Well, it was my first Sunday in Barbados and it was surely was the Lord’s Day!!
The morning started shortly after 6 a.m. – I had to get ready to leave the house at 7:15 – we were leaving a little earlier than usual because I was driving!! Arrived at South District Church which is east of Bridgetown and nearly due south of the Forbes home. It has been home to a congregation in this area since 1911 and has recently undergone a renovation to expand the common areas and upgrade the sound system in the sanctuary.
I will have to posts pictures next time – I was pretty nervous about stepping into this community which will be one of two that I have been assigned to so I did not focus on picture taking. Yet, very shortly my nerves calmed down when the first person arrived. Her name was Jenny and her son brings her every Sunday because she is confined to a wheelchair. What a warm welcome she extended to me and expressed gladness that I will be with them for some time ( I hope she still thinks that way after my sermon next Sunday!). Within minutes the life in the church began happening. The organist, Henson greeted me with a great handshake and many words of encouragement when I told him that I give him permission to tell me when to sit and stand when I lead worship with them. The children began to come in and joked around as more and more people arrived. I also met a 20 something man who has been a lay preacher for some time as well as a Sunday School Superintendent and youth group leader. His name is Craig and he will be working with South District Church for the next year before he heads off to theological training in Jamaica in order to become an ordained pastor.
By the time 8 o’clock came, I felt comfortable and curious about the service. The Methodists use a Prayer Book that harked back to my memories of my formative years in the Lutheran Church. So far, so good ….a few of the hymns were familiar….a few just a little challenging because they have only words in the Hymn books. But within a verse or two, I sang along with gusto! The itinerant preacher (one that travels from church to church throughout the country) extended a very warm and genuine welcome to me during the service and invited me to participate in the welcoming of Craig as a new member to that congregation. Very touching!
Then came time for communion. Only the Holy Spirit would have planned this – I left my pastoral charge in Port Dalhousie with a communion service and I arrived at South District with a communion service – how the Body of Christ is indeed one! They have communion with the small pieces of bread and the small cups of juice but everyone comes to the alter rail to receive them from the steward of the congregation and the preacher. The children come up after for a long and warm blessing. I am told that the sermons take anywhere from 20 mins to 45 mins depending on how the Spirit moves the preacher – I wonder what they will think of my 15 – 20 min sermon – or will I be surprised and find the Spirit moving me in a new way?
There were five hymns and all the prayers and the readings and the announcements were done by the people themselves. It was wonderful to see the laity so active and I was reminded later in lunch-hour conversation, that its only been the last 6 years or so that many of these churches had regular ministers attending them on Sundays and providing some oversight of their matters. The rest fell to the stewards and the membership themselves. Something perhaps for me to ponder on my return to our system in The United Church.
Well the end of the wonderful service came at about 10:45. There was a call for the Pastoral Oversight Committee and I was invited to attend. There were about 10 people and within minutes I realized that this group had been called to primarily deal with the issue of putting together what the UCC calls the Leadership Supervision Team and which the MCCA calls an assessment team. Three of the people who are to be on my team were there - one is Basil, the other is Craig and the third was a woman whose name I forget at this moment. When we had an opportunity for a short discussion after the meeting, we realized we had much in common in understanding how people can learn from their failures because she is a teacher and carries that understanding into her classroom. Promises to be a very good team!! I had the opportunity to share with them my perspectives on trying outreach ministry. I kept touching a somewhat foreign wall to me for outreach also encompasses door to door evangelism. The kind of outreach I was talking about is referred to as secular outreach. I get the feeling that I'll be called to do both - definately a new experience for me!! Nonetheless, I was quickly reminded of some of the differences betweeen our societies. I was asked how I began my "secular outreach" and I joked about how we have coffee shops at every 4th corner and one just has to sit there and listen to conversations to see what people are talking about that matters to them. They pointed out that there are no coffee shops only rum shops on every corner!! How would I handle that? I was asked - with some help with a few of you I answered - I was glad they all laughed. But it did enforce in my mind again that our worlds, so often the same, are indeed different and that I cannot have any answers for them and their desires to be engaged with their worlds. We can only companion each other for a few months and learn together how to begin a long but potentially rewarding journey of living our faith outside the walls of our churches.
The morning started shortly after 6 a.m. – I had to get ready to leave the house at 7:15 – we were leaving a little earlier than usual because I was driving!! Arrived at South District Church which is east of Bridgetown and nearly due south of the Forbes home. It has been home to a congregation in this area since 1911 and has recently undergone a renovation to expand the common areas and upgrade the sound system in the sanctuary.
