During our last day in Johannesburg, a few friends and I went to a 10:00 service at HILLSONG CHURCH!!!! From the moment we stepped out of our uber, ecstatic and energetic people were surrounding us, welcoming us into the service. It was so welcoming, it literally made me feel warm from the inside out. Coming from Haiti- a whole other world where nobody speaks english, clothes are optional, you hear “blanc” and have hands grabbing at you wherever you go, etc.- and arriving in a much more westernized city, where Christmas music is playing, people are hula-hooping wearing Santa hats, people are pulling you inside to sign welcome books and receive fliers about the upcoming Christmas pageants and workshops… it was so shocking and fun and ahh I can’t even describe it!!!
We sat through the service… loved it so much that we stayed for the 11:30 service…. loved it still so much, we came back that night for the 6:30 service!! We ended up randomly meeting the youth pastor. He stopped everything he was doing and sat down and talked with us. He invested in us so much that day and we received incredible, inspiring advice from him! The sermons (all three of them) convicted, taught, and inspired me simultaneously. The music was impeccable and their worship team was glowing with joy.
Hillsong church is ALIVE in JoBurg!! I was there one day and I will never forget it. The upcoming events they announced made me want to stay there forever just to get to participate in it all. Seriously such a great day!!!
Out of all the amazing things I heard, I want to share one question they asked me with all of you..
“If the church wasn’t here would the city notice?”
Since it wasn’t my church or my city, I personalized it to this…
Am I living my life to the point where I am such an advocate/representative/vessel for God that people would actually notice a difference if I wasn’t present? If I disappeared one day out of my friend group, or neighborhood, or church, would people notice? Would people feel like I tried to live so Christ-like that without me being there, it actually makes a difference in their lives?
I know I wasn’t representing Christ anywhere close to the way I should have before I left. I know I wasn’t living my life this way. I have hope that God is going to reveal and teach me this. I desire and pray to one day live like this and become this way for the people around me.
