Church life

I traveled a few hours north of Freetown on Sunday to St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Romankneh, a small village near the city of Makeni.   St. Peter’s was holding a Women’s Thanksgiving Service and I was the guest preacher for this celebration.  The theme for the service was based on a story from the Old Testament book of Nehemiah:  “let us rise up and build.”

Pa Kamara, the well-loved and respected founding evangelist at St. Peter's with Pastor Christopher Yanker. Pa Kamara has only a few years of formal education but is a very wise man with great knowledge and love of the bible.

‘Tis the season for “thanksgiving services” in churches of the ELCSL.   I had invitations to youth and men’s thanksgiving services in October, and have similar invitations every Sunday for the coming month.    Thanksgiving services are traditional events in the life of Christian congregations throughout Sierra Leone.  I’m not sure how or where the tradition started, but any expatriate who lives here for any length of time will at some point be given an offering envelope and invited to attend such a service.

There are various traditions and practices associated with thanksgiving services but the basic idea is to provide church members and friends  with an opportunity to give — financially — in thanksgiving for all that  God has done and is doing.  Musical offerings are at the heart of such services, and in response to each performance, members of the congregation dance forward with a contribution to the offering plate in hand.  The overall result, in my experience, is lively, joyful, chaos, and services that last 2, 3 or 4 hours.  The service in Romankneh was a very fine one; it lasted about 2 and a half hours, and was followed by a community meal of rice and fish stew.

These women were among the many visitors from neighboring congregations.

My sermon on Sunday at St. Peter’s –  “let us rise up and build” –  was translated into the Timneh language by a female pastor visiting from a Pentecostal congregation in the community.   She threw in a few “amens” at appropriate points along the way, and I appreciated the feedback!

Consistent with the theme of the day, a new building is under construction across the way from St. Peter’s Lutheran Church.   Pastor Christopher Yanker managed to convince the local government to construct a school for the primary classes now meeting in the community center under the church’s umbrella.  Payment of salaries for the teachers remains a problem, but the construction of a physical building is a great sign of  progress.

St. Peters Evangelical Lutheran Primary School. This is the standard design for elementary schools in Sierra Leone

I was also impressed to see  new artwork adorning the interior walls of St. Peter’s worship sanctuary.   Worshipers can now see a picture of the last supper above the altar, and an image of the crucified Christ to the left.  In talking about this artwork, Pastor Yanka commented that it is effective to be able to point to visible images when preaching and teaching.  (Perhaps especially for those who are illiterate.)    Sketches of other scenes from the bible are visible on the side walls of the church and I look forward to seeing the finished work next visit.

The artist is a member of St. Peters and a teacher at the school. Within the ELCSL this artistic undertaking is unique.

Traditions

I spent three nights in the provincial village of Momajo earlier this week, participating in a workshop with representatives from 4  ELCSL congregations.  The workshop targeted those communities actively engaged in micro-finance and other income generating projects.    The workshop was coordinated and lead by the head of the development office for the ELCSL, Pastor Moses Momoh Kobba, and the coordinator for the women’s programs, Princess Kobba (also known as “Aunty P,” she is no relation to Pr. Kobba).   I lead the morning bible studies for our time together, focusing on the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14 – 30), and the parable of the prodigal son from Luke 15.

Workshop participants were from neighboring congregations in Jimmi, Momajo, and Yegele, as well as from Ngolahun some distance away. Each congregation was requested to send women as well as men. The group is standing in front of St. Andrew's Lutheran Church. The front wall of the church building is new since my last visit in April.

In the course of our bible study conversations, one of the participants asked: “does God’s grace cover someone who worships in the church on Sunday and goes home to worship their traditional gods too?”  This led to a rather spirited discussion about the intersection of Christianity and traditional Sierra Leonean beliefs and religious practice.   I find these conversations quite intriguing, and I continue to struggle to grasp all the elements and nuances of traditional beliefs and practices.

