THE ROLE OF KUKI WORSHIP SERVICE TOWARDS UNITY AND TRANSFORMATION OF THE KUKIS IN DIASPORA.

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Name: Nkthang
Email: ppaseeme@gmail.com

PROBLEM: The research problem is to investigate whether KWS serve as one of the uniting and transforming factors among the Kukis in the midst of prevailing divisions.
Elaboration of the problems:
In the diversely interconnected different dialect communities of the Kukis, various church doctrinal worship function in the form of groups and separatism. It misleads the people themselves into division in the name of doctrine, church organisation and denominational associations besides existence of their diverse system of worship in dialect communities. A system of Houbung (Literally Houbung (Hou/Sakho=worship, bung=group) Houbung means to worship in group wise) prevails among the people.
Socially, their fore fathers' names are misused in the name of phung le chang (literally, Phung means tree (family tree) and chang means section/branch. The term Phung le Chang negativate the names of fore-fathers). It is a misuse term to stigmatize emotion and feeling in breeding of the evil sprite of abuse in the form of sectarianism and separatism. The prevailing close circle of marriage functions as a tools of close minded relationship leading into narrow outlook. These disconcerted in many occasions function as catalyst of social evil.
However, 'Diaspora Kukis' (Kuki people who lives abroad and away from their origin home land of freedom called Zale'n Gam or Independent Hill Country or Kuki Country by G.A. Grierson, for the quest in the field of education, employment, business and the like). They come together to Shine in Christ for humanity and salvation in the way of fellowship as a human community in 'Pathen Oi' (Literally Pathen, Pa=Father and then=Holy means Holy-father, God. Traditionally Oi means to accept with faithful trust. Originally and traditionally Pathien/Pathian/Pasian is known by the Chin-Kuki-Mizo People as benevolent God, Most High and Powerful in Spirit to sustain or recreates. Pathen Oi refers to the 'People of Faith' who 'Trust God's Word' of the Bible called 'Pathian thu awih' and adhered to the Gospel of Christ Jesus). KWS takes the role and function as one of the uniting factors in different cities. It is an investigation to see whether Kuki Worship Service!
functions as a tool of unity and transformation for the Kuki people in this research.
CHAPTERIZATION:
First Chapter of the Thesis introduces us to understand about the Kuki people as "UNDERSTANDING KUKI PEOPLE". It investigates about their settlement and administration of traditionally inherited Kuki polity. Custom, culture, tradition as well as folk tales are examined.
Chapter-1 contents: Introduction, The Kuki people, Settlement of the Kukis (territorial and political), Kuki Traditional Polity (Family Level. Upa Inpi. Village Level and Kuki Nampi Level). Kuki Folk Tales. Custom, Culture and Tradition (Chhangvai, Sa-ai and Chaang-ai, Lawm, Shom, Kuki Community Festivals, Lenkhawm). Religion (Kuki Primal practise of Appeasement and Kuki Worship Service) and summary.

The Second Chapter, deals with the historical perspective of KUKI WORSHIP SERVICE as A STUDY. Formation and growth of KWS units in different regions and cities of India were taken into account. Existence of KWS in and outside India was also considered for examination besides the formation and function of (AIKWSCC).
The content topics of Second Chapter: Introduction, Formation of the Kuki Worship Service, Units of Kuki Worship Service in India according to sequence of its formation as KWS Shillong (KWS-S), Kuki Worship Service Delhi (KWS-D), Kuki Worship Service Happy Valley (KWS-HV), Kuki Worship Service Guwahati (KWS-G), Kuki Worship Service Bangalore (KWS-B), Kuki Worship Service Hyderabad (KWS-H), Kuki Worship Service Kolkata (KWS-K), Kuki Worship Service Pune (KWS-P), Kuki Worship Service Chennai (KWS-C), Kuki Worship Service Mumbai (KWS-M), Kuki Worship Service Itanagar (KWS-I), Kuki Worship Service Silchar (KWS-S), Kuki Worship Service Aizawl (KWS-A), KWS in Kuala Lumpur (KWS-KL) and Kuki Worship Service London (KWS-L) along with Kuki Community Church in USA. All India Kuki Worship Service Coordinating Committee (AIKWSCC) and summary.

Third Chapter highlights whether KWS is playing the role of unity and transformation among the Kuki people as KUKI WORSHIP SERVICE: A UNIFYING AND TRANSFORMING FACTOR. Questionnaires and interview done to the members and leaders of Kukis were exposed to it.
Its contents are: Introduction (Delineating Unity and Transformation), an empirical study on unity and transformation, discovery out of empirical research, Findings of our empirical research for unity and Findings of our empirical research for transformation and summary.
The fourth Chapter gives a Theological response to the KWS and THEOLOGY OF KUKI HUMANITY for unity and transformation of the people is suggested. It is because of the diminishing of human value in comparison with during the age of pre-Christian era. It also talks about Khankho way of life, in which socio-political and economic life lore are knitted together in which custom, culture and tradition, which is the core of village origin Kuki human community life lore. The only need for present age is to follow up Khankho way of life because it is suggested to be the source of unity and transformation for the Kuki people.
The contents of the fourth Chapter are: Introduction, Why Theology of Kuki Humanity, The Spirit for Restoration of Kuki Humanity, Theological affirmation of Kuki Humanity, Unity in Khankho (Concept of Chung Pathen is their unity, Kuki faith in the Work of Spirit, Kuki way of Worship Service, Worship of Chung Pathen in the institution of Indoi, Kuki unity in symbol of natural phenomena, Tahchapa Jesu incarnate son of Chung Pathen is Mi'upa, Tahchanu: Dignity of Kuki Feminism, Christ for Pathen Oi, Unity in Kut, Lawm, Shom, Lenkhawm get-together nature of Kuki life-lore, Selnit and Sahnit: Days of Bereavement, Thatep, Unity in the Body of Animal, Polity of Chieftain's Unity and Kuki Inpi), summary and conclusion.

