ISSUE 1 | JANUARY-MARCH 2010 | TO SEE THE EVANGELISATION OF THE SUBCONTINENT & THE TRANSFORMATION OF OUR SOCIETIES | ALPHAINDIA.ORG
alpha india news THE QUARTERLY NEWSPAPER OF ALPHA INDIA
NEWS IN BRIEF GAT Reports Global Alpha Training is helping fuel the growth and health of Alpha courses across the country. In this issue, reports from Gujarat and Coimbatore, and a note from Alpha India’s GAT Coordinator. Pages 6-7
20 BAPTISED ON
REMOTE SAGAR ISLAND
Reports from the field Inside: read testimonies from guests, pastors and course hosts on how Alpha is transforming lives and bringing people to a relationship with Jesus Christ. Pages 4-5 SERIAL: Chapter One of Nicky Gumbel’s new book, ‘How to Revolutionise your Relationships’. This book is based on Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, and offers a succinct guide to bettering your relationships with your spouse, children, bosses and colleagues. Pages 8-11
14 STORIES OF LIFE TRANSFORMATION FROM ACROSS THE NATION | PAGES 4-5...
Freedom or License
Prayer The prayer focus for this issue is the Buddhist world. Direction for prayer can be found on page 12, along with prayer points for Alpha India and the work in 2010. Your prayer partnership is greatly appreciated! Financial Partnership We appreciate your financial partnership. If you are inspired to support Alpha India then please use the details below, or contact Thomas Mathew at the Alpha India Office. Alpha India Account Details: Account Number: 03532000005741 Name: Alpha India Bank: HDFC Bank Ltd. Branch: Kalyan Nagar, Bangalore Account Type: Current Account
Guest editorial By Revd Graham Tomlin
Freedom to choose is one of the ‘rights’ we all think we have. Yet global culture today seems poised between visions of freedom that look more like destructive license, and ways of life that restrict the liberty of huge sections of society such as women, ethnic or religious minorities, or the poor who have little access to the wealth that brings opportunity. In the gospel, Christ offers us freedom, but what does that mean? What kind of freedom does he offer?
In 1520 Martin Luther wrote a short work called ‘The Freedom of a Christian’. In it he celebrated the freedom all Christians possess: “A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none.” In faith, a Christian is freed from the demands of law, of external human requirements that override personal conscience or liberties. The Christian enjoys what St Paul called the ‘glorious liberty of the children of God.’ Yet this is only half of the picture of Christian freedom in Luther’s mind. The other half he summarizes in the statement: “The Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.” In other words, the Christian, having received her freedom from Christ then freely surrenders
that very freedom to become the servant of others. It seems at first sight an odd argument. What might make a sane person seemingly turn their back on the delicious freedom from obligation, freedom to choose, freedom to act as they wish, only to become a slave again? The most straightforward answer is in the simple insight that for the Christian, freedom is a gift not a right. FREEDOM AS GIFT In the Enlightenment, freedom was very much a right. It was ‘self-evident’ to Thomas Jefferson that ‘Liberty’ was one of the ‘inalienable rights’ of human beings as defined in the American Declaration of Independence. Yet
‘Freedom’ in the New Testament has a metaphorical power that it does not possess for us today – it is a metaphor of freedom from slavery. For a Christian, freedom is not an ‘inalienable right’. It is something forfeited by sin, and restored by the grace of Christ. It might not have been this way. Because of this, Christian freedom comes with a sense of obligation and indebtedness. It is still true gift, yet it carries with it a sense that you are in the debt of the giver, not in a binding way, but out of sheer gratitude and wonder. It elicits the desire to do something, anything to honour the giver. St Paul, as usual, puts it succinctly: “For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not (continued page 8...)
2 National Alpha Office contact details: Alpha India 219, 5th A Main Road, Kalyan Nagar, HRBR 2nd Block, Bangalore - 560 043 Tel: 080 2542 0902 IDD: +91 80 2542 0902 Email: contact@alphaindia.org Web: www.alphaindia.org
Patron: The honorable Shri S. C. Jamir, Governor of Maharashtra
National Director: Mr J Varadaraj Board Members: Scott Norling, Chairman Chris Sadler, Alpha Asia Pacific Chairman J Varadaraj, National Director Dr A. F. Pinto, CEO of St. Xavier Group of Schools and Ryan International Schools Gul Kripalani, Managing Director of Pijikay Dr H. T. Sangliana, Vice Chairman, National Minorities Commission Fr. Anthony D’Souza S.J. Director of the Xavier Institute of Leadership Amrit Kunder, Builder/Developer Noel Swaranjit Sen, Former Police Chief of Andhra Pradesh T. David Raj, Joyce Meyer Ministries, India Sam Rufus, Country Head for Deloitte Matthew Anthony, Secretary for Evangelisation, Archdiocese of Delhi
Church Advisory Board: Archbishop Vincent Concessao Bishop Rt. Rev. V. M. Malavia Rev. Dr D. Mohan, Superintendant of AOG India
State Coordinators Contact details: Andhra Pradesh: Susheel K Chattar Mob: 098660-99184 Andhra Pradesh - Vizag: Paul J L Mob: 094408-61979 Assam and Meghalaya: Ranjit De Mob: 094347-59794 Bihar: George Muller Mob: 094310-16124 Gujarat: D Jimmy Mob: 098254-44197 Himachal Pradesh: Rupak K Nayak Mob: 093189-02997 Karnataka: John Roy Mob: 099161-11225 Kerala: Mon C George Mob: 094464-83577
ALPHA NOTES
ALPHA INDIA NEWS JANUARY - MARCH 2010
TRAINING CALENDAR
THE NUMBERS
January 5-6: 2-day Alpha Training for Leaders of Mission India in Nagpur
India
January 11-15: Global Alpha Training in Gopalpur, Orissa
Baptisms from courses: 2009
January 11-12: 2-day Alpha Training in Ludhiana, Punjab January 18-19: 2-day Alpha Training in Abohar, Punjab January 25-30: Alpha India Family Retreat / Strategy Planning 2010 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Courses running (cumulative): 2008 2009 2010 2011
5,400 6,900 13,440 (projected) 21,504 (projected)
Church Leaders trained:
March 9-12: Global Alpha Training in Shillong, Meghalaya March 14-15: Vision to Action Conference, Delhi; RC Priests Training, Delhi March 16-17: CNI Bishops Meet in Pune
WEB NOTES
2008 2009 2010
15,000 11,600 36,000 (planned)
No. of Training Events: 2008 2009 2010
229 238 768 (planned)
Co-ordinators in the field:
Join the Alpha Global Prayer Network
2008 2009 2010
The Alpha Global Prayer Network email newsletter is sent out quarterly with prayer points from Alpha offices worldwide. You can join the mailing list today by emailing ben.randall@alpha.org and you can also view the current prayer points at alphafriends.org/prayer
Read this newspaper on the web www.alphaindia.org
20 15 32 (planned)
Resource Churches: 2008 2009 2010
0 2 6+ (planned)
Developing Partnerships: • • • • • • • • •
Maharashtra - Mumbai: Bhanu & Sheena P Raju Mob: 093719-12887
Christian Outreach Mission New Life Fellowship Church of North India (CNI) Roman Catholic Church Assemblies of God, India (AOG) World Vision India Compassion India Mission India Indian Christian Ministries
Courses in India
Orissa: Tushar K Behera Mob: 093371-41600
25000
Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore: Ravi Kumar
20000
Uttar Pradesh: Vinay P Dayal Mob: 093594-86843
15000
West Bengal: Dilip and Kakali Debnath Mob: 098742-07760
10000
West Bengal - Kolkata: Prabir Mondal
5000
© Alpha India 2010 Edited and published by J.V Raj for Alpha India
36,135
Projected
0 2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
ALPHA INDIA NEWS JANUARY - MARCH 2010
ALPHA NOTES
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WHAT IS THE ALPHA COURSE? Humour breaks down barriers and makes people feel relaxed. We are trying to avoid intensity, because intensity is very off-putting to people outside the church.
