Hakunavanhu Cassian Manyame is the Manyame I admire the most amongst our men. He was full of God's spirit and had a prophetic/healing mantle on his life. I remember stories being told about how people would come to our farm in Manyene to be prayed for. My grandfather and others in his inner circle would fast and pray until the sick man was healed. Barren women would come for prayers and God would open up their wombs.
Such was the fervency of the faith of my forefather.
He was an early Christian convert in his family and in our village at large. He was also among the men responsible for planting our local Church, the Apostolic Faith Mission in Zimbabwe ~ AFM in our village. That local assembly still goes by the name 'Manyame Assembly......'
The most valuable lesson I learnt from him is about worship. Being old school, my grandfather was one among many elders of the church who were against the idea of playing musical instruments in church. This was in the early days when instruments they were just being introduced to the church. It irked him so much as he was convinced that the church was losing its way by introducing the 'devil's' music into the church. In his eyes this was nothing short of compromise.
Like many of his peers he was convinced that true and pure worship was being defiled. Until one day.....
Whilst attending a worship service at an AFM provincial conference in the 80s Cassian was going through his usual inner struggles and conflicts with worship and musical instruments. Then he heard a voice, God speaking to him....
'Why are you so bothered, are they doing this for you or for me? This worship, is it for you or they are worshiping me?
I need not say more......
The morale of the story is that as worshipers we get so wound up about style, language, genre, tempo etc etc as if the worship is going to our 'throne'. We actually even get offended if the singer doesn't have what we think is a good voice fit for leading a song.......
By the way, this is not an excuse for mediocrity or carnal worship.
Worship is for God and God alone. Let him be the judge of what's acceptable in his sight. We forget that He is the one who sees the heart of man and listens way beyond the natural sound. He listens for and to the heart. He is spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Our part is to worship in spirit and in truth. Ignore the urge to judge..... and JUST WORSHIP!
