Children sit in churchLast Sunday I and the rest of our team worshipped at a church in Bangui, CAR. This Sunday we worshipped at our church in Wooster, OH. There are no adequate words to describe the contrast between the two experiences.
The church in Bangui was dark, the sound system was horrendous, the building had virtually no ventilation and the air was heavy and hot. We sat on wooden benches and observed at least two hours of singing, reading, preaching, announcing and more singing until our "blessed assurances" screamed for a cushioned surface to sit on. By the way, the choir was great but the guy operating the keyboard had it preset to a key that was far from the key the people were singing on. It was truly a "make a noise to the Lord," without the "joyful" part.
The church in Bangui was dark, the sound system was horrendous, the building had virtually no ventilation and the air was heavy and hot. We sat on wooden benches and observed at least two hours of singing, reading, preaching, announcing and more singing until our "blessed assurances" screamed for a cushioned surface to sit on. By the way, the choir was great but the guy operating the keyboard had it preset to a key that was far from the key the people were singing on. It was truly a "make a noise to the Lord," without the "joyful" part.
At Wooster the air conditioner was working at full capacity even though the weather was in the upper 60's and a nice cool breeze from the rain was blowing. We listened to great music and followed along whenever it was appropriate. We sat on comfortable chairs and pews and listened to a great, practical message that we could easily relate to our lives.
But the church in Bangui was packed with children. They sat through the regular worship service and were enthusiastic as they could be with their singing, reciting Bible verses and giving the offering when the time came for them to do so. When people were singing, virtually everyone participated, young and old joined festively in harmonizing voices, singing praises to the Lord. They people dressed up the best they could because they were going to be in God's presence. There was a certain sense of awe at being in the presence of God. And the children, as I already said, were absolutely delightful.The Bangui church had no guitars, no pianos, no drums, no video projector, no power point, no outline of the sermon, no bulletins, no separate rooms for Sunday school (kids meet outside, sitting on benches, under the scorching sun), no dramas, no coffee or doughnuts, no child care, no parking lot (most people walked quite a bit to get to church), no adult Sunday school. You get the idea.
Yet, the church was filled with people, seven to eight hundred strong. They sang with joy to their heavenly Father, they participated in every aspect of the service, including the message, which was delivered by Pastor Tom in Sango.
I am not trying to say that the church experience in Bangui was better or worse than the church experience in Wooster. But I am saying that the experience taught us that there are many difference ways to do church. Actually, it is more than that. It taught us that meeting with God is the only thing that matters when it comes to church. Everything also is superfluous.
I feel that the people at the church in Bangui were aware that they were in the presence of the living. For sure, some children got in trouble for picking on each other during the service. One was separated from the bunch while others were motioned to remain quiet. But children will be children anywhere. Overall, though, I got the feeling that the people were having a "full church" experience. They sang, they talked back to preacher, they responded during the invitation. They stayed focused through the end in spite of unbearable heat.
I was humbled by the opportunity to worship with my brothers and sisters in Bangui and discovered that most of the things I complain about when it comes to church are truly small in comparison. Sure, the Bangui church was not perfect, but for an imperfect church they weren't bad at all.
There are times when I wish we could revert to the simplicity of church the way the people in Bangui do it. But I understand that they do it out of necessity. Were they to have the options we have, I have no doubt they too would find ways to fill the time with God with other optional elements. And soon they would consider these essential to the way they did church. Such is the nature of man. As one Brazilian proverb says it: "If you can complicate, why simplify it?"
Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade
4 comments:
"We try and make the world safe, knowing that the world will never be safe as long as millions live in poverty so a few can live as they wish."
Shane Claiborne
SIMPLIFY
Hi Ivanildo,
I enjoyed reading this entry...And stepping out of the American church culture for a spell.
We American Christians are as poverty stricken as the Africans... in many ways. I guess we just don't realize it. We have trusted in our own "horses and chariots," for so long that we don't know what it means to be simple. In our culture simple means boring. If it's not "coming at us fast," we are not engaged. In fact if we would simply "return God's house to prayer," we would have a plethora of empty large churches throughout America... But just think of the fire that could start! Hearts desiring and seeking God and God alone! Not even His gifts or what He can do for us, but simply marveling in His presence. Being still, waiting...
Where is the balance in two totally out of balance cultures? I don't believe we will discover that answer in survey's or opinon polls, but we will find it on our knees where the power of our flesh is broken off of us.
Rom. 12:1-2 (Message) says, "So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life - your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life - and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. you'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you."
God bless,
Lisa McConnell
"There are nearly 2,000 verses of scripture that talk about caring for the poor. I don't care what else you think, if you ignore what the bible is really about, helping the poor and oppressed people, you've missed the message of Jesus."
Ron Sider
Author of "Rich Christians in an Age of Poor"
God's heart is broken for the poor of this world, the poor in spirit and the poor in material wealth. There are 2003 references to the poor in the Bible, to be exact. Many of them are injunctions for us to help the poor. How come the Church has by and large missed it? Could it be that one of the reasons is that we approach being a Christian like a 12 step program to better MY life? Think of the prayers we offer in church and the prayers we offer God individually (those of us who still pray). Where is the voice raised up for the Bride of Christ universal, for those who suffer under brutal regimes, for the reign of the wicked to end? I fear our prayers have become nothing but wishes for personal gain. God scoffs at that.
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