Behind the scenes

Behind the scenes

Our family worshiped in Epau Village this past Sunday, and it was once again great to be with these brethren.  I wish every American Christian could spend at least one Sunday of their lives worshiping with Christians in the village - it’s such a neat experience.

One of the things that particularly “struck me” this visit was the tireless work of one of the Epau Christians - Kolin.  He is one of the quietest people you’ll ever meet, and is totally petrified by the idea of speaking (in any capacity) before a crowd.  Thus, he is not a leader in the traditional sense of the word.  I can remember one occasion where I asked him to lead a song during a training session - even the expression “deer-in-the-headlights” falls short of describing his reaction.

Does this fact mean that Kolin doesn’t have anything to offer the body?  Absolutely not.  Every Sunday (and I mean every Sunday), Kolin is the one who unlocks the door to the building, sets out the mats for people to sit on, prepares the Lord’s supper and distributes the songbooks.  Then, at the appropriate time, he rings the bell to let everyone know that it is nearing the time to assemble [see photo below].  During worship Kolin is usually selected to pass the plates for the Lord’s supper or the collection.  Following worship, Kolin and another Christian count the collection and Kolin then writes the total on the blackboard.  Last but not least, he cleans up the items used in the Lord’s supper.  Additionally, he is well-known throughout the village as being a hard worker and a big help to his family.

I just thought that was an excellent example of using your talents for the Lord.  Of course, it doesn’t have to be something associated with the assembly time, but it’s important that we Christians ask ourselves on a regular basis, “how am I using my talents and resources to bless God’s kingdom?”  Think about it, and look for opportunities to serve!

If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?  But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired (1 Corinthians 12:17-18)