This store in Momajo doesn't seem to be operating, but it is one of few buildings I've seen to display any type of artwork

Evangelist John Squire from St. John’s in Ngolahun noted that the question that came up in our bible study  is typical of the kinds of questions asked by members of his congregation.  He shared the challenges he faces as a Christian leader in his village setting, where traditional religious practices and secret society activities are dominant in daily life.   Squire said that he is very careful to avoid confrontation and arguments with non-Christians in the village, particularly with those looking to challenge and find reason to condemn the church as disruptive or detrimental to cultural traditions.  (A Christian critique of the traditional practice of polygamy would be one example of a potentially contentious issue in village settings and beyond.)  For Squire, the best way to evangelize and to strengthen the church is through the children.    His vision — alive and well in Ngolahun — is to  operate a Christian school, and to teach the ways of Jesus to the children so that they grow in faith and in knowledge of scripture.

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." (Psalm 119:105)

I have often heard the ELCSL pastors and evangelists talk about the value of  Lutheran primary and secondary schools as an evangelism tool, but I hadn’t previously heard Mr. Squire’s argument.  In years gone by, in an era of great support for world missions,  the operation of Christian schools was integral to missionary efforts in countries like Sierra Leone.   These mission-operated schools succeeded in raising a generation of faithful and well-educated Christian leaders in this nation — men and women who are now committed to passing on their faith to new generations under very different circumstances.

These children were some of my constant companions in the village. This time, in addition to calling me "pumwe" (white person), some of the kids learned to call me Pastor Kate.

An interesting example of the power of “tradition” arose in the course of the journey back to Freetown  from Momajo yesterday.  I was traveling with 2 colleagues and our driver Abu. We stopped briefly in one local village to buy some ears of roasted corn for a morning snack, and I spotted pumpkins for sale by the side of the road.  When I expressed my interest in buying one, my companions insisted that Abu should make the purchase,  as I would be asked to pay a higher (ie, unreasonable price).  My driver, however, refused to cooperate with this plan.

On one previous occasion when we were traveling in the provinces I had purchased a small pumpkin to take back to Freetown and had loaded it into the car without Abu’s knowledge.  When he later saw the pumpkin, he asked me if I had cut it before placing it in the vehicle.  That question seemed a bit mysterious to me, but my driver explained that it is necessary to cut or nick the skin of the pumpkin before placing it in a vehicle,  or else  a breakdown or other problem might occur.   Cutting a pumpkin prior to transporting it is an established and necessary custom — so I learned.  (We did manage to arrive home safely without problems on that occasion.)

Given my understanding based on that previous experience, I thought it would be a simple thing to buy a pumpkin, to cut it, and to take it home in the car yesterday.   Abu, however, was adamantly opposed to the idea based on his own traditional understandings.  In light of chronic problems with my car in recent months, I decided not to press the issue as I had images of the conversation we might have if something did happen on our journey.  It seemed far better just to buy a pumpkin in Freetown.

Oranges, like pumpkins, are typically green in Sierra Leone. These boy picked the oranges and some limes for ELCSL staffer Halima George.

This morning I asked two people about this custom related to carrying pumpkins in a motor vehicle.  Both people were familiar with the practice and when I asked them for more information, they just said:  it’s  tradition.  But when I asked “why?”  neither could explain the practice.   Still, these conversations led me to explain some of the American traditions surrounding pumpkins, with an eye to demonstrating one particular custom late in October.

The Unexpected View from the Porch

According to the BBC reports I heard yesterday, Bishop Barnett and I are two of 7 million people impacted by that volcanic ash cloud from Iceland.  Bishop Barnett was scheduled to travel to Dallas via London last Friday for the NTNL Synod assembly, and I was scheduled to fly through Brussels to Texas  on Monday.   We have been grounded this week, waiting to hear whether or not we might leave Freetown in time to make the synod assembly.  We are both immensely glad to be here and not stranded on the way.  I can’t help but think there is something consistent with the Christian tradition in having been humbled by ashes through all of this.  As the psalmist says:  “when I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers… what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them.”  (Psalm 8: 3 – 4)

Fishing boat on Lumley beach. This week I was wondering how long it took for missionaries to travel to Africa by ship in the days before air travel became so common.

As I write today (Wednesday) it looks like Bishop Barnett will be able to fly to Texas on Friday night.  The earliest I can fly out will benext Monday, so I won’t be able to participate in the NTNL synod assembly as long planned. I particularly regret not being able to meet many of the readers of my blog from NTNL.

