The House of God

There are many religions in the world. Also, different scholars have defined religion in various ways each of them emphasizing one aspect or the other, The definition by Collin’s online dictionary says that “a Religion is a belief in a god or gods and the activities that are connected with this belief, such as praying or worshipping”.

If you look keenly, you will realize that religions are built upon five major pillars.

1. Deity – This is a supernatural being to whom worship is directed and who is known through revelation to the worshippers. This we call God.
2. Scriptures – These are Holy writings usually contained in books that contain the revelation of who the deity is and what he requires of the worshippers. We Have the Bible, the Quran, ETC
3. Creed – This contains the main beliefs that define a particular religion.
4. Holy Place – This is a sacred place set aside for worshipping the deity. We have the Church, Mosque, Temple, synagogue, etc.
5. Liturgy – These are activities that the worshippers offer to the deity for different reasons such as atonement, thanksgiving, petition, worship, etc. We have songs, prayers, dance, food, etc

Though many religions hold that God is a Spirit who lives in heaven but is present everywhere, the majority of them also have specific places set aside for the purposes of worship. Every religion has got principles that guide the construction and decoration of their Holy Places.

In Christian Church for example. The Church building is distinct from other houses. Apart from the obvious features such as size which depends on the capacity intended, and the height to allow good air circulations, there are other features such as the Altar, Sacristy, Towers, and Bells. etc.

The first Parish Church in Simanjiro Parish, Emboreet was constructed in 1962. It was constructed with timber walls and concrete floor. Due to weather conditions and infestation by Ants, the building was used for worship until 2008 when the new Church building was inaugurated.

14 years later in 2022, the new Church building needed repairs due to corrosion of the floor, the roof, and walls. We need also to construct bell towers and extend the sacristy to separate the vesting area from the storage area of sacramentals.

The construction started in January 2023 and was completed in May 2023. The Church now looks beautiful and its twin towers can be seen from far.