On Sunday, June 10, 2018,
I accompanied four LCMS pastors as we
worshiped at this amazing church:
Tabor Mekane Yesus Church.
Awassa, Ethiopia.
The sanctuary was closed for roof repair.
So worshippers gathered in another space,
adjacent to an even larger outdoor sanctuary,
where thousands participated in worship.
On a normal Sunday, 7000 people
come to worship Jesus in one worship service.
But that's not what amazed me that day . . .
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| Children praying at Tabor Mekane Yesus Church, Awassa, Ethiopia Like many of our churches, there was a special time for children who eagerly came running to surround their pastor. Some were sitting, others standing, and still others splayed out on the floor. But then something different happened. Rather than a children's sermon, the pastor invited the congregation to bless the children. I heard the beautiful cacophony of people praying. Each offering prayers for these little lambs with their own words and expressions. Children who normally would have been fidgety and out of control easily took on their own postures of prayer. And I wondered - what impact the weekly blessing time might have on the trajectory of a little life. What might happen to a church that took time to bless their children? |
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