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Table of Contents Message from Diocesan Episcopa ................................ 3

Editorial ........................................................................ 4

Welcome Note ............................................................. 7

Prayer in the News ....................................................... 7

A Collection of Prayers ................................................. 8

Liturgy and Scripture in the Mar Thoma Church: An

Observation ................................................................ 10

‘Lex orandi, lex credenti’ ............................................ 13

An Overview of Bible Study Classes of Maramon

Convention, 2016. ...................................................... 15

News........................................................................... 18

Creative partnership with the Sinai Mar Thoma

Church of North London ........................................ 18

34th Mar Thoma Family conference-Europe .......... 19

Speakers-Family Conference .................................. 20

Visiting those in prison ........................................... 21

COMPE Meeting 2016 ............................................ 23

Obituary ..................................................................... 25

July Edition 2016 Volume 3(3)

For private circulation only

Disclaimer: The views published in this journal are

those of its authors. Editors or the COMPE do not

endorse the contents or views expressed and they are

not liable for the contents or views in any form.

Send your articles- compe.echo@gmail.com

The COMPE Executive Committee

President: The Rt. Revd. Dr.Issac Mar Philoxenos

Vice President: Very Revd.V.T.John

Secretary: Mr.P.M.Mathew

Treasurer: Mr.Jaffey Chacko

Editorial Board of the Mar Thoma Echo

Editorial Director: Dr. Zac Varghese

Chief Editor: Very.Revd.V.T.John

Mr. Sherry Mathews

Mr. Oommen Abraham

Mrs. Geena Ajay

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Message from Diocesan

Episcopa

Dearly beloved in Christ,

Greetings from Sinai Mar Thoma Centre of North

America & Europe Diocese of Mar Thoma Church.

After assuming the office of the Diocesan Bishop

in April 2016, I am happy to reach to you through

the Mar Thoma ECHO, the online magazine of the

‘council of Mar Thoma Parishes in Europe’. I

appreciate all who have contributed in this

publication since 2014 and the leadership of Dr.

Zac Varghese in continuing the programme

without break, for the benefit of the Diaspora Mar

Thoma community, especially of the members in

the UK and Europe.

Let us thank God for the blessings that we have

received these years as faith community, to live in

a land that is not known to us and to relate to

people who are not familiar to us. However, the

Spirit of God strengthens us to cross the

boundaries and transcend our connections to the

wider community.

Prayer is the most powerful tool to transcend our

inner being to the God the creator and Jesus

Christ, the best model who began and ended His

ministry with prayer. It is only by gaining the

inner strength that one can face the challenges of

life and do the work without fear and distraction.

The early church father St. Basil has advocated

making time for God by saying “The time you lend

to God is not lost. To those who have preferred

spiritual welfare, He will give health of body,

sharpness of mind, success in business and

unbroken prosperity”. A steady progress in life

can be possible only by allowing God to shape our

lives. In the words of Mother Theresa, “Prayer is

putting oneself in the hands of God, at His

disposition, and listening to His voice in the depth

of our hearts”. Jesus Christ instructed the

disciples to pray without ceasing. He taught them

how to pray and continues to ask the faithful

believers to carry on this discipline of spending

time with the Lord by which our lives will be more

pleasing to God and to fellow human beings. Let

the beauty of life remain by keeping our intimate

relation with the Lord and quenching the intense

spiritual thirst through prayer.

The Mar Thoma Community in different parts of

the world kept the richness of spiritual life that

was practiced by our forefathers, through prayer

and fellowship. This has very much contributed in

keeping the healthy relationship that is being

exercised in the local context by the Mar Thoma

community of Indian origin. As a Diaspora

community it witnessed Jesus Christ through its

life and action and has now become the

distinctive Christian presence in different parts of

the world. It is our wish and prayer that God may

continue to strengthen us as a spiritual force in

the midst of the enticing worldly attractions. May

the spirit of God guide and counsel us to journey

forward with the peace that we experience and the

love that we share as a community of faith.

