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By Rachael Agunta
It was double celebration last Sunday at the Revival Assembly, Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos. The service, which doubled as Mother’s Day, was also a thanksgiving event for the successful funeral of the mother of Apostle Anslem Madubuko, Princess Phyline Ayozie Madubuko.
The service, which kicked off at 10am, began with a praise and worship session, led by the Dimension Choir.
Emmy Madubuko, wife of Apostle Madubuko, implored women to be bold and confident in themselves, adding that without women, the world would not be an interesting place.
“I want to appreciate every woman in the house for the love you have shown me since I became a part of you. Today, I declare my love for you all. And as we are celebrating you, I want you to be bold and confident, knowing that we rule the world. Today, I thank God for the successful burial of our mother, a woman who welcomed and positively affected as many who came in contact with her. Without her, you and I won’t be here today. A woman who gave birth to my handsome and wonderful husband. She came and played her role as a mother. In like manner, I implore every woman here to continue to play your role as a mother in the life of everyone who comes around you,” she said.
Emmy, who said the cloudy weather on the day of the burial was miraculously transformed to a more clement weather, stated that she was certain that Mama would look down from heaven and be glad seeing the way everything went. She dedicated a song to the women in celebration of this year’s Mother’s Day of the church.
The women, in their presentations, admonished one another to emulate heroines like Esther, Dorcas, Hannah, Mary the mother of Jesus, Abigail, Ruth and the Shunamite woman, who affected lives and brought about change in their respective capacities.
In his sermon, the president of the men’s fellowship of the church, Pastor Dan Ukpabi, congratulated the women and acknowledged their importance in a man’s life and in the home. He asked all the women to sit down and told the men to go round and shake them and tell them they were appreciated.
Speaking about “The Baton,” Ukpabi said that life was a game and no matter how beautiful or connected one was, one could not live forever.
He said, “I see life as a four-generation race. Our grandmother, Phyline, has gone to be with the Lord. One is old not because one desires but because heaven signs it. Everyone has a part in the race and it is a relay race. So you play your part and pass the baton to the next person. Our mother played her part and handed the baton to Apostle and that is why we are here.
“The person who has the baton may be weak but, if he has a strong team of four, victory is assured. The man who started the Redeemed Christian Church of God could neither read nor write but he had the baton and passed it on to Pastor E.A. Adeboye and you can see how the church is thriving. Tomorrow, he will pass it on to another. Apostle Paul said he had finished his course and run the race and he handed over to others.
“Every father and mother has the responsibility to prepare the next generation, if not, you are empty. Our duty is to make sure that the presence of God continues to abide here. That you are in a race does not mean that you will finish well. I have seen great men of God crash and men break. I have seen women with children suddenly become childless. That you began a race does not mean you will finish it. Therefore, don’t run another man’s race.”
Emphasising the importance of women, Ukpabi explained that it took one woman, Eve, to destroy the world and it took another woman with grace, Mary the mother of Jesus, to restore the world.
In his vote of thanks, Apostle Madubuko thanked the congregation for their contributions to the success of the burial: “I thank all of you who contributed prayerfully, financially, and those who gave their time and made themselves available for the success of my mother’s burial. My God will reward you all.”
He admonished everyone to get prepared for the Azusa, a programme coming up at the church in July.
