A Rose by Any Other Name...

I've been temping downtown for a marketing company, and the location is nice because I walk to and from work before sitting inside all day. It's a great time for me, I pray or sing often while I'm walking and I get to pray for the places and people I pass. Last monday I was walking home a bit later than ususal and I stopped in front of an Asian Episcopal church (think Chinese architechture with the golden tiled roof that swoops up at the the corners, red pillars, neat windows...then add a bell tower and a cross at the top). From across the street I could see people inside, I heard them singing, worshiping and praying in tongues. I didn't recognize what language they were singing, but I knew they were praying in tongues which surprised me coming from an Episcopal church. I stopped and knew I should join their meeting.

I slipped quietly into the back pew, glad to see and worship with another part of the Body of Christ. One young guy was playing guitar at the front and leading them in worship. I didn't understand the Korean they were singing, but I hummed along until they sang a song that had the lyrics of "hallelujah" so I caught on to that one. :) I figured it was the end of their service, but the pastor stood up and began speaking, then noticed that in the group of twenty or so asians, there was a tall white girl sitting in the back. Me.

"Doh yoh understan dis Korean language," he asked. "No," I answered. "How did yoh know we were meeting heah?" "I was walking past and heard you all praying and worshiping. I know you all love Jesus so I came in." Surprised, he replied, "Very small meeting, noh one interested in dis meeting." "Jesus is interested in this meeting. I'm interested in this meeting," I said. I think the Holy Spirit sent you to encourage us," he said. "I speak in Korean... to understan... Holy Spirit is yoah teacher." "Amen. Don't worry about me," I replied. He began speaking and a 20something girl came and sat next to me and started to interpret into simple phrases what the pastor spoke. It was delightful in it's poignancy and simplicity. Afterwards we introduced ourselves (her name, I learned after a few odd attempts at what I thought was "Ohsu" was simply "Sue"), and she explained they were a Korean Baptist church from the other side of Oahu that meets there on mondays to pray for the city/state, pastors, for healings, etc.

We gathered in a circle and sang songs in english, then began to pray in our various languages. I strangely or not so strangely felt very welcome and at home. When the pastor prayed he interjected a few key english words that clued me into the topic they were praying about. We must have prayed for about 30 minutes when they stopped and brought woman into the middle of the circle. She was the pastor's wife of the Episcopal church we were in. The Pastor was away on missions somewhere and she needed prayer. So they prayed for her, and I thought "Oh, I should be listening to God to see if He has anything for me to pray about for her since I don't understand them, and maybe there is something He wants me to pray over her or share." So in a bit the pastor said to me, "you are here to encourage us and to encourage her,.. please..and gesured me towards the pastor's wife as another woman was hugging her. That was the nudge I needed to be put in motion and speak up (thank you Lord for cues when I need them), so I hugged her too and then prayed over her, shared the picture, scripture and words I thought the Lord gave me for her, then stepped back into the circle. The pastor nodded and translated, and then sue whispered to me that what I had prayed she had also felt when were were praying for her as a group. I was encourged that I wasn't totally "off" or had misheard. Afterwards we all chatted as best we could, they were all very welcoming and thankful I came and invited me to their other meetings too.

That evening I enjoyed seeing the universality of the Church, and was encouraged and blessed myself and also got to be a helpful presence to encourage another.