With love and prayers,

Rt. Rev. Dr. Isaac Mar Philoxenos

Diocesan Episcopa

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Editorial The theme selected for the July issue of the ECHO

is prayer. For us in the Europe region of the Mar

Thoma Diocese of North America and Europe, it

is a new beginning with the ministry of Rt. Revd

Dr. Isaac Mar Philoxenos as our Diocesan

Episcopa. Let us enter into this new beginning

with prayers for continuing with all the work we

have at hand and look forward in hope with

Thirumeni for new opportunities for establishing

kingdom values in all areas of our day to day

involvements. Let us welcome Thirumeni and

offer him support and prayers for his ministry.

We also welcome all our new achens who have

arrived in this country for helping us with our life

in Christ.

Prayer is all about developing an intimate

relationship with our Triune God, and through

this relationship man can experience the intimacy

with God; the primary purpose of creation was

this intimate relationship. It is a simple, sincere,

intimate conversation, and there is nothing more

to it. This relationship has a built in freedom, free

will for God to be God and man to be man.

However, when man tries to become god there is

tension and strain in this relationship, but prayer

is a shock absorber for reducing this tension. As

we grow in prayer we begin to realise that we

cannot compartmentalise our relationship with

God from our relationship with our fellow men.

Hence we need to give importance to both private

and shared prayer; sometimes our prayer life will

require more silence and separation from others,

while at other times we need prayer-fellowship.

Jesus practiced both types of prayers.

It is increasingly clear that many of the traditional

forms of Christian prayers and canticles from

prayer books and liturgy do not seem to be

relevant to young people. Therefore, the young

generation is more interested in charismatic

exuberances, self-expressions through rhythmic

hymns and many other self-seeking out-ward

activities. We often forget the fundamental reality

that worship is for giving glory to God, but we

often use occasions of worship for glorifying

ourselves. It is indeed an age of diminishing true

religious commitment and growth in secularism;

religion is used as a political tool and a weapon

for destroying the ‘otherness.’ Every part of

human activity is in a high degree of turbulence,

and flux and many people are hesitating to

commit themselves to traditional forms of

religious observances.

One of the causes of the present crisis in the

Church and fall in Church attendance is the lack

of faith formation. Once the catechism for the first

communion and basic Sunday school lessons are

over and done with, there is no systematic effort

in faith formation apart from custom-made

Sunday sermons. The starting point of this crisis

is the breakdown and discontinuation of morning

and evening family prayers and prayers at meal

times. We have a need to learn how to pray, and

more importantly, as Jesus taught his disciple

how not to pray (Matt 6: 5-15).

A ‘standardised and ‘registered-Christian’ seems

to be a person paying membership fees to a

parish and having his/her name in parish

electoral register, attending occasional Sunday

worship, and taking Holy Communion. They also

tick other boxes by attending annual parish

conventions, family conferences and such events.

What is missing? Prayer, unity, and fellowship are

missing. Without the prayerful involvement of

every one, the Church cannot fulfil her mission in

the world. The Church has become divided body

for various reasons. We need leaders with vision

and prayer, and not managers with meaningless

programmes and calculators. We lost our way

and need to find it again through accepting the

free gifts of faith and prayer.

What are the barriers that create division in our

parishes? Demographic division is a barrier;

young people, women, young married couples and

senior citizens make their own watertight

compartmentalised groupings. There are other

barriers: poor and rich, elite and non-elite,

learned and illiterate, clergy and laity, members of

the inner circle and outsiders, ‘born-again saints’

and perpetually condemned sinners. Some people

encourage these divisions; the power structure of

the parish is built around these walls of division.

Some people manufacture conflicts out of nothing

and find meaning for words never ever imagined

by the speaker of those words or an innocent look

or a gesture. These group structures become alive

and significant when we have new ministers and

bishops in our Dioceses. People in these clicks

destroy new opportunities and possibilities;

instead of healing wounds, these people create

more. Craze for power and recognition destroy

communion. It is high time we thought of

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removing these barriers and build a praying

community with contracts between generations

and gender. As Jesus Christ cleansed the Temple,

it is time for us to take down these barriers and

discourage the agents of these divisions. Jesus

Christ and the Holy Spirit have come to break

these barriers and build a united faith community

because both faith and prayer are God’s gift to

humanity.

