© 2020 Dr Margaret Sheppard
The first part of the service was all night. On arrival, before entering the yard, everyone had to be purified with Holy Water. First the Moruti (Church Leader) sprinkled it on each of our faces and fronts, then on each of our backs. Then we each had to cup our hands to be washed and afterwards each had to drink some. Only then were we allowed to enter the yard, where we awaited the arrival of the rest of the congregation.
The congregation did not arrive until after midnight and then the service started. It was held outside the entrance to the enclosure, the men standing to one side of the circle and the women at the other. After a few hymns we all knelt down to pray and then singing and dancing continued. This was interspersed with privately given prophecies throughout the night delivered on one side of the circle in the customary way.
On one side of the circle there was a big fire on which there were 2 enormous black legged pots. -
The Moruti (Church Leader) announces the purpose of the service at the beginning of the service. He is holding his prophecy pole.
Service is outside. Congregation stands in a circle -
Every now & then a member “receives” a prophecy & the member for whom it is is called outside the circle to receive their prophecy “privately”.
Congregation sing ,clap and dance to the special ZCC hymns. The men wear outsize white hunter boots with car tyre soles. Every now & then they leap into the air and thump with their boots. Women wear dance rattles around their ankles that keep the rhythm of the hymns. The rest of the congregation clap. These actions all assist the prophets to receive their prophecies from the Holy Spirit.
The Kalahari night air is cold, hence the blankets as shawls.