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Thursday, March 7, 2013
What better way to experience Jamaica then to do as Jamaicans do! Our day began with a filling Jamaican breakfast of Ackee and Saltfish, eggs for the less adventurous eaters, and a wide array of Jamaican fruits. We then made our way up the mountain (including some rough terrain) to Salem Moravian Church in Beeston Spring, Westmoreland, where we participated in Sunday worship. It was Harvest Sunday, and folks from the town made their way to the church bearing crops of all kinds - coconuts, sugar cane, various fruits, eggs, and homemade pastries. All were presented and celebrated in the morning service.
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| Salem Moravian Church, Beeston Springs, Westmoreland, Jamaica. |
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| God's Acre at Salem Moravian Church. |
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| Harvest offerings. |
The service was much longer than the 45 minutes to an hour many of us have come to know, with liturgy, readings, prayers, much joyful music, and the sermon delivered by a local Church of the Brethren preacher who joined us. The Reverend Phyllis Smith-Seymour, the Moravian minister assigned to Salem (along with three other congregations and Camp Hope), led worship. Our own Nick Roberts shared the Old Testament reading, and Bishop Hopeton Clennon offered some words of welcome along with the benediction.
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| The Reverend Phyllis Smith-Seymour leading worship. |
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| Pastor Carlton, the guest preacher for the day, speaks with Jane Burcaw, Director of Administration for Moravian Theological Seminary. |
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| Bishop Hopeton Clennon offers words of welcome and gratitude. |
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| Moravian sophomore Nick Roberts shares a reading. |
Though many of us hail from different walks, this was truly a cultural experience in a country in which separation of church and state has no meaning. Schools, run and paid for by the government, are also Christian institutions. For many of us, participating in worship was a way of experiencing a different way of being.
Worship ended with the tasting of harvest fruits outside of the church, all proceeds benefiting the church. We then made our way up to Reverend Phyllis' house for a Jamaican supper, complete with potato pudding, jack fish, and curried goat. Trying so many new foods was in itself a cultural experience, and we went home with bellies full from the food, hearts full from the wonderful hospitality of the people we met, and heads full of much to ponder.
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| Folk gather to purchase the fruits of the harvest. |
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| MTS alum Kelly Howard Brooks and her husband Keith enjoy some sugar cane. |
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| Moravian junior Genevieve Chaleff enjoys some fresh coconut. |
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| Making our way to Reverend Phyllis' for lunch. |
Our day ended with some time at a local beach (including the unwelcome presence of two sea urchins who made themselves known to a few of us), dinner, and some time to debrief on our experiences of the day.
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| Some sun and surf to end the day. |
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| Getting buried in the beach experience! |
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| Taking in the setting sun... |
A good night's sleep was ahead of us, as we prepared for our first day of service in the morning.
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