Contents Message from the Metropolitan ........................................2 Message from the Diocesan Bishop.................................3 Editorial Policies ...............................................................4 Editorial.............................................................................5 Story of the growth ...........................................................6 Felicitation ........................................................................6 The First vicar...................................................................7 The First Secretary ...........................................................8 Message from the Vice President of the COMPE...........10 Jesus Loves Me..............................................................11 Message from the Secretary of the COMPE ..................12 Ecumenism in England...................................................14 Engagement in the Mission of Christ..............................15 Marks of a Disciple .........................................................16 The God, I know .............................................................18 Liturgical Engagements ..................................................19 Freedom of Faith ............................................................23
The COMPE Executive Committee
Communication of God...................................................24 Christian Witness:...........................................................25
President: The Rt. Revd. Dr. Geevarghese Mar Theodosius Vice president: Revd. Dr. Thomas Philips Secretary: Mr. P.M. Mathew Treasurer: Mr. Jaffey Chacko
Pearls of Wisdom from Down the Ages-1.......................28 Pastoral Care and Counselling.......................................29 Birth Centenary...............................................................30 News & Reports
Editorial Board of the Mar Thoma ECHO Editorial Director: Dr. Zac Varghese Chief Editor: Revd. Jose Punamadam Mr. Sherry Matthews Mr. Oommen Abraham Mrs. Geena Ajay Cover Design Rev. Jose Punamadam
Family Conference-2014 ................................................31 Edavaka Mission Centre Meeting...................................32 Youth Conference 2014 Report ......................................33 ECHO Garden (Space for Children) ...............................34 Valedictory Speech.........................................................35 The Resurrected Saviour................................................36 Easow Mar Timotheos - A Man of Prayer ....................37 ECHO - EMBLEM...........................................................38 ECHO-How did it come about? ......................................38
Layout & Printing Mar Thoma Press, Tiruvalla
Photo Gallery..................................................................39
For private circulation only 1
Message from the Metropolitan Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar Apostolic See of St. Thomas DR. JOSEPH MAR THOMA METROPOLITAN POOLATHEEN TIRUVALLA 689101 KERALA, INDIA
Ph : 069 2630313, 2601210 Fax : 0469 2602626 Mobile : 94473 70700 9961963090 E-mail : metropolitan@marthoma.in
The Mar Thoma parishes of UK and Europe are going to release 'ECHO' to share the life and experiences in the respective countries, wherever they live in Christendom. This area was a Christian belt and from there many missionary movements since the Reformation have taken place. The Roman Church and the Orthodox Churches were having great influences in the life and cultural philosophy of that region. The Great Reformers, Martin Luther, Calvin and Swingli pioneered the reformation, and Cardinal Newman and other great personalities geared the Roman law and philosophy. Archbishops Thomas Kraemer, William Temple and others led the Anglican Reformation. By this Renaissance of Christian faith many young churches were formed in Asia and Africa. This reformation enlightenment was much influential at that time. Then the Missionary Movement claimed the enlightened West carrying the torch of light to the dark continents of Asia and Africa without realizing the cultural, social and ethical standards that these lands were holding. The missionaries were agents of developing the languages of those areas and digging out the great resources which were hidden and were brought to light In modern time nobody can say that claim. So the Missionary Conference of W.C.C. held in Mexico changed the dictum, 'The Gospel is from everywhere to everywhere'. In the light of that, modern theology emerged 'Christo-centric resurrection theology'. The Theo-centric ecumenical vision of theology that called for development of the underdeveloped countries created eco problems. The developed countries are arguing for eco-protection in the developing countries. The western colonization discarded the human right of the natives. But now they are vibrant about human rights. The service agencies of that time have now turned to be industrial agencies. The industrial agencies are now turning back as service agencies, for example, banking. Industrial agencies have now turned to be social agencies for development. In the light of all these things the need of the twenty first century is a call for transformation, for a dignified life in this planet. So the churches must pray: 'O God by Your grace, transform the world and mould us to be agents of this transformation'. So as we step into the second decade, we have to modify the prayer: 'O God of life, lead us through the path of righteousness and peace to have a dignified life'. 'He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? 'To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God'. (Micah 6:8) I wish the publication all success and God's blessings.
Dr. Joseph Mar Thoma Metropolitan
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Message from the Diocesan Bishop The Diocese Of North America & Europe Mar ThomaChurch Rt. Rev. Dr. Geevarghese Mar Theodosius Diocesan Bishop
Sinai Mar Thoma Centre 2320 S, Merrick Avenue Merrick, NY 11566 Tel : (516) 377-3311, (516) 377-0188 (516) 665-3740, Fax : (516) 377-3322 E-mail : marthomadiocese@gmail.com www.marthomanae.org
I am glad that 'The Mar Thoma ECHO' is brought out for the first time in Europe. This is to bring out the very best of the Mar Thoma community with the initiative of COMPE as its on-line quarterly journal. The input of all the members- seniors, youth and children- will make it an excellent publication and acceptable to all. It should transcend all barriers of race, language and gender; it should become dear to all in the region and a pride of the Mar Thoma Church on the global world. Eastern religions have the practice of spending time with nature, where the devotees hear the 'small still voice of God'. We also too hear the voice of God through meditation, prayers, liturgical life, conversations, dialogue with others and nature. One characteristic of God's voice is that it echoes in our life again and again. An echo is a sound wave. Every word, when it is pronounced, vibrates and it is not lost. Through the scientific advance that we have, sound waves produced centuries before can be brought back to the present. Likewise, each sound has a unique sound wave and thereby we can identify the person who produced it. Humans, animals and other species live and communicate by producing and responding to the sound wave. Therefore speaking and hearing are interrelated. The Holy Bible tells us that our God speaks to His creation and the creation is called to respond to it. The boy Samuel in the Old Testament thus listened to the voice of God by saying, “Speak Lord, thy servant listens.� When the wave length of the Word of God meets the same wave length of the human mind that grasps it, and when that happens a harmonious flow of effective conversation begins and continues. Prophet Elijah thus heard the still voice of God. This hearing of the word of God remains in the person and echoes from time to time. Thus one is able to say, 'I am called by God' or 'I heard the voice of God', etc. The Holy Bible echoes the Voice of God. Adam and Eve heard the voice of God. Abraham was called by God as a person to be a blessing to the nations. Moses was called in the wilderness to be a liberating leader, to lead the people from the bondage they had in Egypt. Prophets were called to listen to God and to be God's mouth piece to the people. Judges were called to judge the people. Psalmists were called to sing praises to God and to remind the people how wonderfully God is leading and guiding them day after day. This call of God continues even now. The Word became flesh, says St. John, regarding the incarnation of Jesus, the Son of God. An echo is an outreach. Here God is reaching out to His creation. The gospel narratives tell us how God in Jesus Christ reached out and communicated to His creation. The redemptive act of God in Jesus Christ, through His death and resurrection was bringing harmony between God and creation. This is termed as the act of reconciliation by St. Paul and affirms that the ministry of reconciliation is given to him and his successors. The act of God is echoed wherever reconciliation takes place, justice is done and peace is maintained. Jesus Christ promised the gift of the Holy Spirit who would remind everyone what God in Jesus Christ said and did. This given Spirit not only echoes the voice of God, but also enables us to recognize where we are going wrong and empowers us to carry out the mission of God. The echo continues and lives in us. The apostolic succession and the ecclesiastical ministry are evidences of it. We look forward to the consummation of it when the eternal God appears again. God has embedded a mission in everything He has created. You and I, created in the image of God and given the life-breath, are carrying a divine mission which nobody else can do. You are unique. Hence your expression through the journal ECHO, inspired by the Holy Spirit, not only brings the echo of God, but also brings communication with fellow human beings and communities and grants them a harmonious and blessed life. I wish the publication of 'The Mar Thoma ECHO' all success and pray God to bless it. God wants us to bring it out regularly and to see that it reaches everyone, first in Europe and then in the global world. May it glorify His name.
Mar Theodosius+
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Editorial Policies General Policies: It is an official publication of the Council of the Mar Thoma Parishes in Europe (COMPE). The mission of the journal is to enrich the lives through the message of the Bible, liturgical studies, Christian witness and experiences that engage, inform and inspire with a vision to: 1. To be actively engaged in making others know why the Mar Thoma Church exists in independence from others, and what its faith formularies are, so as to bring into the common pool of the universal Christian experience all it has found to be true and valuable over the centuries for its own spiritual life. 2. To express its identity, mission, and its institutions. 3. To build a better cohesive society in Europe with Kingdom values. 4. To engage with other churches in ecumenism and interfaith dialogue. 5. To help in the faith formation of children, youths and adults through providing access to theological discourses and in the context of modern life situations. 6. To encourage our young people to display their Godgiven talents through their creativity and to promote human dignity and stewardship of the created world through eco-friendly lifestyles and projects. Language: English Circulation: The Publication is targeted at Mar Thoma diaspora community within Europe. There shall be articles for all ages. Publishers: Council of Mar Thoma Parishes in Europe (COMPE) Cost: The Publication is issued free of cost in PDF format. Frequency: The Publication is issued once in every quarter currently. Publishing Method: The medium of publication will be electronic (PDF) format through emails, social media and online magazine publication sites. Email: A copy of the Publication shall be emailed to Secretaries and / or Achens of each Parish within Europe. Secretaries and / or Achens of respective Parishes are welcome to circulate
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(email or printed) the Publication as necessary to its members. Social Media: A link to latest issue of the Publication shall be shared within Facebook 速. Members are welcome to join the page and / or to share the link their friends. The COMPE or the Editorial Board (EB) shall take no responsibility of such sharing which is outside the control of the EB. The Facebook 速 page address is: The Mar Thoma Echo, a publication of the COMPE (https://www.facebook.com/ECHOCOMPE) Online Publication: A PDF copy shall be published through online Magazine Publishing media (www.scribd.com and http://issuu.com ) The editorial Board: The editorial board is selected by COMPE general body; it is for a three year period, and is authorised to take decision on articles or any publications which shall be part of this circulation. At times, it may not be possible to include all the articles in one issue; however the EB shall try and include them as immediately as possible on subsequent issues. Authors & Articles: Authors can send the articles to compe.echo@gmail.com. Feedback and suggestions: Please send these to compe.echo@gmail.com Advertisements: Currently there are no plans to include any advertisement/sponsorship within the Publication. The EB shall strive to understand the needs of the Mar Thoma diaspora communities, issues, and interests. We shall also maintain objectivity and impartiality in our coverage of complex and controversial matters; we shall be transparent and accountable to the authority of the Mar Thoma Church on all matters. The authors are reminded of their responsibilities in acknowledging the original source of any statements or quotations to avoid litigations regarding copy right concerns and plagiarism. The views published in this journal are those of its authors and not necessarily those of the EB or of the COMPE. The Editorial Board 22 May 2014
Editorial
Engage The Theme of the first edition of the Mar Thoma ECHO is engagement. This is to expand the first letter of the title of the journal, an Acronym - ECHO, which is 'E' for engage. The Christian life is a two way engagement: engagement with God and the engagement with each other. This is at the heart of the Christian teaching: loving God and loving your neighbour as yourself. It is seeing God within us and loving and respecting God's presence in others. Loving God must include loving those who made in His image and likeness. The face of Christ will be seen in quiet special ways in those who are broken, and who suffer due to injustices and human self-centredness. This is why active engagement with our neighbour is an essential element of our spiritual growth. The engagement, fellowship or koinonia, with each other within and without our parish community begins with our engagement and commitment to God. People become members of the church for a variety of reasons, including family traditions, genuine faith, prayer, cultural and traditional endowment, social support and community cohesion. Prayer provides an opportunity to engage in a sacred communion with God, and Jesus taught us to pray; we are asked to pray for the grace to do God's will on earth. It is the meeting point of heaven and earth: 'Let Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.� It is in this sacred ground and moment we see the kingdom of God. St. Paul tells us how to create these sacred moments in our life and extend it: “Be joyful, pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this God's will for you in Jesus Christ� (Thessalonians 5: 16-18). A prayer-centred Christian life is sustained by an organised church through faith fellowship, all its faith formulations, which help to provide people with hope and a deeper sense for belonging and engaging with people around. We should seriously think of merging our social and spiritual engagements, and this is way forward for making the secular sacred. We hope this journal would become a medium for such engagements. The Editorial Board
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STORY OF THE GROWTH The story of the growth of the Mar Thoma community in the UK is one in which I have had the privilege of being involved and which has brought me into contact with many wonderful members of the Mar Thoma church and made me more aware of the growth of Christianity in Kerala and in other parts of the world. I have also had the honour and joy of preaching at the Maramon Convention on two occasions. At first the Mar Thoma community met for worship in the Indian YMCA in London and then looked for a church where they could celebrate the Liturgy. At the time I was a Rector in south London and, by divine providence happened to be present when the Bishop of Southwark opened a letter from some Mar Thoma laymen asking if there might be a church they could share. I immediately suggested my own church of St Mary Newington. The church council readily agreed and for a number of years the Mar Thoma community met regularly at St Mary's and grew from strength to strength. It is wonderful to learn that they now have ten churches in the UK.
