A choir in a Masaai church we visited in Kenya in 200410/5/04 (written in Musoma during language school)Church
Life continues on here, and we visited our 4th TZ church this week. We have been to 8 services in East Africa so far including Anglican, Lutheran, Africa Inland Church, a Masai (tribe) church, and Baptist; some were urban and others were rural. The first hour of most of these services is focused on singing, prayer, and scripture reading; most services go for two hours or more, and only one had an optional Sunday School for adults.
Let me tell you, the choir is always the main attraction. The choirs here are a treat for both the ears and eyes. They have no robes, but they have a combination of dancing and signing that is very engaging. It seems that each song has a different set of hand signs and foot movements to follow, and no one ever screws up. They harmonize their voices, but unfortunately, I can’t always appreciate that because the music team (electric guitars, bass, drum, and/or synthesizer) plays loudly and not very well.
Churches usually take at least 2 offerings, so we always split what we will give in three groups, both for me and Dusty, so that we can participate in 100% of the offerings. We have yet to figure out the reasoning on multiple offerings. Everyone walks single file to the basket at the front of the church and donates while the choir sings. Someone always announces the attendance and offering amounts of the former week, and one time it was announced that the women gave more than the men, and all the women cheered and clapped in an otherwise very liturgical service. We have been to 2 services where vegetables and fruit were auctioned off among the congregation to raise funds too.
Sometimes laypeople give the sermons, and it is not uncommon for a woman to preach. We never know how long the sermon will be, but it feels very long. Sometimes I just pray quietly when my brain tires of listening for words I recognize. Women (in general) sit on the left side of the church, and men on the right, but everyone expects foreigners to sit together, which is nice for us. Kids usually sit in front, and behave very well, considering that they are there for 2 hours! The pews are always wood with or without backs on them. We are always asked to stand and introduce ourselves as guests, and we usually stumble through some pathetic Swahili sentences, but everyone is gracious and pleased in spite of our tripping tongues. At the end of the service while we are singing, the first person out (pastor) shakes hands with the next person out, and so on, so that we shake hands with every person in the church and exchange greetings. The kids do a little curtsy thing to us, and they have a different verbal greeting too.
Jack in "Sunday School" outside our church in Musoma where we still worship. The pastor's house is in the background. The kids play under this mango tree.
No comments:
Post a Comment