Wednesday, July 3, 2002
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Wednesday, July 3, 2002 |
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God takes us places we never dreamed By JOHN HATCHER It requires so much to do church in America. For instance, we dare not try to do church without padded pews. We, of course, must have air conditioning. Childcare is a requirement. Mamas should not have to expect that their children be quiet during the service. One of the priorities would be a sound system that, by the way, never works properly. Even if we just have 25 or 30 in church, we have to have that microphone on! Oh yes, carpet on the floor and sterile restrooms. Then, as the church grows, other things become necessities: electronic keyboard, church van or bus, fully-equipped kitchen which we will use once a month. We just "gotta" have all these things. Then, we must have a song leader, a youth director, and an education minister all paid so as to relieve us of the responsibility of the work of the church. I find myself ministering in a different sort of church here in Uganda. My thinking about what doing church requires is all changed by seeing what you can do church without. I see churches vibrant and alive that have no electricity. So, an electronic keyboard would be of no good. I am in churches without air conditioning and even without funeral home fans. The pews are not padded; in fact, they are not pews. They are benches that are about ankle length off the ground. Worshippers sit on them while preachers preach at times for more than an hour. In fact, the folks are a little upset if the preacher has less than an hour of content to deliver. In America, our folks get upset if we have more than half an hour. As you read this column, I am in the heart of Africa a place that a boy from southwest Georgia would hardly think he would end up. The truth is that, if allowed, God will take us places we never dreamed. Even in his wildest dreams, Joseph never dreamed he would end up in Africa saving the people of God from famine in order to be the pipeline for God's great redemptive purpose in Jesus Christ. Today, June 8, I conducted a marriage conference for believers from two divergent congregations. It blessed me that I could participate in bringing a Pentecostal congregation together with an Anglican congregation for the purpose of strengthening of their marriages. The Lord has revealed to me that marriage issues are the same regardless of the culture and that the Word of God has answers and principles applicable regardless of the culture. As I was making the presentation today regarding the need for husbands to provide affection for their wives, one believer who happened to be an attorney stood to say that he did not think it was so in the Ugandan culture. He said Ugandan women did not want to be told of their husbands' love often. Well, I wish you could have heard the women respond to this man. He went from sitting on the front row to the back of the meeting. Women are alike. They need and want affection from their husbands. This afternoon, my daughter, Anna, is ministering to Ugandan youth and teaching on the subject of obedience and blessings. She holds their attention without any problem. This is first time that these particular African young people have heard from a white American teenager. She represents her Savior, church, and country very well. I am proud of her. So, thank you for praying for us and keep your prayers going. We want to be used by the Lord Jesus Christ and come back to the states used up for his glory.
The Rev. Dr. John Hatcher is pastor of River's Edge Community
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