Missionary Bishop in China and Japan, 1910
How does a poor farmer's son grow up to be a bearer of the Gospel half-way round the world? One answer is the Holy Spirit, coupled with that young man's willingness to cast his eyes and heart into a mission of such scope. This is a word to the church: God works for the people of the world only to the extent that willing human servants offer themselves to do that work. We have a job description, and have received our marching orders. Sometimes that march will take us to our own neighborhood, at other times to the ends of the earth. Williams took his march to China and Japan, though just at the end of his life he returned to the soil of his Virginia homeland. May all of us make such circuits and accomplish such works, in larger or smaller orbits.Collect
Almighty and everlasting God, we thank you for your servant Channing Moore Williams, whom you called to preach the Gospel to the people of China and Japan. Raise up in this and every land evangelists and heralds of your kingdom, that your Church may proclaim the unsearchable riches of our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Tobias Stanislas Haller BSG
Eventually Williams took over Japan and Schereschewsky was given China—and in 1875 Schereschewsky reported to the Board of Missions that Bishop Williams had been forsaken by the Board, that he lived in a peasant's hut, gave 2/3 of his own meager salary to the work of the Church.—and when WIlliams finally died (he refused to leave Japan for 19 years after retirement, founding several new mission stations) Schereschewsky called him "the most saintly of men"—an accolade not commonly applied to bishops...
ReplyDeleteThanks, Fr. J-J. Would all ministers of the gospel were inspired to such devotion!
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