Upside down service

Yesterday I went to the youth meeting at church. Usually I stay at home and my husband sometimes goes depending on whether he plays the percussion or not. Yesterday was however a very special meeting and my mother-in-law gracefully offered to stay with the kids so that we both could go.

The service was called "Upside down" and everyone was asked to wear their clothes turned upside down. The inside of the church had been turned around so that people were facing the door instead of the back wall. We started the service by wishinig each other a good night and a blessed weekend as if we were already leaving church. There was some very good praise and worship and a few testimonies from ex-trafficers and drug users whose lives God has turned upside down.

The sermon was on Daniel 1. The pastor highlighted the fact that Daniel was taken away from his country, his people and his customs. Yet he was able to continue serving God and keeping his integrity in the middle of the pressure from other customs and a different way of life. God has turned our lives upside down, too and we should keep that in mind in our daily lives. It is possible for a christian to lead a life that pleases God and still be a part of the community outside the church.

Some people also shared that they had felt embarrassed having to leave their houses with their clothes the wrong way but as they got to church they had felt more at ease as everyone else was dressed like that, too. And that's true in our lives every day. We often feel embarrassed or awkward for not wanting to participate in some of the things of the world but when we get together with brothers and sister in Christ we feel at ease because they're "awkward" in the same way we are :) Hence the importance of unity among believers.

This morning I taught Sunday School again. We looked at why Jesus was going to Jerusalem and I told them about the Jewish Passover traditions that are observed even today. It seemed to be all very new to them and the kids were interested and participated well in everything. I have a nice crafting in mind for next Sunday and I'll share it in time so that anyone interested can do it on Sunday, too.