“Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.” (Psalm 96:1)
Now that we’re back home, we’re able to reflect on what we experienced in Tanzania and Kenya. One of the lasting impressions we have is how these believers could sing!
Singing is one of the hallmarks of the Christian faith. Wherever you find Christians gathering to worship God, you’ll hear singing. Our African brothers and sisters excel in this area. They love to sing; and we loved to hear them.
In Tanzania we never had musical instruments, but that didn’t seem to matter at all. Hand-clapping provided the rhythm section and voices added all the harmony you could ever want. (The link below will give you a sampling of what we heard.)
Most of the pastors and wives we met live under constant pressure and face daunting challenges. Many of them work several jobs just to barely survive. Some have taken on the care of orphans in addition to leading a congregation. One couple we met have moved to the coast to start a church where there are very few Christians. The wife has developed painful health complications due to an allergic reaction to the salt in the water and the air. But they carry on, bringing Jesus’ love and Gospel to those around them.
In spite of their hardships (or maybe because of them), they sing. They express their devotion to God for His goodness (a common theme of their songs). They thank Jesus for dying for their sins and giving them new life.
Looking at them and listening to them as they sing, our hearts were both humbled and strengthened. If they can sing praise in the midst of their pain, what’s stopping us? If they can “rejoice in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4), what holds us back?
This Sunday at The Met we’ll get to join in singing praise to the Lord. As we do, we’ll be remembering the example of the believers we met in Africa.
Click here to enjoy a sample of African singing.
On THE Way 