Worship a la Stewpot
Today at the Stewpot there were plenty of volunteers to prep the food so I snuck into the worship service that precedes every lunch.
It was a wonderful worship service that lasted about 25 minutes. Anyone who had a song on their heart was welcome to stand up and lead a song, while Don played along on the piano. Don listens to them for about 5 seconds to determine what key they are in (assuming they are in something resembling a key) and then starts playing accompaniment with them. Very impressive.
After that, another lady on staff came and told the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. She had the audience of about 40 people repeat those names after her. She wisecracked, "No, no, no, not 'A Big Negro' - its 'Abednego'." Her point from the story was that sometimes we have to take a stand against the world and choose to follow God.
We then closed with the Lord's Prayer. Reciting the Lord's prayer with 40 homeless people gives the Lord's Prayer a whole new meaning. Father...Kingdom come...Give us bread daily...Forgive us...Protect us...Amen.
For all the hours that I and others spend in preparation of worship on Sundays, it was a good reminder that the Creator of the universe, Jehovah, is just as pleased with their worship as He is with ours.
During the singing portion of the service, one man stood and led us in "Do Lord". That song has always been an annoying 1960s VBS song to me. Not anymore, though.
They sang:
Do Lord, oh do Lord, oh Do you remember me?
I've got a home in glory land that outshines the sun.
Do Lord, oh do Lord, oh Do you remember me?
For people that are forgotten by their friends, family and the world, and for people that have no home here on earth, those words are powerful.
After, "Do Lord" a woman sang a song that, I think, only she knew.
Then another man stood up and led us in "Do Lord".
Again.
Supposedly I go to the Stewpot to serve them and show them God's love. As I begin to build relationships with the people there, I'm finding that they are having a greater affect on me, than I am on them. They are teaching me many things.
It was a wonderful worship service that lasted about 25 minutes. Anyone who had a song on their heart was welcome to stand up and lead a song, while Don played along on the piano. Don listens to them for about 5 seconds to determine what key they are in (assuming they are in something resembling a key) and then starts playing accompaniment with them. Very impressive.
After that, another lady on staff came and told the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. She had the audience of about 40 people repeat those names after her. She wisecracked, "No, no, no, not 'A Big Negro' - its 'Abednego'." Her point from the story was that sometimes we have to take a stand against the world and choose to follow God.
We then closed with the Lord's Prayer. Reciting the Lord's prayer with 40 homeless people gives the Lord's Prayer a whole new meaning. Father...Kingdom come...Give us bread daily...Forgive us...Protect us...Amen.
For all the hours that I and others spend in preparation of worship on Sundays, it was a good reminder that the Creator of the universe, Jehovah, is just as pleased with their worship as He is with ours.
During the singing portion of the service, one man stood and led us in "Do Lord". That song has always been an annoying 1960s VBS song to me. Not anymore, though.
They sang:
Do Lord, oh do Lord, oh Do you remember me?
I've got a home in glory land that outshines the sun.
Do Lord, oh do Lord, oh Do you remember me?
For people that are forgotten by their friends, family and the world, and for people that have no home here on earth, those words are powerful.
After, "Do Lord" a woman sang a song that, I think, only she knew.
Then another man stood up and led us in "Do Lord".
Again.
Supposedly I go to the Stewpot to serve them and show them God's love. As I begin to build relationships with the people there, I'm finding that they are having a greater affect on me, than I am on them. They are teaching me many things.
posted by Eric Livingston at
7/13/2006
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