Street Church

We had another beautiful street church yesterday! Time and time again, it turns into a cultural celebration. How it’s possible that so many different cultures and so many different personalities can come together to form a church remains a divine mystery.

This time we didn’t have a sermon, but various testimonies were shared about how God has turned lives around from hopeless and without future prospects to hopeful and with a beautiful future.

The photo shows my view. This is my usual spot where I can see the line of people waiting, pray for them while playing, and also pray for the passersby. I have a view of the trams that go by as well.

Since not all the guests are always clear-headed, sometimes unusual things happen. This time was no different. One of the men who comes every week, and whose mind isn’t quite right anymore due to substance use, often seeks out a spot where he can be seen and feel important. Somehow, he had decided today that the saxophone was pretty cool. He kept fiddling with my microphone, the stand, and the cord. So, I had to firmly tell him that he really couldn’t do that. And the amazing thing is—he understood perfectly and stopped without complaint. But his behavior didn’t stop there. He kept finding spots where he could be seen: when bread was being handed out, he stood in front of the others so he could be the first to hand out the bread. When the guitarist played a solo, he stood next to him. And he came up to me regularly as well, standing very close and, if possible, giving me a little elbow nudge. Since another homeless person had placed his bags behind me, I had no room to move, so I couldn’t step aside. So, when he came over again, I spread my elbows out wide to maintain some distance between us. And that worked out just fine.

There was also a new homeless man today. He came from Wrocław and now lives on the streets of Poznan. He happened to pass by and was surprised to see us there. He was enthusiastic, and with his soup and bread in hand, we had a small conversation in Polish, with some English. He was a Christian, and God had placed it on his heart to help out at the street church. He really enjoyed everything that was happening. So, the street church has gained a new volunteer. 🙂

Every week there are so many beautiful encounters, people touched by the news of God, hands shaken and hugs given, and both familiar faces and strangers are brought into contact with the wonderful news of Christ, who died for all our sins so that we may come to God our Father and find a home in Him, even if not everyone has a roof over their heads.