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<\/p>\n\u201cMWC brings people from different cultural backgrounds together into one basket,\u201d says Bishop Simon Okoth of Mennonite Church Uganda. <\/p>\n
A chance airport encounter allowed Simon Okoth to bring that cultural mixing to Mennonite congregations in his country. <\/p>\n
Departing Semarang after Assembly, Rashard Allen recognized Simon Okoth by his event lanyard. And Simon Okoth recognized Rashard Allan, director of music and worship at Neffsville Mennonite Church in Pennsylvania, USA, who was part of the international ensemble for Assembly 17. <\/p>\n
\u201cI was touched by the way he was singing and the way the international choir presented their songs,\u201d says Simon Okoth who recognized Rashard Allen from the stage. <\/p>\n
Their boarding-lounge conversation ended with an invitation to Uganda. <\/p>\n
Over WhatsApp, the Ugandan church leader and the American worship director made plans. In January 2023, Rashard Allen (doctor of worship studies from the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies) would conduct two three-day seminars for Mennonite congregations in rural Uganda. <\/p>\n
\u201cWorship is a holy conversation,\u201d says Rashard Allen. His goal was to help participants \u201cto worship plan so we can worship with greater understanding and so congregations can worship with greater intention.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cThe people were proud as Mennonites to see a Mennonite from a distant land coming to join them in worship, in fellowship and to guide them in understanding worship,\u201d says Simon Okoth. <\/p>\n
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\u201cI was struck by people\u2019s faith\u2026. And by their talent in terms of ministry and musicality,\u201d says Rashard Allen. With a few parameters, participants separated into groups to compose a song from a psalm. \u201cThe songs they came back with were remarkable: they were songs they could starting using immediately in their churches. It was a wonderful blessing for me to see.\u201d <\/p>\n
He also gave concerts of African American sacred music. \u201cBeing able to share that part of the African diaspora was a major blessing.\u201d <\/p>\n
Singing can take more than an hour at the beginning of a worship service in Uganda and another period at the end. \u201cIt is the moment when we get to meet,\u201d says Simon Okoth. \u201cWhat tunes our minds, what subjects us to the feeling of God is the singing.\u201d <\/p>\n
In one congregation, people match their singing to background instrumentals from a cellphone plugged into a speaker. In another, a talented preteen supplies a drum kit, melody and bass line from a keyboard, \u201clike he\u2019s been there for 20 years,\u201d says Rashard Allen. Another congregation sings acapella with accompaniment from three large drums. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe sense of joy they bring when they sing and dance is rather striking to me,\u201d says Rashard Allen. \u201cThey sing in 3 or 4 different languages: they know the songs, they know the meaning, and they sing with gusto.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cMWC is doing a good job when you bring us together,\u201d says Simon Okoth. \u201cWe are able to study the culture, to interface, to bond freely.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cWe are uniquely imprinted with image of God. So for us to experience the fullness of the kingdom of God, we need to know one another as much as we are able,\u201d says Rashard Allen. <\/p>\n
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\u201cI love that MWC regards everyone as equals: there is no hierarchy, no sense of paternalism or patronizing,\u201d he says. MWC connects people, helping create opportunities for \u201ccross cultural exchanges, singing one another\u2019s songs, not just exporting [one] culture\u2019s songs; mutual sharing with each other.\u201d <\/p>\n
Singing from the international songbook in 15 different languages at Assembly is \u201ca piece of what heaven must be like. We get a deeper understanding of one another\u2019s cultures\u2026.what is important to them in their faith\u2026what they experience through their songs,\u201d says Rashard Allen. <\/p>\n
Meeting Mennonites from around the world through MWC events, \u201cbrings into our mind the oneness in creation, despite the fact that we live in different geographical locations, we speak different dialects or tongues, God is still one,\u201d says Simon Okoth. \u201cMWC bringing us together is one way of confirming that we are good creation of God.\u201d <\/p>\n
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\u201cMWC brings people from different cultural backgrounds together into one basket,\u201d says Bishop Simon Okoth of Mennonite Church Uganda. A chance airport encounter allowed Simon Okoth to bring that cultural mixing to Mennonite congregations in his country. Departing Semarang after Assembly, Rashard Allen recognized Simon Okoth by his event lanyard. And Simon Okoth recognized Rashard […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11279,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"network":[],"eventcategory":[],"class_list":["post-8073","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n