Magazine of Church of South India February 2021 | Lent Volume XIX | Issue 02 | Rs. 150/Annum Healing and Wholeness www.csi1947.com 1 www.csi1947.com Disclaimer: The Author of each article published in this magazine owns his or her own words. The opinions, believes and viewpoints expressed by the various 2 2 Februaryauthors 2021 on this magazine do not reflect the opinions, belief and view points of the official policies of the CSI SYNOD. Lent of Retrospection; Lent of Repentance; Lent of Hope EDITORIAL am glad to greet you in the name promised. Let us remain thankful I of Jesus Christ, who came so because he has also promised that that we all might live life to the he will be with us till the end of fullest. the days. At the outset, I would like We are expected to grow to express our heartfelt spiritually and reawaken our congratulations and appreciation relationship with the Lord to all those who were involved in throughout our life in this world. the development and distribution This Lenten season helps us self- of the new COVID 19 vaccine. examine ourselves and mend our We are glad the vaccine at ways and deeds so that we may present is been administered be growing each and every day in to the frontliners and will be the likeness of our Lord. Knowing subsequently available to all in the ourselves and aligning ourselves near future. Let us join together to with the Lord is considered thank our Lord who has enabled to be necessary for attaining the scientists, researchers and all humility, knowledge, wisdom others who have been a part of and understanding and we gain this noble process. it by frequently reflecting on our actions and attitudes. As the Lent season approaches, we ponder over how the previous Self-examination has always Lent season was. During been a vital component for that period, many had varied our development; let it be our experiences, for a few it was a personal development, spiritual time to spend with the family, for development or institutional a few it was a time of relaxation development. The more we are and rejuvenation, but for many, genuine in our self-examination, it was a time, which they would the more learn about our areas like to forget and not remember to develop. One of the important anymore. The pandemic has components in the process of self- affected in such a manner, that is examination is the standard we set has made scars for the lifetime. for our development. Who or what Though we have walked through is our standard? As Christians, the valley of death, our Lord was our standard is the perfect man with us and has comforted us as and perfect God, Jesus Christ. www.csi1947.com 3 We are called towards growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. Eph. 4:15. Like David who invited God to examine his life: “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts” (Ps139:23), let us invite the omniscient God into our personal life, organisational and spiritual life that we may grow or develop up to His standards. It is a way of taking up our ‘cross’ and following Him (Matthew 16: 24). We are called not only to wear the cross but bear the cross. May this penitential season be for every Christian a time of genuine development. I wish you, dear brothers and sisters, a fruitful Lenten journey. C. Fernandas Rathina Raja General Secretary, CSI 4 February 2021 Article The Cross: A Pointer to a True Lent irectly strewn into the thoughts of denominations, and the updated World Dlent is the cross. The cross and the Christian Encyclopaedia estimated Christian are inseparable. The cross at least 33,000. A ‘Denomination’ is and Christianity are also not dissectible. defined as ‘an organised Christian “If anyone follows me he must take up group within a country’. The Centre the cross and follow me,” says the Lord for the Study of Global Christianity at Jesus Christ. Bearing the cross requires Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary denying oneself says, Christ. Wherever estimated 34,000 denominations in the fact of bearing the cross is referred 2000, rising to an estimated 43,000 in to it is to be understood that cross is a 2012. These numbers have exploded choice, specifically a personal choice, for from 1,600 in the year 1900. The splits bearing the cross. One will always have generally happened because they the opportunity to move out from the act could not agree on certain beliefs or of bearing the cross. Since an individual practices. The degree of difference in is responsible for bearing the cross it belief is hard to describe because most is understood as a constant presence of these denominations would have with the choice maker. It is a constant similar beliefs about major Christian companion and an unavoidable fact of doctrines such as God, creation, Jesus, life. It is said, “Life is wasted if we do not salvation, Holy Spirit, forgiveness, etc., grasp the glory of the cross, cherish it for and the differences would mostly be on the treasure that it is, and cleave to it as less essential matters and are almost the highest price of every pleasure and always subjective. They are separate the deepest comfort in every pain. What organisations, not necessarily different was once foolishness to us- a crucified beliefs. They are really not different God- must become our wisdom and our in doctrine but are self-dependent power and our only boast in this world.” organisations divided into independent churches which would have effectively The fact that every disciple has to bear the same teachings, just different the cross has many implications which locations and different leaders. are explored in this write-up. There are many points to be considered. However, These differences are certainly not the aim here is to highlight four areas of God centred because the word of God the cross-bearing where the Christian invariably speaks of one united church. community is losing its way on a fatal Many times the separations are wealth level. power and governance and ownership of institutions. The cost of creating a The first cross to bear is the cross unified body of Christ is the cross that of Unity: the modern church has to bear and it The Christianity envisioned by Jesus cannot be done without denying oneself Rev. Dr Jacob Chacko Christ is a unified Christianity and a and ones possessions. The cross being is an ordained minister of unified church. However, in reality, truly united and a uniting church and CSI from the Madhya Kerala the church is one of the most divided the neo philosophy of a borderless Diocese. He has his M.Com groups in the world. The sources suggest church is the challenge of Lent and from Gandhi university, Christian denominations can be divided should motivate us to think and involve BTh from Serampore (SIBS into six major ‘ecclesiastico-cultural beyond denominational barriers and Bangarapet) and D.Min mega-blocs’: Independents, Protestants, man-made ecclesiastical borders. from New York Theological Orientals, Orthodox, Roman Catholics Seminary, New York. He is a and Anglicans. There seem to be 40 The second cross to bear is the diploma holder in Clinical major divisions, each of whom might cross of simplicity: Pastoral Counseling, have some variation in belief and The Christian virtue propounded Serampore. praxis. World Christian Encyclopaedia by Christ was a conscious choice of apparently estimated almost 21,000 simplicity. It was further amplified by www.csi1947.com 5 the apostles especially Paul whose against unworthy ambitions. The of Christianity exhort Christians view was that it was enough to have whole emphasis was a life lived as a to renounce material and worldly something to eat and dress. The early sacrifice to please the Lord. pleasures in order to follow Jesus. church was not exposed to riches Jesus’ injunction in Mark 6: 8– 9 to his and possessions. Jesus lived a simple Consumerism was never part of disciples was to “take nothing for the life and he taught a simple lifestyle. human thinking. Consumerism a journey. Choosing to reject personal Spirituality was always opposed to much-loved word of modernity aims amenities and follow an ascetic lifestyle materialism. Christianity has a long at protection or promotion of the is a protest against “a church and public tradition of voluntary poverty which is interests of consumers. The slogan of that embraces wealth, luxury and manifested in the form of asceticism, commercialization is that ‘the customer ostentatious power.” Martin Luther charity and almsgiving. is king.’ “Armaments, universal debt, viewed Mammon (or the desire for and planned obsolescence- those are wealth) as “the most common idol on Time has driven to oblivion the the three pillars of Western prosperity. earth”. For the rich ruler in Mark 10: whole emphasis of living simple. If war, waste, and moneylenders 17–31 wealth was an obstacle to faith. People choose Comfort as opposed were abolished, you’d collapse. And It is rather the man’s reluctance to to suffering. The initial church days while you people are over-consuming give up that wealth in order to follow forced the Christian community to the rest of the world sinks more and Jesus. Paul cites in first Timothy that, choose self-imposed poverty due to more deeply into chronic disaster.” “people who want to get rich fall into the ex-communications on their choice says, Aldous Huxley in his work, ‘The temptation and a trap and into many of the Christian faith.