It was a little confusing, I’ll admit, but it was a hoot watching the interpreters at the international women’s church conference, each simultaneously speaking in different languages during my message.
One group had headsets, with a male translator doing his durndest to translate unique Debora Coty terms sprinkled throughout my presentation, like “joy-sucking dully-funks,” and “we’ve been bosom buddies since we got bosoms in the seventh grade.” He kept shooting me bug-eyes.
Another translator standing about 10 feet from me spoke aloud to her group, which created an interesting echo whenever I paused for breath. I was mesmerized by her flying lips in a language I didn’t understand and had a hard time focusing on what I was supposed to say next.
I like to close my presentations with an original, funny sing-along, and it got funnier and funnier because half the audience couldn’t understand the English lyrics and had no idea what the hand gestures meant. The Haitian ladies were amazing, seamlessly making up their own motions and ad-libbing a sort of cool, smooth calypso rhythm that wasn’t even in the song. The whole group ended up forsaking the ‘right way’ and followed them around the room in an impromptu praise conga line.
Isn’t it awesome that there is no right or wrong way to praise and worship? Culture is no barrier, language doesn’t really matter and location is irrelevant. An attitude of gratitude is all you need. Anytime. Anywhere.
During this season of thanksgiving, seize the moment to uniquely express your gratitude to our Creative God for His many blessings.
“But he (Jesus) said, ‘If they kept quiet, the stones would do it for them, shouting praise,’” (Luke 19:40 MSG).
