Salt and light from the "invisible" church

 

In many areas of the Americas and Europe, we’ve grown accustomed to seeing a church building on every corner.  Not so in this country. The ubiquitous mosque fulfills that function here, and one is reminded of that very loudly five times a day during the call to prayer! But though the Church is not visible in that sense, the salt and light of the people of God are increasingly being felt. 

Here, church gatherings are held in rented buildings or, more commonly, in homes. One such congregation meets on the other side of town from us, led by “Hasim,” a long-time Entrust student. His home is small and humble. His wife serves a cup of cold water to anyone who enters. Greetings are warm and genuine. The “service” begins only after all arrive who are expected to. The setting is intimate and natural, family style.

Hasim is a man passionate about his faith. For the past five years he has participated in Entrust classes, and he is now passing on to other faithful men what he has received. His Bible is well worn; his grasp of scripture is solid. Through his evangelistic gifts many have come to faith. As he leads this small flock in worship, his shepherd’s heart is evident—no meeting in his home is complete without prayer for anyone who wants or needs it. One can’t help thinking that the early Church’s meetings were like this in the beginning.

Songbooks are passed around and the group sings enthusiastically, without the aid of instruments. Hasim encourages participation as he begins to share his message for that week. Questions or comments during the “sermon” are not uncommon, and the time flows naturally. Hasim is bold and firm, yet there is a quiet gentleness about him. Clearly, he feels a deep responsibility to communicate God’s message in a loving but uncompromising way. He told me after one meeting, “I have to give them what the Bible says, not just my opinions. If I don’t give them the truth, who will?”

No home is far from a mosque in this land.  May the day come soon when no home is far from such a meeting as this.

 

 

 

 

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Name	Size	Type	Last Modified
2006 12 Restricted Access	240.0 KB	PDF Document	3/21/2009 9:52:02 PM
2008 02 Central Asia	521.2 KB	PDF Document	3/21/2009 10:56:03 PM
2008 12 Central Asia	575.6 KB	PDF Document	3/23/2009 8:56:45 AM
2009 04 Shepherds Heart Retreat	556.4 KB	PDF Document	11/6/2009 11:44:14 AM
2009 11 High Cost	300.9 KB	PDF Document	11/6/2009 11:44:16 AM
2010 06 Middle East	357.1 KB	PDF Document	7/2/2010 12:16:18 PM