Rt. Revd. Dominic Walker OGS (former Bishop of Monmouth)
The relationship between the Mar Thoma Church and the Church of England is special because we are in full communion with one another and so many Marthomites are fully integrated into the life of their local parish churches, but they also value the opportunity of worshipping in a way with which they are culturally familiar. It is also a way of passing on that rich heritage from one generation to another. I congratulate those who are producing the Mar Thoma ECHO and pray that God will use it as an instrument in binding the Mar Thoma community together in love that they may continue and expand their Christian witness and personal growth in Christ to whom be the glory. Dominic Walker +
Felicitation (On behalf of Very Rev. P M George, Vicar General, (Retd.) I am extremely glad to hear that the Mar Thoma Churches in the UK are publishing regional Journal and wish to congratulate and appreciate the Editorial Board, in its new endeavour. God gave my father the opportunity to serve the Mar Thoma Community in London during 1968-69, while he was a student at the Lincoln Theological College of Lincolnshire. My father used to celebrate the Holy Communion service at the London YMCA Chapel once a month and provide spiritual guidance to the congregation. Apart from the Mar Thoma community, members of other Christian denominations also attended the service. My father despite his old-age related health issues still cherishes with gratitude the care and support he received from the Kerala Christian community at that time. I thank God for enabling the small London Congregation to grow to its present stature. I hope and pray that our church community in Europe may flourish further and grow stronger in faith. With prayerful regards, (Mrs) Susan Johnson, Toronto (Daughter)
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Message from the first vicar of the Mar Thoma Parish in London Revd. Dr. Philip Varghese, New York
I am happy to learn that the Europe Region of the Mar Thoma Diocese of North America and Europe is publishing an online quarterly journal by the name 'The Mar Thoma ECHO'. When I got the message from Dr. Zac Varghese to send a greeting, my memory went back to 1977 when my wife Elizabeth (Moni) and I got scholarship from the Church Missionary Society, London to undergo training in Chaplaincy in the UK. First we were in Birmingham. It was the late Mr. Mathew Kallumpram and Mrs. Kallumpram who took us in their car from Birmingham to the Indian YMCA at Fitzroy square, London to conduct Holy Communion service there. We gathered for worship at the chapel on the top floor for a few weeks and afterwards in the Auditorium under the banner of Kerala Christian Congregation. Later we formed our own congregation. The Secretary and Board Members of the YMCA were very helpful. After a few months, we moved to the Newington Parish Church where the Vicar Rev. Dominic Walker (now Bishop) provided all kinds of help and support. Some of the pioneering members of our church in the UK are now with the Lord. Some have gone back to India. It is a matter of joy that the remaining ones are still very active and enthusiastic. Let us thank God for all the good efforts of the pioneers. The Lord has helped us to grow and establish parishes/congregations in different parts of UK and other European countries. The name selected 'ECHO' (Encourage to Engage, Communication, Harmony and Outreach) is quite relevant. We are a community which is very reluctant to accept, recognize or encourage others. Often our arrogance and self-pride hinder us from appreciating the good in others. Our children and young people need encouragement. Even when we are globally connected, we fail to communicate with the members of our own family. Conflicts and struggles destroy peace and harmony. The motto of our church is 'Lighted to Lighten". We are also reminded that each one of us is an evangelist. So we have to seek and help the marginalized, the discriminated, the exploited and the downtrodden. May God help the Editorial Board and all the members to fulfil that task. I wish the journal all the best. May God bless us all.
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labour: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.� Ecclesiastes 4:9-12(NIV)
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Reflections
Dr. Titus Mathews, St. Thomas Mar Thoma Church, Calgary. The history of regular worship using the Mar Thoma liturgy in England goes back to more than fifty years. Members of the Mar Thoma Church in London started meeting once a month for worship in the YMCA chapel in April 1957. The late Mr. O.V. Alexander, who came to London as the warden of YMCA's Indian Students Hostel, should be given the credit for this. The late Rev. V.V. Alexander came to London at the same time for further training as a Psychoanalyst after his higher studies in USA. He was willing to conduct Holy Communion Service once a month. Mr. John Thomas, an Engineering student at the time, acted as the lay assistant. After I came to London in 1958 as a student of Imperial College, I became the lay reader and later secretary of the congregation.
During the fifties and sixties those who went to England or North America were mostly students, and they would return home after their studies. Therefore, most members of the congregation were in London for a period of three or four years. The Episcopal Synod of the Mar Thoma Church was reluctant to establish a congregation, especially since its members could attend Anglican churches, with which we had full intercommunion. It took the personal effort of Mr. O.V. Alexander to convince Most Rev. Juhanon Mar Thoma to approve formally the London congregation. The late Rev. V.V. Alexander was authorized to conduct Holy Communion services with a monthly honorarium of one pound per month.
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Rev. Alexander and I used to stay in William Temple House, the Anglican hostel for overseas students in Earls Court. This allowed me to spend a lot of time with him. I found out that he was great scholar in comparative religion. Rev. Alexander had a beautiful voice and he could chant in a moving way. He taught me how to assist him during the communion service, how to respond to him in proper pitch during the service and how to make it easy for him to use the censor by handing it over at the right time. I came to enjoy my part thoroughly over the years I assisted him. This was a period of good training, for I was a lay leader for a long while in Calgary Mar Thoma Church and assisted many Thirumenies, including Rt. Rev. Thomas Mar Athanasius, and priests during communion services conducted by them. All of us who were in London for short period missed home very much. It was a very good thing to come together for a Holy Communion service chanted in Malayalam. They were joyous occasions of good worship and fellowship. To greet one another and exchange small talk was very re-assuring to all of us who were home sick. Typical attendance at monthly services was twenty or twenty-five people. During my four years in London there were only two visits of bishops: Most Rev. Juhanon Mar Thoma for the 1958 Lambeth conference and Rt. Rev. Alexander Mar Theophilus in 1961 for a missionary gathering. Neither of them celebrated communion, but the late Theophilus Thirumeni of the Orthodox Church did, to my pleasant surprise, using the Mar Thoma liturgy! It is difficult for me to recollect the names of all those who used to attend services in London more than half a century ago. But I do remember a number of them and some of them like Dr. John Thomas, Mr. T. T. Varughese, and Dr. Zac Varghese still live there. Dr. Thomas's brother Mr. John John came in 1960 and he was a great help to me to carry the prayer books and communion vessels to YMCA chapel and back. Mr. C.M. Mathew and his brothers were already there when I came. So were Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Alexander. Dr. and Mrs. K.T. Varughese were there for less than a year and then returned to Bahrain. The late Dr. Benjamin Pulimood and his wife came to do their MRCP in 1960 and after completion of their studies returned to CMC Vellore. One of the things I recollect is going to the world famous Keswick Convention in 1960. I had heard about it
through some English friends and I registered through the Inter University Fellowship to attend it. I had imagined it would be a very large gathering like the Maramon Convention; but it was a much smaller, though intimate affair. It was primarily for people going as missionaries to other countries. I felt it very cold in Keswick and it was very uncomfortable to sleep in the tents. In spite of it, going to the convention was a worthwhile experience. I wrote an article about Keswick convention in Sabha Tharaka, which was published during the following year.
Looking back at those days, I consider what a great privilege it was to serve as lay leader and first secretary of the congregation in London. I believe God used me in that position to be a servant to others. In the years since then, I had the opportunity to be a servant-leader to several organizations in my present place of residence. I would urge all readers of this brief article, especially the youth, to take up positions of responsibilities whenever God give such opportunities. Let me conclude this short article by wishing all the best for the new publication ECHO.
When Mr. O.V. Alexander returned to India in 1960, replaced by Dr. Malaiperuman as the secretary to the YMCA, we were apprehensive whether we would be able to continue our monthly worship in the YMCA chapel. But there was no interruption and, I believe, it continued until 1979 when worship began in St. Mary's parish Church in Newington. Beginning in 1970 new immigrants came to London from Singapore, East Africa and India greatly increasing the membership of the congregation. I will confess that we never thought that small community of worshippers would form the nucleus of several parishes and congregation in England today.
[Professor Titus Mathew was the first secretary of the Mar Thoma Congregation in the United Kingdom. His report in 1962 as the secretary of the Congregation is the only authentic history of the early period of the Mar Thoma Community in the UK. He left UK after finishing his doctoral studies in Physics at the Imperial College, London. Professor Titus is very much interested in the growth and the development of the Mar Thoma community in Europe and has contributed much to the Mar Thoma Community and the academic excellence in Canada as well. He has indeed been a great blessing for many.]
You Can't Please Everyone
One day a man was going to market with his son and his ass. They met a couple on the way. And they asked.. "Why walk when you have an ass to ride? Then the wife said "seat the boy on the ass." "I would like that," said the boy, "help me up father." And the father did that willingly. Soon they met another couple. "How shameful of you!" cried the woman, "let your father ride, won't he be tired?" So, the boy got down and the father rode the ass. Again they marched on. "poor boy", said the next person they met, "why should the lazy father ride while his son is walking?" So, the boy got onto the ass too. As they went on, they met some travellers. How cruel of them! They are up to kill the poor ass." cried one of the travellers. Hearing this, the father and the son got down. Now they decided to carry the ass on their shoulders. As they did so, the travellers broke into laughter. The laughter frightened the ass. It broke free and galloped away. MORAL: You cannot please everyone
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Message from the Vice President of the COMPE Rev. Dr. Thomas Philips, Sinai MTC, North London Let me begin by congratulating the Editorial Board for taking on the colossal task of publishing the inaugural journal for the Mar Thoma community in Europe. At the last COMPE meeting, members were encouraged to produce a journal embodying the journey of faith to treasure the memories of our forefathers for the future generations. I would like to congratulate our Diocesan Bishop, The Rt. Rev Dr Geevarghese Mar Theodosius for encouraging and inspiring the publication of a local edition for the benefit of the local community. The Editorial Board needs to be commended for their zeal and commitment in bringing out the first issue. It was no easy task but their commitment and perseverance has made this tangible in bringing out this edition at this momentous time in our history. It is an honour to pen down some thoughts in the first edition of the Mar Thoma Echo, the journal of the Europe diaspora community. The Mar Thoma community endured the long journey from the shores of Kerala to the corners of the world. Like the Israelites journey seeking the land of milk and honey was long and fraught with many challenges but it was their confidence in their God, church and community that made them overcome the pain and hardships of the new world. Though many may no more be with us but their legacy is our presence in Europe and we must continue to evoke memories of the journey of faith in God and in His church to affirm faith in God as the Israelites in their journey to the Promised Land. The Mar Thoma Syrian Church is no more the local church confined to the Pampa basin but had evolved to become a localized church internationally. It is no longer confined to the land of its origin as its presence is now felt in all the continents of the world. In spite of the tremendous growth of the church overseas in recent times, it has also brought along its challenges and conflicts in the new setting. Living amongst a multicultural and multi ethnic society has become a challenge to the identity in this continent. Who am I? Am I a local, an alien or a temporary sojourner? The Mar Thoma community takes pride in their heritage and tradition of the forefathers. Their individual, family and community identity are contributing factors of their personality. The personality and the uniqueness of a person evolve in the community with the cultural and spiritual influence within the context of the society where one is placed. The children of the Diaspora community have now become the local community. Their identity is the infusion of the spiritual and cultural identity of the individual within the community in the local setting. The integration of this identity in the local context may not be a comfortable process for the older generation. It is the evolving of the new and creative integration of faith and culture that brings forth the unique personality of the local Mar Thoma Syrian community through their encounters in the new world. The book of Hebrews describes faith as a journey with encounters. Faith is not something static and looking at things in a particular way but a commitment to a journey and discovery to new ways of seeing. Every life must be considered is a holy pilgrimage into the heart of mystery. Faith is venturing forth with God like the people in the Old Testament. Faith, our relationship with God, should be characterized as a journey, a movement outward in trust that God leads us by the bonds of love. It is in that conviction that we are able to venture into a future that we do not see as yet. It is a journey with confident expectancy, being certain of God's continuing care for us, just as the forefathers in the Old Testament. Therefore, faith is our continuing commitment to be part of God's encounter into His mystery and unfolding purposes for humankind. It is God who summoned His people on a journey into the 'Promised Land' that they are now placed in. It is natural to yearn to settle down physically in one place but that does not seem the way of with Jesus. For Jesus the journey of faith meant to be an itinerant, a sojourner, undertaking the journey from the life of
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Message from the Secretary of the COMPE
The Formation of the Council of Mar Thoma Parishes in Europe-(COMPE) P.M. Mathew, Secretary- COMPE. Jurgen Moltman wrote, “Where there is no vision, people perish. Conservative people become incapable of the future because they are incapable of change. They want everything to remain just as it is for them now. They want to extend their present into their future in order to defend their possessions. But those who want only to extend their present into the future neglect new possibilities, which the future offers them.” Our hope is praying for visionaries and finding them; we read its importance both in the Old and New Testament: “I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.” The formation of the Council of Europe (COMPE) is one of the examples of Theodosius Thirumeni's Prophetic vision for the long-term needs of a region, which is 4000 miles away from the administrative headquarters of the North America and Europe Diocese. The formation of the COMPE was ratified through the due processes of the constitution of the Mar Thoma Church, Clause 217, at the Diocesan Assembly meeting th held in Atlanta, Georgia on 17 April 2010 and th confirmed by the Episcopal Synod on 18 May 2010. This is a unique instrument of the Church to set up for having effective administrative coordination between the Diocese of North America and Europe and the Parishes and the Congregation of the Europe region. It has following functions: 1. COMPE is body to co-ordinate the religious, charitable activities, and other matters of common interest of the parishes and congregations in Europe Centre of the Mar Thoma Church under the Diocese of North America and Europe including the sponsoring of ordained priests transferred by the Episcopal Synod of the parent church in the parishes and congregations and co-ordination of ecumenical activities and public relationships with various national bodies such as Churches Together in Europe (CTE) and Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI) to provide an identifiable national presence for the Mar Thoma Church in Europe.
