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Quarterly publication by COMPE (Council of the Mar Thoma Parishes in Europe)

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Page 1: The Mar Thoma ECHO - December 2014

1 ECHO - December 2014

Page 2: The Mar Thoma ECHO - December 2014

2 ECHO - December 2014

Table of Contents Message from the Diocesan Bishop ............................ 3

Message from the Previous Diocesan Bishop ............. 5

Editorial ..................................................................... 6

The Mystery & Mastery of Communication ................ 8

Communion through Forgiveness & Reconciliation .. 12

Prisoner of Your Past? .............................................. 15

Missionary call ......................................................... 17

Becoming a Praying Parent ...................................... 19

Biblical Understanding of Communication ................ 20

History ..................................................................... 22

Hermon Mar Thoma Church, West Midlands ........ 22

News & Reports ....................................................... 23

Family Conference-2014 ...................................... 23

First Communion: Hermon Mar Thoma Church,

Midlands, UK ........................................................ 25

First Communion and Confirmation: A Historical

Ecumenical event in London ................................. 26

Carol Services ....................................................... 27

ECHO Garden ........................................................... 28

‘Demons’ ............................................................. 28

Mother Teresa – A role model to us all ................. 29

Photo Gallery ........................................................... 30

The COMPE Executive Committee

President: The Rt.Revd.Dr.Geevarghese Mar Theodosius

Vice President: Revd. Dr. Thomas Philips

Secretary : Mr. P.M. Mathew

Treasurer: Mr. Jaffey Chacko

Editorial Board of the Mar Thoma ECHO

Editorial Director : Dr.Zac Varghese

Cheif Editor : Revd. Jose Punamadam

Mr. Sherry Mathews

Mr.Oommen Abraham

Mrs. Geena Ajay

Cover Design by : Revd. Jose Punamadam

For private circulation only

Disclaimer:

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 editorial board or of the COMPE.

Page 3: The Mar Thoma ECHO - December 2014

3 ECHO - December 2014

Message from the

Diocesan Bishop The Mar

Thoma ECHO, a

publication of the

Council of Mar Thoma

Parishes in Europe,

published its first

issue in August 2014.

It had the blessings of

our Metropolitan

when its digital

version was released

at a public function in

St. John’s Mar Thoma Parish, Hounslow during

Thirumeni’s visit. The printed version was

released at the Mar Thoma Family Conference

when a large gathering attended, and the copies

were widely circulated. I am confident that all the

Mar Thoma members and their friends have

become aware of this publication.

The second issue is now prepared for

publication with the theme, “Community,

Communication, and the Church.” The editorial

board will be expounding this topic which is very

relevant in our times. I hope that all the members

of the churches in UK and Europe will take time

to go through the thought-provoking and

enriching articles contained in the Mar Thoma

ECHO. The aim of this publication is to build a

link with the channels of love for building a

communicating Mar Thoma Community in

Europe.

We live in a time when we have an

explosion in the field of communication. We have

fast and multiple means of communication. The

internet and other forms of social media have

further precipitated new ways of thinking about

reality, humanity, and community. A few decades

ago, the main means of communication was the

printed media. The Gospel was propagated

through books and leaflets. The preachers

travelled from place to place, or their speeches

were recorded. Now, Gospel messages are

available throughout the day. It has become very

difficult to distinguish between the real and the

fake. But now even little children have access to

all kinds of information through the internet and

other means of communication. They are widely

abused more than being used. When we go to an

airport lounge, or the waiting area of a public

place, we can see that everybody is busy either

texting, using their smartphone, or the iPad. Even

when a person is out for sightseeing, he/she may

be browsing the phone. We may be in a crowd but

not face to face with the next person. Nobody has

time to communicate with the person sitting next

to them. We are eager to have the virtual “sight”

and “touch” of a person at a distance than the

person in front of us. The “virtual” is taking the

place of the “real.” We have become “islands” than

part of a human community.

The basic unit of any community is the

family. So proper communication should happen

within the family. The communication in families

were held mostly during mealtime and at the time

of family prayer. Now, we seldom have family

time and family altar. For proper communication,

we should know the language and state of mind of

the other person. A new-born’s means of

communication is crying. It is the means that God

has created the child with to express its needs to

the parents and community. Communication is to

understand each other. When proper

communication fails, it leads to breakdowns in

family relationships. If there is brokenness in

families, it will affect the whole society. The

breakdown of communication with our

neighbours, the members of our prayer groups,

and parishes has distanced us from all the people.

Time has come for us to rebuild our family

relationships through proper communication.

This publication is coming out at a time

when the whole inhabited world is celebrating

Christmas. It marks God’s means of

communication by sending Jesus Christ to

incarnate in human history. The Word became

flesh. Jesus, identified Himself with the whole

creation, enabling each to see and hear Him, feel

His presence, listen to His words, participate in

what He did, and follow Him. This was a real

experience in real life. This incarnation of Jesus

enabled the creation to turn to God. He exhorted

again by communicating through His life, to love

one’s neighbours. This is a turn to each other. He

gave His life on the cross for the redemption of

the whole creation, which St. Paul narrates as the

“ministry of reconciliation.” Christology will

certainly come to emphasize even more strongly

than in the past that Jesus was a “man for others.”

Page 4: The Mar Thoma ECHO - December 2014

4 ECHO - December 2014

Soteriology will emphasize the corporate

dimensions of the saving work of the Triune God

in the events of the crucifixion and the

resurrection. St. John calls this communication as

an act of love. Jesus gave the new commandment

to love as He loved. There is no better and

effective communication than “love.”

Church is in the world for the ministry of

communication. The Good News of the Kingdom

of God, revealed in Christ Jesus, is to be

communicated. The mission and ministry of the

Church are means of communicating the Gospel.

St. Paul reminds that we are Christ’s

ambassadors. How do we carry out this mission?

Paul's method of communicating the Gospel is

expressed in the following verses: “To the Jews I

became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those

under the law I became like one under the law

(though I myself am not under the law) so as to

win those under the law. To those not having the

law I became like one not having the law (though

I am not free from God's law but am under

Christ's law), so as to win those not having the

law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak.

I have become all things to all people so that by all

possible means, I might save some" (I Corinthians

9:20-22, NIV). We are the media through which

the message of Christ is communicated to the

world. We must do this by our daily Christian

living.

I wish the publication all success and

God’s blessings.

Mar Theodosius+

For the great and powerful of this world,

there are only two places in which their

courage fails them, of which they are

afraid deep down in their souls, from

which they shy away. These are the manger

and the cross of Jesus Christ. No powerful

person dares to approach the manger, and

this even includes King Herod. For this is

where thrones shake, the mighty fall, the

prominent perish, because God is with the

lowly. Here the rich come to nothing,

because God is with the poor and hungry,

but the rich and satisfied he sends away

empty. Before Mary, the maid, before the

manger of Christ, before God in lowliness,

the powerful come to naught; they have no

right, no hope; they are judged.

- From God Is In the Manger: Reflections

on Advent and Christmas

Page 5: The Mar Thoma ECHO - December 2014

5 ECHO - December 2014

Message from the

Previous Diocesan Bishop

I am glad that the

Mar Thoma Church

community is

starting an internet

journal to circulate

biblical messages

and theological

thoughts to the

people at large. I

wish all God’s

blessing to this new

venture. Let your

efforts bring new hopes and aspirations in the

lives of the people. I pray to God that this will

bring good fruits to the Church.

The title ECHO is very apt to the electronic

journal. The word denotes to the vibrations of

sound. In the sound waves we have different

modulations harmoniously knit together to

produce voice. Voice symbolizes identity and

nature of sound waves. Mar Thoma Church ECHO

presents different voices of worship, prayers,

witness and mission. ECHO is about the voice of a

Church in diaspora.

Diaspora is a scattered population with a common

origin within a geographical area. The word also

refers to the movement of the people from its

original homeland. Diaspora is also a term which

denotes its significance biblically, theologically

and socially. Mar Thoma Church can be often

been named as a Diaspora Church.

Church migrated to the contexts of Europe and

America used linguistic structures and cultures of

diaspora to express their identity and to translate

the faith practices into the situations of migration.

Church in the west is often seen as an institution

organised under the norms and practices of

modernity. Modernity structured the Church in

Diaspora. Globalisation, homogenisation,

digitalisation and uncontrolled marginalisation

have become the new phenomenon of modernity

in which Church tries to situate herself.

Mar Thoma Church in the European context

survived through worship, word and witness.

Church expresses herself in the self-

understanding related with the God and world in

a more missional aspect in the context of

multiplicity. Mar Thoma communities in the

diaspora read the Bible as a means to construct

and deconstruct their identities

Worship as the mystery of God experience and

Bible as the text played a major role in

establishing the ground of Church and nurturing

the faith in the life of the people. Bible was the

important tool that connected the life of the

people in diaspora to the life of the people of God

in the exilic times. People in the diaspora started

to read the Bible from their own life-world and

situated themselves in the meaning making

process. It is through the interpretative praxis of

the word that the Church community found the

historical affirmation of faith more relevant.

Interpretation of the Word enabled the

community of faith to counter the contemporary

forms of exile and prepared the Church in the

formation of theological prepositions about God.

Witness was not so easy for the faithful ones in

the European context. They witnessed Jesus

Christ in the daily lives in the midst of all

struggles for existence and building of their family

life. Living in a culture which is totally different

from their native formative culture created new

situation of pressure. But they remained faithful

to God and loyal to the Church. Birth of the

Church in this context is the result of their

witness, labour and sharing of the resources for

the Kingdom of God at large.

