Message from the Diocesan Episcopa – Mar Thoma Messenger July 2014
Dearly Beloved in Christ,
The 2014-2017 Diocesan Assembly met on April 4 and 5, 2014, at the Philadelphia Mar Thoma Church and deliberated on several matters pertaining to the growth and future of our Diocese. During this meeting, the Diocesan Assembly elected the Diocesan Council. I have reminded the Diocesan Assembly and the Diocesan Council that they are elected by God through God’s people. Jesus Christ, the Lord of the Church, tells us in St. Jn.15: 16 “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last.”
The new Diocesan Council, which met at Dallas Farmers Branch MTC on May 17, 2014, identified the members that would make up the various Diocesan sub committees. I am pleased that these sub committees have started functioning.
The Mar Thoma Messenger is a prestigious publication that this Diocese brings out. Dr. Eapen Daniel served as the Chief Editor of this publication for the past twelve years, and many others have helped and supported this endeavor. I thank Dr. Eapen Daniel and all past chief editors, advisors, and members of the editorial and managing committees for their leadership, hard-work, and dedication that sustained the quality of this publication over the years. This year a new editorial and managing committee with Dr. Mathew T. Thomas as the Chief Editor has taken charge. I wish all the members of the new committees the very best and pray for God’s blessings as they continue to bring out the Messenger.
This issue of the Mar Thoma Messenger is dedicated to the late Rt. Rev. Dr. Thomas Mar Athanasius. This year we are celebrating his birth centenary. I have written a chapter in the commemorative volume titled, Preshithavirthiyude Karma Yogi (Practitioner of the Tenets of Mission) identifying Thomas Thirumeni as my mentor. Rev. Dr. M. J. Joseph served as the Chief Editor for this book and it is available at the Diocesan Office of the Bethel Aramana, Manganam P.O. Kottayam 686018.
I praise God for the wonderful ways in which God has enabled the growth of this Diocese. We remember with gratitude all our leaders who led and guided us, including the Diocesan council members of the previous years. They led us for the past 25 plus years with commitment, dedication and selfless service. At present, the Diocese is spread over United Kingdom, Europe, Canada, and United States of America, with 71 Parishes and 7 Congregations.
Jesus Christ is the Lord of the Church and we form His body. As the members of the Church, we gather from different places with different interests and talents. While we celebrate our diversity, the purpose is to grow into unity. Though we hold different opinions and functions in the deliberations of the given agenda, let us realize the basic need of being open minded, as the Holy Spirit given to us is keeping us united as one body and leading us all to truth (Acts 15: 28b). Our participation in the decision making, use of our talents and systematic hard work, are all important to the ministry of the church. It is the Lord of the Church, who is calling us to follow Him and participate in the ministry. His Grace will strengthen us to carry out all the tasks before us. What the Lord wants from us is our willingness to do His work (Mt.14: 13-21).
These days I have been focusing our attention on the topic, ‘Churching the Diaspora’. The Diocesan Council has decided to adopt this topic as the Diocesan theme for the year. The theme is based on the book published recently with the title, ‘Churching the Diaspora, Discipling the Families (2013)’. The articles in this book help us to understand our people, their mind, the challenges before the Church, and to grasp the vision and articulate the mission of the Church. Let us remember that, for each one of us and our families, the Church is not an option but an integral part of our way of life.
Being members of the global church, it is very important to understand the new forms of mobility and integration, particularly when our members live in the midst of transnational communities with multiple identities. What is needed in this context is a paradigm shift in understanding the mission and ministry of the Church. What is intended is to have a new orientation or perspective on mission: a change from the hitherto accepted model (Mt. 9: 16, 17). The change is inevitable. In order to be relevant in this new order, the change has to have the openness to be creative in the pluralistic context of mission.