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2. COMPE does not have any temporal or ecclesiastical control over the parishes or congregations in Europe including financial matters. The parishes and congregations in accordance with the proportion of the number of families shall meet all financial expenses incurred by COMPE in its functioning. 3. The term of office of the COMPE shall be the same tenure as that of the Diocesan Assembly. The membership in the COMPE consists of the Diocesan Assembly members from the parishes and congregations in Europe Centre. The Diocesan Episcopa has authority to nominate one third of the total members of the COMPE. The COMPE shall have a secretary appointed by the Diocesan Bishop from among its members. The Treasurer shall be elected by COMPE from those serving as diocesan council members from the Europe Centre. The Diocesan Bishop (President), Senior Clergy in Europe Centre (Vice President) will be ex-officio members. The four office bearers shall constitute the Executive Committee. COMPE shall meet at least once in every year to approve its report, accounts, budget, and plan programs of common interest of the parishes/congregations of the year. 4. The COMPE shall co-ordinate the various activities of the parishes and congregations of Mar Thoma Church in Europe Centre under the diocese and also those specifically assigned to it by the Diocesan Assembly or Diocesan Council or Diocesan Episcopa. The COMPE shall also be responsible to render the necessary help to parishes and congregations to sponsor the priests appointed by the Episcopal Synod of the Mar Thoma Church. The COMPE Executive Committee shall submit its annual report/accounts to the Diocesan Assembly through Diocesan Council. 5. All the procedures with respect to conduct of the meetings mentioned in the Sabha constitution for the Diocesan Council shall be the guidelines for COMPE. COMPE will be guiding the parishes and congregations to implement the decisions of the Diocesan Assembly in
conventional wisdom to the alternative wisdom of life in the Spirit. Therefore, we are called to a journey of listening to His teachings, sometimes understanding it, and sometimes not getting it. There are times that can involve denying him, even betraying him. The God of our forefathers' beckons, calls forth, evokes and pushes us on a journey of holy pilgrimage. The journey will always continue to be a journey of encounters in the diversities and complexities of the global age we are now placed in to express faith. It is my hope and prayer that the Mar Thoma ECHO will continue the narration of the faith journey of the Mar Thoma community. This will enhance the spiritual yearnings of the faithful community wherever they are with a deep rooted expression in the ethos of the church in its local setting. We may not experience the experiences of others when we read their stories but we may be able to experience our own experiences through the reading and hearing of others. It is important to make our journey with our own experiences and to continue in our journeys to learn and discover and grow. This will empower expression of the integration of their faith and identity as a local community of the global church. May this journal echo the faith journey of the Mar Thoma community in the 'promised land' to bring awakening and witness of our Father and God revealed in Christ and in the fellowship of the Spirit. May all glory and honour be given to our Triune God. 'Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for ' Hebrews 11:1
Jesus Loves Me Maria Philip* All Saints Mar Thoma Church, Peterborough, UK
Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so. He loves me when I'm happy and the sun is shining. He loves me when I'm upset and lonely and the day is dull. He loves me when I'm kind and helpful. He loves me when I'm mischievous. He loves me no matter how I look or who I am. I love Him from the bottom of my heart and I belong to Him. Jesus loves me, this I know, For the Bible tells me so. *Maria is just six years of age, her beautiful faith is a gift from God; she expresses the unconditional love of God with poetic imagination. She is indeed a budding poetess.
“Life is an opportunity, benefit from it. Life is beauty, admire it. Life is a dream, realize it. Life is a challenge, meet it. Life is a duty, complete it. Life is a game, play it. Life is a promise, fulfill it. Life is sorrow, overcome it. Life is a song, sing it. Life is a struggle, accept it. Life is a tragedy, confront it. Life is an adventure, dare it. Life is luck, make it. Life is too precious, do not destroy it. Life is life, fight for it.� ― Mother Teresa
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the Europe Centre subject to authority vested in the Diocesan Council under the Sabha constitution. The Diocesan Assembly has the authority to modify any provisions of these guidelines as and when needed subject to the Sabha constitution. 6. The Sabha constitution of the Mar Thoma Church shall be binding on the COMPE and its decisions shall not be implemented without the approval from the Diocesan Episcopa. If there is any conflict between COMPE guidelines or procedures, or its decisions, the Sabha constitution shall prevail. The COMPE has authority to approve procedural guidelines for parishes/congregations subject to the provisions of the Sabha constitution for its effective functioning with the approval of the Diocesan Episcopa. 7. The Diocesan Episcopa shall have the authority to stay or keep in abeyance any actions or decisions of the COMPE. Matters of dispute if any shall be referred to Diocesan Episcopa for decision, subject to appeal to Metropolitan, whose decision shall be binding on the COMPE, parishes, congregations and its members. COMPE has been working effectively from August 2009; its first secretary was Dr. Zac Varghese and Dr. George Mathew was its first treasurer. A new set of members were elected into the COMPE following the Diocesan Assembly elections in Feb/March 2014. The new Council and Office bearers took office in April 2014. Office bearers include the Diocesan bishop (President), Revd. Dr. Thomas Philips (Vice President). Mr. P. M. Mathew (Secretary) and Mr. Jaffey Chacko (Treasurer). Within a very short time of its existence COMPE has produced the following important documents: 1. A template of parish constitution for the formation of new parishes and using it for registration with Charity Commission. 2. Guidelines for clergy to apply for Visa. 3. A comprehensive guidelines for parish administration. 4. A draft constitution for an expanded COMPE 5. A report on 'Charity Company Limited by Guarantee.' In doing all this work, we realised the need to operate faithfully within the constitution of the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar. This is a constitution written many years ago before the Church became a world-wide communion operating under the laws and regulations of
other nation states. For example, our clergy have difficulty in appreciating that they are appointed by the parish, which itself is based on a job description. It is on the basis of this they obtain visa to this country. Any deviation from these regulations may affect their visa. These sorts of issues create tension at many levels and hence there is an urgent need to look into this to accommodate legal issues. Church in India should only have authority over faith and order and ecclesiastical issues; on temporal matters, people living in Europe and other countries should be subjected to the laws of these countries; it is incumbent upon them to do so as citizens of these countries. We should realise that Mar Thoma Church in Europe has an important role to play in sustaining faith; expressing concerns and providing ideas that would make man worthy of living in this planet with love, concern and responsibility for all created things and building His Kingdom. Let us hope that the Mar Thoma Community in Europe will help the people in Europe, India and other areas to a better life in Christ. Let us remain grateful to all our past and present members, our lay leaders, our clergy and our bishops for their help and continued support for the growth of our community in Europe. Let us offer thanks to Almighty God for these fifty-seven years and pray for His blessings on the Mar Thoma communities throughout the world and our fellowship in Jesus Christ, our Lord, redeemer, and protector. Mar Thoma Church also has also become a world-wide Church in the 20th century because of its growing diaspora community. In Europe the Church has ten parishes and eight congregations and other prayer fellowships. Parishes in Europe are under the Diocese of North America and Europe. Nine of these parishes are in the UK with over 1000 families and a membership of over 4000. We also have over 1250 children in the age group of 3 to 18. We do have a special responsibility for the faith formation of these children. The decision to publish an online journal 'The Mar Thoma ECHO' for Europe is a bold initiative. I wish every success for this journal and congratulate the editorial board for their imaginative and bold efforts. Let 'the Mar Thoma ECHO' reverberates and provides a medium for engagement for our community for providing inspiration to generations for their spiritual growth and walk with Christ.
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Ecumenism in England The Revd Dr. David Cornick Ecumenical life in England flourishes, despite the complex contours of the English Christian landscape. No one can doubt that England is formed by Christian culture. Its laws, institutions and moral codes were all shaped by Christianity. Her Majesty the Queen is the Supreme Governor of the the Church of England. Christian chaplains are still to be found in our hospitals, universities, and armed forces. Everyone in the country lives in a parish and has a claim on the services of the Church of England.
However, that is far from the whole truth. The main narrative in English life over the past century or so has been the gentle decline of the church and the establishment of secularism. As Alistair Campbell infamously said of the Blair government, 'We don't do God.' It has been estimated that on the eve of the First World War some 25% of the population would have attended church on any given Sunday; to-day's figure is about 6%. Over the same period successive waves of immigration have changed the nature of English society. We are now a multi-cultural and a multi-faith society - mosques, temples, gurdwaras and synagogues are as much a part of our city-scapes as churches. There is a sense, therefore, in which a secular society can be understood as a guarantor of the freedom and flourishing of all faiths.
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Waves of immigration have not only brought the world's faiths to England, they have also brought the world church onto our High Streets, and that has changed the shape and complexion of English Christianity irrevocably. There has been an explosion of AfroCaribbean Pentecostalism in particular, but the past decades have also seen the enrichment (for example) of Catholic devotion by the arrival in England of Catholic Christians from almost every part of the globe. Churches Together in England, the ecumenical 'umbrella' body for England, has been able to respond positively and warmly to those developments - we now have over 40 members, and 40% of those members are from new, charismatic and Pentecostal traditions. That makes England unique amongst the European ecumenical instruments. We are also delighted that we have two Asian members - the Mar Thoma, and the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (Indian Orthodox). The perspective of our Indian members is important because Asian Christians know how to live as minority faiths within majority cultures of another faith, and as Christianity is now a minority faith in England (at least in terms of church attendance and registered commitment) we have much to learn about the resilience and skill of that experience of discipleship. This is an exciting time in English Christianity. Despite patterns of decline amongst indigenous churches there are many congregations which are engaging with their communities and experiencing growth. Alongside that, new churches and migrant churches flourish, and the opportunities for co-operation and joint mission are there for the taking. The Spirit is moving amongst us, and in exciting ways, breaking down barriers and forging unlikely alliances. Together the future is bright! *The Revd Dr. David Cornick is the general Secretary of Churches Together in England
Engagement in the Mission of Christ Lal Varghese, Esq, Dallas MTC, Framers Branch
First of all let me wish and pray that the online magazine 'The Mar Thoma ECHO' published by the COMPE be able to strengthen the believers in their continued faith journey of the Mar Thoma Church in Europe region. The potentials of this region are far greater than what anyone can think of in terms of God's intention in planting the Marthomites in this region. Marthomites have been living in this region since the fifties but their numbers increased only in the seventies and eighties. Migration for various reasons including higher education, jobs and family ties are the main criteria which prompted people from India and outside, especially Marthomites from Kerala caused to settle down in this region. I strongly believe that God has a purpose in planting us as Marthomites in this region. In order to understand the purpose for which they are transplanted, they must understand the term 'engagement' in the context of Biblical terms.
