We experienced a lot of worship time on our trip to India. In two locations, each community had a song that they favored that was sung repeatedly and others were added as the worship leaders saw fit. These two events were conference and teaching driven and so having a song that was a common thread throughout our time together there seemed appropriate. You would think that after 3 days in each location, I would have learned all of the words to these two songs, but alas I was barely able to keep the chorus.
My absolute favorite time of worship, however, happened just more than half way through the trip. While our Global Advance leaders were meeting with ministry leaders and visiting an orphanage in Lucknow, the rest of the teaching team had the opportunity to go to a house church with a local pastor. This local pastor is using small worship gatherings to disciple people and build up the larger church. Folks first get connected in a house church and after visiting there for a period (sometimes only weeks) and having an opportunity to meet with the pastor, they are able then join the larger worship community at the church building where our meetings were being held. Regardless of what you think of the model (I happen to find it interesting myself), our time of worship at the house church was fabulous.
Here are a couple of videos from toward the beginning of the service:
I don't know why to tell you that this service was my favorite...perhaps it was just the authenticity...perhaps it was the authenticity there...perhaps it was because we got to spend so much time praying for everyone there...I really don't know; I just know it was amazing.
After worship was over, the home owners treated us to chai and snacks. Their hospitality was exquisite for a family that had so seemingly little. There may be much that slips from my memory over the coming months and years regarding this trip, but I expect that this 1st century style house church experience will be engrained for a very long time.
My absolute favorite time of worship, however, happened just more than half way through the trip. While our Global Advance leaders were meeting with ministry leaders and visiting an orphanage in Lucknow, the rest of the teaching team had the opportunity to go to a house church with a local pastor. This local pastor is using small worship gatherings to disciple people and build up the larger church. Folks first get connected in a house church and after visiting there for a period (sometimes only weeks) and having an opportunity to meet with the pastor, they are able then join the larger worship community at the church building where our meetings were being held. Regardless of what you think of the model (I happen to find it interesting myself), our time of worship at the house church was fabulous.
Here are a couple of videos from toward the beginning of the service:
After worship was over, the home owners treated us to chai and snacks. Their hospitality was exquisite for a family that had so seemingly little. There may be much that slips from my memory over the coming months and years regarding this trip, but I expect that this 1st century style house church experience will be engrained for a very long time.
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