Alpha is a place where answers to key questions of life can be discovered through discussion and relationship, and where each person’s faith can develop at their own pace, without pressure from others.
P is for paratha, poori or pongal:
There are three key components to each Alpha course meeting: a meal, a talk, and discussion in small groups. The meal allows for friendships to develop amongst the guests, the talk presents key aspects of the Christian faith, while the small group discussion gives the guests the opportunity to talk about the questions they have.
WHO IS IT FOR? Anyone wanting to explore the meaning of life! More than 13 million people have now attended Alpha courses in tens of thousands of churches, homes, workplaces, schools, military bases, prisons and retirement homes worldwide. Alpha is supported and used by all the major Christian denominations.
HOW DOES IT WORK? We use a useful mnemomic to explain how the Alpha course works, based on the word A.L.P.H.A.
A is for anyone: Alpha is for anyone interested in finding out more about the Christian faith. This includes at least five categories of people. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Those who are not Christians. Those who are not churchgoers. Those who are new Christians. Those who want to brush up on the basics. Those new to your church.
L is for learning and laughter: It is possible to learn about the Christian faith and have a great deal of fun at the same time. At Alpha courses there is always a lot of laughter over the meals and in discussion groups. During the talks we try to introduce as much humour as we can.
The meal on Alpha has a profound significance because it is over the meal that friendships are formed. The meal gives guests the opportunity to relax with each other and talk about what ever they want - from work to cricket, family, the weather, whatever! Basically, it is a time to share about the everyday things of life.
H is for helping one another: It is amazing to watch a group of people from outside the church changing over the course of ten weeks. There are many factors involved in this process, including the talks and the hosts and helpers. But very often it is because the guests themselves are helping each other through their sharing and discussions.
A is for ask anything: On Alpha, no question is regarded as too simple or too hostile. Some of the people who come on the course may be angry, confused or antogonistic, and that is absolutely fine! - these are the people the course is designed for.
THE ALPHA TALKS There are 15 talks on the Alpha course, which are given over the ten weeks of the course and the weekend away. Each talk covers key areas of the Christian faith, and small group discussion takes place after each talk.
Session 1: Is there More to Life than This? Why should Christianity be of any interest to me? Is there any evidence that it is true? Does the Christian faith have any relevance to my life today?
Session 2: Who is Jesus? What historical evi-
dence is there for the existence of Jesus? This talk considers his claims, his teaching, his character, his fulfilment of prophecy and his resurrection from the dead.
Session 3: Why did Jesus Die? The cross is the
central image of Christianity. Why was the crucifixion necessary and what did it achieve?
Session 4: How can we have Faith? How can we
begin a relationship with God and how can we know that we have eternal life?
Session 5: Why and how do I Pray? Does God
really hear all our prayers? If so, does he answer them? What is the secret of successful prayer? Where do I start?
Session 6: Why and how should I Read the
Bible? What’s so special about the Bible? How can this ancient book be relevant to my life today? How could I study it more?
Session 7: How does God Guide us? Life is full of decisions. Is it possible for God to take an interest in the choices we make every day? If so, how and how much does he direct our lives?
Session 8: Who is the Holy Spirit? We know
about God the Father and Jesus the Son, but who is the Holy Spirit and where did he come from?
Session 9: What does the Holy Spirit do? How does the Holy Spirit affect our relationship with God and with each other? Does he change our character and attitude?
Session 10: How can I be Filled with the Holy Spirit? What does it mean to be filled with the Spirit? And how, in practice, does it happen?
Session 11: How can I Resist Evil? How does
Christianity explain the evil we see in our world? What can we do to overcome it?
Session 12: Why and how should I tell Others?
Isn’t faith in God a private matter? Why do we need to talk about what we believe? What’s the best way of doing it?
Session 13: Does God Heal Today? Is healing
from God really possible today? If so, why doesn’t God heal everyone? How do I go about praying for the sick?
Session 14: What about the Church? Do you
have to go to church to be a Christian? How much does the church really matter to God? Where do we fit in?
Session 15: How can I Make the Most of the
Rest of my Life? We only get one life. What difference does a relationship with God make to the way we live?
Cartoon by Charlie Mackesy, taken from Telling Others by Nicky Gumbel
Alpha is an opportunity for anyone to explore the Christian faith in a relaxed, non-threatening setting over ten thought-provoking weekly sessions, with a day or weekend away.
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from the field
learnt that Alpha can be effective in our type of ministry.
This section of Alpha India News is dedicated to stories of transformed lives and impacted churches from across the country. Stories posted here were sent to us by Alpha course guests, Church Pastors and Alpha State Coordinators. Please do send us your own stories, and let us know if this section has been an encouragement to you - alphaindiaoffice@gmail.com
INMATE SAVED, SPARKS HOPE IN ORISSA PRISON
by Tushar K. Behera, Coordinator for Orissa “An inmate of a prison in Western Orissa, who has been booked under very serious charges, recently accepted Jesus as his personal Saviour! He came to know Jesus through the Alpha activities we are running in the prison, and he is now helping us with the work as a course helper. His changed behaviour and attitude have made an impact on jail authorities who are now giving much cooperation for this work. They invited us to come to the jail on Christmas Day 2009 and give the Gospel of love, and all the inmates and jail authorities will be attending and listening to the Gospel. For this achievement we are very thankful to our partner in the field, National Prison Ministry, and their volunteers working with us.”
PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPS BETWEEN CNI AND ALPHA INDIA GOPALPUR-BY-SEA: The Church of North India has invited Alpha India to partner with them in evangelisation, after the Chairman of Evangelisation for CNI met with Alpha representatives for discussions recently. As a way forward, Alpha India’s National Director was invited to address the CNI Bishops’ Council in November 2009 at GopalpurBy-Sea. It has been decided to invite Bishop Sandy Miller (UK) for a two-day training for Bishops in Pune in March.
