Myriads and Myriads....

A two-hour worship service on Sunday night is typical at Providentia Baptist Church in Bucharest. Last Sunday night two young children read a poem and recited scripture. A 12-year old boy playing a guitar (as big as he was) played and led us in "Our God is an Awesome God."  Tiger Pennington would preach to our gathering on the Good Samaritan passage.

During the service the pastor read from Revelation 5:11-13 -- "...many angels surrounding the throne; they numbered myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, singing with full voice, 'Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!'" (NRSV)

The majority of the worship time was congregational singing accompanied by a 30-member mandolin orchestra. We sang the English words to familiar hymns and choruses. We stumbled badly pronouncing the Romanian words of songs we did not know.

Toward the end of the service Tyler Tankersley brought greetings from his home church. I brought greetings

CBF Missouri changes name to CBF Heartland

In a unanimous decision, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Missouri Coordinating Council has voted to change the name of the organization to CBF Heartland.

“The shift from CBF of Missouri to CBF Heartland recognizes the ongoing work of the Spirit prompting and nudging us in this direction,” said Kathy Pickett, moderator of the Coordinating Council and pastor of congregational life at Holmeswood Baptist Church in Kansas City. “The name change frees us as a fellowship to be more inclusive of our partnering congregations not located in Missouri while providing a way to be more inviting and welcoming of others in the future.”

CBF Heartland’s ministry to churches and Christians beyond the borders of Missouri has been growing for several years.

“For over a decade, CBF of Missouri related to churches in neighboring Kansas and Iowa, but church relationships in Illinois and other states helped us realize the need for a more inclusive identity,” said Harold Phillips, who remains as coordinator of the organization.