29 countries from four continents in total were represented on Sabbath, 13th May 2023, in Glasgow church to celebrate International Day. The event was organised by the local Sabbath School department under the theme ‘Bound for the Land of Canaan’.
The church was filled to capacity with members and visitors, the majority of whom, proudly wearing their traditional attire. Everyone looked bright, colourful and beautiful just as was the weather that day.
During the divine service, Pr Claudiu Popescu highlighted the following thought: 'Disciples of Jesus who are bound for Canaan will show they are children of God by their tangible actions.'
Drawing inspiration from 1 John 3:11-18, Pr Popescu reminded the congregation that ‘Love is denying ourselves for someone else's gain'. Pr Popescu challenged everyone to move beyond their comfort zone and to seek to connect with people from different backgrounds to show tangible love.
Loving others was also the core message of the children’s story that was based on 1 Corinthians 12:12-31. The children learned a new motto from Sister Dasline Mvwanga: ‘One Glasgow - One people.’ 'We come from different countries and backgrounds but we are all God's children and there should be no division amongst us. We are one body and what makes us united is that Jesus died for all of us on the cross.'
After the divine service, there was an international buffet provided for all to enjoy. Delicious dishes from around the world were prepared by Glasgow church members and beautifully displayed on the tables.
The climax of the event was in the afternoon with country presentations from El Salvador, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Zambia, Cameroon, Malawi, South Africa, Haiti, Grenada, Zimbabwe, and more. From speeches and plenty of laughter to special songs, it was an occasion to learn more about others. The event was celebrated with an abundance of joy, happiness, love and laughter.
Elder Calvin Ndlovu, the Sabbath School superintendent, summed up the event with the following words: ‘I was very satisfied with the event. The church had an opportunity to learn more about cultural diversity in our church. It was so good to see how people were happy when expressing themselves in their mother tongue.’
The Sabbath School leader and organiser of this event congratulated his team along with all the church members. The department is now focusing on the Visitors’ Day in July and the Careers’ Day in October, the latter involving various professionals setting up exhibition stands and providing career advice to young people in the church.
The church's Health Department is also organising a Health Exposition on 2nd and 3rd July in Glasgow City Centre. The church is excited about this event as it will be another opportunity to show love through visible action.
As Pr Popescu said when concluding his sermon: ‘The disciples of Jesus here in Glasgow church love and they love well.’
Glasgow church celebrates International Day each year as the event allows church members to emphasise and celebrate unity in diversity.