Yours in Christ’s service,

Rt. Rev. Dr. Euyakim Mar Coorilos 22 -07 - 2014 Mar Thoma Bishop ‘s House Kottarakkara

Page 6: The Mar Thoma ECHO - December 2014

6 ECHO - December 2014

Editorial

Community, Communication, and the Church

“The diaspora is not a group of people bound

together by manmade ideals. Diaspora becomes

a human community when it becomes a

community bound together in love, rejoicing in

each other and going out in love to the whole

creation.”–Mar Chrysostom

The second letter encoded in the acronym of the

word ‘ECHO’ is ‘C’ for communication, which is

the theme for this issue of the journal. A

community is a sociological group of people

sharing a common space. The word community

comes from the Latin word ‘communitas’ which is

comprised of three elements: ‘com’ meaning

common; ‘munis’ meaning exchanges that links,

and ‘tatus’ indicating intimate or local. Family is

the basic unit of a community sharing all these

aspects, which was the theme of this year’s Mar

Thoma family conference in Europe.

Communication is the heartbeat of a community.

We could limit our notion of communication to its

narrowest limit of getting a message from one to

another. We are able to write this editorial

because an idea in the brain is transmitted to the

fingertips through many communication

channels, junctions and receptors. Our very life

itself is possible because of various signal

transduction processes of cells involving many

thousands of molecules. Therefore, life cannot

exist without communication at ultra-micro,

micro, and macro level. The Church is also a

communicating community charged with the

mission to witness. Communication systems are

expanding explosively with cable, satellites,

computers, tablets, and smart phones. The

technology already exists for a kind of total

revolution in information gathering. There are so

much out there, and it is difficult to be selective

and analytical about it. As a result, we are in a

superhighway of communication, where crashes

are always a possibility. It is very important to be

selective and analytical in dealing with

information gathering and making use of it.

It is worth examining the interrelationships of

communication, community, and the church.

These three ‘C’s are intimately connected. For it

seems clear that, on the one hand, the relative

ineffectiveness of the Church in making use of

communication, which probably is one of the

major reasons for the current disinterest in

church-related activities. On the other hand, there

is every reason to hope that the communication

revolution, once understood, as itself as a

blessing. This may elicit in us, as we read the

signs of the times, an authentic spirituality,

exciting, energetic, and bold.

The Sanskrit language has many words for

communication such as ‘sadharnikarana,

samlaapa and sambhashanam, but its root

meaning is ‘to bind.’ If we consider various ways

of binding such as connecting, joining,

assimilating, and uniting, then we recognize how

much of human existence dependent on

communication. John Donne’s poem reminds us

of this reality: “No man is an island.” How much

of the human story is found there: shared needs,

education, moral codes, justice system, farming,

business, trust, traditions, and community. The

word bears an even nobler meaning of offering a

gift; a gift is only a real gift when it is shared. This

sharing is fundamental to a Eucharistic life of

taking, thanking, breaking, and giving. Church is

all about a shared living within a faith

community. Therefore, people who commune are

a community, and fellowship is a big part of it.

Like other institutions in the contemporary world,

the Church is deeply affected by the

communication revolution. Each "model" of the

Church brings with it a corresponding style of

communicating: more authoritarian or more

participative, more secretive or more open, and so

on. The existing communications channels in the

Page 7: The Mar Thoma ECHO - December 2014

7 ECHO - December 2014

Church are numerous and varied than we are

usually aware of, ranging from official and

pastoral letters from bishops (known as

kalpanas), through other official declarations,

reports, financial statements and newsletters

from local parishes. There is also a

communication network linking with various

organisational structures of the Church as well.

However, the church is a living organism more

than an organisation. Here we see St. Paul’s

deeper understanding in describing the Church as

the body of Christ and its interconnected

relationship to the people of God. Krishnamurti,

the great Indian philosopher, was a great

communicator; his talks were always a joint

exploration, of the speaker asking questions,

searching, provoking, stimulating, and finding

answers with the audience. This participatory

communication was his unique technique. He

said, ‘Communication can only exist when there is

no division, when you can both share something

together.’ Thus sharing, caring and

communicating become part of our existence in

this world in communion with our Lord and our

God. Gossip is also a very powerful channel of

communication, which is both constructive, and

destructive. Gossiping the Gospel is the business

of the Church.

Revd Dr. Valson Thampu’s ‘in depth’ article on

‘the Mystery and Mastery of Communication’ in

this issue is well-worth studying. He wrote: “Such

communication is not a matter of education or

cultural attainments. It is not a question of this

language or that, or of generation gaps or of

interpersonal bridges. It is a matter of depth. It is

depth that distinguishes the living God from idols.

Idols have just about everything, except depth.

Today we communicate as idols do to idols.

Words hit the surface and rebound. So, words

resemble stones.”

The Mar Thoma ECHO is a trying to build a link

with the channel of love for building a

communicating Mar Thoma community in

Europe. An Important aspect of communication

is thanksgiving to God for what He has done, and

for who He is. Thanksgiving looks at our present

condition and then backwards and forwards: what

God has done for us in the past, what he is doing

for us now, and what he will do in the future.

Thanksgiving is not just personal, but for the

whole faith community and the universal Church.

It should be a heart-felt cry as King David did in

many of his Psalms that God must be honoured

and praised for ever because of the gathering

together of his faithful people, which is indeed the

purpose of the Church. Finally, we realize that the

Church is not just a superficial Sunday

community of worshippers. The Church is a

communicating community, charged with the

mission of God (missio dei), to witness and to

preach (kerygma), to communicate (koinonia), to

be word and sacrament, to be medium and

message of salvation (diakonia), bringing to all an

updated edition of today's good news, featuring

Jesus Christ as the centre of our existence, symbol

of hope.

The Editorial Board

Beware those who seek to convince you that

it is senseless to strive for good because it is

impossible to reach perfection." - Ruskin

Page 8: The Mar Thoma ECHO - December 2014

8 ECHO - December 2014

The Mystery & Mastery of

Communication

Revd Dr.Valson Thampu*

All of us communicate. To be human is to

communicate. Other forms of life also, sort of,

communicate. But in us, as human beings,

communication has a special significance and a

sublime scope.

The fact that all human beings communicate

makes us a little blind to the mystery of

communication. As a rule, we take whatever we

have, or do, for granted. We become blind to

them. Or, to use the word that the Psalmist used,

we ‘forget’ them. We forget God’s blessings upon

us (Ps. 103: 1-4). So, the Psalmist exhorts, “And

forget not all his benefits”.

I have been in the business of communication for

the last four decades, at the very least. As days go

by, my sense of wonder about the mere possibility

of communication only increases. Think of

communicating with words! Of course, we use

many things else, besides words, to communicate.

But we do talk of ‘verbal’ communication, don’t

we? Words are mere symbols. And all of them are

arbitrary symbols. There is no law that prescribes

that the word ‘book,’ for example, should mean a

rectangular object made of paper. We have come

to agree that it should. So it does for those who

consent to that correlation. For someone outside

that association, the sound ‘word’ could mean,

say, a piece of wood or a sliver of cheese. In

another language, likewise, the same object –what

we call ‘book’ could be known by another symbol.

Yet, the words I utter serve as the link between

my mind and yours. In speaking, I produce some

sound waves corresponding (by sheer convention)

to these words, or symbols. They reach you and,

in the mystery of things, you interpret these

sound waves to mean what I mean!

How is this possible?

Why do we say that communication is

quintessentially human? Actually it is not. It is

only deductively human. Communication is the

attribute of God. We communicate because we are

“created in the image and likeness of God”. In

communicating, we partake of (or reflect) the

nature of God! This alone should make us quite

wary of what, and how, we communicate. We

need to speak as we ought to. And what we ought

to. Speaking, therefore, must include silence.

Silence, indeed, is the seed and secret of

communication. How we communicate not only

reveals but also shapes who we are in a very

substantial way. Abuse of the power of

communication corrupts our being. Hence the

teaching, “If you call your brother a fool, you will

stand before the judgment seat.” It is not for

nothing that we say, ‘mind your tongue’! What

this means, incidentally, is also that

communication is a great deal more than the

wagging of your tongue. So, let not your tongue

run away with, or bear false witness to, who you

are. Let your tongue be your servant, not vice

versa. If your tongue tries to be your master, be

unsparing, says Jesus. Cut it off! Likewise with

your hand, your eye, your everything.

But let us return to the question, how is

communication possible at all? This question is

the same as, why is it so human to communicate?

Well, let us get going with this question.

If human beings were like straight lines, there

would have been no communication. Two straight

lines cannot ‘hold’ anything. To communicate,

quite literarily, is to ‘hold’ things together. If you

keep two poles side by side, or end-to-end, they

cannot ‘hold’ a body. You need to not only place

them side by side but also connect them with

something; a piece of strong fabric, for example.

Now you no longer have just two poles, but a

stretcher. But a stretcher is no longer two straight

(or crooked) lines. It is a rectangle, so to speak.

You have created horizontal space (length +

breadth), in addition to distance, which is only

length. But a stretcher can ‘hold’ only a still body.

And communication is not a ‘still’ thing. It is a

moving, wave-like, dynamic thing.

Communication is like a flowing river, not a

stagnant puddle. Our words resonate. They

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9 ECHO - December 2014

ascend and descend. They crisscross. They leap,

they run, and they trot. Also, they can be, so to

speak, more than what they appear to be. Words,

in communication, have not only length and

breadth. They also have ‘depth’. Now, depth is the

hallmark of life. Death is the forfeiture of depth. A

corpse has length and breadth. It has no depth.

Depth belongs to Life. It stems from God.

To be created in the ‘image and likeness’ of God is

to be imbued with depth, in particular the depth

of Life. (Are you surprised that the words of the

godly have ‘power’?) The “fullness of life” that

Jesus offers needs to be understood in this light.

How can there be ‘fullness’ of life, if we choose to

remain ‘shallow’? (If you want to take this thought

further afield consider the Rich Young Man in St.

