Anda di halaman 1dari 25

1

| P a g e F O C U S A p r i l 2 0 1 5

FOCUS October 2015 Vol. 3 No: 4

Peace and Reconciliation Rev. Dr. M. J.


Joseph, Kottayam - Page 14

Cover Photo Worship, Mystery and


Symbols, Photo by Lal Varghese, Esq., Dallas

A Publication of Diaspora FOCUS

Contents

Editorial - Worship, Mystery and


Symbols - Page 3
Bishop George Ninan (1934-2015), Dr.
Yesudas M. Athyal, Boston - Page 15

Metropolitans Message - Page 5

Rites, Sacraments, and Ceremonials for


st
21 Century, Dr. Zac Varghese, London - Page 18

Plammoottil V. Cherian, M. Div., PhD Page 7

Dr. Stanley Jones, Re-collections by


granddaughter, Dr. Anne Mathews-Younes - Page 8

Mar Thoma Worship and St. James


Liturgy - Dr. Zac Varghese, London - Page 11

Prophet of New Humanity in the 20


Century, Most Rev. Dr. Joseph Mar Thoma - Page 22

th

Message from Most Rev. Dr. Joseph Mar


Thoma, Thiruvalla - Page 25

Dedication of New Poolatheen, Thiruvalla


Page 28 (Photo courtesy, MTC Facebook Page)

2 | P a g e F O C U S A p r i l 2 0 1 5

Editorial
Worship, Mystery and Symbols
The reason for selecting worship as the theme for the
current issue of the FOCUS is the importance and
priority that we ascribe to corporate worship in
building a Diaspora faith community to express our
spirituality in everyday context. Worship for most
Christians is the corporate worship service on Sunday
mornings. The timeless command to worship the Lord,
our God and creator, is at the heart of our spiritual
journey. Worship is offering of thanks, praise, and
devotion given to the Triune God. It is a response to
the costly grace of God manifested through the
redemptive sacrificial work of Jesus the Christ; it is a
memorial to the intervention of God in history through
the work of Jesus the Christ and the Holy Spirit.
Worship takes many forms in different denominations
and in different cultural contexts at different times and
days of the week. On Sundays, it could be a Holy
Communion Service, matins, evensong, praise and
worship, morning or evening prayer, and compline.
The word worship means adore, respect, reverence,
homage, glorify and so forth. The central elements of
worship
are
adoration,
confession,
blessing,
intercession, creedal affirmations, thanksgiving and
dedication. But worship is all the above and much
more; it is a reverential, consecrated attitude; it is both
personal and corporate commitment to giving thanks
to God and glorifying His name; it is a commitment in
words for enriching the life of other participants and in
our beings. Christian worship includes sacraments; St.
Augustine defined sacrament as an outward and
visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace given to
us. It is clouded in mystery and it is a vehicle of Gods
amazing grace, which is made evident to the
participants by the use of signs and symbols. Most
churches
have
seven
sacraments:
Baptism,
Confirmation,
Confession,
Holy
Communion,
Ordination, Marriage, and Extreme Unction. There is a
mystery associated with the divine presence in
worship services, which is difficult to describe, but
adds to its beauty and holiness. It is up to the
ministrants and participants to contribute to the
beauty and holiness of worship services in absolute
humility and obedience. Self-centeredness, selfprojection, gimmicks, excessive charismatic display or
too much outward piety of any kind should not disturb
the solemnity of the occasion.
Worship defines the identity of the Church because
Church is the people of God constituted as a
worshipping community. This is an inclusive

community with churches and assemblies without


walls. The Church is indeed the sign and symbol of the
kingdom of God inaugurated through the Christevent. While there are personal moments, spaces and
commitments in worship, Christian worship becomes
alive and meaningful in the context of community.
Therefore, public worship is a bold witnessing
statement of a living faith. To experience the spiritual
excitement of worship, it is helpful to understand the
meaning of religious language, incarnational theology,
liturgy, intercessional prayers, signs and symbols. The
dynamics of the relationship between the world inside
the church and the world in which men and women
live their lives are very important in understanding the
purpose of worship. This understanding should help
us to lead a Eucharistic life in everyday encounters,
and this is indeed living the liturgy after the liturgy.
This is indeed taking the liturgy silently and
deliberately into all situations of life; this is indeed
taking, thanking, breaking and sharing our life under
the unconditional love and grace of God.

The Gospel message we declare and celebrate in


Christian worship is essentially simple. It is a
proclamation that God is not dead, He is still within
us and in the community. The atoning sacrifice of the
death and resurrection of Jesus the Christ is for
uniting us to the Triune God in holy fellowship. For
many Sunday churchgoers the word of Scripture can
be expected to come alive in worship services, and
the teaching of Scripture retains its central importance

3 | P a g e F O C U S A p r i l 2 0 1 5

in the reformation theology of the Mar Thoma Church.


It is the time and space for handing down the
treasures of Christian experience of past centuries to
all generations; it should be unpacked, opened, and
distributed carefully to men and women and to young
and old. Sunday sermon is an integral part of the
liturgy it should be seamless and geared to reach
everyone in the congregation to enlarge their vision;
pulpit should move to pews to reach out and touch
people at every level of their understanding. We need
to emphasis this and correct the shallowness and
dullness of much current preaching to make it relevant
and make sense of the eternal. People move away
from parishes because of the insufferable dullness and
insensitivity of preaching; they go to other places
where they can connect and relate. There should be a
great effort in teaching the preachers. There are not
many born preachers; it is important to work at it, and
it is worth investing in it through prayer and careful
study to acquire the necessary skills. One important
point, carefully presented, is far better than giving
traditional three or five-point sermon, which people
forget before the preacher finishes his talk. It should
not be used as a stick to belittle and reveal the
ignorance of the parishioners. Preacher should feel the
pulse and have a calming influence.
There is a tension in presenting the Gospel message:
there are those who treat ministry as a form of social
work, with a secular agenda; then there are priests
who do a job according to a given job description,
ticking all the boxes for satisfying annual parish
reports. There are also ministers who put the Bible on
a pedestal and worship it without really investigating
its contents in the context of current realities of their
parishes. Turning the original meanings of the Biblical
texts into the thought patterns of the present-day
hearers should in any way paper over what the text
meant at the time, when it was written. A respect and
a balance should always be maintained. It is like an
archaeological digging, it should be excavated layer
by layer carefully, preserving original under the cover
of the current understanding. It is not a demolition job,
but preserving the timeless truth while adapting to the
times. We needed intellectual discipline and humility in
appreciating Scripture. In worshipping, we join the
founding fathers of the church, saints, and our
ancestors and the present generations; it is both
ancient and modern; the idea of this continuity is
important, we are linked from the very beginning to
eternity. We are expected to copy the heavenly
worship. The Bible provides models of heavenly
worship in Isaiah 6, Revelations 4 and 5.
Unfortunately, many Christians have a superficial view
of what worship is; the result is that it has become an

event on a Sunday checklist, one of the things they


may or may not do. Many people are not faithfully
committed to Sunday worship services; as a result
they fail to develop a lifestyle of complete commitment
to God. Worship has become a show and just another
event, a matter for professional clergy and spectators.
The supreme task of the organizers of worship is to
enable participants to offer themselves as a living
sacrifice. In part, this means offering their talents and
thoughts.
Every church should have some regular opportunity
for its members to talk together about worship for
understanding and influencing its nature and shape.
Sometimes worship has an order and shape, but it is
hidden from people; hymns are announced, lessons
are read, liturgy is followed with incomprehensible
words and poetical imagery, but how they relate to
each other and to the prefabricated sermon is a
mystery known only to the preacher and God. People
participating in the worship service should contribute
by prior private prayers and preparations. Our parents
used to fast and pray before receiving the Holy
Communion. People participating in worship should
have a stake in it and become stakeholders; there
should be a partnership between clergy and laity.
Congregations should never become indifferent and
disconnected observers; in some denominations,
people observe the Holy Communion or view it on the
television screen, but in the Mar Thoma Church it is for
sharing; it is participatory. Preparation and
commitment would contribute much to the solemnity
and beauty of corporate worship service.
A realistic appreciation of the mysteries and symbols
of worship will transform the stale and lifeless routine
nature of the occasion into a vibrant sprit-filled divine
experience. It is in this mystery, hidden wonder, and
miracle we recognize the presence of God at the
worship and in the Eucharist. The greatest mystery is
the unseen presence of God in our midst when we
gather for worship. We need to appreciate the
meaning of tearing the curtain from top to bottom at
the moment of the death of Jesus on the cross. Let us
not pull back the veil, but listen and experience the
hidden mysteries in our worship. Do not struggle for
meanings; it will be given to a true worshipper, just
feel the presence of love of God and His nearness, go
with the flow of the grace without resistance of any
kind. In our familiarities with the worshipping
elements, we take things for granted, and it then
becomes a meaningless routine. Mystery is something
that we feel with reverence, and is not something that
we dissect out with the knife of our intellect. A critical
and analytical attitude will destroy the mystery.
Everythingfrom the posture at the worship, music and

4 | P a g e F O C U S A p r i l 2 0 1 5

the ancient liturgy has a mystery. At occasions when


our Kauma (adoration) is chanted with humility, piety
and reverence that it demands, it has a power to
elevate us to the presence of God; we often felt this in
the chanting of late Thomas Mar Athanasius Suffragan
Metropolitan and other such amazing servants of God.
Moses felt the mystery God in the burning bush; Israel
felt the presence of God in the pillar of cloud in day
times and in the pillar of fire in nights during their
passage through the desert with Moses. These
mysteries and symbols strengthened and guided them
in the desert for forty years. St. Paul was struck down
on the road to Damascus. For people looking for a
logical analysis of every element of every aspect of the
mystery should trust that it is in the cloud of
unknowing that we feel the presence of God;
mysteries were hidden in some of the parables that
Jesus spoke. Though seeing, they may not see;
though hearing, they may not understand (Luke 8:10).
Jesus further said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of
heaven and earth, because you have hidden these
things from the wise and learned, and revealed them
to little children. Blessed are the eyes that
see what you see. For I tell you that many prophets
and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see
it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it"(Luke
10:21-24).
Worshipping in Spirit and Truth is guaranteed to
change our lives by moving us into the hidden realities
and the love of God; the hands that hold us are often
hidden. We often think we are alone when facing a
crisis, but we are not. Our faith is a grace driven and
grace-filled faith; mystery is part and parcel of the faith
that we hold. The faith-guided actions should be signs
and symbols for others to see the presence of God in
our lives and the kingdom within. The signs and
symbols used in the worship are simple elements from
everyday life; these have the power in making us to
reflect on the mystery of our faith. The sign of the
cross, incense, vestments of the clergy, washing of
hands, exchanging the kiss of peace, bread and wine,
the four blessings, and the laying on of hands by
bishops are expressions to amazing moments of
grace that mark our lives. It is up to us to appreciate
these and enjoy these moments in worship services.
People who argue for liturgical reformation without
due thought and theological understanding are
throwing out the baby with the bath water. Every gift
offered in worship must be offered with devotion and
sensitivity, both towards God and towards other
worshippers. Anything offered purely as a novelty for
sensual satisfaction becomes a gimmick and is
unworthy of worship. Sunday worship is not a theatre
or talent show in terms singing, drumming, acting,

speaking or chanting. It is certainly not for selfglorification, but for glorifying our savior and loving
God. Anything including body language and dress
code which alienates other worshippers threatens
meaningful fellowship and achieves opposite of what
is intended. However, we should never neglect gifts of
people who have great potentials to contribute and
energize our worship services. When a parish is open
to new possibilities, and is able to welcome
contributions from unexpected sources, all sorts of
gifts become apparent. It is possible to test these out
after traditional worship services during a specially
adopted time, such as Our Time and Space. It is a
time devoted for opening up to share experiences; this
then becomes a platform for developing young talents
in all walks of life. This is also a helpful offering, and
can become part of the worship services in our
parishes. We should be aware that all over the world
new forms of worship are being evolved. Events like
the general assembly of the World Council of
Churches (WCC) yield veritable liturgical resources. It
is our task to study them in our contexts and under
our traditional moorings. These resources give us a
real sense of sharing the experiences of a worldwide
worshipping family, which is indeed a reflection of
being members of a universal Church. Let us hope
and pray also for Eucharistic hospitality between
member churches of the WCC.
We are grateful to all the writers who contributed to
this issue. We also express our gratitude to all those
who visit our online magazine and also forward the
links to others. At present we have about 100,000
subscribers to this online magazine, which is first of its
kind for any Christian denomination from Kerala.
The Editorial Board
Note: Please remember that we need your constant prayer
and support to make our online ministry fruitful for the glory
of God. Please send the following URLs of this online
magazine to your friends and relatives:
http://www.issuu.com/diasporafocus
http://www.scribd.com/diasporafocus
Disclaimer:
Diaspora FOCUS is a non-profit organization registered in
United States, originally formed in late Nineties in London for
the Diaspora Marthomites. It is an independent laymovement of the Diaspora laity of the Mar Thoma Church;
and as such Focus is not an official publication of the Mar
Thoma Church. Opinions expressed in any article or
statements are of the individuals and are not to be deemed
as an endorsement of the view expressed therein by
Diaspora FOCUS. Thanks. Contact:
www.facebook.com/groups/mtfocus
E-Mail:mtfocusgroup@gmail.com

