Day's Diary

July 9, 2007 ~ Mlombwa’s English

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The Mlombwa congregation is located just outside of Blantyre City, in what we in the States would call a growing suburb. The area around the church was village with small farm plots until about five years ago. The church was really a village church, with one service in Chichewa, meeting in a modest building. But just as happens in the States, when new houses are needed those who are building look for farm area near the city and so new houses have been going up. Those who are moving in are some of the professionals from Blantyre, many with college educations and therefore more proficient in English. As the church has grown, so has the request for an English worship service. The first need was for a new church building and with that met and the congregation moved into it in January, then clamors for an English service increased.

The session responded to the call by carefully researching and then preparing an English service. This meant new hymn books, new Bibles, new responsive songs and people willing and comfortable to lead the service. With all that in place, they were ready. I got a call from the clerk of session about a month ago asking if I would be available to preach that service. Mlombwa is a sister congregation to Mt. Pisgah, my congregation, so they know me and I know them. Donny, the clerk, said they wanted someone whom they knew would be comfortable preaching in English to get them started. Since that is the only language in which I preach, I am comfortable, and was honored to be invited. So this Sunday, I went to Mlombwa to help launch their first English service.

When Charles and Alinafe learned of this, they wanted to go with me, since this is the congregation in which Alinafe grew up. Her grandparents are long time members of Mlombwa. So at 5:00 a.m. we headed off to Blantyre for a 7:00 a.m. service. We needed to stop at St. Columba church to pick up Fletcher Nyirenda from the partnership committee and be at the church by 6:30 a.m. to help get things ready. When we arrived at 6:25, we found the place in preparation mode. There was a truck of plastic chairs that were being off loaded and set up in the church; the session clerk was busy putting things in place in the front of the sanctuary; a fellow from Claim, the Christian book store in town, was setting up a display of English hymnals and Bibles in case anyone wanted to buy their own; a group of folks were arranging handouts of responsive songs that would be sung,  the Apostle’s Creed and Lord’s Prayer in English for those how haven’t yet memorized it in English. There was an air of excitement about everything.

My part was simple. I just had to preach. Charles had decided that this great event needed to be recorded in pictures and had worked with my digital camera to be comfortable to take pictures of the event. The session was delighted with this since they had not thought to get a photographer. Charles was elected official photographer. He would give the opening prayer and then be free to snap pictures. (Here, no one minds pictures being taken in the midst of worship.) The rest of the parts of the service were assigned, the hymns rehearsed one more time and prayer offered for the service and we were ready to go – five minutes before the time of the service. Everyone laughed that this would no doubt be the only time they were ahead of schedule. There was a nervous waiting for those last five minutes to pass. They were eager to begin.

The only thing really different about the service was that everything was in English. All the parts were just as they are for a Chichewa service, so the service was comfortable for those attending. The MC (yes, this is Malawi) welcomed everyone and gave instructions about the handouts they had received and the songs that were to be sung. He assured the choirs that they were free to sing in whatever language they wished, but everything else would be in English. As I sat in the front with the Abusa and the MC, I looked at a sanctuary that was less than half full and my heart sank for a moment, fearing my friends’ disappointment at the attendance, but then I remembered it was Malawi and, English or Chichewa, the congregation would come as they pleased, on their own time. And that was true. By the end of the announcements, which happens about a third of the way through the service, the sanctuary was full.

The service was a lively time of worship. Key members of the congregation had rehearsed the hymns, so they were up to tempo. There were six choirs prepared to sing, and so all six sang in turn. Sitting in the front rows were dear friends of mine from the congregation waiting to participate in worship, Alinafe and her family and Emily Hall, a young nurse who is doing a research project here in Malawi and had come to meet up with me when she learned I was preaching this inaugural English service. The only drawback to the whole service was my voice. Saturday evening I had a husky voice, for no apparent reason. I don’t have a cold and my allergies are under control, but my voice was a bit rough. When I got up on Sunday, I discovered that it was even more so. I drank hot tea with lemon and sucked throat lozenges but to no avail. When I got up to preach, I sounded like a rusty baritone. There was nothing I could do but apologize and preach on. So that is what I did. Everyone understood and I think I was the only one who really minded. Charles went to the back of the church to be certain that I could be heard and he gave me a “thumbs up.” Donny commented afterward that Satan’s attempt to disrupt the service didn’t work. In spite of the voice, it was a delight to have the opportunity to share the word of God in this service. I count it a blessing to have been invited.

George and Ryan Bradley, who were on the Pittsburgh trip this year, had sent a guitar for the congregation that didn’t arrive until after the group left Malawi, so I had the pleasure of presenting the guitar to the congregation as a gift to mark this special service. They were thrilled to receive it and are very thankful to George and Ryan. They are looking forward to using it in future services.

After the service, to mark the event, we formed a fellowship line around the church building. I was the first one out the side door; then the abusa came out, shook my hand then stood beside me. Each of the elders followed and after shaking hands with those in line, they joined the line. Everyone who followed them out was invited to join the line, which in time circled the church building. This way, everyone greeted everyone else in the congregation (all 500 plus of them.) It was great fun.

After the greetings, some of the elders and all of the guests went to the manse for breakfast and the abusa and some of the other elders went into the church to lead the Chichewa service. The English service of Mlombwa CCAP was successfully launched. Praise God!