Matthew 19: 16-24. Shallowness was the affliction

of this man of material abundance.) Yet that is

what most Christians choose. They think that the

gleanings of ‘depth’ can be picked, somehow, from

the paddy field of shallowness. It is a clever thing,

isn’t it, to have the best of both worlds. But those

who fall between two stools really do not look very

smart.

Now think of St. John 12: 24. The grain of wheat

must fall down and die. This death is quite

different from the death that our body suffers. It

is death to two-dimensional life. The outcome of

this death is that the grain of wheat is shifted

from the two-dimensional to the three-

dimensional life. On being sown, the grain of

wheat is relocated in a new horizon of

possibilities: that of depth. Spirituality is all about

depth. The Spirit is the domain of the Depth of

Life. That is why, in the Judaeo-Christian

tradition, we cannot communicate, in the true

sense of the word (or concept) without the Spirit.

We can make noise and create noise pollution.

But we cannot communicate.

Why do you think Jesus rebuked the evil spirit

that pretended to bear witness to him (St. Mark 1:

21-28)? Jesus was admonishing communication

as it should not be, or demonic communication.

(For there is such a thing!) He was denouncing

communication as mere noise. Or, in the words of

St. Paul, communication as “sounding brass and

tinkling cymbal” (1 Cor. 13: 1, 2). So we can speak

without communicating. Well, that is what we do

most of the time! God alone knows what we mean

when we say, “Good morning,” or what others

understand when we utter those words. Or, what

we mean when we pray and praise God, preach

and propagate, utter expressions of gratitude,

appreciation, assurance and so on…. A great deal

of our ‘communication’ is no communication at

all. It is sounding brass and tinkling cymbal. God

is insulted by this. Hence the terse instruction

from Jesus, “Let your ‘yes’ be ‘yes’ and your ‘no’,

‘no’”. “Do not,” he said, “use too many words

when you pray”. Do not think, that is, that your

“sounding brass and tinkling cymbal” makes a

sweet-sounding spiritual orchestra!

Jesus is the Word. In him we experience the

mystery and mastery of communication. “If only

you’ll say a word,” a Roman Centurion, once said

to Jesus, “my servant will be healed”. Well, the

Centurion would have sensed something!

Whether he understood what he was saying well

enough, I am in no position to avow. Very likely,

he knew the import of his words deep below the

level of sound. The dead body of Lazarus heard

that voice. At that voice demons flee. The voice of

the Word cleanses lepers, opens the eyes of the

blind and the ears of the deaf. The Word

communicates and, in so doing, gives us an

experiential, or incarnate, idea of what it means to

communicate.

One thing is sure. The power of communication

stems from the depth. Well, I have heard

musicians say pretty much the same thing. Bring

up your voice, they’d say, from deep within. If you

don’t, all your technical perfection will hit the

ceiling in no time. Without the resources of the

depth, there is only ‘this far’ that you can go.

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10 ECHO - December 2014

If so, the next question: what is the bridle path to

that depth? Why do we remain, or how do we

become, shallow? St. John has an answer that we

better take seriously.

The Word, John says, ‘became flesh’ (St. John 1:

14). The simplest understanding of this rather

poetic and evocative expression is that the Word

embraced the world of experience. Not any kind

of experience; but experience that expresses its

essence. The biblical (Hebraic) worldview, unlike

the Hellenic, is dynamic. The Greeks perfected the

art of abstract thinking as nobody else could. The

Hebrew genius found an experiential, not

exclusively contemplative, expression. The Jews

contemplated -or sought, if you like- through

experience. Experience, as life teaches us, is the

unfolding access to the depth. It is the bridge

being built under our feet. Even as we walk. Only

if we walk. It is the landscape that reveals more of

itself as we walk. The Psalmist, for instance, links

experience with the light of the Word (cf. Psalm

119: 105). The Word is the lantern to one’s feet,

the light to one’s path. A lantern is less than a

lantern in the hands of one who has no intention

to walk. The light of the Word is relevant only to

those who wish to walk in the way of faith, or to

experience it. Truth to tell, our very being is

instinct with this thirst for experiential depth.

How can we meet the thirst for the depth of life,

except through experiences? Can a paralytic, who

lives horizontally (and has no experience of

depth) assuage his existential thirst by living

stretched out on that bed forever? Shouldn’t he

‘take up his bed and walk’? Saying “take up your

bed and walk” is true communication in its

context. (And not uttering sentimental nonsense

like “Oh, what a pity”, “Poor man, this should not

have happened to him,” “I’m so sorry, this has

befallen you,” and so on.) Who, except one who

has spiritual eyes, can ‘see’ this truth, as Jesus did

(St. Mark 2: 5)? Who else, but the Word, could

have said, “Take up your bed and walk”?

Now, the mark of a paralytic is ‘dependence’.

Sadly, that is what our materially empowered

‘secular’ life or worldview has reduced us to. We

are at risk of becoming (if we have not reached

there already) existential paralytics. We are so

dependent! On entertainment, on sex, on alcohol,

on drugs, on sleeping pills, on this accessory or

that amenity of life… Let the newspaper not

arrive, the cable/DTH network not function, the

power fail or the taps run dry… even for a day…

And now consider John the Baptist. Why did he

live free from all these? Was there any connection

between the fierce simplicity of his lifestyle and

the fiery power of his words? Remember, he was

the ‘voice crying in the wilderness’. We are at

danger of becoming the ‘voice of the wilderness’.

And that makes all the difference. The voice of

the wilderness cannot communicate. As I write

this, I hear the heart-breaking cry of the ‘lady

typist’ in T. S. Eliot’s poem, the “Waste Land”.

“Why don’t you speak to me,” she pleads with her

husband, “Speak to me, speak”. Her man does not

speak. He had nothing to say. As a denizen of the

wasteland, he could have had nothing to say. Yet

nothing is more desperately needed than

communication. Also, nothing is more

despairingly impossible than communication.

Mistake not, for God’s sake, the sound and fury

raging out there in the public space as

communication! Communication makes the

difference between the Waste Land and the

Promised Land. The Waste Land is the Promised

Land sans communication; for communication is

what transforms union into communion. But

then, what is union that falls short of

communion? Jesus, in the context of the wedding

of Cana of Galilee, turned water (union) into wine

(communion). Stale marriages –don’t tell me you

don’t know this- bristle with the violence of

silence. Marriages as ‘one-flesh’ mysteries (Gen.

2: 24, Ephesians 5: 32) are awash in the wine of

communication.

Such communication is not a matter of education

or cultural attainments. It is not a question of this

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language or that, or of generation gaps or of

interpersonal bridges. It is a matter of depth. It is

depth that distinguishes the living God from idols.

Idols have just about everything, except depth.

Today we communicate as idols do to idols.

Words hit the surface and rebound. So, words

resemble stones. “Will anyone, if his son asks for

bread,” queried Jesus, “give him stone?” Well, of

course. That is what we do most of the time! What

is bread, once it has lost its depth? How is it any

better than a stone? Stones can yield only stones.

So we have a pelting of words –some mild, some

wild- that we are unlettered enough to call

communication.

The mystery of communication is encoded in the

grammar of life. We cannot become better

communicators by trying to enlarge our

vocabulary, bolster our language base, brush up

our idioms or turns of speech, replenish our

information bank or refine our sentiments. We

have to become human and not remain living

corpses (or, ‘whited sepulchers’ of life). We must

re-learn the lost art of loving to the point of dying.

We must return to life. We must –and now you

must let me use the word that Jesus used, for

there is none better- ‘repent’. We must go back

home, as the prodigal son did, from the ‘far

country’. Return from the way of death to the way

of life (St. Matthew 7: 13, 14). Communication is

the privilege of the living. It is into life that God

calls us. Return to life and communication will

take care of itself.

There is, believe me, no other way.

In the end, mystery is not in communication.

Mystery inheres in life. Mystery, as Kierkegaard

pointed out, denotes the presence of the divine.

Mystery is not man’s portfolio. Life is mysterious

only because it is God’s invention. It is from life,

and from life as profound experience enfolded in

the will of God, that words derive the power of

mystery. The mastery of communication can

happen, hence, only by surrendering ourselves to

the mystery of Life, even Life in all its fullness (St.

John 10: 10b)

__________________

* Revd Dr. Valson Thampu is the Principal of St.

Stephen’s College, New Delhi. He is a visionary,

prolific writer, and engaging speaker. He spoke

several times at Maramon convention and the

family conferences in Europe and America.

"Be a lantern for yourself and a refuge.

Draw close to the light within yourself

and seek no other shelter."

Ancient Buddihst wisdom

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Communion through

Forgiveness &

Reconciliation Swami Sachidananda Bharathi

People all over the world today are desperately

searching for peace and happiness. Some try to

find peace and happiness through pursuits of

wealth and pleasures. Some others try to find

them through pursuits of security and power. Yet

some others try to find peace and happiness

through religions and their codes, creeds and

cults. However, most of them get disillusioned in

the end because none of these can provide lasting

peace and happiness to us.

True and lasting peace and happiness are the

fruits of an abiding communion of love with God,

with oneself, and with one’s fellow human beings.

Such an abiding communion is impossible

without forgiveness and reconciliation.

Forgiving, enduring and self-sacrificing love, as it

was embodied and demonstrated to humanity by

Lord Jesus Christ, is the basis of true and lasting

peace and happiness. Such divine love embodied

and demonstrated by Lord Jesus Christ can be

identified as ‘Christian love’. This ‘Christian love’

that includes love for one’s ‘enemies’ is also the

basis of the ‘kingdom of God’ initiated by Lord

Jesus Christ. Infact, forgiveness and

reconciliation are like the two sides of ‘Christian

love’. They are inseparable and integrally related.

Lack of forgiveness and reconciliation is the root

cause of most of the conflicts within and among

individuals, families, communities, nations and

religions in this world.

