തിരുമേനിമാര്‍ വിവാഹ ശ്രുശുഷകള്‍ക്കും മാമോധീസയിക്കും വരേണ്ടിയതുണ്ടോ?

മാര്‍ത്തോമാ സഭയിലെ തിരുമേനിമാര്‍ വളരെ ദുഷ്ക്കരമായ ഒരു മിഷ്യനറി വേലയത്രേ നിര്‍വഹിക്കുന്നത്. എന്നാല്‍ പലപ്പോഴും അവര്‍ക്ക് തങ്ങളുടെ പ്രവര്‍ത്തനം അതിന്റെ പൂര്‍ണതയില്‍ എത്തിക്കുവാന്‍ സാധിക്കുന്നില്ല. വളരെ അധികം സുവിശേഷീകരണ അനുഭവ പരിചയമുള്ള അവര്‍ക്ക്, തങ്ങളുടെ സമയത്തിന്റെ ഒരു പ്രധാന പങ്കും വിവാഹ ശ്രുശുഷകള്‍ക്കും മാമോധീസയിക്കും മറ്റും ചിലവിടേണ്ടി വരുന്നു. ഇതിനു ഒരു മാറ്റമുണ്ടാകേണ്ടത് കാലത്തിന്റെ ആവശ്യമാണ്‌.

തങ്ങളുടെ അനുഭവപരിചയവും, പരിജ്ഞാനവും ക്രിയാത്മകമായ കാര്യങ്ങള്‍ക്ക് 

ഉപയോഗിച്ചാല്‍ അത് സഭയ്ക്കും സമൂഹത്തിനും വളരെയധികം ഉപകരിക്കും. ഇങ്ങനെ ഒരു 

തീരുമാനം ഒരിക്കലും സഭാജനങ്ങള്ളില്‍ നിന്നും ഉണ്ടാവുകയില്ല. മറിച് സഭാ 

പിതാക്കന്മാര്‍ ഒരുമിച്ചു ദൈവവചനത്തിന്റെ വെളിച്ചത്തില്‍ ഉചിതമായ ഒരു തീരുമാനം 

എടുക്കണം. അങ്ങനെ ഒരുമിച്ച് ഒരു തീരുമാനം എടുക്കുകയാണെങ്കില്‍ സഭാ ജനങ്ങള്‍ 

അത് സ്വീകരിക്കുകയും, അത് സഭയ്ക്കും സമൂഹത്തിനും ഒരു അനുഗ്രഹം ആവുകയും ചെയ്യും. 

ഇങ്ങനെ ലഭിക്കുന്ന സമയം mentoring, ഹൌസ് വിസിട്സ്, പ്രാര്‍ത്ഥന,writing 

എന്നിവയ്ക്കായി ചിലവിടുകയാണെങ്കില്‍, അത് സഭയില്‍ ഒരു പുതിയ ഉണര്‍വിനു തുടക്കമാകും. 

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Crossway MTC Dallas

There is hope!

I have been to several Marthoma churches around the World, in various continents. Whenever I travel, I make it a point to visit a Marthoma church. On a recent trip to Dallas, my wife and I decided to check out the new Crossway Marthoma congregation in Dallas. I had heard about it through the Sabha tharaka and through Manoramaonline.com.

The congregation met in a small Spanish church premise. It appeared to be in a dilapidated state - but fully functional. There was beautiful, sincere rendition of Christian music by three young women. The congregation joined the singing in genuine praise. The worship was followed by a small prayer led by a lady - it was sincere, genuine and really an expression of heart's prayer. The sermon followed this - it was really one of the best sermons I have heard in the last year. A lay member of the church spoke from Elijah's story in 1 Kings 19 - facing life's disappointments. There were several great thoughts to ponder on. I could see that the congregation was, for the most part attentive. At this juncture, let me state that I had attended a prominent church in Trivandrum in March of this year. I literally counted the two rows ahead of me and two behind, including mine. Out of the 20 people I counted, 75% were dozing away or completely distracted. In comparison to that, this was a refreshing change.

