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My dear parishioners, Warm greetings to you all in the sweet Name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I thank God for this privilege of sharing the word of God with you this month. Our Almighty God has chosen us and He is the one who enables us to live for His glory. I would like to share the word of God from Leviticus 26: 1-13.

This passage talks about the blessing of obedience. Our mighty Lord expects His children to be obedient to Him always in their lives. By doing so, our good Lord is ready to bless us abundantly. He gave a promise to His children, to those who obey “I will walk among you, and be your God, and you shall be My people.” Leviticus 26:12.

Our Almighty God delivered Israelites from the bondage of Egyptian slavery. He also gave statutes to them to be observed in the Promised Land. It also tells us about the blessings that God would give them if they walked in His statutes and obeyed His commandments.

• Firstly, God Almighty reminded His people not to make idols of any kind and bow down before them, for He was the Lord, their God. God instructed Israelites to observe the Sabbath and honour His name and His sanctuary. For that reason, He has given us one more new month. We should not make idols - it may be the money we are after, or other material things. Instead, we should love God wholeheartedly. • Secondly, Almighty God promised to give His people prosperity, protection and peace if they observed His statutes and obeyed His commandments. The great promise He gave them was His presence among them. “I will set my tabernacle among you …I will walk among you.‘’ He said. He is still the same God. He is ready to bestow His manifold blessings on those who walk in His ways obeying His commandments.

• Thirdly we should not obey God in order to get material blessings only. Our love and devotion towards God must be a true one. Jesus Christ said to His disciples, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” Obedience is proof of love. Obeying itself should become our joy, rather than the blessings it brings.

In this new month may our good Lord enable us to obey Him always by keeping the Sabbath day holy and always give priority to the Church and its ministries. As God’s beloved children, we will feel His presence always in our lives. Let us seek our God Almighty wholeheartedly and obey Him to get His blessing by keeping His commandments and live as living witnesses wherever we are. Alleluia! Amen. Yours in His joyful service, Rev. Dr. V. Paul Birla Presbyter-in-charge and Chairman 4

ILLUSION OF EQUALITY

The modern world that we live in, thrives on an illusion that all of us are fairly equal. Slavery, exploitation and discrimination are often thought of as things of the past. But look around and we can find that this is far from true! Social, economic, political inequality exists - in virtually all spheres of life! Like those famous lines spoken by the pig in George Orwell’s dystopian novel ‘Animal Farm’, “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”

Down the ages, philosophers like Plato have attempted to analyse, define and sometimes even justify the inequalities of the world. And often, this disparity has been the root cause of all evil!

United in Christ But the Christian church is the first institution in history to bring together Jews and Gentiles, men and women, slaves and free - on equal footing. The apostle Paul waxes eloquent on this. He says that while God revealed Himself in the past through Israel, now, through Jesus, Gentiles (those outside of Israel) can also be “heirs together with Israel” (Eph. 3: 6).

Yes! we can all equally “approach [Him] with freedom and confidence”. And through the church’s unity the world will see God’s wisdom and goodness. Thus salvation unlocks for us the mystery of unity as people of any and all backgrounds become one in Jesus. As Philip Yancey says, “If we want the community experience God is offering to us, we have reason to seek a congregation of people “not like us.”

Equality in all things In Philemon we read about how during imprisonment in Rome, Paul becomes a spiritual mentor and close friend to Onesimus, a runaway slave once owned by Philemon. When Paul writes to Philemon, a leader of the church in Colossae, asking him to receive Onesimus as a brother in Christ, he exemplifies tact and diplomacy. “Although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love… [Onesimus] is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord” (Philem. 8-9, 16).

We find Paul appealing to Philemon on the basis of equality, friendship, and love saying “I did not want to do anything without your consent…” (v. 14). What a wonderful lesson to us Christians, that in all our relationships, we must seek to preserve harmony and equality in the spirit of love.

Fabiola Jacob 5

Featured on the cover this month is the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Yangon, Myanmar (formerly, Rangoon, Burma). The back cover features the Cathedral’s interior, altar, baptism font and pulpit – photographed by Jaswanth Soundarapandian.

About the Cathedral The majestic Holy Trinity Cathedral is located in the busy Bogyoke Aung San Road in the heart of Yangon, adjacent to the touristy Bogyoke market (formerly Scott market) and Junction City Mall, great destinations for jewellery, clothing, fashion goods, handicrafts as well as traditional Burmese and Chinese food.

The main Anglican Church in Myanmar, this iconic Cathedral was designed by Robert Chisholm, a British architect, in the Indo-Saracenic style to adapt to the warm and humid conditions of Burma. Construction began in 1886, with the laying of the foundation stone by Lord Dufferin, the Viceroy of India, and was completed in 1894. The red brick neo- Gothic style Cathedral with a striking white steeple, has historically strong connections with the British military regiments who were in occupation during the period of the British Empire. Although the Cathedral survived the Second World War, the altar and the pipe organ were destroyed during this war. The pipe organ has not been restored (which is the only shortcoming to this magnificent Cathedral), with the congregation using a regular organ for worship services. The side chapel has a memorial for the thousands of soldiers killed during the Second World War in Burma.

This iconic Cathedral looks stunning from the outside and is well maintained with beautiful gardens, lush green lawns and a canopy of trees. The atmosphere inside the huge compound is tranquil and calm despite the hustle and bustle outside. The inside of the church is well preserved, warm and welcoming. The five beautiful stained-glass windows at the altar represent The Epiphany, The Baptism, The Crucifixion (centre one), The Resurrection and The Ascension. The Cathedral celebrated its 125th Anniversary (quasquicentennial) in February 2011.

