A Different Kind of Church

My first Sunday here exceeded all my expectations. It was worth the long rickshaw ride to reach this small group of believers. It is incredibly encouraging to know that this will not only be an avenue for communally worshiping God in spite of my surroundings but also will be an opportunity to fellowship with Christians who face faith obstacles largely unimaginable in Tennessee. Here, rather than being relics of the old testament, Hindu idols are physically visible on the street and Muslim prayers are chanted/sang at high volume out the loud speakers of all the surrounding mosques every couple hours. It is under this backdrop that the members of the church I attended this morning definitively live-out Paul's phrase “mutual edification.” There is something incredibly humbling about being in the midst of men and women smiling and shouting out praises to God... watching those from a Muslim family who have changed direction and followed Christ, or seeing a formerly Hindu man exchange a hierarchy of order under millions of Hindu gods for the freedom flowing from a personal relationship with the only Savior King. I couldn't help but be humbled, encouraged, and awestruck at the persistent faith of the minority. God truly works everywhere. Finally, I am excited about the opportunity to meet with a “cell group” of Indian young adults. Surely, I have a great deal to learn from them.