'Berawe'

As we prepare to begin the return journey starting tomorrow, we have armloads of notes, photos, greetings, and memories to bring back. The relationship between Iowa and Nzara has never been stronger. We are grateful for your prayers one and all.

This small thought as we go: When conducting confirmations, ordinations, Mothers Union inductions, or Lay Reader commissionings, Bishop Peni will ask the subjects to make their vows, then asks them to repeat the answers to the questions. (A typical answer would be something like, "I will with God's help.") The Zande word that forms the commandment to repeat is, "Berawe" -- say it again.

In other words, "Once more, with feeling."

Renewing ordination vows is nothing new for clergy, of course. But to have to repeat your end of the bargain of how you intend to serve God, in the very moment of your declaration to move forward, in the middle of the thing itself, helps to create the feeling that the service is almost rising off the page.

It may be safe to say we have not heard the last of this liturgical innovation.

Torey Lightcap