On a Sunday Morning
I woke up early this morning - 6.00 am - at the incessant ringing of my handphone alarm that I left on the study table, away from the bed. It was going to be my first visit to the Tamil Methodist church here in Kuantan, where worship begins at 7.00 am. A a family friend in Kluang introduced the pastor of this church to me, and he assured me that the service was bilingual. Furthermore, the pastor and some of the church members have been exceptionally nice and helpful to me (as far as accomodation and transport to church is concerned), which in turn creates in me an eagerness to visit the church. So, here was I. I could not ask for more.
It never crossed my mind to attend a Tamil speaking church over here, a Methodist one for that matter. If possible, I had wanted to join an English speaking congregation for worship, preferably an Assemblies of God (AOG). Not that I'm biased against other denominations - just a preference. My home church is not an AOG, but a Tamil speaking charismatic church called Advent Christian Church (not to be confused with the 7th Day Adventist).
Anyway, I wondered how the service was going to be conducted as I had never attended a Methodist service before. I took my my seat in the second pew right at the front of the pulpit ( my university friends probably wouldn't be surprised, as the second row was always my favourite during lectures). But this was a totally different situation. I had no intention of being in the forefront during my first visit, but I had no choice. The aunty whom I came with led the way and ushered me beside her.
I thought that the service would be conducted in a solemn and orthodox atmosphere, but I was surprised at how similar everything was conducted; the worship, the message, the offertory etc..(except for a couple of rising and sitting, and reading of verses alternately, as in the Roman Catholic church). It was a pleasure being part of the worship. A mixture of old hymns gave me a peaceful feeling of being in times of the past, and the new songs with contemporary beats felt very alive. The worship team worshipped with great enthusiasm, facial and bodily expressions. Very charismatic for a Methodist church, I thought to myself. The sermon which was biligual was presented with a sense of humour. I felt wonderful to be in the presence of the Lord together with His people ; to be able to attend service again after weeks of having to miss it.
After the service, the congregation proceeded to the back of the church for a 'ground-breaking' ceremony. A new church was going to be built and we had prayers of dedication of the ground. Shortly after that, breakfast was served. It was then that a few members came and spoke to me, and gave me a shocking 'revelation'. When I first came to Pahang, I really thought that I knew no one. But here, I was told that somehow or rather, more than half of this church members (congregation size - around 250 people) are related to each other, and so am I to them through the marriage of my mother's cousin to one of the members' sister. What a small world!
I stood in a shady corner, under the branches of a sturdy tree, to savour the breakfast served - 'iddiapam' (indian 'thunder bread' - the one which looks like pieces of white thread made into a pancake) and a piece of 'laddu' (a yellow, indian sweet). I questioned myself whether I should go and socialize with the rest, but everyone seemed to have their own clique, talking and joking away happily. I didn't want to intrude. Besides, scoring several points pointing towards introversion, I felt contented to be left alone to observe people and their behaviour, rather than indulge in small-talk. I mentally tried to guess people's age, marital status, occupation etc.
As the wind blowed against my face, I recollected my university days when Stephanie and I were hunting for a church to attend regularly. The first chruch we attended was an AOG where we worshipped for a year. After than, we decided to attend the Straits Baptist church where our dear friend, Chin Nee, was attending. There, we were greeted with so many smiles and showered with care; truly we fell in love with the people there. We enjoyed the Young Adults Bible study and all, and we found it difficult to say goodbye when we finally found a church that matched our personal beliefs, where we felt we fitted in. It was an AOG, and there we worshipped till we graduated.
In my years throughout university, I've also attended and associated with the Anglican and Roman Catholic churche. I learnt to appreciate the differences between denominations and also our unity through Christ. Back at home, I attended the Young Adults fellowship of a Presbyterian church. Now, I'll have the Methodist to add to the list:) But here, I really missed having Stephanie around to attend a service for the first time; a familiar face in a strange place. Someone to discuss thoughts over after service.