When Jesus Christ died upon the cross he not

only removed the sin barrier between us and God

but also broke down the division between Jews

and Gentiles. His sacrifice renders all distinctions

valueless at the foot of the cross. We must beware

of religious superiority complexes. In-groups

exclude others. Jesus unites everyone in Him and

through Him. This levelled community has no in-

groups; it is like a new Temple in which God

dwells, grounded and held together in Jesus

Christ without dividing walls. Living stones (1

Peter 2:5) have no room for superiority

complexes; their worth lies in their willingness to

be built up together. There is neither Jew nor

Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male

and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

(Galatians 3:28).

Sometimes our prayers are not directed to God,

but to an audience; we are more conscious that

people are listening to us, than God. Perhaps, we

chant and pray in flowery language in our public

prayer to impress an audience or a congregation.

We also have formulaic prayers with traditional

beginning and a middle bit with biblical verses,

praising someone or destroying reputations, and a

concluding sentence like – in the name of Lord

Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen. Then there are

meaningless repetitions of adding the word ‘God’

in every sentence when we pray. The words of Sri

Ramakrishna Paramahamsa are of interest in this

context: “Even if you shout the word ‘opium’ a

thousand times, you cannot get intoxicated. Only

if you take at least a small quantity of opium, you

get intoxicated. Similarly it serves no purpose just

to recite the name of God a million time without

devoting one’s mind totally to Him.” It is not

number of words or the length of prayer that

matter; real prayer is from a most sincere and

contrite heart in absolute humility.

Jesus compared and commented on the prayer of

the Pharisee and the Publican, and the authentic

simple prayer of the publican was most acceptable

to our Lord. His words were simply: ‘God, have

mercy on me, a sinner’ (Luke18: 13). The prayer is

a password to God’s presence. There is a story of a

similar prayer from a hardworking simple street

labourer, Mathen, from Kerala who used to get

drunk to anaesthetise his pain, but he had this

amazing simple prayer in three words when he

stretched out on his bed at night everyday:

‘Mathen, etha malakunnu,’ meaning–‘I am just

lying down before thee.’ God loves this simplicity

and sincerity. It is not the length of time spent in

prayer or flowery words that determines whether

it is acceptable to God or not. It is the

transparency, simplicity and sincerity that God

appreciates. There are many types of prayers

practiced by people who lived in closed religious

communities such as Ignatian and Sulpician

methods and many more, but we need to find our

own way of entering into communion with God.

Praying for others is a burden that we should

carry at all times.

It is also possible to pray in silence, and it is in

silence we listen to what God has to say to us and

to understand His will for us. Those who have a

sanctuary of inner quietness to which they can

retire are blessed to hear Lord’s voice. We may

appreciate at times that our prayer life will need

more withdrawal and silence, Jesus did this quite

often away from his disciples.

Some people search for special times and places

for prayers, which is good, but there is a way of

finding God’s presence in work too. The ancient

Israelites did not distinguish between the sacred

and the secular; for them the sacred ran through

the whole of everyday life. The culture

surrounding many of us is one of self-sufficiency

and although we may assert that God is the only

one who can save, we might be tempted to assign

that salvation to spiritual realms and act as if we

can deliver ourselves in everyday life. But

awareness of God’s presence in our whole life and

in all aspects of work and leisure would help us to

seek perfection in what we do under the divine

gaze and grace. The prime example of this aspect

of prayer is the Carmelite monk, Brother

Lawrence, who was elevated to sainthood. He was

assigned to the monastery kitchen in Paris where,

amidst the tedious chores of cooking and cleaning

at the constant bidding of his superiors, he

developed his rule of spirituality and work. For

him every act of work, placing a piece of wood in

the fire and such for cooking, was giving glory to

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God, a prayer; he tried to achieve perfection in

what he did, because he was doing it for the love

of God. Brother Lawrence wrote: "Men invent

means and methods of coming at God's love, they

learn rules and set up devices to remind them of

that love, and it seems like a world of trouble to

bring oneself into the consciousness of God's

presence. Yet it might be so simple. Is it not

quicker and easier just to do our common

business wholly for the love of him?" This is an

amazing aspect of prayer to emulate.

Dr. Ninan, from Bolton (a member of the Mar

Thoma parish in Manchester) very carefully took

notes of the Bible classes conducted by Dr.

