Bibles and benches

How many people can you cram into the back of a Rav4?

 

We were going to try for 5, but were resigned to taking 4.

 

Kathleen, Cherise, Tara and I accompanied Pastor Moses to a neighboring church in Tororo.  We were told it was small.  When we arrived, we heard the praise songs literally bursting out of the windows of a small brick schoolhouse.  Half a dozen ladies ran out the front door to greet us, in their beautifully-colored African dresses.  They hugged us as they danced and we were ushered inside.

 

Now, when Africans worship, they WORSHIP.  Clapping, dancing, shouting, yelling, singing, laughing, crying, smiling…at incredible decibels.  People just kept arriving throughout the service, I’m sure curious at the ruckus.  We sat in the front with Pastor Moses, and took part in their service.  I gave a teaching on light, and how the doors of the church cannot contain it.  If we’re light inside, we’re light outside.  Cherise gave a stellar testimony and Tara gave a sweet message on how Jesus is the calmer of the storm.  That story (Matthew 8:23-27) and the story about Peter walking on the water in faith have been mentioned to me every day for about a week now, in different places and through different people.  Pretty cool.

 

So then Pastor Moses told us we were going to take part in the Lord’s supper.  He got out a shiny dish with what I like to call “Jesus crackers” in it, and another shiny dish with small plastic cups of juice.  It struck me as strange.  Here I am, in Africa.  Is this how Africans take communion?  Is this what they think the body and blood are?  The church here sometimes strives to emulate American/Western churches.  They can’t believe it when we tell them that the American church has lots of problems, too.  Except our problems aren’t needing more benches or Bibles, like theirs.

 

I hope they know what communion is.  I hope they know that its about sharing the gift of salvation, and remembering what Christ accomplished.  I hope they know that if they ever run out of crackers and juice, they can use posho and Mirinda.  And I hope they know they don’t need those shiny plates.  I wanted to take them both, sell them, and use the money to buy Bibles and benches.

 

Bibles.  And benches.