give the Lord a mighty clap

Molly, Ryan and I went to church on Sunday.

This was the first time any of us had attempted to worship here in Ghana ... the first Sunday, I think we were still a little too shellshocked from our recent arrivals to pursue anything so early in the morning, and the week before we were still in Cape Coast. But yesterday, we awoke around 8 a.m., and by 9, were out the door and in search of a church.

We'd heard there was a place near the A&C Shopping Mall, which we frequent for groceries and ATM service, so we took a taxi over there and hoped to easily spot a steeple or a sign from the A&C's front entry. No such luck. We tried to ask some people on the street where we could find a church, but were unsuccessful there, too. Everytime, we were asked, "What kind of church?" and nobody quite understood that we didn't really care what denomination it was, we just wanted to go to church. We started walking back the way our taxi had come, because we'd passed a few places enroute, and less than a block from the mall we heard music and singing. We stumbled upon Oasis of Hope Tabernacle International Ministries, a little congregation that met under canopies, for lack of a four-walled building. The sign outside said that service went from 8-10:30 a.m., and we decided we'd sneak in and catch the last hour of service.

So we walked in. I think we were all instantly surprised at how few parishoners were in attendance at 9:30. The congregation was divided into two sections: the kids' chairs, and the adults' chairs, both of which had large vacancies. With no building in which to put pews, we sat on plastic lawn chairs, choosing seats in the middle. We were welcomed with great, uplifting music. Despite not having a real facility, the church had a nice set of drums, an electric keyboard, bongoes and microphones for the singers. Of course, I likened it in my mind to a Creekside Crossings service back at LAUMC, but that's probably quiteeee a stretch.

Music continued for a while, and more people trickled in. The pastor took the pulpit and shared some words, and there was this music-preaching-music-preaching exchange for some time. 10:30 came and went, and I cannot remember what time we realized that we'd actually arrived at the beginning of services, but that realization descended and we buckled in for the long haul.

Religious services in Ghana are long, no matter where you worship. It's just how the Ghanaians do it. But at this church, it was also interactive and entertaining. At one point, we were all called to come up and dance to the music, which we did with great fervor. And when the small children -- some of the cutest I've seen in Ghana thus far, and that's really a statement -- came and joined in, weaving between us, it was definitely a highlight of the whole morning. It was not hard to find God in this little canopy-covered church, because faces were warm and bright, the music was fabulous, the sun shone through the cracks in our covering and the morning breeze kept us cool as it blew through the whole "room." All of the women in attendance were dressed in beautiful, vibrant tribal fabrics. Most of the little girls wore Sunday-best dresses and little frilly socks with Mary-Janes. The pastor was a passionate speaker, and the congregation worked hard to equal his emotion levels, frequently sending up devoted "Amens!" After something particularly rousing or moving, we'd all be encouraged by the pastor to not only shout our devotionals, but to "Give the Lord a mighty clap!" and the whole congregation (which, by the time things really got underway, had all but filled the arrangement of plastic lawn chairs) would start vigorously applauding. It's impossible to just sit there and not get caught up in the moment, so we'd contribute our "Amens!" and applause too. I'd never been to a service like this one before, but it was an unforgettable and very spiritually rewarding experience.

After the sermon preached about fellowship, and the trifecta of love, hope and faith, we were invited up to introduce ourselves. After the service had ended (around noon or later!), the pastor and many members of the congregation shook our hands and told us how happy they were that we had come. They were all curious about our internships and wondered if we would be coming back. We'll be in Mole next Sunday, but may return for another marathon morning the following week. I think I haven't felt as safe or secure yet in Ghana as I felt surrounded by the non-existant walls of this church.

We also learned that this little church is actually hoping to build itself a real home sometime in the near future. The pastor spoke of it as a huge evangelical center ... he mentioned 2,500 seats and several services each Sunday, both of which are a far cry from the turn-out featured on our visit. I have no idea how long this little church has existed, or how long they've been working on plans for this huge facility, but I hope they are successful in all they aim for.