Leonard Sweet at the Maramon convention in

2016, and in which he wrote: “We should become

the Lord’s prayer. There is a Jewish saying–an

hour of study is an hour of prayer.” Our work

should become our prayer, work and prayer

should become partners– St. Benedict said, ‘Work

is prayer.’ We are grateful to Dr. Ninan for

allowing us to publish his Bible Study notes in this

issue. We are also very grateful to Jameson Achen

for his article on ‘Liturgy and Scripture.’ We also

pray for the successful completion of his PhD

studies on Liturgy.

Finally, we need good instruction on how to pray

and how not to pray; prayer does not come

naturally or easily to most people. Therefore, we

need advice, assistance, and mentoring for an

effective prayer life. Juhanon Thirumeni’s little

book on, ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ is helpful to begin

with. Thirumeni was a man of prayer and he

regularly prayed every morning for all the people

he knew by making a mental journey to the

household of these people and praying for them;

he visited these people in every corner of the

world; he continued this habit throughout his

ministry; it is an amazing and effective way of

praying for others. The best way to teach others to

pray is to pray with them; this is the Benedictine

way. Parents are usually very helpful in helping

children with prayer, and their faith formation.

We do not have to struggle and think about

perfecting extempore prayers; it should flow

effortlessly and continuously as thanksgiving

under the flow of grace. It is perfectly helpful to

use well known written prayers of saints, Psalms,

our ancestors, and fellow Christians; it helps us to

be in communion with them. It is with this

understanding that the editorial board is asking

others to send in their favourite prayers, which

made a difference to them. We shall publish them

for helping others. Let us pray for God’s help for a

life in prayer and thank God in all circumstances.

The following New Testaments texts may be of

help in our life of prayer:

Matthew 6: 5-14; 7: 7-11; 18: 19, 20; Mark 9: 29;

11:2 4, 25; Luke 11: 1-13; 18: 1-8; Romans 8: 26,

27; 12: 12; Ephesians 6: 18; Colossians 4: 2-4; 1

Thessalonians 5: 17; 1 Timothy 2: 1-4, 8; Hebrews

4: 16; James 1: 5-8; 4: 2, 3; 5: 13-18; 1 Peter 3: 7;

4:7; 1 John 3: 21, 22; 5: 14-17; Jude 20; Revelation

8: 3, 4.

It is good to end this editorial with a prayer that

St. Paul delivered for the Ephesian Church. “For

this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom

his whole family in heaven and on earth derives

its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he

may strengthen you with power through his Spirit

in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in

your hearts through faith. And I pray that you,

being rooted and established in love, may have

power, together with all the saints, to grasp how

wide and long and high and deep is the love of

Christ, and to know this love that surpasses

knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure

of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is

able to do immeasurably more than all we

ask or imagine, according to his power that

is at work within us, to him be glory in the

church and in Christ Jesus throughout all

generations, for ever and ever! Amen

(Ephesians 3: 14-21).

The Editorial Board

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Welcome Note

A Very Warm Welcome to Rt.

Revd Dr. Isaac Mar

Philoxenos

We thank God for sending us Philoxenos

Thirumeni as our Diocesan bishop from 1st April

2016. The Mar Thoma ECHO is delighted in

offering a warm welcome to Thirumeni. We

request everyone in the Mar Thoma Diocese of

North America and Europe to pray for

Thirumeni’s wellbeing and ministry.

The Rt. Revd Dr. Isaac Mar Philoxenos, our

Diocesan Bishop, was born at Attupurathu House,

Mavelikkara, Kerala, on 5th Dec 1951. He had

college education at Bishop Moore College,

Mavelikkara and Banaras Hindu University and

studied theology at Bishops College, Kolkota and

Princeton Theological Seminary. He obtained

Ph.D. from Banaras Hindu University on the topic

“Doctrine of grace in Vaishnavism and

Christianity”. While being a lecturer at Mar

Thoma theological Seminary, he was elected to be

the bishop of Mar Thoma Syrian Church and

consecrated in October 1993. Thirumeni served as

Diocesan Bishop at Bombay-Delhi Diocese (1993-

2001), Kottayam-Kochi Diocese (2001-2008) and

Chennai-Bangalore Diocese (2009 - 2016).

