it was a perfect Babel. One man, a little more vile than the rest, full of malicious mischief, had filled his pockets with rotten eggs to throw at the preacher.

A young man saw what mischief he intended. Unperceived, he went up behind him, clapped his hands on each side of his pockets, and smashed the eggs all at once. Mr Wesley says: “In an instant he was perfume all over, though it was not so sweet as balsam.” How frequently those who dig a pit for others fall into it themselves!

Redeeming the Time

John Wesley, while waiting at a door, was once heard to say, “I have lost ten minutes forever!” On another occasion, someone said to him, “Mr Wesley, you need not be in a hurry.” “No,” he replied, “I have no time to be in a hurry!  Leisure and I have taken leave of each other.”

His maxim was, “Always in haste, but never in a hurry.” His colleague John Fletcher said of him, “Though oppressed with the weight of nearly seventy years, and the care of nearly thirty thousand souls, he still shamed all the young ministers of Christendom by his unabated zeal and immense labours. He has generally blown the Gospel trumpet and ridden twenty miles before most of the professors who despise his labours have left their downy pillows.”

The Evangelist Prince: the Short Life of Kaboo (Samuel Morris)

Prince Kaboo was born in 1873, son of a chief of the Kru tribe in Liberia, Africa. When only in his teens, he was captured in a skirmish with the Grebo tribe, who used him as a pawn in extracting tribute. He was regularly whipped and tortured, and the Kru had to deliver a present every month to keep him alive. If they defaulted, Kaboo would be buried up to the neck, his face smeared with honey, and the ants would eat him alive.

One night, there was a blinding flash of light, the ropes fell off him and a voice said: “Kaboo, flee!” He ran into the jungle, travelling by night and hiding in hollow trees by day, until he reached the capital, Monrovia. Here he found work and was invited to church. Hearing how Saul of Tarsus was converted through a blinding flash of light [the Bible, Acts 9:3-19], Kaboo was astonished at the similarity to his own story, and gave his life to Christ. At his baptism he was given the name Samuel Morris.

After two years, hungry to receive training and to be empowered to preach the gospel, Kaboo was sent to America. He worked his passage, being badly treated by the ship’s crew, but a number turned to the Lord through his witness. Samuel Logan Brengle, an early leader in the Salvation Army, recounts what happened next in his book When the Holy Ghost is Come:

“The brother in New York to whom he came, took him to a meeting the first night he was in the city, and left him there, while he went to fulfil another engagement. When he returned at a late hour, he found a crowd of men at the penitent-form, led there by the simple words of this poor black fellow. He took him to his Sunday-school, and put him up to speak, while he attended to some other matters. When he turned from these affairs that had occupied his attention for only a little while, he found the penitent-form full of teachers and scholars, weeping before the Lord. What the black boy had said he did not know; but he was bowed with wonder and filled with joy, for it was the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Christian children in Liberia praying today Image: Christianexaminer.com

He arrived in America aged 18 and was referred to Taylor University, a Christian foundation in Indiana. When the principal asked him what room he would like, Kaboo replied: “Give me the one that no one else wants.”

Kaboo’s simple godliness affected everyone he met. They often heard him calling on God in his room (he called it “talking to my Father”). He took every opportunity to witness to others, but his heart still yearned to return to Liberia with the message of salvation.

It never happened. In 1893, aged 20, he contracted an infection and died. The President of the university made this statement: Samuel Morris was a divinely sent messenger of God to Taylor University. He thought he was coming over here to prepare himself for his mission to his own people; but his coming was to prepare Taylor University for her mission to the whole world. Many of his student contemporaries volunteered for missionary service, to keep alive Kaboo’s vision and to work towards his dream.

A life’s work accomplished in just four years as a Christian! Behind this we can see the meeting of two crucial elements: a clear and powerful divine call and what the university President called Kaboo’s sublime yet simple faith in God.

Taylor University have produced a cartoon format life of Samuel Morris. There is also a short film, A Spirit-Filled Life, available (in poor quality) on YouTube.

Some Anecdotes about John Wesley, the Methodist Pioneer

 

I have been reading, with great interest, Anecdotes of the Wesleys: illustrative of their character and personal history, published in 1869 by Joseph Beaumont Wakeley. A rather error-strewn typescript is available here.

Anecdotes show the human side of a public figure, their wit, their foibles, their more spontaneous opinions. Which in turn makes them more accessible, as real people like us. So here are a few examples taken from Wakeley’s book, chosen to illustrate various aspects of John Wesley the man.

Commitment

He was once asked by a lady, “Suppose that you knew that you were to die at 12 o’clock to-morrow night, how would you spend the intervening time?”

“How, madam?” he replied. “Why, just as I intend to spend it now. I should preach this night at Gloucester, and again at five to-morrow morning. After that I should ride to Tewkesbury, preach in the afternoon and meet the societies in the evening. I should then repair to friend Martin’s house, who expects to entertain me, converse and pray with the family as usual, retire to my room at ten o’clock, commend myself to my Heavenly Father, lie down to rest and wake up in glory!”

Outspokenness

Mr. Wesley met a gentleman with whom he had some religious conversation, who said to him, ” Mr. Wesley, you preach perfection.” “Not to you,” said Mr. Wesley. “And why not to me?”, he inquired.
He answered, ” Because I should like to preach something else to you, sir.” “Why, what would you preach to me?”
Mr. Wesley replied, “How to escape the damnation of hell.”

Quick Thinking

At a certain time John Wesley was going along a narrow street, when a rude, low-bred fellow, who had no regard for virtue, station, or gray hairs, ran into him and tried to knock him down, saying, in an impudent manner, “I never turn
aside for a fool.” Mr. Wesley, stepping aside, said, “I always do,” and the fool passed on.

John WesleyGiving Money to Release a Prisoner

Good Company

[Dr Samuel Johnson, the famous wit, essayist and dictionary compiler, invited Wesley for a meal and conversation.]  Dr. Johnson conformed to Mr. Wesley’s  hours, and appointed two o’clock. The dinner, however, was not ready till three. They conversed till that time. Mr. Wesley had set apart two hours to spend with his learned host. In consequence of this he rose up as soon as dinner was ended and departed. The Doctor was extremely disappointed, and could not conceal his mortification. Mrs. Hall said, ” Why, Doctor, my brother has been with you two hours.” He replied, ” Two hours, madam? I could talk all day, and all night too, with your brother.”

This anecdote illustrates John Wesley’s agreeable companionship, his living by rule, and his redemption of time.  James Boswell, the biographer of Johnson, says the Doctor observed to him, “John Wesley’s conversation is good, but he is never at leisure. He is always obliged to go at a certain hour. This is very disagreeable to a man who
loves to fold his legs and have his talk out, as I do.”

Principled Giving

Wesley published a Concise History of England, and made two hundred pounds by the sale of that work. He said to Thomas Olivers [editor of the Wesleyan Arminian Magazine from 1775 to 1789], as he informed him of his profits, “But as life is uncertain, I will take care to dispose of it before the end of the week.”  Which he accordingly did.

 

I anticipate more of these anecdotes to follow.

 

One aspect of researching a