5 | P a g e F O C U S A p r i l 2 0 1 5

Synopsis of Metropolitans Pastoral Letters in the Sabha


Tharaka July, August, & September 2015
July 2015
The Mar Thoma Church will
be honoring the late MM
Thomas by conducting a
seminar on August 31 on
his birth centenary. Rev.
Dr. Hielke Wolkers, who is
the associate secretary of
World Council of Churches,
will be the main speaker.
His PhD was based on the
visions and contributions of
Dr. M. M. Thomas. He will
also be addressing the
next Mandalam meeting.
st

The meditations for the month of July are based on the saints
days of St. Peter and St. Paul and then we will be
remembering St. Thomas. St. Thomas, apostle of India,
accepted the resurrection of Jesus Christ only after having
personal encounter with the risen Christ. When Jesus revealed
himself to Thomas, he said My God and my Lord. and thus
became the first disciple of Jesus Christ to accept His divinity
and Lordship. We have completed more than two thousand
years after his arrival in India. He came to a place, which had it
is own historical religiosity, but St. Thomas helped us to
establish our faith in a risen Christ.
The church, which is rooted deep in the Indian civilization,
depended on the national identity and democratic principles
to establish itself as a witnessing church. We as a church
should be able to move forward without causing any
hindrance to witnessing Jesus the Christ. On the 6 Sunday
after Pentecost we are remembering about the qualities we
need to have after receiving Holy Spirit. Any person who holds
office in the church must keep and maintain transparency and
utmost faith in all his or her dealings.
th

We need to recognize the glory of priesthood through the


witnessing of Christ based on the wounds he suffered for us
on the cross. We read in Hebrews 5: 7-9, During the days of
Jesus life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with
fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from
death, and he was heard because of his reverent
submission. Son though he was, he learned obedience from
what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the
source of eternal salvation for all who obey him. Each priest
must become the owners of a life filled with obedience and
submission to Lord. When Apostle Jacob saysacts without
faith is void, and when Paul saysby faith we are justified, both
these are correlating with each other. God asks us through
Micah three things do justice, be kind, and be humble. When
we enter into new Malayalam era, let these words of our Lord
may lighten our path and our feet.
August 2015

During the end of June and the first three weeks of July I was
able to visit several parishes in the Diocese of North America
and Europe. I had also the privilege to visit the Mexico Mission
field. The people in that mission field are far below in the
standards of education, social and economic sphere. As a
result, of that Dioceses initiative for the overall development
of the people in that mission field five students were able to
obtain bachelor degree courses in medicine, nursing,
engineering, business administration. Those students really
deserve our appreciation. I was able to visit the VBS
conducted for the students in that mission field by the
Diocese. The Spanish women sung a Malayalam song and it
was a real experience to hear a Malayalam song from Spanish
speaking women. If we are able to obtain the services of an
ordained priest who can communicate in Spanish it may be
blessing to our services in that mission field. I wish that
Diocese might pay attention in getting the services of such a
priest. The Diocesan mission activities conducted among the
Native Americans also deserve appreciation.
It is a reality that the parishes in Canada and England are not
getting that much freedom, which they use to have in the past.
It is not an appreciable thing to note that the number of people
participating in the family conference conducted by the
Diocese is decreasing every year due to the various
conferences conducted by the organizations at the Diocesan
and regional levels. The construction of the second phase of
MTC Dallas, Farmers Branch, is progressing well. It may be
possible to dedicate the same by the beginning of next year.
The Diocese was able to purchase a piece of land in Houston
for building a Diocesan Center in that area. Diocese intends to
complete this project with the help of parishes in that region.
Canadian Mar Thoma Church was able to purchase a piece of
land also and plan for the building has approved by the
general body. I appreciate the Diocese for creating a corpus
fund for helping theological students who need help by the
decision of the Diocesan Assembly. This may also help those
theological students who are pursuing higher studies. During
this visit I was also able to participate in the Diocesan Clergy
Conference, Diocesan Council, Diocesan Assembly, and
Family Conference.
The country received the news with a shock the death of
former Indian President Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Khalam, who served
our country from 2002 2007 as 11 President of India. In
each program he participated both in India and outside he
was able to give a new vision about the future of humanity. We
cannot forget the valuable services rendered by him in various
fields. I still remember the occasion I was able to visit him. Mar
Thoma Church pays its respect to the memories of that noble
soul.
th

The Church has been entrusted with the responsibility to


transform the world. The history of the Christian Church is also
an example of this. But it is shameful that Christians often fall
into the traps of this world. The US Supreme Court has
declared that same sex marriage is legal in all 50 States of
America. Some Marthomites also entered into same sex

6 | P a g e F O C U S A p r i l 2 0 1 5

marriages, and it is a fact that the concerned priests or other


responsible people never intimated the matter to the
leadership of the Church. These unbiblical instances are
examples of repeating the Sodom Gomorrah culture. We do
not need to wonder if someone were to bring a proposal under
Clause 113 that Church should allow same sex marriage. Our
Church has its own faith and practices and procedures.
Marriage is not a covenant between two persons, but it is holy
sacrament. We are baptizing the children born to such
couples who joined through the holy sacrament and allowing
them to enter into full communion of the Church. The Churchs
responsibility is not to swim with unbiblical worldviews, and to
swim against unbiblical trends with the help of the Holy Spirit.
We begin the meditation for the month of August with the
beginning of the 15-day lent. When the angel revealed the
human incarnation of God to Virgin Mary, she was really
confronting death face to face. As per Jewish religious
custom, if a girl who is betrothed became pregnant before the
marriage, they stone her to death. In the face of that
eventuality, Mary submits herself to the will of God when she
said: "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May your
word to me be fulfilled." The lent should enable us also to
reply in the same way Mary did, in all circumstances of our life
also. The second Sunday of August we meditate upon the
theme responsibility is sharing the pain of God. Gospel of
Jesus Christ is not of prosperity, but it is sharing of Gods
pain. When we meditate upon the transfiguration festival, we
understand this very well. Jesus was telling the disciples not
to stay with him and to enjoy the glory, but go down to the
valley and to be part of the pain and to find solutions. During
August 9 Sunday we meditate on the theme Gods people
as the salt and light of the world. We add salt to every
substance so that it may stay fresh without decaying. Sea
remains clean, even though lot of waste is flowing into it,
because of its saltiness. We add salt to have taste to our food.
We are called to be the salt of the earth so that we may not
become unclean due to the waste of this world, at the same
time protect the society around also from the waste of this
world. When we become the light of the world our society will
be filled with the light of justice and love.
th

teacher, as teachers day. Along with these days we may also


need to recognize the qualities of Jesus Christ, the greatest
teacher of the world. His method was to make the people who
ask questions to him also make them tell Him the answers.
When a Levite asked how can attain eternal life, Jesus
replied to him through a parable. Jesus made the Levite who
asked Jesus the question Who is my friend to give the
answer too. When Jesus encountered the Samaritan women
she was trying to avoid the realities of her life, Jesus purposely
brought her attention to the realities of her life. When people
asked Jesus: is it right to pay tax to? He replied: pay Cesar
what is due to Caesar and God what is due to God. It is
another example of his style of teaching. A great teacher is
one who teaches his disciples by studying them and their
situations, which has been accepted by all. If a teacher fails to
understand this great philosophy behind teaching s/he will be
a failure in his vocation. When a teacher understands the
situation of his students and teaches them accordingly, then
only s/he becomes a great teacher.
On September 13 Sunday we are meditating on the theme of
womens role in the Gods liberation. We also celebrate
Womens day on that Sunday. Gospels tell us about the
strengthening of the church by women. There were women
also in the crowd, which followed Jesus. Jesus gave them
prominent places and he also revealed them heavenly truths.
It is a historical fact that the importance given to the education
of women by Church has influenced our nation also. Our
church even started separate girls schools to educate girls is
an example of this. Today we are giving equal importance to
women in all positions in our church. But in the mattes of
worship we follow our precedents.
th

Sep. 2015

On September 20 we celebrate as Senior citizens Sunday.


The meditation for that day is Wisdom of the older
generation. When we respect our elders we also respect their
rich experiences. When entrusting His life to His father, Jesus
was fulfilling His responsibilities to His mother. Jesus
introducing His disciple, John, as a son to His Mom and his
Mom as mother to John is an example of respecting our
elders. On September 27 we meditate on the theme Holy
Communion as a sacrament. It is a sacrament instituted by
our Lord to remember every day till His second coming. When
Jesus instituted the sacrament of Holy Communion he did four
important things: 1) he took bread in his hands 2) he praised 3)
he broke it 4) gave it. It was a symbolic representation of his
body being broken by the world; it is being purified by the
hands of God, being united together and finally being
distributed. It is the strength of resurrection that we
experience during each Holy Communion. That may be reason
why Mother Teresa was able to answer when she was asked:
How could you serve this many people? She answered, it
was through the strength she obtained through Holy
Communion. Let us depend on our resurrected Lord and
move forward; Jesus said: Do not let your hearts be troubled
and do not be afraid (John 14:27; And surely I am with you
always, to the very end of the age (Mathew 28: 20).

The first Sunday in September is celebrated as education


Sunday. India is also celebrating the birthday of Dr. S.
Radhakrishnan, respected by the world as a philosopher and

Compiled by Lal Varghese, Esq., Dallas (Summary of the


pastoral letters appeared in Sabha Tharaka Jan. Mar.
2015 issues and not a word by word translation)

Our country is going to celebrate another independence day


on August 15 . Gandhijis dream about India was to make India
a Gods country. Let us pray that each Independence Day
may make us closer to that dream and let us work for it. When
we are forgiven from our sins, then only we really enter into
our own freedom and that will make us new creatures in
Christ. New creation is really the witnesses of Christ. Martin
Luther, the reformer said: I believe in Christ not because
someone told me, but because I really experienced him. Let
us live as His witnesses by believing that God is faithful. What
Moses had told his people be also our declaration of faith:
The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the
everlasting arms (Deuteronomy 33:27).
th

th

th

7 | P a g e F O C U S A p r i l 2 0 1 5

Worship and its Relevance in Global Culture


Plammoottil V. Cherian, M. Div., PhD.
My Friend Dr. Zac Varghese of London, UK, has asked me
if I would write an article on some aspect of Worship for
the next issue of FOCUS Online publication. I took the
challenge and made some extensive research in the
Scriptures before I penned some of my thoughts. Now I am
convinced that it is better to write in general about the
worship that we Christians know the roots of, and what
constitutes true Biblical worship. The incarnated God in the
person of Jesus Christ transforms Christianity from the
teachings of the Old Testament (OT).
What is worship?
Worship is an act of religious devotion directed towards a
deity, and in the Judeo-Christian tradition to the Almighty
God who is variously referred in the OT as Yahweh,
Jehovah, Elohim, or El Elohim. Worship asserts the reality
of an omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient God on whom
all creations depend for everything from their physical
needs to the spiritual nourishment of humanity. The fact
that the word worship in its noun and verbal forms
(worship, worshiper, worshiped) appears 244 times in the
Bible signifies its importance. Worship is both an attitude
and a spiritual act. At the very onset I must say without any
judgment that the Biblical instruction for worship in
todays culture has made it an industry and high-tech show
by few denominations having a worship team, leader,
artist, worship CDs and glare of brilliant prismatic lights
flashed at lightning speed that dazzle your eye.
Our Object of Worship