‘The kingdom of God is within you’ taught Lord

Jesus Christ. The Lord also taught that the

‘kingdom of God’ is among us. The term ‘kingdom

of God’ here implies a world of love, unity, peace

and joy beyond time and space limitations. It

comes from a living and loving relationship with

God, our ever compassionate and forgiving

Parent, through an abiding communion with the

living Spirit of Christ. The living Spirit of Christ is

the ‘Holy Spirit’ given to us by God in, with and

through Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified and risen

Christ. This Holy Spirit is our eternal companion

and guide. The Holy Spirit is also the abiding

source of true and lasting peace and happiness.

A Spirituality of Forgiveness &

Reconciliation

Religions, Scriptures and spiritual masters of the

world are like different ‘Channels’ of a spirituality

of communion and peace. One can tune on to any

of these spiritual ‘Channels’ to experience the

Divine Grace that is available to all who surrender

themselves willingly and consciously to Divine

Providence, following the example of Lord Jesus

Christ. He surrendered himself totally and

unconditionally to the will of God whom he called

‘Heavenly Father’. Spiritual masters teach us how

to tune on to these spiritual Channels of Divine

Grace. The living Spirit of Christ will guide and

strengthen all who seek for his help in this

process.

The ‘Buddha Channel’ will help us to receive the

divine spirit of compassion towards all living

beings. The ‘Prophet Channel’ will give us the

divine spirit of submission to will of God in all

things and at all times. The ‘Guru Nanak Channel’

will give us the divine spirit of discipleship. The

‘Sri Ramakrishna Channel’ will give us the divine

spirit of interreligious harmony. The ‘Narayana

Guru Channel’ will give us the divine spirit of

human solidarity. The ‘Gandhi Channel’ will give

us the divine spirit of non-violence, ……and so on.

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But it is the ‘Christ Channel’ that gives us the

divine spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation. Our

sins and trespasses are forgiven, our failures and

weaknesses are overlooked, and we are reconciled

with God and fellow beings through the Christ-

Spirit. (Rom 5:1-11; 2 Cor 5:11-21; Eph 2: 14-17 ).

Without first receiving this Christ-Spirit of

forgiveness and reconciliation, we will not be able

to receive and experience truly the other divine

spirits of compassion, submission, discipleship,

interreligious harmony, human solidarity, non-

violence etc… Hence, we can say that the Christ-

Spirit is the ‘first born’ and is the source of all

divine spirits emanating from the ‘God-Station’. It

is also the source and seed of divine life.

Peace within the individual is the basis of peace in

the world. The UNESCO Constitution emphasizes

that ‘as wars begin in the minds of men, it is the

minds of men that defenses for peace must be

constructed’. Only when there is peace within the

individual can there be peace in the family and in

the society. Without forgiveness and

reconciliation there can be no inner peace.

‘Repentance’ is a precondition for forgiveness and

reconciliation.

Peace in our life, and also the world, is impossible

unless the ‘inner wounds’ are healed and we are

reconciled with ourselves and others. Forgiveness

is the basis of reconciliation and healing, without

which there can be no true and lasting peace.

Sometimes we find it difficult to forgive others.

The inner wounds they have inflicted in our lives

can be very deep. The damage they have done to

us and to our reputation can be very serious. In

such cases we need the grace of God even to

forgive these our ‘enemies’ who have hurt and

wounded us to such an extent that even thinking

about them can make us very angry and troubled.

These are the occasions when we need to seek

God’s forgiveness first so that we can forgive our

‘enemies’. It is here one can experience the

greatest gift of God to humanity – Lord Jesus

Christ. In, with and through him we can find

healing and reconciliation irrespective of our

religious, cultural, linguistic, gender and ethnic

affiliations and backgrounds.

‘Repentance’ is a precondition for forgiveness.

Without repentance, there can be no forgiveness.

Unless we really feel sorry for our mistakes and

trespasses and seek pardon from those whom we

have offended, there will be no true forgiveness. It

is here that we will find our ego, selfishness and

pride can present the biggest obstacles and

stumbling blocks in our quest for peace. We often

justify our actions and words, we tend to be self-

righteous. This will not help. We need to ‘let go’ of

our ego, selfishness and pride if we are to rise

higher in our quest for peace and happiness.

A spirituality that forms the foundation of

communion and peace is essentially a spirituality

of repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation.

Without repentance there can be no forgiveness,

and without forgiveness there will be no

reconciliation. Healing and reconciliation are pre-

requisites for communion and peace. Most of us

are wounded beings, and hence we tend to create

a wounded world around us. Through repentance,

forgiveness and reconciliation we will be healed

and made whole and healthy. Men and women

who have suffered much and experienced the

agony and pain of woundedness can be very

effective instruments of God for healing and

reconciliation in the world after they themselves

have gone through a deep healing experience.

Inner Peace Meditation

A simple and easy to follow meditation technique

for forgiveness, reconciliation and inner peace

termed is developed and promoted by us through

the ‘School of Forgiveness and Reconciliation’

(SoFaR). SoFaR was started in November 2006 in

our Dharma Bharathi Ashram at Mulanthuruthy

near Ernakulam with the ‘seed capital’ provided

by, a London-based member of the Mar Thoma

Church. He also serves as a ‘patron’ of SoFaR

which is now being shifted from Dharma Bharathi

Ashram to our newly started ‘Navasrushti

Ashram’ at Shantivanam near Nagpur.

The Inner Peace Meditation makes use of the

Christ-Spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation.

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Hence, it is also termed ‘Peace of Christ

Meditation’. There is no religious conversion

required to practice it. Anyone anywhere can

practice it and experience the forgiveness,

reconciliation and inner peace that Lord Jesus

Christ offers to humanity. This meditation will

also enable us to experience ‘the peace that is

beyond human understanding’ that Lord Jesus

Christ offers to those who are united to him (Jn

16.33). It is the peace that liberates us from all

fears, tensions and worries (Jn 14:27).

We have been teaching the ‘Peace of Christ

Meditation’ to people from all religious

backgrounds. It is found to be very effective.

There are many people from different religious

backgrounds who can bear witness to the efficacy

of this meditation from their own experiences.

Some of my friends in the Mar Thoma Church

have taken up this meditation and have developed

it further to make it a more effective means of

communion and peace.

An ecumenical communion of love under the

name ‘Disciples of Christ for Peace’ (DCP) is also

founded and registered to promote the Peace of

Christ Meditation and a spirituality of forgiveness

& reconciliation based on the living Spirit of

Christ. SoFaR provides the necessary training to

those men and women who desire to join this

ecumenical communion of love.

Conclusion

Christian love is ever forgiving, enduring and self-

sacrificing. Where there is such divine love, there

will always be forgiveness and reconciliation.

Abiding communion, peace and happiness are

fruits of forgiveness and reconciliation. When

there is true Christian love within and among

individuals and families, there will emerge

peaceful communities and nations in the world.

Thus, ‘begin with oneself and begin within

oneself’ is the best and most effective method to

find lasting peace and happiness in the world.

When there is Christian love within us and among

us, there will be the ‘kingdom of God’ on earth.

In the ‘Tree of Life’, Christian love is like its root.

Forgiveness is like its trunk. Reconciliation is like

its branches. Communion is like its leaves. Peace

and happiness are like its flowers and fruits. The

living Spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit of God,

enables us to be integral parts of this ‘Tree of Life’.

When we are part of this ‘Tree of Life’, our names

get written in the ‘Book of Life’, the book of

eternal life with God.

==================================

Swami Sachidananda Bharathi is a former

atheist and Indian Air Force Squadron Leader

who turned disciple of Lord Jesus Christ after an

encounter with death in an air accident in 1982.

He was born and brought up in a conservative

Syrian Catholic family background in central

Kerala.

In 2003 he initiated the ‘Bharathi’

Chaturashrama Sanyasa Parampara and took

the name Swami Sachidananda Bharathi. He is

also the Founder and Acharya-guru of ‘Disciples

of Christ for Peace’ (DCP), School of Forgiveness

and Reconciliation’ (SoFaR), ‘Dharma Bharathi

Mission’ (DBM), ‘Dharma Rajya Vedi’ (DRV)

and a number of other organizations and

institutions. Swamiji now lives in ‘Navasrushti

Ashram’, Shantivanam, near Nagpur.

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Prisoner of Your Past? Revd. Merin Mathew

Acts 9: 20-27

For several days he was with the disciples in

Damascus, 20 and immediately he began to

proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is

the Son of God.” All who heard him were amazed

and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in

Jerusalem among those who invoked this name?

And has he not come here for the purpose of

bringing them bound before the chief

priests?” Saul became increasingly more

powerful and confounded the Jews who lived in

Damascus by proving that Jesus was the

Messiah. After some time had passed, the Jews

plotted to kill him, but their plot became known

to Saul. They were watching the gates day and

night so that they might kill him; but his disciples

took him by night and let him down through an

opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket.

When he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to

join the disciples; and they were all afraid of him,

for they did not believe that he was a disciple. But

Barnabas took him, brought him to the apostles,

and described for them how on the road he had

seen the Lord, who had spoken to him, and how

in Damascus he had spoken boldly in the name of

Jesus.

Message:

In one of my practical assignments from

seminary, I met a man in one of the churches

which I will leave unnamed. This man was a full-

fledged businessman with deals in real estate and

construction. He also had a drinking problem. All

this accumulated in a big way and with a huge

thud this man’s life came crashing down one fine

day. He was arrested by the police for a fraud case

in land deals. Once out on bail he had to get grip

with his drinking problem. But little by little he

started to pick up his life. His huge void in his life

was filled by knowing Christ intimately through

reading the bible and composing songs. He

started prison ministries. He became very active

in church which he called his ‘second innings’. He

said “I always believe that church is not a

museum of righteous people but a hospital for

broken and shattered people like me. But all I saw

in the church was that people talking about my

past and references like ‘Jail Mathai or

Kallukudiyan Mathai’ were a community joke. So

the place that should have supported me and been

a solace for me, held me captive of my past. It is

disgusting.” Let me quote Philip Yancey here to

give us perspective. In his classic book “What’s So

Amazing About Grace” Yancey says men like these

ran towards Jesus, not away from him. The worse

a person felt about herself/himself, the more

likely they saw Jesus as their refuge. Has the

church lost the gift? Evidently the down and out,

who flocked to Jesus when he lived on earth, no

longer feel welcome among his followers. What

has happened?”