The Cathedral is open for worship every day of the year. The Holy Communion Service on Sunday mornings is at 7 am, followed by the Sung Eucharist at 8:30 am, both conducted in English, and well attended by around 300 believers. Coffee fellowships follow worship services. The Evensong is at 4:30 pm in the Burmese language. On weekdays, the Holy Communion Services are held at 7:00 am. The Cathedral also encourages involvement of children and adults in their ministries. The Holy Trinity Cathedral is a ‘must visit’ for anyone visiting Yangon. They say it is a little bit of England left behind in Myanmar. Jaswanth Soundarapandian 6

GEMS FROM THE BIBLE

Put them in your heart-bank – memorize and use them!

• A Christian should live as Christ did - I John 2:6 • You must not tell lies – Deuteronomy 6:17 • Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you – Genesis 17:23 • I am the Lord who heals you – Exodus 50:26 • You must not steal or lie or defraud – Leviticus 19:11

Premella Soundarapandian

Announcement – Subscription Covers The CSI Synod Council has recently made a few important Amendments to the Pastorate Constitution, and we are expected to follow the same. All families in our Parish are expected to get a second subscription cover for their spouses. The covers are ready and kept at the Church entrance. You are requested to kindly collect the same and start offering the second subscription cover along with the first, from April 2019 onwards. Pastorate Committee 7

SHARING

John the Baptist asked anyone having two robes to give one to another who has none, David wanted to share his meals with Jonathan’s lame son; He was asked to share all the king’s meals, Unfortunately, bloodthirsty men his life sealed.

Multitudes followed Jesus and there was no food, Jesus asked His disciples to feed them if they could; They had a few fishes and seven loaves of bread, Everybody shared and four thousand ate the food, by Jesus blessed.

After binding ‘Anti Christ’, Jesus will sit on the judgment seat, He will keep the goats to His left and ‘sheep’ to His right; He will tell the one on the left, ‘I was thirsty and hungry and naked, you never shared; To the one on the right, ‘when I was thirsty, hungry and naked you shared what you had.’

It is every body’s duty to share the ‘Good News’ with others, It is not enough if you have accepted Christ and about others never bother; The time is running short to stand in front of the throne of white, You will have to face, the Judge Eternal ‘Jesus Christ’.

Prema Jeyasundar

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BUTTERFLIES AND MEMORIES

A recent article about butterflies – ‘A-flutter in the city’, published in The Hindu MetroPlus on 13 September 2019 - brought back cherished, heart- warming memories of butterflies, one butterfly in particular – at our serene Quibble Island Cemetery. There was a line of bushes (which were later removed) very close to where my wife Mahema sleeps. Butterflies with the same beautiful wing pattern fluttered around the blossoms in the bushes. Some sat on Mahe’s tomb slab. There were caterpillars aplenty too, busily eating away the leaves.

On September 20, 2008 my daughter Suja brought home a caterpillar with plenty of leaves and put these in a plastic box for her sons (and us too) to see God’s miracle of the amazing metamorphosis. The caterpillar grew big. Suddenly one morning it was not there. Instead, there was a cocoon which the caterpillar had woven around itself. Fortunately, on October 2, 2008 we all saw a butterfly with the same iridescent beautiful wing pattern emerge out of the cocoon. When the lid of the box was opened the butterfly unfalteringly fluttered straight out of the window into the skies. This reminded me of the line, “Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies”, the second line in the last stanza of ‘Abide with me’.

It seemed to me that the butterfly emerged from the gloomy pupa and guided by the light flew out of the window into the skies. Mahe was trapped in the cocoon of her wheelchair for 35 years. She passed away in March 2008. I felt that her beautiful spirit flew free. During our courtship in 1963, Mahema called me a `teddy bear’. I remained her `teddy bear’ throughout our married life.

Mahe had passed away but I felt that her lovable spirit remained with me. In 2010, I did a large format watercolour of ‘the’ Quibble Island butterfly symbolically representing Mahe’s gentle yet radiant spirit lightly sitting upon the arm of a teddy bear of course representing me (printed here on the inner cover). The entire sale proceeds of this artwork went to a Mahema Devadoss endowment, giving free treatment for the visually- challenged poor. By God’s grace, the teddy bear of 1963 and the butterfly of 2008 brought together a good thing. Manohar Devadoss

“That was a great sermon today—on patience,” one friend commented to another as they walked to their cars after church. “Yeah,” the other agreed, “but it was 5 minutes too long!”

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OUR SCRIPTURE IS THE TREASURE!

A routine act in my show with Jack, the monkey puppet, goes like this…

Me: Jack… Now bark like a dog for the kids here! Jack: You do it! Me: Why? Jack: If you do it, it would be natural… Me: Don’t tease me… Tell me, how a dog barks at Santhome English Church? Jack: It won’t bark. Me: Last Sunday I had been there… Four or five dogs were barking at me. Jack: They might have thought a dog has come from another street!

Jokes apart, we should be aware of the story of John Lite. He was a strict and famous police officer in England. He had 3 Alsatian dogs. One day, a few thieves entered his home and stole a few valuables. The police department was shocked to know about this and the print media covered the news with the caption, ‘Theft in police officer’s home!’. Soon it became the talk of the town.

John did not bother about the valuables he lost, but he felt ashamed about the theft in his house and took it as a challenge to locate the culprits. As he was a devout Christian, he turned to his Bible for consolation and guidance. He read Jeremiah chapter 15 and was comforted by verse 11. “Surely I will make your enemies plead with you in times of disaster and times of distress!”

