Starting with prayer is constant at Global Gospel Ethiopian Fellowship church and a staple of many ethnic congregations.
"You might not be used to this but it is common in many international churches," says Pastor Chernet Hadbacho of Global Gospel Ethiopian, a new Ethiopian church plant meeting at Indian Creek Baptist Church in Stone Mountain, GA.
Having worshipped 90% of the time in my last 20 years with Ethnic congregations I've grown fondly appreciative of the sincerity of beginning a worship experience in a lengthy time of prayer. Growing up (and even now) time seemed to be the controlling measurement of a church worship service. While limited attention spans are a global truth, it seems that most international congregations are willing to have longer services and times of prayer are a vital part and worthy of prolonging.
Presbyterian Theologian J. B. Johnston said, "A congregation without a prayer meeting is essentially defective in its organization, and so must be limited in its efficiency."
Most of the time as I read about the Holy Spirit working among and speaking to the early church it was during times of corporate prayer. When visitors come to Reach the Nations Community Church they usually know ahead of time they are coming to something different. While parts of the service culturally doesn't always connected they are typically moved by corporate prayer times that go slightly beyond what they are used to. In many cases as I have found common in ethnic churches when a leader says, "Let us, pray," the whole congregation begins praying aloud.
What I know about prayer is that it humbles us, it opens us, it connects us, and it frees us to cry out to our Father. As our cultures revolve around certain norms and values, my personal hope is that time will never supersede our call as the church to pray.
Comments