Focus october 2013

A publication of the Diaspora FOCUS

October 2013

FOCUS October 2013 Vol. 1 No: 3

Kerala Culture – Page 16

Cover Photo - Nicene Creed

A Publication of Diaspora FOCUS

Contents

Metropolitanʼs Message - Page 3

Old Testament – A Christian scripture?

Every Day Theology – Page 5

- Page 11

Religious Nones of Mar Thoma Church - Page 23 Honest to God – Page 15

Silver Jubilee of Diocese of North America & Europe – Page 24 On My Multi-Hyphenated Cultural IdentityPage 10

Pastoral Ministry – Contemporary Challenges - Page 13

Pearls of Wisdom – Page 7

Editorial There could not be a loving God if there were not the mystery of the Trinity of the three persons for the giving and receiving of love. Love is the outward expression of the inward grace of God, and this love is divine. We know this truth by reflecting on the scriptures and from the experiences of extraordinary individuals who had a longing for justice, relationships, spirituality, holiness, and other kingdom values. If we turn to Johnʼs first letter in the New Testament, we shall find that the fourth chapter gives a supremely profound Christian understanding of love. We often ask in prayer for the Holy Spirit to transform us into people of love and to be created anew in the image of God for transmitting this love. St. Augustine made it clear that we are judged by how well we have loved rather than how well or what we have believed. Eckhart Tolle reminds us that we live and love in the now. To feel the presence of God deep within us is love.

Therefore, all true love is the love of God. In the parable of the Good Samaritan Jesus began a radical shift in the human understanding of the question, “who is my neighbor?” When our heart is opened to the fullness of love, we see how inclusive the human family is. C. S. Lewis famously said, ʻNext to sacrament itself your Christian neighbor is the holiest object ever presented to your sight; because in him the living Christ is truly present.ʼ St. Gregory in his sermon1 reminds us to show kindness to our brothers and sisters as the Lord has shown kindness to us.

A Sufi story tells of a long caravan crossing the desert, and those at the back of the caravan followed in the footsteps of those who led the way in order to stay on the same path. One of the aims of the FOCUS journal is to remind the readers that they are part of a remarkable and historically significant Christian worshipping tradition, which over the years has helped and guided many lives in their journey by keeping the footprints intact and fresh. One surprising thing that we learn in this journey is that faith is friendship. Sharing experiences and reflections of people who travelled this way before would help us to have faith in the ʻliving waterʼ, which is the love and friendship needed to continue this journey. It is beneficial to enjoy time with fellow travelers to give shape to our faith, and we hope that this journal would become a forum for you to exchange your spiritual travelogues. It is advantageous to share the travel experiences and views that we have from different regions and generations. Each of us should be able to listen to one another on our journey, our view from where each of us finds ourselves and how the Holy Spirit works within us. All experiences shared and absorbed would help to support the journey and the growth of each other. We are a journeying people with amazing stories, keeping the footprints intact and fresh are essential for the sake of our younger generations because there are many other caravans and other footprints. It is also helpful to keep stories relating to these journeys in the collective memory of Mar Thoma Diaspora communities. When the wise men from the east came to worship the newborn Messiah with gifts, they followed a star. In the same way, we can picture ourselves as travelers from afar taking the path that we have found in Jesus the Christ with greater gratitude and wonder.

In a totally different context, Nathan said to King David: “You are the man!” (2 Samuel 12:7). Prophets of the Old Testament engaged themselves for establishing Godʼs rule without fear.

Cultures, traditions and institutions are descending into chaos.

Even the churches seem unable to distinguish between things temporal and things spiritual. Most of us close our minds to unjust happenings around us for fear of upsetting others in power and positions of influence. This apparent inertia and indifference is sucking the sap out of our existence as a Diaspora community. We need people like Nathan to find the equivalent analogy of ʻone little ewe lambʼsʼ story to strike home at our sense of justice, and for awakening others from their slumber to have a long-term vision for our community. We need to identify the equivalent of ʻewe lambʼ we have taken from others, which caused them immense pain and prevented their development or blocked their spiritual journey. We also need to look ourselves in the mirror to find out whether we are the people responsible for the current impasse, and point the finger at ourselves and own up responsibilities for the exodus of young people from our faith community to other places of convenience and comfort to enjoy an instant feel-good factor. We need to live out our faith in our homes and work places for others to emulate us; we just cannot go on blaming clergy and church leadership for our lapses. Playing the old worn out records about liturgy, Sunday sermons and language is not the answer. Young people should wake up and do things for themselves under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. How could young people with idealism, imagination and intelligence run away to hide or find happiness somewhere else? It is their God-given task to stand up and claim their inheritance in their own parishes and work for the common good of the community. We must listen to our conscience and hear the prompting, “You are the man.” That is the moment for repentance and renewal2.

We would like to have your feedback about the content and layout of the journal. It is your journal to express your ideas and long-term vision for our faith journey together as a loving and caring faith driven Diaspora community. This journal is born out of friendship; it would be helpful if one could gossip about it.

Please send the following URL to ten of your friends and ask each of them to send to ten others, like a chain mail to bring blessing to our community: http://issuu.com/diasporafocus 1. A word in Season (Vol. II, Part1, page176-177) edited by Henry Ashworth, the Talbot Press, Dublin 1974 2. Zac Varghese, Everyday Theology, FOCUS, Vol. I, No. 3, 2013

Disclaimer: Diaspora FOCUS is a non-profit organization registered in United States, originally formed in late nineties for Diaspora Marthomites. It is an independent lay movement of the Diaspora laity of the Mar Thoma Church; and as such Focus is not an official publication of the Mar Thoma Church.

Contributions to the FOCUS online magazine are welcomed and FOCUS reserves the right to select and edit the materials.

Opinions expressed in any article or statement are of the individuals and is not be deemed as an endorsement of the view expressed therein by Diaspora FOCUS. The photos used in this publication are taken from various sources in the Internet, and is not intended to violate any copyrights. Contact: www.facebook.com/groups/mtfocus mtfocusgroup@gmail.com.

Thanks.

Synopsis of Metropolitanʼs Pastoral Letters in the ʻSabha Tharakaʼ July, August & September 2013 St. Thomas brought the gospel to India, and we are blessed to become heirs and partners of this God-given mission. Various lectionary readings for July highlight the importance of giving one tenth of everything for mission. It is also the time to recollect and meditate over the witness and mission of St. James, St. Peter and St. Paul. They rejected everything, which defined them initially under their varied circumstances and accepted Jesus the Christ; it transformed them beyond measure and became sacred role models for Godʼs mission. He encourages us to pray for such a transformation under the grace and mercy of God. “For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17).

July 2013: Metropolitan wrote this letter from Toronto, Canada; in it, he gives an account recent flood and other vagaries of unexpected climate changes as a result of environmental pollution and lack of stewardship of resources. He also pointed out public health issues arising from migrant labour market in Kerala and responsibilities of various agencies of the need of providing affordable housing and heath provisions for such people. As the new school year begins in Kerala, he strolls down the memory lane and gives a lovely reminiscence of his early magical school days and how society has changed over the years. He exhorts us to re-evaluate our lifestyles and take corrective measures to regain lost moral and ethical values.

He also gives a critical analysis of the news media and how some sections use the media for character assassination. Such aggressive and destructive attitudes many inhibit good and talented people from entering into Public Square for providing the necessary societal and political leadership. Thirumeni shared his sadness over the accidental death of Patrick Maruth (FOCUS July 2013) while engaged in the mission activities among Native Americans in Oklahoma. He also expressed condolences over the death of the previous moderator of the CSI, Most Revd. Dr. C. I. Jesudasan.

Thirumeni reminds us that the month of July is a time that we remember the mission of St. This apostle had a logical faculty and aspiration for clarity. However, when Jesus allowed himself to be critically and clinically examined by Thomas after his resurrection, he was able to transcend such needs and say, ʻMy Lord and My God.ʼ It is with this post resurrection certainty and faith

August 2013: Thirumeni begins the letter with a poem about a mythological bird, ʻVezhampal/Chatakʼ which waits patiently for rains drops for quenching its thirst.

This bird is considered as a harbinger of Monsoon.

Thirumeni continues on the theme of the unpredictability of climate change and the recent incidents of floods and the involvement of our church in rehabilitating victims of these natural calamities. He requests members of the church to contribute towards the welfare of the victims of these disasters. Nature has a cyclical tendency of destruction and regeneration, and there is a phenomenal ecological balance, but mankind has a tendency to destroy this rhythm and balance.

Thirumeni then points out that political, social and moral degradation of some Keralaites, which are much graver than the natural disasters. Thirumeni then quoted a critical statement of the previous vice chancellor of the MG University, Dr. Anandtha Murthi. Dr. Murthi said, “When I came to Kerala I saw a people who do not have any sense of stewardship, honour and freedom. I have never seen such irresponsible people anywhere else.”

This is indeed a shameful verdict on a once honourable community. Thirumeni also mentioned the crab mentality of the Malayalees of not allowing another Malayalee to get up and go or to make a significant contribution for the common good. Jealousy and hatred seem to be prevailing attributes, which dominate all aspects of life in Kerala at present. Thirumeni is encouraging our people to escape from this moral and ethical degradation.

Thirumeni mentions the possibility of a special Mandalam to discuss and implement the impending report from the constitutional revision committee.

Thirumeni will be attending the WCC general assembly meeting in October at Bussan, S. Korea, as an honoured guest with other representatives of our church. He gives his vision and delight of the proposed ecumenical dialogue with the Malankara Syrian Jacobite Church. He is happy to indicate the ordination of 26 priests in the current year. Thirumeni is also looking forward to the laying the foundation stone for the

construction of a new bishopʼs house, Poolatheen, with all facilities on 15th August. (Photo - Old Poolatheen)

Thirumeni ends the letter by reminding us about various canonical feasts and fasts for august, and particularly about the ending the 15-day fasts to remember the exodus and liberation of the Israelites on 15th of August, which is celebrated nationally for us of our liberation from the colonial rule. Thirumeni then points out the importance of Mission Sunday, a meditation on the mount of transformation and the attitude of his disciples for honoured positions with Jesus. However, after the day of the Pentecost they all had unity of mind in establishing Godʼs kingdom and continuing Godʼs mission. Thirumeni gives an excellent historical review of how 66 books of the Bible were selected by church fathers as the Holy Scripture. Thirumeni emphasises the authority of the Bible and how we should conduct ourselves under the guidance of the Holy Spirit so that others would see the fruit of the Spirit in our daily living.

vigilant about foreign powers exploiting situations through subversive measures. Thirumeni then describes the relevance of Onam festival in tackling some of the ethical issues factious Kerala and offers Onam greetings to all.

Thirumeni highlights the importance of education provided for people with specific needs such as the one in Kassercode for the deaf and dumb. One of the students of the institute achieved A Plus for all her Plus Two examination. Thirumeni reminiscences how he came to buy the land, against all negative attitudes, where this institute is established when he was the vicar at Calicut 50 years ago. Thirumeni will be temporarily moving to a flat in the newly built secretaryʼs quarters while a new Metropolitans residence is built at the site of the Poolatheen. Thirumeni blessed the foundation-laying ceremony of the new nd Aramana on 2 September and requested the help of everyone for the completion of this much-needed residence.

