A full Sunday

 

A few weeks ago, we had a busy Sunday.  8:30 am, Emmanuel church starts and Scott preaches at this church, right near the hospital.  This large blue building named after the first missionaries to PNG was filled with over 300 people, men on one side, women and small children on the other filled the metal and wooden pews.   Electric keyboard and guitars, multiple flower bouquets across the entire front of the church and a sound system all added to the worship experience. 

It was a good service and instead of resting at home afterwards, we grab a car and head off to another church.

This time, the term “church” is used very loosely.  My friend, Suzanna, had invited me to come to her house, where some friends had been meeting on Sundays, to talk about God.  No building, just an old tarp laid out in the sun.  A small table with some flowers. Definitely a different sort of gathering.  Most of the people here had never stepped inside a “proper” church building, but they wanted to come and see what they white lady that was supposed to be coming. 

The idea for this gathering started for a couple different reasons.  One day, Suzanna was walking to church, in the dust along the 2 lane highway.  She was stopped by a circle of men, sitting on the ground, smoking, gambling with cards and just hanging out at the market area.  The stopped Suzanna and said “why don’t you tell us something about God”  She was almost shocked speechless, but the Lord quickly brought something to her mind that she had been learning.  She shared a simple message and more people gathered.  She didn’t talk long, she didn’t scream with a megaphone, she sat down in the dust and opened her heart.  She walked away knowing that the people at the market are just as hungry for God as those who go to church.

Also, Suzanna said they had started meeting under the tree because Kiau (previous blog) was a new Christian.  Before Kiau was a young man that had made some horrific mistakes.  Everyone knew his past.  When he tried to go to church, Christians said behind his back and to his face “who do you think you are?  You can’t come into this church”. How thankful am I that this is not the reaction that our loving Savior makes.  He opens His arms!  Well, Kiau, still wanting to learn more about God, begged Suzanna, “we have too keep meeting here outside at your house, so I can be free to learn more about God”. 

I rarely volunteer to speak at a church.  But as Suzanne and I were sitting in my dining room, drinking a cup of coffee my thoughts were “if people are wanting to know about Jesus, how can I not tell them about my best friend?” 

A couple days before Suzanna and I had this conversation, we got a box full of SS supplies from a dear friend.  She had put in a wordless book.  I definitely knew that is what I wanted to share with this group of people.

6 people decided to follow Jesus that Sunday after Suzanna and I share.  It was a beautiful time. 

Scott is on call this Sunday.  I plan to go back and meet with Suzanne and the people who live near her house.  People that want to love God, but rules of a church or Christians are keeping them away.  Pray for me.

A Sunday of different churches, different people, but both wanting to know more about God.