ALPHA INDIA NEWS JANUARY - MARCH 2010
ASHA’S LIFE CHANGED
By Madhan Mohan John, Mysore, Karnataka MYSORE: It all started with a ten Week Alpha Course. A handful of people gathered every Wednesday evening and there was a little refreshments first. At that time every member introduced himself and herself. There was no religious talk. Asha was one of the guests who introduced herself to the gathering. Asha said she had studied up to 10th standard, and that her father drinks a lot. She said her father spends all his earnings as a push-cart vendor on alcohol, and and uses rubbish language in the house. She wanted some peace and that is the reason she entered in that place. After the meal and the friendly talk, the Alpha Co-ordinator stood up and talked about Who is Jesus? Until that day Asha was thinking Jesus was a good man who was assassinated by envious Jewish People. But she came to know that Jesus is God and Good Shepherd and He laid His life for the sinner. Asha became more interested and attended all the ten weeks of the Alpha course. She accepted Jesus Christ as her Saviour and Lord of her Life. After many days she wanted to take baptism. She was baptised by the Pastor of the church where she is attending now continuously. She got married recently to a believer. May God bless their married life!
“FIFTEEN NEW FAMILIES ADDED TO OUR CHURCH!” By Pastor Patras Masih, Punjab
“I am Pastor Patras Masih of Eternal Gospel Church, residing in Punjab. I attended training at Lucknow in February 2009. I learnt a lot in the training and after that Pastor Rupak Nayak conducted another Alpha training programme at Faridkot from 29-30 July 2009. After that training we continued praying for a month about starting this Alpha. Then on 6 September 2009 evening we started the course. This night affected two persons and thus we
We then started Alpha in small groups with all the 10 lessons. 20 new believers were added through these small group Alpha courses. We had also started a second course on 16 September which finished on 8 November. Two of our church members were blessed by this course and they started another small course. By these courses we have thus got fifteen families to our church! Thus Alpha is a boost to our Fellowship. We continue to pray for the Alpha courses.”
KIRAN: A NEW RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS By Job Livingstone Paul, Coordinator for Andhra Pradesh
HINDUPUR: D. Samuel Kiran was born into a Christian family, and is a student by profession. In September 2009 he was invited to the Alpha course which was starting in his church. He started attending casually, and found it very interesting because everything he saw in the Alpha course was new for him. Kiran says that through the course he realised that the life he was living was nominal. He says the Alpha course has helped him build a new relationship with Jesus Christ, and learn real Christian foundations.
20 BAPTISED AFTER SAGAR ISLAND COURSES
By Dilip Debnath, Alpha Coordinator, West Bengal Since 2008, the Alpha course has been used by Baptist Mission to share Christ on Sagar Island, in the Sunderban Delta area of West Bengal, close to the Bay of Bengal. 20 Alpha course guests who received Jesus Christ were baptised last November, as part of a group of 46 people who had come to faith during the recent work of the Mission. The Sunderban Delta covers an area of 30 square kilometres and has a population of
DO YOU WANT TO ENCOURAGE OTHERS WITH YOUR PERSONAL ALPHA STORY? Please email or write to us today, alphaindiaoffice@gmail.com or the National Office postal address, page 2.
ALPHA INDIA NEWS JANUARY - MARCH 2010
from the field God healed her, and she has since given birth to a baby girl. Sangeeta worships Jesus with her husband.
YOUTH SAVED!
IN HIS OWN WORDS...
CUTTACK: “I would like to share the story of Mr Ramesh, a non-Christian youth, aged 21. Ramesh attended the Alpha course running at the Assembly of Believers Church here in Cuttack, and came to know Jesus as true Lord and Saviour.
By George Muller, Alpha Coordinator, Bihar A young man called Satrudhan recently put his faith in Jesus Christ at an Alpha course in Sitamarhi district, Bihar. “Without Christ it is difficult to walk in this dark world,” he says. more than 300 thousand people. The people live on fishing and agriculture, and various groups and faiths live together in harmony.
GEETA’S LIFE CHANGED AFTER 2ND ALPHA TALK
Over the past two years Baptist Mission has reached into most parts of Sagar Island and has started Alpha courses at various locations. At present, by the grace of God, Baptist Mission has 8 house fellowships (where only seekers are attending), 15 preaching points, 8 Sunday schools operating with 250 children (all other faith children), 2 free tuition centres with 60 primary-age students, and 3 evangelists.
“My name is Geeta. I am from Shwarghat (Bilashpur). I was a nominal Christian. I was led to an Alpha course and my life was changed when I listened to ‘Why did Jesus Die?’ I loved the small group discussions. Now I have started sharing about Jesus to others through the Alpha course. I get a real joy in sharing Jesus to others.”
Alpha’s Advisor for Sagar Island is Rev. Madan Mohan Gharai.
KERALA TRAINING SPARKS PRAYER By Mon C. George, Alpha Coordinator Eight pastors from different denominations came for the Alpha training at ChirayinKeezhu in Trivandrum in November 2009, and many exciting things have since happened, including new Alpha courses starting. IPA Church, which hosted the training, has seen a number of people come to faith on their first Alpha course, and people from their Alpha course have started attending the Friday morning service at the church - even people yet to make a decision of faith! Also, after the training the pastors decided to gather every Friday for an all-night prayer meeting. This is the first time they have had an inter-denominational gathering like this, and they are now regularly meeting like this for prayer.
HEALED IN BIHAR
By George Muller, Alpha State Coordinator Sangeeta Singh had no child for many years of her marriage. She had gone through various medications, yet she could not get a child. Then one of her friends invited her to the Alpha course running at Shekhpura. After the fifth week’s talk ‘Does God Heal Today?’ she stood and asked for healing so that she could have a baby. Then the course leader prayed for her.
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By Geeta in Himachal Pradesh
“THE LORD GAVE ME PEACE” By Indu, Himachal Pradesh “My name is Indu, I am from a Hindu background. My Christian friend used to tell me about Christ but I was unmoveable. But after the sudden death of my father in early 2009 I was shattered. One evening my friend invited me and my cousin to the Alpha course and there I felt a very
By Tushar K. Behera, Coordinator for Orissa
Previously Ramesh was taking tobacco and liquor and was involved in antisocial behavour along with other youths in his community. During the Alpha Day Away programme his life was changed. He repented and cried like a small child for his past life, and he is now getting ready to accept Jesus as his personal saviour. He is also encouraging his other youth friends to attend the Alpha course, and he is an active Alpha volunteer-helper at his new church. Please pray for him that in the days to come his life will be an example for others in his community, to bring them to Jesus.”
“I ACCEPTED JESUS AS MY SAVIOUR” By Akansha, Uttar Pradesh
“My name is Akansha Singh. I am 22 years old. I am from a Hindu family, presently pursuing my MBA from Amity College. Pastor Morris from Assembly of Believers Church has been known to me for many years. He invited me to attend Alpha course in the evening in his church, and through Alpha I came to know more about Jesus and the purpose of Jesus coming to the world. I accepted Jesus as my personal Saviour and took baptism, and am now serving in church as a worship leader. I have also brought two of my sisters to Jesus.”
