For a day that would change my life (again) Thursday started out rather unextraordinary. We rode in the Black Jeep down to the clinic, the children yelling a mixture of “Owebo! Owebo” and “MamaG.” The motorbikes wisely got out of the way of the jeep, but I think that some of the “beep-beeps” that they directed towards us were of the “Road hog!” variety. We got to the clinic and went up the walkway, past by the smiling faces and colorful clothes of Faith Alive staff and patients. Always they say to us, “You are welcome.” When we first heard this it was a little strange – we are used to saying this after somebody says, “Thank-you.” But here in Nigeria it is a greeting, asking you to feel welcome in the place you are in. After they say this to us, we respond with “Thank-you”
After a worship time of singing and dancing, Evan Baird gave a fantastic morning devotion about Jesus’ strength in every situation we face. Later several staff persons commented that he spoke beyond his years – or that he spoke with the wisdom of a much older man.
After lunch we prepared for the staff prayer meeting. It was to be a momentous time for Faith Alive and for me.
But before I go into that, let me go back to a bad day in my last visit to Faith Alive. I was about three weeks into my six week stay, I was doing pretty much okay – there were times when I missed my children, missed my mom, missed my church family, missed my Rascal (spoiled rotten pet) but it wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle. Then the first Sonday of August came. The first Sonday of every month Fresno First Baptist celebrates communion. And I was not there. With a pillow over my face I cried from the loneliness of being 8,000 miles from everybody and everything I loved. (I had the pillow over my face because I did not want to freak Biana out.) In my pain, I cried out to Father God, “You have asked too much of me.” Later that evening I was singing and worshiping with the support group and that small still voice whispered, “The Church is one. You are in your Church.” It was my Papa God reminding me that I am not a member of Fresno First Baptist Church, I am a member of the Eternal, Universal Church.
So on this first Sonday in April, when I was not in Fresno First to celebrate communion, I didn’t even bat an eye. I worshiped in my church at Central Baptist Church and in my church with the support group.
The momentous occasion was the first celebration of Communion by the Faith Alive staff.
Ivy was up front with Loretta, Caroline and the rest of the Faith Alive singers leading the worship music. Mama G was dancing, Evan was dancing and then I grabbed Samee Myer’s hand and got her to dancing with us. Pastor Ben gave a short exhortation on the meaning of communion and we began communion. It was a traditional serving of communion with Fresno First Baptist acting as servers. The un-traditional part was that some of the staff was Muslim – who for the most part did not take communion, and the part of staff that was Catholic and did not take communion. As I stood in my Church with my brothers and sisters, celebrating the relentless, uncompromising love of out God as made manifest in the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins, Once again, I cried over communion, but this time it was tears of joy, not of sorrow. Before, Papa God took communion away from me to teach me that the church is one. This time, He gave me communion back as I once again felt the oneness of the Eternal, Triumphant Church.
It is not where the church’s building is – it is where the Church’s heart is – and the Heart of the Church is Jesus. Where Jesus is where the Church is, and that is at Fresno First Baptist church, it is at Central Baptist Church, in Jos, it is at the support group of Faith Alive and it is at communion with the staff of Faith Alive.
I have a short, fat, white candle at home that stands as a memorial stone of a weekend that changed my life and changed my ministry. When I get home a second memorial stone will be placed with it – it is a small, clear plastic cup that I used during communion with my church family – the part of it that is at Faith Alive.