In defining the term 'engagement' we need to understand the purpose and mission of God. God's mission is to do justice and to reach the unreached. Christ's mission on earth was to do the will of His Father. Throughout His life, He continually surrendered Himself to His Father, God. After Christ's death and resurrection, He commanded the disciples to share the Gospel, the message of His redemption. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19-20).
Christian engagement is to obey Christ, share Christ, and rely on Christ. Specifically, God sent each one of us into the land where we are planted to reach the unreached. We also should have the engagement of the mission of reconciliation. The Lord works through us to redeem the lost. The Biblical Jesus is very different form the Trinitarian Jesus preached by the churches. He always stayed with the people and attended to their needs whether it is small or large. Our engagement is to be with the less fortunate, marginalized and oppressed by attending to their needs and providing them with the basic necessities for living. It seems that church and its people have lost the mission of Christ and they have gone back to the ways of the people of Old Testament days by only worshipping God with their lips and not doing His will. Our gatherings have become the centres of worship and fellowship only and have not become the places of doing the mission of Christ. If our faith does not pierce through the stained glasses of our sanctuaries, it is the death of our faith. We are not in engaging the mission of Christ if we do not tread the untraveled roads and visit the Samaritan wells. Christ's engagement was to be with the people. If we are not able to make a difference in the community in which we live, we are not engaging ourselves in the mission of Christ. It seems that we are mainly concerned about our administration, buildings, budget and counting the number of members. When more and more parishes are established, we proclaim that we are a global church, but we are not really engaging globally as a missional church. The church and its leaders have equal responsibility in engaging in the mission of Christ. Let each of our parishes adopt the city in which it is planted and take part in activities with other faith-based organizations in association with the City governments so that we can engage in the mission of Christ. Let our parishes be like the light, which can remove the darkness in the lives of individuals and communities around us. It is not building of the structures, which matters, but it is the building of the people, which is far more important to fulfil the mission of Christ.
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Marks of a Disciple Rt. Revd. Dr. Thomas Mar Athanasius Suffragan Metropolitan (1914-2014)* In every generation, there are those who accept the call of Jesus and those who remain only would-be disciples. The three would be disciples: In the Gospel for today (Matt 4:19; Mark 2:14; Luke 9: 57-62), the first would-be disciple offers himself, without receiving the call and therefore without counting the cost of discipleship. The second one received the call, but gave priority to legal requirements. The third person brings human conditions, on the basis of which alone he expresses willingness to become a disciple. True Christian discipleship is based on the call of God through His son, the mediator and the response of obedience of man. Without unconditional obedience, at no time, discipleship is possible. If it remains exclusively on human offer, the self is eventually enthroned. Priority to human requirement degrades into the religion of legalism. Conditional discipleship has a hidden god other than Jesus. Jesus crosses the path of human life and brings the divine imperative, 'Follow Me.' The instantaneous obedience raises the question about the authority of a person who announces the call without a parallel in history not to accept ideas, nor to follow a programme; but in unambiguous terms 'Follow Me.' Only Christ the mediator has such a right. He is God in human condition; the God-man, who has the authority over human lives. He asks for exclusive devotion to Him. There can be no Christianity without obedience to the call of discipleship. Christianity without discipleship is Christianity without Christ. No form of enthronement of self can stand in the way. It is to forsake everything for the sake of the call. Levi had to leave the place of familiarity, of authority, of the means of income. He moves from the economy of getting into the economy of giving and distributing. Peter and Andrew changed the net. The new net is not suitable to catch fish, but only to catch men into the fellowship of Jesus. To them as to all who gave obedience to the call Christianity is no longer a religion of security; it becomes the religion of promise, summed up in the
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person of one who stands before them, Jesus. To those who obey, from that time onwards, he gives the gift of friendship; to sinners and sick, soldiers or prostitutes, Pharisees or publicans. He entrusts them with a most attractive message, which is the highest good of everyone and of the whole mankind the kingdom of God. The message contains a criticism of the present condition as well as a vision of mankind yet to come. From the moment of rising up and following, Jesus begins to shape the life of his followers. Peter found in Him one who brought order in his turbulent nature, Andrew, a companion; John, a friend; Nathaniel, the innermost secret of life; Thomas, the way of life. In every age the disciples found in Jesus this and morePaul, Augustine of Hippo, Luther, Albert Schweitzer, Kagawa of Japan, Sunder Singh of India, Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Among them are theologians, poets, evangelists, reformers, missionaries, pioneers of ecumenical movements. This list cannot be exhausted. They belong to every country, every generation. Jesus is 'this', but more. 'This' becomes part of human experience; the more belongs to inexhaustible riches of His grace. He shapes His followers. Does Jesus shape us or do we shape Jesus? This is a question we will do well to ask ourselves. Following Jesus remains the unchanging condition of Christian discipleship. The invitation is repeated down the centuries. How does the Holy Spirit lead us to Christian discipleship? In the context of socioeconomicpolitical situations, the call to follow comes to us today from the one who was part of history and yet it is contemporaneous with us. The historical is the womb of revelation. The historicity and contemporaneity of Jesus have to be seriously considered in the obedience we offer. He was 'born of woman under law,' as St. Paul says in his letter to Galatians, He entered history at a particular religious, social and cultural situation. In discipleship, we are not concerned with discarnate news, but with a particular piece of news, as CH Dodd reminds us, regarding the
incarnate sense of God. This piece of good news is supremely concerned about life of man upon the earth. Incarnation can take place within any culture, anywhere, at any time because the Gospel is true at one time and in one place, it is also true at all times and in all places. Discipleship does not depend up on making Jesus relevant to any culture, but it means making us and our situation relevant to Jesus. How can we do that? It means that we must take history, modern history seriously. It is in the context of modern history with nuclear weapons, increasing cruelty, poverty, and denial of justice, side by side with church's pursuit of mission, that Jesus, the same yesterday, today and ever, of historicity and contemporaneity, calls us for discipleship. Jesus must me understood afresh and obeyed afresh. As one coming from the sub-continent of India, the cradle of world religions, which have now become powerful, I may mention that, to us the call to Christian discipleship comes in a context of religious pluralism. There are some questions, which no one can ovoid. Are all religions equal? Is Christianity the crown of Hinduism? Is syncretism the answer? Is Christianity unique or is Christianity meant to say something unique? Some of our friends in India say, to obliterate other religions for the sake of one faith would be Bolshevism in religion. We can no longer claim that the mission is from the Christian West to the pagan east. It is from everywhere to everywhere. We must have a Christian approach to men of other faith. What is the most loving approach?
the circumstances of our personal life, who are those whom we meet in the journey of life? Are they simply fellow citizens or are they friends? Christian discipleship means following Jesus in our brothers and sisters. We are surrounded by poor people, exploited people, people to whom justice is denied. The measure of the presence of the poor is the measure of the absence of the kingdom. Who is the neighbour? Our neighbour is the one who is in need. To the Samaritan the neighbour was the one lying on the road side, robbed, naked and wounded. He was rich enough to be robbed, and then he was sociologically poor. We are not naturally brothers to them; we are to become brothers by option. In the parable the Levite and the priest avoided commitment. The Samaritan committed himself to the poor man; 'my neighbour is the one to whom I am committed.' In the world today, commitment to the poor is part of Christian discipleship. There can be no Christianity without the sense of the poor, a sense of brotherhood. Following Jesus means following the poor Jesus, who became poor for our sake. Renounce is part of God's call in Jesus. In the picture of the final judgement in St. Matthew 25 commitment to the poor is the decisive criteria for our salvation.
In the biblical garb, we have to confess in the final analysis, that following Jesus is a matter of 'choice and decision' a conviction to which, we are compelled to by the work and person of Jesus Christ.
How do we discern God's will as followers of Jesus? Leonard Hodgson, R e g i s Professor of Oxford 35 years used to say, 'Christian life consist of obeying the will of G o d , revealed in Christ by the Holy Spirit.' The Holy Spirit, the guide to all truth, takes the things of Christ and reveals the meaning of God's rescuing activity in the world of today. To be fishers of men, He leads the church into the discovery of new biblical truth. Reformation is always a fresh discovery of biblical truth bringing renewal and advance.
Finally we all have to follow Jesus in the difficult territories of daily life-areas where we meet people. In
The 19 century, the century of great advance, was the result of new obedience for worldwide missionary task.
Is tolerance the answer? Tolerance should not degrade to indifference to truth. What is the authority by which we can say, 'come to meet God where God came to meet man' and claim that the discovery of Jesus is the discovery of God and repeat the claim that there is no other name. Jesus is the object of religion. The International Missionary Council at Jerusalem in 1928 said, “Our message is Christ, we cannot give more, we dare not give less.�
th
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God the Holy Spirit is ever alive and ever active. The Holy Spirit led us into the realisation that we need the whole world to understand the whole of Christ. Modern ecumenical movement is a movement of the Holy Spirit. The Missionary task, as Bishop Stephen Neiltheologian, church historian, outstanding missionary of the 2oth century, who was with us till a few weeks ago said, is still 'an unfinished task. Evangelism is compulsion from within and challenge from without; so is Christian discipleship…. Compulsion from within and challenge from without.' The Holy Spirit leads us to new understanding of the working of God in the world today and summons us to new obedience. Our temptation is to ask the question. 'What can I do for the Lord?' It is an ego-centric question mark of the would-be disciple. We should ask, 'What does the Lord want me to do.' It is a Christo-centric
question mark of the Christian disciple. * This sermon is a spiritual classic; it was delivered at the Oxford University by Thomas Thirumeni in October 1984 after his parathyroid surgery in London. One of editors had the good fortune to be present at this most memorable occasion.
“Nothing in the world is single; All things, by a law divine, In one another's being mingle. Why not I with thine? P.B. Shelly
The God, I know Joanne Susan Jaffey* St. Thomas MTC, Bristol Believers of Christ You are going away Followers of the shepherd, your faith is not leading you the right way. But I can help you, so listen, those with an ear, I can tell you, those who hear. The Lord is saying: I am the light, I really do care, I want you and I love you, Do not be scared. Who is God? Is the question which is asked, I'll tell you who he is. He's the one who loves us, He's the one who provides, He's the one who cares for us, and He's the one who guides.
and He never lets us frown.
Dear friends, I'll tell you what he does. He listens to our prayers, He picks us up when we're down, He showers us with blessings,
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matt 19:14(NIV)
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My brothers and sisters, always feel his presence, do feel his love; He'll always make you happy, so never let him down. Oh, He grants you all your wishes, He fulfils all your dreams, He'll always be beside you, and He's the greatest man who's ever been! So, my beloved, I'll tell you a small secret: Make sure you constantly love Him- & that is just it! * Joanne is six years old with poetic talents, and has an amazing insight about God.
LITURGICAL ENGAGEMENTS A walkway to spirituality Revd. K. Jameson, Dublin
Life is an avenue for engagements. Engagements always demand openness, serious interaction, respect and mutual acceptance or healthy rejection. Meaningful engagements make life more positive and hopeful. Positive engagements always pave the way for a common pilgrimage. In the midst of the culture of violence and intense competition, very often we miss the beauty of the abundant life. Lack of meaningful engagements is the misery of the time. Soren Kierkegaard describes the present age as 'an era of alienation' where modern men tend to move away from themselves, neighbours, nature and even from God. After observing human's alienation and their anonymous way of existing, Franz Kafka, a German - Jewish novelist, wrote of himself: “I am separated from all things by a hollow space, and I do not even reach to its boundaries.� In the midst of identity crisis, extreme fundamentalism, vigorous terrorism, and aggressive secularism, human beings lost the meaning of being human. We tend to become one among the crowd and move with the flows of society. But we, the church is not to be one among the crowd (oklos) but to be the people of God (laos) through our meaningful engagements with God, nature, neighbours and ourselves. In this article, let me enumerate the pedagogical importance of liturgy in the spiritual life of the Church and the significance of liturgical engagements in fostering spirituality.
