Praise the Lord

Where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”  Matthew 18:20

It’s the first Sunday in October, otherwise known as World Communion Sunday.  I was always told that this is a Sunday when Christians from every nation around the globe celebrate the Eucharist in one spirit.  I’ve even used a liturgy in the past that emphasized no matter if we gather in a large cathedral, or a simple country church, or even a small mud hut, if we gather in Christ’s name, God is with us.  God is with us in community.  God is with us in communion.  No matter whether we share bread and wine or wafers and water…no matter if we eat soda crackers and munch on grapes…no matter if we have cookies and coffee, if we do so in a spirit of communion, the body and blood of Christ unite us as one fellowship of love around the world.  

Today we worshiped with Outreach Community Church in Nairobi, Kenya.  The day was blessed with a special presentation by the children.  The service began at 9:00am with a youth led praise team. These young people sang with gusto as they praised God. The various educational classes presented by having each youth share a memory verse which began with a shout out, “Praise the Lord!”  “Amen”. “Praise the Lord again!  Amen!”  Their joy was genuinely moving and very LOUD!

The service did not end until after 12:30pm.  Rev. Lori was the guest preacher.  Our group presented prayer shawls as gifts from Trinity UCC, Wooster.  On this World Wide Communion Sunday we did not have a formal liturgy to celebrate the breaking of bread and the sharing of the cup however the spirit of World Communion was very much present with us.  

The hospitality was amazing as we were offered fruit juice and coffee before worship and bananas, Coke or more juice afterward. In turn we gave the kids each a Dum Dum sucker because they love sweets.  The love of God is sweet and the message was about Christian love and how we are to treat others with kindness and love, sharing one another’s struggles as well as joys.  

This will be a service I remember for a long time and God was definitely with us as we gathered.

- Joyce