Sunday, November 20, 2011

Phew!!! How Jesus must have felt ...

Today was our second Sunday back in Uganda, but somehow it felt like we'd been here all along and had never left. I had been scheduled to teach children's church months ago, and it was my turn. Janae started back with the preschool class, and Bob, well, he was asked to preach again.
The church we attend is a very unique church. It is similar to a campus ministry with lots of transient attendees. The missionaries from America that started the church had a heart for missionaries who were not being fed well on the weekends. They were giving, giving, giving and getting spent in the process. His desire was to have a place where missionaries could come and get truly fed. This means there are a lot of white missionaries there. It also means that some of those missionaries cannot just get fed. Some of us must work in order for things to get done.
Nowadays, we meet on the side lawn of his home on plastic lawn chairs with a sound system. The worship team is primarily Ugandan, leading American type contemporary worship songs. In the back courtyard of his home, the children's program runs between 70-80 children on any given Sunday, most Ugandan and many without much English knowledge. The preschoolers get to stay inside his office for their Bible story and activity time.
When you look out at the congregation, you will see a real mix of colors. There are missionaries from around the world, including many short term visitors and workers. There are some white business people as well. And yes, there are also a lot of Ugandans in this mix. We must be running over 150 now as there seems to be less and less open chairs available, but I'm not really sure. The church is finally looking at purchasing property to build an open concept type structure that fits our needs.
As I said, today was my turn to do children's church. Because of the nature of the church itself, there are only 5 or 6 of us that take turns in the children's ministry. And only 1 of us on any given Sunday is required to 'hang out' with those 70 average school age children. That alone sounds overwhelming.
But I am truly amazed each time I have my turn. The children know the routine and for the most part, sit still and listen. We have little visual stimulus and rarely have music to sing with. Yet, somehow, we hope that God's Word is being poured into these little hearts.
Today I was sharing about the Sermon on the Mount. I couldn't help but be in awe of Jesus as His audience was much more broad than mine in so many ways. His captivating way held their attention and fed their souls. I was only with the children for 40-45 minutes and I was exhausted. I cannot imagine preaching on a hillside with thousands and actually keeping their attention without a microphone. But I can imagine how "Jesus" did ... well, sort of. Phew!!! I am definitely in awe of Him. I only pray that some good seed has fallen on good soil for Him.

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