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Theology is all about meaningful engagements with God, creation and human beings. It is a faith seeking understanding, a critical reflection and a praxis on our engagements. David Ford, at the end of his comprehensive survey of contemporary theology concludes that any 'adequate theology has to be 'selfinvolving, world-involving', and 'God- involving' which evolve through meaningful engagements. Liturgy is the self-expression of the Church. When we gather for worship, we give the simplest, most immediate and most condensed statement of our beliefs. That is why the early Church thought of liturgy as the first theology of the Church. Liturgy is a tool, which enables the faithful for critical engagements with the God of creation and redemption. Through active participation in the liturgy, the faithful experience the spiritual strength through their discourse with God and faith community. This is an impetus for them to actively involve and have relevant engagements in the society by being part of the redeeming mission of Jesus Christ. The West Syrian fathers have not given a definition to liturgy. They consider it as so intimate to one's own experience. According to the West Syrian tradition, to be a Christian means to be a liturgical being. They ruminate worship as an intimate experience of Divine - human engagements. The faith of the Church is deposited in the liturgy and liturgical life. Therefore, liturgy reflects the faith of the Church and participation in liturgy affirms that faith. 'Liturgical space' and engagements Church is a consecrated space for positive engagements. In this sacred space, both social and spiritual discourses are important which functions as the two sides of the same coin. Meaningful interactions and dialogues are very essential in a liturgical community. Space always associates with its environment and context. Social space, religious space, political space and cultural space defines its own meaning and significance in its own settings. Liturgy is not only made up of actions, words, and material things but also they are bound to a given time and space. In Christian liturgy, space is a decisive factor in determining an effective celebration. The term 'liturgical space' expresses the place where liturgy is celebrated. This is an environment in which a Christian community meets to pray, praise, proclaim and engage with each other and with God. It also explains the entire physical reality of liturgy. It includes the place, objects, persons,
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words (prayers, readings, and music), actions and time of liturgy. Liturgical space is a place to affirm and create community, where praise, thanksgiving and all aspects of our life in God are touched, blessed and brought into focus. It is also a place of reconciliation and mission. In this space, the Christian community gathers to hear the Word of God, to pray together, to receive the sacraments, and to celebrate the Eucharist. This is a sacred place for encountering God in worship. In a general sense, liturgy is an articulation of the spirituality of the assembly. The worshipping assembly is the primary symbol of Christian liturgy and it is believed that Christ is present in the assembly. Categorically, there are two types of assembly domus ecclesia reflects the gathered community meeting with Lord in worship and domus dei - defines a particular shift of the transcendent where the individual finds the presence of God. Liturgical space is not only a place for assembly but also the image of the worshipping community gathered through the sacraments of water and the Spirit. Since the body of Christ is the true temple, where God dwells in the Spirit, our sole explanation for building churches and other places of worship is that the community assembled in them expresses the presence of Christ. In this sense, the community gathered in worship is the extension and presence of Christ's glorified body. It is a visible form of Christ, who is the temple of God. The liturgical assembly is thus the liturgical space par excellence. In worship, God encounters his people and engage with them. In this liturgical area, we celebrate the beauty of life, share our pain and pathos and uphold each other in prayers. The holiness of the church building and the holiness of the people who worship there are not in opposition but harmoniously related and mutually connected. From the holiness of the people derives the holiness of the building. The church building is a sacred, consecrated place. The holiness of the church building and the people of God are mutually generative and interactively related. A church building is holy because it participates in the sanctifying and redeeming action of God at work in the sacramental liturgy. On the other hand, a church building is holy because of the holiness of the baptized community who worships within it. Liturgical buildings operate as a model of human holiness. It sanctifies the people and the people sanctify the place of worship.
People and building are irreducibly holy, each according to its particular mode of participation in the sacramental order of the Church. By themselves, they are partial; together they form the whole theological truth. In this sense, liturgical buildings are both domus dei (house of God) and domus ecclesia (house of the Church). Sacramental nature of liturgical engagement Sacraments are the visible expressions of invisible grace. In this solemn act, the human and divine engagements find its fulfilment. Sacraments point to the eternal blessings, which are meant to understand the divine grace. Sacraments are effective in two ways: culturally effective in organizing human life and theologically effective in integrating human persons into the life of God. Cultural efficacy is not divine power, but human beings encounter the Trinity in human culture, through the incarnation and sacrament. Kilmartin, a prominent liturgist argues that, an intimate connection between personal engagement and the condition for fruitful participation in the sacrament is bound to the teaching of Christ. According to him, the fundamental paradigm for understanding Christian engagement is found in the Lords' supper and baptism. Participation in the divine life is actualized in the liturgical action but it is brought to fruition only through individual engagement with the sacrament. Individual engagements are not manifested in personal achievement; rather it is activated and animated through the power of the Holy Spirit. Transformative aspect of liturgical engagement Liturgical engagement seems to offer a way to begin the process of understanding, loving, participating, and embracing. It invites a way of seeing and hearing, of listening and loving, it helps us to engage in meaningful relationship and thereby leads to transformation. Transformation is the ultimate purpose of divine-human engagements, (2 Cori. 3:18) that is what happens in the sacramental liturgy. All of it is an initiative of God, an action of the Holy Spirit. It is our response, which determines the effectiveness of our spirituality. We must respond to the call of God in a responsible manner and must be receptive, unveiling our minds and hearts before God. Then transformation happens. The celebration and participation of the liturgy with prayerful attention will change us. Gradually our consciousness of what we are doing, and before whom we stand helps us to lead
towards transformation. As we become aware, reflective and receptive of the liturgy in which we participate, it can lead us to this end. Amen (so be it) is a simple word we utter in our worship. This small word is challenging, because it bears a large promise. When we say Amen after each prayer, we affirm our acceptance and thereby totally engage with the content of the discourse. When we pronounce it sincerely, we accept and extend our willingness to participate in the divine human process of transformation. Spirituality of liturgical engagements Spirituality is the experience of one's relationship with God in faith (coming to know God), and the ways in which one lives out that faith (one's response to God, including the prayer and work performed in faith). Spirituality may also be described as the way one responds to the Spirit of God, both in ones prayer and actions. Christian spirituality is centred on the 'salvific act' of Jesus Christ. It is an experience of 'Christ-ness' in our day-to-day life. It is an awareness of our relationship with God in faith and the ways in which we live in that faith. In the West Syrian liturgical tradition, spirituality is viewed as 'a way of divinisation' that draws a person closer to God through the spiritual practices such as prayer, fasting, meditation, alms-giving and sacred silence. All these practices enable the faithful to experience 'life in Christ'. These liturgical engagements help the faithful to move closer to God and strengthen them for meaningful engagements in the world. In the West Syrian tradition, spirituality is integrated in its liturgy. Early Syrian Church fathers consider its liturgy as a perfect example of a living theology because it is based on biblical revelation and is also conceived, not as an abstract system of thought, but as an imaginative representation of an ever present reality. This means that liturgical texts are the source of theology and spiritual life. They are the living norms of their practical life. When we actively participate in the liturgy, we enter into the salvific mystery of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the centre of Christian spirituality and his incarnation is the model for our spiritual life. Christian spirituality is to live and to be with the spirit of God (Jn.14:17), to live according to his promptings. Gal.5:22 speak about the fruit of the spirit, which are given to individuals for spiritual growth and community building. Christian spirituality demands from us a contemplative listening, creative reading and meditating
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the Word of God and living of scripture, challenging the evil structures with the power of Word and after all grows in the stature of Christ. Christian spirituality revolves around the liturgical act of the believer. The Eastern Christian spiritual practices of hourly-prayers, fasting, feast, meditation and sacred silence draws a person closer to God and thereby engage with the realities of the present. Ultimately, the spirituality of liturgy enriches us to move towards transformation. Conclusion Liturgy is a participation in the new space of Christ. Christ is considered as the altar and the lamb, the offering and the offerer. Christ is called the true altar, Madbeho qusto. He is the lamb from the heavenly space, the heavenly pascha. In Eucharistic celebration, terrestrial space and heavenly space meet. Christ is the culmination of divine and human engagements. West Syrian theology is clear on the point that Christ is the new space of our liturgy. Liturgical celebration transforms the space of physical experience into the space of heavenly experience. Through liturgy, heaven is made on earth or in other words, the space of our experience is transformed into the space of heavenly one. According to Aphrahat, it is faith in Christ that builds the true temple. He states that God is man's temple and man is God's temple. This notion is well expressed
in his work Demonstrations (17:1). “First he became to us a dwelling place, and afterwards he dwelt and walked in us.” The liturgical worship is the 'solemn space' where meaningful expressions of Divine-human and humanhuman engagements find its fullness. It is a motivation and call for a 'Liturgy after liturgy' that demands a responsible living of faith after the celebration of the 'official liturgy'. The activity of worship manifests and deepens the faith dimension of the gathered ecclesia. The sacraments, proclamation and explanation of the Word of God, and ritual formulas express and form spirituality through the liturgical space, which is an arena for meaningful engagements. The ecclesial reality called the Church is articulated theologically in the expression of its liturgy. Christian spirituality invites us an active participation in the liturgical life of the Church for a contextual mission and witness. When we participate in the Liturgy, we remember and participate in the sacramental act of Christ with a heart of gratitude and thanksgiving to the Father. It is an ongoing spiritual process towards the transcendental level with a transformed life. Ignatius of Loyola reminds us that God made us to 'know, love and serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in heaven'. Liturgical spirituality invites us for active engagements, which help us to know, love and serve God in this world with a transformed and transforming life.
“ Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” “A man is but a product of his thoughts. What he thinks he becomes.” “Be the change that you want to see in the world.” “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is an attribute of the strong.” “Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.” “Change yourself you are in control.” “See the good in people and help them.” “Without action, you aren't going anywhere.” “Take care of this moment.” “Be congruent, be authentic, be your true self.” “Continue to grow and evolve.”
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FREEDOM OF FAITH (His Grace Bishop Angaelos, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom)
The freedom to choose and practice one's faith is a fundamental right for all under international law, and yet we continue to see numerous tragic cases around the world in which that same right is non-existent, and exercising this freedom is punishable, sometimes even by death. As Christians we believe that all are created in the Image and likeness of God, with His Image intrinsic to our human nature, which lays the foundation for respect and love for all. Within this nature, we believe that all have been given the freedom to choose and live according to those choices, and while freedom of religion is one choice that is central to the lives of millions across the world, it continues to be widely violated. As recently reported by Amnesty International, Meriam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag is a Christian Sudanese woman in Sudan who was sentenced "to death by hanging for 'apostasy'" after refusing to renounce her Christian Faith and convert to Islam, although she has lived as a Christian since her childhood. Meriam, who is twenty seven years old and is eight months pregnant, was reportedly also sentenced to "flogging for 'adultery'" because her marriage to a Christian man is considered unlawful. This, among other cases, sheds light on the intensity of the struggle facing so many around the world who strive to merely practice their faith. The recent and deeply-disturbing development of the kidnapped schoolgirls in Nigeria who have reportedly been forced to convert to Islam is yet another incident that has shocked the international community, and in which this brutal violation of this fundamental human right is also causing great distress to families who anxiously await the return of their children. Egyptian Christians know the effect of religious persecution
against numeric minority communities in the Middle East all too well, with the emergence of pockets of intolerant Islamism that have led to more attacks on Christians in the eighteen months following the popular uprising of 2011, than over the twenty years prior. This intolerance has not only affected Christians however, as the first attacks after the uprisings were on Sufi shrines, and on a separate occasion Shi'ite Muslims were also senselessly killed in the streets. That said, as Christians we do not live defeated but strive to advocate for all who suffer persecution, oppression and marginalisation, be they Christian or otherwise, man, woman, young or old. The Baha'i community in Iran is likewise no stranger to religious persecution, and 14 May 2014 marks the sixth anniversary of the imprisonment of seven Baha'i leaders, detained for carrying out 'peaceful activities on behalf of their communities'. Here in Britain we pride ourselves on our multi-cultural community that seeks to accommodate and provide for all, and rightly so. We cannot however ignore the fact that, for many across the Middle East in particular, the concept of citizenship, justice and equality are not rights available to everyone, and are very much dependent on a person's religious affiliation. We must not forget those around the world who continue to face intense persecution for merely attempting to live out their chosen faith. We also continue to pray and advocate for the rights of these individuals and communities so that this God-given freedom may be exercised within the context of peaceful co-existence and cohesion. This will then ensure a spirit of true reconciliation and acceptance within political states and communities that respect all as equal individuals with equal rights.
