To church we go...

June 3rd
Today we went back to Ephy and Morris’s Church. The service this week was more in line with the services back home, with a few notable exceptions.
When we walked in just before 10, all the people were talking to themselves and some were walking back and forth along the isles, other were kneeling next to the walls. One guy stayed kneeling with his arms up in the air for the full half hour of beginning prayers. It was most impressive, if not totally understandable to me. Ephy came over to us to explain that this was the time to pray for yourself, and the church. She then went back to pacing. Neil and I sat with our hands clasped. Neil was deep in thought for about 10 minutes, and then he started to just look around. I obviously was looking around too, if I noticed this.
At around 10:30 the pastor started to sing, and everyone joined in and slowly moved back to their seats. There was the song, a prayer, for a while, and then he started to pray quite exuberantly, shouting out to Jesus, and everyone joined in. There was quite a din for that first hour. It’s so very different than back home.
The songs that are sung are quite simple and repetitive, and about half of them are in English.
There are two or three pastors that preach on any given Sunday, and the senior pastor is a visitor, and he is trying to reform the church. The services used to go from 9:30 in the morning to about 2 or 2:30, but he explained that people are afraid to come to the church, since it lasts so long. So, when Ephy first told us about her church, she laughed because we were surprised (and worried) about how long it lasts. Today, however, it only went to 12:15. I didn’t think that 10 to quarter past 12 seemed to long, but Neil sure did. During one of the sermons, which was more of a reflection on the bible, bringing in different actors (like Joseph and Moses) to talk about being chosen, and having a destiny set out for you, I noticed Neil and the little girl in front of him playing. She would turn around and grab his pant leg, and he would poke her hand, and she would turn around, only to do it again in a moment. He said afterwards that the kids were the only thing keeping him awake and interested.
At the beginning of the service, after announcements, the pastor asked any visitors to come to the front. Since we had stood up a week before, we didn’t need to, but he still pointed out “his brother and sister from Canada”, and mentioned how glad he was to have us there. It was really nice, but slightly embarrassing. I now have more sympathy for the people that Rev. Keith points to during our services.
At the end of the services there is a healing time, when people who are ill come to the front and the pastors put their hands on them and pray. The first time this happened, the people fell down after they were finished, but today was more subdued, and they just went back to their seats. I’m not sure how I feel about this part of it, as I worry that they might be forsaking actual medical treatment in favour of the church’s power. On the other hand, if it makes them feel even a bit better, who am I to criticize and take that away from them?
After church we got into the van to get dropped off at home, and I was surprised to notice Morris and two of the pastors blessing the car. They are leasing the van right now, seeing if they want to buy it, so I guess they wanted to bless it just in case. Eventually Ephy came over and joined in, the four of them standing with their hands on the hood, praying out loud to themselves. And inside sat Humphrey, the driver, Neil and I, and four kids. It was a bit awkward.
Other than that, it was a lazy Sunday, which was quite nice and needed.