A Celebration of God

January 24, 2010

Day 6

Today I sat in on a Baptist service at the House of Prayer in Harlem. Never before have I witnessed such passion, emotion, and spirituality. It was truly a celebration of God.

The sermon itself was okay. The message given didn't really fit in with my values and my beliefs, but what I appreciated was the intense passion of the pastor. His sermon started off relatively quiet and calm, but as the service progressed, he spoke louder and louder and became more and more energetic. His spirit moved me.

Of course, my favorite part of the service was the New Orleans-style jazz band made up of primarily trombones. The music they created in that room today was incomparable to anything I have ever heard before. It was indescribable; it was moving, inspiring and emotional. I honestly got the chills.

I wasn't the only one moved. There were women in the congregation who were so touched by the music- who felt the Lord so strongly- that they stood up- eyes closed and arms raised- and just danced.

It's interesting to contrast a service like this with services I have been to in the past. I have sat in on a lot of services from many different denominations, and I've noticed throughout the years that many church-goers can be a bit rigid, shy and serious. The solemn faces of those congregations made me feel as if going to church was a chore. But today, as I sat amongst a congregation that was high-spirited and energetic, I felt as if I was part of a celebration.