{"id":786,"date":"2015-06-07T13:57:54","date_gmt":"2015-06-07T17:57:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.joshuastairhime.com\/?p=786"},"modified":"2015-06-07T15:49:33","modified_gmt":"2015-06-07T19:49:33","slug":"7-tips-and-tricks-for-enjoying-a-haitian-church-service","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.joshuastairhime.com\/index.php\/7-tips-and-tricks-for-enjoying-a-haitian-church-service\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Tips and Tricks for Enjoying a Haitian Church Service."},"content":{"rendered":"

I wanted share my experience in Haiti by offering some quick tips and tricks for enjoying a Haitian church service.<\/p>\n

1. Arrive Early.<\/h3>\n

For a service that is scheduled to start at 8:30, you want to make sure that you arrive no later than 8:35.\u00a0 This helps insure that you get a good seat, and lets you do a little socializing before the service starts.\u00a0 In the United States, we honor people by honoring their time, in Haiti, you honor people by acknowledging the struggle it takes to even make it to church.\u00a0 This means that the service starts when most people have arrived, instead of when the clock says it is time to start.\u00a0 When you don\u2019t have a car and are depending on tap-tap, moto, or walking\u2026it is a little bit hard to be precise.<\/p>\n

2. Pick the right seat.<\/h3>\n

There are a few considerations to keep in mind when choosing your seat.\u00a0\u00a0 First, never sit directly in front of the speakers, arriving early will help guarantee you get to make this choice.\u00a0 Your North American ears are far too delicate to enjoy the unbridled passion that will come bursting out the tattered cones of the church speakers.\u00a0\u00a0 Second, ALWAYS choose your seat based on the time of day, and the expected length of the service.\u00a0 You want to choose a seat that is in the shade, and will remain in the shade for the duration of the service.\u00a0 Seats in proximity to windows, or locations that have a strong and persistent breeze are great choices as well. \u00a0\u00a0It is good to follow the locals on this, as they often know exactly where the best seats are.\u00a0 It may be a bit crowded in the good seats, but if they weren\u2019t good, they wouldn\u2019t be crowded.<\/p>\n

You can choose a seat in the sun if you want to sit by yourself.\u00a0\u00a0 Seriously\u2026no one else is going to sit by you.\u00a0 Do not ask me how I know this. \u00a0Bring sunscreen.\u00a0 Seriously.<\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n
\"030A5144\"<\/a>

Don’t sit here…you will regret it.<\/p><\/div>\n

3. Singing.<\/h3>\n

If you are in a Haitian church, there is a good chance that you will not understand all of the words to the songs.\u00a0 There is also a really good chance that there will not be any sort of lyric projection, or hymnals to follow along in.\u00a0 This is fine.\u00a0 If you feel moved by the music\u2026you can attempt to learn the songs by listening and doing your best to repeat what you hear.<\/p>\n

If you happen to be at a Haitian church that sings some songs in English, there are two important things to keep in mind.\u00a0 The most important to remember is that they have almost certainly picked the English song because you are in their service.\u00a0 Haitians do not enjoy singing in English so much that they just do it for fun when no white people are around.\u00a0 They are honoring you with their song selection.\u00a0 This brings me to my next point\u2026<\/p>\n

If they are singing in English, SING WITH THEM!\u00a0 I don\u2019t care if you know or like the song or not, they have made an effort to learn enough of your language to at least get the song close, please don\u2019t dishonor their efforts by choosing to remain silent.<\/p>\n

4. Offering.<\/h3>\n

They are going to take up an offering.\u00a0 You may participate if you would like.\u00a0 They may count the money at the end of the service, and this may be offensive to you. \u00a0If you find yourself feeling offended please consider the following advice.\u00a0 I recommend you be very careful and think long and hard before you say anything.\u00a0 This is not your church, this is not your culture, and you likely have more money wrapped up in your home and possessions than most Haitians will ever see in their lives.\u00a0 \u00a0If they want to joyfully give to the church in a guys versus girls competition to see who raises more money, I suggest you try to remember the last time your church gave money with so much generosity that the whole church was laughing with joy. \u00a0Yes it is different, but if you wanted to see things happen the same way every time, you might as well have stayed at home.<\/p>\n

5. The Sermon.<\/h3>\n

You probably won\u2019t understand what the pastor is saying.\u00a0 If the pastor or someone else is translating Creole into English, keep in mind that this is a great honor.\u00a0 The pastor is interrupting the flow of his speech to serve you.\u00a0 Even if the pastor is not being translated, just sit and listen.\u00a0 God will speak to an open heart.\u00a0 I promise.<\/p>\n

6. Standing and sitting.<\/h3>\n

You can pretty much do whatever you want on this one.\u00a0 If everyone is standing, you should probably follow the crowd, the same goes for if everyone is sitting.\u00a0 If there are people standing or sitting, you get to pick.\u00a0 The only people worried about whether you are standing or sitting are the people who came with you.\u00a0 The service really isn\u2019t about you anyways.<\/p>\n

7. Communion.<\/h3>\n

If you happen to be at a Haitian church when they offer communion, please take a moment to reflect on how special this is.\u00a0 Churches all over the earth have celebrated communion in honor of Christ.\u00a0 When you take communion anywhere you are joining with a global body of people who believe in Jesus, God\u2019s son, in remembering his death on a cross for the forgiveness of our sins.\u00a0 This is a sacred moment, cherish it.<\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

Disclaimer: I suspect that Haitian churches can be a lot like North American churches in that they are all at least a little bit different than each other.\u00a0 These tips are based on my personal experience of \u00a0attendance at two different Haitian churches, but by no means represent the whole country, or every church. \u00a0Use these tips at your own risk.\u00a0\u00a0 Please ask your doctor or your favorite Nurse Practitioner if you are healthy enough to stand during church, and before starting any vigorous dance moves during worship.\u00a0 Blah blah blah\u2026.don\u2019t sue me\u2026.etc. etc. \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Did you enjoy what you just read? Consider sharing it with your friends!<\/h3>