I will have to posts pictures next time – I was pretty nervous about stepping into this community which will be one of two that I have been assigned to so I did not focus on picture taking. Yet, very shortly my nerves calmed down when the first person arrived. Her name was Jenny and her son brings her every Sunday because she is confined to a wheelchair. What a warm welcome she extended to me and expressed gladness that I will be with them for some time ( I hope she still thinks that way after my sermon next Sunday!). Within minutes the life in the church began happening. The organist, Henson greeted me with a great handshake and many words of encouragement when I told him that I give him permission to tell me when to sit and stand when I lead worship with them. The children began to come in and joked around as more and more people arrived. I also met a 20 something man who has been a lay preacher for some time as well as a Sunday School Superintendent and youth group leader. His name is Craig and he will be working with South District Church for the next year before he heads off to theological training in Jamaica in order to become an ordained pastor.
By the time 8 o’clock came, I felt comfortable and curious about the service. The Methodists use a Prayer Book that harked back to my memories of my formative years in the Lutheran Church. So far, so good ….a few of the hymns were familiar….a few just a little challenging because they have only words in the Hymn books. But within a verse or two, I sang along with gusto! The itinerant preacher (one that travels from church to church throughout the country) extended a very warm and genuine welcome to me during the service and invited me to participate in the welcoming of Craig as a new member to that congregation. Very touching!
Then came time for communion. Only the Holy Spirit would have planned this – I left my pastoral charge in Port Dalhousie with a communion service and I arrived at South District with a communion service – how the Body of Christ is indeed one! They have communion with the small pieces of bread and the small cups of juice but everyone comes to the alter rail to receive them from the steward of the congregation and the preacher. The children come up after for a long and warm blessing. I am told that the sermons take anywhere from 20 mins to 45 mins depending on how the Spirit moves the preacher – I wonder what they will think of my 15 – 20 min sermon – or will I be surprised and find the Spirit moving me in a new way?
There were five hymns and all the prayers and the readings and the announcements were done by the people themselves. It was wonderful to see the laity so active and I was reminded later in lunch-hour conversation, that its only been the last 6 years or so that many of these churches had regular ministers attending them on Sundays and providing some oversight of their matters. The rest fell to the stewards and the membership themselves. Something perhaps for me to ponder on my return to our system in The United Church.
Well the end of the wonderful service came at about 10:45. There was a call for the Pastoral Oversight Committee and I was invited to attend. There were about 10 people and within minutes I realized that this group had been called to primarily deal with the issue of putting together what the UCC calls the Leadership Supervision Team and which the MCCA calls an assessment team. Three of the people who are to be on my team were there - one is Basil, the other is Craig and the third was a woman whose name I forget at this moment. When we had an opportunity for a short discussion after the meeting, we realized we had much in common in understanding how people can learn from their failures because she is a teacher and carries that understanding into her classroom. Promises to be a very good team!! I had the opportunity to share with them my perspectives on trying outreach ministry. I kept touching a somewhat foreign wall to me for outreach also encompasses door to door evangelism. The kind of outreach I was talking about is referred to as secular outreach. I get the feeling that I'll be called to do both - definately a new experience for me!! Nonetheless, I was quickly reminded of some of the differences betweeen our societies. I was asked how I began my "secular outreach" and I joked about how we have coffee shops at every 4th corner and one just has to sit there and listen to conversations to see what people are talking about that matters to them. They pointed out that there are no coffee shops only rum shops on every corner!! How would I handle that? I was asked - with some help with a few of you I answered - I was glad they all laughed. But it did enforce in my mind again that our worlds, so often the same, are indeed different and that I cannot have any answers for them and their desires to be engaged with their worlds. We can only companion each other for a few months and learn together how to begin a long but potentially rewarding journey of living our faith outside the walls of our churches.
No sooner was that meeting finished, I was immediately invited to go with the Pastor and the steward and two women who brought the communion elements to the home of a blind, elderly women. We walked the few homes down from the church and entered a breezy room, delightfully decorated with sharp reds and warm wooden floors. There we shared 3 hymns and prayers and communion with this woman. I took the time to go around to the back with one of the communion ladies (I’ll have to learn if they have a proper title) to meet the daughter of this elderly woman who was preparing lunch. I told her that I hoped to come and visit and talk another time.
