Not A FanShembull

Power Down to Power Up

I’ll never forget the first time I went to a church service in Haiti. I had heard from other friends who had gone on similar mission trips about worship services lasting four to six hours. Most people walked to get there, and once they arrived, they would stand crowded together in un-air-conditioned buildings. No coffee, tea, or doughnuts after the service, either.

I was impressed with that level of commitment. Most preachers here in the States would tell you that they start losing people if the church service goes much longer than an hour. There’s also the pressure of making sure that hour is filled with enough song and dance and multimedia to captivate the congregation. Can you imagine the members of your church leaving home an hour early in order to walk to the church, staying there for half the day, and then trudging back home under the hot afternoon sun? It seems pretty far-fetched.

So when I got to Haiti, I spoke to the local Haitian pastor about the time differences in our services. I asked, “What is it about the Haitian people that keeps them worshiping at church for so many hours?” It really was a mystery to me, and I was hoping for a profound answer that would redefine my ecclesiology.

He laughed and replied, “In Haiti, we have nothing else to do.”

I laughed with him, but then I was almost immediately struck by the weight of his answer. They didn’t have televisions, radios, smartphones, laptops, tablets, or movie theaters. The Lord God didn’t have much competition. And then I realized the implications of that truth.

The psalmist observed that God leads us beside quiet waters (Ps. 23:2). The prophet Jeremiah knew that it is good to wait quietly for the Lord (Lam. 3:26). Jesus invites us to get away with him to a quiet place where we’ll find rest (Mark 6:31). God himself says it this way: “Be still, and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10).

What if you eliminate God’s competition, just for a test, and see what happens? Turn off the TV. Log off Facebook. Turn down the music. Unplug the game console. And turn your eyes to the Lord.