Church

Palm Sunday – Over the past few Sundays since moving to Chimoio we have been visiting several CCM churches that we are familiar with but never had the chance to attend. The first of which was Catholic (not a CCM member), Anglican and the Nazarene. Each one has been interesting in its own way. First was the Catholic Church with its huge building and liturgy appropriate for the Lenten season. The gardens outside with palms and rocks draping with cascading flowers welcomed reflection of God’s creative beauty, the orderliness of the Stations of the Cross, and a wooden cross with the suffering Christ in the front to remind you of his sacrifice. The Anglican Church, which we had attended at times in Beira, had familiar and wonderful songs and liturgy, the drums echoing off the walls as people sway and clapped to the music. The smell of incense as the bread was broken and wine prepared for the feast of believers and dancing up the aisles in celebration of offerings given for the Kingdom.

It is hard to compare since music is so much a part of worship and all the churches we have attended have beautiful music. The Nazarene, however, had the most beautiful music. The youth choir makes your heart praise God just by listening. The whole service is a flow of music. On particular moment struck me when the Pastor stood up in the pulpit and with a booming voice announced that one of the sister’s that had been missing from church for a while was back. He said he missed her beautiful voice and asked her to come up front and sing a song for the congregation. I was a little taken aback, but in Africa when a Pastor asks you to do something you do it. How embarrassing for her, I thought. I would want to hide. But as she began to sing, the Pastor’s wife (who has one of the most beautiful voices) and a number of other women joined her. Shortly men with their low voices grunting musical undertones came up front as well. Before long there was a whole throng of people singing and the woman who had been asked to sing was singing with confidence and a smile. I broke down and cried. What I thought was an embarrassing moment was the most beautiful welcome of a believer I had ever seen. The community had surrounded her and was saying you are not singing this journey alone, we are with you. Let us sing together and we will be strong.

I do not know why I cried. All I knew was this….that it was love.