Preaching at ECS Church

Today is a blessed day.  Sebit took me to the ECS Church this morning to preach (see my old blog about Pastor Peter’s sin).  It was the first church service in two weeks.  When I first woke up this morning, I quickly bulleted the words God put on my heart to speak the night prior.  But then I spent my last half hour in prayer and worship, blessing the Lord and asking Him to fill me with His Spirit.  While I prayed He showed me an upside-down cone that I saw to be a megaphone.  I realized that the Lord was promising me an authoritative voice, one like Jesus’, a megaphone to the heart.  He encouraged me and gave me love and boldness.

The service started very late, and I spent a lot of time waiting but enjoying every moment of the Lord.  The church elders then took me to a room to change (we all wore priestly robes, Sudan-style).  But next to the clothes in the room, the only other item present was a megaphone, turned upside down in the corner.  Of all the things to find in a poverty-stricken country, the Lord spoke to my heart this morning and confirmed again the megaphone He showed me while in worship.

Jesus is truly teaching me to fear no thing and no man, but to love Him fully.

I entered the church single-file with the elders, Episcopalian-style, and was seated at the front.  The people sang many songs in Dinka, beautiful and loud.  I worshiped in my heart.  There was reading of the scriptures I prepared to teach, and announcements, and then it was my turn to preach.

I preached with a translator, my new friend Michael.  God filled me with love, truth mingled with grace, and encouragement.  I then prayed for the church, along with Juda the new pastor.  More songs were sung, and I exited with the priestly procession to the back door, and there greeted each person as they left.

We then took off our priestly garb and walked to a nearby home to comfort a family who had lost a son in a recent cattle raid (apparently, when I visited the cattle camp earlier this week and danced with the people, that night some of the men retaliated against another camp due to past grievances and this boy was killed).  I was asked to encourage them and pray, and so prayed for the God of Comfort, the Holy Helper, to heal their hearts, replacing fear with love, and anger with peace.  I hope to return to them again.

Thank you for prayers.  They help me very much.