It was one of my better messages, or at least I thought so. The musical team had lead us into a time of praise and worship and Pastor C had introduced me. Since we were on the Congolese border I preached in Swahili. Most of those present understood Swahili, but just to make sure a brother in the congregation translated the message into Kirundi. The little church was a few months old and only had partial walls erected around the steel frame tabernacle.
The congregation took up special offerings every week to buy a few more bricks to add to the slowly developing walls. Two whole sides of the building remained untouched. The congregation was motivated with a unifying vision: walls, and walls quickly.
The reason for their motivation?
Cows.
Yes, you read that correctly, cows. Rather, large herds of them. Not by Texan standards of course, but for Burundi a herd of some 20 to 25 cattle is nothing to sneeze about, especially when they like to participate in church services. Yes, this particular herd is one of the most religious bovine congregations in the world. Like clock-work every Sunday AM about half way through the preaching, the cows would migrate right through the middle of the service. I had heard the stories. Pastor C had shared his frustration with being mooed down in the middle of his messages. Cow patties had become larger than the offerings and he had had enough.
So he invited me to come and share the word secretly hoping that I would help give him the final push towards the building project.
I preached, the other brother translated.
"Bwana ankwenda kujibu watu wake." (Swahili).
"Imana aragiye kwishura abantu biwe." (Kirundi).
"Mooooooo!" (Cow).
"Yesu anasikia maombi yenu" (Swahili).
"Yesu arumva amasengesho yacu" (Kirundi)
"Moooooo! Moooooo! (more cows).
I simply couldn't keep up with that kind of preaching.
Splat. Splat. Splat. A few new cow patties now decorated the floor of the building. The bellowing brought the message to a standstill as several ushers with long poles tried to herd the cows along their way.
I closed the message and gave a very generous offering. I then called my team leader.
"Hey we need to make a donation to complete this church building," it wasn't a suggestion on my part.
"What? Why?"
"Cows."
The building was completed quickly. Pastor C thrilled. The congregation blessed not to have any more bovine interruptions. And the cows? Well, some say they moved their services to the other side of town.
The Word of God is so powerful. I've found that when it really gets down into our hearts it always produces transformation. It sustains, renews, empowers, creates, directs, instructs, encourages, corrects, and releases. Without the Word, the promises of God remain a mystery, the power of God remains forgotten, and the person of God remains unrevealed. No wonder there is a battle over the Word of God. I've found the primary strategy is distraction. Good old fashioned "Mooing" to get my attention diverted from the Word. Anything and everything as long as it isn't the promises of God.
Could it be time to build some walls around your time with the Lord? Turn off the cell phone? Carve out some time? Get a version that you can understand? Prioritize time with Him?
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