Easter Sunday

What a great day Easter was this year. Easter is an important holiday here in Brazil and one that usually allows for people to leave the city. Most people that can travel to be with family or get out the city during Easter leaving Savlador a little quiter and calmer for a few days, which I must admit I enjoy. Because so many people travel, our services for Easter are generally a little smaller as was the case this year with only about 35 or 40 people present on Sunday morning. The smaller number has actually been a blessing for our church these last several years.

As is becoming our custom we took the opportunity to do part of our worship around tables. (I mean think about, when was the last time you worshiped God as a church family looking at your church family rather than the song leader. It is quite a blessing to see one another while we worship our God.) So for this week, while our numbers are smaller, we take time to worship God in song and the celebrate communion as a family that sees one another. Around our tables we sing songs and we also break bread talking to one another about who Christ is and what His death and life mean to each of us.

As if that was not enough, when we finished celebrating communion together we then all turned back to the front as one of our members presented us with God's Word for the day. In this year we are trying to actively do more training of our members both in and out of our services, and with all training, were we begin is not necessarily where we hope to end. This wasn't the case with Gabriel and God's Word this Sunday, though. As he preached I was awe of the gifting God had placed on him and the blessing I received in hearing him take God's Word and help it come to life for the day.

It was truly a great day and one I wish all could experience.