Thirumeni carried a large number of

responsibilities over the years which include:

President, Senate of Serampore

University,

Central Committee member, World

Council of Churches,

President, Christian Agency for Rural

Development,

Chairperson, Ecumenical Christian

Centre, Bangalore,

Chairperson, Holistic Child Development

India,

Member, Governing Board, Churches’

Council for Child and Youth Care,

Bangalore.

Thirumeni started many mission projects which

include:

Started Navjeevan Centre in Mumbai, for

the rehabilitation of Children from streets

and red light areas of Mumbai.

Initiated educational programmes for

children in the villages, especially of North

India through “Gramjyoti Schools”.

Planned and implemented Child focused

community

Development Programmes in backward

villages.

Monitored relief operations at the

Earthquake areas of Lathur in

Maharastra, Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh,

and Bhuj in Gujarat.

Prayer in the News Week of prayer for evangelism has

‘touched a chord’ says Archbishop

Archbishop Justin Welby spoke to Premier Radio

about prayer, evangelism and thy kingdom Come.

The call for Christians across England to prayer

for our nation to know Jesus Christ has "touched

a chord", the Archbishop of Canterbury has told

Premier Radio.

With tens of thousands of Christians taking part

across throughout England and beyond this week,

Archbishop Justin Welby said people are

“motivated and excited” about praying together

for those they love to know Jesus. The week of

prayer ahead of Pentecost was called for by

Archbishop Justin Welby and the Archbishop of

York, Dr John Sentamu, in November last year.

Revd James Mercer of All Saints’, Harrow Weald

(This is parish where the Sinai MTC now

worships) distributed pieces of strings to the

congregation at Wednesday morning Holy

Communion service and asked people to put five

knots on it and use it for remembering and

praying for five people regularly to bring them to

Christ. These prayer knots are a lovely way of

regularly remembering others. May God help you

to find a suitable place and a method for regularly

praying for others and the nation.

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A Collection of Prayers

[Prayer is natural human response to God for

everything for which we are grateful, the

experience of everyday miracles, the needs of

ourselves and others, and the mess we make of

our lives. These prayers take different forms such

as praise, wonder, confession, thanksgiving, and

intercession. Prayer can also be resting in quiet

intimacy with God. Words are useful but not

necessary. They can be formal from a prayer

book or as personal and relaxed as talking with a

friend. At the heart of prayer is simply a desire to

be at one with God. We should not try to

persuade or manipulate God to do anything for

our selfish interest. We are trying to put our will

alongside God’s, and to make our love available

for God to use. In that way, praying for someone

is our best way of knowing and loving him/her.

There are no right or wrong ways to pray, only

our own unique sincere and humble way of

communicating with God. Prayer is often said to

be difficult but there are no real experts in

prayer, only sincere beginners, we are children

before a merciful and loving Father. We hope the

following collection of prayers will be of some

help in building an intimate relationship with

our Lord and our God.]

A. Devotional Prayers:

St. Benedict

O gracious and Holy Father, give us wisdom to

perceive thee, diligence to seek thee, patience to

wait for thee, eyes to behold thee, a heart to

meditate upon thee; through the power of the

Spirit of Lord Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

St. Augustine of Hippo

O thou, from whom to be turned is to fall, to

whom to be turned is to rise, and in whom to

stand is to abide for ever; grant us, in all our

duties, thy help, in all our perplexities, thy

guidance, in all our dangers, thy protection, in all

our sorrows, thy peace; through Jesus Christ our

Lord. Amen.

St. Francis of Assisi

Lord, make an instrument of peace.

Where there is hatred, let us sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair. hope;

where there is darkness, light;

where there is sadness, joy;

for the mercy and for thy truth’s sake.

St. Ignatius Loyola

Teach us, good Lord, to serve as thou deservest:

to give and not count the cost;

to fight and not to heed the wounds;

to toil and not to seek for rest;

to labour and not to ask for any reward

save that of knowing that we do thy will;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Cardinal Newman

O Lord, support us all the day long of this

troubled life, until the shades lengthen, and the

evening comes, and the busy world is hushed, the

fever of life is over, and our work is done. Then

Lord, in thy mercy, grant us safe lodging, a holy

rest, and peace at the last; through Jesus Christ

our Lord. Amen.

