Saturday, November 03, 2007

Church Happens

We were round at Per and Mirjam's tonight.

Let's see... I guess we were 8 adults and 8 kids. Accidentally, of course. No one planned it that way. That's who turned up. And the adults were aged mid 20's to mid 40's. The kids were 8-17.

We ate food and hung out. Then 2 guitars, 2 harmonicas, 2 saxophones and 3 djembes came out.

Not sure how to explain what happened next. I remember that we were goofing around and singing "What's love got to do, got to do with it?" And "I'll never fall in love a-g-a-i-n. Oh I'll never fall in love again!"

But it went from that kind of thing into songs that focused us on God. We worshipped.

All the while, everyone was very free. I liked seeing Colin (13) showing Sarah (9) how to play the djembe. I liked that Chase (15) was trying to follow Per on the sax.

I liked that Mirjam had her dog across her lap.

I liked that I lost my voice in the middle of everything because the dogs in the house set off my allergies and I got congested and clogged up.

For some years now, I have been accustomed to church being a family gathering with believers of all ages together to celebrate, most often in a living room or around someone's table. There is a simple focus on Jesus and on hearing from God.

Tonight was the closest thing to what my heart calls church that I have experienced in a long time here in Tanzania.

It put me in such a jolly mood that I sang all the way home in the car with my croaky lost voice just because I sounded so ridiculous. I sang the theme song to the Pippi Longstocking show that I used to watch in Sweden when I was little. Yea, I sang Pippi Longstocking in Swedish all the way home. My kids got a big kick out of that.

Believers gather. We focus on the One we believe in. Church happens.

5 comments:

Jenelle said...

I wish I can explain to you how happy this post makes me. That is what it's all about. I'm smiling at my screen.

Anonymous said...

mom! that is so so so so good!
i think your heart needed it greatly...and i am so happy that things can be so simple and so beautiful!
there is so much joy, hope and life to live! i love it!
pray for our little family that is developing...we are a bunch of weak people with hurts and pains...but God is good and God is big!
love yoU!

Anonymous said...

yes, it is good and it makes me smile too :-)

i know that "church happens" is a phrase that kind of goes against my core belief that "church is..." but i guess i just like the way it sounds and what it reveals.

jesse, "we are a bunch of weak people with hurts and pains..."

yep, pretty much sums up the state of us all :-)

Baba said...

jajynhbaoh it made me miss the wonderfull times in your house in Manique...I'm so glad that that i shappening too there..i remember a post yu wrote saying how you missed family in Tanzania..I guess God must read yur blog:-)

Love you

I love Pipi as well :-)
baba

Anonymous said...

You'll be pleased to know little Emily read a classic Pippi Longstocking book -all 11 chapters(I had to chk it out as the librarian told her it was above her level. HMPH!) She so wanted to dress up like Pippi, jump inside her character, and even made a shirt for her little monkey companion with a red tie. I love good books that stir the mind!! I'll try to send a photo of the little Pippi!
Pleased for you, sweet Lisa, that church is. God is. Jesus is. It is good!!!