That is the question we need to ask. What has

happened? In the portion that we just read shows

the situation of the Post- Conversion scenario of

Saul. Once he started to proclaim Jesus boldly as

the ‘Son of God’ the expected reply came from

near quarters like this “Is not this the man who

made havoc in Jerusalem among those who

invoked this name? And has he not come here for

the purpose of bringing them bound before the

chief priests?” (Acts 9: 21) As we know that this

very Saul was witness to the martyrdom of

Stephen. His zealous attitude had made him a

name that sent shivers down the spine. So people

definitely had their doubts and held him captive

to his past. They were not convinced that a man

with such notorious background could change

that easily. At Nazareth where Jesus made bold

declarations he too got a similar treatment. Is

not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his

mother called Mary? And are not his

brothers James and Joseph and Simon and

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Judas? And are not all his sisters with us?

Where then did this man get all this?” And

they took offense at him. (Matthew 13: 55-

57a)

Psychologists say that knowing a vulnerable past

of a person makes him or her very manageable.

This past becomes the yardstick to show the

person their place. The label of the past will choke

them no matter how hard they will try to be

liberated from it. When we read verse 26 we find

that this man came down from Damascus, the

point of his transformation, to Jerusalem, to join

the disciples. The disciples too doubted him and

were afraid of him. They kept from him, a safe

one hand distance. They were like Nathaniel who

asked “Can anything good come out of

Nazareth? (John 1: 46) In my interactions in

one of the Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, one

of the participants shared this insight “I have had

a sober life for last 8 years. But I am still

vulnerable for a relapse into addiction. The

greatest trouble or frustration that I have is how

people look at us. They keep condemning us.

Sometimes I feel it is better to be an alcoholic. At

least you are suffering for what you do. By

abstaining and trying very hard to lead a normal

life, people still hold us captive for not what we

are, but what we used to be."

Let me end this meditation with a real life story of

Henry Covington. I read about him in the

marvelous book called ‘Have a Little Faith’ by

Mitch Albom. Henry had a very terrible childhood

with violent neighbourhood, guns, street fights

and broken family to deal with. He slept every day

fearing rats. Slowly but surely his steps led him to

murky life realities. He started to be a drug dealer.

Made quick money. He felt guilty, quit it, married

his girlfriend. But when he saw his brother earn

big bucks he entered again into the world of

crime. He went to jail, had bouts of severe

addiction related problems. But time and again he

encountered Christ that was his rock and comfort.

Finally he gave his life to Jesus and turned into a

pastor. With his terrible background, there was

not much hope. But he started to target those who

had a terrible past like him. He wanted a church

for those where these so called scum bags would

feel at home. He therefore started a ministry

called “I am my Brother’s keeper”. He

distributed food for the homeless and gave them

clothes to wear and when all other pastors

shamed the people on streets for their drug

addiction, Henry Covington like the ‘Wounded

Healer’ would share his struggles to people like

Cass and Joe who had similar problems. He

opened up his church for the homeless. His

congregation was people from the streets. And

this is how he preached to them. “Brothers we are

all captives of our past. They just look at our past.

Even we too get stuck there. Therefore we miss

seeing the miracle God has done. What he can do.

There are people who know my past. There are

people who tell me ‘We know you, you can only

cheat people’. I say to them ‘You knew me. You

know that person back then. But you are not

seeing the person God is making me, who I am

trying to become.’ My dear brothers, God is bigger

than your past. You are not your past. God is

making a way in the desert, and streams by the

wayside.”

In Saul’s case there was Barnabas who dared to

look beyond the past of Saul and was ready to

embrace the new creation that God was unfolding.

Let us take a moment to thank people who stood

by us in our period of crisis. When people wrote

us off, there were Barnabases in our lives who

were able to see the people we were struggling to

become. I have many such Barnabases to thank.

They had every right to judge me and hold me

captive to my past, but out of grace and divine

love they were ready to give me a chance to

become a person that God intended. I am a

product of such small graces in life. I am sure it is

in midst of deep pain of loneliness that Paul

realized the love of Jesus and he declared

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new

creation has come: The old has gone, the new is

here!” 2 Corinthians 5: 17. My dear friends the

new creation is just waiting to happen. Embrace

it.

*Vicar at Bethel Mar Thoma Church, Kolar

Road, Bhopal

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Missionary call

in the Mar Thoma

Church’s ‘Holy Qurbana

Liturgy’- Part 1

Revd Dr. Joseph Daniel, Kumbanadu

The role of the Holy Qurbana Liturgy is

fundamental in the understanding of the Mar

Thoma Church’s mission and witnessing. The

central understanding in the Holy Qurbana

liturgy of the Mar Thoma Church is that, a

communication of the mystery of Trinity and the

church’s commitment to the redemption of Christ

to the creation is materialising in the celebration

and participation of the Holy Qurbana Liturgy1 in

the church. Mission is in fact the church’s

response to the work of God. The celebration of

the Holy Qurbana service invites the faithful to

respond positively to the work of God through

their witness and service.

When the Mar Thoma Church adopted the

evangelical

mission

emphasis of

the Church

Missionary

Society (CMS)

in its mission

praxis level,

together with its liturgical emphasis during the

19th century, and of late, there has been a growing

concern among a small section of people to the

extent of mission emphasis being placed through

the church’s Holy Qurbana Liturgy. Therefore it is

important to see the inherent missionary

paradigm within the church’s Holy Qurbana

Liturgy to make the liturgical and missiological

paradigm of the church more relevant in its

mission and witness. In order to convey the

church’s theology of mission, it is essential to

delve into the liturgical paradigm of the church,

which provides the experiential knowledge about

the mystery of the Christian faith, through signs

1 Hereafter referred as “liturgy.”

and symbols to the faithful as well as invites them

for Christian witnessing in the world.

Holy Qurbana Liturgy’ and the Trinitarian

Theology of Mission

The Mar Thoma Church’s mission

paradigm is grounded in its liturgy 2 and the

missionary paradigm of the Church Missionary

Society (CMS). The liturgy of the church upholds

the Trinitarian theology of mission and the

missionary paradigm of the Church Missionary

Society (CMS) focuses the evangelical mission

paradigm of the western Christianity. The Mar

Thoma Church’s integration of the missionary

paradigm was twofold: integration of the oriental

liturgical and evangelical faith of the CMS as well

as the integration of the church and mission; this

was to create a church with a missionary zeal.3

The Mar Thoma Church’s vision has been a mix of

the “evangelical faith and experiences within the

framework of corporate life and liturgical

devotion of an Eastern Church”.4 Therefore, the

Mar Thoma Evangelistic Association (MTEA), the

missionary wing of the Mar Thoma Church had to

assert its independence to western missionary

societies and churches in thought and action.5 The

MT Church’s oriental liturgical basis led the

church to devote time for integrating first the

church’s sacramental life and missionary

consciousness in its teachings and in its

missionary praxis level. Since the scope of this

study is limited to the liturgical emphasis of the

missionary paradigm of the church, this study will

be focussing only on the missionary dimension in

the liturgy of the church.

2 The Mar Thoma Church uses the anaphora of St. James liturgy of the west Syrian liturgical tradition. 3 Joseph Daniel, Historic Praxis of Ecumenism in the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church, Unpublished Ph. D Dissertation, University of Bern, 2014, 66. 4 Malabar Mar Thoma Syrian Evangelistic Association was a

registered organization under the Indian Companies Act VI, under the Travancore Regulation I, of .1882, in 1904. C.P. Mathew, M.M. Thomas, Indian Christians of Saint Thomas, op.cit., 98. 5 The main outcome of the evangelical awakening of the

eighteenth and the nineteenth centuries was the rise of modern missionary movements in Europe. Most of such missionary organizations including the CMS were voluntary societies independent of the church. These institutions considered themselves as separate institutions concerned with Christian missions in overseas.

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The liturgy of the Mar Thoma Church

(revised St. James liturgy) emphasizes the fact

that God in His own self, a life of communion with

the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. It also affirms

that God’s incarnation in Jesus Christ, sending

forth of the Holy Spirit into the world, and the

foundation of the Church - forms the faith of the

Church. The mission of God, in this Trinitarian

revelation, aimed to draw the whole creation into

communion with the very life of God. The Holy

Qurbana Liturgy emphasizes the apostolic facet of

the church vividly in its prayers. The liturgy

invites the faithful to engage in the fullness of

Christ’s life and drawing the faithful into

Trinitarian mystery of salvation. Thus the

missionary dimension could be seen from the

framework of the Trinity and from the frame work

of the salvation of the creation in the liturgy. The

salvation of the creation is decreed by God and

revealed in Jesus Christ, who is the centre of

God’s mission to the creation. The mission of God

in the creation actualizes by the work of the Holy

Spirit.

The Trinitarian relationship presents the

norm for all relationships within the life of the

faithful in the church. The relationship pattern of

Father, Son and Holy Spirit in the Holy Trinity is

in a ‘perechoresis’ (mutual indwelling) manner.

