Is worship beautiful?

How deceptive beauty can be. I was tired that day, it was my day off, and I couldn't get home from the market because the road had been blocked off. Not just with cones, but with 1000 Thai dancers, seated in rows along the baking tarmac in front of the Victory Monument. Immaculately dressed in identical Thai traditional outfits they sat, waiting to dance.

It was the annual ceremony to honour the spirits and welcome them into the town. Three ceremonies were held that same day - one at the City Pillar to honour the territorial spirits, another at the Victory Monument to honour the ancestors who founded the town, and another to honour the spirit of the rice harvest. You'll be happy to find the 2+ hour ceremony condensed into a 2+ minute video below.  

Worshipping the rice spirit

I stood there, listening, my heart burning. They invoked the ancestors, heavenly beings, various territorial spirits and the serpent of the Mekong river to come and reside here. They pledged allegiance, honour, worship on behalf of every organisation, every government official, every family, every person in town. As they chanted, prayed and offered incense, I grieved. How careless our prayers are sometimes, even though we pray to the Most High God, a Living God who actually hears and answers His children. I invited Him there as I sat among the crowds, seeing no other child of God there. I pleaded for mercy from heaven. 

Next came dancers, a different group from the 1000, who still sat on the road. This group was dressed in black. Bowing low, foreheads to the ground, they started a set of dances to honour and mourn the beloved King of Thailand who passed away last year. The King of all Kings was there, unacknowledged. I turned my heart to Him, my beloved. It was no longer us mourning for the king, it was the King, mourning for us.  

Finally, a lady walked to the altar of incense. She prayed and chanted and sang a long time. I did not understand what she sang this time, because she sang in Khmer. Suddenly she screamed and fell. I asked what had happened, and the lady next to me said "She's a spirit medium. The ancestors have now taken over, she is no longer herself." What happened next was too surreal to describe. In shock, I watched as her voice and language, behaviour and demeanour changed completely. Everyone around me was so excited, every eye followed her. After some bizarre behaviour, she said something in ancient Khmer which the people around me interpreted as "Dance!"

At at the command of a deceptive evil spirit in a possessed woman, over 1000 dancers danced in unison. If I did not understand what was going on I would have said it was beautiful. In fact it was the vilest, saddest thing I have seen since being in Thailand. 

The 'City Pillar' sounds pretty harmless doesn't it? It also looks beautiful at first. At its ancient foundations lies human sacrifice to appease territorial spirits. At its centre stands a large Sivaling - the phallus of the Hindu god of destruction. I leave the ancient ritual practices of the temple to your imagination. They believe worshipping here regularly will allow them to live in peace and happiness. 

This is the land I have been asked to bless, to intercede for. The people so lost in darkness, so blind, so helpless, they can't tell darkness from light. My heart is heavy with Father's love for them. 

Let me end with something really beautiful. On Sunday we had a prayer and worship team visit us here. The pastors of the church took us around the spiritual strongholds of Sangkha. We then went back to the church and let loose in worship and prayer, and heaven came down. We soaked in Father's love, His good plans for this people, and we declared it over the land, blessing it in Jesus mighty name. Will you take a moment and join us?  If you receive any words from God while you pray and listen, please drop me an email.