“NOW MY CONCEPT ABOUT JESUS IS CLEAR” By Shyam, Uttar Pradesh
close friendship. By attending this course my life was fully changed. I learned how to pray and the Lord gave me peace about many things. My three uncles and their families have also come to faith and now we attend the church at Dalhousie. The Holy Spirit Day especially was a blessing for me and many people there, and I was filled with the Holy Spirit. Now I am sharing faith with my friends who do not know Jesus because HE has changed my life.”
LUCKNOW: “I am Shyam Babu; my age is 26. I am working in a private concern and belong to a Hindu family. I am from a village. Somebody told me about the Assembly of Believers Church and Pastor Morris. I started going to the church but did not know much about Jesus. Then one day Pastor Morris invited me for the Alpha course, and through this Alpha course I accepted Jesus as my personal Saviour. Now my concept about Jesus and Christianity is clear. Now I am a strong believer. I am also trying to bring the rest of my family members to Jesus. Photos from left to right: Baptisms in Mysore; Alpha course meeting in Orissa Prison; Baptisms on Sagar Island; Sangeeta and her new child.
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ALPHA INDIA NEWS JANUARY - MARCH 2010
GLOBAL ALPHA
“A HUGE OPPORTUNITY EXISTS FOR THE CHURCH IN TH IT’S TIME FOR ALL OF US TO ACCELERATE THE DEVELO MESSAGE OF JESUS TO THE WORLD.” - NICKY GUMBEL
What is Global Alpha Training? GAT contributes to Alpha India’s goals of evangelisation and transformation, by directing short-term missions teams to different locations around India to train church leaders to run Alpha courses. The Alpha India National Office coordinates GAT for the country, linking these missions teams with locations and churches identified by Alpha India’s State Coordinators. The Global Alpha Training initiative was originally developed as a follow-up tool for the Billy Graham My Hope India campaign in 2006 - where Alpha was the official course for churches to use amongst new believers. Churches in other countries that were running Alpha courses sent their members to India to assist with training events, and the fruit of this was empowered churches across the nation. Today GAT events are not only running in India, but across Asia, the Pacific region, Africa, the Americas, and Europe.
What do you learn at a GAT event? There are two key types of Alpha Training conducted by Alpha India: Monthly Training & Global Alpha Training. Monthly Training is conducted by Alpha State Coordinators in their respective regions, while Global Alpha Training involves foreign missions teams from partner churches. It is important to note that the content covered in both these training types is actually the same. The key reason for running both is that there is a lot of work to be done, and not enough hands to do it!
So, what do you learn at a GAT event? The session topics include: • • • • • • • •
What is Alpha? Essential Elements of Alpha Alpha in a wider Church ministry Hosting small groups on Alpha Presenting the Alpha Talks Localising Alpha How to run the Holy Spirit Day How to start running an Alpha course
Who can attend GAT Gujarat Report, Oct 09 a GAT event?
By Jimmy Harshkant, Alpha State Coordinator
Anyone with a passion to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. GAT events are designed for Church leaders and volunteers who want to learn how to run the Alpha course. GAT events run for 4-days, so you must be available for the full training programme.
When & where? Training Events are taking place across the country on a regular basis. 9 GAT events are currently confirmed for 2010, and more details will be available in the next issue of Alpha India News. For full details about training in your city, town or village, please contact your State Alpha Coordinator or the Alpha India National Office.
The Global Alpha Training began on 26th evening at 5:00 pm at Greenwoods Lake Resort in Ahmedabad. The total registered delegates for this GAT were 118, and we had 108 consistently attending throughout the sessions on all four days. The delegates were from all denominations, including pastors and lay leaders from CNI, Methodist, Wesselyn, Alliance and Pentecoastal churches, as well as some leaders of Christian Organisations. The opening message was given by the Rev. Dr. Nicholas Parmar, Gujarat’ Auxiliary Secretary of Bible Society and the Vice President of Gujarat Diocese of Church of North India. The training was conducted by two leaders from Holy Trinity Brompton Church (UK), named Peter Bellinger and Andrew Prince. Some topics were also taken by local church leaders - Rev. Julias and Rev. Avinash - and myself, Jimmy. The worship was lead by a team from one of the local churches and the worship and the sessions were very effective. Each morning’s Devotions were taken by leaders from different denominations - Rev. Joel Justin of Wesselyn, Rev. Hiralal Vasava of CNI - as well as Mr. J. Varadaraj of Alpha India . Four Pastors helped with simultaneous translation throughout the trainings.
ALPHA INDIA NEWS JANUARY - MARCH 2010
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TRAINING
HE ASIA PACIFIC REGION OPMENT OF ALPHA, TO BRING THE L On 28th October evening there was visit by the Bishop of Church of North India Gujarat Diocese, Rt. Rev. V. M. Malavia. He addressed the delegates and encouraged them, and gave his words of endorsement for Alpha. The Commissioning on the last day was lead by Mr. J. Varadaraj. This was a great time and so many leaders came to the front for prayers. GAT was excellent and this is going to help churches of Gujarat. We trust God to see 50 to 60 courses starting very soon as a result of this training, and look forward for many Resource Churches to come up in various cities and towns of Gujarat.
A Note from Alpha India’s GAT Coordinator Dear Partner Churches sonal contacts we made, and the enthusiam of the delegates: no one had ever heard of Alpha before the training! We also loved the cooperation with the Alpha India staff, they are very lovely and qualified people,” he says. On cultural sensitivities, Jan Bakker says that his team had to be aware of a few differences between the Dutch and Indian cultures.
