THE ARCHDEACON OF HANIKA MET WITH MEMBERS OF RWANDA ANGLICAN STUDENTS ASSOCIATION-GITWE BRANCH

Rwanda Anglican Students Association (RASA) is an Association of Anglican Students from different Universities and High Learning Institutions in Rwanda. The Association started in Butare (in the former National University of Rwanda-NUR) in 1999 under the name of Association de la Jeunesse Episcopale Universitaire au Rwanda (AJEUR). It started with 7 members and had Salvation, Love and Work as its motto. Today, RASA is active in 18 Universities and High Learning Institutions. It has 1271 active members and 2500 alumni. RASA plays a big role in the Anglican Church of Rwanda in preparing future leaders by endowing them with important Christian values allowing them to carry out the evangelical mission.

As far as RASA Gitwe is concerned, it is worthy to note that it started in 2014 with 30 members; but the official opening of its activities took place on 26/11/2017 by the Rt. Rev. Dr. Jered KALIMBA, the Bishop of EAR Shyogwe Diocese.  The first coordinator of RASA Gitwe was Mr Jean d'Amour Hagenimana. Currently, RSA Gitwe members continue to play an important role within their university, Kabuga Parish and other surrounding churches.

Kindly find hereby the whole of the preaching that the Archdeacon Joseph shared with the members of RASA Gitwe:

Dear fellow brothers and sisters,

Greetings in the name of Jesus-Christ! Thanks are to the Lord for this opportunity to share this sermon with you through social media. The today’s message is entitled: “ENLARGE THE PLACE OF YOUR TENT”. It is based on the verse 2 taken from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, Chapter 54, where the Lord said: “Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes”.

The message was addressed to Jerusalem like a mother who was living in the tents. When the mother like that had many children, she had to see how to make bigger her tent coverage. She had to find the biggest tent, to make the sides longer and make the pegs of her tents stronger. Amazingly, when God gave this message, Jerusalem was broken down and Jews were brought to live as slaves in Babylon. As the old barren woman could not give a birth, no one could imagine that Jerusalem would be populated again. Fortunately, many years after the prophecy, Jerusalem was populated again after its people came from Babylon where they were taken as slaves.

The difficult situation you are struggling with should not stop you in having bigger driven purpose and thinking bigger. Even if Jabez was born in much pain; he did not want to remain in such a situation; he prayed God of Israel and said, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.””(1 Chronicles 4:10) Today, let us pray like Jabez. Our names should be changed through prayer. God may enlarge our coasts; through prayer we can get out of the life of sorrow and narrow space, God can give us more land. Don’t spend your time looking at your birth place; neither your highness nor your age. All rich men or Self-actualized people did not come from their mom’s womb with richness. Thinking bigger starts when someone is younger. The sons of the prophets were younger than Elisha who was looking after them; but they realized that the place over where they were was too small for them. Then, they proposed the solution from them.

Those sons of the prophets, though realization of too small place of where they stayed during their studies; they said unto Elisha: “Look, the place where we meet with you is too small for us. Let us go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a pole; and let us build a place there for us to meet.” (2 Kings 6:1-2) Let each from us be committed to contribute, our Churches ‘problems will be resolved. Our churches will fulfill all requirements so that they would not be closed again; no widow can stay in broken house that can be dangerous to her life. Those fellow sons of the prophets were not happy with where they were taking studies. Do you have a sorrow of what are not going well in your Church? What is your plan?

Those sons of the prophets built a place to live themselves. Those are different from nowadays, learners who have everything to help them with their studies. The research showed that those fellow sons of the prophets were familiar with farming and working with their hands so that they could feed themselves. In Israel, this kind of working was not considered as the cheapest work that can devalue them. Working with hands was prioritized, if not it was a sin. Every son should learn some kind of hand on work. Many of theologians worked with the hands so that they can feed themselves. And then after, in the days of apostles, Paul and Aquila were tentmakers. Most of the time Paul did teach to mind own businesses like where he said: “…You should mind your own business and work with your hands.” (1 Tess. 4:11)

Even if the work is tiring, on other side, it is the source of happiness and development. Reason why, like those fellow sons of prophets, the youth should know the value of work. The boys and girls should know that to be committed on work will bring them a joyful life. In our time, some mindsets are there saying that working can violet personal dignity. This is wrong! Young people like to be teachers, secretary/administrative assistants, businessmen healthcare professionals, lawyers or other works that can allow them to be smart physically. But no one can be devalued by doing some works even if it can be handwork. Laziness and losing self-control can make you cheaper. The laziness brings no driven future. Like those sons of prophets, young people must earn their own living while they are learning; and after their studies, they can have enough hand on skills that allow them to earn their own living.

Another amazed thing from these sons of prophets is how they wanted to be together with Elisha, their teacher, when they went out school- it’s normal that students want to go out school without informing their teacher. It’s preciously to work with our pastors. Are you worried with borrowed money that fallen in water? Did you start a business with borrowed money and now it’s driven down like that ax which did fallen into water? Please go and see your pastor to pray for you. When we want to expend our business, we might ask God to walk with us. It’s ashamed that some people when they are blessed in their businesses, they stop serving God or they leave the Church. Our Lord God wants our business to develop so that we can contribute to the development of our churches. God promised us to be a heads and not the tail; we will be on the top, not on the bottom (Deter 28:13). Protestants should not stay in too small places, poor church buildings; etc. I pray that God can expand our places; in the Name of Jesus-Christ! Amen!

May the peace of God which passes all understanding, keep our hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of His son Jesus Christ our Lord; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit be amongst us and remain with us forever. Amen.

Arch. SEHORANA Joseph (EAR Shyogwe)

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Website: http://www.sehorana.com/

E-mail: sehojo2007@yahoo.fr