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COMMUNICATION OF GOD JP Mannil, St John's MTC, London God uses number of methods and ways to communicate with each one of us. God speaks through the Holy Spirit, through the Bible, through different people and different circumstances. Through that communication God wants us to transform, shape our lives, live for the glory of God's kingdom and also to share the good news of salvation to others. The consequences of ignoring God's communication and God's intervention will lead to big failures and meaninglessness in our lives. If we ignore God's communication all the following can happen in our lives: We will listen to the wrong and ungodly voices; the wrong voices will lead us to a life against the will of God. We will easily be deceived. By ignoring God's communication, we express pride and independence; this pride will lead us to sin. We make decisions that appeal to the flesh; we give priority for beauty, social status, worldly knowledge and selfishness. By ignoring God's communication we will start to find excuses for our shortfalls and will start to blame others around us. Ignoring God's communications will not only make the person ignoring the communication suffers but also the family and the society associated with them. If we ignore God's communication we will miss the path to heaven. As Christians we should listen to God's voice; God is always communicating with us. If we want to listen to God, we must have a desire to hear his voice, we must prepare ourselves by being still and quiet to hear his voice; we must have the willingness to obey his voice. God desires that we have a growing intimate relationship with Him. This relationship develops through continuous prayers; this is the method by which we communicate with the Lord - both in speaking to God and hearing from God. Our prayers can not only deepen our relationship with the lord, they can also powerfully affect other people and transform them. By listening to God's voice we can walk wisely and can walk in God's perfect wisdom; it allows us to direct our steps and lights up our path. God's voice will guide us to deviate our ways from darkness. If we listen to God's voice he will allow us to see things in a Godly perspective and all our responses will be according to His principles. He will guide us into decisions that represent His will, which is best for us and for fellow beings.
Only God can find the solutions to all our problems and pains. As a believer we should completely surrender ourselves to our saviour Jesus Christ. Let us change ourselves, with a great desire, silence and obedience to become a medium for His communication.
“ I have many problems in my life. But my lips don't know that. They always smile� - Charlie Chaplin 24
a room shared by three people, sleeping on a mattress he carried on his back… heavens! I groan inwardly every time it rains when I forget to bring an umbrella! Yes, today's world is not the same as it was of yesterday. And therefore, it is unimaginable that the book of Acts, is of any use to us, 2000 years later, when it comes down to Christian witness in today's urbanized, McDonald-ized world. I called my Christian Knowledge teacher's bluff, way back then. Learning to spell places such as Lystra, Derbe, Iconium, Thessalonica, and Ephesus was never going to come in handy in my Christian faith.
Christian Witness: Challenges and Possibilities of Christian Witness Today
Sabin Ann Thomas, Sinai MTC, North London I used to dread memorizing the Book of Acts for Christian Knowledge class all the names, all the places, all the issues! To me the whole idea of witnessing seemed remarkably tedious in those days; ships were marooned, food was scarce, and if they did not like what you had to say the people back then had no hesitation what so ever to pelt you with whatever they could get their hands on, Ouch! I would like to think, that we have it so much easier now, we are the most blessed generation to date. Sitting for an hour with my grandfather, recalling the days of old coming to an unknown country by a ship alone, living in
In Acts, we learn all about the growth of Christian 'koinonia'. Crucifixion was the punishment of choice; circumcision was a matter of ritual birth right, and witnessing entailed long journey's on foot or by boat with absolutely no bible or references, compass, or training. One would consider such problems obsolete in the year 2011. But in a time when pagan practices were the norm, Judaism was the religion of the masses, and racial discrimination was the order of the day, as I start to write this article, it is hard not to see a lot of similarities between witnessing then, and witnessing now. Because, when it comes down to it, Christian witnesses had to face societies with social structures, economical problems and issues of class, local religion and race, which are still the same issues we combat today, as every apostle did back then. So the issues remain the same, while the context has evolved over 2000 years. We are a developed, buzzing world. Information is at our fingertips, and technology has figured how to help us do everything short of time travel. So what are some of the challenges we face today in Christian witnessing? In Acts 1:81 we are told, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be Witnesses unto me” Jesus' disciples were told to first spread the word at home, and then to go out into the world, and spread the word to every corner of the earth. Remarkably, the easy part of this task would seem to be the actual testifying, spreading the word. What we usually, or some might say conveniently, fail to remember is the idea of “being a witness”; it is one thing to witness, but it as another thing entirely to “be a witness”. In a world where vice calls out to us from inside our very homes, through the internet and television, where do we set the line? When do we
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remember that we are the 'salt and light of the world', and everything we do must reflect the glory of God so that others may see Him through us? It is a challenge today to be able to set the line that sets us apart as Christian witnesses as I'm sure it was a challenge back then for the disciples. Only now, morals are not so black-and-white. Many would like to apply a stringent form of rule-based, authoritative Christianity; we often hear, “We need to teach this generation some discipline! Parents are not strict enough!� But we all know that such a faith would only most likely be practiced in the Amish community. Just as my mother cannot apply the same parenting technique to each one of her children, she also cannot base her parenting style on how her parents raised her. She has to module her parenting to the issues and difficulties of the world today, in which her children are growing up. No, the real challenge is that of discerning and discretion, are we making good, proper Christian choices in everything we do? My Sunday school teacher used to say something, which has stuck with me to this very day. If you are doing something, or going somewhere you cannot imagine taking Jesus with you, then you probably should not be there. I am going to concert next month, and I'm sure He will appreciate the good music as much as I would, but I'm also sure He would probably not want me to do anything too reckless. It is choices like that, that we have today, that make it hard to discern where the line is. This is a problem Paul faced back then, and it is a problem now. So being a Christian is hard enough, on one's self. It is a heavy cross to bear, and sometimes we forget just what is required of us. What about the actual task of witnessing? What are the problems of testifying, of reaching out to different communities, proselytizing? When I was at a conference in Thailand, we travelled for hours, up the mountains to the border of Thailand and Myanmar, where we spent time with the refugees who fled from their own country. They were undocumented, and lived such helpless lives; it pained me to see the hardships they went through on a daily basis. Only two days ago, I attended the seminar during United Nations Human Rights Day celebration, and discovered there were thousands of Malaysians, born in Malaysia, who are undocumented as well!
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And they were going through the same hardships as those refugees I met in Thailand. I realized I did not have to go very far, to help people. In fact, the real challenge is to help our community because as Jesus discovered during his brief though rather eventful visit from Heaven to Earth. It is the people closest to you, whom you find hardest to reach out to, but that did not deter Christ; in the same way, we must find a way to reach out to our community. Proselytizing is a big word, and in Malaysia it brings about even bigger consequences. It is a crime to proselytize a Muslim in Malaysia. But that does not mean the Christian witness in Malaysia must come to a halt. Though admittedly, I am more attracted to the idea of taking the next flight out to the border of Thailand living out of a backpack with the grime and dirt of the jungle, than standing up as a Christian witness in Malaysia despite the luxury of my home and all its comfort. No, perhaps it is a harder battle to fight here, but for every time we take a stand, for every time we speak out against the injustices we see around us, for every time we stand up for the rights of our fellow men, we are being witnesses for Christ. Every time we lend a hand to a brother in need, and every time we stand together despite the persecution around us we are testify to the rest of the country; this is the true meaning of being a disciple of Jesus. Having discussed the issue of 'being a witness' and 'witnessing to our community', I am left to discuss another challenge, which I think troubles most witnessing Christians. The World Council of Churches (WCC) in 1995 identified a couple of issues of Christian witnessing churches face; interestingly, all the issues raised, were challenges Christian witness faces within churches and with fellow churches. It is taboo to talk about, but it is the cold hard truth. Christian Witness finds most of its persecution within church walls; this is the so called friendly fire. We want to witness to the rest of the world, when we cannot find common ground amongst ourselves. Different people and churches interpret the Bible differently, and thus, when it comes to witnessing, we are quick to confuse people and get confused ourselves. An interesting issue for Christian witness, identified by the World Council of Churches, is what I like to call 'Poaching.' For some strange reason, we seem to witness
amongst ourselves. According to WCC, new churches and evangelical groups are recruiting people from other churches, and creating competition for the existing churches. This has always boggled my mind. How strange, indeed is this! I say strange because every time we pray Lord's Prayer “Thy Kingdom come, when Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”, we are claiming the promise that God's Kingdom will come again, when every woman, man and child has heard the gospel. If we keep witnessing to each other instead of those who have not heard the Good News…..the second coming of Christ might take a while. On the upside, this could help relieve the fear that the world will come to an end in 2012. I am not quite sure why churches fish in aquariums instead of the sea, but I am sure we would get a lot more witnessing done if we proclaimed the word to those who have not heard it yet instead of squabbling amongst ourselves about the true doctrine of worship. And when we are not competing with our fellow churches, we are squabbling amongst ourselves over petty issues that take up our time, and energy, leaving less room for us to think of ways to be a Christian witness in our community. If we stopped fighting over the most ridiculous issues from whether shoes should be worn in church, to what colour to paint church walls with, and channelled our energy into building up the youth groups and taking care of our senior citizens and working on community building projects, the Christian witness in this world will increase a hundred fold. That is not to say the Church has not done anything, or that in discussing all the challenges I have mentioned before this, the Christian witness of the world has failed Jesus Christ entirely. To the contrary, there is a vocal
effective Christian witness in today's world as different churches minister to the people around them. I was merely nit-picking a few issues that I believe the Church and Christians in general can work on to make the Christian witness movement even more effective in today's world. The future is bright for Christians because despite all the negativity revolving around modernization and what it has cost us in terms of virtue and moral conscience, we also reap the benefit from it tremendously. I personally know youth groups who go online to discuss their concerns with each other, and in fact this year's youth camp created a Facebook page for them to reach out to all the youths in Malaysia and share information and latest updates. We are not as naïve as we used to be, we can quickly check-up information we receive, to see that we are being told is the truth, and thus we are less likely to deviate from what our faith requires of us, or from any cultish claims that brainwash us entirely. Christian books, Christian music, and Christian websites are so easily accessible today that we are never too far from the word of God. There is entire Christian culture so readily available to us that make it easier for us to go out, and show the world of how relevant Christianity is today, proving that the Bible is not a big thick book full of archaic stories, but a relevant moral compass that has survived more than 2000 years. Just as Jesus asked us to witness to the ends of the world, the possibilities of Christian witness today, are endless. It is exciting to think of how connected, and how much more we can achieve as Christians in our witness, today more than any other time in history.
Nelson Mandela says “ Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” “When a man is denied the right to live the life he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw.” “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” “It always seems impossible until it's done.” “A good head and good heart are always a formidable combination. But when you add to that a literate tongue or pen, then you have something very special.”
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Down the Ages-1 Prayer is the Light of the Soul St. John Chrysostom [St. John Chrysostom (c 347-407), Archbishop of Constantinople, was a significant Early Church Father. He is known for his legendary eloquence in preaching.]
an infant crying for its mother, so do our souls crave the divine nourishment. We ask for our own needs, and we receive gifts surpassing the whole visible creation. Prayer is a worthy ambassador before God, which make the heart joyful and gives peace to the soul. And when I speak of prayer, you are not to imagine I mean words. Prayer is the desire for God, a wordless love, an attitude of son-ship not of man's originating but actuated by divine grace. We do not know how we ought to pray, declares St. Paul, but in our inarticulate groans it is the Spirit Himself who is interceding for us. For anyone to whom God has granted this kind of prayer, it is a treasure which can never be lost, a heavenly food to satisfy our souls. Once we tasted it, an eternal longing for the Lord burns in our hearts with a fierce intensity.
Prayer and communion with God constitute the highest good, for they bring us into fellowship and union with Him. Just as contact with earthly light enables our eyes to see, so when gaze on God of our heart is flooded with His light which is beyond all description. The prayer I speak of is not a mechanical formula, but a movement of the heart; it is not confined to times and season, but continues night and day. It is not only at set hours of prayer that we should turn our minds to God; we need to do it also at those times when we are busy with our occupations, helping the poor or engaged in any of the other work of mercy, so that remembrance of God and desire for him permeates all that we do. Then our actions, as though seasoned with the love of God, will become pleasing offering to the Lord of all, and we ourselves, thus filling every moment with prayer, shall enjoy great spiritual profit throughout our lives. Prayer is the light of the soul, by which we acquire true knowledge of God. It is the medium of communication between God and man. Through prayer our hearts are raised to heaven and we embrace God in a way no words can convey. Like 28
Therefore, in preparing to receive Him, with lowly hearts we shall paint the walls of our homes and illuminate them with the light of righteousness. With the gold leaf of good works we shall adorn them and enrich them with the mosaic of enduring prayer, to make our homes perfect for the Lord. So we shall receive Him as in a splendid palace. And by His grace we shall henceforth keep Him like an image set up in the temple of our souls.