While my mind played short movies of flashbacks, I was interrupted by a cheerful looking young man who came over to introduce himself to me. Turns out that this 18 year-old-lad is the Youth Leader of this church, and he invited me to join their meeting right after breakfast. The age range for members is 15-27. Actually, the aunty that I'm temporarily staying and attending church with had another meeting to attend after breakfast - Local Conference - which shuold last till around 1.00 pm. My watch showed 10.00 am. Considering that I was indeed very free too, I was elated at the invitation. It was a good experience, having fellowship with the youth. I got acquianted with several other young adults, who were surprised to know that I was already working, because they thought that I hadn't reached beyond my teens (as if this is new:P, but actually I don't think I look that young). The youth meeting did not last very long, and was adjourned due to the need for the youth committee members to participate in the Local Conference that was already going on. After a short chit with the remaining members, I took my leave (while the others began to take theirs) from our gathering place to find something else to do.
I returned to the worship hall and sat on a garden bench, with my face towards the tinted glass door. Another service was going on inside the church now. I had thought of attending the service but decided against entering the hall just yet since the whole congregation seemed to consists of only Chinese members. I wasn't sure whether a Chinese or English service was going on, and it would be awkward to leave halfway...Well, I could have asked around but just didn't want to. Just then, the I heard voices singing an English worship song in unison which confirmed my doubt - it was an English service. I was just about to get up and enter the hall when a young Indian guy (one of the youth) came over and sat down beside me for a chat. So, my plans changed once more. We chatted for a while and he intended to continue to accompany me; to play his part as a host while I waited for the long Local Conference to be over. However, I politely declined and told him my plans to join the English service that was going on. He got a shock of his life and said that he found it difficult to go through even one service a week, and that one that begins at 7am is more than enough! He he....I remember attending two services over the weekends for some time in my university days, with Stephanie, when we just couldn't bring ourselves to inform the wonderful Straits Baptist church leaders of our decision to switch regular attendance to another church.
Anyway, this guy left after being assured that I would be allright alone. By this time however, the door of the church hall was closed and I decided not to attend the service after all. I would look like a totally late comer should I enter and I did not want to create such a first impression, considering that I would stand out because I would be one of the few Indians, and thus easily remembered.
So, there I was, sitting outside the church hall, penning my thoughts on small pieces of paper that I picked up in the surroundings, and plain bookmarks from my Bible. Thank God I always bring a pen along everywhere I go. Time passed quickly as I wrote, and soon it was almost 12.00 noon...Two other boys (one 18, the other 14) whose parents were in the Local Conference came over to talk to me..Hmm, I wonder where all the girls were?They invited me to join their own 'mini conference' in the school canteen that was closed, situated much nearer to the conference room. (the Methodist church is in the same compound of the Methodist Girls School). I agreed as the English service would soon be over and I didn't want to look like an alien there.
So, I went with them to the canteen, where their 'gang' consists of all boys except for one little girl who was 11. There, somehow topics after topics of chat brought us to the issue of love relationships. It was then that an older teenage boy told me about his 'love life'. The other kids, sensing his need of privacy, went off to play elsewhere while he shared.. He told me that even he did not even tell his elder brother about himself having a girlfriend (the Indian community can be very conservative about this topic, so this is understandable)....While it was an honour to lend a listening ear, I just wondered how it was possible for him to share his love life with me, a person he's meeting for the first time!....I could never imagine myself ever doing that at his age...And this is not the first time...Many times when I travelled by bus (usually long distance), I i've had guys sitting beside me, telling me their stories of how bad they were in the past, their regrets, their love etc....Thus, my conclusion is, maybe it's easier for boys to open up with strangers (Correct me if I'm wrong.)