As I wait for updated travel plans to be confirmed, and contemplate the complexities of a global world, I thought I would try to post a few photos related to simple modes of  transportation in Sierra Leone.  Alas, for the past few weeks I have been having multiple problems trying to upload photos to my blog.  After multiple attempts, (including photos I would have labeled “poda-poda with a goat on top,” and “early morning discovery in Momajo village”) I’m calling it a day!

Notes on context for an African Easter

This is a typical fish net style hammock, claimed here by Pastor Kobba during our visit to Sanhan village.

While sitting on my porch this morning, chatting with ELCSL colleagues, reference was made to my hammock hanging there, and this led to a discussion about the tradition of carrying paramount chiefs to special meetings in hammocks.  The hammock used for this purpose was specially made with a traditional woven fabric (country cloth), and it was designed to allow the chief to sit upright while being  carried by four  men.  This tradition seems, however, to have disappeared since the rebel war;  today chiefs and other “big men” arrive by car.

Earlier in Lent I had speculated with other colleagues and friends what means of transport Jesus would use to enter Freetown, if  the events of Palm Sunday were to take place here today.  (Donkeys are not known in Sierra Leone.)  The consensus idea for a Sierra Leonean equivalent to  a donkey was an “omalankee” cart typically used to haul heavy items throughout the city.   Omalenkees are humble and common, although not  normally used to transport people.  This morning, however, we decided that if Jesus were to seek a triumphant entry into Freetown in the traditions of Sierra Leone, he might enter the city in a hammock, carried and proclaimed as “chief.”

Omalankees can be hired to haul just about anything through the streets of Freetown.

On Maundy Thursday last week I celebrated with the Lutheran community of St. Paul in the eastern part of Freetown, and in my sermon we had further discussions about the role of chiefs.   St. Paul’s had not previously worshiped on Maundy Thursday, and members had never before participated in a foot washing service according to the traditions of the day.  So we talked about the scripture reading from John 13 describing Jesus washing the feet of his disciples.   Sierra Leonean society is organized, to a great extent, along strict hierarchical lines, and there are unwritten rules governing behavior and interaction between those of high status and ordinary men and women.   Chiefs, for example, would never carry water or engage in menial labor.  Chiefs would never stoop to do the work of a servant or wash the feet of others.  For Jesus — master and “chief”  to do such a thing is well understood as a great and unusual act of love and service.

For our Maundy Thursday worship, St. Paul’s evangelist –Tennyson Bindi –  and I proceeded then to wash the feet of all the members of the church.  All participated, from the youngest to the oldest.   When we finished, the water in the basin was quite muddy, as the feet we washed were dirty from all the steps taken in the heat and dust of the day.  It strikes me  that in the US, our practice of ancient Christian traditions is a bit sanitized.  Here, the washing of feet really was a practical service of grace ,and a reflection of our ongoing need for cleansing waters both physically and spiritually.  And in a culture that upholds the primacy of “big men,” Jesus’ actions are a startling challenge to the established order.    He says:   “I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you….  By this they will know that you are my disciples , if you have love for one another.”

Members and friends of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Kissy (eastern Freetown). This photo was taken late in Febuary when we visited to see the work being done to prepare mud bricks for building new walls.

Against this  backdrop of holy week discussions and devotions,  and in a city crowded to overflowing with holiday pilgrims,  my own celebration of Easter began in the dark  at Lumley Beach on the Atlantic Ocean.  Dawn began breaking into the darkness about 6 am on Sunday morning and although the sun was  hidden behind Freetown’s dusty haze, a sunrise service at the beach was an ideal way to begin the day.  Those who gathered on the beach shared a breakfast of bread and fish.

"Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus." (John 21:4)

Later in the morning I participated in worship at St. Mark’s in Calaba Town, and in the evening I hosted a potluck picnic complete with campfire and marshmallows.   All day long, we celebrated the  Easter truth:   Christ is risen, and he is known to us in the breaking of the bread.

Easter Eucharist at St. Mark's Lutheran Church, Bishop Barnett presiding. 14 candidates were baptized on Easter morning.