The Trinitarian basis, of the liturgy affirms that,

the church’s mission is an extension of God’s

mission, which is revealed in Christ’s mission by

the power of the Holy Spirit. In the Holy

Qurbana, the transmission of the life of

communion that exists in the Trinity, experiences

within the church. This enables the church to

continue God’s mission in the world. For

instance; in the last prayer of the preparatory

prayer of the liturgy, we are given to understand

the missionary task of the worshipping

community. The prayer says:- “O Lamb of God,

pure and spotless, who offered Himself to the

Father for the redemption of the whole world,

make us fit to offer to You as a living sacrifice,

pleasing to You and following Your sacrifice for

us.”6 This prayer affirms the missionary nature of

the church. It begins with the sending of Jesus

Christ, and continues by the work of the Holy

Spirit, through the work of apostles, prophets,

martyrs, the confessors, saints and through all the

children of the church, who have been signed with

the seal of baptism. 7 This reiterates the

missionary character of the church and the

responsibility of the every baptised is reaffirmed.

The encounter of the faithful with Christ at

the Holy Qurbana summons every partaker of the

communion to testimony and witness Trinitarian

mission revealed through Christ in the market

place. It is a challenge for the church to become a

living and life giving sign of the saving act of Jesus

Christ, supporting love of the father and the

sanctifying company of the Holy Spirit in the

church for the creation.

The Trinitarian dimension of the liturgy, is

thus practical and showing how the faithful

community of the church is to be in relation with

God and to their fellow beings. This twofold

dimensions of human relation to God and the

relation among the faithful are emphasised in the

liturgy. Thus the vertical relation of the faithful to

God and the horizontal relation of the faithful to

fellow beings are reaffirmed in the liturgy.

6 The Mar Thoma Church Order of Worship for Holy

Qurbana and Other Sacraments and Rites, 46. 7 Ibid., 59.

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Becoming a Praying

Parent Mrs. Bibi Oommen, Marthoma Congregation

Germany

Parenting can be the most fulfilling, yet most

exhausting of all jobs. We try to do the best

we can raising our children. We try to provide

them with the best of every material thing

they require- food, clothing, shelter,

education… With equal priority, we must try

to provide them with the best opportunities

for healthy emotional and spiritual growth. At

every stage, our children need and with

greatly benefit from our prayers. Prayers for

our children are often focused on worldly

realms- for good health, good grades, good

talents, good job, good spouse etc. as per this

world’s standards. With equal priority, we

must pray for them to grow as good disciples

of our Lord and beloved sons and daughters

of our Father- which is indeed the purpose of

our existence and theirs.

One of the main things our children will take

with them when they leave our realm of

influence, is their faith. If we can be sure that

they have strong faith in God and His Word,

and the love of God in their hearts, then we

can be assured that in our absence their faith

will be strong enough to prevent them from

straying into wrong paths, but instead

strengthening them to face everyday

challenges in goodness and truth.

One of the greatest influences in our

children’s lives will be their friends. We must

be prompted to keep them in our prayers too.

May the Holy Spirit guide us into being the

parent and intercessor He wants us to be.

Prayer

Dear God,

Thank you for the gift of our children to

raise.

Thank you for the joy they bring into our

lives, making it more meaningful and worth

living.

Teach us to pray for our children and to help

them to become all You want them to

become.

Use them as instruments of worship.

Enable them to grow to know you, living

each moment of the day truly aware of your

love.

Let them live in submission to Your Holy

will.

May Your Holy Spirit enlighten their hearts

and minds to understand and live Your

Word in their daily lives.

Open their eyes to see Your goodness, Your

presence in all things,

Open their ears to hear your voice of

wisdom,

May their lips proclaim Your Word,

May their hands reach out to those in need,

And may their feet follow you in simplicity,

humility and fidelity.

Amen.

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Biblical Understanding of

Communication

Rev. Jose Punamadam We now live in a global village. Ours is an era

of communication and computers. In this era of

Information Technology revolution,

communication plays a very important role in all

spheres of human activity. Communication is

essential for the development of the individual

and for the formation of faith and ideologies.

Communication is a reality of the world of living

beings; it is a sign of life. The need for

communication is a basic one for development.

According to one communication scholar, Dr.

Keval J Kumar: in the beginning was ‘Aum’ or the

‘word’ the first sound ever made or heard. In the

Indian tradition the word is sabdha Brahman, and

the divine word is communication.

Communication is very closely related to the life

and mission of the Church. As a social being,

human beings cannot exist without

communicating with one another.

Communication is the real stuff of life. According

to C.R.W. David, all forms of life on earth have

their own systems of communication by which

they preserve, promote, propagate and perpetuate

their species and culture. The stupendous

achievements of man in science and technology

would have been impossible without the most

essential tool, communication. It is a social

necessity. It is a natural and social demand and

requirement for existence.

Communication originates from the Latin word

‘communis’ which means common. It simply

means sharing, imparting, fellowship, giving and

taking. In other words, it is a process of

interaction. Communication is the process that

links discontinuous parts of living world to one

another. The word communication indicates

interaction by means of signs and symbols. Every

sign and symbol invites thoughts. So sign and

symbol is a medium for effective communication.

The symbols can be gestural, pictorial, verbal or

any other form which operates in our mind to

share something. In this respect communication

is sharing, which takes place through signs and

symbols. Communication is the art of

transmitting ideas and attitude from one person

to another. Communication thus means to have

something in common to share. Communication

is the dissemination of information from one

place to other. The physical expression of

communication is speech and the written

word. The particular word communication is

absent in the Bible. But on the other hand, whole

Bible is an account of God’s communication with

His created world. Bible is a clear document and

communication of God’s love, judgment and

mercy to His people. Therefore, communication is

an integral part of the Bible. The sacred scripture

is the divine communication expressed in human

language. Biblical concepts, such as logos -the

word, prophecy, incarnation, revelation, church,

the gospel and koinonia are expressions of

communication. In our day to day life situation,

communication means making common or

sharing something by two or more persons or

group of persons. Communication literally means

‘to make common’. It is sharing of information

and ideas in common.

In the Old Testament, we can see the

characteristics of God’s communication. The sign

or the indication or the phrase ‘word of Yahweh’ is

the most significant and predominant expression

for divine communication. In the Old Testament,

God reveals himself through words, deeds and

through His own special and unique ways. The

prophets and the law signify the everlasting

presence of God’s divine communication. The

Exodus event and the covenant symbolise God’s

revelation in the history of mankind. The content

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of God’s communication lies in the revelation of

God himself. From the biblical understanding

God’s divine communication proceeds from the

divine initiative. The book of Genesis or the book

of beginnings opens by telling that God made the

earth and everything in it; in the beginning God

created the Heavens and the earth. The earth was

without order and form. In the midst of darkness,

God uttered the first word; which is considered as

the divine communication. Let there be light; and

there was light. (Gen 1:3) This is the first

communication of our creator God, which dispels

darkness. In the Old Testament we find that

Yahweh, the Lord God reveals himself in and

through the actions and mission of the prophets.

God transmitted His message through the

prophets. The transmission of message is called

communication. The words of the prophets were

preserved first orally and then in a written mode.

This oral and written communication was the

source of change, and it was the inspiration for

liberation. In the Old Testament; Yahweh has

revealed Himself through signs and symbols. The

hand of God was manifested in the scripture.

God’s voice was heard in this scripture and He

made known his ways to the prophets especially

to Moses and to the people of Israel. In this

respect, the Bible, the written word of God, is a

medium for God’s communication. Bible or the

scripture is the manifestation of God’s self-

communication. It has the power to speak to all of

us in a way we can understand.

In the Bible, revelation is a historical

ascertainable fact. In the history of the Bible, God

is infinitely superior to the thoughts and speech

and vision of human beings. The Old Testament

understanding of God’s revelation is through

dreams, omens, divination and other sign and

symbols like cloud, thunder, rain and fire(Lev19:

26, Deut18: 10,1Sam 15: 23). These signs and

symbols are considered as channels of God’s

revelation. Through these channels or media God

revealed Himself to His people. Communication

through these signs and symbols are considered

as divine revelation.

The Bible is a written document of God’s

communication. The Bible itself testifies that it is

the word of God. In the book of Exodus, we find

that God Himself commits the dialogue to write

on two tablets of stone. (Ex3: 6) Accordingly, the

word of God is God’s words and not man’s (2

Peter 1: 19-21). At the same time, it is a man’s

response to God’s initiation. God is the author of

the Bible, which means that the sacred scripture

contains the realities revealed by Him. All books

of the Bible are written through human agency

and in this medium of communication, both God

and human beings are in partnership. It is a

medium in which God communicates with the

humanity. Bible is a written word of God, or it is a

word of God in writing. We often read: ‘Thus says

the Lord’, which is an expression of God’s self-

communication in the history.

The Bible is commonly referred as the word of

God. It is always wrapped with the statements:

‘this is the word of God and thus says the Lord.’

The expression ‘thus says the Lord’ is God’s

communication through the life and testimony of

the Prophets. Bible is a clear document of God’s

intervention in different stages of human

development. God’s intervention is an inter and

intra-personal communication.

By speaking through the pages of the Bible, God

reveals His nature and His character. God speaks

directly to some privileged and elected individuals

and through them to His people and to all

nations. In the Bible, God speaks to the prophets,

who have the mission to communicate His word

throughout the history. God speaks through

visions and dreams (Num 12:6). From the first

page of the Bible, we can understand that God is a

God of communication or God is a

communicating God. His means and ways of

communication with nature and other human

beings are many and different. He speaks and acts

in the history in different ways. When we look

into the New Testament, Jesus Christ is the

medium and message of God’s communication.

The gospel says that in the beginning was the

word and the word were with God, and the word

was God. He was in the beginning with God. In

Him was life; and the life was the light of men (1

Jn 1:4). The essence of incarnation is to convey

God’s love towards humanity. It is a sign language

of God’s Love. Incarnation is the manifestation of

God’s love in action. Having manifested Himself

in creation and in History, God has finally

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communicated, His love and concern through his

only son, the eternal and ever living word. In the

incarnation, Jesus Christ is the son of God, who

reveals the father. Incarnation is a divine

communication event which took place in a

defined and familiar human environment, history,

and culture.

