Joyful Worship

Introduction

Tendi and I just returned from the Secretariat mission trip to Havana, Cuba.

Outline

1. /// Trip overview

   1. /// Evangelism: Five sites with five GC speakers

   2. /// Painting: We spent several days working with Maranatha to repaint the Mantilla church

   3. /// We spent a day at the seminary and print shop and helped print the fourth quarter mission magazines

   4. /// The Cuban Union leadership appeared to be keen to help us understand the gravity of the current situation in Cuba

   5. /// Ongoing: Due to massive emigration, 40 pastors left Cuba last year. There is an urgent need to replace them, but a lack of funds to operate the seminary. It costs about $500 to pay a student’s way through seminary for a year, including tuition, room, and board. The mission trip team pledged enough to sponsor 10 students for a year, but more is needed. If you would like to help, please get in touch with me.

2. Focus: Worship

   1. /// In Cuba I saw a sincerity of worship that I don’t often see. It stems from a faith that sees God’s mighty work.

      1. /// Cardenas church:

         1. Very few new church buildings can be constructed in Cuba because the government rarely grants permission to build churches.

         2. Nevertheless, Maranatha believed that they would be able to build a new church in Cardenas, and they wanted to build a really nice one. They arrived on-site with their crew, but things didn’t work out as planned. The permission they expected was denied, and the expected funding fell through.

         3. The Maranatha team had the difficult task of standing before the congregation and breaking the sad news. Loud weeping broke out throughout the congregation.

         4. The Maranatha leader suggested to the congregation that they should pray. A little girl of perhaps 7 came to the front to pray. Her prayer was simply, “Thank you for our new church!”

         5. The meeting ended. One of the ladies on the Maranatha trip called her husband, who agreed to fund the entire cost of building the church. Meanwhile, the government reversed course and granted permission to build the church.

      2. /// Conference president’s daughter:

         1. The Central Conference treasurer’s younger daughter was diagnosed with leukemia.

         2. Treatment wasn’t available where they lived, so the treasurer was transfered to the West Conference in Havana. While some treatment was available there, it was minimal at best.

         3. We didn’t hear the details—or at least they weren’t shared in English—but the daughter was miraculously healed and is currently in Gilette at the Pathfinder camporee—one of the very few Cubans who was able to go.

      3. /// There are many other stories of how God intervened in the Cuban church, from providing funds to pay an enormous fine levied with the intention of shutting the church down, to keeping many young people in the church despite Adventist education being illegal (and the Adventist church is the only church with lots of young people), to preventing a government spy from attending our morning worship until the closing song.

   2. This all seemed to translate into a vibrant faith and passionate worship that inspired me. /// (Listen to music)

3. /// Baptism video

   1. At my church, there were 9 scheduled baptisms. Afterwards, the pastor made an impassioned appeal for one more baptism. After some time, a man came forward. The shouts of “amen” and “gloria a Dios” were deafening—I doubt that a stadium full of fans whose team has just won a championship could be louder.

   2. Unfortunately, I wasn’t recording as the man came up to the front, his wife joyfully celebrating. He was ushered to the back room for immediate baptism, and by this time I had gotten my camera up to record the joyful celebration that occurs when one sinner comes to Jesus.

   3. /// Watch video

4. /// Stand and sing along with the closing song