(Photo - Present Poolatheen Metropolitanʼs current residence)

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September 2013: Metropolitan Thirumeni expressed his satisfaction in having a reasonably calm weather in September against difficulties people faced in the previous rainy season, in Kerala. Similarly, there seems to be some relief in the field of political and social turmoil facing the people as a result of protest marches and other expressions of peopleʼs concerns. There was also a genuine concern that people may copy violent protests that we noticed in Egypt and other Arab countries.

Thirumeni advised people to have a cold reflection of our needs and find suitable solutions wisely instead of riots and violent demonstrations.

Thirumeni then mentioned about the forthcoming Mandalam meeting and its importance in bringing out constitutional changes. He thanked Mandalam members for their responsible representational work during the past three years. Drop in foreign exchange value of the currency is causing commodity price increases; various financial problems are aggravating the debt burden of households, organizations, and that of the country. We need to listen to economic experts to solve these problems locally and internationally. We also need to be

Thirumeni reminds us that 1 Sunday in September is earmarked as educational Sunday and then highlights the importance of mothers in nurturing the children with the knowledge that ʻThe fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.ʼ Thirumeni quotes Genesis 2: 21 to show the equality of women in the Biblical tradition. He emphasizes the need to give equal opportunities for women in our parish and family life. He then goes on to remind us about the importance of caring for the old people in our communities. He quotes Genesis 20:12 to stress the significance of caring for parents in their old age.

Thirumeni concludes the letter with the thought that salvation is a gift from God. To receive this gift one needs to do two things: firstly, one needs to have an awareness of oneʼs weakness, faults, moral and ethical poverty; secondly, one needs to have preparedness for correction and regeneration under the relationship of the saving grace of Jesus Christ for transformation into a new being.

Zacchaeus and the thief on the cross received the free gift of salvation and the transformational experience of paradise. God is inviting us for this salvific experience of the paradise with Him. Courtesy: Dr. Zac Varghese, London

Everyday Theology (Part-1) Dr. Zac Varghese, London [Abstract: Theology is the study of God; everyday theology is not necessarily the pursuit of academic theologian or clergy, but rather the discipline of the whole people of God. For this reason, there is an urgent need for theological renewal in all the churches today. Everyday theology develops from studying the bible, traditions, teaching of the church and the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of ordinary people; it is the God-given response to events and insights of the day.]

It was most significant that Metropolitan Chrysostom had emphasized the importance of setting apart 2004 as a special year for ʻrepentance and rededication; this was so st timely for the Mar Thoma Church at the beginning of the 21 century. Jesusʼ opening ministry, as reported in the Gospels, was that people should repent and believe. Although repentance and rededication are not one off events, and are part an everyday theology, it was the expectation and fervent hope that highlighting it as a special event by dedicating a year in such a way would provide fresh impetus. Archbishop William Temple said that the Church is one society, which exists primarily for the sake of those who are outside it. Does it happen so in the Mar Thoma Church? The desire for comfort, institutional security, and personal salvation without a care and concern for those outside the ʻfoldʼ may well be the greatest challenge facing churches today. Church should be able to serve society as a whole in many ways- in helping the poor or educating ʻdifferently talentedʼ young people or caring for the marginalized people and the old. We are mindful of these responsibilities, but we should be doing more. Nine years after the above declaration is an opportune time to reflect on what had happened to the church.

It is right of course for the Mar Thoma Christians should have a closely-knit life of its own, but if it becomes too comfortable, it may have the effect of causing those outside it to be forgotten, or worse still, to be remembered only in intercessory prayers, but not to be wanted. From this perspective, it is expedient to applaud and congratulate the Episcopal Synod on initiating the formularies for creating the ʻCommunion of Churches of India.ʼ We celebrate events, which make us different from others, and try to minimize the things, which make us the same. We yearn for that transcendent experiences which will take us out of ordinary everyday activities; we are after an otherworldly experience and ʻspiritual fixesʼ that will allow us to forget the familiar routines of family, work and worship. The New Testament gives us immense wealth of resources for working out the spirituality of everyday life. Jesus made himself available for participating in the everyday events of truly ordinary people including social outcasts rather than of spiritual athletes and elites. However, we do not look for the spirituality of everyday life, and we have given ourselves, particularly the young people, to the quest for a dramatic, sensational spirituality. Why is this? Everyday life is terribly repetitive; there is little to get excited about and we do not look to meet God there. We need a theology of everyday life to bridge the gap between academic theology and the needs of ordinary people. This would lead us to be in prayer in various life

situations of puzzlement and pain, so that the crucified love of Christ may bring healing and comfort.

The world of theology is mysterious, methodological, scientific in certain aspects, exciting, challenging, intellectually demanding and yet it is an incomprehensible world. It is a methodological formulation of gathering information about God and His dealings with the universe. It is a discipline filled with intuitive mysteries and layers upon layers of creative wisdom; it is in coded scripts and rich ancient languages. Oral traditions, religious intolerance, crusades, holy wars, genocides and fanaticism over centuries also have contributed to the complexity by destroying valuable traditions and irreplaceable evidence.

However, the deepest knowledge of God cannot be the prerogative of a special class of people using scholarly critical methods such as Textual, Literary, Higher, Traditional, Form, Source, Redaction and Historical. Children play a hugely prominent role in Jesusʼ prescription for the qualification of the citizenship of the kingdom of God. “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth; you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes” (Matt.11: 25). The seekers of the kingdom are advised to imitate the childrenʼs blind reliance and directness. A trusting son knows that his father would not give him a stone, a snake or a scorpion if he asked for bread or a fish or an egg (Matt. 7: 9-10). We often take for granted everyday miracles of life: year by year, water irrigating the vineyard becomes wine, but we stand amazed when the same process takes place in a quick motion in the hands of Jesus at Cana of Galilee. Grace and humility produce a Christian; ʻskin-deepʼ theological scholarship and arrogance produce a Pharisee.

All human beings have two distinct aspects in their encounter with God: that of knowing and of loving. One of the ways of knowing God through scholarship is an arduous task; it generates doubts and disbelief and when one begins to doubt, one is in debate with the wisdom of the ages and it is an endless pain. Religion is not just a matter of manʼs search for God but also of Godʼs search for man. Another way of knowing God is through the amazing power of love, which is

living within the life of the other. Christianity is not a religion, but a relationship with the creator God. In all humility, then one comes to the conclusions that it is in silence that one comes to know God. This allows one to believe that all the promises of faith are possible. For Jesus, lack of faith was the greatest obstacle to religious wellbeing and the main barrier in front of a divinely inspired action. Faith was the cornerstone of his healing ministry; Jesus credited all his healings to the faith of his subjects. Jesus said that faith as small as the proverbial mustard seed can enable a man to perform miracles. Jesus appreciated childrenʼs simple and total dependence on their parents; this is the basis for the central position given to children in having the right spiritual attitude in the quest for the kingdom and spiritual pilgrimage.

Burden of knowledge can become an obstacle at times in oneʼs spiritual progress; hence ʻknowing is in the unknowing.ʼ ʻLove succeeds where intellect fails.ʼ Theological expertise these days are aimed at coining questions and then finding answers. Theologians dig, dig and dig and sometimes there is no light at the end of the labyrinths of tunnels that they dig or at other times the tunnels collapse around them needing rescue operations and survival kits. C. S. Lewis advised against trying to rediscover Jesus by historical analysis and scholarship. Why do we have four Gospels, instead of one?

Why didnʼt a committee of the disciples provide an authentic comprehensible account of Jesus and his ministry? Did the early Church in any way watered down the teaching of Jesus or doctored its content to suit its immediate needs? How did Paul open his ministry to the gentile world? Did Jesus say everything that is attributed to him? How do we find answers st to 21 century problems in the context of the first century revelations? How does God identify himself with human suffering? Does God suffer in his own being or is God incapable of suffering? Can Godʼs impassability be understood while at the same time affirming his real awareness of, and true identification with, human suffering? I get confused and give up when theologians begin to argue about the immanent and economic Trinity and the economy of salvation. Theologians generate hundreds of such questions, but they have no real significance for a faithoriented life. Faith is a simple and true friendship. Theology has somehow become a mandarinʼs art.

Scholars of sacred books are not necessarily ardent believers. Most scholarships are built on certain authoritative interpretation or statement. Interpretations are only valid in the context of contemporary knowledge and hence it is relative. Class room and pulpit theologians sometimes set up minefields which have the potential to destroy physical and spiritual wellbeing. Reimarus, Schleiermacher, Barbara Thiering, A. N. Wilson, John Spong, A.T Robinson, Barth, Bultman, N. T. Wright and such people represent different aspects of this spectrum. Religious scholars through systematic studies acquire considerable knowledge about God and religions using reason and logic. In the process, they have killed the dynamism and the reality of a living theology by their rationalist approach. This knowledge is valuable to some, but in itself may not be sufficiently robust and accessible as a life raft in emergencies of life. Some scholars who have acquired this bookish knowledge turn it into pride and arrogance, or for acquiring positions of importance. They more often do not use it for the glory of

God and benefit fellow human beings. St. Paul talks about such knowledge ʻpuffing upʼ to create a swelled head to force it on others. This is the kind of knowledge Saul of Tarsus had under Gamalielʼs tutoring. However, as we see later in St. Paulʼsʼ ministry, our Lord through love and grace would turn this religious zealotʼs unsavoury knowledge into true wisdom, and his cold reasoning into a burning and all-consuming love, through the gift of the Holy spirit.

In many churches and denominations, preaching ministry has a powerful central place. We sometimes hear many tedious, repetitive badly- reasoned, ill-constructed sermons, and at other times we are enchanted by especially talented charismatic preachers who can hold an audience in the palms of their hand and make them do almost anything. A deep sense of responsibility must accompany such a ministry. Charisma without character is a dangerous combination. The ideal pattern of such a ministry is found in Christ in the midst of his amazed disciples as he unfolded the meaning of his risen life in the context of the prophetic word: “Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures”(Luke 24: 45). The account of the miraculous feeding of five thousand is another example of opening the mind and understanding to the needs of the people. A long teaching session followed in the remote Galilean countryside, lasting until the late afternoon, by this time Jesus realized that the people were starving. The disciples suggested that people should be sent away to fend for themselves, but the down-to-earth, practical-minded Jesus instructed them to provide for their immediate need, food. It was part of his preaching ministry. Keeping the environment clean was also part of this miracle because they went round and collected the leftovers after the picnic, filling twelve baskets, and leaving the place litter free. This little detail is also an essential aspect of opening their minds for understanding everyday theology (Mark 6: 31-45; Matt 14: 13-20; Luke 9: 10-17).

There is one thing we all have to be careful about: when we are in one stage of experience in the spiritual journey we never look down on people who are at another stage. All of us never doubt for one moment that whatever experience we have, if we receive it rightly under the grace of God, is wholly and entirely for the blessing of our community, our education, and our growth in holiness. Holiness is an interior state of having a right relationship with God. It is how we receive what God gives us in gratitude, and not what he gives us, which is to be our concern.

