Matthew Heesing Writes from Colombia, June 2011 - The United ...

Letters from Overseas
Matthew Heesing Writes from Colombia
June 2011
Have you ever been genuinely excited to get up for church on a
Sunday morning?
Note how I didn’t say “get up to go to church.”
No, get up for church.
To be a part of church.
To be church, in community with others.
One of the most meaningful things I have been involved with here in Colombia is the
Methodist Church in Bogota. Church on Sunday, for me, is a whole day activity: I leave
the apartment at 8:00 a.m., and I return around 4:00 p.m. The service is usually just
under three hours long—the announcements are usually around 45 minutes. Public
transit each way is about an hour and a half.
The church building itself isn’t anything fancy— in fact, you might miss it walking by.
I know I did the first time. With an abundance of grand Catholic cathedrals and other
modern church buildings in the same city, this building stands as a sharp contrast.
But the thing is, this church community realizes that “church” is so much more than a
building. And so, while the walls may not look like much, it’s what goes on inside and
outside the walls that counts.
The first time I joined this community on a Sunday morning, my Spanish was much less
developed than it is now. As a result, I couldn’t tell you what message was preached at
the pulpit.
What I can tell you though, is what message was preached by the people:
A message of open invitation: whether it was the invitation to join them in worship, the
warm greetings at the door, or the communion table where all were invited.
A message of joy-filled celebration: celebrating all that is good, from the life, death, and
resurrection of Jesus, to the long prayers of gratitude, to the celebrations of birthdays in
the congregation, to simply celebrating community, whether with a potluck lunch or an
after-church snack of rice pudding and coffee.
A message of contagious hope: hope amidst grim realities of poverty, suffering, and
violence. Not blind hope, refusing to acknowledge the realities all around, pretending
everything is fine, but hope that holds on to the belief that there is more to life than
these realities, both to come, and here, now.
A message of radical love: where the call to “love your neighbour” takes on a whole new
meaning—where loving your neighbour might mean loving corrupt politicians and guerilla
fighters, kidnappers and killers, the people who seized your land and the people who

forced you to flee. Loving your neighbour is a real challenge—but that’s what makes it
such a radical message.
A message of engaged service: service inside and outside the church walls, whether that
means teaching children music, painting murals to brighten up the neighbourhood, doing
hospital visits, offering gifts of food and money to those who need it most, and simply
being the body of Christ wherever, whenever, and however possible.
This is a place where the gospel message comes alive.
And already, after only three services and a couple of music practices, it feels like a
family. Whether it’s playing traditional hymns like “How Great Thou Art,” more modern
worship songs like “Lord I Lift Your Name on High,” or Spanish worship songs that I’ve
had to learn by ear (often on the fly!), it’s been such a joy to join their music group on
Sunday mornings, and share my gifts in that way.
Playing jump-rope with children after the service, sharing rice pudding or blessed
communion bread, spending time in silent prayer before the service together, or simply
walking to the bus station together are just some of the other ways I’ve had the honour
of being in community with this God family.
Some of the ways that I’ve shared in God’s message of love, joy, hope, and infinite
possibility.
And some of the ways that I’ve had the chance to be church, in Bogota.
Thanks be to God.
Matthew Heesing
To learn more, visit Matthew’s blog (www.colombianjourney.wordpress.com).
Photos of last year's Youth for Peace trip to Colombian partners can be seen on our
photo site (http://unitedchurch.smugmug.com).
Matthew Heesing is a United Church of Canada overseas personnel serving with the Latin
American Centre for Popular Communication (CEPALC) in Colombia. The work of this
global partner and the work of overseas personnel are made possible through your gifts
to the Mission and Service Fund of The United Church of Canada.
The United Church of Canada, 3250 Bloor St. West, Toronto, ON M8X 2Y4
1-800-268-3781 or 416-231-7680 ext. 4017; pip@united-church.ca