The power is out so all the noise of keyboards and blaring sound systems are silenced, instead replacing them are only voices singing in candle light, there is something beautiful about the voices all singing together and the rhythm of the clapping, in spite of the fact I don't understand the words I find myself singing along.
Honestly that was one of the best nights of worship that I had been a part of all month, when a power outage means muting all the noise, and a chance to see every star in the sky, instead of an inconvenience or an annoyance, it becomes something I find myself looking forward to.
As I preached that night, on what it means to be in community and to be part of the church as a whole, sharing how the Church as a whole is like a symphony, though their many different churches, denominations, and traditions that can sound good on their own, there is something truly beautiful that happens when all of those various sounds come together for one purpose. That if instead of focusing on the differences between Catholic or Pentecostal, our own worship style preferences, or what is the right church, as if there is one single church tradition or building that has everything right, and is therefore more true than any other. What if we focus on what it means to be the church, that is a people who love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, and soul, and love everyone around us, not because they agree with us, or because they say the right prayer, or read the right Bible commentary, but for no other reason than they are fellow human beings.
As I looked into the eyes of those sitting in that church, there faces illuminated only by candle light, I could see them for who they are, my brothers and sisters all connected by the love, peace, and hope of Jesus Christ. As different as we may seem, and as different as the places we are coming from may be, God is still the same. The same God you and I pray to in the cities and suburbs of America, is the same God that is working in peoples lives in Rwanda.
So the question is, will we be part of the symphony? Will we part of the harmony? That can only truly be obtained by many different voices coming together, or instead will we be a people and a church, that is more about proving how our sound, and that our tradition is the only right one.
–
Still hard to believe that my time in Africa will quickly be coming to an end, I have had the opportunity to see a different perspective on life and faith, and I’m leaving here with a much different view of Africa now than when I first arrived.
I'm looking forward to see what God has next for us, as we leave for Thailand next week. Please pray for our squad as we travel back into Uganda and then fly out to Bangkok on November 2. We will be staying at the YWAM base in Bangkok at least for a few days.
BEFORE: AFTER:
Doing some door to door. This room is the entire house.
Here I am with Justus one of the lay leaders at the church we worked with last month in Rukungiri, Uganda at a really great coffee shop that was in town.