The congregation started as a result of the persistent prayer and dedication of a group of young families who were burdened about youngsters leaving the faith. They expressed a desire to start a congregation and the Bishop was extremely generous in granting that request.

I believe that Marthoma church is God's own church (among several such churches in the World). We have a unique calling and unique ministry that only we can accomplish. I believe that a church needs waves of revival when it may be slowly losing it's calling. We are at a critical time. Our church is vast enough to allow such experiments. Let's not be threatened by such congregations and rather let us encourage it. I appreciate the bishop to have permitted this new method of worship, which is totally different from the existing Marthoma church worship. We are a big church. Certainly, we can accommodate various ways of worship. Let a new wave of revival sweep out of Dallas into rest of North America, and eventually into Kerala.

I hope that the congregation does not lose it's vision. I hope that they steadfastly pray. I also hope that such groups spring up wherever it has a relevance and a spiritual need. Indeed, there is hope in the church.

Dissing Your Pastor

Dissing: speak disrespectfully to or criticize.

Our Pastor mentioned something very important that I think is quite relevant to an established traditional church like Marthoma church. Very often, church members tend to criticize their priest in front of their children. Almost always as soon as they start back home after church. It ends up affecting the spiritual authority of the pastor/priest in the lives of the children. When the child grows up and goes through a time of crisis, unfortunately the priest or the pastor has no ability to positively influence or counsel the child. The parents are desperate to get the priest involved, but the damage has been done.

If you trace the story of a lot of people who leave the church, or leave the faith, we can find a story of their parents constantly dissing the priest. How then will they stay in the church under the spiritual authority of a priest that their parents never respected?

Moral of the message: please do not speak disrespectfully of your pastor or priest in front of little children or teens.

Baptism - Yet Again

1. Baptism is important. There's different interpretations regarding infant versus adult baptism. 

Let me say what I believe in: It is a personal decision. Read the bible. Ask the Holy spirit to show you what you need to do. Pray in complete submission. Don't listen to Bishop ABC or Pastor XYZ. The Holy Spirit is your best teacher. He will show you. And, if he tells you to be baptized again, please do it openly - and not in secrecy. 

2. When someone is sick, do not create doubt into their mind whether they are saved or not. 

3. If you get baptized again, you do not have to change the church. Again, it is a personal decision. 

4. There is a debate whether baptism is essential for salvation. In numerous passages, Jesus defines salvation, not in the context of baptism. So, I am sure and certain that I am saved. Baptism is not a ritual that you do to ensure salvation. It is simply an act of public confession, and obedience (if that is something that the Holy Spirit prompts you to do).

5. I am saved. I have been baptized. I hope you do not consider me second class. I hope you would stop speaking about baptism to me again, and simply encourage me. I am trying to do the commandment of the Lord - to share the gospel to unbeliever.  An unbeliever is someone who does not believe in the God Jesus Christ. Speaking about adult baptism to me again does not fulfill the command of Jesus Christ. So, please share gospel to the unbeliever and stop wasting your effort in preaching to the saved. 

6. Finally, I know how much spiritual darkness exists in my home church. So, you do not have to again tell me about it. I am willing to hear from you about your own church and the problems that exist in your own church. 

An apology to Shawn

I recently read an "apology to the Marthoma church" written by Shawn Varghese. From what I can understand, Shawn is writing the blog based on his experiences growing up in a North American Marthoma church. He writes about how he grew up in the church and was able to dis-proportionally "give something to the church" as opposed to "receiving something in return". In high school, he visited the famed Times Square Church and was enthralled by the experience. He didn't do what most of us would have done - change church. He persisted with his church and tried his best to influence the church service as a choir and youth leader.

Eventually, he goes to Dallas for theological training. During this time, he experienced several non-evangelical church and soon grew disillusioned with these churches - with the lack of a 'complete message' of creation, fall, redemption, restoration that a liturgical church often provides during a complete worship session. He describes a usual Sunday worship in detail and points to its shallowness. He returns to a church following the liturgical worship experience. He takes special care in stressing the point that liturgy does not save anyone, only Jesus does. He wishes that more churches provide the 'complete message' on a weekly basis. And, having an ordained liturgy, the Marthoma church does that every week.

