NOTE: Due to the lack of capable internet my last month on the World Race I was not able to post this blog then(May). I saved it in my email to post later and…forgot about it, lol. So please forgive me and enjoy my last blog post from the field.
As I was sitting in our 4hr long church service yesterday, I found myself growing frustrated and annoyed. Frustrated that I couldn’t understand anything that they were saying and annoyed that their worship sounded more like off pitch screaming than anything. I thought to myself “Why can’t they just come in, have an hour long service and go on their way just like we do at home?!” Then came the conviction of Christ. I felt him say in my spirit “Who’s worship do you think I’m more pleased with?”
At that moment my eyes were opened and I knew just how selfish my thoughts were. I couldn’t help but think about how many people in the churches I grew up going to would throw a fit (inside at least) or flat out leave if the service was even two hours, let alone four. How backwards is that? These people here have nothing. They sometimes walk miles to get to the church. Some don’t have shoes! They wear dirty, tattered clothes with Bibles that have seen so much wear and tear that they look like they’ve been run over with a lawn mower. I saw a elderly women using a plastic bag as her purse. And despite all that, their worship is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. They spent hours singing and dancing before The Lord, that’s right…dancing! They then give testimonies and pretty much every person gets up to thank the church or The Lord for something. Then there’s a sermon and more singing to close. I think there is more than one thing the American church can learn from this!
I don’t think I even need to bother with going through how it’s not that way back home. Why is that? Don’t we have just as much to celebrate if not more so? Family & friends, our American churches are in a very lukewarm state because we as individuals are in a very similar state. Remember Christ spits out the lukewarm water. So my question is this…where are you at in your journey with The Lord? Do you grow upset if you’re late to the lunch buffet because the service went long? If so, there’s a simple solution to that problem. Ask Christ for forgiveness. Ask him to continue to work on you and in you to the point that time is not a factor when giving Him his due glory and praise. And we know that he is faithful and just to grow us in those ways. I know I still have room to grow, will you join me? That’s get that water boiling!