The moral laws of worship are inscribed in stone asserting


the perpetual obligation of humanity to worship the
Almighty God as the only recipient of our adoration. I am
the Lord your God. You shall have no other gods before me
(Ex. 20:2-3). The second commandment forbids us to
worship God with human inventions. "You shall not make
unto thee any graven image" (Ex. 20:4). Plainly it forbids
making, revering or worshipping any physical or artistic
representation of the true God. Apostle Paul was appalled
by the idols in Athens when he saw on the altar the
inscription TO THE UNKNOWN GOD, that resulted first in

a dialogue with the Stoics and the Epicureans, and then a


sermon in which he emphatically affirmed that we are all
the offspring of a living God, and that He is known to us in
the person of Jesus Christ through whom we have eternity,
and that our object of worship shall be Lord God who will
judge humanity By the Man whom he has ordained. (Acts
17:16-34). Apostle Paul further instructed the Athenians,
"We ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold, or
silver, or stone, something shaped by art and man's
devising" (Acts 17:29; cf. Ps. 115:4-8). Gods moral laws of
true worship were given to Israel so that they must not
worship false gods named Molech and Baal of the
surrounding nations (Lev. 18:6-30; 20:1-5). Tragically
Israelites fell victims to false worship since the days of
Solomon and followed until the time of the last prophet
Malachi. All prophetic books of the Bible instruct against
the enticement of idol worship. Any attempt to represent
God by human devices is an insult to the Lord. His
pronouncement is clear: I am the Lord: that is my name:
and My glory will I not give to another, nor My praise to
carved images (Is. 42:8; 44:1-20).
Worship in Old Testament Times
Worship is not a new process developed out of Christianity
but it is a matter that lies at the very heart of the Scriptures
from beginning to end. Even before any formal worship has
begun, we can see an attitude of worship from the offering
of Cain and Abel (Gen. 4:3-5) to the heavenly worship in
the Book of Revelation (4: 1-11; 5:1-14). Ironically,
Revelation also points out several threats to true worship
where it is characterized as the synagogue of Satan (Rev.
2:9; 3:9); worshipping Satans throne (Rev. 2:13); idolatry
(Rev. 9:20); worship of Angels (Rev. 19:10; 22:8,9) and
worshipping the false prophetess Jezebel (Rev.2: 20). The
OT worship was grounded in the Covenantal relationship
God established with Abraham and his posterity, who were
freed from bondage in Egypt. For forty years God trained
them in the wilderness and the Valley of Sinai about true
worship by staying with them in the Tabernacle (Ex. 25:822). Within the Tabernacle, in the Holy of Holies the Ark
contained the Book of Covenant, expressing Gods
presence with Israel as the eternal God, their protector and
provider. So intense was the presence of Gods Shekinah
with the Ark that God was described as one enthroned
between the cherubim of the Ark. (2 Sam. 6:2; 1 King
19:15; Ps. 80:1)
Gods presence and His glory were with Israelites in a pillar
of cloud by the day and a pillar of fire by night; neither the
pillar of cloud nor the pillar of fire left its place from the
people (Ex. 13:20-22). When the Lord revealed himself to
the Israelites, He did so by means of His word and not by
physical images to be imitated or embellished. Therefore,
he warned them: "Take ye therefore good heed unto

8 | P a g e F O C U S A p r i l
2 0 1 5

yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day


that the Lord spoke unto you in Horeb out of the midst of
the fire: lest you corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven
image, the similitude of any figure" (Dt. 4:15-16). This
presence of OT God was manifested in the NT when God
incarnated in the person of Jesus Christ, to dwell among
us, and we beheld His glory, glory as the only begotten
from the Father, full of grace and truth (Jn. 1:14).
Progression of Worship from OT to NT
In Jesus dialogue with the Samaritan woman at the well,
Jesus told her that God is Spirit, and those who worship
him must worship in spirit and truth (Jn. 4:24). Worship has
two parts. 1. Worship is In spirit. The Greek word for
worship is proskuneos, which means to fall or bow down.
This means worship is a state or an attitude of our mind or
the spirit within us. If our mind is not set straight and
righteous before God, our worship is in vain. David realized
that The sacrifices of God are a broken heart, a broken
spirit, and a contrite heart (Ps. 51:17). One cannot worship
God without knowing him personally and the entire act of
worship must be in humility shown by Christ who
Humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even
death on the cross (Phil. 2:8). 2. Worship is in truth.
When we recite in our Sunday worship, Holy art Thou O
God, it is the truth. Our affirmation of the Nicene Creed
during worship is proclamation of the truth of creation of
the universe, the power of the Trinity, the redemption and
hope of eternity. If we dont believe in those words our
worship is in vain and it is hypocrisy. The Scriptures teach
us that Thy word is truth (Jn. 17:17), Thy law is truth
(Ps. 119:142) and Thy word is true (Ps. 119:160). To
worship in truth we must understand who God is and must
acknowledge what He has done for humanity. The essence
of worship is an expression of praise and adoration from
the depths of our heart in complete humility.
Worshipping in spirit means it is motivated by our inner
being guided by the Holy Spirit and not out of any
obligation or duty. Obligatory worship is displeasing to God
and hypocritical. Worship without righteousness is an
abomination (Amos 5:21-27). One of the best examples of
worship where God is pleased or unhappy is seen in the
offering made by Cain and Abel. Cain offered it out of
obligation and Abel offered it out of admiration and in
righteousness. True worship must come from a humble
heart. (Ps. 24:3,4; Is.66: 2) True worship acknowledges
God as our sustainer and provider, his power and glory in
everything we do and see in nature. The most precious
form of praise and worship is absolute obedience to God
and observance of His Words. We cannot worship God
and at the same time ignorant of Him. When Abraham was
asked to sacrifice Isaac, though it was a heart breaking
incident, Abraham considered it as worship unto God.
(Gen.22). Psalm 95 calls us, Come, let us worship and
bow down. In Revelation we see the 24 elders bowing
down and worshipping the Almighty God (Rev. Ch.4, 5;
11:16). The very definition of worship both in the OT and
NT literally means to worship in humility.

The Manner of True Worship


Apostle Paul described the true worship. Therefore I urge
you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your
bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which
is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be
conformed to this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will
of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect
(Rom.12: 1,2). Pauls description contains the true
elements of worship. First, the motivation to worship and
offer thanksgiving to God, which is the mercies of God in
creating us as unique species of all creations to have
fellowship with God. God has given us everything
unconditional love, grace, everlasting peace, righteousness
and eternal life through freedom in Christ. Secondly, Paul
explains the manner of worship, Present your bodies a
living sacrifice. The reference to our bodies means all of
the human facultiesour hearts, minds, thoughts and
attitude are to be presented to God in worship, just as in a
sacrifice the unified body given in a sacrifice. Thirdly, this
full surrender in worship must lead us to the renewing of
the mind. This means we worship God every time with a
newness of mind, body and spirit, free from worldly
thoughts, our personal egos and emotions that mask the
spirit and truth. We need to set the mind of Christ that
cannot be overrun by our emotions (1 Cor. 2:16).
Renewing our minds is through the Word of God, the truth
revealing the knowledge of God and His attributes. Every
time we worship that must add on to our knowledge of
God, although we are incapable of attaining perfection.
Hymns have become an integral part of our worship. Apart
from the Scriptures, hymns do more to our spiritual
devotion, calming our troubled mind uplifting our spirit to
God seeking solace and comfort. Music enhances the
worship if hymns can touch our heart. Hymns must come
from transformed hearts and minds like that of John
Newton who wrote the Amazing Grace, or Rock of Ages,
cleft for me (Augustus M. Toplady); or Jesus Lover of my
soul (Charles Wesley) or songs written by our own
Kochukunju Upadesi in Kerala such as Entae Daivum
mahathathil Ardhravani jeevikumbol and Entae Daivum
swarggha simhasanam thannil etc. The hymn Rock of
ages was sung at the funeral of William Gladstone in West
Minister Abbey, London, England. Prince Albert of England
asked it to be sung to him as he lay dying. Songs must
come from pious and humble hearts of people who
experienced the presence of God in their life.
Christian Worship Rooted in OT Character
The Christian worship has its roots in OT and had Jewish
character for the following reasons. 1. Christ was a Jew
from Nazareth in Galilee (Mt. 1:1), and the 12 Apostles
were all Jewish (Mk. 3:13-13). 2. The outpouring of the
Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost was largely a Jewish
event (Acts 2:1-5), which was a fulfilment of the OT
prophecy (Joel 2:28-32). 3. Most of the three thousand
people who were baptized on that day after Peters sermon

9 | P a g e F O C U S A p r i l 2 0 1 5

were largely Jews who were gathered from all over the
world to celebrate the Jewish festival of Pentecost.
Pentecost is not a new denomination as some people
characterize them, but is a new experience for the renewal
of all humanityinclusive of Jews and Gentiles becoming
followers of Christ, and thus the birth of the Christian
Church, whose early members were Jewish converts. 4.
Until the NT writings were available to the common people
Apostles preached, taught and exhorted from the OT
(Rom. 15:4-6; 1 Cor. 10:1-13). The author of Hebrews
vehemently develops a theme of faith of Patriarchs and
Matriarchs in God, the substance of our worship (Heb. 11:
1-40). 5. NT is the fulfilment of the OT, and as Jesus
himself declared that He came to fulfil the Laws (Mt. 5:1720). Thus Christian worship is a continuous expression of
thankfulness to God for redemption of mankind of all
generationspast, present, and future.
Our worship retains the Jewish character. The most
important change in worship has been that Christians
worship
on
Sunday
instead
of
the
Sabbath
commemorating the day of Christs Resurrection (Lk. 24:1).
As the church grew in size by the apostolic work became
decidedly Gentile in membership, corporate worship
started to accommodate large gathering. Worship can be
individually or in a congregational setting where we
collectively offer our praise, adoration, and thankfulness to
God (Ps. 22:22; 35:18). NT churches primarily gathered for
breaking the bread or Lords Table on Sundays (Acts 20:7;
1 Cor. 16:2) but later Apostles introduced singing of
Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (Col. 3:16), prayer (1
Tim.2: 1-2), almsgiving (offering) 1 Cor. 16-4) and the
reading and teaching of the Old and New Testament as
well as apostolic creed (1 Tim. 4:11-13). In fact Apostle
Paul specifically instructed the church at Corinth to have
an orderly worship with hymn, lesson from the Scriptures,
a word of revelation (sermon) by knowledgeable individual,
and prayer as elements comprising the order of Christian
worship (1 Cor.14: 15-18; 16:1-3; 2 Cor. 9:7; 2 Tim. 4:2).
This essentially is the apostolic pattern of Christian worship
practiced by liturgical churches including, Roman Catholic,
Eastern Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, The
Anglican Church, Malankara Orthodox, Syrian Orthodox
and Mar Thoma Church. Of course, each of the above
church has her own method of worship and the Christian
liturgy has changed over time, but fundamentally retains
the original character of the apostolic nature and order of
worship. This is one thing I like about the Mar Thoma
Church and often emphasize that our worship is rooted
deep in Biblical Theology. Christian worship began to
deviate from the Jewish sect by the second century AD
because of increasing number of Gentile converts from
among the nations of the Fertile Crescent which gradually
spread from the Mediterranean coast to the nations of
east, west, south and north. We cannot and must not
forget the Jewish roots and character of our Christian
worship, if we are partakers of the Abrahamic Covenant,
and share in the faith of Abraham who looked for a city
with strong foundation, whose architect and founder is
none other than, God. (Heb.11: 10)

