First Church Service in Israel

I was invited to attend the bible study at the Church of the Nazarene in Nazareth on Friday nite. It was interesting! I arrived a little early, and was warmly greeted by the pastor and his associate. They stated the study would start in about 15 minutes or thereabout, . . well this is Nazareth and things don't always start on time! I went back outside, and loved the warm, dry air, as I sat down at a picnic table, not far from a huge brick outdoor BBQ. Many of those arriving came to shake my hand and introduce themselves. Re-entering the auditorium, I was instructed to sit near the back as someone would translate for me. Sure enough, as the worship leader talked in Arabic, English was spoken into my ear by a gentleman seated right behind me. Everything was the same but very different. The worship team sang enthusiastically with three vocalists, a keyboard, and drums. the projected lyrics were all in Arabic. Someone described Arabic as 'lots of swirls and smiley faces'. In addition the words are written from right to left, rather than left to right! Not that I could read it anyway. Of the half dozen songs the congregation sang, I only recognized the tune of 'Above All' The volume of music filled the room, could even be described as loud, and the keyboardist was very adept at adding an arabic music style touch. The congregation was quite engaged, with singing, clapping, and raising their hands. The pastor then opened his Bible and spoke about the Book of Revelation, starting with a brief introduction, and then plunging right into the letters to the seven churches and their dire warnings. After his presentation, which mainly consisted of comments on the verses he read, there was a prayer, then dismissal for a thimbleful of espresso coffee back in the courtyard with the BBQ. What truly amazed me was that in the discussion which followed, Huesam offered me a ride back to my digs even though it meant an extra trip to get his family all home. What intrigued me most about the evening was the fact that the church was comfortably filled with an even mixture of young and old, men and women, on a Friday night. Sunday worship is tomorrow, and I look forward to meeting my new acquaintances, and seeing what how they are at Sunday worship!