Editorʼs Note: Dr. Zac Varghese, London, 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. He is an Emeritus Professor and continues to be a supervisor for doctoral studies even after his retirement.

Pearls of Wisdom, Down the Ages-2: On the Love of the Poor1 St. Gregory of Nazianzen [Synopsis: Gregory of Nazianzen (AD 329-390) was one of the Cappadocian Fathers, he became the Archbishop of Constantinople. He had a significant influence of the development of Trinitarian theology. He had an amazing rhetorical style; he was a great orator and philosopher; the following sermon is an example of his style. This timeless sermon has the echoes of the liberation theology of Archbishop Oscar Romiero, and the current environmental prophetic concerns of the 2nd Century. We have received so much from God and hope for still more; should we be not ashamed to refuse God this one request, this love for brothers?]

Let us show kindness to our fellow men as the Lord has shown kindness to us. Do we wonder how it is that we come to exist, to breathe, to think and understand, above all to know God, to hope for the kingdom of heaven and the full and perfect vision in the future of what we now see only dimly as in a mirror? We know we are sons of God, joint heirs with Christ, and (if I dare say it) even made divine ourselves; but to what and to whom do we owe all this? Or, to speak of the ordinary things we see around us, by whose free gift do we contemplates the skyʼs beauty, the sunsʼ course, the moonʼs disk, the myriads of stars; and who has established the whole universe in order and harmony, like a well-tuned-lyre? Who has given us rain, crops to cultivate, food and drink? What of our arts and crafts, the homes we live in, our laws and government, our civilization, our families and friends? And who has given us animals we either train for our service or raise for our sustenance? In short, appointed us to be lords and masters of the earth, and made man superior being that he is? Surely, God who now asks us to show kindness to all our fellow men in return for his accumulated benefits. We have received so much from him and hope for still more; should we be not ashamed to refuse him this one request, this love for brothers?

He is our God and Master, yet he is not ashamed to be called our Father; shall we, then, refuse to acknowledge our own kith and kin? No, my friends and brothers, let us not be unjust stewards of all that God has given us, or we may hear Peter saying to us, shame on you, who withhold from others what is their due! Make Godʼs impartial justice your model, and then there will be no poor among you.

Do not let us wear ourselves out amassing and guarding wealth while others are toiling in poverty, or we may hear the stinging threats of Amos saying to us, Listen to this, you who say, ʻWhen will be the new moon will be over, so that we can sell corn? And when will be the Sabbath be past, so that we can resume business?ʼ Let us rather model ourselves on the

foremost and the greatest commandment of God, who sends down rain on the just the unjust, and makes his sun shines on all alike.ʼ At the creation, when the soil had not yet been tilled, he gave the freedom of the earth with its springs, rivers and woods to all the inhabitants of dry land. The air he gave to birds and the sea to water-creatures; upon all he bestowed lifeʼs basic needs in abundance. Nothing had to be acquired by force, restricted by law, or separated by boundaries.

Though everything was given to be enjoyed by all in common, the copiousness of the supply was thereby not diminished. All creatures were equal in value and held in equal honour by God, who, in giving all alike, displayed the riches of his own bountiful goodness.

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Now let us move to 21 Century and listen to Eckhart Tolle: “When a hungry person asks you for bread and if you have some, you will give it. But as you give the bread, even though your interaction may only be very brief, what really matters is this moment of shared being, of which the bread is only a symbol. A deep healing takes place within it. In that moment, there is no giver or receiver.”

Reference: 1. A word in Season (Vol. II, Part1, page176-177) edited by Henry Ashworth, the Talbot Press, Dublin 1974.

2. Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now, page 168, New World Library, New York, 1999.

Editorʼs Note: Compiled by Dr. Zac Varghese, London, who 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. He is an Emeritus Professor and continues to be a supervisor for doctoral studies even after his retirement.

In Nostalgiaʼs Grip – Remembering C. George John John “JG” Chirapurath

The great Native American leader of the Shawnee nation, Chief Tecumseh, once wrote: “Live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart.

Trouble no one about his religion.

Respect others in their views and demand that they respect yours.

Love your life, perfect your life, and beautify all things in your life.

Seek to make your life long and of service to your people.

Always give a word or sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, or even a stranger, if in a lonely place.

Show respect to all people, but grovel to none.

When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength.

Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living.

If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself.

Abuse no one and nothing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision.

When your time comes to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way.

Sing a song, and die like a hero going home.”

was a wasted life. His vision focused on the three most important things in his life – his faith, his family and his friends. He viewed most everything else, including his illustrious career, as simply a means to these ends.

He was devoted to his family – not just his wife, children, and grandchildren but his extended family (and he included his friends in the latter). To his family and friends, he was really a compass. He showed the way forward for so many of us. He was a guide leading us through good times and bad, but always holding everybody together. He built a home in Kottayam with the vision that it could become a modern day “tharavadu” for all of his family and friends to come together and enjoy good company and create great memories. The most attractive part of this house is a prayer room. This room is also filled with sentimental icons that were priceless only to him, such as a multi-generational family Bible and prayer book sitting on an original “tabaleetha” (wooden piece used in the altar) from the time of Titus II Mar Thoma. Now, what is really interesting is that he had the ability and means to live wherever he wanted to, yet he chose to return to where he had come from – Kottayam. I once asked him why? He said, “Kottayam is not perfect but she is like my mother. I am from her. Love is seeing only perfection in imperfection. And I love her imperfections perfectly. Besides, where else can I stand outside my door, look to my right and see my fatherʼs people; then look to my left and see my motherʼs people?”

Even though Chief Tecumseh penned this verse two centuries ago, I believe he was describing the late C. George John who lived in our time. How do you really remember a man who was multi-faceted at his core? Do you remember the loving husband and doting father? Do you remember the successful businessman who moved effortlessly through countries and cultures making a profound impact on the businesses he governed? Do you remember the skilled raconteur who regaled his friends with jokes and stories? Or, do you remember the man of deep faith and the fierce guardian of the values of the Mar Thoma Church? Perhaps then it is best to remember him through the defining characteristics that made him who he was.

First and foremost, he was a larger than life personality. He had a signature in everything that he did, even down to that silver slash in his hair. The way he wore his clothes, his words, his penmanship, everything had a unique style. Even his brand of wit was distinctive – he once introduced his wife, Grace, to the Archbishop of Canterbury saying, “Your Grace, may I please introduce my Grace?” However, at his very core, he was a man with a tremendous vision and purpose for his life. He often used to say that a life without a vision

He revered his parents, especially his father, the late Rev. C. V. John. He worked tirelessly in the three decades after his fatherʼs passing to make sure none of us forgot that humble vicar from Thottakad. Most of his conversations had a central focus on his father and the example he set. The book he published in 2009, “Defender of Faith”, to commemorate his fatherʼs life was an example of that reverence. Most of all, he loved the Mar Thoma Church with every fiber of his being. He was one of its most fervent guardians of its values and its divine purpose; absolutely convinced of its apostolic

succession and doctrinal positions (like this father before him). He fearlessly debated anybody including our own bishops and clergy on these matters, standing on faith and belief yielding to no one. Whatever country he was in, he worked tirelessly for the Mar Thoma Church, stepping up to service whenever asked. He served as vice president of the Kuwait and Bahrain Mar Thoma Parishes. In 1998, he attended the Harare Assembly of the World Council of Churches as an official delegate of the Mar Thoma Church.

He was also a member of the Mar Thoma Sabha Council from 1999 to 2002. He also contributed much to the organization FOCUS especially of the three FOCUS seminars at Santhigiri.

He was a diehard believer in free enterprise – his outlook largely shaped by his revulsion towards communism, which in turn was shaped by his Christian faith and his politics during his college days. While at Sacred Heart College in Thevara, Ernakulam, he was Chairman of the Studentʼs Union and his contemporaries were the Honorable Ministers A. K. Antony (Defense Minister of India) and Vayalar Ravi (Cabinet Minister). The three of them, active in the Congress Party, led the now famous Vimochana Samaram striking against the first Communist Government in Kerala. While he ultimately had to abandon politics due to family pressure, he went on to gain advanced degrees, including a MBA, ultimately becoming Chief Executive Officer of several international organizations during the course of his career.

He began his career at the Madras Rubber Factory (MRF) as one of its first employees, contributing to its stratospheric growth through the seventies. Later on, whilst working overseas, he notched several firsts including introducing global brands to the Middle East as well as driving land reclamation projects that actually expanded the coastline of the Kingdom of Bahrain! When told about C. George Johnʼs passing, his business partner - His Royal Highness Sheikh Ibrahim Al Khalifa, who is the uncle of the King of Bahrain, made the rare move of descending from his dais proclaiming in anguish, “We have lost a brother that we trusted unconditionally! We have lost a brave friend who stood in front of Kings and fearlessly spoke his mind!”

Finally and above all, he was a man who kept a positive outlook on life regardless of what the situation was. For those of us who were privileged to know him, we learned about how to never buckle under stress or painful situations. Perhaps the best example of this was the First Gulf War in 1990. He was Managing Director of an enterprise that he had just established in Kuwait. It was the first time he had ventured out on his own and had staked his experience and entire nd fortune on this enterprise. But alas, on August 2 1990, it all ended as Kuwait was annexed by Iraq and its strongman, Saddam Hussein. He was simply wiped out overnight. He had to be repatriated to India with his family as refugees.

And all he had with him – all he had – was two suitcases and two hundred dollars. Now this is a man who is now caught on the wrong side of fifty faced with the daunting prospect of reestablishing his life and his career. It was an experience that would have broken most men. But not C. George John. He jumped back into the fray and rebuilt his life and career better

than ever before. When asked about it, he remarked, “Itʼs not often in life one gets a chance to begin again with a clean slate. With the eighties dawning, I left India with two suitcases and then in the nineties, I returned with the same two suitcases and two hundred dollars. I actually made a profit. The experience alone was invaluable. I realized that your life is not ruled by your ego and ambition and that it can end any day at any time. So why worry? Just focus on the most important things.”

He kept this attitude to the very end. Once I asked him where his strength comes from. He replied, “Let me tell you that my strength comes from prayer. The basis of Christian faith that was inculcated in me in my childhood continues to be my guide even today. It has helped me weather many storms. It gave me experience. Experience is a hard teacher because it gives test first and the lesson afterwards. So there are FOUR Philosophies that I follow: keep thinking, keep working, keep smiling (and ignoring), and keep praying. Anyone who knows me well knows these traits in me. We are gifted with the faculty of reasoning and therefore we must think before we act. Keep working and enjoy what you do. Keep smiling because it takes away your sorrows and most importantly keep praying. I trust in the power of prayer. In times of troubles, we are often left alone to fend for ourselves. With prayer, you realize there are two ways of meeting difficulties. You alter the difficulties or you alter yourself to meet them. Since the former is difficult, I have always done the latter.”

This is C. George John, Georgie to his friends. He had a profound impact on the lives of everybody around him. He is no longer with us, but we miss him. He has left an indelible mark on all of us who were privileged to know him. He was indeed the measure of the man that Chief Tecumseh described in his poem!