GAT Coimbatore Report, July 09 142 delegates attended the GAT event in Coimbatore last July, held at Bethel City Cathedral. A team from The Netherlands provided the training, alongside Alpha India staff. The GAT event was a four-day non-residential program. Leaders from 8 churches participated in the training and courses have now started in various places around the city and in the host church, Bethel, led by Rev. David Prakasam. Jan Bakker led the team from the Netherlands. His team was excited to see the passion of the Christian leaders in Coimbatore. “What we enjoyed most was the amazing per-
“On the first day we realised we had to be sensitive about their humour and also what is considered appropriate cultural behaviour. Dutch people and Indian people have different approaches to things like leadership, timing, organisation etc. Everything at the training worked out perfect but in other ways than we westerners expect!” “We will train future Dutch teams on how to handle these differences when they come to India for GAT.” [Photos from left to right: tea break at Gujarat GAT; small group discussion at Coimbatore; tea break Gujarat; Dutch GAT team; ministry time at Gujarat GAT]
Ever since these GATs were visualised, a very vital component of the vision is to challenge churches globally to raise up volunteer teams to come and train national leaders. This is bringing in elements of best practise in global missions. Each of the training teams at GAT events has a substantial number of leaders from partner churches. They have experienced Alpha and have a desire to come to mission fields. They come with extensive preparation, adding value to the growth of Alpha in the nation. Once a desire is evinced, partner churches need to contact the Alpha International GAT Development Manager, Sarah Drummond (sarah.drummond@alpha.org), or Vinnie Tang (vinnie.tang@alpha.org) for teams within the Asia Pacific region. Then the teams are trained in GAT curriculum as well as cultural issues. Once the dates and venues are fixed, the team is linked with the National Office in each country. Without exception, the teams have been encouraged, challenged and motivated to futher commitment to come back. In some instances, people have resigned from their secular profession and become full-time staff with Alpha. Every team has wanted to come back. In some cases, churches doing Alpha who have plateaued over a period, have been re-energised on the GAT events. Of course, the visiting GAT teams are volunteer teams, and their simple stay and food is taken care of by the National Office. We encourage such teams to come and assist us in developing healthy Alpha course in the country. We look forward to seeing you soon! Jennifer Abraham
resourcing you
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ALPHA INDIA NEWS JANUARY - MARCH 2010
Freedom or License, by Graham Tomlin, contd (...from page 1) use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love, become slaves to one another.” FREEDOM AS LIBERATION There is in Christian theology another answer to the question of why followers of Christ are called to surrender their ‘freedom’ to become a slave all over again. A Christian anthropology does not see humankind as neutral agents, perfectly balanced between good and evil, quite capable of choosing one or the other. That was precisely the Pelagian heresy opposed so vigorously by St Augustine and many others since. We experience instead a bias in our nature, an instinct to choose our own interests above those of others, to be jealous of those who succeed, to be angry with those who cross us, to ignore those who need our help. Christian redemption on the other hand offers freedom from such destructive habits. It offers freedom from a guilty conscience, and the power of the Holy Spirit in the discipline and fellowship of the church, to learn new patterns of behaviour and new instincts. A Christian vision of freedom, is paradoxically, freedom NOT to do what I want. It means freedom from the
compulsion to follow the slavish and often destructive desires of sinful human will – the very desires which as we saw earlier so often destroy relationships, lives and communities. It means the ability to say ‘no’ to actions and impulses which fail to express God’s will for humankind as revealed to us in Christ, the Scriptures and the Christian tradition. Christian freedom does not give me carte blanche to act as I choose, to indulge whatever desires may rise out of my heart, but there is a higher order of freedom, freedom to be who we were created to be, creatures capable of and naturally inclined to self-sacrificial love, freedom to say no to myself and yes to the good of my neighbour, wife, children, friend or even enemy. We are experiencing what some commentators have called ‘the crisis of freedom’. The challenge faced by many contemporary societies is whether they can retain the important liberties gained through technology and political emancipation, yet at the same time, not allow such freedom to become destructive of the very things which bind people and communities together. This vision of freedom as the sheer gracious gift of God, which carries a deep sense of indebtedness and which evokes the desire to please the giver, offers a radical alternative to heteronomous repressive demand. At the same time, the
notion of freedom as liberation from destructive and selfish desire, becoming capable of the very self-sacrificial love which God in Christ displays at Calvary, builds community and relationship. The result is a vision of a community not (as in many ancient societies) where some are masters and some are slaves, nor (as in many modern ones) where everyone is a master, and none are slaves, but one in which all are free, yet are called to choose the path of being slaves of one another - only this time it is freely chosen service, not unwilling conformity. Such a vision of common life whether applied to a nation, a business, a university or a neighbourhood holds the promise of harmony which comes only through the willing, freely-chosen surrender of freedom. Yet it is the church, which first and foremost is called to live such a common life. Today, in our current crisis of freedom, that is perhaps its greatest task.
The Revd Graham Tomlin is Dean of Saint Mellitus College in London and Principal of St Paul’s Theological College. His work is closely associated with the Alpha course, and he is currently developing a new resource on the Theology of Alpha, to be released later this year.
Alpha India News, Resource Feature:
HUSBANDS & WIVES Chapter one from Nicky Gumbel’s book, ‘How to Revolutionise your Relationships’ letter to the Ephesians. Calvin described it as the ‘Crown of Paul’s writings’ and the ‘Distilled essence of Christianity’. Ephesians 5: 22–33 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Saviour. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church – for we are members of his body. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery – but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. What Paul wrote is as revolutionary now as it was 2,000 years ago. What does it mean to be a Christian? The apostle Paul gives us the answer in the
Not everyone speaks positively about marriage. Abraham Lincoln said, ‘Marriage is neither heaven nor hell; it is simply purgatory’. Some people think that if they were married all their problems would be solved. However, someone once said, ‘Marriage is like twirling a baton, doing handstands or eating with chopsticks – it looks easy until you try it’. In this passage from Ephesians, Paul not only tells us how to have a great marriage, but also gives us some tests to use when looking for a marriage partner. Over twenty years ago Good Housekeeping magazine published an article entitled ‘Six ways to learn everything you ever need to know about a man, before you decide to marry him’: 1. Watch him drive in heavy traffic 2. Play tennis with him 3. Listen to him talk to his mother when he doesn’t know you’re listening 4. See how he treats those who serve him 5. Notice what he’s willing to spend his money to buy 6. Look at his friends And if you still can’t make up your mind, then look at his shoes. A man who keeps his shoes in good repair generally tends to the rest of his life too.
The tests given by Paul are somewhat more profound than those offered by Good Housekeeping magazine! He asks us to consider whether we could submit to this person, whether we respect them, and whether we love them. The culture in which Paul lived had a pervading patriarchal ideology. This can be seen in Roman thought as well as in Rabbinic Judaism, where equality for women was unthinkable. Women were regarded as vastly inferior to men. The Greek philosophers in particular perpetuated this thinking. Plato said, ‘A bad man’s fate would be reincarnation as a woman’. Aristotle described a female as a kind of ‘mutilated male’. He said, ‘Females are imperfect males, accidentally produced by the father’s inadequacy or by the malign influence of a moist South wind’. Jesus was born into this patriarchy, and yet he started a revolution. (The term ‘Kingdom of God’ means ‘a revolution’.) Jesus challenged the patriarchy of his day and he challenged the taboo. He spoke to a Samaritan woman in public. He travelled with women disciples. He chose women amongst his closest friends. When teaching about judgment he said, ‘Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; and one will be taken and the other left’ (Matthew 24:40–42). In other words Jesus said that judgment is not going to be made on the basis of gender, but rather it will be
made on the basis of faith. When he went to dinner with Martha and Mary, Martha was doing what was traditionally considered ‘women’s work’. Mary took the traditional male role – sitting at Jesus’ (the rabbi’s) feet. Jesus said, ‘Mary has chosen what is better’ (Luke 10:42). Women were the last people to leave the crucifixion, the first to arrive at the empty tomb and the first witnesses of the resurrection. In this passage, it is clear that the Apostle Paul was following Jesus’ teaching about women by challenging the male patriarchy of his day. This passage provides three essential facets for all relationships.