B. Collection of prayers from ‘Family

Prayers by Frank Colquhoun, SPCK, 1084.

For Forgiveness

Dear Lord, if my soul has turned perversely to the

dark;

if I have left some brother wounded by the way;

if I have preferred my aims to thine;

if I have been inpatient and would not wait;

if I have marred the pattern drawn out for my life;

if I have cost tears to those I love;

if my heart has murmured against thy will:

O Lord, in thy mercy forgive.

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For penitence

Most merciful God, Father of our Lord Jesus

Christ, we confess that we have sinned in thought,

word and deed. We have not loved you with our

whole heart. We have not loved our neighbours as

ourselves. In your mercy forgive what we have

been, help us to amend what we are, and direct

what we shall be: that we may do justly, love

mercy, and walk humbly with you, our God.

Amen.

For Renewal

Almighty God, who in Christ makest all things

new; transform the poverty of our nature into the

riches of thy grace; that by the renewal of our lives

thy glory may be revealed; through Jesus Christ

our Lord. Amen.

For Faith

O Lord, strengthen the faith of us who believe,

and sow the seed of faith in the heart of those who

lack it. Give us grace to show our faith by our

works; reach us to fight the good fight of faith,

that by faith we may overcome the world; thorugh

our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Grace

O God our father, let us find grace in thy sight so

as to have grace to serve thee acceptably with

reverence and godly fear; and further grace not to

receive thy grace in vain, nor to neglect it and fall

from it, but to stir it up and grow in it, and to

persevere in it unto the end of our lives; through

Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Morning Prayers:

We give you heartfelt thanks, heavenly Father,

for the rest of the past night, and for the gift of the

new day with its opportunities of living to your

glory, May we so pass its hours in the perfect

freedom of your service that, when evening

comes, we may again give you thanks; through

Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Orthodox Church

Evening Prayer:

Abide with us Lord, for it is toward evening and

the day is far spent; abide with us and with your

whole Church. Abide with us in the evening of the

day, in the evening of life, in the evening of the

world. Abide with us and with all your faithful

ones, O Lord, in time and eternity. Amen.

Lutheran

Manuel Prayer

A Prayer before sleeping:

Into thy hands, O Lord, we commend our souls

and bodies, beseeching thee to keep us this night

under thy protection, and strengthen us for thy

service on the morrow, for Christ’ sake. Amen.

William Laud

10

Liturgy and Scripture in the

Mar Thoma Church: An

Observation Revd K. Jameson, Co. Kildare, Ireland*

Even though, the geographical and

cultural landscape of the MTC widens consistently

through the migration and evangelisation process,

the Eucharistic liturgy is the centre of its liturgical

life and mission. The Church communicates its

theology and proclaims its faith through the

liturgy, especially by liturgical prayers, preaching,

teaching, singing, using signs and symbols. The

liturgical celebration binds the Mar Thoma

community together irrespective of its ethnic

plurality and cultural differences and it motivates

the Church to discover new avenues for mission.

An awareness of the uniqueness of the liturgy

encourages the faithful to participate in it actively.

An integration of liturgy and Scripture in the life

and mission of the Church mark it as a bridging

Church in between the Orthodox and Protestant

traditions. This article is an observation of the

importance of Scripture in the Mar Thoma

Church in the background of its liturgy.

Scripture in the Liturgical Settings

The proclamation of the Word of God and the

administration of the sacraments are the

foundations of the Christian Church. The Bible

and liturgy are intrinsically related to each other

and both are mutually complementary. A liturgy

is a Patristic synthesis on the basis of the sacred

scriptures and tradition For a thorough

understanding of the liturgy, it is essential to

know the biblical world, sacred history, historical

context, content of the books, the metaphors and

symbols of the biblical world and the biblical

ethics. In the liturgy, the symbolic importance of

Scripture is very evident. For instance, when the

celebrant reads the Gospel in the liturgical

celebration, it is believed that the person of Jesus

himself speaks through the celebrant. It is the

revelation of Jesus as Christ that makes Scripture

the inspiring and empowering source of Christian

life. The Bible inspires the content of the texts of

the liturgy and the meaning of its symbolic

actions.

