Sunday, African food, and services.

Today we had quite a day.  As I was waiting for Bro John to pick me up, the brother from Belgium (Jonathan Eijerbersen) walked by. We did not know we were staying at the same hotel.  I greeted him and his wife and we had a short conversation and took some pictures together. Little did I know he is Simeon Eijerbersen’s brother, whom I don’t know either, but Simeon is Leah’s husband.  Now I don’t know Leah either, but she was on the same forums I used to be on, and I’ve followed her blog ever since she moved from Canada to Belgium.  So it was really neat meeting the brother of the brother of the sister I don’t know.

Anyhow, we had a nice little chat at the party as well.  I’ve always wanted to get to the Neiuwport meetings in Belgium. I don’t know why…maybe just my desire to preach, but I think it’s more.  Perhaps this coming January the Lord will make a way.

Bro John picked me up and we went to church.  The song service was great! I could NOT stay in the office. I had to come out and worship some with the people and witness their zeal for the Lord. These believers in Sheffield (Rotherham) have become friends very quickly. The worship, the laughter, the balance we have, the love for the Lord is so similar between us, I found myself right at home.

Well, I found myself right at a smaller home anyway!  Everything in England is just so cramped compared to the US. Particularly the bathrooms! At the hotel I must have smacked the shower partition (glass wall thing) with my elbow fifty-two times! The homes don’t have much room. I think that if someone from England watch the “we don’t have enough space in this house” scene that is common in every “Love it or List it” HGTV episode that they would scoff and laugh at we Americans. Even in the New England homes there is more space.

Well, back to church!  I preached on “Preeminence”. That Christ IS preeminent, but looking at does he HAVE preeminence in YOUR life. I didn’t feel like this was my best delivery ever, but it is in the hands of God. The people seemed to respond well, and take it all to heart.

The musicians and I were having a difficult time finding some “common ground” on which we could do some singing. Every song I suggested they didn’t know, until we came to William McDowell. So after service was dismissed we had a little Jam session with “You are God Alone”. Bro Gerald’s wife (sis Sharon) had a mic, Sis Jubilee (Sis Sharon’s sister) had a mic, and I did. The harmony the sisters sang was wonderful! The musicians were enjoying themselves, and we sang that song over and over again as is appropriate at an African church. Yes, I was tired of singing the same song by the time we finished, but only just.  Bro Daniel (Sis Jubilee’s husband and nephew of yesterday’s mentioned Bro Chikosi) brought his saxophone and he played for a while, and then handed it to me so I could play awhile.  It was a good time! Christians SHOULD have fun in church.

Sometime after a sister appeared to let us know that the food has been prepared and was ready so we broke for lunch. It was a traditional Zimbabwe lunch with whole fish, chicken, rice, Zimbabwe version of fufu, and hush puppies. It was an enjoyable repast!

Service beginning at 3:30, we didn’t have too much time for fellowship after lunch, and I wanted to practice “God wants to heal you” with the musicians before the service. My plan was to preach “Wilt thou be made whole” so I wanted to be sure we could sing that after service. It produces such a nice atmosphere after the sermon.

I’m always amazed at the results of this sermon. I’ve preached it many times, it is always the same. People WANT to be well. This shouldn’t surprise us, but I think it always surprises me how many people AREN’T well. This world is so fallen, so broken. Here I was before service thinking, “these people look well-adjusted and healthy, perhaps I should preach something else”. I could not quite get a peace about anything else, and this one is so on my heart for everyone. My thoughts were, “what if I’m wrong, or if there is only ONE that needs to be asked ‘wilt thou be made whole’?” For that one, we need to go through this sermon.

I think more than half the church came for prayer when I gave the invitation. So many wounds, so many hurts, but God wants to heal them all if we will let them. Praise God for his tender mercies.

We ended the day with some fellowship at Bro John’s house. Poor Bro Daniel gets picked on quite a bit being the “brother in law”. I don’t know why bro Gerald doesn’t get picked on quite as much, maybe because he’s older and a minister, but probably he doesn’t react quite the same. Bro Daniel always tries to redirect conversations to me as they are picking on him. These were good times to be sure.

Tomorrow starts my “days off” and I will go and see a little bit of London.