As a result of these experiences, his apology to Marthoma church takes form and shape:
- he is sorry that he once thought liturgy was not good for the individual and the church
- he is sorry that he misunderstood the 'reverence' in Marthoma church to a lack of enthusiasm
- he is sorry for misunderstanding that the Marthoma church does not believe in the priesthood of the believer

I agree with all that Shawn has beautifully written, which I have just summarized above. Now for my story, and the reason for this blog post.

Like Shawn, I grew up in the Marthoma church too. Unlike Shawn, my experience of the church is from its roots in Kerala. Like Shawn, I have traveled far and wide (more than a handful of countries) and have visited or been a regular member of several churches - ranging from Anglican to African to Baptist to Lutheran to Methodist to Pentecostal and finally, the new offshoots fancifully called Mega churches. But, I remain a Marthomite, by denominational belief.

Out of such varied church experience, if there is one thing I have understood, it is that no church is perfect. Denominational and doctrinal differences exist to cater to each person's soul, to edify the person. One person's expression of worship may not be the same as the other person's. Therefore, I would like to think that God allowed the denominations that we see today.

Shawn realized the shallowness of non-denominational churches and got a better appreciation for the power of a liturgical worship service. As a person who literally grew up in the Marthoma church, I think a similar case of shallowness exists for the average Marthoma churchgoer as well. Shawn, through his apology, hits each of those areas that I think are the reason why people leave the church, or remain in the church at the expense of being stunted in spiritual growth.

Therefore, my apology to Shawn, or people like him, would read very similar to his statements -
-I apologize for thinking that the liturgy is the be-all and end-all of worship
-I apologize for lacking in enthusiasm
-I apologize for not realizing that I too was a royal priest anointed by God

I hope to describe each of these apologies in detail, so you can get a better appreciation of where I erred. As a result, I hope you will appreciate that church is not the issue, rather it is people like you and I who inadvertently serve as a deterrent for a true worshiper.

Liturgy is the be-all and end-all of worship

How many times have you heard or said the following comments?

"Achen's tune was great/bad"

"I saw Qurbana"

"I just came for the Qurbana"

"Today's worship was too long"

"I participated in the Qurbana"

One of the potential follies of a liturgical worship is the feeling that the liturgy or the 'sacredness' of the worship is enough to sustain a believer. We go to church, and return home, often not being able to worship the saviour in truth and spirit. Although, as I wrote earlier, a liturgy can be complete and beautiful in itself, it does not permit spontaneous expressions of worship. The worshiper is sometimes restricted in his ability to express his thoughts and emotions. In a non-denominational or a non-liturgical format, there is plenty of scope for freedom of worship. The liturgy often becomes so engrained in the believers mind that the worship becomes all too mechanical.

An average churchgoer may not even  participate in the worship by saying the parts which the people are free to speak. He ends up listening to others worshiping his creator. I still remember, as a child, a large part of me was stuck in a cricket stadium or even in school with friends while the achen sings Evengelion.

But at the same time, such a liturgical experience may end up satisfying a person's inner thirst for doing the 'right thing' and he may feel he has paid his weekly dues for God. He lives through his entire life without ever expressing his agony, his burdens, his fears, or his highest praises. The fact that the liturgy has heavy use of 'alien' language does not help too. I often wonder if we do a poll of Marthomites on the meaning of the phrase "barequmar sthoumankalos", how many would be able to answer correctly? While we are an ancient church with history dating back to St. Thomas, it maybe time to adapt and make modifications in the liturgy that accounts for the changing society.

I understand that the church never intends to use the liturgy as a be-all and end-all. But the believer may be trapped in a vicious cycle of routine sunday attendances at the expense of not having a true relationship with their creator.