Then the third verse caught his attention. “I will send four kinds of destroyers against them," declares the LORD, "the sword to kill and the dogs to drag away and the birds and the wild animals to devour and destroy.” He was confident that God had revealed some secret through this verse. Immediately he sprang into action. He took the dogs inside the room where the theft occurred so that they could sniff out the smell left behind by the culprits and followed it to nab them in a few minutes. From that time, dogs were used in England followed by the rest of the world to search for the culprits, drugs, explosives, etc.

Like this, there are hundreds of reasons to believe that the Bible is supernatural in origin because the Word of God showed many secrets of science, facts of History and also prediction of future events. In a nutshell, the Bible is a real treasure and an unlimited source of invaluable information and secrets. Come on friends! Let’s dig deep and explore God’s treasure from the living Bible! Ventriloquist Shanthakumar

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THE GLORY OF WORSHIPPING IN AN ANGLICAN (CSI) CHURCH

This is an article written on the anniversary of Church of South India’s (CSI) formation day – September 27, 1947. I hope this will benefit all those who wonder what goes on in an Anglican Church. And for those who have moved on to other denominations from the Anglican tradition – this is to refresh your memory about the various elements involved in worship. As far as India is concerned, the Anglican Church means the Church of South India and Church of North India.

1. The Anglican Churches has doctrinal standards The book of common prayers and the 39 articles remain the doctrinal basis for the Anglican Church. These standards affirm the supremacy of Scripture over traditions, the sufficiency of Scripture for salvation, and justification of sinners by grace alone, in Christ alone and in faith alone.

2. It is a liturgical Church We have a book of common prayer and a common worship service book containing service for public worship. This helps us a lot in the corporate worship. Without the Book of Common Prayer, it would be difficult to worship together with fellow brethren and say a common prayer. It helps us to use the right words at worship. Some say that it is a paper church and that the set services inhibit spontaneity and the freedom of the Holy Spirit. This does not have to be the case; form and freedom is not necessarily incompatible with one another.

We need liturgy for the following reasons: • It enshrines the truth and safeguards the uniformity of doctrine • It gives a sense of solidarity both with the past and the present • It protects the congregation from any sort of unconventional behaviour of the clergy • It is an aid for concentration and congregational participation.

3. It is a professing Church The Apostle Jude taught us that we should “contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.” The Nicene Creed was produced by Christians from East and West at a time when the Church was undivided and is an expansion of the earlier Apostles’ Creed. But we as Christians profess our faith every week. We boldly say through our creed - there is only one God Father of all who believes (Eph 2:12) and only one Lord (Eph 1: 2) and only one Spirit (the Holy Spirit poured out from Father (Acts 2: 33) and only one faith (Faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior Eph 1: 13,15) and only Baptism (Into Christ in the Name of Father, Son and Holy Spirit Mathew 28:19) and only one body (the church of God gathered with Jesus the Head Eph 4:15 - The universal church bought through the blood of Jesus Christ).

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Peter said in Acts 4:12, there is no other name given among men by which we must be saved. Other religions and other lords will not save. Hence whenever we come to our church, we profess our faith whether it is our regular Sunday service, or Holy Matrimony service or funeral service. This is missing even with our Pentecostal and Assemblies of God brothers. According to I Timothy 3:15, the church is the pillar and bulwark (foundation) of the truth. So the church is called to serve the truth, both holding it firm and holding it high for the people to see. If any person denies the fundamentals of faith, it is a scandal and a tragedy. The Anglican Church is a professing church, professing their faith in God.

4. It is a praying Church The Collect: A ‘collect’ is a prayer that “collects” the intentions of all the people and sums them up by acknowledging God’s work and ending with a doxology of praise. This collect sets a theme for the day and week.

The Prayers of the People (Intercessory): Paul wrote to Timothy that, “supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people…” (1 Timothy 2:1). We pray for those who have departed this life in faith, also for the rulers, sick, needy, missions etc.

References: (1) The living Church – John Stott, Intervarsity Press, England, 2007 Edition (2) www.Pastors.com (4) Rut, Rot or Revival by A.W.Tozer, GLS Publishing, October 2010.

Dr. Z Edward Kennedy

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ANNUAL THANKSGIVING FESTIVAL 2019 – A REPORT

The harvest festival is an annual celebration symbolizing our thankfulness to God for the yield received through farming and cultivation. The tradition of celebrating Harvest Festival in churches as we know it today began in 1843 when the Reverend Robert Hawker invited parishioners to a special thanksgiving service for the harvest at his church at Morwenstow in Cornwall. Victorian hymns such as "We plough the fields and scatter", "Come ye thankful people, come" and "All things bright and beautiful" helped popularise his idea of harvest festival and spread the annual custom of decorating churches with home-grown produce for the Harvest Festival service.

I will give thanks with my whole heart. Psalm 138: 1 This year, the Annual Thanksgiving Festival (ATF) took place in our church premises on 1 September 2019. We praised God and gave thanks for all the blessings He has given to us and began the day with a sung Eucharist service. You deserve the glory and the honour Lord we lift our hands in worship as we lift Your holy Name For You are great, You do miracles so great There is no one else like You, there is no one else like You For You are great, You do miracles so great There is no one else like You, there is no one else like You

We had a special song sung in Malayalam “Nanniyode njan sthuthi paadidum” by Ms. Anupa Paul. Our Pastor amma Mrs. Ranjitham led us with the Tamil preparatory song-Sthothiram seivaenae ratchaganai. This was followed by the sermon by Rev. Fr. Jerry Rosario who highlighted that we should thank God for all that He has done for us. The congregation glorified God by singing We plough the fields and scatter, Through all the changing scenes of life, For the beauty of the earth, Here I am to worship, My hope is built on nothing less etc.