We see a lot of cultural and ethnic diversification of


Christian worship everywhere. Whatever culture one ethnic
group practices in worship, the aim of our worship must be
Christocentric (Christ cantered) leading us to God, the
eternal father who saved us through the Cross of Calvary.
That must be the hallmark of Christian worship whether
you worship in a traditional manner or in a contemporary
way. As the generation changes, new pattern evolves. The
Gospel of Jesus Christ is for Jews and Gentiles (Acts 15:135); young and old; men and women and people of all
color and nations. Christ is the King, Lord and Savior of
humanity whom God spared for us. I conclude this article
by a quote from the book Worship Old & New by Robert E.
Weber. A worship that will have staying power is a
worship that is firmly grounded in the old, yet aware of and
concerned for new ways to respond to the old, old story.
Worship God in spirit and in truth.
References:
1. Holy Bible, The New Scofield, Study Bible (NKJV, 1989).
Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
2. Oesterley, W. O. E (1925). The Jewish Background of Christian
Liturgy. Peter Smith Pub. Inc. ISBN 13:978-0844613290.
3. Webber, R. E. (1994) Worship: Old and New. Zondervan Publishers,
Grand Rapids, MI, USA. Pp. 288. ISBN 13-978-0310479901.
4.Cyberhymnal.http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/r/o/rockages.htm.
Accessed August 11, 2015.
5. Dale Carnegie (1944) How to Stop Worrying and Start Living (New
York: Simon and Schuster, 154-156.
http://singwithunderstanding.com/wpcontent/uploads/2012/06/hymns-in-the-church.pdf. Accessed August
31, 2015.
6. Dawn, Marva J (1989). Keeping the Sabbath Wholly. William B.
Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA ISBN
0-8028-0457-8

Editors Note: Dr. P. V. Cherian received his doctorate in Life


sciences from Indiana State University, He was engaged in
research and teaching in health
sciences at the Medical Schools of the
University of Pennsylvania and the
University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
After a lifelong career of fifty years of
teaching and research, he retired from
Saginaw Valley State University. A
Loyal and faithful member of the Mar
Thoma Church, he was involved in the
formation of the Diocese of North
America and Europe and was part of
the Administration as the Associate
Secretary of the Diocese from 19821990. Additionally he has served in the Diocesan Council,
Assembly, the Editorial Board of the Messenger, and member of
the Clergy Selection Committee for Diocese of North America. He
is much interested in science and theology linking them with world
events. He took Master of Divinity degree from Trinity Theological
Seminary, in Indiana, USA.. In his retired life he is engaged in
strengthening our people in faith in a culture that challenges all
moral codes and shifting rapidly into secularism. He is an invited
speaker for conferences and conventions and currently writing a
book on science and theology. He and his wife live in Buffalo
Grove, Illinois, USA with his son, daughter-in-law and two
grandchildren. drpv.cherian@gmail.com

10 | P a g e F O C U S A p r i l 2 0 1 5

Dr. Stanley Jones: Recollection of a Granddaughter


Dr. Anne Mathews-Younes, USA (Part-3 of Four Part Series)
My grandfather was not an organization
man, though he had great respect for
and loyalty to church organizational
system and to his own denomination.
He felt free to question any attitudes or
practice he felt were wrong or
unchristian.
In 1928 he refused the Methodist
episcopacy because her felt he had
been called by God to be an evangelist.
Even in that, he was far ahead of his time. I cannot thing that
such a decision today would cause the consternation it did
then. But he helped change peoples preoccupation with
marginal issues to concern for the really great issues facing the
whole church of Jesus Christ throughout the country and the
world. And he helped expand the spiritual consciousness and
consciences of Christians everywhere. The price he paid for
being ahead of his time was high, but this did not lessen his
conviction about what was right and what was wrong for him
under the guidance of God. Only a few close friends and his
family knew his hurt.
My grandfather was always an evangelist and my father often
said that E. Stanley Jones was the ablest interpreter of the
Gospel for the present day of anyone he had ever heard. For
Jones there was no contradiction between being the Old
Testament prophet and the New Testament evangelist. The two
belong together, as response to the gospel and obedience to
the gospel!
Perhaps in the early years, E Stanley Jones would have
identified himself as a soul winner but over the years he
broadened his perspective. He became interested in body,
mind and spirit the whole person. He saw the Gospel of Jesus
Christ enabling fractured and partial persons to become whole
persons.
I think that his most original book was The Way and in that book
he enlarged on the idea that the Christian way is written into the
texture of life. He pushed Tertullians insight that the soul is
natural Christian to new limits: the whole body, the whole of
society is meant to work in a Christian way. It is life. Jones
points out the striking passage in John 1:3: And without him
was not anything made that was made. There is the stamp of
Christ on everything and it is the way life is made to work. And
in following Jesus Christ we can set ourselves upon that WAY.
He even felt that society the world was meant to operate in the
way that God intended. Such a society is the Kingdom of
Godyou get the idea.
It may be interesting to look at the relationship between Stanley
Jones and Gandhiji. He asked Jones to speak out to the British
on behalf of India. Gandhijis response to Jones evangelistic
efforts to Gandhiji can be summed up in what Gandhiji wrote:
his heart is open, but it is a matter of the heart. Here is the
story of the triangular relationship among Stanley Jones, and
Gandhi and Martin Luther King. Here is the story. My mother
tells me of the occasion in Boston when Dr. Martin Luther King,

Jr. was honored by Boston University at a convocation prior to


his leaving for Sweden to receive the 1964 Nobel Peace prize.
At the reception following, my mother was introduced to Dr.
King and my grandfather was mentioned. Dr. King immediately
became very serious and said: Your father was a very
important person to me, for it was his book on Mahatma Gandhi
that triggered my use of Gandhis method of non-violence as a
weapon for our own peoples freedom in the United States. He
continued, that though he had been very familiar with the
writings on Gandhi and had been interested in his method of
non-violence for years, still it had not clicked with him that it
was a vehicle for use in the United States. Reading my
grandfathers book on Gandhi may have assisted King with the
application of Gandhian principles within a Christian context.
Up until the age of 87, E. STANLEY JONES kept up a rigorous
and active life It is estimated that he preached more than
60,000 sermons sometimes 5-7 times a day. I heard him
preach that many times a day. I was tired. He was not. My
grandfather was a highly disciplined person. When in college,
he developed the practice of two hours of prayer and meditation
daily. Morning and evening he would slip away for his hour of
devotion. Because of this pattern he was the despair of
hostesses who wanted their guests to enjoy the marvelous
conversation of which he was capable. His discipline included
filling his every waking hour with reading, writing, counseling in
and speaking. He always took his daily exercises (even 30
pushups)
But in 1971 after a strenuous two months of speaking 154 times
in Japan he had a stroke after some months in rehabilitation
hospitals, he asked to return to India. The doctors concurred.
By faith and determination he managed to walk once moreup
to a mile, and he preached publicly again some 50 times despite major speech difficulties. He wrote us in 1972 that he
felt that the year for him was the practical application of all that
he had been preaching--- the year of using his infirmities. When
life said No, God still said Yes and such was the affirmation he
made in his last book, The Divine Yes!
3.5 million copies of his books have been sold and they have
been translated into 30 languagesAll proceeds from his books
have gone into Christian projects including the United Christian
Ashram. He gave all of his money away for evangelistic and
other Christian causes. He was forever helping those in need!
(John Wesley once said that Christians should gain all they
can, save all they can and give all they can. The early
Methodists responded to the first two admonitions but balked
on the third. E. Stanley Jones practiced all three. He poured
out money to help wherever the need was pressing. He literally
gave away all that he had - the nearly one million dollars that he
earned as royalties on his books. He would often say, I need
enough money for my needs, and where my needs end, another
persons needs begin and so that money belongs to them
He admitted that he was surprised that he was even an author
He wrote: Me an author of books? It all seems a mistake, for I
never intended to be an author. I simply write when I see a
need and the urge is upon me. Then somehow I must be

11 | P a g e F O C U S A p r i l 2 0 1 5

educated. The secret is in Jesus. He is the Awakener


Awakener of the total person, including the mind. Since Ive
never felt educated Ive made life and people educate me a
lifelong process. My mind has become a magnet, so I pull from
every person, every situation, some information, and some truth
to further me.
Jones tells a related story I was being interviewed on TV and
the interviewer said, You go throughout the world preaching.
What do you have to preach that others do not have.It was a
good question.and validJust what did I have? The answer
was simple and simply given: I have Jesus Christ the Word
become flesh.
The Christian faith is not just a little better than other faiths it is
different in kind Religions are our search for man. The gospel
is Gods search for us.Religions are the word become word;
the gospel is the word become flesh a fact in the stream of
human history. The fact that the Christian faith is written not
merely in the scripture but also into the nature of things that is
not only important it is decisive.
The whole New Testament is written here the artist has not
imposed Christ on the words but inked the words light or dark
to bring out the figure of Christ. Out of the words arise the
WORD!

I traveled with him as a young adult just out of college to Africa


and India - and then in 1972 with my father and brother we took
him back to India to live after he suffered a brain stem stroke.
As he approached his 89 birthday, he had made remarkable
progress in his battle to learn how to walk again. Moreover he
completed his last book, The Divine Yes. Nevertheless, a
complete healing was not in store for my grandfather. After
completing his book, his mission seemed to be at an end. The
final decline was rapid and death came to him in India in
January 1973. My father wrote, When last seen he was walking
with God and God took him!
th

So now more than 40 years after his death - I find that his books
and sermons (many written in the 1930s and 40s) are really not
out of date and with few exceptions are entirely relevant to
todays world. (Several of his books have just been reprinted by
Cokesbury Press, the United Methodist Publishing House in the
United States) (Just think what he could have done with the
internet!!!) He currently has more than 2200 Twitter followers
(October 2014)
Recently I read of my grandfather in a book of religious
biographies Probably no non-Indian contributed more than
he to the development of the strong moral and ethical sentiment
that characterized Indian nationalist leadership in the later
stages of the quest for independence, and in the formulation of
the Constitution of India. The leaders to be in independent
India were all old friends of his, and I believe that he did have
enormous influence on their thinking and moral concepts.
He foresaw where the great issues would be and spoke to them
long before they were recognizedoften at great unpopularity
and even antagonism and derision to himself. I think that he
was something of a prophet and his honors and he did receive
them were all laid at the feet of Jesus Christ.
I hope that others will look closely at the time he lived in and
through, and at his inspired grasp of how to present the living
Christ to the entire world.

He was a wonderful grandfather and lots of fun As I was


growing up, he spent every Christmas with us and his arrival for
the holiday was a time of great anticipation for he played with
us. He particularly loved to swim and watch baseball. He was
an excellent athlete. He had a terrific sense of humor and was
a very trusting soul. (Once in Lucknow, a Tonga (or horse cart
drives was converted. The tonga-wallah explained to Dr.
Jones that now that he was converted he needed a horse to be
able to be in business for himself. This seems plausible enough
so the money was given. What a shock it was to have it
announced by English friends that E. Stanley Jones was the
owner of a race horse entered in the winger meeting at the
Lucknow race track!

