I had a few opportunities to encounter and engage in worship while in the Congo, though not all those originally planed, and unfortunately never the opportunity to share with Community of Christ. Amongst the planed that didn’t happen was a French language United Methodist service and a Catholic service.
On our first Sunday we were to go to both the French and the Swahili services, however the decision was made to just go to the Swahili service. While attending this service, the energy I had expected seemed muted. Perhaps it was the structure of the service, I am uncertain, for it is a structure that was clearly UM, which was probably a good thing as it was a UM church, but which for me was not as engaging as it could be. Perhaps as well was that as the service ws going on my body was screaming to me, and I was in a place where I could not get up to go and try and care for it. Perhaps that was the worst day my body had while there.
The next opportunity would be when three of us would go to a youth rally held at the Methodist University one night. we went to part of the service. it was of Pentecostal flavour. It was interesting though parts of it I wondered about. The teenagers drew the three of us into the dancing to several of the songs, I’m sure we looked like fools… it was an interesting time, and the power went out while there and did not come back on for two days.
The next service was the village service. This one I went with two others to, and here I finally encountered the joy I in worship I had been expecting, though the sermon as I understood it through phone chain translation… was interesting though at times hard to follow as at times there would be long gaps between hearing translations of parts of it. Some of the UM specific things were a little interesting as well. That even when asked about it and what was different than in the US I couldn’t truly tell since, many of the differences I knew were in part tradition differences and not geographic differences. Later I learned they held service just because we were coming, otherwise they would have canceled due to a death in the community, and for that I was sadden, that we altered and interrupted their normal way of being. It was also a bit awkward as they gave us a place of privilege in the service, while the congregation sat on benches, up toward the front on the side they placed three plastic chairs, for us to sit in. They also had us say a few words to them as part of the service.
These were not the only time of worship, but the only designated ones. For there was one morning at Mama Louise’s where we ended up singing many songs, or singing at the orphanage, and various other encounters of worship in day to day life. In those moments the Spirit could be felt, at least I could feel it and engage. Then of course was the service we did as our farewell, which went okay i guess, but I wish had been different.
Enough for now,
Peace,
— Lyle II