‘Churching’ the Diaspora can be considered as a need of the Mother Church in India when its members migrate to the geographical boundaries of this diocese. Ministries to the Diaspora can be an extension of the ministry that is familiar to the church in India. This will satisfy those in Diaspora community who have homeland nostalgia. But what about catering to the needs of those who are members of the ‘new generation’ with a different language, culture and spiritual / religious orientation? What is the ministerial challenge here? Can we be good leaders to this newer generation, instead of treating them as strangers? Bishop John C Itty of the Episcopal Church in NY says, “Churches of the Indian Diaspora now find themselves no longer simply immigrant churches but now increasingly identify themselves as distinctly part of the social and religious landscape in which they worship and serve the community.” As pastors we need to recognize the talents and gifts of the new generation and create a space for everyone to participate and develop his/her contributions. Mar Chrysostom, our Valiya Metropolitan says: “Diaspora is not just a person moving from one place to another in search of comfort and stability. It is man discovering his consummation in the context of people different from himself. Diaspora is the first step in the realization of the fullness of man in Christ and through Christ. That is what is achieved in the Church, the body of Christ. The church is not separate from the world, but it is qualitatively challenging the world to be genuine and authentic. The church is in the world and for the world”.
The ministry of the Church is very much dependent upon equipping and empowering the families. It is from the families that individuals or young families go to different places as members of the Diaspora. Families settle first before they become members of the church in their neighborhood. In our community, the Diaspora families group together as a lay movement to form a local congregation and parish. Pastors come later. The Church in the local area is a mark of our identity, and it is there that we grow as a religious community and celebrate the Word of God and Sacraments.
The values of the Kingdom of God are achieved through relationships – relationship within and outside the family. The ministry of the church is challenged whenever the value and significance of family are ignored or belittled. The tendencies of our young members to remain single, to have mixed marriages, or to decide not to have children in wedded life are all significant trends that raise serious questions for our ministry (Jer. 29: 6). How do you church them? We remember that the problem of Christians not living as disciples is not confined to any geographical space; it is closer to our own homes. This will make it difficult to church the Diaspora if the spiritual foundations at home are not strong. However, we should not give up hope. Christ went to the extent of enabling the Samaritan woman and the man in the tomb to spread the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.
In general, what we see now is that people call for or invite the ministry of the church when there is a crisis in the family: crises such as divorce, separation, sickness, death, etc. It could also involve situations like murder, disappearance, shooting, addiction to drugs, alcohol, etc. The call for church support and assistance comes in such critical situations. However, the church should think deeply about reaching each person who comes under its care even when people do not have a crisis, and equip them for crises that are sometimes an inevitable part of life.
God in Christ became part of history. The good news revealed to us through Jesus Christ is seen through Jesus of Nazareth and Jesus of history. We believe this, and our affirmation to it comes through the Nicene Creed. This reminds us that we cannot ignore the various historical events in the world. The pain and struggles of the world we see around are signals for us to act and participate in history.
The formation of the regions in the Diocese and the call to constitute Regional Activity Committee (RAC) are not simply for de-centralization of the diocesan activities, but also for responding to historical events in the geographical neighborhoods of our parishes and to herald the gospel relevantly and meaningfully through mission activities in those neighborhoods.
The Church gives importance to community living. This indicates that the religious community has a role to play in the disciplining of the families (2 Tim.3: 16 – 4: 2). The Mar Thoma Church practices infant baptism and nurturing of children is done through the Sunday School and Youth Ministry. The church has the ministry of encouraging individuals and families to grow in spiritual disciplines such as personal meditation, study of the ‘Word of God’, family prayer, corporate worship, and prayer fellowships in each parish area. These are foundational in Churching the Diaspora. ‘The good shepherd will know the sheep, find feed for them, ward them from all life threatening evil forces and remain as a door of the sheep’ (St. John 10: 7).
The leaders of the church must build healthy relationships and be fair in dealings with all the members. A pessimistic leader can never create a well-disciplined church. Optimism succeeds! An optimistic leader exerts control by listening to what the members want to say. It is a good practice for a leader to lead the members with heart and ear rather than by emotions and by mouth. A positive approach is essential for motivation. Research has shown that people who are thanked by authority figures are more likely to cooperate and feel valued. Such thanks provide immediate positive re-enforcement to the leadership ministry. On the other hand, a hurtful word or behavior leaves a scar for a lifetime. A good leader will help the member to overcome his or her weakness without being hurt.
