I am realizing more and more how little attention I pay to Church in America. Especially when compared to Africa. But even Kenya and Uganda and their three-hour Sunday services can’t compare to the church we are connected to here in Tanzania. Every day from 4pm to 6pm, at least half of the members of Pastor Celsius’s church gather for worship, prayer, a message from a preacher or three and fellowship. Every day! The people here in Tanzania are no less busy than Americans. The women are home all day cooking and looking after the children, and the men are often in the city, working. And still, they come together at the end of the day to go to church. I know that when I realized this, my first thought was ‘I don’t have time to do that every day!’ But at the same time, I can’t help but wonder about what life would look like if I did. If, in the US, I got ‘filled up’ every day, not just for an hour on Sunday? If you heard God’s messages of love every day, wouldn’t it be that much harder to forget? What would life look like if you heard a testimony of how God did something wonderful for one of your friends… every day? If you’ve had a rough day at work, for whatever reason, how amazing would it be to know that you have a great worship service to look forward to and lift you back up?
It is also another example of a way to live in community, where you are constantly connecting with your brothers and sisters. When someone is in need of help, they have only to mention it, and prayer happens right then. It is a pretty incredible way to live out the life God intends for us.
