As I was sitting in church this morning observing everything around me, I couldn't help but be struck by what a sheer cultural experience sitting through a simple church service is.
We meet in a small building that was formerly a school; a one classroom school I think. There are just a few bare light bulbs (the long-lasting low energy kind of course) hanging from the water-stained, sagging ceiling. There is a lone water tap poking through the wall near the front. We sit on benches made of wooden slats (thankfully they have backs on them...). At the front of the church is a rather nice wooden pulpit which frankly doesn't "fit" with the rest of the "decor". There is no piano or organ or other musical instrument, we sing acapella. During the service you may hear the sound of pigs squealing; and the pastor doesn't miss a beat, just continues on (without the aid of a sound system of course). Periodically someone will go outside and throw his sandal or rocks at the stray dogs that like to hang around. (sadly, it is this very behaviour that has made the dogs here very unpredictable and prone to unprovoked biting) Children rarely sit with their parents throughout the service. They prefer to run around outside and play. Last week we witnessed the baptism of a new baby boy born to one of the young couples in the church. The baptismal "font" is a blue plastic stool with a bowl of water perched on top. Should you need to go to the washroom, you may or may not be able to enter the little washroom out back. Should you be able to enter, you will need to do your business in the dark as there are no windows and no lights. The toilet is a squatty potty and there may or may not be water available for "flushing". There is no running water in the "washroom".
But this is a place where God's people meet to worship together and be edified together as we listen to His word explained to us by one of His shepherds.
*Ritha's sister-in-law is home again from the hospital and improving!
About Me
- Erica Feunekes
- My husband, myself and our five children are currently living Sentani, Papua, Indonesia. Hugo is Maintenance Operations Manager for Mission Aviation Fellowship.
4 comments:
It used to be two classrooms, but the one closest to the gate to the property, on the north side, then, was the main one. I taught about one day a week, all told (English, catechism, and church history), in the other one--the one closest to what used to be the hostel.
There used to be running water in the school. It was connected to the pump in the hostel to the south of the school, which drew the water from a ferro-cement tank at the foot of the hill on which it sits. This tank, in turn, received water from the system to which the area around your house was connected as well, and which was maintained by the CAMA mission.
Have a good day!
uncle keith
Sounds very ....cultural. Makes me feel like we're spending too much money on our upcoming church building!
Wow, our church is pretty simple as well, but not this simple. Just shows there is no need for a "fancy" place, the importance is why you are there.
Have you thought about starting a group for the kids if there isn't already one?
@ Linda in Brazil. There are two ladies in the church who run a Sunday school for the kids but it happens before the service not during.
Post a Comment