As we are grateful for God’s presence in our lives, we are grateful to Him, for the gift of life and for the gift of the moment, to see the miracle of a new day in our lives. We are also thankful to Him for the great things He has done in our lives. Everyone expressed their thankfulness through thankful slips that were distributed. These were collected, pasted, and displayed on the slide during the church service.

Be joyful always, pray at all times, be thankful in all circumstances." I Thessalonians 5:16-18 The church service ended with the hymn “Praise to the Holiest in the height”.

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Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever. Psalm 106:1

The inauguration of the stalls and subsequently the sale started with the opening prayer by Rev. Fr. Jerry Rosario, followed by the cutting of the ribbon by Mrs Leela Joshua Moses, a senior member of our church. Mr Jaswanth Soundarapandian, the MC took charge of the announcements. For the entertainment, we had energy-packed dance performances by our church school as well as the C.S.I. School for the Deaf. All the fellowships set up wonderful stalls and as one family we connected with great vigour. There were mouth-watering breakfast items such as idli with pork, poori and channa, and idiyappam with prawn curry; There were many other yummy snacks, delectable cakes and titbits which were on sale. Milkshakes and various fruit blends were also sold and that kept us all going till the end of the harvest sale. The highlight in the food section was obviously- Bright's Biriyani! A photo booth was held by Mr Suresh Balasunder and Mr James Thiraviaraj at the church's entrance. A huge shoutout to Mrs Nirmala Stephen and our sexton John who helped us out with a 'grace'ful and elegant backdrop.

People of all ages participated in the couple game and balloon game conducted by Mrs. Prema Samuel and Mrs. Shilpa Malhotra and had a wonderful time together. The prizes for these two games were sponsored by Mrs. Sherene John. Mrs Annamary Frederick and her daughter Aurelia conducted a very lively Bible quiz where, again, people of all ages joined and had a great time together. There were singing and photo competitions and the members participated with excitement and passion. Games stalls were conducted enthusiastically by the siblings Jennifer and Jeffrey and the Dhyriam kids under the guidance of Mrs Christianna Samuel at the multipurpose hall. This year we made it a point to play Tambola. We requested Mrs. Sakeena to host the game and she engaged all of us into the game with her spontaneous remarks that had us cracking up most of the time.

A special thanks to Mrs. Anita Hastings and Mrs. Gemina Martin for their extensive help in guiding us on how to proceed with the preparation and arrangements for ATF 2019. We also thank all the members who supported and guided us. But above all, a huge thank you to Our Father God for helping us through every step of the way and giving us people who helped us along the way and made this year's ATF a big success!

You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us, your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. II Corinthians 9:11

Dr. S. Sharon Grace & Kavita Edward ATF Conveners 2019 14

OUR CHURCH SCHOOL – A REPORT

As the convener of our STEC School, I take great pleasure in writing this report.

The CSI St. Thomas Nursery and Primary School was started in the year 1985 with a great vision of running an English Medium school for the economically backward in and around Santhome area. With just a handful of children in the beginning, this school has grown in strength and now we have close to 300 students studying in classes LKG to Std V.

The main aim is to run this school like any other mainstream school so that the children would not feel any less than the others as they step out into the world. The school motto “Arise and Shine” encourages the students to live, learn and therefore grow to their fullest potential.

The school strives to maintain and develop quality education with well trained teachers who with their dedicated service, educate and encourage the children to explore their potential and mould them to be better individuals. They are taught Christian values, so that they grow in faith and love and that they may stand apart and shine in this competitive world. Our teachers are given constant training with workshops conducted in the beginning of each academic year to boost their teaching skills.

This academic year has definitely begun to be successful and I thank and praise God for the same. For the very first time since 1985, we released our School Magazine for the year 2018-19 during Sports Day which was held in August. Two of our teachers, Mrs. Annalakshmi (Headmistress) and Mrs. Revathi received the `Best Teacher Award’ this year for their dedication and service. This award was organised by the Madras Lions Club and our teachers received the same from Mr. Sengottaiyan – State Education Minister. It is a great honour for our School considering the fact that Santhome area is known for reputed schools. I am sure our school will continue to achieve more and be a guiding light for many more children in this area.

As part of the School outreach programme, our School sponsors the evening Sunday School – Blossoms for Christ to spread the Word of God. I earnestly request our congregation to pray for our School staff and students that they will continue to grow in God’s love and guidance.

“From humble beginnings come great blessings.” Truly, this quote is very relevant to our school, because for more than 30 years now, this school has been a great blessing to all the children who have studied here. Gemina Martin

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REV. ROBERT CARVER’S DESCENDANTS VISIT STEC

Our 177-year-old Church had very special visitors from Warkworth, New Zealand on Sunday, 22 September 2019. Jenni McGlashan (a great- great granddaughter of Rev. Robert Carver, the missionary who built the Church in 1842) and her husband Jim McGlashan visited the Church and participated in the Sunday morning worship service. They were warmly welcomed and felicitated by our Pastor Rev. Dr. V Paul Birla and the congregation. Robert Carver was a Wesleyan missionary who came to Madras soon after the death of his young wife Mary Carver in 1824 in Jaffna, Ceylon. He ministered in this part of Madras and was much loved by the Europeans and the Indians settled here. He visited England only once, in 1834, when he married Frances Moore (Adams) at St. Giles Church in Oxford. The couple returned to Madras and ministered in San Thome. Two sons were born to them, but only the elder – Robert William Ind Carver, born in 1838 – survived. In 1842, Robert Carver was ordained and the Church that he built (then known as St. Thomas-by-the-Sea) was consecrated. He succumbed to sunstroke in 1845 and was buried under the altar of our Church. Frances Moore left for England along with 6-year-old William Ind Carver the same year. From there, they relocated to New Zealand in 1854. Robert William Ind Carver grew up and married Mary Ann in 1863 and they had 11 children. Their 9th child was Joshua Carver – the maternal grandfather of Jenni McGlashan. Jenni is the daughter of Mavis Carver – Rev. Robert Carver’s great-granddaughter! The services rendered by Rev. Robert Carver in building this little white Church on the shore were fondly remembered by our congregation. A documentary film tracing the history of the Church, produced during the 175th year celebrations was also screened. Fabiola Jacob