1. Submit in a way that empowers ‘Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Saviour. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything’ (Ephesians 5:21–24). The NIV translation of the Bible starts this passage on husbands and wives at verse 22. However, I would argue that the passage should actually start at verse 21. The reason for this can be seen by looking at the two verses in the original Greek: 5:21 5:22 The first word is translated ‘submit’. This word does not appear in the Greek in verse 22. The NIV translates verse 22 as, ‘Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord…’. This translation is fine providing that it is linked to verse 21, because the Greek literally says ‘Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ (v.21). Wives to your husbands (v.22)’. The verb ‘submit’ is taken from verse 21, and so verse 21 cannot be isolated from 22, because there is then no verb to translate in verse 22. Verse 21 gives us the heading; it is all about mutual submission. ‘Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.’ Paul does not use the word ‘obey’ in this passage. Submission is not the same as obeying. Submission is a kind of deference; a voluntary yielding in love. As Eugene Peterson puts it, ‘Be courteously reverent’. Incidentally, note that Paul does not say to husbands, ‘Exercise authority over your wives’. Although Paul tells wives to submit to their husbands, the context is mutual submission. It is
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not just a question of who makes the casting vote and who makes the decisions. A husband once remarked, ‘I make all the big decisions and she makes all the little ones. Funny how in fortyfive years no big decisions have ever come up yet.’ St Paul writes, ‘For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Saviour’ (v.23). The Greek word for ‘head’ is and it can be translated ‘head’, ‘source’ or ‘origin’. In some places in the New Testament it is probably better to translate the Greek word as ‘source’ or ‘origin’, rather than headship’. In 1 Corinthians 11:3, for example, Paul is saying that woman originally came from man. He talks about women being subject to men, men being subject to Christ, and Christ being subject to God. There cannot be any ontological subordination intended because Christ is not ontologically subordinate to God the Father. This would be a Trinitarian heresy. Christ and the Father are coequal and coeternal. So what does it mean? There are different views. There are those who believe that the New Testament only advocates male leadership. They point to passages such as 1 Timothy 2:11–12, 1 Corinthians 11 and Titus 2:5. There are others, including myself, who argue that there should be equal opportunities for both men and women to lead in the church. We would point to passages such as 1 Corinthians 4 and in particular to Galatians 3:28, ‘There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus’. This can be understood as a three-stage time bomb. Paul was laying down a general principle that would take quite a lot of time to be activated in history. The barrier between Jew and Gentile came down in the first century, but it took 1800 years to break down the barrier between slave and free. The barrier between male and female has only really come down in the last 100 years, but the foundation for it was laid by Jesus, and subsequently by Paul in the New Testament. In the book, Does Christianity teach Male Headship? we read: Just as Paul does not call for a sudden overturning by Christians of slavery and institution, but undermines it from within by urging both slaves and masters to treat each other as brothers in Christ, so too for the sake of social order and successful evangelism he advises the recipients of his letters to go along with some of the social norms of patriarchy even as he proclaims that in Christ ‘There is neither… male nor female…’
taken from the man to be his helper. (Sometimes people say, ‘Well that sounds like a subordinate role – being a helper’. But this is not the case. The Hebrew word used is the same word used to describe God – God is our helper.) A curse was put on humankind after the Fall, and part of the curse on the woman is that ‘He [the man] will rule over you’ (Genesis 3:16). This is not prescriptive (something that is meant to happen), but rather it is descriptive of what, very often, does happen. The dominance of men over women is not part of the creation ordinance; it is a perversion of the Fall. As John Stott writes, ‘Without any fuss or publicity Jesus terminated the curse of the Fall, reinvested women with their partially lost nobility and reclaimed for his new kingdom community the original creation blessing of sexual equality’. (ii) Difference Men and women are different and Paul addresses wives and husbands differently. As John Howard Yoder said, ‘Equality of worth is not identity of role’. There are different roles for men and for women. Biologically we know that men and women have been created differently, and of course there are unique roles for women: for example, childbirth and breastfeeding. We must try to avoid two dangers. The first danger is gender stereotyping. The ‘men are from Mars, women are from Venus’ approach tends to box people in. Not only is it usually possible to find counter examples but, more importantly, this approach is not biblical.
(i) Equality
Elaine Storkey writes, ‘… in the Bible there are no rigidly prescribed roles, no specified division of labour… no stereotypical notions of what it means to be a husband or a wife’. Sometimes people point to The Wife of Noble Character in Proverbs 31, who looks after her husband and her children. However, in the passage we read that she is also the breadwinner for the family, a trader, a property developer and an international businesswoman! It is difficult to use the Bible to support the restriction of women to one particular sphere.
In the creation account we read that when God created human beings in his own likeness, he created them male and female. Paul goes back to the Creation account in verse 31, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’. Many translations of the Bible use male language for God, but God’s image is represented in male and female. God is beyond male and female, although the image of God is represented by the two together. In the Creation account the woman is
The second danger is to deny the difference between the sexes. This suggests androgyny, or ambiguous gender, which is far from what is described in the Bible. God created men and women to be very different. There are beautiful differences between the masculine and the feminine. We get ourselves into trouble when we try to identify exactly what those differences are. Paul does not do that. Instead, he says, ‘This is a profound mystery’ (v.32), which is much safer. The Bible does not try to restrict the roles, and I (continued page over...)
There are four key words to remember when considering relationships between the sexes.
Cartoons by Charlie Mackesy, taken from The Marriage Book by Nicky and Sila Lee
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10 personally believe that there is no role that should be denied to a man or a woman in the church because of their gender. When you look at the Bible you see women such as Miriam and Deborah leading Israel. In the New Testament there is an outpouring of the Spirit on both men and women, ‘Your sons and your daughters will prophesy’ (Joel 2:28). In the New Testament there are women evangelists, women prophets and women deacons. There even appears to be a woman Apostle; in the list of eight prominent women in Romans 16, Junias is listed as an Apostle (Romans 16:7). Ministry in the New Testament is on the basis of gifting, not on the basis of gender. Nobody should be restricted because of their gender.
RELATIONSHIPS men and for strong women in the church. We see that Jesus’ model of submission actually empowers people. Jesus himself submitted in going to the cross. Authority comes from being under submission, and submission is a very powerful word. Markus Barth said: Jesus Christ demonstrates, rather than loses his dignity by his subordination to the Father. When a person is voluntarily amenable to another, gives way to him, places himself at his service, he shows greater dignity and freedom than an individual who cannot bear to be a helper to anyone but himself.
(iii) Complementarity
Writing about this passage, he says, ‘A greater, wider and more positive description of marriage has not yet been found in Christian literature’.
‘…we are all members of his body’ (Ephesians 5:30).
2. Love in a way that endures
In 1 Corinthians 12:12–26, Paul speaks about unity in the church, using the image of the head and the body. Though each part is different and performs a particular function, they all need each other. The body needs the head; the head needs the body. It is the same with men and women – they also need each other. Male and female together make up the image of God, and the church needs to reflect that image.
‘Husbands love your wives…’(Ephesians 5:25). 70 per cent of this passage is about love, and interestingly, it appears to be directed at the man. But is Paul’s command to love not also directed at women? Some would say that Paul only tells the woman to submit, and therefore the command cannot be mutual. This is not the case. Just as
(iv) Union ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’ (Ephesians 5:31).
