International Fellowship

I LOVE IT!
Not that this was always the case.

The music can be off key -- keyboardists play a variety of random notes between songs to "create the mood" while vocalists also play a variety of random notes to express their joy and love for the Lord. Whew! So many notes creates an interesting atmosphere.

But, I have learned to appreciate it. I have learned to see past the notes, to see the singers and players in a cultural as well as a "worshipful" light. They sing to the Lord, not me.

The preaching-teaching was something I had to get used to as well. We have a rotation of teaching men and they each have about 20-30 minutes to teach. Most recently we were going through the book of Revelation. Whew! We certainly went through it, but without much depth to the teaching.

And yet, I have learned to contain my expectations and look for a depth of teaching else where -- and particularly in my own reading/study of the Bible. I have learned to appreciate the sermons (by a couple men in particular) that are challenging and Scripture-filled when we get them. I have also learned to appreciate the progress in teaching the other men (could be) making when they come up to teach. I have seen growth in the skill of our teachers.

So, why do I "LOVE IT"?

It's a picture of what Eternity with Him will be like. Men from every tribe, tongue, and nation will be gathered before Him to make a joyful NOISE before Him! We will all be singing and praising His Name and we won't all be praising in the same way. We won't all be standing still. We won't all be dancing with vigor. We won't all be lifting our hands. We won't all be sitting down. (For a time, of course, we will all be bowing before Him.)

I also LOVE different CULTURES!

The Lord is so good because He brought me to work in China, and I also get small pictures of what it's like to sing praises in the African way. (Not that all African countries worship in the same way. There's different "worship cultures" too.)

A few weeks ago a man from Kenya led the singing time. We sang in 4 or 5 different languages to represent some of the diversity in our congregation. There's two songs we sing in Swahili and I absolutely LOVE them!  One is about God being the King of Africa, and then we switch out "Africa" for the names of other locations. Another has a line, "SING! In the Af-ri-can WAY!" (Could be the same song, but I don't think it is...)

To express their worship, people sometimes come down the aisles just singing and dancing. (Last time the one who started the train was a guy from Sri Lanka.) Nobody was giving dirty looks. Nobody was "blaming them for being a distraction or trying to gain attention for themselves." (Because -- as far as it is my ability to see their hearts -- they AREN'T doing it to gain attention for themselves.)

The musicians on the stage often dance, shout, sing, and clap as well. When the Lord has given you joy -- let your joy be made known to all the people. I love that there is the freedom to sit, stand, move, raise hands, have hands at side, sing quietly, sing loudly, on key, off key, on beat, off beat, dance, remain still -- freedom in the Lord to allow the Holy Spirit to move and use you in the way He has wired you to be.

In our fellowship we have had people from over 50 countries in the last 6 months. We are a group of transitioning people made up of university students, English teachers, business people, and the like. We have (and had) people from Bolivia, Burundi, New Zealand, Rwanda, Nigeria, Uganda, Eritrea, Congo, Coast d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Hong Kong, Ethiopia, Russia, India, Sri Lanka, Germany, France, Tanzania, Ghana, Philippines, Korea, Japan, Canada, United States, Lebanon, Nepal, Kenya, and others I have not mentioned.

What's a thrill to my being are the conversations and interactions I have been able to have with some of these people -- representing places I have wanted to go in order to meet the people.

I asked a man from Kenya why he wanted to learn Chinese. He has a love for Kenya and wants to see it grow strong in the business world. His plan is to learn Chinese, return to Kenya, build businesses, and establish strong business relationships with China.

I spoke with a man from Uganda who was sent to China to study the organization and discipline of the Chinese military so he could go back to Uganda and help train the soldiers there.

A few weeks ago I met a girl whose dad is from India and whose mom is from Sri Lanka. We started talking, she and her boyfriend invited me for lunch, we went, and it was great. I got to hear about their lives in Tianjin as medical students who need to study in Chinese and about their home cultures.

So many people find a special fellowship in this congregation, grow in their faith, and then, after finishing their studies, go back to their home countries with a stronger faith in the Lord and His power. And their ministry to national students on the university campuses is from the Lord as well.

The man who is the "primary shepherd" for the international university students is one of the men whose preaching I look forward to. We don't agree on everything, but he has challenged me and my perspective. His love and passion for the Lord is an example and a challenge and he pours so much energy and attention into the university students. I praise the Lord for him and his faithful ministry.

I do love it.
I can't wait for the "days" when we will all be united with Him as a mass of nations -- all built together as His Body and His Temple; living stones beautifully chosen and arranged in diversity.