Ebenezer Baptist Church

I have just been to one of the most beautiful church services I've ever experienced. It was beautiful not because of how the building looked, or because of how the music sounded (although I did enjoy it), or for any external reason - it was beautiful because of the Spirit of God present among us and within us, and because of the sense of welcome and community I felt.


We began by singing some worship songs in a modern style. These gradually gave way onto a period of silence, infused by the Holy Spirit. To my great surprise, an individual suddenly began to sing. He wasn't singing in English - I didn't recognise what the language was - but I did recognise the recurring word Iesu. The style of the song was somewhat reminiscent of a monastic chant. After some time he began to sing in English, translating what were praises to Jesus. After that, other people spoke, or sang, what was in their hearts. Sometimes we all joined in, and sometimes we didn't. We waited on God. It was beautiful.


After a time the band began to play again and somebody read from the Bible over the music. Then came a talk about the importance, and the difficulty, of using the gifts God has given us to serve him. It's not always easy, and it's often demanding. Sometimes what we have to do can scare us. But this is how we serve our Lord. It's not about setting up a comfortable life, a comfortable church, for ourselves. It's about being obedient and showing God's love to the world.


At the end of the service, there was conversation galore! Indeed, before the service had even ended, one of the elders approached me and surprised me greatly (in a good way!) by asking whether I might be willing to come on the Alpha course the church is about to run, not as a guest, but to help out. They were in need of volunteers around my age, and had been praying about it in the afternoon. I was (and am!) terribly excited - I know that God has reasons for my being in Scarborough other than the PGCE I'm about to start, and though of course I will ensure that I give my studies all the energy they demand, I know that if God wants me to be doing other things too he'll give me the extra energy I need for that. I was made to feel even more welcome (and even more excited!) by chatting with some other church members, being generally invited to the stuff that goes on at Ebenezer - and even being given a lift home by a very kind lady called Helen.


I am delighted to feel so much part of things already. It seems that this is the beginning of God's wonderful answer to many of my prayers: prayers about how to serve him; prayers for opportunities to love people practically; prayers about community; prayers that I would find people in Scarborough to be with; prayers that he would guide me to the right place. Thank you Lord!