Editorʼs Note: John “JG” Chirapurath is responsible for strategy of Microsoftʼs Data Platform – a multibillion dollar business at Microsoft. Prior to joining Microsoft, he was the vice president of marketing, cofounder, and board member for Sarvega Inc, a Web Services infrastructure company, leading it to acquisition by Intel Corporation. Before Sarvega, he was a principal at Price Waterhouse Coopers Management Consulting. He is a recipient of the Kaufman Entrepreneurship Award and also serves as a mentor and advisor to numerous technology startups and incubators. He holds a Masters in Computer Science from the University of Maryland and an MBA from the University of Chicago.

On My Multi-Hyphenated Cultural Identity Rev. Dr. John T. Mathew, Mississauga, ON Whenever I mull over my adopted Canadian identity, I am reminded of how my nephewʼs pre-teen son Ryan of Skokie, IL deepened my civic sense as a Canadian citizen. Once I reached out to Ryanʼs dad for his professional insight and reassurance concerning an inevitable surgery that I needed.

When I called, Ryan answered. When he insisted on finding out the identity of the caller I told him that I was his dadʼs uncle. He interrupted, “You are that proud Canadian uncle of my dad; I remember, you told me that you own Niagara Falls.” I snapped, “I donʼt, Canada does.”

In my first year away from home, on my way to church on an autumn Sunday morning in Edinburgh, I overheard a little boy elatedly informing his father, “Dad, look at an Indian over there”. After church, I rushed back to my room and sneaked a quick look into the mirror to verify what was revealed to them. In my second Western odyssey, now in Canada, I was spotted as an East Indian! I am afraid to journey any further in case I might be marked as a Far-East Indian. Ever since then, I have become enthralled by an inscrutable function of hyphen in describing people who might not be altogether mindful of a perceived uniqueness of their hyphenated personhood: French-Canadians, African-Americans, IrishAmericans, Polish-Canadians, Italian-Canadians etc.

Economist and diplomat John Kenneth Galbraith, once introduced me to those around him in the famed Harvard Yard, “Meet my Canadian friend.” A former Canadian conferred upon me a new cultural identity. When one chooses to be a ʻwandering Aramaeanʼ, oneʼs essence of existence is always under scrutiny. Imagine what this “true, north strong and free” Canada looked like before the arrival of British and French settlers in the 15th century. Imagine the indigenous people, who had a native, innate, sound culture, and they would have survived well without the intrusive, cultural interventions from all over this planet! I learned from my Scottish teachers that Canada was a nation predictable for its harsh weather: “You might want to reconsider your options before going to that bitterly cold country,” Professor G.N.M. Collins warned me. When I finally found myself on Princess Street in Kingston, Ontario, I expected to bump into a few Eskimos — after 39 years, I am still looking!

During the last municipal election someone cautioned me, “The fact that you are a minister could work either way.” One friend seriously advised me to change my name, in particular, my last name, to “something that sounds more Canadian.”

Several years ago, a new Torontonian came to Parham public school in Frontenac County to teach. He was perceptibly shocked one Sunday to see a man with a permanent tan leading the worship service at the Parham United Church. Following the service, the newcomer whispered in my ear, “I see your name is John Mathew; tell me your real name?” “Bagavan Gandhi” – I made it up in a hurry! He spread the word throughout the community that week. When my ancestors saved a few lost British sailors hungry and thirsty in the Indian Ocean, they came in for a cup of tea (chai) and soon they robbed us of our tea plantation. After a long while, in fact 400 years later, Yohanon became John and Mathai became Mathew.

Canada is one of the youngest nations of our world very much the same as the United States, New Zealand and Australia where nearly all citizens are visitors who never left.

Pierre Trudeau, a former Prime Minister, described Canada as a nation of contrarians, from our first nationsʼ peoples to the colonial settlers and post-colonial immigrants. Canadians are those who exist by virtue of who we are not – we are neither British nor French nor Americans; a young nation of aboriginal population and visitors who never left: an avantgarde breed of contrarians. We Canadians prefer to wolf down a beer or two before we muster the nerve to own up to our characteristic numbness which helps us to declare our approbation or abhorrence. While American forthrightness is exceptional; they are not afraid to tell you how much they love or hate you. Edgar Friedenberg, a fellow new Canadian agrees, “the traditional Canadians are more polite when they are being rude than Americans are when they are being friendly”.

The Quadra-cultural nature of Canada, whose head of state is not a Canadian, is a delightful mélange of the natives, secondly, the English-French, then the post-war influx of immigrants from Europe, and now from all over the globe Asia, Africa, and South America. Canada missed seismic revolutions unlike most of our global cousins. We are smugly happy about our cultural mosaic, which is quite different from the American melting pot. Maybe thatʼs why Northrop Frye described the Canadian psyche as a “garrison mind” or “siege mentality.”

Editorʼs Note: Rev. Dr. John T. Mathew completed his bachelorʼs degree in Philosophy, Masterʼs degree in Sociology, both from Kerala.

He had theological education Dip. Th. from Free Church of Scotland College, Edinburgh, M. Div. from Queenʼs University Theological College, Kingston, ON, M. A. in Missiology from St. Paul/Ottawa Universities, Ottawa, ON, Merrill Fellow at Harvard University Divinity School, Cambridge, MA, Th. D from Graduate Theological Foundation, IN. He can be reached at his e-mail address at jstmathew@rogers.com or by phone (905) 27508589 or (647) 2370347.

Old Testament - A Christian Scripture?

Rev. Dr. K. V. Mathew, Kottayam Yes, is the answer. Now we may explain how the OT came to be and the reason why it should be so.

Christians are the followers of Christ. Jesus the Christ used to have the OT as his scripture. As a Jewish boy, he learned the Hebrew Bible and became a Bar Mitzvah, that is, a son of the law, well versed in the Jewish scripture. He proved his familiarity with the law when he confronted the Jewish scholars in the temple while he was only 12 years old. The disciples and the early church followed this tradition of the Jews.

The believers in Christ were all members of Judaism in the beginning. Jesusʼ ministry was a reformation movement in Judaism. Even after his death, the believers continued as a Jewish sect until the great inflow of the gentiles into the Christian faith. Since then, they have been called Christianos (Acts 11:26).

There were two groups of Jewish disciples – Nazaranes - followers of the man of Nazareth, and Ebionites - the poor, that is, those who voluntarily became poor for Christʼs sake. These early Jewish followers were later overwhelmed by the majority of gentile Christians. Nazarane traditions continued among the Syriac-Aramaic speaking communities of Edessa and India. Both Jewish and Gentile believers acknowledge the OT as the scripture.

Jesus the Christ never founded a church. His mission was to fulfill the messianic hope of the people of God in the OT. The origin and formation of the Christian church was a historical accident. It happened when Jesusʼ own people rejected His mission and hanged him on the cross. Even after this, the twelve continued to impart Christʼs message to the Jews. A preference was always given in Christʼs mission to the people of the OT (Matthew 10:5-6). They did their

utmost to convince the Jews that Jesus was the true messiah of God by quoting the Hebrew Scriptures.

Thus, the OT continued to be the most effective tool to communicate the message of Christ.

The New Testament is not a new scripture, in the strict sense. It is a Christian commentary of the OT expectation of the coming Messiah, a final chapter written, completing and confirming the Covenant relation of God with humanity. Authors of the NT were following the faith and traditions of Abraham, Moses and other prophets. They were diligent in delineating Jesus as the Messianic messenger, proleptically acknowledged in the OT. Accordingly, Jesus was introduced as son of Abraham (Matthew 1:1), son of David, son of God, son of man, Moses (cf Exodus 2024 and Matthew 5-7), Israel, the firstborn of God called from Egypt (Hosea 11:1; Exodus 4:23), the suffering servant (Isaiah 53), and they used other similar types taken from Psalms and the Prophets. In this context the phrase ʻson ofʼ needs to be understood, not in a physical sense, but as the one who carries out the vocation and mission of the father. Jesusʼ mission wasnʼt to build a church as we envisaged today, but to gather the children of Abraham as promised in the OT (Genesis 12:1-3; 17:4-5; Luke 13:16; 16:22; 19:19). Since Judaism had closed its doors to the gentiles, Jesus had to welcome them as Abrahamic children by breaking the middle wall of separation. Even the Jewish women and children were excluded in the religious community. All such discriminations were ruled out in the messianic community.

The Old and New Testaments are the faith testimonials of the believing community. These scriptures are neither sacred nor salvific in themselves. The faith of the community in God the Savior makes them sacred and salvific. The worship of the book - bibliolatry - does not become the sign of faith. Till the 4th century AD, the church continued with the OT. Apostolic and sub-apostolic churches carried the living memories and traditions as ready reference to matters of faith. Meanwhile, early witnesses in the church began to collect and record memoirs such as the gospels, Pauline writings, general epistles etc. Apocryphal and pseudepigraphal writings also flourished during this period. It was in a paschal letter of Mar Athanasius of Alexandria, in 367 AD, that we find for the first time, a reference to the 27 books of the NT as reliable

scripture for the believers. Later, it was by the Council of Carthage in 397 AD, that these books, along with the OT, were declared canonical. Thus, the written faith traditions of the church became authoritative in matters of faith.

As the church was being embraced by gentile believers and began to expand to new cultural territories outside the Judaio-Christian environment, the need for authoritative documents of faith was deeply felt by the church. Since there existed writings innumerable, the church had to select and codify reliable faith documents that would corroborate with the true faith traditions. Such was the content of the NT canon. The rejected writings included apocryphal and pseudepigraphal writings. However, some church traditions include certain apocryphal books as canonical.

In the course of time, Gentile Christians like Marcion raised questions about the validity of the OT, and even suggested that the church discard references to the OT God from the NT. In India, certain leaders wanted to replace the OT with Hindu scriptures.

These proposals were made either from a misunderstanding of the close relation between the Old and New Testaments, or from an overenthusiasm for oneʼs own religious cultural heritage.

Here, we need not question such enthusiasm if it was raised from a genuine concern for indigenization or acculturation of Christian faith in a new cultural context.

understanding of God would remain so much more diminutive because we believe in One God, Creator and Sustainer of the Universe.

In light of what has been stated above, we may proceed to the next point. The opening chapters of Genesis (1-12), in a sense, can be regarded as an introduction to any of the worldʼs religious classics.

This preface of the Bible declares faith in God, the Creator Spirit, the creative Word of God, the created celestial and terrestrial phenomena, the significance of Adam – male and female theo-cosmic beings, the fact of breaking theo-cosmic relations, Godʼs way of bridging the gap by means of Covenant relations and Godʼs scheme of continuity of the relation through the call of Abraham, the father of the nations (Genesis 17:4-5). The mission of Christ was to continue the cosmic purpose envisaged in the biblical preface, transcending all religious barriers, embracing all humanity, proclaiming the Good News of Godʼs rule on earth.

It is sad to see that the three Abrahamic religions, having similar faith heritage and Scriptures, do not see eye to eye with each other. As a result, each of them has tried to hijack God the Creator as their own.

