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| Church in Myanmar |
A single US soldier’s life is more precious than the lives of a hundred Iraqi women and children. After all, the Americans are the good guys right? Like in the popular Hollywood movies, Osama was the villain who created trouble for a while but in the end; it was the good guys (USA) who won. Good guys always win.
God likes some people more than others. He blesses the good guys and blesses them even more while the poor people continue to be poor because of their sins. If you are not sailing smoothly, probably something’s wrong with you. Remember God loves smart guys.
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| Inside a church in Myanmar |
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| A church in Myanmar |
God also seems to be getting quite fussy regarding his dwelling place. He has become quite particular about how his house should be. His followers sensing the Boss’ increasing demands painstakingly undertake mega church building projects to appease him so as to maintain the perennial flow of his blessings. The followers know it’s a good bargain. Experiences of certain people show that God is a good investment partner. So, give God world class treatment; complete with AC halls, tiled floors and expensive stained glass windows, porches with fountains and evergreen plants, banquet halls and lounges with finest sofa sets, grand organ pianos and complete music sets which can be instantly rolled out on stage, lights to suit the mood of the pastor’s sermon and so on.
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Fire is burned near pulpit to produce
light and warmth during evening service |
Nagas are fast realizing the need to treat God well. After all, we have always been a people known to show good hospitality even to strangers. So, we see old church buildings going down and finer, fancier ones coming up everywhere. Certain Naga church buildings now run into crores of rupees. Truly those churches are blessed of God.
Just beyond our border, however, let’s see some poor chaps who still haven’t got it!!! These brothers of ours in Myanmar are still in need of God’s blessings
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| Pastor's seat |
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| Another church in Myanmar |
What if God were to come today and dwell in one of his dwelling places as in the Old Testament. Suppose God were not omnipresent (just for this exercise), which one would he choose to dwell: our mega church buildings or these Myanmar churches? If God is the one I described above (the God who loves good guys more), it’s not difficult to guess which church he’ll choose to stay. But if the God of the Bible were to come and the ‘God’ that I have been talking about all along is not God but is actually a ‘god’, the tables would be turned. Lo and behold, we might have been worshiping not the God of the Bible but a fertility god.
* All photos clicked by Tangit Longkumer
what a brilliant description of the state of our churches.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Sao! Jesus came to the world not surrounded by glitz and glamour, but in the poverty of a run down cattle shed surrounded by the most ordinary people, living in the margins of the society.
ReplyDeleteWhen I visited Myanmar - we went to a home of a Lushai-speaking family. And there in their home was a framed picture of Aizawl. The holy mountain perhaps?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the notes Sao - its good to have a prophetic voice - I think we all need to be careful that we don't allow our sarcasm and anger to boil over. The OT prophets spoke clearly what God told them to say - and wept for their people. May we spend more time on our knees for our churches- and may we make sure that our own involvement is 'in the body' to build it up - because we know that Christ gave himself up for His church!
Blessings to you!
Thanks Azhoni, as always
ReplyDeleteHey John, nice of you to drop in here and thanks a lot for your input
Andi Bhaiya, your comments always have a sobering effect on me :) Thank you. That Lushai family experience is quite amusing.... Even as I disapprove, I speak as an insider, belonging to a mainline Naga Church. We are dedicating our new church building next week, I contributed my share in buying LCD projector and laptop for it.... And.. if I'm writing for the newspaper, I'm more careful with my language
God is more pleased about building up his church ( ecclesia, called out people)than about building the church (kyriokon, the structural building).
ReplyDeleteToday, "I want my village/tribe to have the biggest building in the world' mentality has dominated our thinking. God is surely not going to be happy with such thinking. He would rather see his children donating money to poorer children of his than having the biggest building in the world.
Are Individuals's like you for real? I mean, in this space of time (some call it turbulent, some call it challenging, some call it corrupted, some call it materialistic and so on) we are traversing in, I am really encouraged to come across such strong commitment in a writing about "The Church". And I am confident that You, as a God's own, is making the One above really proud.....Keep up your inspiring writing, and your good works...An though i have no authority to invoke blessings, May the Good God bless you abundantly herein and hereafter.....
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