From: ; "John C. CDR (015) (by way of Rev. Eric J. Stefanski, )" To: Subject: CLIMB: Southern Swing 2001 CLiMB Report 2 Date: Friday, November 02, 2001 12:28 PM Southern Swing 2001 Command Chaplain USS BLUE RIDGE and Fleet Chaplain Commander SEVENTH Fleet CLiMB Report 2 An important part of my routine that I did not mention in my last report is the Evening Prayer at Sea. This is not just a prayer that I pray to myself each night. It is a standing tradition on U.S. Naval vessels at sea, dating back to the first U.S. Navy chaplain in the late 1700s, that an evening prayer is given in front of the crew before taps is played and before those who are not on watch retire to their "racks" (beds) for the night. On modern Naval vessels, the chaplain goes to the bridge (pilothouse) and gives the prayer over the 1MC (ship's intercom system). This is the prayer that I gave the night before we pulled into Shanghai, People's Republic of China (PRC): Good evening, shipmates: Psalm 139 is a beautiful poem written by King David, showing his faith and confidence in God's providence, guidance, and care. "O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar...Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from you presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast." We pray: Almighty God, everlasting and omniscient Lord, you know each of us better than we know ourselves. There is nowhere that you are not there to watch over us, to protect us, to guide us. Fill us with your Holy Spirit this night, so that we rest with a sure and steady faith. Grant us safe passage into Shanghai tomorrow and then back out to the sea on Monday. Especially, we ask you to uphold all those who will stand watch for the lengthy navigation details both in and out of Shanghai. And during our stay in this most populated of all China's cities, may each member of the crew and staff have an enjoyable and enriching experience. Let no harm befall anyone, and help all of us to be good-will ambassadors, conducting ourselves with honor, courage, and commitment. We also pray for your ongoing protection upon our loved ones, and we ask you to sustain those who are standing watch this night. Wherever we go, Lord, we trust that your hand will guide us, your right hand will hold us fast. Therefore, we sleep this night and steam into Shanghai tomorrow with assurance and confidence; for I pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. The passage into Shanghai involved a seven-hour Navigation Detail because Shanghai is several miles up the Yangtzi River. Although dredged, the river is narrower than the Mississippi at St. Louis, and this presented quite a challenge to the Commanding Officer (CO) and crew of the BLUE RIDGE (BR). They had to navigate this 643 foot 19,000+ ton Ship up a very busy river (more boat and barge traffic than I ever saw on the Mississippi or any other port for that matter) to the city of Shanghai on Friday, 23 March, and then back out on Monday, 26 March. The Ship also had to arrive at a bridge which spans the river at low tide in order for the mast to pass underneath. By the grace of God, we arrived safely in Shanghai, and returned to the sea safely on Monday. By the way, Captain Ziemba, the BR CO, is a Missouri Synod Lutheran. He and his family are members of St. Paul Lutheran Church in San Diego, CA. He faithfully attends worship both in homeport and at sea and regularly partakes of our Lord's Supper. While we were in homeport this past year, I had the privilege of instructing his daughter, Emily, together with my son, Nathan, in their first year of catechetical classes in preparation for their Confirmation. Captain Ziemba is also the best ship driver and CO I have had in 27 years of Naval service. God is good! Shanghai was an unexpected surprise for all of us aboard BR. It is a very modern developing city that rivals Hong Kong. We moored at the pier at 1500 (3:00 p.m.) on Friday, 23 March. The PRC Navy band was playing and a formation of PRC Navy officers and sailors stood at attention to welcome us. That evening, the officers of BR and C7F Staff were invited to a reception held by officers of the PRC Navy. The PRC officers were selected because they spoke some English. In my conversations with several of them, it was difficult explaining what my job was, since, as a communist country, they do not have chaplains in their military. However, every time I tried to explain it, the PRC officer would respond "Oh, you are a political commissar." I then had the opportunity to tell them that I do not discuss politics, nor is it my role to support, endorse or enforce any political ideology. I preach and teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, provide counseling for the crew, and care for their spiritual and emotional welfare through various means. That was certainly a new concept for them. On Saturday, 24 March, I joined a number of fellow crewmembers on a chartered tour of the city coordinated through our Ship's Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) organization. Our first stop was the Jade Buddha Temple. As in similar temples in Japan and other Asian countries, there were numerous people lighting incense and praying to a statue of Buddha, or other statues that were located in the various building. Throughout the tour of the temple, I thought about this crass idolatry, and the reality that our crucified and risen Lord, Jesus Christ, was indeed the only way of salvation. A friend and fellow pastor reminded me by e-mail of what Luther wrote in the meaning to the second article of the Apostle's Creed about our Savior: "who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver (or jade), but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death..." The visit to this temple opened the door for me to talk about the Gospel with several shipmates who were also on the tour. The rest of the day we visited a Chinese garden, the old town shopping area of Shanghai, other areas of the city, and we concluded the day by attending a presentation by the Shanghai Acrobatic Company. On Sunday morning, I conducted a Lutheran Service of Holy Communion (only two attending, the CO and another Missouri Synod shipmate) and a General Protestant service of the Word (only twelve in attendance) on board the Ship. Because it was a liberty port, many sailors who were not on duty were off the Ship visiting the city. I saw only two churches in Shanghai, a Roman Catholic church (Church of the Good Shepherd) and the Shanghai Community Church. Both are state sponsored, and although they both have English services, I did not have an opportunity to visit either one. Throughout our time in Shanghai, the officers and sailors of BR and C7F had to wear the Service Dress Blue uniform while on liberty. We were well received wherever we went and were frequently stopped by the Chinese so that they could have their picture taken with us. Also, we were greeted warmly by numerous American tourists as we went about from place to place. Several Chinese and Americans commented to me that our sailors were very well behaved. We are currently steaming south through the Straight of Taiwan on our way to Thailand. My next report will be after our visit there. Please keep in your prayers three of our shipmates who have received Red Cross messages within the past few days: one whose mother died today, another whose mother-in-law died two days ago, and a third whose mother is in an Intensive Care Unit and in guarded condition. Because of operational commitments, we cannot get these men off the Ship until we reach Thailand. As you can well imagine, they are very distraught. All three men are professing Christians, and have the assurance of the resurrection unto eternal life through Christ our Lord. However, as you can well imagine, their current inability to get home is very unsettling. May our good and gracious God continue to bless and keep you. In Christ, John C. Wohlrabe, Jr. Commander, Chaplain Corps, United States Navy + + + Confessional Lutherans in Missionary Boldness + + + The CLIMB e-letter brings you unedited, uncut reports directly from the mission field, whether in South America, Africa, Europe, inner-city, rural, or collegiate America, or military installations and battle sites around the world. It is our contention that those who truly hold to the ~Book of Concord~ as the pure exposition of Holy Scripture and the true confession of the Christian faith are also the most zealous supporters of the preaching of the Gospel in every corner of the world and, as such, ought to be kept thoroughly informed of how those endeavors are faring and shown how they may be rightly carried out without the destruction of orthodox doctrine and practice that some within the pale of Lutheranism now advocate. 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