A Day of Fellowship

A Day of Fellowship
June 28, 2009

Several of us went to the 8:30 a.m. English service at the CCAP (Presbyterian Church) down the hill from Annie’s Lodge. The main choir of young men and women, two keyboardists, guitar, and percussionists joyfully welcomed the congregation as it filed in after the Chichewa service had ended. They rocked and swayed, the music lifting high into the vaulted ceiling of the lovely old church. The congregation filled the pews from front to back. At one point in this process, it seems that one pew had been left empty, and all of us dutifully moved up to fill it. Later I saw that this process was important because people continued to come to the service as late as 1½ hours into the two-service service. The minister even prayed for the safety of those who were on there way to church but had not yet arrived!

Today was the “masika” service (celebrating harvest). The message was to tithe; the offerings today included bags of maize, trays of eggs, and other produce as well as kwacha. At one point all visitors are called to the front of the altar to be welcomed and then we turn and introduce ourselves to the congregation. Later we are called to take our turn to walk to the front to place our offerings into the big, overflowing pans. As we leave the church, we talk and mingle, then trudge up the hill to “home,” feeling full and blessed. Everyone agrees they want to return on our next free Sunday.

This evening is our traditional “birthday” celebration. Liz Barber, the advisor from North Carolina A&T, always has her birthday while we’re here. This year we also have another birthday person, Todd Gasparello, who had his 22nd birthday on the plane trip over. Annie, the owner of Annie’s Lodge, treated us to a wonderful buffet dinner and cake decorated with their names. James Worsley, from A&T, did a great job of cutting and serving. We shared with the wait staff and the night guard, who were all smiles at being included in our celebration.