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More than a spiritual exercise
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By: Gopal Talukdar
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Article published on IST
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The creation of this universe is tinged with mystery. We call a thing mysterious when we fail to give logical and scientific explanation about it. Science is silent regarding the creation of this universe. Besides certain hypotheses making guesses regarding the creation of this universe, there are no sound theories giving exact information on how the entire universe took its shape. Wherever there is mystery, therein lays the presence of God.
Even non-believers utter God’s name when they are in danger. Whatever the case may be, we feel holy when we do certain activity to glorify the name of God. The thirst for experiencing some feeling of holiness makes every individual take the name of God.
That thirst leads to spiritual enlightenment. This spiritual enlightenment grows goodness in man. The goodness in the heart of a man enables him to have spiritual solace, peace and happiness.
In the midst of our busy daily schedule, we snatch time to take the Almighty’s name for attaining spiritual solace and happiness. Irrespective of religions, all believers take the name of God in different ways in their respective places of worship.
Sunday is observed as Sabbath Day by Christian believers. They suspend their daily schedules and take the opportunity to pray to God and glorify His name. My visit to several Churches in different places in Nagaland and elsewhere has given me a new flash of light in my mind about the adorable ways in which Sunday service is conducted in churches.
Different activities are organized in a systematic manner. All the activities have ample importance and significance.
Offering our devotion to the Almighty with marked austerity gives a sense of piety in our heart. We experience spiritual elevation. We also undergo a spiritual purification and cleansing by way of offering our sincere prayer to God. We also inculcate in our heart the fear of God.
The holy Bible says, “The fear of Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” This fear of God leads us to attainment of wisdom and knowledge and we envisage a holy path of life. A great spiritual awakening follows every service to God.
It is quite remarkable that the importance of Sunday church service is not limited to spiritual edification only. It plays a multifaceted role. Besides being a religious institution, a Church is a splendid social institution. It binds the congregation with a holy bond of social unity.
The human trait of existing together with the egalitarian principles is strengthened by the way services are held. Worshippers both rich and poor leave aside their differences and worship God in one spirit.
All the members find their respectable identities and feel a sense of belongingness. Sunday service is a beautiful process of building social solidarity and establishing social identity of every individual.
Churches are also beautiful educational institutions for children. Besides learning moral and spiritual lessons, they learn how to organize various programmes not only in Churches but also in different spheres of social life.
By their active participation in different activities, they build up skill of communication and leadership qualities. It is observed that children regularly participating in the Church activities are exceptionally smart, polite, pious, clean-hearted, courteous and good-mannered.
Very often beautiful competitions are held for children in Churches. Recitation, Bible reading, Bible interpreting, elocution, music, singing, etc. are the most notable among the competitions.
A competitive spirit is developed in the children by letting them overcome fear and develop capacity to perform before a large gathering in a very impressive manner.
Children learn wonderful lessons on obedience. This learning of obedience helps them in being obedient and polite to teachers and this helps them to be good students in their schools and colleges. They excel in their academics and are able to carve a bright career. Sunday Church services thus help children in their educational career.
It is reiterated that all kinds of moral and spiritual values are learnt in religious institutions. Church service inculcate in people moral and spiritual values which are very important to build up a peaceful and humane human society.
People get opportunity to have fellowship with people of varied clans and communities and thereby strengthen the human values of tolerance, kindness, empathy, compassion and fellow-feeling in them.
Gopal Talukdar, PGT (English), JNV, Kohima.
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