Worship

It is refreshing to see the amount of vigor there can be when worshipping. Every service I have been to has had a very strong musical focus. It seems as if everyone knows all of the words by heart. There are always calls and responses within the music as well. People are not afraid to sing and sing loud. And oh the dancing. I think more American services need to adopt dancing into their worship. Nobody is standing still while singing. There are impropmtu clapping rhythms when people feel like it. There are choreographed movements during certain songs. And there is a lot of hips moving. Even if I cannot understand the meaning of the actual words I can feel the meaning behind the words, and that is very powerful. I have been reading a book given to me at YAV orientation in called Geography of God. I am reminded of a chapter in this book which discusses how when we as Americans go to church we are generally looking for one of three things. Whether it be consious or unconsious, we come to get therapy, entertainment, or knowledge. None of these things are necessarily bad, but they should not be the point of worship. Each of these things is self-focused, whereas true worship needs to be God-focused. I have often come out of church feeling like I have not gained anything. Having that thought means that I expected to gain something from the worship. Rather we should enter into worship with an intent to give of ourselves. We need to feel the awe of God and realize that worship is a gift of praise. I confess that most of the time I just read the words out of the hymnnal. I want to really feel and believe the songs that come from my lips. In church services in Kenya I can truly feel the reverence and awe of God. The prayers are fearful and heartfelt. The songs are energetic and purposeful. The offertory is not given begrudgingly. One of my favorite experiences here so far happened in Meru Town Church PCEA(Presbyterian Church Eastern Africa). As a group we YAVs went to Meru to take part in a youth rally. In Kenya youth is considered from age 18 to about 35. We had a wondeful time playing games and getting to know the youth of Meru. A real wow moment came though during the offering. Brenda Harcourt, the pastor who was giving the sermon(who also happened to be from Synod of Lincoln Trails) had asked me to give the offertory prayer. I was pretty nervous about this prospect, it being my first time to pray to a Kenyan congregation, but I accepted the invitation. So anyway, after the congregants brought up there offerings I did my best at a prayer and then sat down. I had not even realized that somehow a pile of food and other items had made there way to the alter. The head pastor then promptly began to auction these items off. The other YAVs and I did not know what to think. There was an actual auction happening in the middle of worship. People were bidding on eggs and jugs of milk. One member would bid on an item to go to another member. It was very entertaining. Most of us Americans were given food that Meru members won on our behalf. When the auction finished service continued pretty much like one of our Presbyterian services. We were later told that not all members could afford to give monetarily. Rather than not give of anything, they would give what they did have; such as extra tomatos, a few eggs, or even a used winter jacket. That desire to give, even when there is so little to give, means so much more.