Music for Community

I love eggs for breakfast.  So, every other week or so, I stop into the school "Arcade" to buy a flat of eggs.  While there I catch up with the Kenyan man behind the counter.  John wears many hats, but his heart if for the Internally Displaced People in the camp down the mountain.  When I told John that my parents were coming to visit he said we should join them at his church on a Sunday. 

When it worked out that we could come I let John know, but didn't confirm the week of, so when my parents and I showed up to the service they weren't expecting us.  The wonderful part was that meant we could just be part of the service and not disrupt.  Since they hadn't planned to translate for us, they didn't worry about it. Since they hadn't planned anything special they didn't worry about it.  We were just the body worshiping together. 

There was one moment in the service that stuck out to me.  John talked about his graduation from Moffit Bible College.  He shared that his church was known for their music, that at the graduation party many asked if John's church would lead in singing at the party.  I too noticed something special about the way the church sang.  The songs they brought came with assurance.  The words brought comfort and I was struck by how God brought power to uplift through the music.  

On one of my meetings with John I had the opportunity to ask what made the music of his church different.  He explained that when the church was first starting there were people from many different places, and many different denominations in the camp since, they moved to the area out of necessity.  So, when they were trying to blend into one, village church God pointed them to music.  John explained that music created a commonality that bound them together.  God gave the people of the church a vision for freedom through music and a chance to have fun praising God together.  

I am honored to be teaching the very music that God uses so powerfully.  My hope is to help my students see the power in music and learn to use it to bring people together, to have fun praising our great God being reminded of His promises through all sorts of notes.