Scripture has influenced the formation of

the liturgy. It is noted that the Jewish liturgy is

the womb from which the Christian liturgy is

born. The original setting of Scripture was in the

liturgy, the ritual worship of the community. It is

on the basis of the Old Testament that Christian

liturgy is derived initially. The place in which

Israel most directly experienced and received its

identity was in the liturgical setting. Later, by

following the tradition of worships at synagogues,

the Christian Church began to read out Scripture

portions in the midst of the liturgical gatherings.

Most of the early Christian believers were from

the Jewish background. They went to the Jewish

temple or to the Synagogue in order to pray and

hear the word of God spoken through the law and

the prophets. (Acts. 3:1-2). They gathered in the

house to break the bread (Acts. 2:46-47).

Gradually they gathered together in the Christian

Church for the ministry of the Word and the

administration of the sacraments. In the early

Christian communities, faith was transmitted

through liturgy. By a thorough examination, one

can understand that Scripture itself is a liturgy or

creedal statements of the people of God.

The reading of Scripture takes up a

significant part of the worship. It is surrounded

with a certain reverence and ceremony. It shapes

the language of prayer. The reading and

interpretation of Scripture form a part of the

ongoing conversation between the worshipping

community and God. The Church considers the

Bible as a sacramental word. The Bible is the word

of God in a sacramental sense, uniting the faithful

to Christ, the one true Word of God. It brings

Christ to believers. As a sacramental word, “it

draws the faithful into Christ’s presence and

invites them to be transformed into his image. It

opens the possibility of relationship between the

divine and the human.”1 The New Testament is

born in the Church and for the Church and

tradition bears from the very beginning the seal of

the Church. It is in the Church that Scripture and

1 Leanne Van Dyk, “Proclamation: Revelation, Christology”,

in A More Profound Alleluia, 65-66

11

tradition appear and are contained. Thus

Scripture, tradition and the Church are linked

through an inner relationship, a harmonious co-

existence, a mutual supplementation and

agreement.

Malankara Reformation: A Re-reading of

Scripture

The reformation in the Malankara Church

had decisively helped the Church to reconstitute

its identity more symbolically and seriously based

on revisiting the biblical teachings. The

reformation in the Malankara Church had several

elements of the protestant reformation that

happened in the 16th century in Europe by Martin

Luther. The Protestant reformation initiated a

renewed interest in the understanding and

hermeneutical aspect of Scripture. The slogan

“Scripture alone” had a great impact on the

doctrinal position of the reforming process. This

changed approach and new initiative in the study

of the word of God and its consequent practices

were more epistemological and ontological,

raising more ‘why’ and ‘what’ questions in the

micro and macro social structures and practices.

Moreover, the members of the Mar Thoma

Church being formed and re-formed within this

changed space have had a deeper conviction of

their calling and vocation which also helped the

growth of the Church along with their own growth

in the diaspora.2 Because of reformation, a new

trend emerged in the theological thinking of the

reformed wing about their doctrines, spiritual

practices and mission. A recovery of the Lutheran

maxim of the “priesthood of all believers” and the

reclamation of the Christian vocation as the task

of the whole Church, signalled a realignment of

the nature of ministry and mission. The ministry

was no longer solely equated with the activities of

the clergy, but rather became something exercised

by the whole people of God, in the Church and the

world. Instead of clerical paradigm (something

oriented towards ordained ministry), theological

literacy among the whole people of God is

emphasized.

Integration of Scripture and the Liturgy in

the Mar Thoma Church

The liturgy of the Mar Thoma Church is a

combination of Scripture and tradition. The

liturgy of the word and the liturgy of the Eucharist

are inseparably united. The Bible illuminates the

2 Geevarghese, Beyond the Diaspora, 58, 62.

mystery of the Eucharist, just as the Eucharist is

what actualizes and fulfils the saving truth of

Scripture. The translation of the Bible into

Malayalam and its availability to the common

people made a revival in the Malankara Church.