It is high time for us to realize the divine purpose expressed through the Noaic covenant (Genesis 9:816) and Abrahamic vocation (12:1-3) for all humanity.

There, we find a call to all nations to return to Godʼs rule, with all the diverse, cultural, linguistic and religious heritages, that all may become co-workers with God to fulfill the divine cosmic purpose.

Editorʼs Note:

Since the NT is a continuation of the divine act of redemption of all humanity, it remains unintelligible without the OT. If the OT were to be separated from the NT, or vice versa, they would remain as truncated bodies. As other scriptures too, to a certain extent, deal with the divine dealings with humanity, in a larger sense, their exclusion from our study and

Rev. Dr. K. V. Mathew, professor of Semitic studies and Hebrew Bible at colleges under Serampore University in India and visiting Professor abroad. He did his research at Edinburgh, Hamburg and Oxford Universities. Achen got his Ph. D from University of Edinburgh, Post doctoral Research at Cambridge, USA. Achen is an ordained minister of the Mar Thoma Church, former Principal, Mar Thoma Theological Seminary, former Principal, Dharma Jyoti Vidya Peet, Fazipur, Haryana, former Secretary, Mar Thoma Church, author, Editor, Bible translator, speaker at national and international conferences, inter-religious seminars and dialogues.

PASTORAL MINISTRY - SOME CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES Vicar General Very Rev. K. S. Mathew, Kottayam The great array of clergy in our church, who ministered to the people of God in the past with steadfastness, vision and deep commitment involving much sacrifice and pain, is the real force behind the growth of the Mar Thoma Church. Presumably an attempt to assess the pastoral ministry today in the light of its glorious past, highlighting its present day challenges in simple terms would be appropriate and pertinent. My ministry is our church for a little over four decades, was mainly in parishes. I have pastured parishes ranging from big cities to rural villages. With much satisfaction and thankfulness, I can testify that this is a ministry, which is building up the Body of Christ, is being built up through this ministry of equipping the saint. As has been already pointed out, the real credit for the growth and expansion of the church goes to the silent and selfless services of those clergy, although their sacrifices and services are yet to receive rightful recognition or appreciation.

Certainly the Master whom they served with utter devotion shall finally adorn them with due honor.

What is the most glorious experience in the ministry of the clergy? Is it serving in big parishes, assuming positions and popularity or amassing worldly gains? My humble answer is a definite ʻNoʼ. When you visit a parish which you once served after several years, a member approaches you and says ʻAchenʼ, your consoling presence was like that of an angel of God in that most tragic and sorrowful moment in my life”. Another person says “Achen, I became a doctor thanks to your encouragement and motivation” yet another member says “Achen it was while you were leading the worship service in the church that I felt a great change inside me”. “Achen on so many occasions we as a family found strength and sustenance as you preached the word of God”. This daughter of ours was baptized by you and she leads a blessed life now.” Such reminiscences, which you have never even thought of, form the most glorious past of pastoral ministry. The famous lines of William Wordsworth come to mind- “What is the best portion of a good manʼs life? His little, unremembered acts of kindness and of love.” ad to say, this glorious

and rewarding pastoral ministry, due to several reasons, is fraught with so many serious challenges today, causing deviation and decay in the life of the church as a whole. It is fervently hoped that such an evaluation would not be reckoned as grumblings, which usually find articulation from persons who have retired from active service in the church.

Generally speaking, certain common reasons could be pointed out for this decadence happening today. Some how, there is a serious dearth of role models who could be looked up to as guiding lights for the younger generation to be inspired and to emulate. Certainly there is no short fall of smart and clever persons. But people of integrity and commitment, who can by their valueoriented life and idea appeal to and inspire the young generation, have become a rare commodity now. This is much evident in the area of Christian theology and scholarship as well. There is an unprecedented absence of stalwarts in theology who are capable of authentically and effectively confronting the tendencies and outcries that rise up against Christian faith in our times. Total absence of the prophetic stance and voice which was perhaps unique to the Mar Thoma Church when compared with other churches in Kerala, mainly due to excessive obsession with powers and privileges, could be pointed out as an additional factor related to the absence of role models.

Ours is a tragic period in human history characterized by the cult of Mammon worship which has thrown to the winds all the gospel values, resulting from the complete sway of neo-liberalism, globalization, market culture, individualism and consumerism. This culture does not care for human values of sacrifice, love, justice, truth, simplicity, honesty and the like. Dehumanization is taking place in all areas of life. This culture has invaded the church also, adversely affecting its life, ministry and mission. Prominence is being increasingly given to profit, comforts, luxury, popularity, power and pleasure, thus replacing the kingdom values mentioned above.

The words sharing the experience of an active youth member comes to mind “I travelled for two hours with our Achen in his car yesterday. All through the journey he kept on talking only about his car.”

A spirituality attuned to this culture of ʻmoneytheismʼ has become very popular. Clearly clergy, evangelists and laity alike are knowingly or unknowingly becoming either victims or beneficiaries of this culture.

Certain tendencies, which pose challenges before pastoral ministry could be highlighted. Perhaps the greatest challenge before pastoral ministry is that it has become totally unchallenging. This gloriously sacrificial

ministry has become a comfortable and attractive job. Its components comprise a reasonably fair salary with other amenities, security, an overseas parish assignment, a marriage alliance with much financial gain etc. The arches erected and flex boards displayed in connection with the ordination services signify some great achievement. Pastoral ministry for many is geared to grab an overseas assignment. In such a context, it would be worthwhile to ask introspectively as to whether someone had to renounce and forsake worldly gains and prospects by entering the ministry of the church or that person could attain undreamt of worldly gains, if they had remained in a secular vocation. If the answer is ʻYesʼ to the second part of the question, then it is only natural for pride and arrogance to replace values like humility and simplicity.

Complaints regarding neglect of pastoral care arise aplenty from several quarters today. Busy and crowded programs invade the important and indispensible space for regular pastoral calls. When this important and meaningful component of pastoral ministry is neglected, members of the folk go in search of para churches and sectarian groups. This is especially poignant in our times because there is enormous increase in the number of divorces, of old people needing care and love, of the terminally ill, of people battling with so much of stress and strain and are on the verge of committing suicide.

There is remarkable increase in clergyʼs academic qualifications. At the same time there is a diminished interest in the teaching ministry. Even clergymen with high theological training very often say with a sense of pride and satisfaction that he is not interested in theology. They avoid challenges by adjusting themselves to the theology of parish members however perverted it be – and thus avoid the theological confrontation and the most important responsibility of imparting biblical truths and basic doctrines with cohesion, conviction and relevance. Are we in the least disturbed by the simple fact that a major segment of our urban youths do not go to our churches and have found refuge in para- churches?

Ritualism and cultic observances have assumed undue importance in the ministry of many a clergy. There is alarming interest in performance mania, where prominence is attached to vestments, genuflections, chanting, and the like. To some, liturgy has become almost an idol. Addiction to Syriac in chanting has gripped many. All these pose a threat to the spirit of Reformation, which gave accentuations to meaningful and relevant worship pleasing to God and liberating humans.

Needless to say, the above-mentioned challenges faced by pastoral ministry of our day, if not confronted and

adequately dealt with, will have disastrous consequences for the church as a whole. Therefore an awakening to redeem the glory of pastoral ministry is called for. Small groups of concerned clergy and laity, as remnants, should come forward with prayer and commitment to redeem the situation. Let us once again listen to the question asked by the risen Lord, reinstating Simon Peter, the back-slider “Do you love me more than these?ʼ Let us also with total surrender take up that commission “feed my lambs; tend my sheep” (John 21: 15-17)

Church of South India (CSI) Appoints First Women Bishop The Church of South India [CSI], one of the mainstream denominations in India has consecrated Rev. E. Pushpa Lalitha as Bishop of its Nandyal Diocese in Andhra Pradesh on September 30th. Ordained in the Rayalaseema diocese, Rt. Rev. Lalitha has served several pastorates in Nandyal besides being the Treasurer of the diocese. Speaking to NDTV, the 57-year-old single cleric said, "It is the grace of God and a gift from God. I depend on him to show me the way. Nandyal is a rural diocese and I would work for the spiritual development of the Church."

The CSI began ordaining women as priests in the year 1976. Presently there are around 110 women Presbyters in its dioceses. Rt. Rev E. Lalitha was chosen among three other men candidates shortlisted by the Selection Board. "It was a unanimous decision," says MM Philip, the General Secretary of the CSI". He adds, "This would definitely empower women. While many western churches are debating this issue, the CSI has been leading in revolutionary thinking from women's education to empowerment." Rt. Rev. Pushpa Lalitha is single. She earned her BA from Andhra University and BD from the Andhra Christian Theological College in Hyderabad. She was also trained in the UK. The Revd. Eggoni Pushpa Lalitha was ordained in 1983 and has most recently been a priest in the Diocese of Nadyal in Andhra Pradesh. Her appointment comes only days after the Church of Ireland elected its first woman bishop, the Revd. Pat (Patricia) Storey as the new Bishop of Meath and Kildare. Provincial Secretary of the Church of South India, Mani M. Philip confirmed that, “We have been ordaining women since 1976,” he told ACNS, adding that in its constitution, the province mandates that at least 25 per cent of all statutory bodies should be women. Bishop-designate Pushpa Lalitha is expected to be installed on Monday 30th September.

One of the 38 Member Churches of the Anglican Communion, the Church of South India is a ʻunitedʼ Church—the result of the union of churches of varying traditions Anglican, Methodist, Congregational, Presbyterian, and Reformed. It was inaugurated in September 1947.

Honest to God

Dr. Titus Mathews, Calgary, Canada

Judeo-Christian religions have two important aspects, the vertical relationship between man and God and the horizontal relationship among men; to put it differently, a theological aspect and a sociological aspect. The relationship between Yahweh and his chosen people, as seen by various authors forms the framework of the Old Testament. The Law as given to Moses originally and then expanded later by others directs the relationship between members of the Jewish community. Jesusʼ answer (Mk.12: 29-31) to the question about the most important commandment summarizes these.

we can answer that He is abiding with us, within us, or think He is the ʻOne in whom we live and move and have our beingʼ. Then our vertical relationship will have to be one of depth, not height. If we give up the concept that we live out our lives on earth and on dying we will be judged to be worthy to go to heaven out there, we can make a heaven on earth where God lives. In such an earth God is not a distant being but an ever-present reality amidst us.

Our understanding of God over thousands of years has not been the same. For example we see God walking in the Garden of Eden like a human being and Adam and Eve hear his footsteps. We read of his appearing to Moses in a burning bush. For Israelites, conquering the land of Canaan, he is Lord of hosts. During the era of prophets he is a ʻstill small voiceʼ. Since the time of Jesusʼ earthly life, we know him as god of love and call him ʻour Father in heavenʼ.

Fifty years ago when Bishop J.A.T. Robinsonʼs book “Honest to God” was published, it came as a shock to a lot of people in Anglican Church. This is particularly so for those who were not well versed in modern religious thoughts. The book is a personal confession to be totally honest about how Christian faith can be upheld in modern times. But to many people the book was very radical, bordering on heretical, especially since it came from a bishop. What he did was really to develop his thoughts starting with those of Paul Tillich, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Rudolf Bultmann, all well-known theologians of the last century.