Love is the manifestation of the divine nature, which stands above time. Love is not only a way of life; it is practical action directed towards the goodness of others. Love exists only in the present moment. A man who does not manifest love in the present does not love at all.� - Leo Tolstoy
Pastoral Care and Counselling Mrs. Pushpa J Punamadam*
Counselling is an activity that helps individuals to overcome their problems. "Counselling is an interactive process characterized by a unique relationship between counsellor and client that leads to change in the client in one or more ...areas"(Lewis & Elizabeth 2000). The change may occur in the areas of Behaviour, Beliefs and Emotional distress. A behaviour change might be the solution of a problem or it might also enhance one's potential for personal growth. According to the modern behaviourist, change in thinking lead to behavioural change.
Apart from behaviour change, an individual's ability to cope with life situation may also change. They also learn to live with what they cannot change. Change in beliefs may occur in counselling. One of the main goals of counselling is change in self- concept and beginning to think of himself or herself as a more competent and worthy person. Change in beliefs lead to behaviour change. Relief of emotional distress is also an agenda of counselling. When an opportunity is given for catharsis they safely vent their negative feelings and feel sure that they will be accepted and understood and relieved from psychic pain. The change that occurs in counselling can influence feelings, values, attitudes, thoughts and actions. Goal of Counselling The main goal of counselling is 'growth' and 'change'. When a client attains growth he or she becomes more effective in dealing with his/her problem. The word 'change refers to the ability to cope with and live effectively by using more of his resources'. Pastoral care and Counselling Pastoral care and counselling seek to utilize and integrate both psychological and theological insights regarding the human situation and the healing of persons.Pastoral care is the broad, inclusive ministry of mutual healing and growth within a congregation and its community through the life cycle ( Clinembell- 1984). Pastoral Counselling is one dimension of pastoral care,
which is the utilization of variety of healing (therapeutic) methods to help people handle their problems and crises more carefully and thus experience healing of their brokenness (Clinembell-1984). People need pastoral care throughout their lives where as they need pastoral counselling only at times of crises. Pastoral care and counselling enable heal and growth in all dimensions of a person's make up including: body, mind and spirit. Pre-marital Counselling: Need, Aim and Objectives Need for Pre-marital Counselling: Affluence Job oriented life Weak support system Nucleation of families Low frustration tolerance Influence of media Impact of globalisation Alcoholism/drug addiction Cyber addiction Increasing divorce rate Primary aim: Assisting the couple in Leaving and Cleaving for Mutual Need Satisfaction Objectives Assisting the couple : to develop self-understanding, to develop healthy self-esteem, to develop healthy ways of communication, to develop healthy ways of approaching conflicts in the family, to develop healthy spiritual well being, to develop skills in effective parenting, to understand importance of concepts, symbols & in different religions. Bibliography a. Lewis & Elizabeth 2000 b. Howard Clinembell, Basic Types of Pastoral Care and Counselling, Abingdon Press: Nashville, USA, 1984. * Pushpa J. Punamadam is the wife of Rev. Jose Punamadam; she held many posts in Kerala: she was headmistress, a counsellor, president of the women' forum of the Yuvajana Sakhyam of the Kottayam, Kochi Diocese.
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Birth Centenary
Rt. Revd. Dr. Thomas Mar Athanasius Suffragan Metropolitan (1914-1984)* Dr. Zac Varghese This photograph of Thomas Thirumeni has an amazing quality and power to talk to us about who he was. I take this opportunity to write few lines to pay homage to this disciple of Jesus Christ. 2014 is the birth centenary of Thirumeni. He was born on 26th May 1914 in the Panampunna family at Kottayam. He passed away on 27th November 1984. In 1953, he was consecrated as a bishop of the Mar Thoma Church together with Mar Alexander, Mar Theophilus and Philipose Mar Chrysostom. These three outstanding bishops contributed much to the golden age of the Mar Thoma Church. I had the privilege of knowing him from my childhood and enjoyed his thoughtful and loving mentoring all my life. He had a parathyroid surgery in London in October 1984, and I still remember him telling me, 'I feel like a new man.' He was so happy about the way he was looked after in the hospital; he was indeed a prince, the doctors and nurses felt holiness and divinity in his manners and contact with them. He used to tell, 'No one should do anything, which may hurt the Church.' I am sure many of you may also recollect with great affection many things that Thirumeni said and did. He always will stand out in my mind as someone who set forth with such total discipline, integrity, courage, style, dignity, and leadership. Some of us, who had the exceptional fortune to know him, continue to turn to him for help and guidance because he is indeed a living legend and has been a lasting influence. Many people would acknowledge that Thomas Thirumeni was the most outstanding Indian bishop of the twentieth century. Thomas Thirumeni was first and foremost a bishop, an apostle of Jesus Christ. He was an apostle, called by Jesus Christ to lead the Church; he was called to give mentorship to others to send them to the vineyard; he was called to know when be to be strict and when to be kind, when to correct and when to turn a blind eye! Thomas Thirumeni was also a prophet; a prophet is not a fortune teller, but a man who interprets the signs of the time for seeing the action of God here and now and so to point to future possibilities. Thirumeni also took his teaching role seriously; Thirumeni was seriously involved in the post ordination theological education of the clergy. The library in his Manganam Aramana and St. Augustine Study Centre are examples of how he wanted to encourage serious in depth study of the faith of both clergy and laity.
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Thirumeni strived for excellence and perfec tion in all his endeavours, whether it was singing, chanting, pre aching, tea ching, pasto ral care, ad ministering or giving lea dership. Med iocrity had no place in his thinking. Quality rath er than quantity was his motto; he strived to present his work as a perfect offering to 'his Lord and his God.' His melodious chanting of the liturgy was entirely for giving glory to God and making people feel and experience the presence and holiness of God during worship; this was an extraordinary gift. When Thirumeni chanted, 'Holy art Thou O God,' the entire congregation felt the holiness and experienced that heavenly reality. Our service to great men is not to praise them now and then or to put their names on institutions and plaques; great men are inspirations for us to follow them. The greatest thing that we can do to the memory of Thomas Thirumeni is to take seriously those things for which he lived his ministry; to hold firmly the traditions and the doctrine of the Mar Thoma Church, her Catholicity and apostolic ministry and yet, to be so firmly rooted in the faith of the Church that we can be free to be confident to risk anything for the Gospel. Let us therefore, remember those things, which were nearest to Thirumeni's heart for that is the greatest compliment we can pay as faithful children to a great spiritual father. * The festschrift volume edited by Rev. Dr. M. J. Joseph on the birth centenary of Thomas Thirumeni and released at Kottayam on 25 May 2014 will be a useful aid for learning more about Thirumeni.
News & Reports
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Family Conference-2014 UK & EUROPE MAR THOMA FAMILY CONFERENCE Dr. Suku Mathew, Liverpool
Tabore Mar Thoma Church, Manchester is hosting the 32nd UK and Europe Mar Thoma Family Conference, this year. The theme 'Christian family life in a migrated context' was chosen to reflect and debate on the opportunities and challenges, which face the Mar Thoma diaspora families in UK and Europe. As in previous years it will be a residential weekend meeting from 29th- 31st August 2014 in the beautiful environs of Yarnfield Park Training & Conference Centre, Yarnfield, Stone, and Staffordshire. The venue is easily reached from both south and north of the country with excellent motorway links and both Manchester and Birmingham airports close by. His Excellency Mr. Ranjan Mathai, High commissioner of India will be the chief guest at the inaugural session with the diocesan bishop Rt. Rev. Dr. Geevarghese Mar Theodosius Episcopa delivering the inaugural address. The keynote speakers are 1. Revd. Abraham Scaria, Associate director of Juhanon Mar Thoma Study Centre Trivandrum. He also is visiting counsellor and lecturer at the TMA Institute of counselling at Kottayam. 2. Rev. Canon Dr. Jules Gomes will lead the sessions for the youth and currently ministers in the Isle of Man. An accomplished speaker, journalist, broadcaster, Jules did his doctoral studies in Cambridge on the Old Testament.
Before coming to the Isle of Man, he was Dwelly Raven Canon (Canon Theologian) and Artistic Director at Liverpool Cathedral and Lecturer in Biblical Studies at Liverpool Hope University. 3. Rev Dr. Thomas Philip, vicar Sinai Mar Thoma church, London, is also the former president of the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCST) was the vicar of the Klang, Penang, Sungai Petani and Ipoh parishes. An exciting programme for adults, youth and children has been planned with ample time for discussion, debate and reflection. A singing competition for parish choirs will entertain and liven up the evenings. In order to encourage wider participation, the conference registration fees have been kept low and over 450 delegates have already registered with registrations planned to close at 550 delegates. Several fund raising activities, such as raffle tickets, bake sales, generous individual donations and sale of advertising space in the conference souvenir, have helped in financing this conference. A commemorative souvenir will be released at the event with scholarly articles from eminent theologians, clergy and laity. We look forward to welcoming you at the conference in the summer and request your prayers for this year's meeting to be a success and blessing to all.
“ Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it -Winston S. Churchill
takes to sit down and listen”
"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God, who is sending a love letter to the world." -Mother Teresa “ When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one that has opened for us” - Alexander Graham Bell 31
Edavaka Mission Centre Meeting Sam Thomas, Edavaka Mission Secretary
Hermon Mar Thoma Church had the opportunity to host the first ever one day centre meeting of Voluntary Evangelistic Association ( Edavaka Mission) under the auspices of Mar Thoma Churches in the UK, which was held at Darlaston th Town Hall in Walsall on 30 of March 2014. The meeting was attended by around 360 people (including 80 children) from other sister parishes spread around the UK. This posed a major challenge for us as a church to manage and run the event smoothly, to which our dedicated members rose to the occasion and worked as a team under the able leadership of our Vicar Rev. Vinoj Varghese.
Rev. Paul Singh who is a vicar of the Church of South India currently studying for his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree (Environmental Theology) in Edinburgh University was the guest speaker who delivered from the word of God. Although his name suggests otherwise, achen is a pure Malayali and hails from Thiruvanadapuram in Kerala.
Rev. Sam John, vicar of Tabor and Carmel Mar Thoma Churches in Manchester and Liverpool lead the Holy Communion service, which was one of his last few services before he departs to Kerala after completing his three years of a very fruitful and successful mission as a vicar in the UK. The event was also a timely occasion for the centre organisers and fellow vicars to collectively bid adieu to Sam achen and kochamma, which they didn't miss and provided a fitting farewell. The day also saw the election of centre committee members of the various church organisations which was held in the afternoon following a traditional Kerala vegetarian lunch (in line with our lent celebration) which was prepared and served enthusiastically by our own members. Our Sunday school children along with their friends from visiting parishes also spent some quality time with Subin and Stanley uncle who are familiar faces to all of them.
It was one of those rare occasions for many of us when so many Mar Thoma members could assemble under one roof to worship Jesus our Lord and saviour in unity and love. The curtain was drawn at around 4:30pm when it was time for everyone to say good-bye after a long and busy day after a top up of vada and pazhampori served with tea and coffee.
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Youth Conference 2014 Report Moby Mathew, Carmel MTC, Liverpool
significant life lessons through the various programmes. nd
By the grace of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ the 2 Carmel Mar Thoma Youth Conference was conducted successfully. This wonderful event took place at the Cefn Lea Conference and Holiday Park in Newtown, Wales, from the th th 27 to 29 June 2014. The theme for the conference 'Lightened for Life' was based on Ephesians 5:8; it reads, 'For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.' The subjects explored were very relevant for the youths and were easy to relate to. This 3 day conference had over 85 delegates involving the participation of youths from seven Mar Thoma churches across England. The speakers for the conference were Revd. Dr Jacob Thomas and Dr Sam George, both of whom were part of the 1st Carmel Youth Conference back in 2012. They
were able to provide interactive, insightful and blessed messages for the young people. Revd. Vinoj Varghese and family, Revd. Alexander Tharakan and family, Pushpa Kochamma, along with several other adult members supported the youth leaders for the smooth running of the conference. Revd. Vinoj Varghese and family's presence was a gift to the youths. His passion and enthusiasm provided an energetic atmosphere throughout the conference. The youths were blessed with a Holy Communion Service led by Revd. Alexander Tharakan. The worship sessions led by Mr Stanley Mathew John, Mr Mathew Thomas & Mr Subin Mathew were especially memorable and were most valued amongst the youths. The youth members were able to enjoy, bond and take away
The main talks on the theme was delivered on the second day, however, a small brief was given during the evening of day one by both the speakers. Dr. Sam George's message focused on placing Christ at the centre of our lives and giving Christ the spotlight. Working with youth groups in America, as well as taking part in numerous other youth retreats and conferences, allowed Dr. George to introduce topics of common interest to youths, such as cultural differences and social interactions. Revd. Dr Jacob Thomas's sessions included a theme talk on light as a metaphor and its significance to the Mar Thoma Church. His interactive session of 'Questions and Answers' was highly beneficial for the youths as they were able to ask questions and express doubts that they encountered in their lives.
