Word Day of Prayer

My Gibbons choir sang at the World Day of Prayer on Friday evening.  As a confessing Lutheran, I am not sure how much one should participate in these things.  None the less, the "Unity Singers" had prepared a lively song and it went over very well in the little, historical, Anglican church (1906).

I noted that nobody was there from the local evangelical church. I must say, however, that I enjoyed it very much.   Having always been a Lutheran in the diaspora-- as my parents liked to say, though we were not strictly Lutheran (first in Bavaria, now here in the countryside)--I enjoy getting together with my Christian friends from town.   I meet them at the bank and the post-office and in the street.  I've cleaned their teeth.  We fool around at choir.  (As I mentioned before, the British background people, cannot desist from constant repartee-ing.  They are impossible and they crack me up, which likely eggs them on.  The Sopranos in the back row are quite a nuisance, but the conductor also is a stand-up comedian. So we're not sure who is worse.)

The service was happy and sad.  The women of Cameroon described their incredible suffering (HIV, sex trade, girl children not getting the food, labor, labor and more labor) and their joy in their God.  We sang 5 well-known hymns together, with P. on the organ and the United Church minister and the Anglican minister on the African drums, together.  One could tell that the United Church minister had some practiced skill in this.  The Anglican minister looked more like he had been roped into this, but was co-operative.

There was confession and absolution and there was faith in the resurrection and a lot of joy in being together and singing together.  The offering was taken in African style with everyone going up to the front dancing (which I could not get myself to do-- no dancing up the isle from me, though nobody could really watch anyone else, nor move much in the tiny church, crowded together.) 

I should take some pictures of the historical Anglican church.  It's probably on the web, though.  It has artisan type woodwork and beautiful paneling all over the inside.  It has seven rows of pews on either side of the isle which seat about 4 per pew; so  it seats 7x8 which is 56 persons. 

Afterward, we had treats in the other little building.  We discussed the merits of being Anglican vs. United.  Nobody really seems in favor of this inclusive language stuff.  However, the opinion that scripture is obscure and the translations can't be trusted, which one hears regularly from United church members everywhere, was expressed and I did my job and objected vehemently, which was not a problem in the general atmosphere of kinship.