Coming to America: Africa

When you think of Dayton Ohio you should think of the Wright Brothers. This IS the heartland of America, where bicycle repairmen yearned for the sky.

This weekend Dayton is different. Some 200 central African immigrants, many of them Free Methodists, have come together for a time of fellowship & renewal. Last night I was concerned that the platform might collapse with so much dancing and jumping and singing! Church is always better when we get carried away with joy.

These friends of ours have had a long journey. Most are Burundi who were displaced by the war and went to Rwanda. Then they were displaced by the next war and went to Congo. Then they were displaced by the next war and went to Tanzania where they've spent over a decade in refugee camps. And now, they've been resettled by the U.N. in America.

They come with two things: Their songbook and their Free Methodist membership certificate (& sometimes a bible!). We can't even imagine their level of identity with the church. Their church membership is way more important than their citizenship.

To us, church membership is like, well, it's okay but kind of a thing of the past.

To them, being a Free Methodist is the most important bond left to them. War destroyed their family, war destroyed their tribe, war destroyed their country, but the church followed them from country to country, from camp to camp. And now, no matter where they are here in the U.S. they've brought us their vibrancy of faith and life.

These Africans seem naive to us in material things; things like shopping and traveling and eating-out and our laws.

But I'm afraid we Americans seem naive to them in spiritual things; things like praying and singing and suffering and staying faithful.

May the Lord give us hearts to yearn for the sky from them.

Comments

[Brett Heintzman]

AMEN! This week, our worship team gathered to meet and took a look at biblical examples of worship from both the Old Testament and New Testament. II Chronicles, 29:25-29 tells a great story of how Israel worshiped at the purification of the temple. It was loud and full of heart... and bowing down. I also love Ezra Chapter 3 when the foundation of the temple is laid and some shouted for joy while others wept loudly over remembrances of past glory. The sound was so loud it could be heard far away!

Our conclusion was a time of prayer that we ourselves would be open to worship God in whatever way that took form, and to do it with sold-out hearts in worship to our God.

Thank you, Bishop Roller for reminding us that when it comes to worship and our membership in our church, it is absolutely ok to wear our hearts on our sleeves. I think God is delighted when we do so.

[Kurt Brown]

The center needs to always be praise, prayer and being connected to God's people... everything else is in God's hands.

Thanks for the reminder.

[Roger Ingalsbe]

Bishop Roller,
I was at Somerset Beach Camp this week and you taught on 1st Corinthians. While we were discussing 1 Corinthians 15:29 "...What will those do who are baptized for the dead..." It came to me that they are baptized with the Christ's baptism on the cross for those who are spiritually dead "the lost". So people are being killed trying to save the lost and what good does that do if there is no resurrection. That is what came to me when we were going over that chapter, I believe from the Lord. I wanted to give the message to you then but you didn't stop to ask for questions after it came to me. I pray that this message is a blessing to you as it was to me.

[Teodoro Delgado]

SALUDOS DAVID E IVONE ESTAMOS VIENDO SUS FOTOS,PARECE QUE FUE AYER,NO HAN CAMBIADO MUCHO SUS ROSTROS Y SUS HIJOS MUY MUY LINDOS...SALUDOS DE ESMERALDA Y TEODORO MI CORREO ES...teo.delgado@hotmail.com

[Andrea Anibal]

Wow. Having our Burundian brothers and sisters in the U.S. with us is such a privilege! And former Free Methodist missionary Betty Ellen Cox gave the world a wonderful gift when she recorded her Kirundi/English and English/Kirundi dictionaries. Anyone working with ESL and Burundian refugees can download them for free at http://marston.freemethodistchurch.org/Dictionaries.htm. Pass it on!