John Stott has written: If, therefore, it is the wife’s duty as wife to submit to her husband, it is also the husband’s duty as a member of God’s new society to submit to his wife. Submissiveness is a universal Christian obligation. Throughout the Christian church, including in every Christian home, submissiveness is to be mutual.
found in appearance as a human being, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:5–8). Jesus’ example gives us a beautiful definition of submission. Submission is the opposite of being self-centred; rather it means being centred on the other. There are two kinds of people at parties: those who want to go home early, and those who want to be the last to leave. The trouble is that they are usually married to each other! Marriage requires give and take, and as such it requires the giving of ourselves. Tony Campolo, an American sociologist, is visited by many couples whose marriages are in trouble. He says that when he meets with people who are struggling in their marriage, he challenges them by saying, ‘If you do what I tell you to do for an entire month, I can promise you that by the end of the month, you will be in love with your partner. Are you willing to give it a try?’ He then explains that when a couple accepts his challenge the results are invariably successful: My prescription for creating love is simple: do ten things each day that you would do if you really were in love. I know that if people do loving things, it will not be long before they experience the feelings that are often identified as being in love. Love is not those feelings. Love is what one wills to do to make the other person happy and fulfilled. Often we do not realise that what a person does influences what they feel. Self-giving includes forgiving. Jesus gave himself so that we could be forgiven. Ruth Graham (Billy Graham’s wife) said, ‘Marriage is the union of two forgivers’.
The one flesh unity that Paul describes here is more than a physical act; it is symbolic of male and female joining back together. Just as woman was taken from man at creation, the unity of the two together represents creation restored. There is a beautiful balance in Paul’s teaching. Should wives submit to their husbands? The answer that Paul gives here is, ‘Yes, they must’. The angry refusal to do so, a rebellious attitude, is unbiblical and even ungodly. Should husbands submit to their wives? Paul’s answer again is, ‘Yes’. Male domination, the arrogance that rules over a woman, is the result of the Fall, and it is not how we are meant to relate. We were not created to relate in that way and it is not how Jesus intends us to live.
ALPHA INDIA NEWS JANUARY - MARCH 2010
(ii) Enduring love is sanctifying
Paul was talking to both men and women when he tells the man to love, all of these instructions apply equally to both partners in a relationship. Everybody believes in love, but what does love mean? The kind of love that much of the music industry speaks about is often fleeting. You may remember the old song: ‘Hello I love you Won’t you tell me your name?’ This superficial love does not last. Yet Paul gives us four ways to love in a way that endures: (i) Enduring love is self-giving
Pope John Paul II’s Apostolic Exhortation on the role and dignity of women repudiated a ‘one-sided’ theory of spousal subordination, and insisted on mutual subordination in marriage. For this reason he called himself ‘Papa Feminista’ – the Feminist Pope.
‘Husbands love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her’ (Ephesians 5:25).
This does not mean that men should become weak and wet. The model for submission is Jesus and he is the strongest man, emotionally and spiritually, who has ever lived. There is a need for strong
Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being
The husband is to submit in the same way that Christ submitted. How did Christ submit?
‘…to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless’ (Ephesians 5:26 –7). In the USA, one in every three marriages ends in divorce. However, when a couple is married in a church, attends church regularly, prays and reads the Bible together, the divorce rate drops to one out of every 1,105 marriages. Enduring love should be something that we experience in relationships within the church. The knowledge that you are loved and totally accepted signifies enduring love. Within all relationships there should be a desire for the other’s spiritual growth. It reaches its pinnacle in marriage and it enables us to be naked before each other, in terms of being open about our sins, our dysfunctions, our insecurities. Enduring love is a healing power, and this is true in any relationship. Dinah Craik, the nineteenth-century poet and novelist, wrote this: Oh, the comfort – the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person, Having neither to weigh thoughts, Nor measure words – but pouring them All right out – just as they are Chaff and grain together – Certain that a faithful hand will Take them and sift them –
Keep what is worth keeping – and, with the breath of kindness Blow the rest away. As we feel safe with others and are naked before them, we experience the love of Christ incarnated in the community or in the other person. Ongoing relationships in community bring about the healing power of enduring love. (iii) Enduring love is sensitive ‘In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, people have never hated their own bodies, but feed and care for them, just as Christ does the church – for we are members of his body’ (Ephesians 5:28–30). Joan Collins, the actress, was asked how she managed to look so good. She replied, ‘I look after myself. I take care of what I eat, I exercise, I tan my body and not my face and I look after my skin religiously.’ St Paul is saying that not only should we look after our bodies religiously, we should also look after our marriage partners religiously, by taking care of their needs. Relationships are all about nourishing and cherishing, feeding and caring. We feed spiritually with the word of God, and we feed emotionally by communicating with those we love. Communication feeds and then cares. The Greek word for ‘cares’ literally means ‘keep warm’. The word suggests protection, affection, affirmation and encouragement, all of which are of vital importance in all relationships. Encouragement is absolutely essential in the church. A young woman said to me recently, ‘All of my work is discouraging. I am never affirmed’. For 90 per cent of the day she is in an atmosphere with no encouragement. It is only when she comes home, the last ten per cent of the time, that she receives any encouragement. She said that made up for the 90 per cent. We all need encouraging and affirming. (iv) Enduring love is sealed in marriage by sexual union ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and will be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’ (Ephesians 5:31). Robert Spaemann said, ‘The essence of marriage is that two whole lives, two whole biographies, are so tied together that they become one history’. That is permanent enduring love. The American pastor, Rick Warren, wrote this: I would be divorced today if it weren’t for Kay [his wife] and my stubborn persistence. We said, “Divorce is not an option for us.” We locked the escape hatch on our marriage the night we got married and threw away the key. We said, “We don’t care how miserable we are, we’re going to make this marriage work.” The night before our wedding Kay’s dad sat us down in a room and said, “Kay I love you as a dad and I’ll always be here to talk with you and counsel with you when you have marriage problems. We’d like to help you out any way we can. But the Bible says when you marry you make a promise to God and it says a husband and wife will leave their father and mother. That relationship to your parents becomes secondary
RELATIONSHIPS to your relationship to each other. You are to cleave to each other. Although I love you with all my heart, once you’re married you may never come back home.” That sounds tough but he was doing it out of love. I am so grateful he said that. It saved our marriage. There are many, many times in those early years when if Kay could have gone back home, she would have. On the 21 June this year Kay and I will celebrate our twentyfirst wedding anniversary. We like to say we’ve had seventeen great years. The first three years were hell on earth. This enduring love is the context for the sexual union; this is the most beautiful view of sex and marriage you will find anywhere in the world. The sexual relationship is a vital part of marriage. Sex is not the icing on the cake, it is a vital ingredient of the cake itself. Trust and commitment are the bedrock of a good sexual relationship. So often, western culture undermines that concept. We are bombarded with sex everywhere – in magazines, films and on TV. Most films suggest that good sex is about instant gratification with no need for the commitment of a long-term relationship – a beautiful woman and a good-looking man get into bed together and the sex is instantaneously wonderful. But sex is designed for a long-term relation-
ship that can grow and deepen in pleasure and significance as a marriage matures. Sex is a way of communicating love that goes beyond words. It is the ultimate body language. Not only does sex express the one flesh bond but every time a couple makes love tenderly and passionately the bond is strengthened. Enduring love also requires respect.