Dr. Anne Mathews-Younes is


currently a psychologist working
for U. S government. She is the
granddaughter of Dr. Stanley
Jones. Dr. Mathews-Younes was
initially trained as an occupational
therapist. She later received her
doctorate in Counselling and
Consulting
Psychology
from
Harvard University and is a
licensed
psychologist.
Dr.
Mathews-Younes
has
also
completed a Masters Degree in
Theological Studies at Wesley
Theological
Seminary
in
Washington, D.C., as well as a
Doctoral Degree in Ministry from
that same seminary. Both of her
theology degree theses focused on the life, mission and theology of her
late grandfather E. Stanley Jones with whom she travelled extensively
through India and Africa. Dr. Mathews-Younes is the President of the E.
Stanley Jones Foundation (www.estanleyjonesfoundation.com) and has
served as the Vice President of the United Christian Ashram Board, a
spiritual retreat organization founded by E. Stanley Jones. Her book,
Living Upon The Way: Selected Sermons of E. Stanley Jones on
Surrender was published in 2008. Anne can be reached at
amathews1@verizon.net

12 | P a g e F O C U S A p r i l 2 0 1 5

Mar Thoma Worship and the St. James Liturgy


Dr. Zac Varghese, London
Worship is the most important and significant activity of the
church; it is central to our faith. The great commandment of
Jesus says, " Love the Lord your God with all your heart and
with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your
mind, and, Love your neighbour as yourself (Luke 10:27; Deut.
6:5; Lev.19: 18). Jesus was constantly trying to get people to
focus on God above everything else. But when it comes to
churches and worship today, so many people want to know what
is in it for them; they want worship to be modern, trendy, and
appealing to them. What we get out of worship for our ego
boosting is of no importance; it is not an occasion for
demonstrating our personal piety, spiritual superiority or societal
pecking order as demonstrated in the parable of The Pharisee
and the Tax Collector (Luke18: 9-14). It is what we offer to God
as a living sacrifice for the wellbeing of others.
It is important to stress that we do not worship for ourselves
using our own preferences that would be making God in our
image; we worship God, who is the centre of our existential
reality. For if we worship simply for what we will get out of it, we
do not allow God to be the Lord of life, rather we are trying to
make use of God for our plans and purposes. Our primary
purpose in worship is to honour, praise and worship God by
placing God first, above all else in our lives. There are many idols
that we worship, which include our image and work; most of our
work is related to image creation and in the process we become
what we possess. Jason A. Varghese of the St. Peters MTC New
Jersey wrote in the CEF-word for the day mediation series
(24July 2015) wrote: One of the common themes that our
churches face is personal ego becoming a roadblock for
corporate worship. Therefore, it is indeed a real worldwide
problem, and we need to accept the diagnosis and find a
remedy. Theethos Thirumeni defined ego as edging God out.
Mankind has been doing this since the infamous Garden of Eden
incident. We shifted our existence from being theocentric to
anthropocentric.
Soren Kierkegaard, the Danish philosopher, once observed: The
trouble with the church is that it is too much like the theatre:
the preacher is the actor; the congregation is the audience;
and God is the prompter. No, said Kierkegaard: the
congregation is the actor; God is the audience; and the
preacher is the prompter. Worship is not what the ministers
do; it is what we do together. This total immersion and
participation is very important to recharge our batteries for life
outside the church from Monday to Saturday. True worship is
when our heart and mind reaches out to God and when Gods
spirit reaches out to us simultaneously. We worship God
because God desires and deserves our full devotion; we are
created for that purpose. St. Vincent DePaul says, We should
spend as much time thanking God for His benefits as we do in
asking for them. It is precisely when we make the focus of
worship God and not ourselves that we discover God is there
for a relationship with us and that Gods presence can be among
us.

Christian worship is originated from the background of the


Jewish Temple and Synagogue traditions because first Christians
came from the Jewish community and tradition. In the first and
early second centuries the liturgy was completely built around
the Lords Supper or fellowship meal. When Christians could no
longer worship in Synagogues as they first had done in the early
years, they
began gathering in homes or what came to be
known as house churches. Presence of the Spirit and speaking in
tongues and such spontaneous charismatic expressions were
special characteristic of this early worship. Some of the worships
were chaotic and troublesome as we read in Pauls letters. Later
in the second century there were developments of special
liturgies for giving order, discipline and continuity. Liturgy is the
structured order of worship. Prayers included in the liturgy were
carefully selected to reinforce writings and teaching of Church
Fathers. Liturgies were evolved over the centuries to sustain the
faith of the Christian communities and to maintain the continuity
from the beginning. These liturgies had two main parts: the first
part centred on the Word and the second around communion.
And then by the third and fourth centuries the liturgy became
much more complex with long prayers, readings of the
Scriptures and established hymns. It is from this background the
St. James Greek and later West Syrian liturgies evolved. The
Mar Thoma Church has used a revised version of the St. James
liturgy, and the reformation in 1836 originated from this revision
and the use of the revised liturgy.

Therefore, St. James Liturgy is one of the oldest liturgies of the


world and bears the name of our Lords brother. As mentioned
before, the scriptural basis of the Christian worship and its roots
are in the Temple and synagogue worship of the Jewish faith. It
begins with the initial greetings, scripture reading, sermon,
intercessory prayers, blessings, confession, kiss of peace,
thanksgiving; the liturgy is divided into four parts:

13 | P a g e F O C U S A p r i l 2 0 1 5

The first part is Thooyaba or preparing for the communion; it is


during this period the Old Testament and New Testament
lessons are read and the congregation sing hymns.
The second part is vesting of the celebrant and preparing bread
and wine. The curtain is closed during Thooyaba and vesting
prayers are said. The altar is purified with incense by swinging
the censer over the paten and the chalice. The priest begins the
Holy Communion by chanting, Ahron anacha dhoopam pol,
and the curtain opens. Is it not amazing that we remember the
incense offered by Aaron and linking with the earliest Israeli
tradition of the worship of the journeying people of the desert?
The third part is the ante-communion, it is the worship service of
the word, after the invocation, an epistle is read by the lay reader
and then the gospel is read. The Nicene Creed is recited before
the offertory. Then we have birthday and wedding thanksgiving
prayers followed by a sermon. In the old days, those who do not
wish to participate in the Holy Communion service used to leave
the church at this point; this is because everyone is invited to
participate in the Holy Communion and it is not for seeing, but it
is for receiving. It is important to remember that the invitation to
participate in the holy mysteries is from our Lord Jesus the
Christ. Before the fourth part of the Holy Communion, we have
open confession and absolution.
The next part is Anamnesis or the remembrance of the salvific
history. The communion service is in memory of the last supper
of Jesus Christ before the crucifixion. This section is also known
as anapohora or Eucharistic service. It has five subdivisions: the
first part begins with washing of hands symbolising purification
and then prayers for kiss of peace. The second part begins with
the first blessing followed by the consecration of bread and wine.
The third part is the great intercession followed by second
blessing, intercessory prayers and third blessings. After the third
blessings the priest prepares to administer communion.
Celebrant other priests, if present, take the communion first then
after more prayers in the fourth the communion is given to the
congregation. The fifth is final prayers, blessings and
benediction.
Our liturgy has a method and an order, and it is handed down to
us and has enormous significance, we are participating in this
great occasion with all the people who participated in this before
us, now, and people who would be honouring this commitment
in the future. Therefore, it has a past, a present and a future. We
should never
break
this tradition; it is very meaningful and
valuable to us. The often repeated prayer in St. James liturgy is
the Jesus Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, have
mercy on me. - Kurialeisson. It echoes the prayer of the blind
man (Lu 18: 38). It is repeated again and again in the hope that it
will become a prayer of the mind and the heart.
A devotional understanding of the mysteries and symbols of
worship will transform the stale and lifeless routine nature into a
vibrant sprit-filled divine experience. It is in this mystery, hidden
wonder, and miracle we recognize the presence of God at the
worship and in the Eucharist. We need to appreciate the
significance of tearing the curtain from top to bottom at the
moment of the death Jesus on the cross. Let us not pull back
the veil, but listen and experience the hidden mysteries in our
worship. Do not search for scientifically verifiable meanings or

theological interpretations, but feel the presence of love of God


and His nearness.
In our familiarities with the worshipping elements, we take things
for granted and it becomes a meaningless routine. Mystery is
something we feel with reverence and is not something that we
dissect out with a knife of our intellect. Everything from the
posture at the worship, music and the ancient liturgy has a
mystery. At occasions when our Kauma (adoration) in chanted
with humility, piety and reverence that it demands, it has a power
to elevate us to the presence of God; we often felt this in the
chanting of late Thomas Mar Athanasius Suffragan Metropolitan
and other such amazing servants of God. Israel felt the presence
of God in the cloud and in the fire during their passage through
the desert with Moses. For people looking for a logical analysis
of every element of every aspect of the mystery should trust that
it is in the cloud of unknowing that we feel the presence of God;
mysteries were hidden in some of the parables that Jesus spoke.
We are still hovering round to find an answer to the question
arose between Jesus and the Samaritan woman: the question
was where and how to worship. Are we still searching for our
own Jerusalem Temple and Mount Gerizim? What
Cardinal Manning said about Judas is very true of our devotion
and an understanding about worship: "the sin of Judas consisted
in this, which he was not made holy by holiness: that he allowed
himself to become familiar with his all-holy Lord." It is the
familiarity with worship, but at the same time indifference, which
makes it difficult for us to sense and appreciate the holiness of
worship. Worship is central to our faith. We need to hang on to
the timeless truth and importance of worship, and practice
'liturgy after the liturgy.' We need to use a new compound word
for describing our current attitude to worship, which is 'familiarindifference.' We are familiar with worship, but indifferent.
In St. Johns Gospel we read, The true worshippers will worship
the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshippers
that the father seeks (John 4:21). This true worship is
guaranteed to change our lives by moving us into the presence
of God. Our faith is a grace driven and grace-filled faith; mystery
is part and parcel of the faith that we hold. The faith-guided
actions should be signs and symbols for others to see the
presence of God in our lives and the kingdom within; it is indeed
the process of becoming Gods letters to the world. The signs
and symbols used in the sign of the cross, incense, vestments of
the clergy, washing of hand, exchanging kiss of peace, bread
and wine, the four blessings and the laying on of hands by the
bishop are expressions to amazing moments of grace that mark
our lives. We need to empty ourselves to give space for the
grace to flow in. It is up to us to appreciate these and enjoy these
moments. True pilgrims make lots sacrifices and preparation for
their journey and the final act of worship. Such preparations and
total commitment are needed for making worship real and
significant. There is a Latin saying, Finis est principium, which
means the end is the beginning. The end of our prayerful
preparation should be beginning of our worship. We are created
for no other end than this, that we should worship God to eternity
and join the heavenly host.
Editors Note: Dr. Zac Varghese, London, U.K., was the director
of Renal and Transplantation Immunology Research of Royal
Free Hospital and Medical School in London. He has co-authored
Medical textbooks and published extensively on Transplantation,
Nephrology, Inflammation, and lipid-mediated vascular injury.

14 | P a g e F O C U S A p r i l 2 0 1 5

Peace and Reconciliation


(A Meditation on the Cross and the Easter Light)
Rev. Dr. M. J. Joseph, Kottayam
Global scenario
Symptoms of violence are seen everywhere lack of amity
among the nations of the world has contributed economic
imbalance, fear of death, violation of environmental rights,
social disharmony created by the digital divide, market
terrorism, rape of the Mother earth, religious intolerance,
denial of the freedom of dissent. In this context, a search for
the thread that unites the terrestrial and the celestial is quite
legitimate during the Lenten season. That which unites is
indeed great when Jesus commented on the faith of the
Centurion in the words of acceptance and appreciation as,
I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith (Lk.7:
9). The words of wisdom penned by Kipling: Even in the
broken portion of the earth, there is waterThe birds of the
air do not know the truth of fragmentation. Yet they find
harmony in the little reserve. In an age of the celebration of
Death using religious and secular knife, life through death
enacted though the saga of the Cross has abiding
significance. Whether one likes it or not, I believe that the
Via Dolorosa (the way of the cross) is the way for all to find
acceptance before the Throne of Grace which is decorated
with the Jewels of Love and Forgiveness. Someone has
rightly remarked that technology has enabled us to hear the
voice of the world, but we have little time to hear the voices
within ourselves the call to live by the spirituality of religions
are the need of the hour. We are called to speak the truth in
love by breaking the conspiracy of silence. In an age of
universal deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary
act(George Orwell). How many of us who hold a placard in
our hands are prepared to forgive and forget the vestiges of
the past and to show to the world that the power of love is
meant to forgive. This is the message of the cross and the
Easter day. Any step to forgive is a beginning to live a better
life. In any fight
between religions on holy sites, and
thrones, the causality is not human beings but God, God
alone. A misplaced enthusiasm to defend God and his
boundary of activity will only add fuel to the fire of
discrimination, and marginalization. What the world needs
today is men and women who have a passion for doing
something beautiful for God on this planet. Not all who
sound religious are really godly people. They may refer to
me as Lord, but still wont get to heaven. For the decisive
question is whether they obey my Father in heaven, said
Jesus. (Matt.7: 21)

asked: How many disciples do you have? Lin Chi replied:


Four or five at the very most. This is the real situation in
the Church and in the society at large today. A few only are
carrying coals of burning fire in their hearts. They speak
aloud and even utter the words of Jesus in the Giri Gita:
Blessed are the peace makers for they shall be called the
sons and daughters of God. Remember, it is not the
peace lovers, but the peacemakers that are called sons of
God. A peacemaker is vulnerable to death as it happened to
Jesus on the cross. But death was not the last word for
Jesus. A heroes tomb is the cradle of the people. (A
Mexican proverb) The cross continues to beckon us with
the verse of the Negro spiritual, where you there when they
crucified the Lord? The insights that any generation
discovers will be far more powerful than the idea it inherits
(R. L. Shinn).If the Christian message is to speak to
contemporary man, it must learn to address him at the point
of his strength and bleeding points. A message of
Forgiveness and Reconciliation, addressed to all people
across any religious divide is the panacea for the ills in the
world today. This is what the Church proclaims and
celebrates during the Lenten Season.

