Reflections

Renewal of the church - Children Expectation of God Judges 13:1-14 Shruti John  CSI Jubilee Memorial Church, NY “Because the boy is to be a Nazirite dedicated to God from the womb, he will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of Philistines”. Nazirite is the one who chooses to make a special vow by dedicating himself to the Lord, and by dedication we mean Separation. It is not an act of mere self-discipline but of total devotion to the Lord. Mike aged 16 says “I smoked my first cigarette when I was eleven, I never wanted to but all my friends used to smoke and hence I started as I wanted to be in the group. Once I started smoking, I was addicted, I knew it was wrong and now I regret”. Mike wanted acceptance from his friends so that he was not left out. We all want to be in the world and not out of the world. When we look into the law of becoming a Nazirite, one had to show implicit obedience by separating himself from wine and other fermented dri...

Children Expectation of God Genesis 25:19-28 Jessie Samuel St. Andrews MTC, NY Verse 27, “The boys grew up and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was a quiet man, staying among the tents”.     We all know this passage pretty well. This begins the account of Isaac, a wise man who sought the heart of God. After pleading with God for many years, his wife Rebekah was pregnant with twin boys.     As Isaac pleaded with God for children, so the Bible encourages us to ask and even plead for our most personal and important requests. I believe that God wants to grant our requests, but He wants us to ask Him. Even then, as Isaac learned, God may decide to withhold His answer for a while in order to allow us to mature so we can use His gifts more wisely. I also believe that He wants to broaden our appreciation for His answers. It also allows us to deepen our insight into what we really need.   ...

Renewal of the Church – Hudos Eetho – Children Expectation of God Matthew 21:15-17   Herry Alex  Christos MTC, PA the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” There’s a general perception that the subject of God is too complex for little children to understand.  Is it perhaps the other way around where God’s message is actually so simple even a child can understand it? I still remember this one night when we were all winding down for bed with my daughter.  We kept to our usual routine each night where she would first change into her “paa-jam-moos” and then pick up one or two of her favorite children’s book for me to read. Once story time was over, we changed gears to reading her children’s Bible, followed by family prayer immediately afterwards.  Like most nights, Abby started off our family prayer but something was different this night. She started out with her usual routine to “Bless mommy and daddy” but as she contin...

Kudosh Etho (Sanctification of Church) 1 Corinthians 1:18-25   Elezabeth K V (Sowmini) MTC, Singapore. For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 cor 1:18).   Paul introduces the astonishing power of the cross through this profound passage and it has become the symbol of Christianity today because it exposes the fundamental conflict of life. The cross was particularly needed in Corinth as it is needed in our Churches. Because the word of the cross is cure for all human division. Once we confront the cross and its meaning we find ourself unable to escape that final, basic judgment of life as to whether we are committed to error or committed to the truth. By the ‘word of the cross’ Paul means the basic announcement of the “Crucifixion of Jesus.” It condemns ‘our’ righteousness, casts all our human efforts, wipes them all out and says they are totally worthless...

Sanctification of the Church – Kudosh Eetho Psalm 31 Tinku Alex Carmel MTC, Boston MA We are living in times of great moral darkness. Sin is having a devastating impact on individuals, families and society. There is a lot of confusion today as to what is right and what is wrong, what is appropriate and what is not. Life seems complex, and there are many voices speaking to us. What do we do in such a situation? As the verse above suggests, it is possible that there are nets hidden for us that we are not even aware of. We need Godly wisdom (as opposed to worldly wisdom) to navigate this world. How do we gain this wisdom? – by being sanctified and transformed by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:2). God is calling every one of us to deeper levels of  sanctification, no matter how ahead or behind we are today in our spiritual journey. Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior is the ultimate example of a sanctified life. The way He loved and served others, His kindness, H...