We live in an age where information is power. Proper communication of diocesan activities to the members is essential. The method of dialogue is important for the leader to gain the confidence of the people. The process of involving members in the thinking and decision making process is not only essential for making sound policies but also it gives a sense of ownership of the policies that makes the people feel important and recognized for their work and/or who they are.
We live in a world where Diasporas are to be understood in the global context. The recent book titled, “Beyond the Diaspora” and other articles on ‘Diaspora’ are to be read for developing a better understanding of the phenomenon of trans-nationalism. People grow in a variety of geographical environments and hence they carry multiple identities. How will the Church cope with these multiplicities? As leaders, how are we going to re-frame the leadership ministry?
God is active in the world. The mission and ministry belong to God. Church is an agent of mission. Church has no ownership over mission but has stewardship of all things. Church is a called out community to participate with Christ in His ministry.
Hans Kung is a well-known liberal Swiss theologian who has written extensively on ‘the Church’. His latest publication is entitled, “Can we save the Catholic Church?” He answers his own question by stating that the new leadership in Pope Francis has already started showing positive signs. “It is not only that he has plans, I think that the simple clothing, the change of protocol, and the completely different tone of voice are not superficial things…that is the beginning of saving, not the end. But that is already a lot”. Pope Francis is the first Latin American Pope. He has come to the leadership when a good number of members started leaving the Roman Catholic Church. He comes from a developing nation and from a humble origin. He is not a dogmatic scholar who affirms everything that is given in books. Instead, he is people-oriented when it comes to theology. One unique nature of this person is that he spends two hours every morning in prayer and one hour every evening in adoration of the Eucharist (Jn.15:9).
I see a tendency these days for parishes with large membership to ask for an assistant pastor by getting rid of the Youth Chaplain. It can be good and bad! What was the intention of appointing a Youth Chaplain in a region or center? Will that purpose be served with this change? What is the direction that we set for church-life when we eliminate the youth chaplaincy? Will we be churching the new generation by adding more vicars to the individual parishes? What will be the ministry of such parishes among the youth going to the universities far away from their homes, among the youth moving away to their places of employment, among the spouses joined together by marriage from multiple backgrounds, and among the young families moving to new places for settlement? Churching the Diaspora will be a pastoral action only if it answers these and similar questions. A transformational leader will not only listen with empathy to become the voice of the voiceless but also give visionary leadership in nurturing the total community and leading them to greater heights.
St. John gives us the gospel that “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (St. John 1: 14). The redemptive ministry of Jesus Christ has to reach everyone, particularly the fallen and broken, with grace, and lead everyone to the truth. We have genuine conflicts and tensions when our community considers itself as Diaspora community, ethnic community, and citizens of the country. We need to catch the Gospel and the ministry of building up the Kingdom of God as we struggle with understanding the place of ‘being the church’ in the new context.
Our ministry of churching the Diaspora is big, and far bigger than anything we have undertaken before. We can be successful only if we grow to the full potential of our ministry in our time. We need to read the signs of our time carefully. ‘Churching the Diaspora’ will become a reality when pastors at the local parish are able to help the current members and families lead a renewed disciplined life based on the values of the Kingdom of God.
The Mar Thoma community in the diocese is exposed to plurality of belongings and multiple identities paving way to the majority of its new generation members settling and becoming citizens of each country. This is true in Europe, Canada, and USA. On the one hand the processes of assimilation, confrontation and boundary-setting of the Diaspora community have led the new generation to accept the living realities of the new land which has now become their home land. This raises questions of identity – indigenous identity and ethnic identity. This issue of identity is to be discerned and understood along with the factors of geographical, spatial, cultural, racial, political, and theological settings of the new generations in each country.
Prophet Jeremiah (Jer. 29: 4-9) addressed the Diaspora people taken from Jerusalem to Babylon in exile that were experiencing nostalgia for their homeland and were looking forward to going back to Jerusalem. He says in Vs.7 (As the word of the Lord). “…seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” Certainly the new generation in this country is exhorted to love the land and the people, and pray for its peace and prosperity.
