"Tab is in the house!"

A few more reflections on Wednesday night worship at Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church in D'Iberville, Mississippi (near Biloxi): The first photo is of their Senior Pastor, Dr. Kenneth Davis and Pastor Natalie Shiras (UCC church in MA), shortly following the service. "Tab" was descimated by the Katrina storm surge and the congregation has just now moved into their newly refurbished sanctuary and office buildings. We joined them on the third night of their annual revival, featuring guest preacher Dr. Joel Taylor from Chicago, who was a dynamic and challenging speaker in true "black preaching" style. I had expected a fundatmentalist type theological message, but was intrigued to hear a powerful and progressive interpretation of the Gospel message inviting us to consider the role of both failure and success in our lives as followers of Jesus.

In the middle of the service, Pastor Davis excitedly commented on the high energy and joy in the worship service by exclaiming "Tab is in the HOUSE!" Much hooting and clapping, "Amen, Brother" and "praise God" followed this comment, and I marveled at the conversation that went on between congregation and preachers through the whole service. The preacher invites the response of the people throughout the sermon, and the people reply with gusto. All of us in our visiting group of volunteers are from white, United Church of Christ churches of Congregational tradition (both reserved Scandinavian and New England types), where our preaching is typically more "heady" and restrained, and the congregation sits in polite silence! In the African American churches, the preaching "event" is more of an attentive and lively dialogue between the preacher and congregation. I find this focus on "experiencing" God's power in worship, instead of just "thinking about" God, to be very compelling.

The other photo is of Chris, Pastor Don Morgan and Dave (from Lenox, MA) as they practiced in our volunteer's trailer at Back Bay Mission right before the service. Don and Dave did a great duet on the "He's an On-Time God" number while Chris backed us all up on the piano. I too felt hestitant to share what seemed to be our meager musical offering. Yet, as we began to sing, I could hear the choir stand up behind us and start singing and watched as the congregation stood up and sang, and all of a sudden I was singing in "surround sound."

Near the end of the service, Natalie presented the Pastor with a stack of 3x5 cards, upon which her UCC congregation in Lenox had written prayers for people who had suffered through Hurricane Katrina. The Pastor inivited all those who had most their homes in the storm surge to come forward to receive one of the prayer cards, and he began reading them as he handed them out. We were moved to tears as we heard the simple words of hope and encouragement written by Natalie's congregation. She had brought 40 cards and 39 people came forward, leaving one left for the Pastor who himself had lost his home. He had apparently spent the first 5 days after the storm, before Red Cross or other aide arrived, traveling with water and gasoline to homes of his elderly and stranded parishioners.

I was deeply moved by the service, by people's ability to experience joy even as they still move through horrendous times, and by their conviction that the storm was an opportunity for a deeper connection with God. -Anne