Jubilee Voice Jubilee Malayalam Church (CNI)
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Volme-14, Issue: 03 March 2018 For Private circulation only Jubilee Voice Jubilee Malayalam Church (CNI) Thought for the month “With great compassion I will gather you.” Isa.54:7 Jubilee Malayalam Church Registration Number: E 8750 Plot-3, Sector-7, Sanpada East, Navi Mumbai – 400 705 Website: www.jubileemalayalam.org Programs March 02: Lenten prayers at Jubilee Church, Sanpada at 8pm March 02:Child sex abuse workshop by Shalom Mumbai Mission at Missionary Memorial Chapel, Mulund from 9.30am-1.00pm. March 04Combined Holy Communion Service at 3.00 pm at Jubilee Church(Women’s Sunday) March 06: Atmaya Meeting at 7.30 pm at Jubilee Church March 09:Lenten prayers at Jubilee Church, Sanpada at 8pm March 10:Women’s Fellowship meeting at 4.30pm at Jubilee Church, Sanpada March 11: Holy Communion service at Jubilee Church, Sanpada at 7am and Matins service at Panvel at 11am. Management committee meeting will be held at 9.30am at Jubilee Church Sanpada. March 11: Area prayer meeting at the residence of Mr. Biju C. Alex, Nerul at 6pm. March 13: Atmaya Meeting at 7.30 pm at Jubilee Church March 16:Lenten prayers at Jubilee Church, Sanpada at 8pm March 18:Matins service at Sanpada at 7am and Holy Communion at 11am at Panvel Worship Center. March 20: Atmaya Meeting at 7.30 pm at Jubilee Church March 23:Lenten prayers at Jubilee Church, Sanpada at 8pm March 24: Area prayer meeting at the residence of Mr. Johnson Gabriel, Kalamboli at 7pm. March 25:Holy Communion Service in English at Sanpada at 7.00am and at Panvel at 11am. March 25: Special prayer meeting at the residence of Mr. V.M.Y. John, Vashi at 6pm. March 27& 28: Church convention at 7.30am at Jubilee Church Sanpada. March 29: (Maundy Thursday) combined Holy Communion Service at Sanpada at 8pm (First Floor) March 30: (Good Friday) combined service atSanpada at 8am. March 31: FamilyRetreat from 9am to 2pm. April1: (Easter)Holy Communion Service at Sanpada at 5.30am and at Panvel at 10 am. Motto for the year 2017 “Rejoice in the Lord always.” (Philippians 4: 4) Message from the Presbyter Dear Beloved- in- Christ, “Greetings in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ”. “Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). Here they crucified him, and with him two others-one on each side and Jesus in the middle.”(John 19:17,18) The very mission of Jesus Christ is to reveal God and to redeem humankind. Jesus said, “The father and I are one” (Jn.10:30); “I am in the father and the father is in me.” (Jn14:10); “whoever has seen me has seen the father” (Jn14:9). So,Jesus came to reveal God; he came as “the image of the invisible God.” (Col. 1:15). The center section of John’s Gospel (chapter6-15) has a number of “I am” sayings. The same Greek words for “I am” (ego eimi) appear in the Greek Old Testament in which God says to Moses at the burning bush, “I am who I am” (Ex.3:14). Jesus defines himself as the “I am” in the following seven sayings. 1. After feeding the multitudes: “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” (Jn6:35) 2. Following the story of the woman caught in adultery: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” (Jn 8:12) 3. Speaking to the crowds: “I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved… 4. “I am good shepherd (who)lays down his life for (his) sheep.” (Jn.10:9-11) 5. After the death of Lazarus: “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” (Jn 11:25-26) 6. Speaking to Thomas and the disciples: “I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me. If you know me, you will know my father also.” (Jn 14:6-7) 7. Again, speaking to the disciples: “I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them, bear much fruit.” (Jn15:5) These seven “I am sayings” is revealed on the Cross. So Cross is the symbol of revelation in Jesus. Let the meditations and prayers throughout this lent and Passion Week give us new revelation from the Cross. May God Bless You, With love and prayers, Rev. BinjuVarugheseKuruvilla Editor: Mr. Mannoor George Joseph Impact of reformation in Kerala churches – a brief reflection Biju George According to the tradition, Christianity arrived in India when St. Thomas, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ, reached the port town of Muzaris(Kodungallur) in the Malabar Coast in AD 52. If that is true there has been a ‘Christian Presence’ in Kerala even before the Apostle Paul penned some of his epistles! It is also well known tradition that the Apostle Thomas initially evangelized the Jewish Community in Cochin and thereafter the upper caste Hindus and he established seven churches all except one (Nilakkal) in the coastal belt. A community known as St Thomas Christians also known as the Malankara church was existing since then. It is generally agreed that the arrival of Knanai Thomas from Syria in mid fourth century and that of the Nestorian church in the fifth century impacted the practices of the Malankara church. 