Blessed are the makers of peace and reconciliation.


I am reminded of the story of a King as told by Fr. Anthony
De Mello: A King visited the monasteries of the great Zen
Master Lin Chi. He was astonished to learn that there were
more than ten thousand monks living there with him.
Wanting to know the exact number of the monks, the King

Photo of Palace of Peace and Reconciliation


Kazakhstan

Astana,

15 | P a g e F O C U S A p r i l 2 0 1 5

All that is good belongs to God.


In his book, The Courage to be, Paul Tillich speaks of
three forms of anxiety: Ontic anxiety (anxiety over fate and
death); moral anxiety (anxiety over guilt and condemnation);
spiritual
anxiety
(anxiety
over
emptiness
and
meaninglessness). It is precisely at this point the gospel of
Forgiveness and reconciliation finds its relevance. In the
midst of affluence there are points of vacuum in human
hearts as well as in our inherited structures. In the book of
Revelation, the vision of the New heaven and the New
earth, the eternal purpose of God is unequivocally
presented as we read in Rev.21: 26 &27: People will bring
into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing
unclean (will enter it, or anyone who practices abomination
or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lambs
book of life what right do have the Christians to bar anyone
to enter into the Kingdom of Gods grace.

The Universal Religion of Love as preached by the prophets


and religious leaders of old has no walls. God is on the side
of all that unities, integrates, heals and makes people
whole. All those who work for the liberation of the people
are co-workers with God. (Samuel Rayan) Church is only a
hymn of praise to God. The prophet Isaiah had the courage
to call Cyrus as Gods instrument. He is even called Gods
anointed one to subdue nations before him and strip kings
of their robes (Is.45:1). The mission of the Church is to
thank God through hymns and chants so as to enable them
to become the fragrance of Christ. The reversal motifs in
Marys Song of Praise (LK.1: 51ff) speak to the human
conscience again and again that the Lord works
vindication and justice for all who are oppressed
(Ps.103:6).
Are we makers
Reconciliation?

or

breakers

of

Peace

and

God weeps over the world(Bishop Desmond Tutu). The


UN declaration of World Tolerance Day on November
16,each year is indeed the celebration of the meaning of
the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The time has
come before us to ask whether we are breakers or breakers
of peace. Do we make the world, hospitable to peace and
justice? Peace on earth-understood in terms of forgiveness

and reconciliation or vice versa is a divine agenda for the


whole world. It is not addressed to any religion as such. It is
a gospel for the survival of all that breathe! (Ps.150:6) We
need men and women who pray and work for peace in the
world. Prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds and he will
not be consoled until it reaches the Lord; he will not desist
until the Most High visit him and does justice for the
righteous and executes judgment.(Sir.35: 17) The Vedic
vision of the comprehension of the Ultimate described as
Let noble thoughts come to me from all quarters affirms
the call of conscience as uttered in all the religious
scriptures of the world. The words of wisdom as uttered by
the Mystic of the 13 century, Jalalu Din Rumi, are worth
th

recalling when we are asked to look beyond the margins: The


lamps are different but light is the same. If you keep looking at
the lamp only, you are lost. There arise the number and
plurality. Fix your gaze upon the light. How many precious
hours have been wasted in looking at the lamp stand rather
than the light? The message of love as forgiveness and peace
building is quite visible in the laws of nature too. The
lamentation of a tree in our courtyard is quite revealing
You could not have cut me if I had not given you the
handle! Have I not given you shade even when you were
cutting me down? When you throw stones at me, I give
you mangoes only, not stones! What a great gesture of
forgiveness in Gods world of nature.
The socio-political-religious and ecological scenario of the
world has taught us one naked truth. When we are violent to
our enemies and to our environment, we brutalize ourselves
(Arundhati Roy). A call to cultivate a culture of peace is the
call of Good Friday and Easter. So we need to speak less of
religion and more of spirituality in the life situations of people. A
song sang by the children of Nagasaki when they rebuilt the
school destroyed by the Atom Bomb must find a place in all
religious hymn books: Let us build the Northern side with love
to block the wind of fate; Let us build the southern side with
patience to destroy hatred; Let us build the Eastern side with
the daily rising of the ray of faith; Let us build the Western side
with the beautiful and enchanting hope; Let its roof be eternity
and its floor be humility.
Editors Notre: Rev. Dr. M.J. Joseph, M.Th., D. Th, is the
former
Director
of
the
Ecumenical Christian Centre,
Bangalore. He has also served
as Professor and Principal, Mar
Thoma Theological Seminary,
Kottayam, India. As a former
member, Faith and Order
Commission of the World
Council of Churches, he is
widely known for his ecumenical
and ecological contributions. He
has served as Secretary Board
of
Theological
Education,
Senate of Serampore College
(University). He currently serves as Convener, Ecological
Commission, of the Mar Thoma Church. Dr. Joseph has also
authored several articles, poems and books available both in
English
and
Malayalam
languages.
E-Mail:
drmjjoseph_65@yahoo.co.in.

16 | P a g e F O C U S A p r i l 2 0 1 5

Bishop George Ninan (1934 2015)


Transcending Boundaries in Urban and Rural Contexts
Dr. Jesudas Athyal, Boston

context. In the condolence message of the Christian


Conference of Asia, General Secretary Dr. Mathews
George Chunakara noted that Ninan enabled the
Asian ecumenical movement to articulate a new
vision of ecumenism that should go beyond the
concept of a narrow sense of mission to a more
inclusive concept of the mission of the church in
local situations and conveyed the essence of the
Gospel as good news to the poor. Ninans
contributions to the Ecumenical movement,
especially through CCA, which he served in various
capacities, will be remembered for long.
While George Ninan was many things to many
people, his path-breaking work in the areas of urban
and rural mission in India and at the wider Asian
level, his initiative in being a facilitator of relevant
Christian literature and his role in re-defining the
meaning of mission in the diaspora, are most
important. This short article will be confined to
discussing these areas.
Architect of Urban Mission:
The genesis of George Ninans life-long concern for
Urban and Rural mission can be traced back to the
small industrial town Alappuzha in Kerala where he
grew up. He confessed later in life that as a young

I first met Rev. George Ninan during the Eighth


Assembly of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA)
in Seoul, South Korea in June 1985. He was then
already an internationally known ecumenical leader.
His role in building up the Bombay Urban Industrial
League for Development (BUILD), his fierce attack on
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi during the Emergency
and his initiative in building up the Urban and Rural
Mission (URM) in the various Asian countries was
already the legend of the day. I was a mere research
student then, living in Ahmednagar in rural
Maharashtra. With some trepidation, I introduced
myself to this great man and mentioned that on my
way to India, I would be visiting Hong Kong (where
he was living then). His immediate response was:
Why stay in a hotel in Hong Kong? You can stay
with me. That was George Ninan: despite all his
achievements, what stood out was his character: he
was a genuine human being.
Bishop George Ninan, who passed away on 21st
June 2015, played an important role in re-defining
the ecumenical movement, especially in the Asian

man he was not a very spiritual person and that he


had more Hindu friends than Christian ones when he
was growing up. And yet, even in the hustle and
bustle of the city, it was the quiet Christian witness
of Mr. C. John Mathai that caught his attention. Mr.
Mathai was then in charge of the Christian Institute in
Alappuzha, an institution that worked among both
the well educated in the city and the urban poor.
George Ninan has often confessed that the
unpretentious Christian witness of Mr. Mathai and
his own cousin Rev. A. C. Oommen influenced him
and prepared him for a life-long commitment to
urban and rural mission. There is no doubt that his
upbringing in the secular context of the city played
an important role in his emergence later as a stalwart
of the "secular mission" (in the words of Dr. C. T.
Kurien).
Later in life, George Ninans efforts to define
Christian mission as a positive intervention in the life
of the poor and marginalized in order to organize and
conscientize them for meaningful participation in the
life of the society challenged him to work among
industrial workers and slum dwellers in the great
metropolis of Bombay (currently, Mumbai), leading of

17 | P a g e F O C U S A p r i l 2 0 1 5

course, to the founding of BUILD as an ecumenical


response to urban poverty and inequality. BUILD,
established in partnership with the Church of North
India (CNI) Bombay Diocese and the other churches
of the city, was considered the collective response of
the Christian churches as urbanization and
industrialization with their inherent social and
economic challenges became characteristics of
modern India. Mr. J. John, a close associate of
Ninan in those days, recalls that BUILD was an
innovative work that combined mobilization of urban
poor, participatory research on urbanization and the
political economy of development, strong advocacy
and a reinterpretation of the Scriptures and biblical
thinking to justify secular and non-party political
action - all combined together. There is no doubt
that his leadership in Mumbai and the innovative
programs he initiated through working among the
slum dwellers in the city were concrete examples of
the real meaning of social justice in the context of
mission and witness of the church.
As a staff member of the Christian Conference of
Asia, Ninan continued his concern for urban mission
at the wider Asian level. Carlos Charlie Ocampo, one
of his close associates and a past Executive
Secretary for International Affairs, Development &
Service of CCA noted in his tribute: Ninan
introduced community organizing in the poor slums
in Tondo, Manila, inspired by Saul Alinsky and
collaborated and trained community Organizers from
Roman Catholic and Protestants members of clergy
and lay social activists. He was firm and doggedly
committed but gentle in his work, which have
endeared him to community and church leaders in
the Philippines during the dark years of Martial rule in
the 70s and 80s. Ocampo went on to note how
Ninan led the Asian delegation at a watershed event
that issued a Discipline and Guideline for an
Ecumenical Sharing of Resources in the churches
and ecumenical aid agencies.

their very own lives. He also recalled the recent


history of Christianity in Maharashtra including the
inauguration of the Church of North India in 1970 in
Nagpur, a leading city in the state. Despite George
Ninans own long years of active work in the
ecumenical movement in India and at the Asian level,
he decided that his work in the Nasik diocese would
be primarily pastoral to be with the rural poor,
especially Dalit people in their sorrow and joy.
He noted: A friend of mine, a former missionary to
the diocese of Nagpur, John Gilbert, wrote to me a
few days ago; and knowing my over enthusiasm to
get things done, he reminded me that "being" is as
important as "doing." We must ask the Holy Spirit to
help us to offer ourselves to God in such a way that
our very being will be a testimony and will reflect
Gods righteousness more than what we attempt to
do. The members of the Nasik Diocese are called to
surrender their lives as a living sacrifice to God so
that He will use us as a community placed in rural
Maharashtra to serve the poor, the dalits [lowest
caste], the oppressed and the marginalized people
around us. (George Ninans address at the service
where he was installed as the bishop).
When Bishop Ninan and his wife Rachel left the
diocese five years later, they left behind the legacy of
a lifetime. As Rev. Milind Sojwal, a native of
Maharashtra and currently Episcopal priest in the
United States noted: I remember going to the
diocese of Nasik a couple of years ago. The
dramatic difference this amazing man of God made
in the lives of the poorest of the poor is an amazing
testament to Christian witness. I visited remote areas
of the diocese and he is revered there because he
took time to be present to them. In losing Bishop
Ninan, we have lost a powerful champion of the
poor. He was the voice of the urban and rural poor.
As Metropolitan Geevarghese Coorilose put it, with
Ninans passing, we have lost one of the very few
remaining people's bishops in India.

