While serving as director of the Aschaffenburg Christian Servicemen's Center…

While serving as director of the Aschaffenburg Christian Servicemen’s Center under the European Church of God Servicemen’s department (abt 1983) There was a gathering of Centers from across Germany to Heidelberg for a picnic in a US park facility.

Our Center had a Puerto Rican Spanish group and they were enthusiastic with their assorted Latino percussion instruments. Our worship was enthusiastic with the great help of Latino friends. I enjoyed and appreciated the Latino flavor!

All the centers spread out over the picnic grounds and tended toward each center fellow shipping in their respective groups. Our Latino group brought their percussion instruments and gathered together and starting playing Latino gospel favorites and soon a large crowd gathered joining in the worship! They had asked me if would be OK for them to do this and I personally saw no reason why.

Off from us was a gathering of another sort. Center directors and followers were becoming angry and soon charged us in riot force shouting denunciations; rebuking us in Jesus name. The Latino percussion instruments were of the devil. It rose to a high fever pitch. I tried to come between them to provide some calm but unsuccessful. I finally persuaded our group to pack up and move on. I explained to them they had to take the high road and these were the weaker brethren. They graciously accepted this and I was extremely proud of my congregation.

I was acknowledged by the European Director as the only person responsible for solving this situation.

Today music and forms of worship are still the problems!

What are your thoughts?