CONCLUSION

From this study, we can understand that

God’s communication is an ever-continuing and

ever evolving process in the Bible, and it is a

fundamental need for all human beings. The

prophets and their words indicate the everlasting

presence of God’s divine communication. The

Prophets themselves, declared as the messengers

of God and they are understood as the medium

for communication. From the Biblical

understanding, God’s divine communication

proceeds from the Divine initiation. At the same

time, the communication of the Bible is founded

on historical revelation of God.. God reveals

directly to the prophets, priests and to the people

of God. After the study of biblical communication,

we realise that, the Bible is a written document of

God’s communication and it is also a historical

document of man’s response to God’s initiatives

from the beginning of time and beyond.

Incarnation is the manifestation of God’s love in

action. It is in the incarnation event we have the

God-given grace of realising ‘the word was God’

(Jn.1: 1).

History

Hermon Mar Thoma Church,

West Midlands Mrs. Elizabeth Thomas

In 1996, St John’s Mar Thoma Church, Hounslow

reached out to their members in the Midlands

area to organise an outreach service catering to all

those Mar Thomaites outside London extending

to the north of UK. The outreach service was

conducted in various areas like Bolton, Leeds,

Hull, Manchester and Birmingham.

In 1999, the Midlands region celebrated their

first Christmas carol service with both St John

and St James Churches along with different area

prayer groups. Due to its success, this became an

annual event. The Midlands region Christians

joined in to form a choir which tried to compete

with the established London choirs.

It was during this time in 2002, that an influx of

Diasporas came into UK. With the growing

number of highly skilled Migrant workers pouring

in from India as teachers, nurses and others, there

was a need to support and nurture the traditions

and cultures that they are accustomed to. As a

result, the Indian Church groups encouraged the

formation of relevant prayer groups, congregation

and parishes where the members are able to

continue to get the necessary spiritual strength

and support to live in this country without falling

prey to the perceived issues prevailing in this

foreign land. The Midland Prayer group was

formed in 2004 and then became a congregation

in 2006 under St Johns Church, Hounslow.

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Many Mar Thoma Bishops, visiting clergies,

Church of England Bishops (Bishop of

Birmingham & Bishop of Aston), local politicians,

and Indian Consulate members attended the

services showing their support and recognising

the Mar Thoma community in the Midlands.

The Mar Thoma Church approved the formation

of the Hermon Mar Thoma Church in the West

Midlands that comprises of approximately 60

families in and around the Midland in April 2007.

The boundaries are Nottingham, Derby, Burton

on Trent, Coventry, Leicester, Warwickshire,

Redditch, Dudley, Walsall, Wolverhampton,

Stafford, Telford and Birmingham. There was

worship twice a month at the St James Hill

Church (the second and fourth Saturdays), with

Sunday school, & choir practise followed by a

fellowship at the Church hall.

From the start, Hermon Mar Thoma Church

shared pastoral care with Tabor Mar Thoma

Church, Manchester & Carmel Mar Thoma

Liverpool Churches. Later, since 2009, St Peter’s

Mar Thoma Church, London and Hermon Mar

Thoma Church, Midlands share the pastoral

services.

The Hermon Mar Thoma church got its charity

registration in 2010.

As time went by, families moved around; some

left the country to try pastures new. Now in 2014,

there are 50 registered members spread across

five area prayer groups. The various organisations

of the church now are up and running playing an

active part in the growth of the Parish. At present

worship service is at Christ Church, Ward End,

Birmingham.

There are approximately 30 Sunday school

children with a team of dedicated and trained

teachers. The youth wing is very active organising

activities and taking part in the main worship.

Sevikasangam plays an important role in creating

a platform for fellowship. Choir has now been

established leading the services and prayers.

Thus we are growing with aspirations that one day

we will be able to have an individual Vicar and a

Church building to call our own.

News & Reports

Family Conference-2014 A Synopsis of the Mar Thoma Family

Confernce-2014

Dr. D. Ninan*

The 32nd Mar Thoma family conference of the UK

and Europe was held during 29th to 31st August at

Yarnfield Park Training and Conference Centre. It

was, by the grace of God, a great success. God’s

guidance was felt by all during the yearlong

preparation for the conference. A group of

members of Tabore Mar Thoma Church,

Manchester, with different personalities and

points of views came together in prayer and set

the agenda for the smooth running of the

conference, which was indeed a great challenge

for a fairly young and growing parish.

The venue has been a surprise revelation to all–a

huge complex comprising of a large conference

hall, numerous meeting rooms, and thoroughly

modern living accommodation. All the

participants were impressed and appreciated

various facilities available to them. The logistic

committee did a fantastic job under the

leadership of Mr. Abraham George, the vice

president of the Tabore MTC. The inaugural

programme was meticulously anchored by Miss

Abraham Christy and Miss Rajie Rajan.

Revd Alexander Tharakan presented the theme of

the conference– ‘Christian family life in a

migrated context.’ His Grace Rt. Revd Dr.

Geevarghese Mar Theodosius delivered an

eloquent, solemn inaugural address. His Grace

then expanded the conference theme in some

considerable detail, drawing on the width of

knowledge and experience of churching the Mar

Thoma Diaspora.

The chief guests, His Grace Dr. Yuhanon Mar

Meletius, Syrian Orthodox Metropolitan of the

Diocese of Trichur, Kerala and His Excellency Mr.

Ranjan Mathai, High Commissioner of India, in

the UK enlightened the audience with their

emphasis on upholding our traditional Christian

family values and at the same time staying loyal to

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the nationhood and ethos of our adopted country.

Theodosius Thirumeni then released the souvenir

of the conference, handing out copies to the chief

guests.

After the evening worship, Revd Jaisen Thomas,

from the United States did the theme exposition.

His humour, eloquence and Power point

presentation delighted the audience. Tabore MTC

choir presented few melodious hymns to the

delight and warm appreciation of the delegates,

setting the stage for a very harmonious inter

parish singing competition in which six parish

choirs participated. This was a fitting finale to the

opening day’s proceedings. The smooth running

and meticulous organisation of the first day’s

events were in no small measure to the sheer

dedication and hard work of Revd Sam John, our

previous vicar, Revd Alexander Tharakan, Mr.

T.O. Rajan (Parish secretary), and the conveners

(Mr. Agi George and Mr. Jiju Simon) and our

choir and youth leader, Mr. Subin Mathew.

The second day started with Yoga classes under

the personal supervision of Mr. Jiju Simon. After

the morning worship Revd Jose Punamadom took

the Bible study. This was followed by the second

part of the theme exposition by Revd Jaisen

Thomas. The key words of achen’s dissertation-

recognition, reorientation, and restoration- would

still be reverberating in Yarnfield conference hall.

Delegates then broke out into different groups for

discussion of two topics: 1) How can you work for

positive change in your relationship with your

spouse? 2) In what way can you initiate and

encourage further openness and communication

with your children?

Representatives from each grouped presented a

summary of their discussions at the general

assembly. A brief summary of the main points

discussed by various group is given below:

Answers to the first question:

Open communication; mutual respect; sharing

decision making process; time and space for

communication; choosing words carefully; set-

time for prayers; anger management; sharing

responsibility; avoiding criticisms as far as

possible; coming closer to God; making time for

each other; never assume something or anything;

non-verbal communication; show patience;

express love; share and care; give compliments;

show tolerance; supportiveness and know each

other’s needs.

Answers to the second question:

Maintaining intimacy and openness with

children; understanding children’s views;

involving and engaging children; do not be

tempted to compare one’s children with other’s

children; listening to children; parents’ prayerful

life should inspire children and maintain and

healthy emotional attachment.

Revd Jaisen Thomas in summing up talked about

the importance of couples going beyond the

general questions they usually ask each other. He

felt that they should share the personal

experiences of the day. Engaging in an activity

together would improve the relationship; so does

changing or reversing the role as parents and

partners. He also touched on ‘Tiger parenting’

(see, Amy Chua's (2011) book, Battle Hymn of the

Tiger Mother) as one of the biggest challenges of

the migrated community.

In the afternoon, Revd Canon Jules Gomes led the

theme exposition. He began by saying, ‘The Bible

begins with migration.’ He narrated the history of

the migration of the Israelites and also described

the fascinating role of art in the presentation of

the history of cultural and religious migration .He

quoted Jeremiah: ‘pray for the city where you live.

Turn exile into an opportunity.’ He advised the

Mar Thoma Diaspora to do the same.

The later-half of the afternoon was set apart for

out-door activities, sports and photo session.

Following evening worship, it was time for

testimonial led by Revd Dr. Thomas Philips.

These testimonials narrated their faith journeys

under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and

glorified our living and loving God.

After dinner, it was time for some fund-raising

activities through auctioneering. Revd Jose

Punamadom kindly contributed one of his

beautiful paintings, which fetched a substantial

amount of money through the generosity of the

participants. This was followed by the finale of the

singing competition, which was won by the

Tabore MTC.

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25 ECHO - December 2014

On Sunday, the final day of the conference began

with yoga classes. Holy Communion followed,

conducted by Theodosius Thirumeni. Revd

Thomas Philips conducted a Bible study and this

was followed by a final theme exposition by Revd

Jiasen Thomas.

After lunch, the conference got geared up for the

closing ceremony which included a felicitation

session, handover the conference organising

responsibility to St. Johns MTC, Hounslow for

next year’s family conference. Theodosius

Thirumeni highlighted the key points of the

conference theme. The final presentation by

children and the youth, conveying the conference

message captured the hearts and mind of

everyone. A new publication, ‘The Mar Thoma

ECHO’ in both e-format and print version was

released by Theodosius Thirumeni for the

fellowship and the spiritual awakening of the Mar

Thoma Diaspora community in Europe. A vote of

thanks was followed by prayer and benediction by

Theodosius Thirumeni. Thus the conference came

to a close.

