Joe Patterson: Amen? Reflections of Worship Experiences in Liberia

Having been raised in the home of a preaching pastor, I had not made a clear distinction between the words of trusted adults and the word of God. I had become accustomed to hearing God's Voice through my parents, Sunday School teachers, Youth Leaders, and other godly authority figures.

Since the traditions of the Liberian Baptist Church are quite similar to the American model, I have chosen to summarize my worship experiences from an internal viewpoint. My experience of worship during this Mission Practicum would involve the inner struggle to hear God speak to me directly. This wrestling match between my mind and my heart would take place in the context of several weekly Sunday School lessons, Sermons, and Congregational Worship Services at the Greater Love Bible Baptist Church in Monrovia, Liberia . By relating a sampling of separate Worship experiences, it is hoped that the reader will also get a clear picture of the Baptist Church culture in Liberia .

A common thread throughout all of my course papers is the acknowledgement of my reluctance to actually follow through with the commitment to go to Liberia. Thus, the topics for the lessons and sermons examined below were received with a sense of God's sovereignty and the knowledge that He had been ever-present (even though I was uncomfortably uncertain about hearing His Voice). My very first sermon (of the 80 Days) was from Jonah 1:17-25.

1. God was not pleased with Nineveh.
2. God is awake and in control.
3. We should allow the discipline of God to take its proper length.
4. God can discipline you wherever you are.
5. We must submit to God's will.

During this first experience at Greater Love Bible Baptist Church, I had taken a seat on the front row. I was directed by the Pastor to sit on the platform—between him and Deacon George Togbeh. Since I was not there as a speaker (preacher or leader), I felt uneasy about this special recognition. My inner conflict was all the more exaggerated by feeling as though I were on display. I wanted to be in the service—but wanted to be there as a participant. I suppose that it was appropriate for me to be on the platform my first time—since I was being introduced as a special guest of the congregation. However, this pattern of seating me on the platform would continue throughout my stay.

Many of the congregational songs were sung out of a Methodist hymnal. There was no electrical system for musical instrumentation so the accompaniment consisted of tambourines, maracas, and the clapping of hands. The syncopation of different percussionists was unfamiliar to my ears. I enjoyed the songs but usually could not discern the dialect of Liberian English being sung. Certain songs were based upon familiar Bible passages so I could participate more easily.

Pastor Wesley's accent was easy for me to understand. However, most of the other speakers were harder to distinguish. Perhaps I was somewhat hindered in worship by the fact that this class required me to be an observer. That fact, coupled with the fact that I was being observed by others, contributed to a barrier between me and the rest of the worshipping community. Having been raised in church, I often have felt most at home on Sundays in the midst of God's People. These Sundays in Liberia served to remind me that I didn't really feel at home. However, from time-to-time, someone would voice this slogan which is also spoken frequently in my home church:

"Greater Love Bible Baptist Church--where everybody is somebody!"

The next two Sunday sermons were also built around Jonah's experiences with God. Following are the points with which I wrestled as I wrote them down in my journal:

1) God has good intentions for His children.
2) Discipline is good.
3) We have to agree to agree with God's discipline.
4) God is in control.
5) God needs to prepare our lives so we can really be blessed.
6) We always need to be thankful.
7) God does not make rash decisions.
8) When we pray we should be careful to pray according to the Will of God.
9) When we pray, we should pray for the good of others.

I questioned whether these points were simply the preacher's words to all—or God's specific word to me. If God was using this preacher's sermons to tell me my discomfort and anxiety were normative for an obedient Christian, then I should have simply answered "Amen." However, my uneasiness continued week-by-week (service-to-service).

Representative of my detachment from the local body was a growth of contempt for one aspect of a church custom: call-and-response. Although, it is important to agree with those truths which come from God's Word, I noticed the frequency with which the call for response is voiced. Even through the times of announcements, the speaker may call out a word or phrase with the interrogative raising of their pitch: Hallelujah?! or In Jesus' Name… or Hello-o?


All of these calls will trigger the congregation to respond with a hearty "Amen." This troubled me greatly. These calls were made so habitually—especially during announcements--that the importance of agreeing with God's Word seemed diluted and diminished. Upon further reflection, I am now aware that I had observed this tendency for God's people to sanctify every mundane announcement or partial thought long before this trip to Liberia. For the rest of my life I hope that I will voice my Amen more carefully and call for an Amen from others more responsibly.

Certain members of my home church were reading the journal entries online. They continually wrote to comfort me with encouragement that, over time, I would find that peace which surpasses all understanding. However, at the time of this writing, I feel as though I am still wrestling—probably more with myself than with an angel. I think that God has already spoken. I further think God should include more details of personal relevance (perhaps with a booming voice from heaven).