PRAYER POINTS

Do you have a prayer point that you would like to share with our Church prayer group? Please drop it in the box at the main door of our Church, so that it can be included in the prayer list.

Our Church prayer group meets on the third Sunday of every month, at 7.15 pm in Church, to pray for general and specific needs. You are welcome to join the group.

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WOMEN’S RETREAT AT VENGALATHUR VILLAGE

Vengalathur is a main village in the Vengalathur pastorate, Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. It is 8 km from Pichattur village where our C.S.I. St. Thomas English Church built a Church. The CSI St. Peter's Church in Vengalathur village celebrated Women's Sunday on 8 September 2019. To make the day special, women members of our church were invited to join with them and all those who had gathered from the nearby churches, for a time of worship and meditation on God's Word.

A few of us including our Pastor Amma joined the celebrations on that day. We arrived there at around 10 am. Nearly a hundred women gathered, and the festival started with a time of praise and worship. Our Pastor Amma taught a new song to the participants. After a cheerful and a meaningful time of worship, our Pastor Amma encouraged the women, sharing portions of the Scripture where women depended on God and received a blessing. Sister Viji Soundarapandian shared her testimony, a short message and a call for repentance.

After this, a quiz was conducted. The participants knew almost all the answers. Their knowledge of the Bible was amazing. A splendid lunch was served which included freshwater fish, country chicken and the traditional ragi kali. The afternoon session was fun as we conducted individual and team games. The women participated enthusiastically, and we were surprised to see how talented they were - always ready to take up new tasks and win! After the closing prayer by the Pastor of the church, we returned home with the commitment to remember them in our daily prayers. Zibiah Thiraviaraj

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WRITE TO US!

Do you have a comment on the articles, a fresh new idea or feedback about the EanMe that you would like to share with other readers? Mail it to [email protected] with ‘EanMe MailBox’ in the subject. The best letters will be published in the next issue of the EanMe.

Today may not hold grand opportunities for obedience. Those days will come if we live long enough. But today, our tasks are probably smaller. Ask for forgiveness. Give your kids your full attention. Speak a surprising word of encouragement. Begin where you are – Scott Hubbard

Conversion is the creation of new desires, not just new duties; new delights, not just new deeds; new treasures, not just new tasks – John Piper

We are sinners not because we are victims of the darkness, but because we are lovers of the darkness – John Piper

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‘HIDE THEM IN YOUR HEART' - A SCRIPTURE CHALLENGE!

Can you memorize Psalm 15 before 27 October 2019?

If this offer appeals to you, please approach Roshan Soundarapandian (Mobile No: 98403 88365) - a surprise awaits you! The winners will be announced in next month's EanMe! Of course, prizes would follow! Anyone can rise to the opportunity - no age limit – all the best!

Winners:

July Aug 2019 Sep 2019 Name 2019 Psalm The Ten Psalm 8 128 Commandments Iris Manoharan    Ranjini Inbaraj    Aria Manoharan    Keturah Manoharan    Felicia Williams    Jaden Johnsson Dhyriam    Jonathan Ethan Dhyriam    Jonathan Roopsingh    Jeremy Roopsingh    Mercy Roshan    Zoey Joanna Emmanuel    Joshua Emmanuel    Priya Muller    Jadon Titus Muller    Latha Chittaranjan Zibia Thiraviaraj    Ezekiel David    Joann Ignatius    Jessica Lily    Joshua John    Shirley John   

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HANNAH DUDLEY – A MOTHER TO THE INDENTURED LABOURERS OF FIJI

Hannah Dudley (1864 – 1931) was a Methodist mission sister who worked amongst indentured labourers (also called Girmitiyas – the name derived from the term Girmit, a corruption of the English word, agreement) in the Suva area of Fiji for 13 years.

This indentured emigration began in the 19th century to meet the shortage of plantation labour caused by the abolition of slavery in the British Empire in 1833. In the 37 years spanning 1879-1916, nearly 60,500 labourers would be transported to Fiji Islands on 42 ships. These migrants were themselves a part of more than one million Indians who travelled to the colonies in the Indian and Atlantic oceans. Brought from villages in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar to Fiji, they were given the impression that they would serve out a five-year indentured labour contract.

Hannah Dudley had few educational qualifications but was revered for her kind-heartedness and self-sacrifice. Indo-Fijians in Suva called her Hamari Mataji (Our Honoured Mother). Born in 1864 in Morpeth, New South Wales, Australia, Hannah Dudley served as a teacher in New South Wales before joining the British Methodist Missionary Society in India. She worked hard, and after six years her health broke down. She returned to Australia for medical treatment and was refused permission to serve in India again on medical grounds.