Lacking in enthusiasm

As a Marthomite who has worshiped at several other denominations, I can easily say that our worship services appear monotonous, and the affect of the average churchgoer during the service displays a lack of zeal. But I am not writing about the actual service. It is what happens afterwards or even before, or sometimes during the service that will showcase the lack of enthusiasm. While a vibrant congregation would stay after the church to meet, greet, encourage fellow believers, our average churchgoer would disappear as soon as the doxology is sung. There are exceptions and I maybe generalizing this a bit too much. But those who have had friends who have changed church would probably agree with me if I say that one of the major reasons people switch church is the lack of genuine fellowship. 

A lack of enthusiasm is also displayed in the low attendance of our conventions, edavaka mission meetings, youth league etc. Most Marthomites have to supplement their 'study of the word of God' by going to other fellowships or meetings? Why does this happen? A person dear to me once went to two consecutive youth league meetings where instead of the word of God, there was a debate about "Why US is a world police" and "Some-random-news-topic". She, a 12th standard student at that time, fortunately had the wisdom to tell her dad that she needed another place to grow and thereafter matured under the wings of the Evangelical Union (EU). Why should our youngsters go elsewhere? Are we lacking in serious study of the word of God? I'm sure several of us would agree with me if I write that the general churchgoer lacks a thirst to study the bible. There's more to this issue. Maybe you can chip in with thoughts?

A genuine worshiper may be discouraged to see such a lack of enthusiasm for the study of Word of God or for prayer or for fellowship. No wonder then, he changes church. 

Is my behavior appropriate for a royal priest?

We read in 1 Peter 2:9 that all believers belong to a royal priesthood - which means we who claim to be a believer should act like a priest. What is expected of a priest? Should he be sinless, or blameless? No! There is no one who has lived or will live in the face of the earth who is blameless - except Jesus, son of man and son of God.

A priest should be able to witness his savior in his life. He should aim to be kind, compassionate, sincere, honest, full of integrity and genuinely loving. He should be impartial and should be able to guide or uplift another fellow believer in his times of crisis.

Has my behavior been appropriate for a royal priest? Have I been kind, compassionate or sincere when I was part of the general body meeting? Is my motive plain and simple for everyone to see and has it been based on Christ's love? Have I imported politics into church and made church a commodity? Have I displayed my love for the church more than my love for Christ? Have I shown impartiality in my behavior? Have I uplifted or guided someone else who was going through a period of turmoil? Have I gossiped or said bad comments about the achen in my family home, and then acted 'holy' in front of him? If I have erred in any of the above, have I sought forgiveness from Christ or shown remorse?

Have my mistakes led to someone else feeling that the church is not what it says it is? Then, it's time for me to change. If luckily, the genuine worshiper ended up in a bible-believing church where he matures, well and good. You and I have at least not sent someone downhill. But, if someone decides to altogether stop seeking the Lord, then we may need some course correction.

I hope you have appreciated that church is often not the issue, rather it is people like you and I who inadvertently serve as a deterrent for a true worshiper. In that case, you and I owe an apology to people like Shawn. This is mine. What's yours like? 

The church and the young: is it time for reconciliation?

Reconcile (definition): Restore friendly relations 

If we consider the membership of an average marthoma congregation to be numbering around 200-300 families, at least 50 families will have 1-2 teenagers and/or young adults, that too on a conservative count. Based on the demographic profile of the church, at least 25% of the adults are younger than the age of 40 years. Taking all of this into consideration, one can easily estimate at least 100 young adults in each moderate to large congregation. But only a small proportion of the youngsters gather regularly for yuvajanasakhyam, and considerably fewer attendees in a worship service can be pooled under the “young” category.

It seems like there is a ‘barrier’ – between the church and the young members. It could be disputed that the above estimates are not valid for the church as a whole, but the lack of actual statistics should not deter us from discussing such anecdotal experiences. How can we bring the people in our midst that is far away from Christ back to the shadows of his cross (Ephesians 2:13)? How can we reconcile or restore the relations between the church and the young? For that, first let us understand reconciliation in light of the gospel.

What should be reconciled? The relationship that God desires – absolute love (Luke 10:27)!

