I think I already mentioned once that I got in to a discussion last year with a couple people over what indicates human advancement. In other words when is it fair to say of a social community no matter how large or small, they are advanced, developed, modern, fresh etc. I have decided there is one simple test: Are the people willing, able and automatically conditioned to with patience QUEUE, ie stand in line. Some might argue this is a cultural phenomenon vacillating on the basis of historical and natural conditions. But then again there are people who are always turning lights off, even when it is dark out. Someday the world will learn it is good and enlightened to queue, AND it is good healthy and enlightened to have as much light as is reasonably possible.
I’m at the airport, which is a place which should be full of lines hence the above ummm creative writing exercise. Usually the customs officials in Nigeria are surprised by the fact that I have a Nigerian last name. Occasionally they want to know if I am Nigerian. Today the custom official had the same last name, and decide that he would try to use it to migrate to Germany.
Earlier today we had church here in Lagos with Mike Essien and Pastor Essien Michael. The total attendance including myself was 6, but only because they had not held services the previous week due to Pastor E. E. Essien’s funeral and no one realized that Pastor Michael was back. Because we are in the big city ( Lagos is nearly 20 million ) the services were held in English and the Hymns and liturgy were straight out of TLH. And when I say the hymns and the liturgy I mean, the liturgy and the WORDS of the Hymns. The hymn melodies I’m quite certain bore no resemblance to the melody in the hymnal. Hardly a surprise and certainly not a problem. We just sing two or three notes of our choosing and then slip into a chant like singing on the same note for the rest of the line.
The church here was excited to be coming up on the third joint service with Togo, Ghana and Bayelsa. I think once they went with Bayelsa church to Togo and once some of the Togo and Ghana people came to Bayelsa. Now they are planning a third joint service for Sept 5 in Togo.
What I learned in church today. The president of Nigeria is Jonathan. I asked Mike Essien his name and was expecting something really hard and very Nigerian, like Otumo Auguyadie. Jonathan was a pleasant surprise. It made talking about him in the sermon quite a bit easier.
Praise and thanks to the Lord I have made it in and now out of Nigeria without incident despite the current rise in kidnappings and one such attempt on my own person this last week. Forward to Ghana and Togo, where we will be having a week of classes with around 10 pastors from the area.
– Matthew Ude