It was a lot of fun being in the company of the youth. They made a lot of jokes in Tamil, and althought I couldn't really understand completely nor join in fully, it made me laugh just the same. Finally, around 2.45 p.m, the Local conference was over and I got my ride back to my extremely temporary 'home.'.....These are just my thoughts on a Sunday morning..more of a diary entry...nothing exceptionally interesting about my day, but not a waste of time nonetheless...at least to me.
Till I write again, take care:)
It never crossed my mind to attend a Tamil speaking church over here, a Methodist one for that matter. If possible, I had wanted to join an English speaking congregation for worship, preferably an Assemblies of God (AOG). Not that I'm biased against other denominations - just a preference. My home church is not an AOG, but a Tamil speaking charismatic church called Advent Christian Church (not to be confused with the 7th Day Adventist).
Anyway, I wondered how the service was going to be conducted as I had never attended a Methodist service before. I took my my seat in the second pew right at the front of the pulpit ( my university friends probably wouldn't be surprised, as the second row was always my favourite during lectures). But this was a totally different situation. I had no intention of being in the forefront during my first visit, but I had no choice. The aunty whom I came with led the way and ushered me beside her.
I thought that the service would be conducted in a solemn and orthodox atmosphere, but I was surprised at how similar everything was conducted; the worship, the message, the offertory etc..(except for a couple of rising and sitting, and reading of verses alternately, as in the Roman Catholic church). It was a pleasure being part of the worship. A mixture of old hymns gave me a peaceful feeling of being in times of the past, and the new songs with contemporary beats felt very alive. The worship team worshipped with great enthusiasm, facial and bodily expressions. Very charismatic for a Methodist church, I thought to myself. The sermon which was biligual was presented with a sense of humour. I felt wonderful to be in the presence of the Lord together with His people ; to be able to attend service again after weeks of having to miss it.
After the service, the congregation proceeded to the back of the church for a 'ground-breaking' ceremony. A new church was going to be built and we had prayers of dedication of the ground. Shortly after that, breakfast was served. It was then that a few members came and spoke to me, and gave me a shocking 'revelation'. When I first came to Pahang, I really thought that I knew no one. But here, I was told that somehow or rather, more than half of this church members (congregation size - around 250 people) are related to each other, and so am I to them through the marriage of my mother's cousin to one of the members' sister. What a small world!
I stood in a shady corner, under the branches of a sturdy tree, to savour the breakfast served - 'iddiapam' (indian 'thunder bread' - the one which looks like pieces of white thread made into a pancake) and a piece of 'laddu' (a yellow, indian sweet). I questioned myself whether I should go and socialize with the rest, but everyone seemed to have their own clique, talking and joking away happily. I didn't want to intrude. Besides, scoring several points pointing towards introversion, I felt contented to be left alone to observe people and their behaviour, rather than indulge in small-talk. I mentally tried to guess people's age, marital status, occupation etc.
As the wind blowed against my face, I recollected my university days when Stephanie and I were hunting for a church to attend regularly. The first chruch we attended was an AOG where we worshipped for a year. After than, we decided to attend the Straits Baptist church where our dear friend, Chin Nee, was attending. There, we were greeted with so many smiles and showered with care; truly we fell in love with the people there. We enjoyed the Young Adults Bible study and all, and we found it difficult to say goodbye when we finally found a church that matched our personal beliefs, where we felt we fitted in. It was an AOG, and there we worshipped till we graduated.
In my years throughout university, I've also attended and associated with the Anglican and Roman Catholic churche. I learnt to appreciate the differences between denominations and also our unity through Christ. Back at home, I attended the Young Adults fellowship of a Presbyterian church. Now, I'll have the Methodist to add to the list:) But here, I really missed having Stephanie around to attend a service for the first time; a familiar face in a strange place. Someone to discuss thoughts over after service.
