A Passionate Congregation

You can get to anywhere in India from the huge railway yard at Mughalsarai.

Down a crowded cobblestone street and around the corner from the street vendors selling donah sits the hundred-year old sanctuary of the St. Paul Church. Pastor Ishwar Dayal has been pastor-in-charge at the church for five years. His kind heart shines through as he rides his motorcycle up to meet some strangers from a foreign land.

We met pastor Ishwar because he is a native of Bihar, the state in which the village of Bikramganj sits. This is the poorest state in India and one of the most troubled, according to the guidebooks. But to Pastor Ishwar, the people of Bihar are precious people. "They are misunderstood. They live in very difficult circumstances and are threatened in so many ways. But when you get to know them, they are open and soft-hearted."

Pastor Bihar has a deep burden on his heart for the people of his native state. It is his fondest wish to be posted to a church or to start a mission among his home people. In the meantime, he has dreams for the St. Paul's congregation.

"We would like to build a Sunday School. We have many children, but there is no place to teach them." The simple sanctuary hosts 200 people who sit on hard pews with tall hymn racks where they can place their Hindi hymnals and liturgies. But when the two-hour service is over, the children must go under a tree to study the scriptures.

"If you had been here two hours ago, you would have met sixty children who had gone out into the streets begging to raise money for a Sunday School building." said lay person Ravi Sharon who had delayed a long drive back to Allahabad to share a meal in his home with guests from abroad. "We don't have designs yet, or a budget, but we hope to build a Sunday School here" he said, pointing to a small plot lined with desert flowers and covered with tall green desert grass.

The passion of this small congregation was palpable as Rev. Charlie Rivens invited the small group of leaders to hold hands and pray. They spoke to God with a energized intensity imploring God's help. "We aren't seeking money," they prayed "we need you, Lord, to come and help us. You can have our homes, our lives our possessions. We need only you, Lord."

As we left this simple home, the city was plunged into darkness by a power-outage. But there was still a glow that shined around the pastor and his people who have so little, and yet have everything.

You can get to anywhere in India from the train yards of Mughalsarai. With the passion and faith of the leaders of the St. Paul's Church can take you even farther, right up to the gate of the Kingdom of God.

Comments

[Suzanne Putnam]

May I echo their prayer "we need you, Lord, to come and help us. You can have our homes, our lives our possessions. We need only you, Lord."

[violetcraig]

I shed tears as i read the beautiful story of Steve J and friends from your church going to find this little church,and what a wonderful welcome,what a treasure and joy it must have been to meet with Brothers and Sisters in Christ and to share in the worship,the Lord indeed went before them on the journey,I will count it a joy to remember in prayer.Steve is a special friend of ours .God bless you all. Violet Craig