What is the message of reconciliation? I am a sinner and I deserve death and eternal damnation in hell. Sin separates me from God, my creator (Romans 6:23). In order to give me life, God sent his son Jesus Christ who died on the cross for my sins through which, he has destroyed the barrier between God and myself (Ephesians 2:14-17). I am now reconciled to God (Romans 5:10, 2 Corinthians 5:20-21).

Where does the church come in this picture? The church is the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27). Only a community that loves its weakest link can successfully serve in the ministry of reconciliation and effectively deliver the message of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:19-20).

How can we witness the message of reconciliation to our young people? Let me share a few practical thoughts for your reflection:
1. Love wholeheartedly –
When a new person comes to church, make him feel at home, introduce him with love and sincerity, show him you care, talk to him and know him like you would if he was a future Paul or Peter.
2. Serve passionately –
If this new visitor needs a ride to church, provide it. If he needs a home cooked meal, serve him one.
3. Actively witness Christ’s humility –
Would you consider giving up your seat for him? Would you mind getting him a cup of coffee?
4. Be non-judgmental –
Don’t assume things about him based on his dress or appearance.
5. Allow God’s spirit to move –
Pray for him, ask the Holy Spirit for guidance and wisdom to understand his needs and spiritual maturity.
6. Innovate –
If there are more such people in the church, find what you can do to make them feel at home, so that they can worship the Lord and enjoy a relationship with Christ.
7. Equip mentors and encourage mentoring –
Connect them to mentors who try to live a Christian life, organize small groups in a non-threatening manner to allow space for mentoring, conduct seminars that can equip mentors.
8. Walk the talk –
As a church, walk the message of reconciliation. Be a community that forgives and bears each other’s burden.

When the church focuses on the weak, the lost and the poor, when it cares for those who are sidelined and standing in the fringes of the community, when it actively seeks out the non-regulars, it will be called the repairers of the breach (Isaiah 58:12). The reconciliation of the creation to God will be its overarching goal. It will be the living testimony of God’s grace in this fallen world.

Let’s reclaim our church for our young people. 

Pride

I had two interesting encounters this morning. First was with a gentleman who served in the peacekeeping mission in Rwanda. He described the horrifying scenes of war and genocide in gory details. He talked about how it left a scar in his soul forever. The images of war left such a deep hurt in his mind that he still cannot live his life to the fullest.

Since Rwanda, he has served in Iraq and has flown several helicopter missions, often getting shot at close quarters. Fortunately, he suffered no injuries and was left to ponder about an offer to work for an American security firm for $180,000 per year, 2 generous vacations and tax-free salary included. It was too good to be neglected and he decided to pursue it. Until his mother stepped in. Upon hearing his plans to go back to a volatile place and serve in securing an oil field, she started sobbing inconsolably. "Why do you have to stretch your luck? Could you please stay out of harms way for once?". He obeyed. And, stayed back.

The second person was an elderly gentleman who is serving on his church committee. He keeps himself active in that role. He had some interesting perspectives. "The church membership is dwindling. Every year we lose 20 members from our pledges, dying. We can't figure out how to make up for this loss. I go to the tie and suit formal services. But, nowadays there is a new kind of service in the church during after-hours. It is quite well attended. Mostly young folks with little children. They don't have a dress code. They wear whatever to church. They don't have a choir. Clap their hands and sing songs. And, they have short service. It looks like their numbers are growing."

I asked him, "do you agree or disagree with church having such a contemporary service?".

"Of course, I agree. That's the way to go."

Yes, I agree. When churches world wide are losing membership from the traditional services, the church should be open to more contemporary worship style, while maintaining the traditional way for those who cherish it. But there should not be any resistance to different forms of worship. My 85 year old patient said it right. "I worship in a suit. My son wears shorts. Let it be."


When will the traditional churches in Kerala see the light? Will the resistance from elderly dissipate? Will the youngsters ever learn to respect the different, archaic style of liturgy? After all, it comes down to one issue - lack of mutual respect and spiritual-pride.

If I can take you back to Rwanda, what happened during the genocide? An unnatural tribe-pride in one's tribe and ethnicity, resulting in gruesome genocide of his neighbours. One way or the other - pride hurts everyone.