Sunday worship

We attended Peter’s childhood church this morning. It has a nice brick building now, which was not the case when Peter was a child. It even has a sound system and boy, was it blasting!! We waited in an anteroom for quite a while before filing into the front two rows. (Have I mentioned the Kenyans love their ceremonies?) We noticed the men sat on the right and the women sat on the left. Soon we were enjoying praise songs in the language of Meru. Then a men’s choir sang, swaying left to right with the music. Next the “young mamas” choirperformed, which includes beautiful singing and energetic hopping and dancing. Then unexpectedly we were summoned to perform “what we had prepared.” Thankfully I had thrown in our VBS song lyrics in the morning so we led them in two songs From Day Camp. I found it emotional to look out on all those precious faces as I sang, “Everything that you have made is beautiful. Oh my God, I can’t believe my eyes.” I was so overwhelmed by gratitude to be included in this little family of God in a rural village. I know the people’s lives are difficult, but you should see them fervently praying aloud all at the same time. They love the Lord with everything they have.

John Lewis delivered a wonderful sermon on offering all you have to the Lord (as with the loaves and fishes). Josephine was his right hand person, interpreting for those who didn’t understand English. Carissa was called on to pray for the sick and elderly.

For the offering, they placed a large container at the front and groups of people processed forward to put in their gifts. Men first, then women, then youth. Many people do not have cash to offer so they bring from their crops — corn (on the cob or dried), dried beans, yams, bananas, or green beans. I wondered what the church would do with the produce. I didn’t have to wonder for long. As soon as the offering song ended a woman began to auction off each item in turn. A teenage boy would take the produce to the winning bidder and bring their money back to the front to deposit in the container. What a beautiful demonstration of the sermon — bring what you have and let God multiply it. The generosity of the people is moving.

When church ended, we were invited to the grassy area out front where I had noticed women scrubbing white plastic chairs. We were asked to go first — washing hands, then grabbing a bag lunch: 4 slices of white bread, a still-warm hard-boiled egg, a whole banana, and a Fanta pop. While we sat in the plastic chairs, the congregants sat on sagging wooden benches completely segregated by gender. This was yet another incredible cultural experience, showing just how wonderfully diverse and beautiful is the family of God.