Albanian Blog SIX
The Albanian Blog SIX
The Flight is now under way and it is time for some personal reflections.
Worship this morning: We gathered in an L Shaped room, two blocks 30ft by 20 ft for a very simple act of worship.
Though billed for a ten o’clock start, the church was locked until 9.40 and the congregation was only finally all there when the first hour of the service was over. The ‘relaxed’ Albanian culture clearly affects church life in general, and it is a relaxed atmosphere that enriched our 100 minutes together. After various tuning and sound test exercises, the band of singing amplified guitarist and two miked singers sat down for Altin’s welcome. Altin is one of the two who pastor the little church, Zeph being the other. Zeph was preaching away today.
After the welcome we had a reading from the Bible, though I know not from where. We did have an interpreter but despite his good English he forgot himself frequently and in the holy atmosphere managed to go quiet more often than was strictly helpful! He was Eddie. A time of prayer followed with contributions from the floor of needs and prayers. The worship team took centre stage and led about five songs, two or three of which were similar tunes to English contemporary worship songs. One or two were catchy and very singable and we all joined in. A few were rather more complex and without a recurring chorus were a bit remote. Paul spoke of worshipping with the mind and worshipping without using the mind. This was the latter today.
The team were then introduced and gave our wee spiels. They applauded our comments and greetings.
We then sang a song, “Amazing Grace”, to loud approbation (they were glad we stopped singing). The kind guys allowed me to sing the first verse unhassled by their glorious harmonies, but the congregation didn’t seem to mind too much. This was followed by a fine sermon in two voices from Lindsay Allen with his Altin Hysi interpreter.
Psalm 1 seemed like an unpromising base for a sermon, and I was a bit mystified with the choice; ironic then that Lindsay’s theme was about choice and consequences.
He used 2 Cor 5.16, Psalm 119.11 and another passage to spread the message’s source. Many Christians choose to listen to ungodly advice, take ungodly viewpoints and settle for ungodly convictions until the point comes that they are no different from the world around them. The suggestion was that a distinctive choice early on would lead to a happy outcome.
He used an illustration of the aroma of the flowers in Armagh’s apple spring season being the cause of fruit in the autumn season: we need to be scented with God’s fragrance as a church if we are to be a church which brings forth fruit.
A further illustration which drew great hilarity from the congregation was about a married woman who recognised a growing affection for a fellow passenger on the train, and who asked her husband what she should do: take an earlier train. Don’t be afraid to get off that train. Obedience leads to godly fruit.
When Lindsay said Amen someone said That’s it. And off we went. Most strange ending to a service ever.