Walking together

“Accompaniment is… a walking together in Jesus Christ of two or more churches in companionship and in service in God’s mission.  In the walking together on the road to Emmaus, the Lord reveals himself to his companions.  While walking together, each of the two disciples’ and Jesus’ stories become interlocked. Their three stories become intertwined. As the stories come together, God’s plan in Jesus’ resurrection becomes clearer. A new community, the church, begins to emerge in Jerusalem. In sharing a meal the companions recognize the presence of Jesus with them.”  (Global Mission in the 21st Century,  ELCA planning document)

Members of Redemption Lutheran Church in Bumpe with ELCSL and ELCA partners

Traveling, conversation, worship, meetings, prayer and sharing of meals marked last week’s visit to Sierra Leone by 2 representatives of the ELCA’s Global Mission program.  Rev. Jim Gonia came from Chicago and Rev. Viking Dietrich came from Ghana; they spent the week learning about the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sierra Leone.  They met and talked with pastors, evangelists, lay leaders and youth, and were able to visit 14 of the 22 Lutheran congregations.  At the heart of the visit was a desire to share stories about what it means to be Lutheran, and to understand how best to “walk together” in the one body of Christ.

Members of St. Luke's in Mogbuama offered a musical welcome to the visiting delegation

When I was in Texas in January, one of the questions I posed in my preaching and speaking came from St. Paul’s letter to the  Corinthians.  Paul wrote:  “there are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.  There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.  There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all.  Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” (1 Cor. 12:4-7)  I understand Paul to be telling us that we need each other, and we need each other’s gifts,  in order to be whole and complete in the body of Christ.    Lutherans in North America  have often been generous in sharing financial and material gifts to support the church in Africa.   But what gifts and wisdom do Lutherans in the U.S.  need from others?  What spirit-inspired gifts might American Lutherans be blessed to receive from the church in west Africa?    As churches around the globe accompany one another in mission, such questions are important to consider.

Youth participants in ELSCL- ELCA conversastions

When asked last week to reflect on the strengths and gifts of  the ELCSL , church leaders and members talked about the witness of the youth and the contributions of the women.   They talked about the role of music in the life of the church and the history of lay leadership in the ELCSL.   Conversation about the distinctiveness of the Lutheran church in Sierra Leone further highlighted gifts the ELCSL brings to its own context:  the Lutheran emphasis on God’s grace;  theology centered on Christ and the cross; meaningful practices of faith including regular confession; hospitality in worship and an emphasis on care of the whole person.

I was particularly struck by the vitality of the Lutheran identity expressed by all the ELCSL members who spoke last week, and by the depth of commitment to Lutheran Christianity.   The leaders we met were grateful in turn to be reminded by the presence of ELCA representatives that the ELCSL is part of a bigger community of faith and that Lutherans in Sierra Leone are not alone in their struggles and celebrations.

Jim Gonia of ELCA Global Mission greeting members of Messiah Lutheran Church in Taima

Women's leader Juliana M'beillaya presenting a gift from the ELCSL women's training center to Viking Dietrich

Ash Wednesday

In preparation for Ash Wednesday this year, I was invited by a British friend to a pancake supper on Tuesday night and it was a good occasion not only for feasting but also for conversation about the season of Lent in Sierra Leone.     The Lutheran churches here are marking Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent with worship services tonight.   The traditional Lenten disciplines of prayer and fasting are taken quite seriously among many of my Lutheran colleagues and friends:  beginning today and continuing for the 40 days of the Lenten season, many are abstaining from food and drink from midnight to 6 pm.

Today we are also entering week #3 without electricity from the National Power Authority in Freetown.   That means the ELCSL offices and my house are dependent on a diesel generator for a few hours of power each day.  The generator is essential for powering computers and recharging cell phones, but otherwise it has been possible to make do without electricity.  I  do have new appreciation for my battery powered LED head lamp, which makes it possible to read with ease at night these days.

I often joke about being powerless in Freetown when the electricity is off, and on this Ash Wednesday it seems an apt metaphor for the human condition.  Today we remember that we are dust, and to dust we will return.  We are powerless in a world of sin and death, and so dependent on “Christ the power of God” (1 Cor. 1:24).  Living without electricity for the past two weeks, — being powerless and often in the dark — has challenged me to live more simply, and to be thankful for things I often take for granted.  All the while,  I am conscious  that I am still living with abundant privileges and far above the standards of most Sierra Leoneans.   I will be glad when the broken transformer is repaired and the lights come on again, but in the meantime,  I am grateful, as poet Denise Levertov writes, to be living in the mercy of God.

