Last Sunday I attended a Nigerian immigrant church in the heart of Los Angeles for a school paper. I really didn't know what to expect, but it was a rich and rewarding experience. The church was small, only about 30 people, and I have a feeling that we were the first white guests to spontaneously pop into the little run-down room they use as a church. We were warmly welcomed and celebrated as visitors, and I felt much more at home there than at most Western churches I visit where it usually takes a few months for people to talk to you. Let me highlight a few of my favorite moments:
- One man who was giving the announcements asked any visitors to raise their hands(of course, my friend and I were the only ones that did). They then broke out into a song that began, "We love our family..." and each person danced past us, hugging us or shaking our hand.
-Their music was all leftover 80's and 90's American worship choruses, yet they had changed the feel of them into their own distinctive style. It was exciting worship!
-The giving of tithes was an experience in itself (Praise God I had some money in my pocket). Everyone who was giving tithe came up to the front, blessings were said, and then a celebratory African song was played while everyone danced(literally) up to a large gold cauldron and put their tithe in.
-During the sermon, one of the choir members was nodding off- consequently, one of the ushers came and stood sternly over him until his eyes opened. I almost laughed out loud at his sheepish look.
-Afterwards, we were ushered into a small back room and fed as many grapes and bananas as we could stomach. Everybody was so amazed that we had come and begged us to come back.
-The pastor, a woman with a powerful spiritual presence, was reluctant to let our hands go when we were saying good-bye.
All in all, I think if that church was closer to my house, I would go back. It felt so good to be worshipping in a new culture!