Robinson starts with the question where is God: up there or out there? The Old Testaments presents a picture of a three-decker universe with the heaven above, earth beneath and waters below. The Copernican revolution has done away with such a picture and in the space age it is not possible to think of a heaven above. In our modern concept of the universe we live on a tiny globe, which circulates around the sun along with all its planets, the whole solar system being only one of billions of stars of Milky Way galaxy, which itself is only one in billions of galaxies, a more appropriate question perhaps is: is he out there? In place of a God who is literally or physically up there we can have the picture of a God who is spiritually or metaphysically ʻout there.ʼ The shocking thing is the next step of giving up the idea of a being ʻout thereʼ.

According to Robinson, there is a need to rethink a whole lot of notions such as the Son of Man descending from heaven and then ascending where he was before.

If we give up our anthropomorphic view of God, perhaps

Tillich proposed replacing the images of ʻheightʼ by those of ʻdepthʼ in order to express the truth of God. The change of symbolism has real significance. Deep means opposite of shallow or of high. Truth is deep and not shallow and suffering is depth and not height. When Tillich speaks of God in ʻdepthʼ, he is speaking of the infinite depth and ground of all, the being of our ultimate concern. What Tillich means by God is not a super natural being who intervenes from outside; he denotes the ʻultimate depth of all our being, the creative ground and meaning of all our existence.ʼ He is ʻthe beyondʼ in our midst.

In traditional Christian theology mythology is used to convey certain spiritual truths. As a consequence we have a supernatural view of God out there, above and beyond the world, contrasted against his creation.

Godʼs relation to the world is fully and intimately personal, but we continue to picture God as one who looks down on this world from ʻout thereʼ. This is the super naturalist position. The naturalist view of the world identifies God with what gives meaning and direction to nature. The question is how far modern Christianity agrees with this way of thinking.

The liturgical reform has expressed itself in placing the alter central with celebration by people gathered around the table. Indeed the very difference of position at the Communion table, so trivial a thing, is in itself symbolic of much what Bishop Robinson has been trying to say.

The so called ʻeastward positionʼ in which priest stands with his back to the people, has the psychological effect of focusing attention upon a point somewhere in the middle distance beyond the sanctuary. It symbolizes the whole way of thinking in which God is seen as ʻout thereʼ to which we turn from the world to worship. By contrast the ʻwestward positionʼ, in which the celebrant surrounded by his assistants faces the people across the table, focuses attention upon a point in the middle, as the Christ stands among his own as the breaker of the bread. There is the element of ʻthe beyondʼ, the transcendent, as people lift their hearts to him as their ascendant and triumphant Lord. ʻThe beyondʼ is not seen as that which takes one out and away from the earthly and the common, but as the vertical of ʻthe unconditionedʼ cutting across the limitations of the

merely human fellowship, transforming it into the body of the living Christ. Moreover the whole tendency connected with this transition of thought and expression is to take away associations of churchiness and religiosity and everything that sets apart the sanctuary from the society.

Such at any rate is the direction in which we should begin to look for the meaning of worship without religion and churchiness. The test of worship is how far it makes us more sensitive to ʻthe beyond in our midstʼ, to the Christ in the hungry, the naked, the homeless and the prisoner. Only if we are more likely to recognize him there, after attending an act of worship, is that worship Christian rather than a piece of religiosity.

The key to making heaven on earth is in the horizontal relations with our neighbors. If our concept of heaven is that of place where justice prevails for all then we have to make that the reality on earth. If that place is the earth, in our midst, it would become much easier for us to love our neighbors as ourselves. In such a heaven on earth the fruits of the Holy Spirit - love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control- will prevail.

In bishop Robinsonʼs view, instead of looking for a God ʻup thereʼ or ʻout thereʼ we should be looking for his presence among and amidst us, for God is immanent.

That presence is characterized by love, for God is Love.

Christianity depends on this revelation in Christ, not that of a super-naturalist God. Humanists like Professor

Julian Huxley have faith in the potentials of human beings, but for Christians their faith is in Christ as the revelation, who is homousios, of one substance, with the Father as the creeds put it. Unless that substance of things deep down is Love, the quality shown in life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ has little relevance. And this is what marks out a Christian, not his religiosity, from a humanist and the atheist.

Accepting the immanence of God does not mean negating the transcendence of God. In fact the language of liturgy and prayer testifies to this. We can continue to worship and conduct the Christian life as before keeping continuity. We may keep old symbols, but we need to ask what they mean. Otherwise symbols become images and ultimately idols and our worship formal and hollow.

Editorʼs Note: Editorʼs Note: Dr. Titus Mathews is P Professor Emeritus of Physics at the University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Educated in U.C. College and Madras Christian College, he received his Ph.D. degree from University of London (Imperial College) in 1962. He joined the University of Calgary in 1966 and has served as Professor and Head of Physics Department and also as Associate Vice-President (Academic).

He has been awarded the Good Servant Medal by Canadian Council of Christians and Jews, Out Standing Service Award by India-Canada Association and Alberta Government. He is also the recipient of Queen Elizabeth Golden Jubilee medal for service to the University of Calgary.

Kerala Culture Prof. Ravi Nambiar, Kerala Abstract: "The tiny state of Kerala in the southernmost tip of India is a place of strange combinations: of religion, education, literacy, art, music, dance, and literature, but, paradoxically, notorious in India for crime and corruption. Yet, this place, gifted with nature's bounty and with a great cultural heritage, is one of the most sought after tourist spots in the world."

Kerala is passing through a very sensitive period in its history. Sandwiched between its serene antiquity and a vibrant modernity, it seems to be on the verge of losing its rich cultural heritage. The rapid technological growth and the craze for a new lifestyle among the youth have already changed the traditional face of the state.

However, some inherent and primitive impulses lying deeply buried in its persona try to resist at least certain forms of changes and this cultural characteristic of Kerala has made it a unique and a wonderful place.

Its miniature size pushes the state of Kerala down to the twenty-first slot in India. But in literacy, education, health, sports, art and social manners it has always been in the forefront. All these achievements had been earned by the people living in the region, now called Kerala, much before the state was formed in 1957. Therefore, no government ruling this state, since its formation, can claim credit for its cultural abundance. The irony is that the politically conscious people of this state never gives any party or a union of parties, be it left or right, the needed electoral verdict to rule the state continuously for more than five years. In other words, in politics also, the state is quite sensitive, democratically very vibrant.

Kerala is a beautiful state, gifted with a marvelous landscape. As she has a rich and fertile soil, she conceives almost every kind of vegetable seed and, as a proof of it; she has a splendid green canopy elegantly stretched over her head. In its flora variety is her taste, but the coconut palms, lying spread from its northern tip to the southern, try to claim their sovereignty, in spite of the recent onslaught from the rubber planters. In fact, the name Kerala is derived from the word Kera, meaning coconut. Rich with back waters and rivers, Kerala never experienced the threat of thirst in her past, but today draught and scarcity of water are the constant summer worries of her children. Two hostile trends, which seem to threaten Kerala, attempting to strangulate her today, are “progress” and “development”. Peeping out from her small industrial purdah, which is not a comfortable traditional veil to her, she seems to murmur to her children: “progress towards what?” or “developing to what end?”

Her globalized children are now too modern to listen to her antique murmur, and thus Kerala breathes a commercial and industrial air that is quite hostile to her tradition. To be precise, her tradition somehow survives with an acute sense of being ravished by cruel changes.

Another unpleasant social element is the inner bickering that is going on among her children in the name of their social and cultural imbalances. In spite of all these hostile experiences, this small southern state in India tries to remain graceful in her appearance, warmly welcoming a vast number of visitors from all over the world.

Kerala can be proud of her past, if not of her present, on several fronts. The religious liberty, which St. Thomas discovered when he landed in Kerala in 52 AD, still prevails in the state, though there seems to be brewing among the people an irretrievable trend to sharpen their racial or religious identities. Unity in life with diversity in faith was the principle that governed the religious hearts of the people in this region for a long time. But today everyone seems to be united only to remain diverse, and the collective urge in the divided selves, unfortunately, is in intensifying the diverse communal identities. But, the mighty heritage of Kerala that silently imposes a sense of unity on its inhabitants, which is its basic characteristic, seems to nullify all the growing negative attitudes in them.

In short, peace and harmony still prevails here.

Culture is one of the most difficult words that evade a clear definition. Websterʼs dictionary gives several meanings, out of which the most suitable one seems: “the integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon manʼs capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations”.

This definition is sure to mislead readers because it does not carry any stress on the qualitative side of knowledge.

If another meaning given in the same dictionary is to be accepted, the word culture can earn a better image. It says, culture is “enlightenment and excellence of taste acquired by intellectual and aesthetic training”. What makes the cultural history of Kerala distinct from those in the other states in India is its “excellence of taste” in public life. The silent training in life the people of this wonderful “state receive has been both intellectual and aesthetic”. Above all, the peculiar style of “transmitting” its culture to “succeeding generations” is quite unique. Myth and modernity merge here to stir the collective unconscious of the natives to carry their rich heritage into the future. One example of how the excellence in life is passively passed on to posterity is the great Onam festival the Keralites annually celebrate.

Onam is a Hindu festival which the people of Kerala celebrate every year. This cultural celebration goes on for ten days, with the grand Onam falling on the tenth day. It is also the time of annual family reunion. All those working in different parts of the country or the world make it a point to join their parents, or the parents to join their children.

The story behind this festival is that Mahabali, a legendary king, who once ruled the state of Kerala, was given a chance to visit his kingdom every year by Lord Vishnu.

The mythical story says that under the rule of Mahabali the people then enjoyed whatever they had desired in their life. People saw no starvation, nor illness, nor violence, and those days were marked by amity, love, and harmony. How the present guilt-ridden generation is able to celebrate the memory of such bygone peace and harmony is quite paradoxical, because, as already noted, mutual suspicion rather than amity embraces the lot. The psychological reasons for the Onam euphoria could be attributed to the increasing absence of the much-desired happiness in real life. With the result, Onam has become a form of collective nostalgia for a lost Utopia, though no one knows whether the lost Utopia is legendary or real. In other words, the people seem to be reconciled to the truth that real happiness in life; real peace and harmony in life can be experienced only in an imaginary world, only in an ideal cultural world that exists in fantasy. Reality today is too hard to be experienced joyfully. Thus Onam for

Keralites is a metaphor, and its therapeutic effect on the natives is great.

If we keep the Utopian days of Mahabali aside for a while to examine the present cultural scenario in Kerala, what comes to light is the fact that a state once known for excellence in public life is now marred by corruption and crime. Cultural excellence is a human quality, which enables man to react to crime and cruelty in his society.

Corruption and crime generally become the order of the day only in a place where the people tend to be insensitive and indifferent to what goes on around them.

What cripples the people of Kerala now is a kind of utter indifference to crime, corruption and unnatural deaths.

This collective indifference is eating into the very bone marrow of the public life in Kerala, and this inhuman attitude also is being silently passed on to posterity.