Then we walked in the opposite way down the main road and stopped at a bright green and white home tucked just behind some other homes. The fluttering of laundry beside the home made me want to stop and paint the whole scene! We entered the beautiful home of another elderly woman and she was promptly introduced as the matriarch of the church. Her daughter came and joined us and we sang some of their favourite hymns. The sharing of the bread and the wine were a moving experience for all of us. Blind as well and unable to walk, this matriarch reached out to me after the Pastor asked me to say the prayers – her gratitude brought a tear to my eye. After the short service, I also talked to this daughter and asked if I could come visit in the next few weeks. She was glad to be able to offer her time.
Well by the time we walked back to the church it was now past noon and Basil and I were certainly tired. Perhaps you can share my feelings of surprise to see the children just coming out of Sunday School – they had been there since 8 that morning!!! I was floored – now that certainly will be an idea I will ponder the possibilities of!
Lunch was a feast again. Basil had been cooking late into the evening and got up at 3 Sunday morning to cook his favourite Bajan dishes. Mary and Basil and I sat down and ate a spicy gelled mixture prepared by cooking pigs’ hooves. I kn
ow this would not appeal to most people but it reminded me of the Estonian food that my mother would cook for special occasion which in Canada would be called headcheese. We also had a dish called Carailli (Bitter Melon) which is a bumpy looking vegetable. Mary cooked it in curry and it made an absolutely excellent sauce for the rice and beans. All this was complimented by coleslaw and a tossed salad. My the bounties of the harvest were great! I think I really impressed my hosts with my approval of their food. We had a good chuckle over my experiences of eating chicken foot soup in Jamaica with the Youth Ministry Team in 2001. Mary said she had made a big pot of that last week and will make it again before I leave.
The afternoon was a time of rest and relaxation and by 4 o’clock I was getting ready to leave again. This time to the Harvest Cantata at the Bethel Methodist Church in downtown Bridgetown. Another district steward, Martha picked me up and took me to this special event since Basil began to develop quite the head congestion. They were both glad that I still wanted to go and assured me that I would not be disappointed.
I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED!! What a delightful evening it turned out to be. This is the start of the sugar cane harvesting season. Sugar cane was traditionally the main if not in some periods the only export off the island. Sugar cane is wrapped in the history of these people right from the early slavery days through their emancipation and then the trials and tribulations of a shifting global economy. Nonetheless, this harvest time equates to our celebrations of Thanksgiving.
The celebration was outstanding. In a recently refurbished and modernized sancturary with a
wrap around balcony, and four dropped microphones in the chancel area and a screen and projector, this old church was beautiful. I remarked at the two toned tongue and groove ceiling (Basil told me today that it was made of red heart wood and green heart wood – it looked like a birch and a red oak to my Canadian eyes.) The high pulpit was decorated above in gold to represent the sun and below with blue fabric and neon fish to represent the glorious ocean of course!. All the window sills were full of plants and woods from the various island that form the Methodist Church of the Caribbean and 
Americas. There were the most outstanding Bird-of-Paradise arrangements and the smell of the oranges and grapefruits and
homemade bread made for an exotic setting for this Cantata. The children (100+) of this church came filing in with their colourful clothes and barrettes and the teens with their T-shirts from the Youth Club. How lucky was I to sit in the row right behind them all! The time included the nursery school children singing and others putting on skits; one age group did a puppet show with paper bag puppets, there were two different groups of liturgical dancers, the teens did a drama and a “rap” skit where they were 
“fighting” over which of the islands were more beautiful – the message was of course that each was beautiful in their own way and God created them all for us to enjoy and take care of them. That was the solid message behind the theme of “Harvest of the Caribbean”. There was an adult choir, a men’s choir, and a Women’s Guild Choir that added wonderful music as well as individual youth singers and two brothers who played the recorders. I was so disappointed when the 2 ½ hour celebration was over! The time went so quickly and was made richer by the fact that the little gentleman next to me, John ended up sitting on my lap so he could see better – what a treat for me. 
As well, Craig from South District Church sat with me and I was able to glean a bit more information about things from him since this was the church where he had been the Church School Superintendent. Was he proud!! Half way through the evening he too had 2 little boys sitting on his lap! After the service I was introduced to 2 other pastors as well as my learning supervisor, Rev. Paul Walfall. But, since I was at the mercy of my ride, I could not linger any longer!
The ride home was full of wonderful feelings but then everyone once in a while I drew a breath of panic as I was the passenger in a car driving the dark Barbados roads. I came to realize in that ride home that it will be a long while before I have enough nerve to tackle that on my own!
What an eventful day it was indeed on this my first Lord’s Day in Barbados!! I am blessed.
Till the next time….. peace and gratitude to all.