Hearing about the plight of the indentured labourers at the Conference for Overseas Mission, Hannah Dudley offered her services and arrived in Fiji on 24 August 1897 when the atrocities against the Girmitiyas were at its zenith. Having worked in India from 1890-1895, she knew Hindi – the language of a majority of Girmitiyas. She was distraught at seeing their pain, suffering and exploitation – of especially the women, who found themselves in a debauched environment. Paucity of women (100 men to 30 women) took its toll, and there were ugly incidents of sexual jealousy, violence and murder.

Fight against injustice On May 27, 1912 Hannah wrote a letter of appeal to the Indian leaders and urged them, in strongest of terms, to seek abolition of the indenture system.

Hannah’s compassionate heart eventually led to the adoption of eight children who became orphans when their mothers were murdered and their fathers were hanged. Her modest cottage came to be viewed as an orphanage. She ran a large household that was supported by her aging

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mother and her sister Lily, who arrived from Australia in 1900 to support her cause. Indeed, the resources were scarce but she made ends meet through ingenious means. She also provided education and support to those that had served their Girmit. She implored the parents to educate themselves and their children but with limited success.

With her advocacy, she gained access into a community that was perennially hostile towards Christianity. The Girmitiyas saw Christianity as a vile and vicious religion as its practitioners used whips and violence against them in the plantations. They also despised them for eating cow meat as cows were sacred to Hindus. Interestingly, Hannah Dudley became a vegetarian, which endeared her to her sceptical subjects.

However, in 1904, conflict arose and she finally decided to go to India with her large brood of adopted children. On 26 July, 1905 she boarded the SS Virwa bound for Calcutta. The departure was not without sorrow as a large crowd gathered at the Suva wharf to bid farewell to their beloved Mataji.

In India, tragedy struck. Two of her daughters died and the rest of her children could not adjust to Indian conditions. The caste system also affected them. They had crossed the Kalapani (black seas) and had lost their caste and could not freely communicate with others as in Fiji. They returned to Fiji in 1908.

Back in Fiji The return of Mataaji into the fold gave a new impetus to the Indian division and Hannah began her work with gusto. The girls had become proficient in sewing and knitting and were able to share a lot of her workload at home.

However, by 1913 Hannah’s health took its toll and she was asked by her doctor to return to Australia to recuperate. She returned to Australia with all her children but had to move to New Zealand, as under the White Australia Policy, they could not obtain their citizenship.

Hannah Dudley settled in Auckland but her heart was still in Fiji with the Indian community. She emotionally claimed, “I do not think it possible that I will ever love a people as much as I did the Indians of Fiji.” In 1929, the Methodist Church in Fiji renamed the Indian Girls Boarding School to “The Dudley Boarding School” in her honour.

On May 3, 1931, in the early hours, Hannah Dudley left this world with serene dignity, leaving behind a legacy. The Dilkusha orphanage and Dudley High School have become iconic institutions that would constantly remind posterity of a woman who made a difference. Source: The Internet

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THOU ART WORTHY

Pastor Dick Mills was proud of his sixty-four-year-old mother, and he had every right to be. In addition to raising six children, she was a speaker for women’s groups in churches, and she had written more than three hundred songs. Sometimes she could write a hymn in just a few minutes after someone suggested a topic or a Bible verse to her.

So one day when Dick Mills knew his mother was coming to visit, he told his congregation at the Foursquare church in Hillsboro, Oregon, that they could suggest a favourite Bible verse to her and she would come up with a song. The only problem was that he had forgotten to tell his mother what he had told his congregation. So it was a big surprise to her when he put her on the spot.

During the evening service, a member of the congregation suggested Revelations 4:1 as a favourite verse and asked Mrs. Mills to write some music for it. At the close of the service, a service that did not close until after ten o’clock that night, Pauline Mills (1898-1991) presented her song and said `The Lord gave me the music’. The song `Thou art worthy’ soon became a praise song that is still sung today, in many churches around the world.

Thou art worthy, Thou art worthy, Thou art worthy O Lord To receive glory, glory and honour, glory and honour and pow’r For Thou hast created, hast all things created, Thou hast created all things And for Thy pleasure they are created, Thou art worthy, O Lord.

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CHARLES FREER ANDREWS (1871 – 1940)

While the world celebrates the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the father of our nation, we feature Charles Freer Andrews, a Priest and close friend of Gandhi, who identified with the cause of India's independence. Perhaps the only friend who could address Gandhi by his first name, Mohan, it is said that Gandhi affectionately referred to C F Andrews as ‘Christ's Faithful Apostle’ because of his initials, C.F.A. He was also called ‘Deenabandhu’, or ‘Friend of the Poor’ by Gandhi and his students at St. Stephen's College, Delhi for his contributions to India’s Independence Movement.

Early life Charles Freer Andrews was born on 12 February 1871 at 14 Brunel Terrace, Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, United Kingdom; his father was the "Angel" (bishop) of the Catholic Apostolic Church in Birmingham. The family had suffered financial misfortune because of the duplicity of a friend, and had to work hard to make ends meet. Andrews was a pupil at King Edward's School, Birmingham, and afterwards read Classics at Pembroke College, Cambridge. During this period, he moved away from his family's church and was accepted for ordination in the Church of England.

In 1896 Andrews became a deacon and took over the Pembroke College Mission in south London. A year later he was made priest, and then Vice-Principal of Westcott House Theological College in Cambridge. Interest in India. Andrews had been involved in the Christian Social Union since university and was interested in exploring the relationship between a commitment to the Gospel and a commitment to justice. He was attracted to struggles for justice throughout the British Empire, especially in India.

