As I look at the photos, hitting next again and again, tears roll down my face and I realize how much I miss this.
I remember when I first walked into this place on a sunny afternoon around 1pm. It didn't appear anything like what I was looking for. The only thing that made me feel that I was in the correct address was the CROSS outside... It was dusty and little dark inside.. I look to the left and the right trying to make an eye contact with someone who can answer my questions. Then I look straight to this huge person, I hesitated a little, but he smiled at me looking straight into my eyes. I walked directly to him with half a smile on my face.
Me: 'Hi'
He: 'Hi'
Me: 'Bethel AG?'.
He: 'Yes, I'm Ps.Danny'.
Me: 'Service?' (What is a service? That is what I was told by my friend to ask in the church for mass time)
He: 'Oh! Its over. Here is the card and the service timings are on it' again with a big smile giving me more details on the service.
Me: 'Ok, Thank You!' I didn't want to talk anymore. I'm not like the ones who are confident to ask lot of questions in the first meeting.
I looked around to see if there are some benches like the ones in Catholic churches so that I could kneel and prayer a while, but all the chairs were stacked and someone was cleaning the place. I walked out to the sunny ground. Didn't know what to do. Was this the place I was looking for?
Rode back to home, didn't know what to do next. However next sunday I was there for Kannada service. Few Sundays I attended the Kannada service. Then one day I moved to English service, they asked the new comers to stand and I did. They asked us to move out to a particular area where this beautiful lady met me and 2 more girls. We gave a brief on our background and prayer request and she prayed for us individually. I don't remember what was my prayer request but when she prayed for me, I couldn't stop crying. When I left the place didn't know what I felt..... Fast forward few years... I joined bible study... few years later was volunteering in church, made so many friends.. Not the kind who would say hi-bye or wish you once in a year on your birthday, but the kind who knelt and prayed and cried for you. Made me a part of their daily prayer life.
The place which I wasn't sure was the right place for me, made space for a person like me. They prayed, inspired and loved me. A pastor( Pastor in charge) who taught the word- as is, he understands you even before you say a word, a worship team who taught me to raise hands, to kneel and cry before God, Pastors who dealt with me personally, helped me in the study of the word, who guided me, friends who laughed, cried and loved me. God found this place for me which provided everything that I needed and much more.
Now as I look through the photos in the church website, I see hundreds of people, raising hands, kneeling, crying, laughing and worshiping the GOD ALMIGHTY. This place has place for every sinner.. tattooed or clean washed up body, covering your head or with fancy hairdo, with lipstick or sweaty shirts, in jeans or saree, in high heels or with a cane... God did not come to save the righteous but the sinners... And this place welcomes you with the same attitude. God is working on each individual, shaping, crafting and transforming them to be more like Christ. This church helps you reach that final stage.
I know each one who has been a part of this church will call it a place of worship- HOME.
Bethel AG, I miss you!
I remember when I first walked into this place on a sunny afternoon around 1pm. It didn't appear anything like what I was looking for. The only thing that made me feel that I was in the correct address was the CROSS outside... It was dusty and little dark inside.. I look to the left and the right trying to make an eye contact with someone who can answer my questions. Then I look straight to this huge person, I hesitated a little, but he smiled at me looking straight into my eyes. I walked directly to him with half a smile on my face.
Me: 'Hi'
He: 'Hi'
Me: 'Bethel AG?'.
He: 'Yes, I'm Ps.Danny'.
Me: 'Service?' (What is a service? That is what I was told by my friend to ask in the church for mass time)
He: 'Oh! Its over. Here is the card and the service timings are on it' again with a big smile giving me more details on the service.
Me: 'Ok, Thank You!' I didn't want to talk anymore. I'm not like the ones who are confident to ask lot of questions in the first meeting.
I looked around to see if there are some benches like the ones in Catholic churches so that I could kneel and prayer a while, but all the chairs were stacked and someone was cleaning the place. I walked out to the sunny ground. Didn't know what to do. Was this the place I was looking for?
Rode back to home, didn't know what to do next. However next sunday I was there for Kannada service. Few Sundays I attended the Kannada service. Then one day I moved to English service, they asked the new comers to stand and I did. They asked us to move out to a particular area where this beautiful lady met me and 2 more girls. We gave a brief on our background and prayer request and she prayed for us individually. I don't remember what was my prayer request but when she prayed for me, I couldn't stop crying. When I left the place didn't know what I felt..... Fast forward few years... I joined bible study... few years later was volunteering in church, made so many friends.. Not the kind who would say hi-bye or wish you once in a year on your birthday, but the kind who knelt and prayed and cried for you. Made me a part of their daily prayer life.
The place which I wasn't sure was the right place for me, made space for a person like me. They prayed, inspired and loved me. A pastor( Pastor in charge) who taught the word- as is, he understands you even before you say a word, a worship team who taught me to raise hands, to kneel and cry before God, Pastors who dealt with me personally, helped me in the study of the word, who guided me, friends who laughed, cried and loved me. God found this place for me which provided everything that I needed and much more.
Now as I look through the photos in the church website, I see hundreds of people, raising hands, kneeling, crying, laughing and worshiping the GOD ALMIGHTY. This place has place for every sinner.. tattooed or clean washed up body, covering your head or with fancy hairdo, with lipstick or sweaty shirts, in jeans or saree, in high heels or with a cane... God did not come to save the righteous but the sinners... And this place welcomes you with the same attitude. God is working on each individual, shaping, crafting and transforming them to be more like Christ. This church helps you reach that final stage.
I know each one who has been a part of this church will call it a place of worship- HOME.
Bethel AG, I miss you!
