Kohima, March 21 (MExN): In view of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the Chakhesang Baptist Minister’s Hill Church, Kohima (CBCMHK) has encouraged its members to take this opportunity to rekindle faith in the Lord, impart family values and important matters of hygiene.
A press release from the pastoral staff and media and publicity committee of CBCMHK on Saturday informed that negating these much needed leadership role will put families at risk.
As responsible parent or guardian, one must cater to the needs of the younger and more vulnerable children. Their duty in upholding or organising ‘family altar’ is vital to strengthening and sustaining members of Christ’s body, it stated.
The press release also stated that COVID-19 narrative is powerless to submerge one’s hopes and the future which God beholds for everyone. In fact, it only prods and nudges believers to isolate themselves to a posture where they can relate with God on a more personal level. The members were called upon to enter into the secret sphere of sacred worship at home, in rooms, and in hearts, for God who sees in secret will reward abundantly.
It stated that associations and churches are being involuntarily pressed by the gravity of the COVID-19 threat to temporarily suspend ministry activities is unprecedented in Naga Church history. But pastors and church leaders making this uneasy decision have not closed the church door to members or anyone seeking God. The ‘church’ is not the building but its ‘members’ who are the body of Christ. As long as its members seek and worship the Lord, more so now, within the privacy of their spaces, then the church has not shut its doors, the press release added.
Stating that Nagas are fond of huge gatherings or congregations and worshiping in great numbers, the notion of ‘the more the merrier’ is undeniably predominant, perhaps evoking the belief that a bigger crowd ushers bigger blessings, it said. Preaching tends to stretch longer than usual in such gatherings, and praises and worship enthusiastically increase in decibels.
Corporate worship essentially being the communion of saved sinners has the potential to display human flaws more often than not. But conducted and ministered rightly, it has tremendous power to pro-actively promote God’s mission of salvation through grace by faith in Christ Jesus. The Naga corporate expression of worship is a distinct feature in Naga Christianity and many understand worship ‘that’ way, it added.
The press release also while acknowledging corporate worship as a power house in the gathering of the body of Christ, it also hopes that the members realises that the strength and beauty of the body of Christ comes as every individual member gives proper attention to implicitly strengthen in one’s personal relationship with God.
And this can happen only in personal moments of quiet solitude, the same way Jesus did, the release added.
