Some of the best times of corporate worship for me have been in places where I didn’t understand the language. 

In Hong Kong, though I understood conversational Cantonese growing up there, I never understood the formal language completely. I attended countless worship services with a handful of local Chinese churches and was able to have a part in the ministry even as a kid. 

As a young adult, I visited a mainland minority village church somewhere far from Chinese government reach or notice. The believers there sang and danced in traditional folk garb, exuding a joy I’d not experienced in a church setting. 

After I got married, my husband and I went to Indonesia for our tenth anniversary, making sure to be in God’s house on Sunday. We sweated like crazy in a global worker-led church in Bali, but couldn’t stop smiling at the privilege of being with that body of believers. 

Lastly, we joined a Korean church while stationed at Camp Red Cloud. For two years, our souls were enriched by a vibrant and talented choir and Christian fellowship just a few miles south of the Demilitarized Zone. 

In all four locations, at four different times in my life, I felt my Lord so near, so pleased with the praise offered in prayer and song. The Bible calls our testimonies a “sweet savor,” “pleasing aroma” or “Christ-like fragrance.” I witnessed God’s people display the love and devotion they had for our Savior, and my spirt soared with theirs. The Holy Spirit of God has no barriers among a congregation that seeks to worship Jesus Christ together in Spirit and in truth. 

As Christians, we have that unique ability to understand worship in any language. It brings a special connection with people we’d not ordinarily have a connection with apart from Christ. When we get a glimpse of God’s hand at work in various corners of this world, we can’t help but wonder at His glory and power. My only prayer is that the fragrance of my life would complement what I find there among the children of God.