Then we walked in the opposite way down the main road and stopped at a bright green and white home tucked just behind some other homes. The fluttering of laundry beside the home made me want to stop and paint the whole scene! We entered the beautiful home of another elderly woman and she was promptly introduced as the matriarch of the church. Her daughter came and joined us and we sang some of their favourite hymns. The sharing of the bread and the wine were a moving experience for all of us. Blind as well and unable to walk, this matriarch reached out to me after the Pastor asked me to say the prayers – her gratitude brought a tear to my eye. After the short service, I also talked to this daughter and asked if I could come visit in the next few weeks. She was glad to be able to offer her time.
Well by the time we walked back to the church it was now past noon and Basil and I were certainly tired. Perhaps you can share my feelings of surprise to see the children just coming out of Sunday School – they had been there since 8 that morning!!! I was floored – now that certainly will be an idea I will ponder the possibilities of!
Lunch was a feast again. Basil had been cooking late into the evening and got up at 3 Sunday morning to cook his favourite Bajan dishes. Mary and Basil and I sat down and ate a spicy gelled mixture prepared by cooking pigs’ hooves. I kn
ow this would not appeal to most people but it reminded me of the Estonian food that my mother would cook for special occasion which in Canada would be called headcheese. We also had a dish called Carailli (Bitter Melon) which is a bumpy looking vegetable. Mary cooked it in curry and it made an absolutely excellent sauce for the rice and beans. All this was complimented by coleslaw and a tossed salad. My the bounties of the harvest were great! I think I really impressed my hosts with my approval of their food. We had a good chuckle over my experiences of eating chicken foot soup in Jamaica with the Youth Ministry Team in 2001. Mary said she had made a big pot of that last week and will make it again before I leave.The afternoon was a time of rest and relaxation and by 4 o’clock I was getting ready to leave again. This time to the Harvest Cantata at the Bethel Methodist Church in downtown Bridgetown. Another district steward, Martha picked me up and took me to this special event since Basil began to develop quite the head congestion. They were both glad that I still wanted to go and assured me that I would not be disappointed.
I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED!! What a delightful evening it turned out to be. This is the start of the sugar cane harvesting season. Sugar cane was traditionally the main if not in some periods the only export off the island. Sugar cane is wrapped in the history of these people right from the early slavery days through their emancipation and then the trials and tribulations of a shifting global economy. Nonetheless, this harvest time equates to our celebrations of Thanksgiving.
The celebration was outstanding. In a recently refurbished and modernized sancturary with a
wrap around balcony, and four dropped microphones in the chancel area and a screen and projector, this old church was beautiful. I remarked at the two toned tongue and groove ceiling (Basil told me today that it was made of red heart wood and green heart wood – it looked like a birch and a red oak to my Canadian eyes.) The high pulpit was decorated above in gold to represent the sun and below with blue fabric and neon fish to represent the glorious ocean of course!. All the window sills were full of plants and woods from the various island that form the Methodist Church of the Caribbean and 
Americas. There were the most outstanding Bird-of-Paradise arrangements and the smell of the oranges and grapefruits and
homemade bread made for an exotic setting for this Cantata. The children (100+) of this church came filing in with their colourful clothes and barrettes and the teens with their T-shirts from the Youth Club. How lucky was I to sit in the row right behind them all! The time included the nursery school children singing and others putting on skits; one age group did a puppet show with paper bag puppets, there were two different groups of liturgical dancers, the teens did a drama and a “rap” skit where they were 
“fighting” over which of the islands were more beautiful – the message was of course that each was beautiful in their own way and God created them all for us to enjoy and take care of them. That was the solid message behind the theme of “Harvest of the Caribbean”. There was an adult choir, a men’s choir, and a Women’s Guild Choir that added wonderful music as well as individual youth singers and two brothers who played the recorders. I was so disappointed when the 2 ½ hour celebration was over! The time went so quickly and was made richer by the fact that the little gentleman next to me, John ended up sitting on my lap so he could see better – what a treat for me. As well, Craig from South District Church sat with me and I was able to glean a bit more information about things from him since this was the church where he had been the Church School Superintendent. Was he proud!! Half way through the evening he too had 2 little boys sitting on his lap! After the service I was introduced to 2 other pastors as well as my learning supervisor, Rev. Paul Walfall. But, since I was at the mercy of my ride, I could not linger any longer!The ride home was full of wonderful feelings but then everyone once in a while I drew a breath of panic as I was the passenger in a car driving the dark Barbados roads. I came to realize in that ride home that it will be a long while before I have enough nerve to tackle that on my own!
What an eventful day it was indeed on this my first Lord’s Day in Barbados!! I am blessed.
Till the next time….. peace and gratitude to all.
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