Pastor to Rural Masses:


While George Ninans focus from the beginning was
on both urban and rural mission, his primary arena till
the 1980s was the Urban Industrial Mission (UIM). As
the bishop of the CNI Nasik diocese during the
1990s, however, the rural context became his key
concern. As the bishop, he lived in the vast rural
district of Ahmednagar and traveled extensively
within the diocese, on some Sundays attending as
many as four worship services. In his address at his
installation service, he linked his work to the legacy
of pioneering Maharashtrian Christian leaders such
as Narayan-Vamen Tilak, Pandita Ramabai and
others. He affirmed that they lived out the Gospel in

Facilitator of Christian Media


George Ninan was a great facilitator. He never
claimed to be an academic theologian or a
professional writer; but he facilitated the emergence
of alternative voices in theologizing, and he initiated
the evolution of relevant Christian literature. The role
he played in the emergence of alternatives forms of
Christian media is especially important. Guardian
Weekly, an independent Christian publication edited
by M. M. Thomas and others was an organ of free
and critical thinking and served the Indian church
and the ecumenical movement in the 1960s and 70s.
For a number of reasons, Guardian discontinued

18 | P a g e F O C U S A p r i l 2 0 1 5

publication during the Emergency period and the


need for an independent Christian newspaper was
strongly felt in several quarters. In response to this
situation, Dr. George Ninan along with friends such
as Dr. George Mathew, Prof. G. R. Karat and others,
initiated the process to found a fortnightly paper of
current affairs with the name, Peoples Reporter.
There is no doubt that Peoples Reporter today is
one of the most respected ecumenical journals in
Asia and has had an unparalleled impact on the
churches and the ecumenical movement. Ninan
followed closely the work of the paper and
contributed richly to the process of critical and
serious thinking in Christian mission, ecumenical
movement and social action.
When Bishop Ninan moved to the United States, he
found himself in a totally different context but his
enthusiasm and commitment to be of service to the
church and society was not diminished. In North
America, the situation of the migrant Indian Christian
community was of particular concern for him.
Realizing the need for a trans-denominational
ecumenical family magazine that addressed the
concerns of the migrants at a deeper level, he led a
team effort to found The Meeting Point, a monthly
magazine. It was his deep concern that TMP should
be an open endeavor that would encourage the
people of Indian origin in the diaspora to come
together, share concerns and be involved in the
creative work of rebuilding the church and social
structures. Bishop Ninan was, however, also a
pragmatic. He soon realized the limitations in
sustaining a printed magazine in the Western world
in the twenty first century. During his last few
months, he was exploring the possibility of bringing
out The Meeting Point as an online publication. He
has now left that unfinished task for us to carry on.
Life in the Diaspora:
The last chapter of George Ninans life was lived in
the context of North America. Life in the West
proved vastly different from his work so far but his
innate ability to raise prophetic challenges in every
situation remained a constant factor. He came to the
United States at the turn of the century when the
diaspora communities of Indian churches were
taking root there. In a way, he was a part of that
process and provided pastoral care by addressing
not only the spiritual needs of the people but also
their longing for the culture and values of a
motherland far away. And yet, with his speeches and
writings, he urged the Indian Christians in America to
shed their parochial worldview and enable their
children to be full-fledged citizens of their new

homeland. He was concerned about the fact that the


Indian Christian Community in USA, by and large,
stick together and tend to lean back on the past. As
he put it, The Indian Church showed to the world
Ecumenical possibilities several decades ago in the
bold and historical formation of the Church of South
India and the Church of North India. But having
received only very little encouragement by partner
denominations here, coupled with the self- interest
of the leadership of the Indian Church, a number of
immigrant Christians especially from the Church of
South India ended up in fundamentalist camps
and become part of the problem rather than part of
the solution. (Random Reflections, The Meeting
Point, September 2012). He believed that it was time
for the Indo-American immigrant Christians to lean
forward, become an integral part of the context and
make their contributions to the society at large. As
Professor Rachel McDermott noted, To me, Bishop
Ninan was a marvelous example of someone who
did not wish to "ghettoize" Indian Christians resident
in the US but desired and strove to meld/merge the
two, in his own congregation. He spoke to me of the
challenges of this, but felt that separation was not
the answer.
While Ninan believed that the Indian Christian
community in the United States should become an
integral part of the American church and society, he
warned the Indians in the diaspora against
conforming to the consumerist and individualist
culture of the West. He affirmed the need for
prophetic voices that will be concerned about the
poor and the needy in the land. As he put it, The
American churches seem to be dominated by the
culture of individualism and are mostly involved in
paternalistic charitable work. The challenge to deal
with structural and systemic changes to allow the
marginalized sections of the society to sit at the
table and enjoy equal status and benefits with dignity
seems to evade them. (Random Reflections,
October 2012). Bishop George Ninans selfunderstanding of Christian mission can be summed
up in his own words: To be a disciple of Jesus is a
daring activity, a process of swimming against the
current, a willingness to be part of Gods creative
work and boldness to take risk.
Editors Note: Dr. Jesudas M. Athyal
is a Research Fellow at the Boston
University School of Theology. He is
the Editor of Religion in Southeast
Asia: An Encyclopedia (Santa Barbara:
ABC-CLIO, 2015) and, The Indian
Presence in the Ecumenical Movement
in the Twentieth Century (Geneva:
WCC, 2014). He had served as the Associate Editor of
Oxford Encyclopedia of South Asian Christianity.

19 | P a g e F O C U S A p r i l 2 0 1 5

Rites, Sacraments, and Ceremonials for the 21st Century


Dr. Zac Varghese, London
[This paper was previously published in the Sabha
Tharaka and also in the Mar Thoma Messenger
(Tharaka Vol 98: No.8, 1990, 17-18). Since liturgical
revision is a continuous demand from our laity as
expressed in the 33rd Mar Thoma Family conference in
the UK in 2015, it is worth revisiting this theme. My
thoughts have not changed over the last 25 years on
this issue.]

in worship have failed to find God because the


worship has been inappropriate or irrelevant.

Leave this chanting and singing and telling of beads!


Whom dost thou worship in this lonely dark corner of a
temple with doors all shut? Open thine eyes and see
thy God is not before thee!
He is there where the tiller is tilling the hard ground
and where the path-maker is breaking stones. He is
with them in sun and in shower, and his garment is
covered with dust. Put off they holy mantle and even
like him come down on the dusty soil!
Come out of thy meditations and leave aside thy
flowers and incense! What harm is there if thy clothes
become tattered and stained? Meet him and stand by
him in toil and in sweat of thy brow. So says Tagore
in Gitanjali.
This is what Huxley had to say about seeking God in
Worship:
Theoretically any ritual or sacraments are as good
any other ritual or sacrament provided always that the
object symbolized be, in fact, some aspect of Divine
Reality and that the relation between the symbol and
the fact be clearly defined.. Human experience
can be thought as effectively in Chinese as in English
or French. But in practice, Chinese is the best
language for those brought up in China, English for
those brought up in England, and French for those
brought up in France For persons who have
been brought up to think of God by means of one set
of symbols, it is very hard to think of Him in terms of
others, and, in their eyes, unhallowed sets of words,
ceremonies and images.
Both Tagore and Huxley had captured the essence of
seeking God in worship. Worship is not only a basic
human instinct, it is a basic human need, bringing life
to God and transforming life in God. There is a
working definition of worship, which is giving God
worth or respect. But, surely worship is much more
dynamic than that. Ask most young people what they
think of our church services and they will tell you
bluntly, boring. Many of those who have sought God

There is a village church struggling to find its way in


the charismatic expression of faith and speaking in
tongues, thinking that good worship must be in the
Spirit or Spirit-led.
There is the city church with its Revd Dr. Vicar
struggling to cope with Upanishad and Bhagavad Gita
and interfaith dialogue with a congregation, which in
the rest of its life, Monday to Saturday, has no use for
such scholarly concepts. Such worship is surely
inappropriate.
Then there is the worship, which is irrelevant to our
experience and our world. The prophet Amos, in the
indictment of Israelites worship, was not telling his
people to stop worshipping but to start worship
relevantly, taking seriously the problems of what was
then a divided society. So what is the link between our
Sunday worship and those starving millions in
Ethiopia? What is the link between our worship and
those in Kashmir valley? What is the link between our
worship and those in our country with no hope of a job

20 | P a g e F O C U S A p r i l 2 0 1 5

or who cannot provide for their loved ones? Worship


which does not integrate our needs or intimacy with
God with exposure to His demands to do justice and
love righteousness is worship, which Amos spurned
as blasphemous. But that disintegration between
Sunday worship and the rest of the life out there
happens also in a more personal way. How often have
you needed to come to church to cry with fellow
Christians and the atmosphere simply has not allowed
it? Or perhaps you wanted to celebrate your Gold
Medal and you have not felt allowed to let go. And you
have wondered, Where is God in my suffering and in
my excitement if I cannot bring what I am feeling into
the worship service?
People go to church in an attempt to make sense of
their experience of being human, to be with God, to be
with fellow Christians, to be with themselves, to
prepare for marriage, birth and death. When these
become possible within a loving and caring Christian
community,
worship
becomes
powerful
and
meaningful.
During the 16th century in England, there had been a
great dissatisfaction with the Anglican liturgy, a strong
desire to reform it. Anglicans are grateful Thomas
Cranmer for giving them a Common Prayer Book, in
which services were given a fixed and unvarying frame
work, which is the basis of all liturgical stability,
combined with enough variety to avoid monotony.
Cranmers work on the liturgy of the Church of
England has given them, as he wished, a Communion
Service which is done by the priest and the people
together and where both consecrated bread and wine
are given and received. Before Cranmer, the priest
had performed the Service virtually out of sight and
hearing of the congregation. Cranmer succeeded in
simplifying the Latin Services of the medieval church
and produced a liturgy for the age in which he lived.
His aim was that every part of the public worship
should be in an understandable form so that people
could be enlightened.
John Fenwick writing about worship in the Spirit
made the following observation: Liturgy, after all, is
one of the marks of the continuity of the church, but
we can never go back and recreate a past age. This is
as true for the charismatic who wishes to recreate
what he imagines to be worship of the church of
Corinth of AD 50 (without, of course, its problems) as
it was for the former generations of the Alcuian Club
who wish to recreate what they imagined to be the
worship of 1549. God calls His people on, in continuity
with the past. This has rather disturbing implications
that those things that were once very important cease
to be so or are important in a different way.

We, as Mar Thoma Christians also cannot live in the


past. We also should move on. The young people in
our church have been signaling for a meaningful liturgy
and it is necessary to respond to their demand.
Since our worship has been sterile and dull young
people have looked elsewhere to worship. If the
traditional church does not provide an adequate
focus, others will be substituted. Many traditional
Christians in the West have joined House churches
because they found the style of worship in their parish
churches too rigid and sterile. Another solution is to
find focus for worship in a close relationship. It may be
fine to see hints of Gods presence in the natural
world; it is fine to discover something of this in human
relationship. But there is always the danger of
confusing the creature with the creator, of turning the
icon into an idol. C. S. Lewis wrote, These things are
not the things itself. They are only the scent of a flower
we have not found, the echo a tune we have not
heard, news from a country we have not visited.
It is becoming increasingly clear that we are in a
multiplicity of ways preventing the young people of our
church to understand and enjoy our rich liturgy. It may
be that we ourselves do not understand it to pass it
on. Once again those who understand it have a
responsibility as stewards of our traditions, and it is
undoubtedly their duty to bring in necessary reforms
to make it meaningful for everyone in the church.
How, then, do we find a way through? It seems we
need a worship, which enables us to get in touch with
the depths of God and the depths of human
experience. We also need discipline in worship, which
protects us from being overwhelmed by those depths
and intensity. It is this church discipline, which
prevented the Early Church from being overwhelmed.
Alongside the spiritual freedom came discipline
discipline of belonging to a community, discipline of
attendance at the church, discipline of teaching
ensuring that the focus of worship was suffering
crucified Christ who had risen and glorified.
Editors Note: Dr. Zac Varghese,
London, U.K., was the director of Renal
&
Transplantation
Immunology
Research of Royal Free Hospital and
Medical School in London. He has coauthored
Medical
textbooks
and
published
extensively
on
Transplantation,
Nephrology,
Inflammation,
and
lipid-mediated
vascular injury. He is an Emeritus Professor and continues to
be a supervisor for doctoral studies even after his retirement.
He is also a prolific writer on religious and ecumenical issues;
he continues to work relentlessly for the common good of
the worldwide Mar Thoma Diaspora communities.

