Church

So we went to church today for the first time. The church is called the United Christian Church of Dubai. It's an evangelical, nondenominational church - you can check it out at http://uccdubai.com/ and even listen to the sermons if you want to. We've included some pictures below [the first picture is from the back of the sanctuary after the service, and the second is from where we were seated].

I'd describe it as contemporary-style worship. We sang about 7 songs, 3 of which we knew, and 2 of which were hymns (When I Survey the Wondrous Cross and A Mighty Fortress is Our God). Then there was a message - some solid expository teaching - the sermon was about 35 minutes long, and then we took communion together. The entire service was probably about an hour and twenty minutes. There were about 400 people in our service (the English one) and the sanctuary was almost entirely full. It wasn't standing-room, but there weren't more than a few empty seats. There was a Chinese and an Arabic service going on at the same time elsewhere in the building. One of the couples that we met said there were several other services that met at other times during the day (Filipino, Indian, etc.).

In the English service, there were the usual Americans, Canadians, Brits, Aussies, and Kiwis, with a fair number (maybe 1/3 to 1/2) of Africans, Indians, Bangladeshis, Singaporeans, and other folks from around the globe.

So how was it? It was a great, comforting reminder of home. The best comparison I can make is that it was like the first good, familiar American meal that you have after you get back from a long overseas trip. You sit down, relax, relish each bite, and just soak in the whole experience. It was really great.