Europe Day 57: Hillsong and Home

I woke up this morning so excited to go to church! A group of us left a little after ten, dressed in our Sunday best, and hopped on the metro. Four stops and a short walk later, found Hillsong Paris.


The place was absolutely alive with people! Laughing, cheering, and lots of smiles greeted us as we walked down the steps to the courtyard. I have never seen French people so enthusiastic about anything before! They all were so happy and hundreds of conversations could be heard. Many people greeted us with a “bonjour” as we walked through the foyer and joined the melee waiting for the doors to open. It almost felt like waiting with the crowd to get good seats at a concert, what with everyone squeezed into the wide hallway. There was so much energy in the air, I kept bouncing on my knees with anticipation!

I was so grateful to find that the website was honest when it claimed the service was bilingual. Four songs were sung in French, with English also written on the screen, and two were done in English with French written on the screen. The announcements, sermon, and prayers were all translated on stage. I was incredibly impressed at how well the two cultures blended for this service. I have attended churches in America that strive to be multi-cultural, but I felt that this one did it in a way that none of the others have been able to managed. The transitions between languages were seamless, and even the jokes were translated so the entire audience could enjoy them. It was an impressive sight to behold!

I was surprised to see the French so excited at church. Religion here is kept very separate from other areas of life, but perhaps that is what allows them to put the extra passion in on Sunday mornings. Or, it is also possible, that the Australian and American part of the crowd was doing all of the cheering, but the French seemed to take it in stride. Whatever they were actually feeling, I worshiped Jesus just like I always do, trying to pretend the French lyrics came naturally and refusing to acknowledge that I did not necessarily now what I was saying. What did it matter? I was singing for Jesus!

A French boy gave me a rose at church. A red one. It would have been romantic, except the same French boy gave a rose to all of the other girls in my row. Fun fact; French Mother’s day was today. After worship, a group of woman came out and sang a maternal rendition of “Mamma Mia” to us, while some of the young men gave flowers to every woman in the audience. So, it was not a romantic red rose, just a, “Congratulations on being a mother someday” rose. The story is much less exciting when all of those extra details are thrown in.

Coming back to the FIAP afterwards, I ate a quick lunch before working on my cahier all evening long. I did take a break around midnight to call my Grandma for her birthday! I already knew my whole family would be over and I was excited to get to talk with them! It ended up being quite an ordeal. The FIAP has a special phone requiring a special-probably overpriced-phone card. I hunted around for change and almost bawled when it did not work the first few times, but after a deep breath I tried again. A tear of joy or two might have slipped out my eyes when I heard my Grandpa answer on the other end. He immediately put me on with my Grandma, my Mom got a different phone, and my littlest sister the third. They kept trading with each other until I talked to my Dad and my sister Gabby too. Just when she was going to get my third, and oldest sister Elizabeth, I ran out of minutes. It was sad to be cut off, but I was so glad to have gotten to talk to them! I think, perhaps, I’ll be able to manage staying in Europe for a few more days now. But, I am certainly ready to go home and be surrounded by people who know me well and love me unconditionally. And who will feed me grilled cheese sandwiches and milkshakes. Ah-my toes curl with pleasure at the thought!