21 | P a g e F O C U S A p r i l 2 0 1 5

Dr. M. M. Thomas: Prophet of New Humanity in the Twentieth Century


Most Rev. Dr. Joseph Mar Thoma Metropolitan, Thiruvalla
May 15, 2015 marked the birth centenary of Dr. M.M.
Thomas, the renowned theologian, social thinker,
prophet, and practitioner of new humanity. Dr. M.M.
Thomas was Indias precious gift to the world in the
twentieth century. He presented varied and new
visions in theology and was a strong spokesperson of
the ecumenical movement and an exemplary
humanitarian. As one whose life embodied his
message, MMT began his church life as the first
General Secretary of the Mar Thoma Yuvajana
Sakhyam in the early 1930s. As a visionary par
excellence, he was a true model for the youth. He
gave Yuvajana Sakhyam a visionary working model,
the basis of which was a theology with deep-rooted
social commitment. In the 1940s, when interpretations
of political and independence ideologies made an
impact on college campuses, Dr. M.M. Thomas had a
unique role in forming a distinctive stream of thought.
It is worth noting the role of U.C. College, Aluva, in
moulding great people with visionary background and
presenting them to the society. It had its influence on
Dr. M.M. Thomas as well. Born on May 15, 1916 as
the son of Madathipparambil M.M. Mammen and
Mariamma of Kozhencherry, and growing up in the
spiritual, social, and educational milieu of Kerala,
spreading wings across the large horizon of universal
humanist philosophy, yet being an iconic figure of
ideals and humble lifestyle, he could reflect the
glorious light of social liberation thought that
universally emerged within the Western-Eastern
philosophies.
In world history, the twentieth century is considered an
era of change. National consciousnesses, progress of
science, impact of education, commitment to valuebased democracy, and new trends in communication,
all have contributed to change in all aspects. In the
early years of the last century, faith and hope in the
imminent Kingdom of God was clear and active in the
hearts of people. But the II World War shattered those
dreams. Even though many nations became
independent, they later had fallen prey to dictatorship
and military rule. Despite the realization of Gandhijis
dream for an independent India, his dream of a new
India where the oppressed, the exploited, the
voiceless, and the marginalized will enter the
mainstream of independent India and make a
Ramarajya remained summarily elusive. Elsewhere in
the world as well, there was a pervading feeling of
hopelessness, frustration, and insecurity amid
questions of what needs to be done. It is in this global
context and especially from the ashes of the tragic

events of the II World War there emerged a Theology


of Resurrection like a Phoenix bird fluttering its wings
of hope. The emergence of this stream of thought in
theology provided a Christocentric Theology of
Liberation to the Christian Church, with Dr. M.M.
Thomas being its leading prophet, spokesperson, and
practitioner. This thought pattern spread across the
world in the form of Liberation Theology. In the words
of a South American theologian, whose thought was
captured when he read and reflected on Psalm 145: 910,"The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is
over all that he has made. All your works shall give
thanks to you, O Lord, and all your faithful shall bless
you" (NRSV). This resulted in the development of a
theology based on the Creator of a Created order. The
influence of both Manganam Christhavashram and
Students Christian Movement inspired Dr. M.M.
Thomas to creatively respond to Liberation Theology.
The words and deeds of Dr. M.M. Thomas were a
reminder that it is the dharma of the church to stand in
solidarity with those who suffer pain, are oppressed,
exploited, and marginalized, and also to act
responsibly taking the stance for righteousness in
political and secular spheres. He was careful to form a
model for Christian witness in India by bringing about
the harmony of Christian dharma and Indian heritage.
The Acknowledged Christ of Indian Renaissance (CLS
Madras: 1970), The Secular Ideologies of India and
Secular Meaning of Christ (CLS Madras: 1976), and
Bhagavad Gita: A Christian Appreciation (Malayalam,
CLS Madras: 1987), are his books that laid the
foundations of Indian Christian Theology.
With firm roots on Indian soil, Dr. M.M. Thomas was
instrumental in sowing the seed for the emergence of
a post-colonial theology by bringing the subaltern
voices of the marginalized in society to the purview of
philosophical discussion. The visions and actions of
Dr. Thomas also had a great impact on the approach
of the church towards providing space for those who
lacked a living space. For example, South Travancore
missionary Vedanthachari was a person who worked
within a framework of his own. After his death his
followers were stranded as sheep without a shepherd.
Those churches and fellowships in the area were
unwilling to receive them. Even though they
approached the Mar Thoma priest in Trivandrum, it
remains a fact that even the Mar Thoma Church
turned a cold shoulder to their needs. However, in
those days, Dr. M.M. Thomas, Dr. K.K. George and
friends who were then students at the University

22 | P a g e F O C U S A p r i l 2 0 1 5

College, Trivandrum, ventured to visit those flocks


without a shepherd and catered to their spiritual
growth. This is how the South Travancore mission
fields of the Mar Thoma Evangelistic Association got
established and later parishes formed.
The theology of Dr. M.M. Thomas is that of a new
humanity. The foundational principle of post-colonial
philosophy, which swept over Europe and third world
nations was new humanity. In the discipline of
theology, it assumed the form of Liberation Theology,
Black Theology, Dalit Theology, or Feminist thought.
Dr. Thomas played an important role in evolving this
vision of new humanity as the form of witness for the
Indian Church.
Dr. Thomas sojourned through the path of
Reformation in the Mar Thoma Church. Mar Thoma
Church has a heritage of resistance against the
Portuguese invasion and the influx of foreign liturgical
disputes. The reformation ideals of the church
influenced Dr. Juhanon Mar Thoma Metropolitan, Dr.
M.M. Thomas, Mr. T.M. Varghese, Adv. K.T. Thomas
and others in taking a firm stance in the struggles
against the move towards Independent Travancore at
the time of independence and later against the state of
Emergency in the seventies.
Dr. Thomas's views about the church, and his creative
criticisms gave a sense of consciousness to the
Christian churches in India. His use of terms like Open
Church, Secular Koinonia, gave more clarity and
content to his ecclesiology. Dr. Thomas explains the
plausibility of the witness of an open church in his
book on the reformation of Abraham Malpan. In the
contemporary social, economic, and political setting
where the rights of the minorities are eclipsed and the
process of marginalization of the weak accelerated,
the ecclesial theology of Dr. M.M. Thomas becomes
all the more pertinent.
Dr. M.M. Thomas is the gift of the Mar Thoma Church
to the world ecumenical movement. His election as
Moderator at the Nairobi Assembly was a great
endorsement for his vision and personality. The
Christocentric theology of Karl Barth, Reinhold
Niebuhr, and Hendrik Kraemer helped form his
ecumenical social thinking and missionary outlook.
Jrgen Moltmann was his contemporary and both of
them benefited each other in streamlining their
theological discourse.
Memories and visions of Dr. Thomas who declared
that the ecumenical vision of the Mar Thoma Church
involves universal brotherhood and solidarity with the

weak, will always remain a source of inspiration not


only to the Mar Thoma Church but the global Christian
Church as well. He could not serve as a priest in the
church though he had wished to become one in yester
years. However, he did more service than any priest
by his active presence in the ecumenical endeavours
of the church and by his lucid contributions to the
understanding of theology.
The priestly vision of the Mar Thoma Church is open,
broad, and democratic. It is the tradition of the Mar
Thoma Church to give ample role to the laity and to
encourage their diversified ministries. Dr. Thomas'
presence and suggestions in the committee for
selecting ministerial candidates in the church were
greatly honoured. His contributions towards upholding
the legacy of the Mar Thoma Church in the ecumenical
realm will always be appreciated. His contributions in
the ecumenical arena of CISRS and WCC were
honoured by all. Dr. Thomas's life partner Mrs.
Pennamma, his sister Mrs. Sosamma, and her
husband Mr. A. K. Thampy complemented and
enriched his visions and actions, together holding to
ethical integrity. Dr. Thomas had an impact on the
perspectives of Dr. T.V. Philip and Dr. T. K. Thomas.
Dr. Thomas passed away on December 3, 1996. His
death is an irreparable loss to the church and society.
Society must continue to discuss his thoughts and
standpoint. Such continuing thought processes and
discussions would make an appropriate tribute to his
legacy during the birth centenary celebrations. As
prophets of new humanity, let us march together in the
divine plan to create a new church, a new humanity,
and a new world.
May the birth centenary commemoration of Dr. M.M.
Thomas make the dream of the Book of Revelation of
the apostle St. John that 'I have seen the new heavens
and the new earth,' a real experience giving us all a
new vision and sense of direction.
Editors Note: We are
humbled and honoured
to publish the article
about late Dr. M. M.
Thomas written by our
beloved
Metropolitan
Joseph Mar Thoma, the
21st Metropolitan of the
Mar Thoma Church.
Thirumeni belongs to
the Palakunnathu family
in Maramon from where
the church had four Mar Thoma in the past including
the reformation leader Palakunnathu Abraham Malpan.

23 | P a g e F O C U S A p r i l 2 0 1 5

History Mar Thoma Church Poolatheen at Thiruvalla


The Syrian Seminary at Kottayam (Orthodox Seminary)
was the official residence of the Malankara
Metropolitans in the past. Our Metropolitan Mathews
Mar Athanasius stayed at the Syrian Seminary,
Kottayam followed by his successor Thomas Mar
Athanasius. After the Royal Court verdict in 1889, the
Malankara Metropolitan Thomas Mar Athanasius
shifted his official residence to the Maramon Church,
his own parish, where the reformation began at the
leadership of Palakunnathu Abraham Malpan. While
his successor Titus I

Poolatheen, which was built in 1919 as a memorial to


his predecessor. Metropolitans Titus II, Dr. Abraham
Mar Thoma and his successor Metropolitan Dr.
Juhanon Mar Thoma resided there. It was a dire need
for the Church to build a new Poolatheen when the
number of Bishops increased to five. Its construction
started in November 14, 1965, and was dedicated on
May 14, 1968. Four Metropolitans, Dr. Juhanon Mar
Thoma, Dr. Alexander Mar Thoma, Dr. Philipose Mar
Chrysostom Mar Thoma and Dr. Joseph Mar Thoma
resided there. After 45 years of using the building as
the official residence of Metropolitans, it became an
increasingly felt need to construct a new official
residence for the Metropolitan of the worldwide Mar
Thoma Church. Joseph Mar Thoma took the
leadership for building the New Poolatheen with
approval from Sabha Prathinidhi Mandalam. On
August 15, 2013, Metropolitan Dr. Joseph Mar Thoma
laid the foundation stone. The construction work
lasted about two years and the Church wholeheartedly
and generously joined in the noble endeavour.

Poolatheen (1919)
Metropolitan was residing in the upper room of the
church, the building collapsed in the year 1905. But
His grace escaped miraculously and eventually shifted
his residence to the thatched old building of the Syrian
Christian Seminary at Thiruvalla. In the year 1908 a

Poolatheen (1968)
New Poolatheen (2015)
The dedication of the New Poolatheen was held on
Sep. 1, 2015 by His Grace Dr. Joseph Mar Thoma
Metropolitan in the presence of Bishops of Mar Thoma
Church and form sister Churches.

few fanatics set fire the building where the


Metropolitan resided, whereas His Grace was with
miraculously rescued from there. Titus II Metropolitan
is the architect and builder of the Old

The strong leadership of the present Metropolitan,


Joseph Mar Thoma, and the wholehearted support of
the faithful believers of the Church was behind the
dream of a new Poolatheen came into a reality.
FOCUS congratulates Joseph Mar Thoma and all
those who worked to make it a reality and as a
beautiful historical landmark for future generations of
Mar Thoma Church. May it enable us to continue the
faith journey of the Church under the grace of our
Triune God.

24 | P a g e F O C U S A p r i l 2 0 1 5

25 | P a g e F O C U S A p r i l 2 0 1 5

Anda mungkin juga menyukai