Newsletter May 2014

My godson, Benjamin Swanson, and his wife are wrapping up a two year stint with the Peace Corps in Liberia which is in west Africa.  For the next few months I am giving this space over to their description of the Christian church in Africa.  Maybe we can learn something.   Read the blog and see the pictures at http://kingswan.wordpress.com/                                   –Pastor Halverson

Liberia is a religious place. Ninety-five percent of the nation is Christian, and it shows. Churches are everywhere in Liberia with new ones springing up daily. Everything from professional meetings to taxi rides start with a group prayer. Inquiries of “How are you?” are met with the standard, “Thank God!” Religion is prevalent through all aspects of the culture, including school, government, and daily life. (The other five percent is mostly Muslim with a smattering of other world religions.)

Church-going is one of the most culturally-rich activities in Liberia. Church is a lively, loud, and colorful place. Compared to a more reserved American style, the Liberian setting can be a little startling at first. And there’s no testing the waters. You have to jump right in. In a western religious service, you can be a quiet, anonymous observer. If you are visiting a Liberian church for the first time, there’s no hiding. As a guest, you are asked to stand, state your name, your home church, your position at the church, and the name of the person who invited you. Then, a lengthy “welcome song” starts. The whole church filters past each of the guests, shaking hands and singing, “You gotta find somebody, tell them that you love them. Put your hands together and praise the Lord!”

Sunday is always a big day in Liberia. Church starts around eleven o’clock in the morning and never before ten. All the day’s chores must be finished before coming to service. Water is hauled, markets are visited, and food is cooked – all before church. Church services last, on average, two hours and thirty minutes. The shortest service we ever attended was ninety minutes. The longest went four hours, thirty minutes. Angie once attended a service with our host family where she and the family left mid-way through the service to go eat lunch. After eating, they came back to their same seats and rejoined the congregation. Nobody seemed to bat an eye. The length of church can seem daunting to those accustomed to sixty-minute services. But for those living a life full of hard work and little luxury, church means something more than just spirituality. Church is a time of entertainment, learning, socializing, rest, relaxation, and fun.

Churches are fairly simple buildings. They are generally one large room built from cement blocks. There are no atria, social halls, or office spaces. The roof is usually corrugated tin (which leaves people straining to hear the sermon during a rainfall). Some churches are decidedly more simple – bamboo poles or mud brick. The style of seating can vary between churches. The more affluent churches use plastic patio chairs for seating. A step down from these are the standard, unpadded wooden church pews. Lowest on the ladder are rough-hewn, backless wooden benches.

During worship services, a typical sanctuary is divided up into several sections. The main seating is divided into three. Men sit on one side, women sit on the other. In the middle is a mixture of men, women, and a few children. Most children attend Sunday school during the worship service. When Angie and I attend church together, we sit in the middle section. When we attend separately, we gravitate to the section of our respective genders. Angie claims the womens’ section “is where the party is at.” In front of the women sit the Missionaries in their white blouses and head wraps. These are the elder women in the church. Across from the Missionaries sit the Deacons – the elder men in the church. In the front of the church is a raised platform. On the platform sit the choirs and the multiple Pastors. Having a position in the church is important, and the seating reflects your status.
            When people arrive at church, they are dressed in their finest. Women wear full lappa suits. Lappa refers to the colorful printed fabric that is available all over West Africa. Local tailors fashion matching skirts, tops, and head wraps for churchgoers. Men wear their equivalent lappa shirts and trousers. Children wear their “Sunday Best” suits or dresses. All clothes are spotless and wrinkle-free. (Clothes are pressed that morning using a hot, charcoal-filled iron.) Women cover their hair inside the church. Some women use scarves. Others use lappa as head wraps. Some wear large, ornate hats that, elsewhere, would elicit shouts of, “down in front!” Those who need a modest solution will pin a washcloth, doily, or napkin to their head.           More next month…..