St. Paul is the greatest missionary the world has seen. He reached out to the nations with the gospel, planted churches at various places, and empowered the leaders to continue the mission and to carry out the ministry. It is in this context that we read Paul’s second letter to Timothy. He emphasizes the need to know the Holy Scripture and to be wise for attaining salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Then St. Paul ordains Timothy with the charge, (2 Tim. 4: 2-5) “Preach the word, be prepared in season, and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage-with great patience and careful instructions. The time will come when men will not put-up with sound doctrine. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry …” What a great challenge to the Diaspora community here in our diocese to regularly learn the Scripture, to be an evangelist, teacher, and a suffering servant!
The Jubilee year enabled us to look at the ‘Journeying Christ’. Though his parents, Joseph and Mary, came from Nazareth, Jesus was born in Bethlehem and was in exile in Egypt. He grew up in Nazareth attending the local Synagogue. He started going to Jerusalem temple as he grew up and carried out his public ministry as ‘a traveler’, with no place to lay his head. His ministry is portrayed as ‘teaching, preaching, and healing.’ He had a preferential option for the poor, the less privileged or the marginalized. He carried out the ministry of the Kingdom as a suffering Servant.
Rev. Dr. M. C. Thomas says that ‘Jesus was born and raised up in liturgically and textually oriented family and social settings (p.70 Article: Diaspora, Mar Thoma Church. Identity and Mission: Theoretical considerations). Jesus casually engaged himself in reading the text which produced new meanings to his listeners. This resulted in the ministry of liberation, freeing people from various types of bondages. It is to be understood that Jesus regularly gathered together with the worshipping community for corporate worship and never negated the religious practices. Instead He brought new meaning to the life of the religious community by His death on the cross and resurrection from the dead, all as a manifestation of God’s love in the ministry of reconciliation. He gave the new commandment to love one another as He has loved us’ (Jn. 15: 12). He brought in the servant ministry of the church (Jn. 13) and called His disciples ‘as friends’. He gave the mission and commandment, ‘Love each other’ (Jn. 15: 17). The church grows everywhere and at all times with the mission of love.
The Gospel is incarnational. Jesus travelled near and far, crossed the sea, went to the market place and to the marginalized regions to meet people and bring the Good News that they have a space in the Kingdom of God. As members of a Global Church we are called to engage in Neighborhood Mission, Native American Mission, Mexico Mission, and the India Mission, to incarnate in the life situation of the people, particularly the least, the last and the lost. This is not a call for the few, but a call for all to participate. The Mar Thoma Church is uniquely privileged to involve and be active in this ministry.
Walking with Jesus and growing in the experience of the Kingdom are to be the daily experience in the life of every Christian. Conforming to the pattern of the modern world is not the answer; life will become a spiritual act of worship when it is offered as a living sacrifice in a manner (Rom 12: 1, 2) that is pleasing to God. This will bring transformation and spiritual growth to the individual, family, church, and society. We enter in to the three-year term for this ministry of Jesus. This is a call to humble ourselves to do the servant ministry for the glory of God and the growth of His Kingdom.
We cannot forget the past. We are called to analyze the present to know the challenges before us. Our diversified talents and joint effort with the Lord of the Church will help us to make the church-life of our members more relevant and meaningful. We have the task of addressing the Diaspora context as the Disciples of Christ, growing in the values of the Kingdom, recognizing the global nature of the church, and not ignoring the local concerns. The task is not to institutionalize the church but to understand the spiritual journey of the members as Kingdom people, for whom liturgically relevant and textually oriented community-living is made possible. Proper communication is vital for community growth. Every one of us has to play the roles of leader, teacher, servant and apostle. The mission is to love one another by abiding in the love of Christ. In turn, Jesus wants to share His joy with us when we remain as good and faithful servants.
God bless us all
Mar Theodosius+
www.martheodosius.com