In 1904 he joined the Cambridge Mission to Delhi and arrived there to teach philosophy at St. Stephen's College, where he grew close to many of his Indian colleagues and students. Increasingly dismayed by the racist behaviour and treatment of Indians by some British officials and civilians, he supported Indian political aspirations, and wrote a letter in the Civil and Military Gazette in 1906 voicing these sentiments. Andrews soon became involved in the activities of the Indian National Congress, and he helped to resolve the 1913 cotton workers' strike in Madras.

Meeting Gandhi Known for his persuasiveness, intellect and moral rectitude, C. F. Andrews was asked by senior Indian political leader Gopal Krishna Gokhale to visit South Africa and help the Indian community there to

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resolve their political disputes with the Government. He met a young Gujarati lawyer, Mohandas Gandhi, who was attempting to organise the Natal Indian Congress and the Indian community to protest against the racial discrimination and police legislation that infringed their civil liberties. Andrews was deeply impressed with Gandhi's knowledge of Christian values and his espousal of the concept of ahimsa and nonviolence. He helped Gandhi to organise an Ashram in Natal and publish his famous magazine, The Indian Opinion. Andrews was also instrumental in persuading Gandhi to return to India with him in 1915.

Andrews disagreed with Gandhi's attempts to recruit combatants for World War I in 1918, believing that this was inconsistent with their views on nonviolence. In 1919 he joined the famous Vaikom Satyagraha, and in 1933 assisted B.R. Ambedkar in formulating the demands of the Dalits. He accompanied Gandhi to the second Round Table Conference in London, helping him to negotiate with the British government on matters of Indian autonomy and devolution.

For freedom and liberty When the news reached India, through the writings of Christian missionaries and a returned indentured labourer, Totaram Sanadhya, of the mistreatment of Indian indentured labourers in Fiji, the Indian Government sent Andrews and W. W. Pearson to make inquiries in September 1915. The two visited numerous plantations and highlighted the ills of the indenture system; which led to the end of further transportation of Indian labour to the British colonies. In 1917 Andrews made a second visit to Fiji, and was still appalled at the condition of the labourers. He called for an immediate end to indenture; and the system of Indian indentured labour was formally abolished in 1920.

About this time Gandhi reasoned with Andrews that it was probably best for sympathetic Britons like himself to leave the freedom struggle to Indians. And so from 1935 onwards Andrews began to spend more time in Britain, teaching young people all over the country about Christ’s call to radical discipleship.

C F Andrews died on 5 April 1940, during a visit to Calcutta, and is buried in the 'Christian Burial ground' of Lower Circular Road cemetery, Calcutta. Widely commemorated and respected in India, as Gandhi's closest friend, ‘Deenabandhu Andrews’ has educational and healthcare institutions in Kolkata and Kerala named after him. He was also portrayed as a major character in the 1982 film, Gandhi, by Richard Attenborough.

C F Andrews is honoured with a feast day in the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church in USA on 12 February. In 1971, India issued a commemorative postage stamp to mark the birth centenary of ‘Deenabandhu’ C F Andrews. Source: The Internet 24

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BIBLE QUIZ FOR ALL

The quiz is open to participants of all ages. Answers should be given by the 20th of the month. Late entries will not be considered. Answers should be mailed to [email protected] or sent to Mrs. Sheeba Roshan +91 98402 16279. Names of participants with score will be mentioned in the next issue. Winners will be awarded at the end of the year.

QUIZ 10 Portion: Books of Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi

1. What is a mitre? 2. Who was Zerubbabel's father? 3. What two things does Zephaniah tell us to seek? 4. Whom does the gold and silver belong to? 5. Against whom will God not be quick to testify. 6. Who are compared to greedy wolves? 7. What does the Lord of hosts say he is jealous for? 8. Who does God say will desire to come to see him as he fills His house with glory? 9. Which ancestor of the Edomites did God say he hated? 10. What does the Lord say would be built in Jerusalem?

Answers to Quiz 9:

1.The Chaldeans are described as: Bitter and hasty nation Terrible and dreadful More fierce than the evening wolves and They shall come all for violence - Habakkuk 1:6-10 2. Tarshish was located on the far side of the Mediterranean Sea, 2000 miles west of Palestine. - Jonah 1:3. 3. Fir trees - Nahum 2:3 4. Cannibalism - Micah 3:1-3. 5. Three days journey - Jonah 3:3 6. Sun and moon - Habakkuk 3:11 7. With an overrunning flood - Nahum 1:8 8. Who is like Jehovah? - Micah 7:18 9. A plant, a worm and an east wind - Jonah 4:6-8 10. Eagle - Micah 1:16, Habakkuk 1:8

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Points tally after Quiz 9:

Sep 2019 Aggregate 1 Daniel Inbaraj 10 90 2 Felicia Williams 10 90 3 Hannah Cheryl Daniel 10 90 4 Jaden Johnsson Dhyriam 10 90 5 Jadon Titus Muller 10 80 6 Jason Travis Daniel 10 90 7 Jeremy Roopsingh 10 90 8 Jessica Lilly 10 79 9 Jeyasri David 10 80 10 Joann Ignatius 10 70 11 Jonathan Ethan Dhyriam 10 90 12 Jonathan Roopsingh 10 90 13 Keturah Manoharan 10 90 14 Mahilini Santhosh 10 90 15 Pamela Bridget - 10 16 Rohan Abraham Stanley 10 90 17 Santosh Dhyriam 10 70 18 Shekinah Tanya Dhyriam - 60 19 Shreya Dhyriam 10 70 20 Tasha Grace 10 90 21 Zibia Thiraviaraj 10 80

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Why EanMe?

‘EanMe’ – literally meaning “unless” in Greek – has its roots in St. Thomas the Apostle’s words of doubt. It is based on his famous words to the Risen Lord in St. John 20:25: “…Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”

‘Unless’ or ‘except’ in the King James Version is translated from the Greek word ‘Eanme’ εανμε (eh-an’ may) meaning: before, but, except, not or unless.

