South African Sundays

I wish you could have joined me in church today. There is no way to adequately explain South African worship. It is something that truly has to be experienced to get the full effect. But since you're not here, I'll do my best to relate the morning to you:

Picture a church with 2,000 people in the auditorium. White, Black, Asian, Indian, you name it, they're all here, in their traditional dress. Old men, babies, and every age in between. The worship leader looks and sounds like he's from the Wiggles (the Australian children's band). The bass guitarist rocks with his six-string bass. In the congregation is a man who brings his own tambourine every week, and in the back is a man who brings his own trumpet, occasionally blowing it in service when he feels inspired (which, to my American ears, unfortunately sounds like a goat in labor... with triplets). Today we are singing a house favourite:

Lift up your heads, ye gates of brass
You bars of iron, yield
And let the King of Glory pass,
The cross has won the field!

Only in a country in which violent crime has forced people to live behind walls, electric fences, barred windows and metal gates does this song make sense. Next to me is an Indian woman in her sari, and on the other side, a black South African in traditional dress with a colourful head scarf. When the song comes to the chorus, which is "Alleluia" sung four times, the congregations goes wild, jumping up and down. I think I can say on authority that no one jumps higher than Africans! Suddenly, the trumpet blows from behind (and the goat gives birth!). The crowd cheers! On to verse two:

Arise, my warrior Bride,
You armies of God, take the land.....

More jumping, more "goat births", and believe it or not, I'm starting to get teary-eyed. If you come to South Africa expecting the worship to be like it is in America, you will miss the beauty. It is not a performance, it is not polished, it is sometimes not on pitch, but it is sincere, it is precious, and it is a most acceptable offering to a Holy God who deserves our praise no matter what's going on outside the building.

I wish you could have been here this morning. I am sure you would have been blessed.