MY Jesus, MY Savior

Since coming to Shekou over a month ago, I have not attended church.  From time to time, the Internet gods have smile upon me and allowed me to stream sermons from Jacob’s Well back home, I have listened to “worship” music and I have offered prayers of thanks for God’s amazing blessings thus far, but I have yet to worship in an actual church.

Almost three years ago I began attending Jacob’s Well, an “emergent” church located in mid-town Kansas City.  It quickly became my church home.  The community was something that I had never experienced before and I met people who not only challenged me, but also encouraged me to live the life that Christ intended.  When I decided to move to China, this separation was one of the hardest to take on.  But one day in worship I sang the words, “Wherever you go, there will I be” and I believed it. 

The other day a co-worker, Melody, invited me to an event at THE local church, Shekou Fellowship.  I had been fearful of attending the regular church service as I had heard that if you are a visitor, they make you get up and tell where you are from and a bit about yourself… yikes. But this event seemed like a safe bet and I need to get involved in some capacity, so I went.

I knew it would be a shaky start when the first question asked after, “Where are you from?” was “Are you single?”  They are starting a singles ministry and they suggested I go sign up at the table...right over there.   Those of you who know me well know exactly where I didn’t go.

The worship was not like the worship that I am used to.  The music was for sure not the rock stylings of Mike Crawford.  There was choreography involved.  We sang in Chinese at points.  The prayers didn’t sound like the ones I was used to praying. I felt a bit unauthentic and unconnected.  

But it was still one of the most moving experiences.  I was slammed with a truth bomb when the speaker quoted Galatians 3:28- There are neither Jews, nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  She added, “I could also say neither Australians nor Americans, Germans nor Chinese.”  And it was that moment, as I looked around me at the myriad of faces, that it finally occurred to me, in a completely concrete and profound way; Jesus does not belong to me.  He does not belong solely to my community at Jacob’s Well.  America can not stake it’s claim on Christ.  There is an entire world of believers with whom I share a deep and meaningful connection: Australians, Germans, Portuguese, Spanish, Korean, and Chinese. 

We don’t worship in the same way… so what.  As Melody, said earlier in the evening, “It’s not the church that I had at home, but I got over it.  God has great things in store for me and I need to share my gifts here.”  

I hope to be able to do the same thing.  Get over it.  Quit judging.  Become apart of this literal global community and find Christ in China.