February 29, 2008 – 1:09 am (GMT +5:30) – Guntur, India
Yesterday and today I have spent teaching at the Seminary, 4 periods of 45 minutes each day. We spent a good deal of time on Noah’s Ark and how that particular account applies to eschatology, then some time today also on Jacob and Esau and what we can learn about predestination for that account. So I was a little taken aback when I found out after class today, that we were going to a funeral anniversary and I was going to preach. Just a short sermon Jyothi says, 20 to 30 minutes. Well, that didn’t surprise me as much as it might have. I guess I had been expecting something like this to happen, although I hadn’t been expecting it today. What did surprise me was some of the other things that I found at this anniversary of a death. Basically the idea here is the lady died exactly one year ago, so we have a service at the family’s house, and many of their nonchristian neighbors come as well.
After the service, the family, which was a more affluent family, brought out a box of New Testaments and stacks of cups. This incident more than anything I have seen since arriving brought into full perspective just how poor these people really all. Despite the fact that Nireekshana and Jyothi kept telling them to get in line, they pressed forward jostling one another in an attempt to get one of the gifts. Even after the bibles were gone and we were only giving away simple stainless steel cups they were fighting over them, not fist fights but tugs-of-war with the cup in the middle. There were so many people pressing forward and sticking their hands that I couldn’t even tell most of the time to whom I was handing the gift. It was all just a jumble of hands and arms. And remember these are not children we are talking about but adults of practically every age.
After that was over, than we ate. The hosts at first were afraid to give me the chicken because they thought it would be too spicy for me. They gave me a little piece and said if I liked it they would give me more. Even after I had tasted, and told them I liked it very much I still had a job of it to try to convince them that it wasn’t too spicy for me. Considering all the fuss they made, I was rather disappointed in that it really wasn’t that spicy at all. It was very good, and it did have a little kick, but I have certainly had much spicier in my life.
Tomorrow morning or rather I should say later today we begin our tour of the CLCI churches. The plan is basically to have a service at a different church every day. And when I say service I mean begin at 7:00pm end between 1:00am and 3:00am. At least that is what Nireekshana has told me to expect. If I ever hear someone complaining again about a sermon being too long because it passes the 20 min mark I think I will just laugh at them. The service this night didn’t last as long because it was only a funeral anniversary instead of a normal service. I will have to fill you in on the details of our late night celebrations after I have experience one perhaps later tonight (early tomorrow morning). If it isn’t too late.
May the sureness of our calling and election by the Grace of God be the constant source of joy in all your tribulations and may it cause you each to abound in the praises of God to whom alone belongs glory forever and ever. Amen.
In Christ Jesus,
Your Brother, Matthew Ude