Yesterday was a lovely day here in Vienna. We woke up to the sun shining in through the window and set off early for a worship service with a local congregation here in town. All of us were excited because we haven't gotten to attend church thus far on our trip, but what we experienced exceeded all expectations.
I will see some truly lovely places, meet some incredible people, visit all of the touristy stops along the way, and have a truckload of awesome memories to bring back. But, I already know, nothing will quite measure up to worshipping with the locals (and missionaries) here yesterday.
One of the most obvious, and immediate, differences we noticed was the pace. Everyone kind of wandered in over the span of a half hour, and we spent the first part of the morning sharing coffee and cakes. We were all perfectly content to disregard the pressure of time.
Everyone was incredibly welcoming, and we were instantly comfortable in their presence.
What stunned me most was the when we started to sing. Being the gracious hosts they were, they conducted all parts of the service in both English and German. It took longer and required a little more work, but they seemed more than happy to do it.
We sang the songs first in German and then in English. All of our voices blending together in praise is still echoing in my ears. I don't think I've ever heard a more beautiful sound. I also got a crash course in pronouncing German phrases.
All I kept thinking while we were singing was how awesome God truly is. Here we are, halfway around the world, in a different culture that speaks a different language, and He is no less present than He is at home.
He truly is the God of the universe. He sees no difference between us and the germans, the french, the austrians. He doesn't care if we're white or black or purple. He pays no mind to the language we speak or the sound of our voice. He loves every single one of us exactly the same.
It's so neat to have an immediate connection to people so different from yourself just because we share the same maker.
I don't know that I've ever had a more touching worship experience, and I can only pray that I get to experience something like that again at some point in my life.
I pray that I can hold on to the passion I feel for the Lord, and that the fire in my soul never dies out. I pray that God blesses that congregation and the missionaries here in Vienna. I pray that through the lives they are leading, they can shine God's light to those in Vienna that don't know Him.
I can't imagine anything better than spreading my love for God all around the world. I don't know that it's going to be through travel (I've come to appreciate home a little more being so far away from it) but I do know that God will find a way.
He brought us safely around the world for the experience of a lifetime, and I can't wait to see what else He has in store for us. During this trip and for the rest of my life.
No comments:
Post a Comment