fellowship

I've had more opportunities to spend time with Indian Christians over the past week or so, which I appreciate. I went to a Bible study at an attending's house last week, went to a local church Sunday morning with an American couple and their baby who are here studying (in addition to going to the college chapel in the evening and singing in the choir again), went to a student group's evening worship and testimony time Sunday night after chapel, and found three other foreign students (one German, two American) besides Nithya and I who are Christians. I learned that Indian Christians call prayer part of "worship" (e.g. "let us worship together now" preceded prayer), and that they sometimes address God as Master (a biblical term but one rarely used in common Western evangelical parlance or prayer).

view of the chapel and the pond in the middle of the garden in front of it

another view of the chapel

It sounds like there are many things going on here during the Lenten season, and I am sorry to miss them - talks, extra worship services, liturgy, communion, etc.  Church services here are an interesting mix of the liturgy I grew to love during my time attending Anglican communion services in Vancouver, Western praise songs new and old ("There is a Redeemer," "In Christ Alone"), Western traditional hymns, and songs I've never heard before and hope are of Indian Christian origin.  So it's been a fun mixture of new, old and familiar, and old yet changed in some way (e.g. new words to a familiar tune).  I am grateful it's the same God we worship no matter the place, language, or culture.