“Crime rate statistics in terms of offences coming under the ambit of the Indian Penal Code during 2012 have put Kerala on top with 455.8 cases for every 1,00,000 persons”, says the leading English paper in India, The Hindu (http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/crime-ratehighest-in-kerala/article4822947.ece). The Kerala Police website gives the figures of thefts, assaults on women, road accidents, child abuse, and the political crimes that take place today in this “Godʼs own country”:

http://keralapolice.org/newsite/scrb.html. “The latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) figures comparing incidents of crime with the population of a state, notes Kerala is most affected by crime and Kochi is the most dangerous city. Figures compiled till 2010 show that Kerala has a crime rate 424.1, more than double the national average of 187.6.” (http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-0624/india/32392782_1_crime-rate-violent-crimes-crimestats). The Times of India is yet another English newspaper having a large circulation in India. “God's own country is Goon's own country say new statistics by the National Crime Records Bureau”, says India Today, (http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/gods-own-country-isgoons-own-country/1/212515.html). The same journal gives a funny title to its view of the present reality in Kerala: “Sex, sleaze and murder: A look into Kerala's sensational crimes”, http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/kerala-sex-womencriminals-murder-leena-maria-paul-sarita-s.nair/1/290991.html. Yet, with all these dark figures given as sensational news about crime sans punishment or about crimes followed by delayed punishment, our legendary Lord continues his annual visits and the people of Kerala spread flower carpets at every home, at every educational and office corridors, and even at the crimeridden police stations and jails to receive him warmly.

Clad in new clothes, in the special Onam attire, the people of Kerala receive the legendary King with great fanfare.

He comes majestically, holding a palm-leaf umbrella, pacing gracefully with his huge belly, and screwing up his thick moustache with his free hand as he moves.

Perhaps, Onam is the only festival in the world where fantasy and reality fuse together to offer man a therapeutic effect on his psyche. It is an event to reckon, to look into the past and the present, and to go for an inner scrutiny; but it is also an occasion to remember and realize the brevity of life; to rejoice life, to rejoice collectively, for who knows when the next tsunami is going to strike. Therefore, there is a philosophy behind this festival, a silent eloquence. This has the color of satire, and its educative value is par excellent. It exposes all kinds of shame, as the old King sarcastically examines every nook and corner of life. It is a time when sin yields to bliss.

Passivity in the native Hindus paved the way for different religious faiths to enter Kerala. It is believed that the Jews entered Cochin, now known as Kochi, almost 2500 years ago. They established a good rapport with the rulers and the people, and flourished in Kerala till recently as the most successful trading community. The arrival of Christians in Kerala is believed to have taken place in 52 AD when St. Thomas visited India. Though the exact time of the Christian origin in Kerala is still speculative, with the arrival of Vasco da Gama in 1498 the European missionaries started pouring into India, to Kerala particularly. Islam is the second-most practiced religion in Kerala. The arrival of Muslims took place somewhere in the seventh or the eighth AD, when the Arabs landed on

the coastal belt of Kozhikode to establish trade. All those who arrived were welcome to the place and the local soil was found very fertile for religious conversions and spread of different gospels. The native Hindus in those days were not communally narrow, though there is some new awareness among the Hindus in India today that in the name of secularism its base in India has been eroding, not knowing that Hinduism is a way of life which even the West is now trying to embrace. The irony is that for our King Mahabali there is no caste or religious discriminations. He represents the spirit of Kerala, the Deus Loci.

Kerala is a land of art, literature and music. It is a land of festivals too. If the northern belt of Kerala is famous for looms and folklores, the central Kerala, mainly Trichur, is known for its cultural activities. The annual Pooram festival celebrated in Trichur is unique for its colorful display, fire displays, and the greatest number of elephants participating in the festival. These huge fourlegged animals display an amazing show of unity and perseverance in the hottest month of May, standing in a colorful row to enable the men seated on them holding idols to exchange their ornamental umbrellas, as the temple customs demand. Pooram fireworks have become a metaphor in Malayalam literature, standing for any extraordinary colorful display. Similarly, the northern belt of Kerala is famous for a particular type of art performance called, Theyyams. North Malabar is marked by the presence of innumerable temples called Kavu.

Each one has some symbolic performance to be conducted annually, a ritualistic dance called theyyam. It is a form of physical exhibition of some myth, or a colorful display of the story of some heroes or ancestral spirits.

Here, we can see the synthesis of artistic performance, music, dance, painting, literature, and sculpture; all blending into the spirit of the local people and place. The sense of modernity is kept aside for a while by the people to mix and mingle with their most primitive hearts. So the past never dies in Kerala, in spite of the invasion of the land by globalization and postmodernism. When all the boundaries today strive hard to get erased, Kerala keeps its cultural boundaries in tact with annual celebrations.

The best place to view and appreciate all forms of the cultural activities in Kerala is the venue where the yearly state level school cultural competitions are held. It is now one of the greatest cultural events in Asia, perhaps the greatest. This school festival provides a sumptuous cultural feast, a grand artistic feast to all the five human senses. Who said that culture is the sum total of what we do? He is surely right; at least Kerala seems to prove that.

Editorʼs Note: Professor Nambiar is a principal of a college in Kannur, Kerala.

He is a prolific writer in both Malayalam and English. He has translated into Malayalam books of world famous writers such as Lawrence Durrell, James Joyce, George Orwell and DH Lawrence.

The Rise of Religious ʻNonesʼ of Mar Thoma Church Lal Varghese, Esq., Dallas The issues that wound and tear a second or third generation Marthomite down to the point that prompts him or her to walk out the door are typically issues that affect people from all generations and all walks of life. Rachel Held Evans, in article specially wrote for CNN said: “I counted myself among the spiritual but not religious, Christian but not churchgoing crowd. I left church because I didnʼt always see the compassion of Jesus there, and because my questions about faith and science, the Bible, homosexuality, and religious pluralism were met with shallow answers or hostility.” In a culture that stresses individualism, the church should satisfy the human need for community, for shared history and experiences. In a world where technology enables the new generation to connect only with those who are like-minded, ʻbaptism in to the membership of a denominationʼ drags the religious crowd into the large, dysfunctional and beautiful sanctuaries with stained glass windows of the church.

We can learn a lot from the faithful who have gone before us, and the church is where we find them. But the new generation finds it difficult to locate such faithful in our parishes anymore including among our Bishops and Achens.

Different denominations may disagree on the theological nuances of the Holy Communion or exacting phrased used, but everyone agree that Christ is present at the sacrament.

Church should provide a safe place in which to wrestle with the faith affirmation each individual has taken during confirmation.

Pope Francis (World Youth Day 2013) said: "We need saints without cassocks, without veils - we need saints with jeans and tennis shoes. We need saints that go to the movies that listen to music that hang out with their friends. We need saints that place God in first place ahead of succeeding in any career. We need saints that look for time to pray every day and who know how to be in love with purity, chastity and all good things. We need saints - saints for the 21st century with spirituality appropriate to our new time. We need saints that have a commitment to helping the poor and to make the needed social change.”

Pope Francis (World Youth Day 2013) added: “We need saints to live in the world, to sanctify the world and to not be afraid of living in the world by their presence in it. We need saints that drink Coca-Cola, that eat hot dogs, that surf the internet and that listen to their iPods. We need saints that

love the Eucharist, that are not afraid or embarrassed to eat a pizza or drink a beer with their friends. We need saints who love the movies, dance, sports, and theatre. We need saints that are open, sociable, normal, happy companions. We need saints who are in this world and who know how to enjoy the best in this world without being callous or mundane. We need saints."

Nigel Barber, in his book ʻWhy Atheism Will Replace Religionʼ, has laid out the evidence that religion (however measured) is in sharp decline in the most developed countries that enjoy the highest standard of living for most of the people, namely social democracies such as Japan and Sweden.ʼ A recent Gallup study was headlined, "Most Americans Say Religion is Losing Influence in U.S.; But 75% say American society would be better off if more Americans were religious."

For many years, mainline denominations have lost members at alarming rates, but recently more conservative churches have been suffering the same phenomenon. No matter what denomination or faith tradition, organized religion is declining.

For centuries, the church has been the primary delivery system for Christian faith and spirituality, but now people are finding fulfillment in other ways, individually and communally.

There are innumerable reasons why organized religion is declining, many of them having to deal with the abuse of power of ossified structures. Church buildings may be glorious, but their walls often seem intended more to keep their members safe within them rather than to enable them to move out beyond them to love and serve the world.

Eboo Patel, Jim Wallis and Meryl Chertoff in an article titled ʻPrincipled Pluralism: The Challenge of Religious Diversity In 21st Century Americaʼ write: What is principled pluralism?

Harvard scholar of religion Diana Eck defines pluralism by contrasting it with diversity. She writes, "Diversity is just plurality, plain and simple, splendid, colorful, perhaps threatening. Pluralism is the engagement that creates a common society from all that plurality." Principled pluralism encourages that engagement, but respects the desire of some groups to respectfully limit it, in harmony with deeply held views on matters of faith.”

A study conducted by one of the members of the MTC Dallas, FB (The Church at Cross Roads – Thomas Thazhayil, Dallas appeared in the Mar Thoma Messenger July 2013 issue page 32) summarizes that out of the 156 children who were members of the MTC Dallas, FB (by the way this parish is the largest parish in North American Diocese with about 370 families) from ages 6 months to about 15 or 16 in 1984 and now range from ages 30 to 45 or more. Of these 156 second generation Marthomites only less than 1/5 (less than 20%) attend Mar Thoma parish on a regular basis. More than 1/3 left the Mar Thoma Church completely. The remaining comes occasionally to participate in a sacrament. What does this study shows? Only less than 1/5 or less than 20% of the second generation and now third generation Marthomites are

interested in attending our parishes on a regular basis. So, there is absolutely no question that second generation and third generations are leaving the Mar Thoma Church. What are the reasons for the remaining 80% or more leave the church? The following are the responses from our people to our present situation; I write this to bring this discussion out into the open from our closets.

1) Second Generation leave church since they canʼt find a community.

They leave because they do not find a community where they can mingle freely and share their concerns and discuss their problems. Ours is a community centered on our culture and they do not accept our culture totally since they live in a multicultural society. They do not want to be 100% part of a Kerala Christian cultural community or restricted or exclusive grouping. Our community relationships are fake and not based on true relationships. They need real relationships in order to be part of a community especially a worshipping community.

2) Second Generation leave church because they need less drama in their lives.

Their life is with full of dramas, failures and other negative factors like interracial marriages, divorces, not marrying at all, all of which a western society never considers as a failure in life. But our people gossip about their failures and other negative factors, which they do not want to be targets, since they do not want to add more dramas in to their life by attending our parishes.

3) Second Generation leave church because of unresolved conflicts.

They leave because their opinions are not heard or accepted by the majority in the parish. When there are conflicts between second generation and the first generation, we try to find fault with young people. We never try to resolve the issues of conflict and thus they are wounded and leave the church. There are several conflicting groups in every parishes based on the issues being discussed, which alienate people from each other, thus resulting in unresolved conflicts.