Sanctification of the Church Romans 13: 11-14   Kurien T. Oommen (Biju) CSI Congregation of Hudson Valley, NY We are sanctified by the blood of Jesus Christ”  Indians are well aware of the cults that follow holy men and women who are self-made gods. As a country with numerous religions and cults, some people blindly believe in these individuals and treat them as holy ones. Once they declare that they are holy and received a vision, they change their names and their houses are turned to ashrams.  People who visit them take precautions to preserve the sanctity of their ashrams by taking off their shoes, washing themselves or covering their heads before entering into these dwellings.  These holy people claim that they are sanctified and a new creation. We as Christians think of sanctification differently -- not as something we can attain ourselves, through our own efforts. Sanctification is given by God's grace. What is sanctification? In the ...

Sanctification of the Church – Kudosh Eetho 1 Peter 4:1-6 Samuel K. Samuel St. Thomas MTC, NY 6 For this is the reason the gospel was proclaimed even to the dead, so that, though they had been judged in the flesh as everyone is judged, they might live in the spirit as God does.   The Mar Thoma Church sets the fifth Sunday in October as Kudosh Eetho, The Sanctification of the Church. The Old Testament reading for this Sunday is taken from 2 Kings and describes the reign of King Josiah, who took the throne in the midst of rampant idolatry and sin. Josiah discovered the law of the Lord and made a covenant before all of Judah and Jerusalem that he and his people would follow the God of Israel. He then proceeded to burn every statue and offering that was given to the pagan gods, renouncing them completely.            The world we live in today is very reminiscent of the one Josiah found himself in. Everyday we...

Sanctification of the Church 2 Kings 23:1-6   Dr. Sherin Thomas W/O Rev. Jaisen Thomas St.Thomas Church, NY Yonkers He took the Asherah pole from the temple of the LORD to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem and burned it there. He ground it to powder and scattered the dust over the graves of the common people”. – 2 Kings 23:6“ King Josiah was 8 years old when he came to reign and it was in the 18th year of his reign that they recovered the Book of Law from the Temple. It was revealed to him the impending doom that was in store for his kingdom in light of the idolatrous life his people led. Therefore in order for a reformation, Josiah gathered all his High Priests, Officials, from the highest to the lowest and read, not preached , the Word to them. He then enters into a covenant with the Lord, to obey Him, to keep His Laws and commands and to put into practice the demands attached to the covenant as written in the Word. To this regard, the first step he takes i...

Sanctification of the Church  Matthew 23:1-12   Rev. Joseph Johnny, Kottayam 12 All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.                  Jesus criticizes the scribes and the Pharisees, the custodians of law. In this context Jesus warns His disciples to keep themselves away from the danger of hypocrisy and pride. He reminds them that the way of discipleship is the way of humility and servanthood. 1.       Craving for honor   – a bad example                   The passage opens with Jesus’ recognition that the Pharisees and the Scribes sit at the seat of Moses, the original lawgiver. He never questions their authority but expresses profound regard for their position. They are the teachers and interpreters...

Family – Space for Faith Formation Luke 2:41-52 Rev. Manoj Idiculla Carmel MTC Boston MA 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.                        The Church is observing October 23, 2016 Sunday as Christian Family Dedication Day. Family is an institution ordained by God. Family is a divine plan and it’s the place where faith is rekindled, friendship is renewed, fellowship is re-fostered and life is rejuvenated.                         Families have been and will always be the cornerstone of society.  In recent times, however, the concept of family is being increasingly misunderstood and has even been considered insignificant. Family is a place which defines the limits of each individual and a ...

Family-Space for Faith Formation Deuteronomy 6 Nija I. Mathew St. John's MTC, Queens, NY 20 When your children ask you in time to come, “What is the meaning of the decrees and the statutes and the ordinances that the Lord our God has commanded you?” 21 then you shall say to your children, “We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand.                         One of my favorite childhood memories is landing at John F Kennedy International Airport for the first time. Back in India, my knowledge of America came mostly through history books from school, and as I stepped off the plane I was half expecting to find people walking around with their pants tucked into their boots, like in the paintings I had seen of George Washington. Although I did not know what to expect, I was happy to be with my family, and a...