While my mind played short movies of flashbacks, I was interrupted by a cheerful looking young man who came over to introduce himself to me. Turns out that this 18 year-old-lad is the Youth Leader of this church, and he invited me to join their meeting right after breakfast. The age range for members is 15-27. Actually, the aunty that I'm temporarily staying and attending church with had another meeting to attend after breakfast - Local Conference - which shuold last till around 1.00 pm. My watch showed 10.00 am. Considering that I was indeed very free too, I was elated at the invitation. It was a good experience, having fellowship with the youth. I got acquianted with several other young adults, who were surprised to know that I was already working, because they thought that I hadn't reached beyond my teens (as if this is new:P, but actually I don't think I look that young). The youth meeting did not last very long, and was adjourned due to the need for the youth committee members to participate in the Local Conference that was already going on. After a short chit with the remaining members, I took my leave (while the others began to take theirs) from our gathering place to find something else to do.
I returned to the worship hall and sat on a garden bench, with my face towards the tinted glass door. Another service was going on inside the church now. I had thought of attending the service but decided against entering the hall just yet since the whole congregation seemed to consists of only Chinese members. I wasn't sure whether a Chinese or English service was going on, and it would be awkward to leave halfway...Well, I could have asked around but just didn't want to. Just then, the I heard voices singing an English worship song in unison which confirmed my doubt - it was an English service. I was just about to get up and enter the hall when a young Indian guy (one of the youth) came over and sat down beside me for a chat. So, my plans changed once more. We chatted for a while and he intended to continue to accompany me; to play his part as a host while I waited for the long Local Conference to be over. However, I politely declined and told him my plans to join the English service that was going on. He got a shock of his life and said that he found it difficult to go through even one service a week, and that one that begins at 7am is more than enough! He he....I remember attending two services over the weekends for some time in my university days, with Stephanie, when we just couldn't bring ourselves to inform the wonderful Straits Baptist church leaders of our decision to switch regular attendance to another church.
Anyway, this guy left after being assured that I would be allright alone. By this time however, the door of the church hall was closed and I decided not to attend the service after all. I would look like a totally late comer should I enter and I did not want to create such a first impression, considering that I would stand out because I would be one of the few Indians, and thus easily remembered.
So, there I was, sitting outside the church hall, penning my thoughts on small pieces of paper that I picked up in the surroundings, and plain bookmarks from my Bible. Thank God I always bring a pen along everywhere I go. Time passed quickly as I wrote, and soon it was almost 12.00 noon...Two other boys (one 18, the other 14) whose parents were in the Local Conference came over to talk to me..Hmm, I wonder where all the girls were?They invited me to join their own 'mini conference' in the school canteen that was closed, situated much nearer to the conference room. (the Methodist church is in the same compound of the Methodist Girls School). I agreed as the English service would soon be over and I didn't want to look like an alien there.
So, I went with them to the canteen, where their 'gang' consists of all boys except for one little girl who was 11. There, somehow topics after topics of chat brought us to the issue of love relationships. It was then that an older teenage boy told me about his 'love life'. The other kids, sensing his need of privacy, went off to play elsewhere while he shared.. He told me that even he did not even tell his elder brother about himself having a girlfriend (the Indian community can be very conservative about this topic, so this is understandable)....While it was an honour to lend a listening ear, I just wondered how it was possible for him to share his love life with me, a person he's meeting for the first time!....I could never imagine myself ever doing that at his age...And this is not the first time...Many times when I travelled by bus (usually long distance), I i've had guys sitting beside me, telling me their stories of how bad they were in the past, their regrets, their love etc....Thus, my conclusion is, maybe it's easier for boys to open up with strangers (Correct me if I'm wrong.)
It was a lot of fun being in the company of the youth. They made a lot of jokes in Tamil, and althought I couldn't really understand completely nor join in fully, it made me laugh just the same. Finally, around 2.45 p.m, the Local conference was over and I got my ride back to my extremely temporary 'home.'.....These are just my thoughts on a Sunday morning..more of a diary entry...nothing exceptionally interesting about my day, but not a waste of time nonetheless...at least to me.
Till I write again, take care:)
posted by JJ at 10:12 PM
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