The Body

One of the great joys of traveling the world is to unite with the Body of Christ.  Sunday AM we worshiped with a sweet congregation and with the students along on Summer Mission.  The songs are American, translated into Italian.  The sermon had been translated into English and written into a nice outline that allowed us to follow along.  Everyone was very welcoming.

After the second song, we were well along into the service.  I turned around to see everyone.  It was a beautiful sight to behold.  There were young and old, dark skinned and light, new believers and veterans, from who knows how many countries!  

My eyes filled with tears. 

What a beautiful sight!

That evening, in a smaller, and somewhat older evangelical congregation, I tried to track along, with less success.  We took communion together, both services, and we sang.  This congregation preferred hymns, one familiar, one not, to choruses.  Regardless of language barriers, of cultural barriers, of customs and traditions (both communions used my preferred- wine), these were without doubt, my brothers and sisters in the Christ.

How beautiful to KNOW they are there, there in pagan Rome.  How comforting to know that both congregations are salt and light.  They are small flames, but they are bringing light to a vast darkness.

What a privilege to know they are there. What a beautiful thing it will be one day when we are united in heaven.

What a beautiful sight that will be!