To Live in the Mercy of God ( Denise Levertov)

To lie back under the tallest oldest trees.

How far the stems

rise, rise before ribs of shelter

open!

To live in the mercy of God.

The complete sentence too adequate,

has no give.

Awe, not comfort.  Stone, elbows of

stony wood beneath lenient

moss bed.

And awe suddenly

passing beyond itself.  Becomes

a form of comfort.

Becomes the steady air

you glide on, arms

stretched like

the wings of flying foxes.

To hear the multiple

silence of trees, the rainy

forest depths of their listening.

To float, upheld,

as salt water

would hold you,

once you dared.

To live in the mercy of God.

To feel vibrate the enraptured

waterfall flinging itself

unabating down and down

to clenched fists of rock.

Swiftness of plunge,

hour after year after century,

O or Ah uninterrupted, voice many-stranded.

To breathe spray.  The smoke of it.

Arcs of steelwhite foam, glissades

of fugitive jade barely perceptible. Such passion –

rage or joy?

Thus, not mild, not temperate,

God’s love for the world.  Vast

flood of mercy

flung on resistance.

Comings and Goings

Circumstances and available power have conspired against a timely blog posting this Thanksgiving week, but with the return of electricity tonight I thought I’d share my own words of thanks for prayers and support, encouragement and accompaniment over the past number of  months.  I am truly grateful!

I went for a walk one night in Kenema with ELCSL colleagues Doris, Halima, and Juliana. We were waiting here for a snack of grilled kan-kan -- a type of roasted meat.

This past month has been a time of comings and goings at many levels.  Many expatriate and missionary friends are departing for holidays back in the US or Europe, and others are finishing their  contracts here and moving on.  American colleagues from Lutheran Bible Translators were in Freetown recently and we had interesting conversations with their local partner about possibilities for developing a Lutheran liturgy in Krio.  Thanks to one of the LBT missionaries, I am enjoying some red and green m & m’s from the U.S.  tonight.  (Thanks Jim, for the taste of home as the holidays approach!)

Last weekend I traveled to Kenema for a regional Lutheran Women’s Association gathering. The women came together for a workshop about water and sanitation, but managed to include a lot of singing and dancing as well.  I also had a chance to attend Incarnation Lutheran Church in Kenema and to preach at a Women’s Thanksgiving service there. (Thanksgiving services are a Sierra Leonean tradition involving spirited and lengthy worship around a  chosen theme, and the chance to make monetary contributions with thanks to the community and God.

Members of the Lutheran Women's Association act out the gospel story of the Samaritan woman at the well with Jesus.

On Monday I traveled on to the village of Bumpe and met with community members there in preparations for digging a water well.  Tomorrow I will leave early in the morning for another 3 day trip up country to visit  six well sites and to preach at Advent Lutheran Church in Bo.  I borrowed a friend’s GPS unit and have been learning how to use it in order to mark the locations of  the wells.  Check back next week for more about this project.

The funeral service for the Rev.  Juliet Rodgers-Pearce took place today almost one month after her death  and was a somber and faithfilled opportunity to give thanks to God for her life and witness as a mother, grandmother, teacher, evangelist and ELCSL pastor.  Today was also a national holiday in Sierra Leone, the  Islamic festival Eid al’Adha.   Many businesses and offices were closed, and as I returned home from the funeral late this afternoon, Lumley beach was crowded with folks enjoying the “eid.”

In recognition of the American Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday, many of my Lutheran colleagues here made it a point to wish me a happy and blessed Thanksgiving.   I enjoyed explaining this American tradition to those unfamiliar with the occasion.    The idea of a national holiday dedicated to giving thanks was new to many, and as a result of our conversations, I had a renewed sense of  appreciation for the Thanksgiving tradition..  In the evening yesterday,  I celebrated the holiday at a dinner with American and British friends.  Our amazingly wonderful Sierra Leonean Thanksgiving potluck featured turkey, mashed potatoes, yams,  pumpkin (in various form including pie), cole slaw, apple crisp, ice cream, and more.  To be able to celebrate with good food and fellowship was grace indeed.

