Church in the Czech Republic

A week ago, I attended my second church service in the Czech Republic (the first time was in 2010 when I was here for a week). I was surprised to find that, though in a completely different language, with completely different people, it felt like home.

I can just hear the reactions…everything from “Wow, that’s great!” to “Huh? What do you mean? How’s it like home?” Let me try and explain.

A while ago, I started writing about church and the things that have been churning within me regarding the institution that I’ve always known it to be. That reflection is coming soon (I’m still tweaking it).

Nevertheless, a few of the characteristics that I find necessary in church include a focus on God (UP), a focus on each other (IN) and a focus on those beyond our group (OUT). This concept isn’t new, but it has helped to realign my thoughts on how I think we, as the church, should be functioning.

Now, what does that have to do with the church in the Czech Republic? Well, the church that I’ve been assigned to is a Czech Brethren church in Prague 13 (Prague is divided up into different sections, with each section having their own number). Prague 13 is a church plant from another Prague sector. They just moved in to their new facility 3 weeks ago. You can look at the denomination’s website here: http://cb.cz/main/cs/home (yes, there is an English tab).

[Side note: You may be wondering about my use of the phrase, “assigned to.” When forming my assignment, I was told by the Czech Brethren leaders that they would place me in the church where they thought my gifts best fit with one of their churches. When I met with David Novák, pastor of the Prague 13 church and the contact for my assignment, the other week he did give me the option of looking elsewhere, but after hearing about Prague 13, I thought it sounded like a good fit for me.]

So how does this church in Prague 13 remind me of my church in Lancaster? For one thing, they are very focused on the three characteristics that I mentioned above (UP, IN, and OUT). They are focused on God, each other, and their community of Prague 13. This group is intentional about creating a safe place for people to come as they are and hear about Jesus. Their worship is heartfelt. They genuinely care about each other and like to spend time together. And, that’s just what I noticed in the first week (and from my conversation with David). It’s such a relief (and an answer to prayer!) to find a place like this already. Thank you, God, for providing a new church family “in this age“(see my post from February about my reflection on Mark 10).

Now, I just need to learn Czech so I can fully understand what’s going on… J