Bishop Isaiah Mbuga. COURTESY PHOTO.
After being closed for in-person worship for over three months, churches across the country are now contemplating how — and when exactly — they will be reopening as Covid-19 persists around the world.
For some leaders, a return to safe in-person worship is a practical, political and spiritual question, all rolled into one.
Bishop Isaiah Mbuga on Thursday encouraged Christian leaders to return to their prayer closets in a bid to see Church buildings reopen for public worship.
The Christ’s Heart Ministries International team leader warned that “when you begin to see pastors running to politicians, then you understand that they have forgotten that God is the ultimate source,” he said.
Bishop Isaiah Mbuga stated in his address to ministers of the gospel, and those involved in ministry, that the issue of church buildings being closed is a function of how “we have been dealing with church.”
“The first issue that we need to deal with is for the Church to return to the place of being Church. World over, not just in Uganda, you will find that over 90% of pastors don’t pray. I have witnessed it. I have attended pastors fellowships, and there is no prayer. I have attended pastors meetings, and pastors can’t sustain prayer for one hour,” he started.
To that end, Bishop Mbuga explained that many are busy crying out for help, “where we know help cannot come from,” he said.
“Running around and pleading with MPs is wrong, in-terms of ranking. Because, if the issue is spiritual, then it should be spiritually dealt with. But why are we running to politicians? It is because we think we have no other option. For many, prayer is not an option. If prayer was an option, we would never have voiced this issue, but entered our closets and sought God,” he said.
For Bishop Mbuga, God is well able to create circumstances which are right for churches to be reopened.
“If pastors are running to politicians, that is indicative of a failed generation… Instead of begging politicians, appeal to the highest authority, who is God,” he said.
SACKCLOTH
Bishop Mbuga called it a contradiction for one to wear sackcloth as a show of repentance and lamentation, but at the same time put on high heel shoes, makeup and perfume.
It should be remembered that a section of Church leaders resorted to wearing sackcloth as an expression of their sorrow at the continued closure of churches in Uganda.
“I saw people wearing sackcloth, but they were dancing. What a contradiction. A sackcloth is not a design; that is a sign of mourning. In fact, that was the Old Testament way of mourning. One had to put ashes in the hair. But what a contradiction we see today. You are putting on high heel shoes, makeup and perfume. What is the revelation? It is not going to work. So, all these are gimmicks, and they are not going to take us any further,” he said.
“This is not time for games. This is not time for politics. This is not time for faking things. You either have it, or you don’t have it. But in the season in which the church is, we need people who are authentic,” he said.
