Covenant Service Sunday and Kente Day 2015

The first Sunday of the year Church Service at the HOPE Congregation of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Sakumono-Estates, Tema was observed as Covenant Sunday where members of the congregation rededicated their lives to Christ. The Communion service, also dubbed Kente Sunday, gives worshippers another opportunity to dress in attire made of the rich Ghanaian Kente designs of varied designs to Church.

In his first Sermon for the year. 2016, the Resident Minister, Rev. Stephen Nii Lankwei Lawson reminded Christians of the call to action as recorded in the scripture (John 5:1-9). Rev Lawson noted that the story brings a sad reminder of the current state of the world we live in, especially Africa and Ghana- physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. He said when it is narrowed down to our personal lives, rather than taking responsibility for ourselves, and the role we must play in bringing about the desired changes in our lives, like the invalid man in the bible story did, we are quick to blame others.

“Most of us have become one way or the other, invalid. Our nation Ghana, without foreign support can never manage its budget. Africa has become a laughing stock. We are not accepted in most places and we need to prove ourselves before being accepted” Rev. Lawson identified some key factors that limits us and makes us invalid. These are our environment, Dependency Syndrome and the comfort of sabbath.

According to him, within the environment the invalid man found himself were people who are paralyzed and stressed that this is the same environment we find ourselves in thus making us unproductive. “Our environment can confine us.” He said things that caused us to be invalid include dependence syndrome, emphasizing that over dependence and the fact that we do not accept responsibility can cause us to be invalid. “The average Ghanaian believe someone is always behind our failure to progress.”

He added that “ Ghana and Africa has all natural resources that can turn round the fortunes and become prosperous but due to laziness, those resources are not well harnessed “. Again, he said Africans have been observed to be notoriously religious to the extent that some have become superstitious (miracle against reality).
But in all, Rev Lawson noted that God has position Christians to fix the situation by ourselves hence the need to:
(1) GET UP – if you sit and complain, your blessing will elude you. Africa, Ghana, HOPE Congregation , GET UP
(2) PICK UP YOUR MAT – the mat was that which was defining the man’s destiny. Nobody is responsible for your destiny, no one have the power to take the destiny into hands.
(3) WALK- walking is a progressive step. Walking is one step after the other. Let us learn to walk. In life, you have to achieve A before B ……., to Z Take one action after the other, holding on to your faith.
Failure to adhere to this passage will mean we fall off to sleep while wallowing in self-pity.