My dad led our family in the practice of the Christian faith. Church involvement was pretty much a given in the Jainga household. I do not remember any weekend that we intentionally skipped attending Sunday school or worship for some other activity or simply not being in the mood. No sleep-ins. No recreational amusements. Unless perhaps we were ill, we would go to church … and be consistently on time!
As a young boy I observed how my dad was involved in other ministries of the church, which was one of the larger churches in the city. I remember how he would be among those who would collect the Sunday offerings. Later, I understood that he served as a deacon and collecting the offerings was one of his responsibilities. Though I never sat in his class, I vaguely remember that my dad also taught Sunday school.
One particular ministry involvement (that I could not help but notice) was in the music ministry of the church. My dad and mom would pick us up from school every Friday night, and we would head straight to the church for choir practice. My brothers and I would sit in some corner of the choir room and listen to the choir rehearse their anthem for the coming Sunday, or for some upcoming special event. (Many of the complex pieces became so familiar that later in life, when it was my turn to join church choirs, it was not difficult for me to join in the singing.)
But it was not all church. My dad also facilitated family devotions every evening. We would sing a song or two, then read from a devotional guide (sometimes letting one of us read), and finally pray. I remember how we somehow developed the tradition of turning the lights off when we prayed. (There were times when the devotional time ended with a burst of laughter because, when the lights were turned on after the prayer, one or two of us boys would be fast asleep.)
I remember the faith of my father. And I thank the Lord for his faith. For, though he was not perfect, the effort to live out his faith consistently was very much noticeable, and it certainly had some impact on a young boy growing up in that environment. Attending regular church events like worship, Bible study, and prayer meeting is now a no-brainer for me. Involvement in church ministries comes naturally. These I continue to do, not because I now am a pastor, but because, thanks to my dad’s influence, that’s just what a faithful Christian and church member does. In other words, the faith of my father is no longer just his. The faith of my father has very much become my own faith.
Happy Father’s Day!
—Keith Y. Jainga