3. Respect in a way that elevates ‘… the wife must respect her husband’ (Ephesians 6:33). The word Paul uses for ‘respect’ is the same Greek word used in verse 21 for reverence, ‘Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ’. This word can be translated as ‘respect’ or ‘reverence’. Respect is the key to all relationships. I remember when the Alpha course started to operate in churches outside of Holy Trinity Brompton. We were asked the question, ‘Could Alpha work in a deprived, innercity area where there was high unemployment, low education and low income?’ We replied that we did not know the answer. Then a vicar called Eric Delve rang me up and said: We tried it and it worked. I think I know why. It’s because of the small groups on Alpha, where people listen respectfully to the views of other people and
11 take a genuine interest in them. The people who come on our course have absolutely nothing. They have no money, no job, and no education. Listening respectfully empowers people who often have very little in the way of power.
Respect elevates in all relationships Respect is key to all relationships between the sexes. We should not get involved in a kind of ‘gender war’. Sometimes you see this in extreme feminism or in male chauvinism where there is an enmity between the genders. As Pope Benedict said, ‘In Christ the rivalry, the enmity and violence between the genders can be overcome and has been overcome’. Respect is key when choosing a marriage partner. This is Paul’s final test: do I respect everything about this person? Do I respect their character and their views? Do I respect their faith – does it challenge and inspire me? Respect is key to marriage. In verse 33 the respect point is addressed to wives, but it would be absurd to say that is not mutual. As James Dobson put it, ‘Respect is intended to operate on a two-way street’. Not just in the first stages of love, but throughout a marriage, because it elevates the other and gives them dignity. Respect increases our confidence and our self-worth. What about those who say, ‘Well, I’m not married and I’m not even thinking about marriage’. Actually, this passage is about you as well. It is about everyone, whether they are married or not. Paul says that he has not been speaking about marriage – he is just using it as an illustration. Marriage is not the be all and end all of life. He uses marriage as a picture of something far more important and long lasting. In this life marriage is fine, but in heaven marriage does not exist. Paul writes, ‘I am talking about Christ and the church’ (Ephesians 5:32). Marriage is used as a picture of something that is eternal and far more significant: the church. In the Christian community, of which we are all a part (whether we are married or not), will go on forever, and respect is also key to relationships within this community. Therefore, there must also be respect between different denominations, and towards different interpretations of the Bible.
Conclusion If you are married and think, ‘I wish I had a relationship like the one described in this passage’, then please consider going on The Marriage Course with your husband or wife. If you are engaged, go on The Marriage Preparation Course. Please read The Marriage Book by Nicky and Sila Lee. It is the best book on the subject of marriage that I have ever come across (for more information contact the Alpha India National Office). If you are looking for a marriage partner (which is a perfectly appropriate thing to do), remember Paul’s three tests. Is this the kind of person that I would be willing to yield to? Do we have the kind of friendship that can be an enduring love? Do I respect this person? The purpose for which you were created is a relationship with Christ. The marriage union is only a picture of the ecstasy of the relationship to Christ in eternity, which begins now. And Paul says, ‘That is a profound mystery’ (v. 32). The good news is that if you grasp it, it will revolutionise all your relationships.
Cartoons by Charlie Mackesy, taken from The Marriage Book by Nicky and Sila Lee
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ALPHA INDIA NEWS JANUARY - MARCH 2010
A message from Alpha India’s National Director Copenhagen is just over. I thought it might end up as a nopenhagen. Even on critical issues, learned men and experts seemed not to agree- purely for political reasons. Can we compromise on the truth of global warming? Can we ignore the perils of this danger looming on the future generations? The gospel vision is for a global future. We need to disseminate this good news as urgently as possible to enable God’s new society to come soon. In the year 2009, the Lord enabled us to continue to focus on the areas of a. Casting Vision for Evangelisation, b. Developing partnerships and networking with Churches and organisation, c. Training and d. Prayer We were able to train 11,600 leaders across the country, and we have 36,135 people added to the various churches through baptisms. In fact we were surprised when we got the reports. We did not intentionally get any particular reports. We are duty bound to give thanks to God, and all those who prayed and gave liberally to the work of Alpha India. Many new partnerships are coming up and we are
grateful to all these opportunities. Many of you have encouraged us, many have given sacrificially. Many Partner Churches have come and trained our leaders. The Lord has answered your prayers. I assure you that you share in the rewards. When we look at the future, we are conscious of the need to multiply manifold. This year we plan to enlarge our team by hiring another 20 coordinators and associate coordinators. Our focus this year will be on urban and middle class society. Elsewhere in this paper you will see the projections for the coming two years. I am grateful to the Chairman Alpha India, Rev Scott Norling, the Alpha India board, Chairman Asia Pacific Chris Sadler, Alpha International’s leadership and the regional leadership for their encouragement. One of our Board members, Dr. H T Sangliana, has been appointed as the Vice Chairman of the National Minority Commission by the Government of India. He will hold Central Minister’s status and a constitutional position. We congratulate him and wish him God’s favor in all that he is to do.
You will notice this newsletter is in a new format. We found it necessary as there is so much that we want to share with you. This format helps us cut down costs. I will value your comments. The Theology articles from Rev Dr Graham Tomlin continue to provoke thought. We have introduced a new series of book extracts for easy readings. This time we have Nicky Gumbel’s book on relationships. You have been an integral part of the ministry and we appreciate this. We need your continued prayers and partnerships in this year as well. I take this opportunity to wish you all a very fruitful and blessed new year.
J Varadaraj
PRAYER: For the Buddhist World
For Alpha in India
The Buddhist world has many hews. From very orthodox persuasions, to experimental new age models which attract a large number of thinking people who have atheistic leanings. Many practices of meditation, particularly the zen, have large numbers of followers.
The work of evangelisation continues at full pace and your prayer is greatly appreciated for Alpha India, its staff, advisors, and churches running Alpha courses across the nation. Please pray:
The key emphasis of Buddhism is ‘mindfulness’. WE NEED TO PRAY that their eyes would open to the reality of God as a person, and the need to respond to Him in real terms in the areas of sin, holiness, love etc. In essence, ‘Spirit-filled-ness’.
Key countries where Buddhism is practiced include India, China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Between 250 million and 500 million people worldwide ascribe to Buddhism. Please be praying for the people involved in this religion.
• As we recruit new coordinators • As we plan training for 36,000 leaders throughout the year • For favour upon us, our families and our work, that we may successfully complete the work God has given us for this year • For new partnerships to succeed • For needed finances.