Time was set apart each morning for devotion, which allowed the youths to reflect and meditate on a short daily passage that was provided in their conference pack. The Testimony session allowed youths to share their experiences and of being witnesses to Christ's work in their lives. In addition, informal team games and activities were organised for the youths to build their relationship with each other and create networks. The conference allowed all who attended to have a deeper relationship with God and have a clear understanding of how to be shining lights within their church and community. The most important outcome of the conference was the personal dedication and commitment of 27 young people to the Lord for the first time and many others rededicated their life for closer walk with Christ.
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Space for Children
ECHO Garden The aim of this section of the journal is to give our children something interesting for them to enjoy. Children like stories; we have our own stories to tell. We can internalise others' stories and engage with them. In the ancient time, some people told sacred stories on how the universe came to be and God's involvement in the creation of the universe - the earth, the sun, the moon, heavenly bodies, and stars. Our mothers tell us bedtime stories to give us confidence and courage to face demons and bad dreams; they tell us stories about fairies and angels coming to help us in difficult situations. These stories are to help us to lead a noble life. This nobility is within our grasp under the grace of God. Now bedtime stories and good night kisses have been replaced with television dramas, computer games, and enticing advertisements. Television and the Internet are where our children now receive basic truth about living and get encouragement for not believing in a loving God; not believing in a loving God is called atheism. You might have come across a man called Dawkins and his books, and his logical arguments; he is a prophet of atheism. People are encouraged to look after themselves without any concern for others. But Biblical stories help to learn about a God-centred self without being selfcentred. This realisation helps us to hear the wonderful word from God, 'You are my child and I am your God.' This is a comforting thought, but we need sensitivity, sharp ears, to listen to God's words. Wouldn't it be good to go to sleep with such an assurance after hearing a good bedtime story? This awareness of God help us not to see mums, dads, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunties, and others as people that we can use for our immediate needs, but agents of God for protecting and providing for us under all circumstances. Our parents and others are there because of God's love. A God-centred self is the incarnation of love; it is entirely focussed, integrated and harmonised in God. Biblical stories should help us to have this transformation. We blame others and come up with all sorts of explanations for the discontent of our children and the lack of direction in their lives. But there is a beautiful old story about God that we might tell our children, which
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our parents told us, this story is large enough to make us understand why God created this world; it may not tell us how God created the world, the how is not important; the how is what scientists are trying to find out, but why God created the world is important to us to understand and believe in an amazing God. God is love. Where do you find these stories? You find these stories in the Bible. It is more than a book; it is a library of sixty-six books. It was written over a period of 1600 years. It was initially written in three languages: Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. It contains amazing stories, history, poetry, biography, proverbs, parables, letters, law and moral codes. It is a story about a loving God and His relationship with His children. It is written by over forty writers. The Bible is an amazing book because behind the people who wrote it, there is one supreme author. Jesus said,' Heaven and earth will pass away, my words will never pass away' (Matt 24: 35). Lord Tennyson wrote: 'Bible reading is an education in itself.' Therefore, the editors are hoping to tell some of the Biblical stories for our children in a very simple way. Keep looking for these stories in the future issues of the Mar Thoma ECHO. It is in sharing these stories, our relationships are strengthened. Let us make the 'ECHO' as a medium for engagement with these stories. Please ask mums and dads to tell you bedtime stories about a loving God.
Valedictory Speech Master Joel George *A valedictory speech of
after attending the last Sunday school class at the All Saints Mar Thoma Church, Peterborough
I would like to start my speech by saying a short prayer. “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O God. Amen.” Standing here today, I am not entirely sure what to say, but one thing I can definitely say is that I will miss my beloved Sunday school. This is a tough day for me because I am nervous and hear the sound of my
Dennis replies, “It is the love that Mr and Mrs. Wilson have for us, we deserve these not because of our own actions.” I can now link this fact to my own life: “Why do I deserve many gifts from God?” God has given me many talents: music, learning skills, sports etc..... I know I haven't always been the best person to God; however, He still blesses me all the time. In my opinion, I believe that Sunday school is a marvellous place for a child to grow up, as it gives him/her a stronger faith in God; Sunday school allows you to make new friends who know Jesus. Sunday school was actually a school for the poor children and it was found in the 18th century by Robert Raikes, and at that time it was called the Sabbath school. Sunday schools were not compulsory. I am happy that we do have that opportunity here at All Saints.
heartbeat. I remember many days of my life such as birthdays; Christmas days, my school days, and now I shall add my last day of the Sunday school to this list. I know this may be the end of my structured learning phase of the biblical stories, but it will be a new start for me to understand the word of Christ on my own. Sunday school gave me an outstanding vision and a great foundation on the word of God. I would like to start my speech by talking about a cartoon character called Dennis the menace. In this cartoon Dennis and Joey (his friend) are walking out of Mr. and Mrs. Wilson's home with handful of cookies. Joey then asks the question: “Why do we deserve this?” Then
In Isaiah 6:8 we read: “Then I heard the voice of the lord saying, 'whom shall I send? And who will go for us? And I said “Here am I, send me!” Most people know the context of this memory verse; it signifies God's unconditional love towards Isaiah, and he responds to God's order very faithfully and carefully. Isaiah didn't even question God on how long or how far he had to go, all he did was listen to the word of God. My vision of the Sunday school has expanded incredibly because of Dr. Thomas Philips Achen. He often has little discussions with me, and I thank him a lot for that. I remember all my Sunday school teachers who have cared for me as if I was one of their own. I hope that God almighty allows everyone to do His will on earth. Praise the Lord!
"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God, who is sending a love letter to the world." - Mother Teresa “ Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart ” - Eleanor Roosevelt 35
The Resurrected Saviour Jiya John* All Saints Mar Thoma Church, Peterborough “Therefore God has also highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name” (Philippians 2: 9).
and unchangeable. So God in His grace provided the means of salvation for us. St. Paul in Ephesians 2: 4-5 says "God's mercy is so abundant and His love for us is so great, that while we were spiritually dead in our disobedience He brought us to life with Christ." He sent his only son Jesus to the world who died in our place on the cross. Jesus was raised from the dead so that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life. Jesus is our resurrected saviour. He triumphed over the devil and saved many people. He has given us His precious blood so that we can give our lives to Him. Today, He wants to save us and give us life. So, we should open our hearts and accept Him as our personal saviour.
There are many names in the world. God has chosen each and every one of our names even before we are born. But the name above all names is given to Jesus. He is the master and saviour for all who need him. When people ask who the resurrected saviour is? Instead of simply mentioning the name Jesus, we should be able to tell them the real story behind it. Since our ancestors committed sin, death has pursued us all. No one, rich or poor, can escape its clutches. God's love and care for his creation, especially for us, is eternal
"It cost God nothing, so far as we know, to create nice things: but to convert rebellious wills cost Him crucifixion" (C.S Lewis). Prayer: Dear Lord, Thank you for the victory you have won over Satan and all evil. Help us to proclaim your glorious name to the ends of the earth. Help us to accept you as our saviour and submit us to your hands. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray, Amen.
* Jiya is a talented writer who is studying at Kings School, Peterborough.
Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan says “ It is not God that is worshiped but the group or authority that claims to speak in His name. Sin becomes disobedience to authority not violation of integrity” “All our world organizations will prove ineffective if the truth that love is stronger than hate does not inspire them” “ Only the man of serene mind can realize the spiritual meaning of life. Honesty with oneself is the condition of spiritual integrity” Second President of India, He was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1954, Radhakrishnan was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature for five consecutive years from 19331937, although he did not win. His B'day is celebrated as Teachers' Day 36
Easow Mar Timotheos - A Man of Prayer Dia Miriam Samuel, St. Johns MTC, Hounslow common people on the floor, while attending prayer meetings. During his visits to the parishes in the Middle East, he showed special interest in the welfare of the Marthomites living in labour camps. He was never too busy or occupied to neglect a friendly visit to them. His life of prayer and deep spiritual experiences was his special characteristics. For him prayer was part of his life. He talked to the Lord as he would speak to his earthly father. He used to spend hours and hours in prayer. On certain days when there was a special need he would pray the whole night without eating any food. The Thirumeni (bishop) used to fast regularly four times a week Monday, Wednesday, Friday evenings and Sunday mornings. In addition to these he used to fast for special needs and requirements. An example of this is during the construction of the Chungathara College, a huge amount was required to pay off the debts. Thirumeni, who was the Chairman of the college, fasted for 40 days and spent time in prayer. His prayers were answered when the debt was wiped off by a German charitable organisation. He was an avid lover of books and had a thorough knowledge of the Bible and memorized Bible verses.
Easow Mar Timotheos was an Episcopa (bishop) of the Mar Thoma Church from 1975 to 1988. Below is a short reflection on his life. To impart Biblical knowledge to the common people of the Parish, he started Adult Sunday School in parishes. To train the Sunday school teachers he introduced 'Centre Level Teachers Training' programmes. He was a regular participant of the Mar Thoma Students' Conference and student camps. He encouraged many youths to work in North Indian villages as missionaries. His life itself was an example to the youths. Bishop Timotheos was a simple and humble man. Even after becoming a bishop, he found joy in sitting with the
At Thirumeni's demise the late Mr. Rajiv Gandhi said “The passing away of Rt. Rev. Easow Mar Timotheos is a great loss to the people of Kerala and particularly to the Marthomite Christian Community. The late Bishop's piety and dedication to spiritual causes and his work for the uplift of the poor will be long remembered. In his death the country has lost a true evangelist of a rare calibre. Easow Mar Timotheos- a glowing morning star shined for the people of the land for a short while. He testified that the Thirumeni was the 'great apostle of India'. Thirumeni has left behind a great legacy in humble prayer for the betterment of the church and community. We as a church, community and individuals need to dedicate more of our time to prayer so that we can be good stewards of the heavenly Kingdom.
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ECHO - EMBLEM Revd. Jose Punamadam *
Signs and symbols have significance in all spheres of human life. We express certain ideas through signs and symbols, that cannot be seen, heard or comprehend directly by us. In order to express our experience, we need a medium. Signs and symbols are media for communication. Jesus Christ was the living evidence and talking medium for God's communication. For effective communication He used different types of communications which included signs, symbols, and miracles. Every sign and symbol generate thoughts. The early Christians developed and used certain symbolic expressions to communicate their faith in God. This emblem is a religious art, which proclaims the beauty and creativity of God through the visual medium. It communicates the beauty of God in colours. This art work proclaims the theology in colour what the gospel communicates in words. This is an expression of divine glory in colours. In this emblem, we can see different colours, especially the red and blue which represents the land where we are. The boat indicates the presence of the COMPE along with the disciples of Jesus and the Diaspora community. The dove symbolizes the Holy Spirit which is an inspiration for communication and for writing. The golden trumpet indicates the beautiful message from God which is an echo for the Diaspora community. The cross and the pen visualize the two communication channels of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. * Doctoral student in Communication and Iconography 38
St. Johns Mar Thoma Church Community, Hounslow, conducted the annual retreat at the Coptic Orthodox Church Centre at Shepalbury Manor, Stevenage, with His Grace Bishop Angaelos. Mr. PM Mathew, secretary of the COMPE, presented a gift to Bishop Angaelos.
Rt. Revd Dr. Geevarghese Mar Theodosius met the representatives of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Revd Dr. Canon Leslie Nathaniel and Revd Dr.Roger Paul on 16th Dec 2013. The Mar Thoma group included Revd Dr.Thomas Philips, Revd Jose Punamadom, Mr. Abraham Mathews, and Dr. Zac Varghese.
Mar Thoma Clergy conference in Europe 39
COMPE meeting in the presence of Mar Theodosius Episcopa & Mar Timotheos Episcopa
The gathering at the COMPE meeting in March 2014, where it was decided to publish a European regional journal of the Mar Thoma Church.
At the inaugural service of the newly formed All Saints MTC, Peterborough. Rt. Revd Donald Allister, Rt. Revd Dr. Geevarghese Mar Theodosius & Revd Dr. Thomas Philips. 40