Since last Sunday, I have attended Lutheran church. This church was right
next to Denice’s guesthouse. People who joined church with me last Sunday were
all gone. Denice was coming back from Morogoro, Cherry went back to Singida, but
I did not know where Edwin was. On the way to church alone, I met WVT staff,
Shentawa. He has just finished his Sunday worship spoken in Swahili in Lutheran
church. I received a baton and entered the church.
Western Christianity includes Methodism, Anglican Communion,
Presbyterianism, Lutheranism, and other Protestant traditions. A German monk,
Martin Luther, wrote the Ninety-Five Theses in 1517 to refute the theology of
the Roman Catholic Church – nepotism, usury, pluralism, the sale of
indulgences, and simony –, and his effort became the initial catalyst for the
launching the Protestant Reformation. It was second time for me to join worship
in Lutheran church, and I was a little surprised that gave me a warmer welcome
than last Sunday. Church members probably considered me as a sightseer when I
first came, but I felt that they welcomed me as a new member this time.
Honestly, many branches of Christianity mix me up, and I have no idea which
is right. It would be great experience for me to see the diversity of
Christianity, but on the other hand, factional activities here and there makes
me confused what denomination I am in communion with. However, I believe that
no matter what religious sect people are in, their belief would be the same with
the same bible, and they would not discriminate against anyone based on
different denomination. The Reformation movement was a big step that everyone was
given the freedom to experience the diversity of Christianity without
restriction.
What are my old or bad habits that I have to reform? Everything around me
seems to be eternal but all things in the universe have limited lives. Korean
Thanksgiving Day has surely come back this year as well, following a cycle on
this earth. It is not easy to make a daily life meaningful every time. However,
becoming accustomed to something has high risk of falling into lethargy. I want
to avert my tendency of spinning out with old habits. Just like the
Reformation, I reform to break down the fear of change and stay awake
spiritually all the time.
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