4) Second Generation leave church because of the manipulations of unskilled parish leadership.

They leave our parishes because the first generation still controls the parish and its administration. The first generation is not willing for any change in the worship or administration of the parish by giving room for the second generation. They always try to control the second generation with their unskilled and undiplomatic tactics. Our Achens and other spiritual leaders are also not well equipped to understand and cater to the needs of the second generation. It is gratifying to hear our Diocesan bishop asking our community to give 33 percent representation to our youths, women and seniors. Such a representational democracy would be of benefit for our future.

5) Second Generation leave church when they feel like they need to become a carbon copy of an individual or ideal in order to be fully included and appreciated.

They leave because we impose certain cultural and traditional standards upon them and would like them to

become a carbon copy of our version of culture and tradition.

If they fail to become a carbon copy of our culture and tradition, we do not recognize them and allow them to be leaders in our parishes and they leave. We try to alienate them from our parishes and congregations.

6) Second Generation leave church because theyʼre looking for something authentic.

They leave because they feel that our parishes are not authentic, but only a place for social gathering and gossiping.

They want a community, which genuinely worship the Lord and not something artificial. They, somehow, do not find the presence of Jesus in our parishes and we are downgraded as a ʻSunday communityʼ only.

7) Second Generation leave church because our church fails to understand their needs and wants.

They leave because church fails to recognize their needs and wants and do not make any effort to change itself to adapt to their life situations. Our church and its leaders still think it is a church in Kerala, but it is a global church with more than 30% of the parishes located outside India.

8) Second Generation leave church because the language of the worship is not in a language they can understand.

They do not understand Malayalam, since they are either born or brought up outside India. Our parishes have Malayalam services at least every two Sundays in a month.

The remaining two Sundays English service is led by Achens from India, who are not familiar with the language of the second generation and hence fails to communicate to them meaningfully. The liturgical worship is monotonous to most of them since they cannot understand its full meaning. The liturgical worship should be shortened and the sermons should be relating to the life situations with examples and stories from the culture in which they are leaving. Our Achens need to be trained to minister to parishes outside India. This very well could be that our traditions and liturgy is a ʻlocked boxʼ and we should make an effort to find the key and open this treasure chest and explain its content, this will transform our situation; and effort should be made now, before it is too late.

9) Second Generation leave church because our church has too much bureaucracy, constitutional adherence and administrative emphasis.

Our church and its leaders fail to understand that the second generation wants less bureaucracy, constitutionalism and administrative burden in parishes. We cling too much to hierarchical authority compared to any other denominational churches in the world. They need less bureaucracy in their life and simple solutions for their problems or issues. Our Bishops and Achens act like they are something more than the ordinary laity and acts like the CEOs of corporations.

10) Second Generation leave church because in our church they are the center of the ʻwrong kindʼ attention while in non-denominational congregations they are not.

Our churches are prone to looking in to an individualʼs failures and problems and form opinion about such issues in exaggerated ways. They do not want to be the center of attention based on such attitudes. They feel comfortable in

attending worship services in non-denominational churches, where the center of attention is not on individuals, but it is on Jesus.*

many nondenominational congregations are filled with second and third generation Marthomites and similar younger generation from other Christian denominations from Kerala.

It is a fact that second generation and third generation Marthomites are leaving their mother church and moving elsewhere. From the typical study conducted by Thomas Thazhayil (mentioned above), it is found that only about 20% of the second generation and third generation Marthomites attend their mother church on a regular basis. We need to find out where the 80% are going or are they attending any churches or totally labeled as ʻReligious Nonesʼ. In a research study published by Sharon Kim, California State University, Fullerton titled ʻShifting boundaries between Korean American Second Generation Churchesʼ, concluded that they are creating a new hybrid form of churches consisting of take in from their ethnic churches and main stream evangelical churches in America. She found that second-generation Korean Americans do not face a stark choice between assimilation and cultural pluralism. They are not joining mainstream churches or remaining within the churches of their immigrant parents. Rather, they are charting out an entirely new path altogether. They are leaving the immigrant church to create and inhabit innovative, selfconstructed spiritual homes. Contemporary scholars of religion have suggested that the second generation, in their quest to differentiate and distance themselves from their parentʼs religion, have rushed into the arms of mainstream Evangelicalism.

Sharon Kim in her study also noted that ʻImmigration historians have depicted the second generation as a transitional generation—on the steady march toward the inevitable decline of ethnic identity and allegiance. My research suggests an alternative route. By harnessing religion and innovatively creating hybrid religious institutions, second-generation Korean Americans are assertively defining and shaping their own ethnic and religious futures.

Rather than assimilating into mainstream churches or inheriting the churches of their immigrant parents, second generation pastors are creating their own hybrid third spaces—new autonomous churches that are shaped by multiple frames of reference.

She mentioned in her study that ʻAlthough all of the churches are open to non-Koreans, not all envision or desire a fully multiracial church. It appears that there is always tension prevails in this hybrid third place. Some want their churches to remain predominately Korean American; others want to stretch their ethnic boundaries to include other Asian Americans, while others want their churches to evolve into multiracial institutions.ʼ This seems to be situation of the second and third generation Marthomites. One group wants to remain within the parentʼs ethnic church itself, a second group wants to assimilate in to the nondenominational congregations, while a third wants to establish their own hybrid congregations welcoming members from all races.

What about the number of second and third generation Marthomites that never attend any churches at all? In a recent study conducted by Pew Research Forum from 2008 – 2012, it has been fund that about 20% of the Americans are not affiliated to any religious groups at all. No authoritative study has been done in this area to see how many still have their allegiance to the Mar Thoma Church or how many are considered as ʻReligious Nonesʼ. A few of the second generation still maintain their membership in the Mar Thoma parishes and baptize their children in Mar Thoma parishes and also a few send their children by the influence of their parents to Sunday Schools conducted by the Mar Thoma parishes. A few second generation Marthomites chose to get married under Mar Thoma rites, but they never attend Mar Thoma parishes on a regular basis after their marriage.

In her study of second-generation Indian Christians, Prema Kurien titled, “Christianity by Birth or Rebirth? Generation and Difference in an Indian American Christian Church” 2004, found that the younger Indians continually compared their parentʼs ethnic church unfavorably with the mainstream American churches that they had attended. In most of the major cities in United States, there are nondenominational congregations largely attracting second and third generation Marthomites. For example, in cities like Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Dallas, Houston, the pews of

Immigration historians have depicted the second generation as a transitional generation—on the steady march toward the inevitable decline of ethnic identity and allegiance to their parent church. Every immigrant group in U.S. history experienced a period of generational transition when the second generation came of age and challenged their parents for leadership over their communityʼs ethnic institutions.

(Conzen et al.1992). Almost all major religions adhere to some form of universalism. The Christian faith instructs believers to “take the gospel” to all nations and evangelize people from all ethnic and racial groups. As a passage in the Bible states, “There is neither Jew nor Greek . . . for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28, New International Version).” Despite this belief, the nationʼs religious congregations have long been highly racially segregated.

Multiracial congregations are very rare, less than 8 percent of the over 300,000 religious congregations in the United States are racially mixed (De Young et al. 2004; Emerson and Smith 2000). Sharon Kim has concluded in her research study that ʻRather than assimilating into mainstream churches or inheriting the churches of their immigrant parents, second generation pastors are creating their own hybrid third spaces—new autonomous churches that are shaped by multiple frames of reference.ʼ There seems to be sprouting up hybrid form nondenominational congregations founded by second-generation leaders, especially from Kerala Christians, in couple of cities in North America. The question is whether the second generation Marthomites can exist as their own hybrid congregations or they need to assimilate with other similar second generation Kerala Christians to form hybrid congregations is yet to be seen. I believe it may be difficult for the second generation or third generation Marthomites to form their own hybrid congregations, since their number when compared to second generation Koreans or other Asian Americans is very small.

The existence and continued faith journey of the Mar Thoma Church in this Diocese mainly depends upon the challenges being faced by the Church in having its second and third generation believers in its fold. The first generation who, sacrificed their lives and established parishes in this Diocese has retired and few of them had returned to Kerala. The majority of the first immigrants who remain here are no longer interested in the affairs of the Church anymore for reasons best known to them. They developed a faith community, but now it seems that their own generations are not part of the same. They also feel that the Church uses its resources here in this Diocese as a source for collecting funds for various pet projects, without doing anything effectively in return for the generations to continue in their faith journey as Mar Thoma Christians.

Diocese of North America & Europe Silver Jubilee Finale Program on Nov. 23, 2013 at New York The Diocesan silver jubilee program was inaugurated in Houston in January 2013. Regional celebrations were held in Chicago, Philadelphia, Toronto, and Los Angeles. As part of the jubilee year initiatives, parishes are witnessing to the formation of ʻAlter Boysʼ and ʻCovenant Girlsʼ by selecting communicant boys and girls above the age of 12 years willing to use their time and talents to learn and assist in the worship services. A Festschrift Volume containing articles about history and growth of the parishes which led to the formation of the Diocese, a Bible Study booklet containing Bible Studies based on the silver jubilee theme ʻ Church Journeying with Christʼ, a Memoir with photos and events of the important events of the Diocese will be released during the finale program. As part of the jubilee program, a book titled "Churching the Diaspora, Discipling the Families" written by Mar Theodosius was released by Metropolitan Most Rev. Dr. Joseph Mar Thoma on the first day of Mar Thoma Sabha Prathinidhi Mandalam Meeting at Thiruvalla.

As part of the silver jubilee celebrations, the first Mar Thoma Chapel built outside the Diocese in the Mexico Mission field will be dedicated on Oct. 12, 2013.

I believe the reasons stated above are the main causes for the second and third generations leaving our parishes. We need to have a widely-based committee consisting of people of all viewpoints to study the issues raised in this article to prevent this exodus. The study should also propose pragmatic solutions that may be taken by the church to accommodate the second and third generation in the faith journey of the parent church. *The reasons were mainly categorized based on a confidential survey among selected second generation Marthomites in North America by the author.

Editorʼs Note: Lal Varghese, Esq., is a lawyer by profession and is mainly practicing in U. S Immigration law for the past more than 20 years and is based in Dallas, Texas. He is also the legal counsel for the Diocese of North America & Europe of the Mar Thoma Church. He is also a member of the Editorial Board of Mar Thoma Messenger. He can be reached at his e-mail address attylal@aol.com or at telephone: (972) 788-0777.

The finale program of the silver jubilee celebrations of the Diocese of North America will take place on Nov. 23, 2013 in New York. Metropolitan Most Rev. Dr. Joseph Mar Thoma has agreed to bless on the occasion and to give the keynote address. According to Theodosius Thirumeni, the jubilee year of the Diocese is not only an occasion to look into the past to remember with gratitude the commitment and sacrifice or our early community in the formation of parishes, which led eventually the formation of the Diocese but also to commit the members of the present generation to continue in the faith journey of the Mar Thoma Church and to reach new heights in the life of the Church, in her mission and ministry.

Thirumeni added, as a Diocese, we have to come up with better way to love, care and respect the senior members in our parishes.