Finally this week, my housemate of the past 2 months said good bye to Freetown and returned home to Switzerland.  Marlene is a teacher who spent this time with the ELCSL  teaching at Calvary Lutheran primary school and visiting at the Women’s Center in Calaba Town.    With Marlene’s departure, my guest room is available for visitors once again.  Welcome!  The only thing I know for sure is that Sierra Leone continues to surprise and bless those who come and see.

Marlene with children in Bumpe. She came to the ELCSL via a connection with the Lutheran World Federation in Geneva.

The view from the porch: bird watching

A scops owl.

This morning dawned cloudy and grey, and a steady, cooling rain has been falling for a few hours — an unusual daytime occurence this late in the rainy season.   At this point in the year, the heavy rains of August and September  have given way to mostly blue skies and humid days, with periodic bursts of thunder and lightning followed by tropical downpours in the night.   Even with the rain, though, today is welcome for the grey coolness and for a temporary respite  from the rising temperatures.

Fishing in Cockle Bay

With lessening of the rains in the past month, a variety of birds have returned to the area.   The herons and egrets are back, in and around Cockle Bay, joined at times by yellow billed kites and a few vultures.  I believe I’ve spotted an osprey once or twice.   There are a variety of songbirds in the compound now as well, cheering me with their musical calls.  The lantana I transplanted months ago in front of my house has grown into a sizeable bush and attracts some of the smaller birds every morning, as well as butterflies throughout the day.  For a few days recently an owl took up residence in a large plum tree behind the offices, and kept careful watch over our comings and goings.

Pied crows are the most common bird I see. This pair nests in a coconut tree by my house. These birds are locally known as "minista birds" (ie, minister birds for their white neck collars.)

In the midst of a noisy, crowded and chaotic city, I feel blessed to be surrounded by the gifts of  creation  in a large, spacious, and relatively quiet compound.   The ELCSL property where my house is located is a sanctuary of sorts — for birds and missionaries both.  Before and after working hours, you’ll find me on the porch, often these days with a borrowed copy of a field guide to the birds of West Africa in hand.  When I watch the birds from the porch, I think of Jesus’ words:  “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear.  Life is more than food and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens, they do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much  more valuable you are then birds….”  (Luke 12:22-24)

The view from the porch of a friend who lives in the hills of western Freetown. I live on the bay side of the land bridge separating Cockle Bay from the Atlantic Ocean. Lumley Beach faces the Atlantic on the left. Aberdeen is marked by the small hill in the center.

“For all the saints, who from their labors rest”

During the last week in October the pastors and evangelists of the ELCSL gathered together in Njala for training, education, and conversation about the life of the church.   At the close of our time together, the evangelist from Momajo, Mr. Abdul Collier, shared that he was somewhat nervous before coming to Njala because he had dreamed about the event.  In his dream, he saw that the training would take place as planned, but there would be a major barrier or obstacle in the process.   By the time Mr. Collier spoke, we all knew that his dream had been remarkably prescient.   The training took place, but with a different schedule and mood than anticipated.

Rev. Juliet Rodgers Pearce, pastor at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Kissy, Freetown.

On  Tuesday night, shortly after all the participants had finally arrived in Njala,  ELCSL Pastor Juliet Rogers-Pearce became  ill.   We attended to her as best we could, but it was clear that her condition was quickly becoming critical.    We sent for a car to transport her to the Njala hospital.   Pastor Juliet died within moments of arriving there.

Members of the ELCSL community gathered in shock, grief, and somber silence at the Njala hospital that night.  “Ah, life” was the sorrowful refrain I heard over and over as we sat together.  Phone calls were made to family and friends, and arrangements were made to transport the body to a mortuary in Freetown that night.    Another ELCLS pastor, Lynton Gomoh, along with the evangelist from St. Paul, were charged with making that journey.    Like many African women, Juliet was the primary caretaker for many extended family members.  She was Pastor Lynton’s foster mother and a main source of support for him as he trained to become a pastor.   Her death was especially shocking for Lynton that night.