We welcome your original contributions to the EanMe in the form of articles (word limit: 840), poems, Protestant church pictures for the cover, or information relevant to the season. Please send your entries by hard/soft copy to reach the STEC church office [email protected] or [email protected] by the 20th of every month. You can read the current issue of EanMe online at http://www.santhomeenglishchurch.org/. A few earlier issues have been archived on `CSI St. Thomas English Church’ facebook page.

Contributions are also invited for the Sunday bulletin. If you have any interesting information to share in the form of anecdotes, short stories etc. (around 100 words) relevant to the Sunday theme, please mail it to Kavita Edward: [email protected]

We are on Social Media! ‘Like’ our Church page on Facebook to stay updated https://www.facebook.com/StThomasEnglishChurch

Join our Church group on Facebook to connect with each other and share / view pictures of church events https://www.facebook.com/CSI St. Thomas English Church, Santhome

‘Follow’ @CSI_STEC on Twitter

`Follow’ @csi_stec on Instagram

Travelling on work or vacation? Don’t forget to click a picture! If you happen to visit or see a beautiful, historic Protestant church that you think should be on our EanMe cover, please click a hi-res picture and e-mail it, along with a short note about the Church, to [email protected] 29

If you would like to join, participate in or use your time and effort for the Ministries, Fellowships and activities of the Church, please get in touch with the following people: Sunday School – Mrs. Grace Rathnam Tweens Fellowship – Mr. Swithun Manoharan / Mr. Joshua Foulger Adult Fellowship – Mr. Ajit Stanley Moses Choir – Mrs. Anila Manoharan Women’s Fellowship – Mrs. Vasanthi Premkumar Men’s Fellowship – Mr. Milton Sigamoney Rapha (Hospital Ministry) – Mrs. Ranjini Inbaraj Blossoms for Christ (Evening Sunday School) – Mrs. Sheeba Roshan Church Library – Mrs. Shailaja Henry Eco (Garden) – Mrs. Premalatha Samuel Evangelism – Mrs. Nirmala Stephen EanMe, Website Content, Facebook, Twitter & Instagram moderation – Mrs. Fabiola Jacob Weekly Bulletin (Pew Sheets) – Mrs. Kavita Edward Education Ministry (School) – Mrs. Gemina Martin

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The Rt. Rev. Dr. J. George Stephen Bishop in Madras

Rev. Dr. V. Paul Birla Presbyter-in-charge

Mr. Milton Sigamoney Mr. Ajit Stanley Moses Lay Readers

Mr. Stephen Michael A. Mr. Benjamin Hastings Secretary Treasurer

Mr. Ajit Stanley Moses Mr. S.P. Paul Mr. A. Arun Jacob PASTORATE Dr. Vijit Koshy Cherian COMMITTEE Mrs. Saroja Bai J. MEMBERS Mrs. Susanna Premalatha Samuel Mrs. Sheeba Roshan Mr. Gerald Joshua Divyaprabhu

Mr. Jewel Solomon Devanand

Mrs. Nisha Jeethendra

FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMMES

English: Sunday – 8:00 am Sunday School : Tamil: Sunday - 4 pm

Tweens’ Fellowship : Sunday – 4:30 pm

Women’s Fellowship : I and III Saturday - 5:00 pm

Men’s Fellowship : II and IV Saturday - 6:30 pm

Adults’ Fellowship : Sunday - 5:00 pm

Hospital visit : II Sunday - 10:15 am

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WORSHIP SERVICES – PLAN FOR OCTOBER 2019 Date and Day Services and Preacher Theme Stewards for Bible Time Reading and Offertory 6.10.2019 Sixteenth Isaiah 61: 1 – 11 7:30 am Sunday after Sung Eucharist: I Peter 2: 1 – 10 Trinity Celebrant: Priesthood of all Psalm 135: 12 – 21 Rev. Dr. V. Paul Birla believers St. John 17: 1 – 8

6.00 pm Evensong: Mr. & Mrs. G. A. Sermon: Mr. Milton Sigamoney Shanthakumar 13.10.2019 Seventeenth II Samuel 9: 1 – 13 7:00 am Sunday after Holy Eucharist: Acts 9: 32 – 35 Trinity Celebrant: Disability: care Psalm 146 Rev. Dr. V. Paul Birla and honour St. Mark 3: 1 – 6

8:15 am Sung Matins: Mr. & Mrs. A. Stephen Sermon: Dr. Isaac Jebaraj Michael

6.00 pm Holy Eucharist: Celebrant: Rev. Dr. V. Paul Birla 20.10.2019 Eighteenth Daniel 1: 1 – 17 7:30 am Sunday after Sung Eucharist: Acts 6: 1 – 7 Trinity Celebrant: Youth with Psalm 98 Rev. Dr. V. Paul Birla Christ in action St. John 1: 35 – 42

6.00 pm Evensong: Mr. & Dr. Mrs. T.S. David Sermon: Mr. Ajit Stanley Moses Devanand 32

27.10.2019 Nineteenth Celebration of Exodus 7: 1 – 7 7:30 am Sunday after Sung Eucharist: God’s Romans 12: 14 – 21 Trinity Celebrant: sovereignty, Psalm 89: 1- 18 Rev. Dr. V. Paul Birla justice and St. John 18: 33 – 38 Reformation peace 6.00 pm Sunday Evensong: Mr. & Mrs. Ajit Stanley Sermon: Dr. Z. Edward Kennedy Moses

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