In this blog I write mostly about the work we do. If you'd like to get some insights about our daily life here in Tanzania, see Paula's journal entry for June HERE.
"God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:24
At Jacob's well, a Samaritan woman was greatly surprised that Jesus, a Jewish man, had asked her for a drink of water. After offering her something far greater, "living water," Jesus then made her thirsty in a spiritual sense. He pointed out her sin with his miraculous knowledge that she had been married five times previously and was living with a man who was not her husband. Recognizing Jesus as a prophet, she asked him a pressing question - which was the correct place to worship? Was it there in Samaria, on Mount Gerazim, or in Jerusalem? Jesus' answer was that the place no longer mattered -- "The hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him." (John 4:23)
The same is true today. The place no longer matters; neither does language of worship or the outward culture of the worshipers. What matters is, first of all, that the people worship in "spirit." Because of the work of the Holy Spirit in the heart, God is pleased by worship that comes from hearts that truly trust in his Son Jesus, the only Savior of sinners. The short video here shows highlights from a recent church service here near Arusha where believers gather together to worship in spirit:
(After play starts, click on the box next to "YouTube" to see full screen)
Before the service: "Mama Paula" and the children of Pastor Robert and Rachel Loskira.
The other essential for God-pleasing worship has to do with truth. Our only source of truth is found in the verbally inspired Word of God. Here at Wittenberg Lutheran Seminary we ask God to bless our efforts to instruct our future pastors with the complete truth of the Bible. The students are trained to carefully study God's Word to prepare for preaching and teaching. They practice sermons and instruction classes among their fellow students, and then present them "live" at Ambureni parish. Here are a few photos of our work in action (click to enlarge):
Wittenberg students prior to class, trying to stay warm in July (Tanzania's winter)
Pastor Loskira leading opening devotions.
Each Thursday the students enjoy baked treats from "Mama Paula"
Wittenberg
Seminary faculty - B. Naumann, Jeremia Issangya, new professor Tobias Mbise (filling
the vacancy left when Nathan Lengutai retired), and Robert Loskira.
Pastor Andrew Bayo from the Karatu District, on his much-needed motorcycle for circuit riding. This was made possible through contributions to the CLC MDF.
In many ways, things are much different here in Tanzania when compared to our CLC-USA churches. Your Christian brothers and sisters here worship in a very different place, in a different language, and in the context of a different culture. Yet we are all one in Christ, for our we worship together "in spirit and truth"!
FOR MORE CLC Foreign Missions News, See Missionary Todd Ohlmann's blogHERE.