31 October 1517, exactly 500 years ago, Luther a Roman Catholic monk defiantly nailed a copy of his 95 Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Castle church in Germany kick-starting what is known as the protestant reformation. Little did he know that this watershed moment will change the course of western history in particular and world history in general. Reformation touched all aspects of the sixteenth century culture and the ripples of it is felt even today. It touched education art, literature, painting, culture, science and of course the way we do theology. The 95 Theses, propounded two central beliefs—that the Bible is the central authority and that humans may reach salvation only by their faith and not by their deeds. The basic tenets of Reformation are usually captured in five ‘Solas’(a Latin word which means alone): (a) Sola Scriptura : Bible is God’s word written and is the only rule of faith and practice (b) Solo Christo salvation of all who are saved by grace through faith in Christ (c) Sola Gratia Man is not saved by works but by God’s grace in Christ (d) Sola Fide Good works could not save but only Christ can save those who believe in Him. (e) Soli Deo Gloria God’s glory was the ultimate purpose of all things From fifth through the sixteenth centuries, the Malankara church adopted practices that were not apostolic and Biblical. It is into this milieu that the flame of protestant reformation of the sixteenth century ignited by Martin Luther began its impact on the Kerala Church. However, the real impact began to be felt only in the eighteenth century with the advent of Rev Thomas Norton the first Christian Missionary Society(CMS) missionary to Alleppey in 1816. In the three years that followed distinguished missionaries Rev Benjamin Bailey, Rev Joseph Fenn, Rev Henry Baker also landed in Kerala. It is interesting that these three missionaries adopted a three-pronged strategy which paved way for a holistic social revolution both in the church and the society. Rev Baker concentrated on imparting education while Rev Bailey did pioneering work in literature and printing. In 1821 Rev Baileyestablished a printing press. He translated the Bible into Malayalam and in1846 published the first English-Malayalam dictionary. Rev Fenn’s arena of activity was establishing seminaries for study of theology. Although a cordial relationship existed between the Malankara church and the missionaries, this began to deteriorate with time which eventually led to the separation of the missionaries from the Malankara church. This triggered increasing missionary activities among the non-Christians in Kerala. The impact of protestant missions in Kerala could be summarized under four heads: (a) Salvation: The impact of the truth of the gospel in the personal life of believers (b) Worship: The importance of worshipping in a language with one can relate (c) Evangelism: The mandate to preach the gospel in the non-Christian world to make disciples. (d) Social Work: The cultural mandate of impacting the society with social action and social service. Apart from the CMS, the London Missionary Society(LMS) and the Basel Evangelical Mission(BEM) also began their work. LMS missionaries concentrated their work among the lower castes and CMS missionaries did most of their missionary work among the Syrian Christians. Both these groups made outstanding contributions in the educational sphere. The Basel Mission started their work in Malabar in the year 1834. They took initiative to help the converts to earn their own livelihood by establishing cottage industries, printing presses, etc. Thus, the three major missions in Cochin, Travancore and in Malabar won converts and established churches, supplying them with institutions that were very important for future development of the society: schools, hospitals and commercial outlets. The impact of protestant reformation in Kerala is best understood in the context of the milieu of the Malankara church where there was no emphasis on personal salvation, evangelism, worship in native language and social service.