Every year on the Sunday before Chinese New Year, the Taiwan Episcopal Church has special prayers and liturgy to remember our ancestors…

We give thanks to God for our ancestors, and remember the legacy they have left us, that without them we would not be where we are nor who we are…

Ancestor worship is very much part of the Chinese New Year tradition.   Christians honor, respect, give thanks and pray for their ancestors rather than worship them, and this is one way for the church to be part of that.

This was the scene yesterday at the back of Advent Church at the end of the Holy Communion service….

Ancestor worship is not just part of the Chinese New Year tradition, but for many it is a major part of their daily lives.  For those considering the Christian faith, it is also a major obstacle.  Each Christian denomination responds in different ways to this, on a sliding scale from accommodation to total rejection.  The Taiwan Episcopal Church stands at some midway point, and this is one way to express our faith in one God and our respect for those who have gone before us….