In the context of a nation with little to offer in terms of medical care, quick and sudden deaths like this are common.   Pastor Juliet had a recent history of heart problems, and had consulted a medical practitioner the day before we traveled to Njala.  When she shared word of her most recent diagnosis  and the treatment she was receiving, I wondered at the time whether or not she was receiving proper care and advice.   And while the Njala hospital is a fine, new facility serving a university community, I saw no medical equipment for emergency cases.   My basic sense is that there is nothing that could have been done in that context to prevent her death.

A life-long Christian, Juliet had been one of the original evangelists trained to serve in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sierra Leone in 1989 and 1990. On more than one occasion she made reference to things she had learned in those long ago training sessions, and she shared her eagerness to learn more at our Njala meeting.  In the early days of the ELCSL, she was a determined and feisty woman among a cadre of male colleagues.  Her dedication to service, to learning, and to the life of the church bore the fruit of her ordination as a pastor in 2006.

Mr. Abdul Collier, lay evangelist from St. Andrew Lutheran Church in the village of Momajo. He is new to this role and among the next generation of ELCSL leaders. He is participating here in a training exercise on the Lutheran liturgy. His quick and heartfelt smile signifies for me a joy and graciousness rooted in faith, even amidst the sorrow of death.

There are many traditional African beliefs and practices related to death and the afterlife which I am learning in these days.  Overall though, I have been most struck by the resonance of the gospel across time and place and culture.  From Corinth to the U.S. to Sierra Leone, the good news of Jesus Christ is the same:   “for this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When this perishable body puts on imperishability, and this mortal body puts on immortality, then the saying this is written will be fulfilled:   Death has been swallowed up in victory.  Where O death is your victory?  Where, O death is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  (1 Corinthians 15:53-57)

Holy Ground

“Our first task in approaching another people, another culture, another religion, is to take off our shoes and walk gently, for the place we are approaching is holy… else we may find ourselves treading on another’s dream.  More serious still, we may forget… that God was there before our arrival.”

A friend sent me this quote many years ago when I was living in the Islamic-Christian-Arab-African context of Sudan.  Since those long ago days I have come across this passage on a number of occasions; it offers simple wisdom for cross cultural living in a new and foreign land.

The choir of St. Anthony Lutheran Church in Yegele. They made their own choir robes patterned on ones sent from the NTNL. The church building is a typical mud brick structure and a work in progress.

When I was in the village of Yegele last week I found myself walking on holy ground, amidst a people of faith sustained and

“Pa Blake” is the founding evangelist for St. Anthony’s Lutheran Church. He is “an old man” and in poor health.  I was moved that he was able to worship with us.

blessed by the abiding spirit of God.   St. Anthony’s Lutheran Church was planted in Yegele some 20 years ago, part of a cluster of 3 congregations established in the area at that time.  This congregation has never been served by an ordained pastor,  but leadership and inspiration have been provided by lay evangelists from the community.  My visit provided the opportunity to celebrate baptisms and holy communion — for the first time ever in that church.

God’s grace was poured out in abundance that morning at St. Anthony’s as I baptized almost the entire congregation:  71 worshippers of all ages!  Then we shared God’s gifts of bread and drink, and God’s people were fed for the first time in their own church home.   It was rich and meaningful to be among  the members of this community of faith and to see the visible signs of God’s presence shared there.   I was speaking English and the evangelist (James Vandy) translated my words into Mende, but the traditions of our faith tell us that water, bread and drink speak the ultimate language of God’s love and forgiveness.  (In the absence of wine for communion, we used a local, red colored cola.)

This transcendent language of God’s grace was spoken that same morning at St. Andrew’s in Momajo (served by Pr. Moses K. Momoh visiting from St. Mark’s in Freetown), and Grace in Jimmi (with Pr. Edward Lavally visiting from King of Glory in Njala).   Altogether, 142 Lutheran Christians were baptized in these  neighboring congregations, and worship that day truly was a foretaste of the feast to come when “a great multitude from all nations, tribes, people’s and languages will gather before the throne and before the Lamb.”  (Rev. 7:9)

Mother and daughter: 2 of 54 baptized by Pastor Moses in Momajo. Same mother and daughter were pictured at the ELCSL assembly in my Sept. 9 posting.