We sang the same line, "He's a mighty God," over and over for fifteen minutes. Sound boring? Nothing could be further from the truth. The first minute you are enjoying the rhythm of the music and the tribal dance of the people, soon other worship leaders have made their way up to the front, each adding his own presence to the occasion. Within a few minutes, you find yourself penetrated by the truth of what you are singing... as the sweat begins to run, you begin to believe, and joy fills your heart. Gathered circularly you sense connection with people experiencing the same thing. As the energy rises the jumps get higher, and you feel as if the place is lifting off! What an amazing truth... "He is a mighty God!"
On my second trip to Kenya I began to understand their worship. Life is hard there in many ways, so the people gather in worship to transcend life. They are lifted above their hardship to experience the transcending joy of their relationship with God. Having experienced this a couple trips now, I won't be surprised when we first get to heaven that Jesus calls up an African to lead us all in worship!
Having been invited to be part of his teaching team, I first watched Pastor David Mills speak to the Kenyan people, with translation into Swahili. I turned to the other Pastor on the team and said, "He makes it look easy." It's really not easy. Speaking with a translator requires you to find a rhythm with your message. Of course, you also have the challenge of understanding an entirely different culture. "Know your Audience" is rule number one with communication. You have to become a keen observer of them, and gather pre-message info through asking lots of questions. For example, I pulled an illustration from Nelson Mandela, but had no idea what the Kenyan people thought of him. I found out he is revered by all Africans. Ok I had myself a good illustration. An interesting note is that they know the Bible far more than most Americans. Much of this knowledge is through oral communication - they really listen. What an amazing experience to have an opportunity to train Kenyan Pastors and leaders!
Labels: Kenyan Missions, Leadership Training
By: Pastor Gary | Friday, May 29, 2009 |
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