* One of the conveners of the conference and the

senior member of the Tabore MTC.

First Communion: Hermon

Mar Thoma Church,

Midlands, UK

Giboy George, Secretary

The Mumbai Diocesan Episcopa Rt. Rev. Dr

Thomas Mar Theethos blessed Hermon MTC,

Birmingham with his visit on 25th October 2014.

Thirumeni led the Holy Communion service at

Christ Church, Birmingham in which Revd

Mathew P, Vicar of St James MTC, Central

London and our Vicar Rev’d Vinoj Varghese

assisted Thirumeni for the service.

Thirumeni gave an inspirational sermon during

the Holy Communion service in which His

Lordship emphasised the importance of partaking

in the Holy Communion service. Thirumeni

mentioned that if we as individuals, take the body

and blood of Christ, it will not only affect us but

all those around us as well. In addition he said the

phrase, ‘you are what you eat,’ which in turn

relates to how if we eat the body and blood of

Christ, we become more Christ-like: perhaps not

physically but spiritually. He also explained that

as we are taking the Holy Communion through

our mouth, we need to keep our mouth and body

clean by saying good words and being kind to one

another.

Eleven children of Hermon Parish and two

children from Harrow Sinai Parish received their

first Holy Communion and thereby entered into

the full fellowship of the Marthoma Church.

Thirumeni also enjoyed the fellowship meal

arranged after the service. About 200 members

participated in the Holy Qurbana. As a Parish, we

were honoured and blessed by His Lordship.

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First Communion and

Confirmation: A Historical

Ecumenical event in London

The members of the St. Georges Anglican Parish

in north Harrow and Sinai MTC, north London

came together on Sunday 26th October, 2014, to

give glory to God through a joint Holy

Communion service using Mar Thoma liturgy.

This was a very significant historical event in the

intercommunion relationship with the Church of

England, which started in 1936 and solidified

through various stages over the last 78 years. This

service is a milestone event because three children

from the Anglican parish of St. Georges came

forward for the confirmation and the first

communion with 16 children of the Mar Thoma

Church. The vicar of the St. George’s parish,

Father Stephen Keeble, and the vicar of the Sinai

Mar Thoma Church, Revd Dr. Thomas Philips,

should be congratulated and thanked for their

prophetic vision and leadership.

Rt. Revd Dr. Thomas Mar Theethos of the

Mumbai Mar Thoma Diocese confirmed the

children, gave them their first communion, and

blessed them. This happened because of the

ecumenical understanding of our Metropolitan,

Diocesan bishop, Rt. Revd. Geevarghese Mar

Theodosius, Bishop of London, area bishop of

Willesden, church wardens and the executive

committee of two parishes. It was a God-given

opportunity to welcome Bishop Theethos to North

London to mark such a milestone in the faith

journey of the young people of both parishes

taking Communion for the first time, to be

confirmed and to celebrate our sharing of the

Gospel across denominational, national and

cultural boundaries. Over 400 people participated

in the service, choirs of both parishes contributed

to the beauty and serenity of the service under the

leadership of the organist, Mr. Huw Jones. We

look forward for more such fellowship and

worship services through the grace of God.

Our fear of death is a measure of our

understanding of life. Less you fear

death, the more you possess freedom,

tranquillity and understanding of the

greatness of your spirit and the joy of

life. The understanding of eternity is

part of the nature of the human soul."

- Leo Tolstoy

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Carol Services

St. Peter's MTC, East London

Date & Time

21/12/2014 from 3.00 pm

Address:

St. Luke's Church

Baxter Road. Illford

Essex- IG1 2HN

St John’s MTC, Hounslow

Date & Time

13/12/2014 from 3: 00 pm

Address:

80/96 Cambridge Road,

Hounslow,

Middlesex - TW4 7BH,

Hermon MTC, Midlands

Date & Time

20/12/2014 from 3:00 pm

Address:

Christ Church,

Burney Lane,

Ward End,

Birmingham - B8 2AS

St James MTC, London

Date & Time

14/12/2014 from 4: 00 pm

Address:

St Katherine Cree

86 Leadenhall Street

London - EC3A 3DH

Tabore MTC, Manchester

Date & Time

21/12/2014 from 3: 00 pm

Address:

The Holy Innocent Church

Wilbraham Road

Manchester- M14 6JZ

Nazareth MTC, Dublin

Date & Time

20/12/2014 from 5: 00 pm

Address:

St Maelruain's Church

Main Street,

Tallaght, Dublin 24

Sinai MTC, North London

Date & Time

07/12/2014 from 5.00 pm

Address:

St. George's Church

Headstone, Pinner View,

Harrow- HA1 4RJ

All Saints MTC, Peterborough

Date & Time

06/12/2014 from 5.00 pm

Address:

St. Jude's Church,

Atherstone Avenue,

Netherton, Peterborough

Carmel MTC, Liverpool

Date & Time

20/12/2014 from 5.00 pm

Address:

All Saint’s Church,

Irvine Street.

Liverpool- L78TT

St Thomas MTC, Bristol

Date & Time

20/12/2014 from 5.00 pm

Address:

St Anne's Church,

Eastville, Bristol - BS5 6JN

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ECHO Garden

‘Demons’

Vivek Zachariah Samuel, St. Johns MTC,

Hounslow

The subject of “demons” are rarely discussed as a

serious topic so here is an opportunity to explore

this further.

Demons are often referred to as "fallen angels," or

"Satan's angels."

Satan was the very highest angel, but made the

mistake of rebelling against God and was cast out

of heaven, (Is. 14:12-15). The evil angels who

followed Satan were also cast out.

These evil beings represent the very depths of evil,

including hatred, bitterness and perversions.

Though often an expression of sinful flesh, they

can also express their presence in the lives of

people. Their purpose is to torment and harass

people, leading them away from God and His

truth. The Bible gives the following example:

"...This man lived in the tombs, and no one could

bind him any more, not even with a chain. For he

had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore

the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet.

No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night

and day among the tombs and in the hills he

would cry out and cut himself with stones" (Mark

5:2-5).

Just as there are archangels in God's kingdom

with higher powers, there are ‘principalities and

powers’ that rule over Satan's angels. There is

constant conflict, and battles between Satan's

‘principalities and powers’ and God's loyal angels.

We are told that our prayers offer a restraint

against their evil activity by summoning the

intervening presence of God (Dan 10:12-13).

Possession is not the same as being influenced or

attacked by Demons. To be "possessed," means to

be indwelled by, and under their complete

control. However, they regularly attack and

attempt to trouble and influence man’s behaviour,

even God's people. Christians must guard

themselves not only against the sin of the flesh,

but also their influence. These evil spirits can

influence and intensify the works of the flesh. This

must be recognized and stood against before one

can die to the flesh and walk in the Spirit.

However, we as Christian’s need not fear Satan or

his fallen angels. We are told "...the one who is in

you is greater than the one who is in the world" (1

John 4:4). We need to believe and allow this

promise to guide our walk with Jesus and be a

living testimony for Jesus.

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Mother Teresa – A role model

to us all

Dia Miriam Samuel, St. John’s Church MTC,

Hounslow

In the Oxford dictionary the meaning of the words

role model is, a person looked up to by others.

The purpose of this short article is to show you

the deeper meaning of Mother Teresa as a role

model to all of us.

Many of us know that she is a remembered as a

Christian saint, who has changed many people’s

lives by setting up different organisations.

However, more importantly there is a deeper

meaning to her life and the things we can learn

from her.

Agnes Gonxhe Bojaxhiu (Mother Teresa) was

born in Albania in 1910 and left her family at the

age of 17. She first travelled to Ireland and then 6

weeks later to India to be a teacher. For 19 years

she taught at a convent school. Then, one day she

had a message from God ordering her to leave the

convent and to give her life to the poor. She

planned to create a home for the dying in a Hindu

temple but that didn’t work out due to the fact

that they threw stones at her. Soon after, she

performed an ancient Hindu rite, which was

sprinkling water from the River Ganges on the

lips of a dying man. Ever since then, thousands of

people have been cared for at her centre in

Calcutta.

When I was in primary school, I had to write a

letter, wanting to be school representative. The

teachers gave us points and one of them was how

I can be a role model to the younger children.

That’s when I thought about Mother Teresa. Out

of all the famous people in the world she was the

only person that came to my mind as someone

that I enjoy looking up to.

The main thing that challenged me was that she

heard a message from God and she obeyed.

People threw rocks at her but she still listened to

God. A big lesson from this is that in all situations

we should make the right choices. If we don’t

what happened to Adam and Eve will happen to

us!

Mother Teresa has won many distinguished prizes

such as the Nobel Peace Prize, Padma Shri,

Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International

Understanding, Pope John XXII Peace Prize,

Albert Schweitzer International Prize, Golden

Honour of the Nation and many more shows that

even the smallest things you do in this world

could have the biggest impact on the future.

The main reason why she is a role model is we can

relate her to Jesus. God changed people’s lives

around, he helped people and so did Mother

Teresa. The fact that we can compare her to Jesus

shows that we can all aspire to be like her and that

is why she is a role model to us all.

"Just as one candle lights another and can

light thousands of others, so one heart

illuminates another heart and can illuminate

thousands of others." - Leo Tolstoy

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30 ECHO - December 2014

Photo Gallery

First Communion at London

First Communion at Hermon Mar Thoma Church

Page 31: The Mar Thoma ECHO - December 2014

31 ECHO - December 2014

ECHO Printed copy release by Metropolitan

ECHO online copy release by Diocesan Bishop &

ECHO team

Page 32: The Mar Thoma ECHO - December 2014

32 ECHO - December 2014

Parish retreat of the Hermon MTC, Midlands.

Love, joy, peace, presents and

carols are essentials for a wonderful

Christmas. We hope that you find

them at this Christmas. May the

New Year open many great

opportunities for all of you.

– The Editorial Board