John McCall - April 2021 Update

Taipei, Taiwan

Dear friends,

As I am writing this, it is already Maundy Thursday afternoon here in Taiwan. I had the privilege of designing a Holy Week worship service with the Worship Committee of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan. We began the service at the headquarters in downtown Taipei on the roof of the GA building at ten this morning. The theme was "Following Jesus' Road of Love," so we slowly descended the stairs and stopped on each floor where we experienced something of Jesus' road during this week.

The church here reflects the diversity of the larger culture, so we had women and men, older folks and younger folks, indigenous, Hakka, and folks from the larger population. At each station, we read scripture in a variety of different languages and sang in different tongues.

I'll let these pictures tell the story. Join us on a Taiwanese Holy Week journey.

An elder from the Indigenous Bunun tribe led our Holy Week journey.

Beginning our worship journey on the roof of the General Assembly building.

As Jesus wept for Jerusalem because they did not recognize the Incarnate Love in their midst, so we prayed for our neighbors, for the people of Taipei, Taiwan, and the world.

The acting General Secretary of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan, Rev. Tsai, washes the feet of a colleague, Jun He.

At each station different musicians used different instruments, from guitar, to flute, to piano, and even a small organ.

At the station where Judas betrays Jesus, we placed a mirror so we could realize our part in betraying Jesus and Jesus' values in our actions and words in daily life and in the world.

The different program secretaries prayed at each station. Note the aboriginal communion cloth. The communion set was a gift from the PCUSA to the PCT for their 150th anniversary.

I was able to preach and celebrate communion with the Program Secretary for Evangelism.

The service ended with the draping of the cross and time to meditate on Christ's love for the world.

I was grateful for the teamwork in carrying out this worship service and for the way our daily workspaces became sacred spaces in which to ponder Jesus' actions of love during this week.

Holy Week and Easter blessings,

John McCall

This article used with permission of Presbyterian World Mission.

Read more about John McCall’s ministry HERE.

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Asia, Global Workers, MissionariesThe Outreach FoundationApril 7, 2021John McCall, Taiwan