(The Author is a Theological Student of Bishop's College Kolkata: Pluralistic Inclusivism School of Thought).

Fear Not! A Savior Is Born

"Fear not! Do not be afraid!" The angel spoke these words to Zachariah, to Mary, to Joseph, and finally to a group of shepherds on a hillside near Bethlehem.

"Do not be afraid; for behold I bring you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord."

Do Not Be Afraid

Fear has a way of tying our stomachs up in knots, paralyzing our thinking, inducing panic. Fear, and its cousin worry, can capture our hearts when we see ourselves caught in a vortex of disasters beyond our control.

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus talks about tiny, defenseless sparrows in the context of fear and worry:

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink... Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"

In another place he reassures his followers:

"Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows."

Fear Drives a Downward Spiral

During this Christmas 2008 the entire world is caught in the grip of an economic down-spiral. Houses are being foreclosed on. People are losing jobs. Factories are closing. Food costs in some countries have risen 25%.

More and more you glimpse a kind of bleak fear in people's eyes. Will I lose my house? My job? What will become of us if this recession deepens into a depression? How will I feed my family?

Though it's been quoted so often that it's become a clich, Franklin Delano Roosevelt spoke these words to a nation at the depth of the Great Depression:

"Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself -- nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance."

Fear can grip us, choke all faith out of our hearts. Fear also drives economic depression. Fear causes companies to contract and people to stop buying. It causes runs on banks and panic on Wall Street. FDR reminded a nation that fear itself constitutes a large part of the problems we face.

It was as true in 1933 as it was on the first Christmas.

On the First Christmas

For on that first Christmas, the world was in desperate times, too. A census is being conducted in order to raise already high taxes. Murderous, paranoid Herod the Great is king of the Jews. It is winter on Bethlehem's hillsides -- and cold. Inside a cave in the town sit a poverty-stricken carpenter and his young wife -- far from home, chilled to the bone. She is in labor. Her child will be born in a stable, of all places. Why is it like this? she may have asked.

And then she recalls an echo of the angel's words to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary...."

A Savior Is Born

On the windswept hillsides outside of town, shepherds are huddling, too. All of a sudden the sky lights up and an angel proclaims:

"Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."

Fear not. The shepherds' fear is turned to joy as they hear news that a Savior is born. The Messiah! In Bethlehem, the city of David himself!

And so they run down the hillsides into the town and hurry from stable to stable until they find the Child in the manger, just as they have been told. Tucked in that manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes against the cold, is the Savior himself.

The Savior Will Provide

A Savior comes to rescue people in danger, preserve those who are threatened by harm, and protect his people from the troubles that surround them. That's what saviors do! That's what Jesus came to do for us.

Do not be afraid because God has sent a Savior to us -- Jesus Christ the Lord. He is the One who will:

• Never leave us or forsake us.
• Supply all our needs according to his riches in glory.
• Add to us all the things we need as we seek him and his Kingdom.

Christmas Is About a Savior

Our world doesn't know. They think that Christmas is about gifts under a tree and a spirit of good cheer, with Christmas dinner and family around the table. But as good as all that may be, it isn't nearly as good as the Real Christmas.

The Real Christmas message is this: God has sent a Savior for you. To save you from your sins and to help you in this life -- to lift your burden and ease your fears. That's it! A Savior who is Christ the Lord -- God himself!

The world is gripped by fear. But fear's hold has been broken in those of us who believe the angel's words:

"Fear not ... for a Savior is born to you -- Christ the Lord!"

Fit the Description

When a crime has been committed the first thing police do is investigate the crime scene. The most important part of investigating the crime scene is looking for evidence, and the most important form of evidence is a description of the perpetrator. Eyewitness accounts are the most powerful testimonies in courts because they can positively identify the criminal with the crime. Once police have secured a description of the perpetrator they begin to search the streets for the suspect. In order for police to identify a suspect they must search for someone who fits the description of the eyewitness. Imagine that you where the person that was guilty of a crime and there was an A.P.B. (all points bulletin) issued for your arrest. The crime was being a Christian and the only description the eyewitness gave was that the criminal let their light shine. If the police began to search the streets for you would you be identified as the prime suspect? Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.-Matthew 5:16 Jesus commanded not suggested that all that follow him let their light shine before men. Jesus wanted our good works to glorify our Heavenly Father before all human beings. The truth is we may be the only Bible that some people read, and we may the only church that some people visit. We have to make a good impression on the world because the sad truth is people judge the church, Jesus, and the Father according to our works. How many times have you heard people speak ill towards the church or Jesus based off an experience they had with a Christian or a particular church? We have to walk in the will of the God and be obedient to our Lord and savior Jesus Christ and follow the two greatest commandments. Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.-Matthew 22:37-40 Credit:Christianblog