Openness of the CMS missionaries in interpreting

the Bible and its exposition led to a renewed

understanding of the Church and its mission. The

pioneers of reformation reviewed the faith and

practice of the Malankara Church in the light of a

renewed understanding of Scripture.

The Church maintains an intrinsic

relationship and unity between the liturgy and

Scripture in its spiritual life. It is the word of God

that gives authority for any sacrament; therefore,

in the Church, readings from Scripture are done

with great devotion and solemnity. The Psalms,

Pauline Epistles, and gospel are read and the

congregation is asked to listen to the

proclamation of the living word of God with

reverence. The Church keeps a balance between

Scripture and tradition in its very life and

ministry. The liturgical tradition of the Church as

per the scriptural interpretation is a unique

character of the Church. The Church gratefully

remembers the contributions of the Syrian

Church Fathers and values their liturgical

contributions to the spiritual growth of the

community. The Church always gives importance

to the teachings of the Church Fathers like

Aphrem, Mar Bala and uses their prayers and

petitions in its liturgical worship. The early

Eastern Fathers who composed the prayers of the

liturgy were soaked in Scripture. And the

congregation, both literate and illiterate, listened

to these meditations year after year throughout

the liturgical cycle and in repeated prayers. The

words of the Bible became engrafted in the

consciousness of the ordinary believer more than

any formal teaching. Here chants and liturgical

hymns play a major role. Through the liturgical

songs believers memorize scriptural truth and

handed it over to the subsequent generations.

There is a liturgical conditioning that happens in

worship. This liturgical conditioning of the mind

helps the Bible achieve a more profound

effectiveness so as to touch deeper levels of

consciousness in the believers.

The Bible is the base of the liturgy of the

Church and the liturgy is redolent with biblical

passages. Hence one can say that the liturgy

reiterates Scripture. Without Scripture, liturgy is

nothing or in a vacuum. The Bible is an

12

indispensable source of the language of the

liturgy, of its signs, and of its prayers, especially in

the psalms. The liturgy is of crucial importance

because it touches upon the source and

sustenance of Christian belief. The liturgy is,

however, the mirror of the faith that the

individual holds in the community. It transcends

the limits of space and time not in an ahistorical

and disembodied sense, but in the faith of this

person, and this community remains in

communion with the Church as a whole.

Prayerful preparation and an active participation

are essential for the effectiveness of liturgical

celebration. One could understand the spiritual

richness in worship only by full and repeated

participation along with a community nurtured in

the same liturgical tradition. No true liturgy can

be performed with words alone, for words are

only one of the elements in liturgical worship.

The gestures of the priest and the laity, Kiss of

Peace, bowing of the heads, signing of the cross,

and reverence paid to the Eucharistic elements

etc., are part of the rich liturgical act of the

worship in the Mar Thoma community which is

rooted in the biblical teachings.

Conclusion

The Mar Thoma liturgy is Scripture

oriented. An emphasis on scripture is clearly

evident in the Mar Thoma liturgy. The main

thrust of reformation in the Church was an

amendment or correction of the liturgy on the

basis of Scripture. The Mar Thoma liturgy is built

on the foundation of Scripture. Biblical imagery,

Biblical echoes, allusions and parallelisms,

paraphrase of Biblical passages, woven into the

text abound in the prayers of the liturgy and thus

the original flavour of revelation as expressed in

the Bible is preserved intact.3 The Bible, which is

the basis for the formation of the liturgy,

subsequently also becomes the parameter for the

renewal of the liturgy in the Church. The Bible

and the liturgy equip and motivate the faithful to

participate in the mission of the Church.

Bibliography

Paul F. Bradshaw and Maxwell E. Johnson. The

Eucharistic Liturgies: Their Evolution and

Interpretation. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 2012.

3 Geevarghese Panicker and John Vellian, A Historical

Introduction to the Syriac Liturgy (Kottayam: SEERI, 2010), 33.

Damien Casey. “Liturgy Matters: Liturgy and

Scripture as the Mirrors of Catholicity,”

Australian e Journal of Theology 4, February

2005.

George Mathew Kuttiyil. Liturgy for our Times.

Kerala: Christava Sahitya Samithi, 2006.

Stephen Conway, Living the Eucharist: Affirming

Catholism and the Liturgy. London: Darton,

Longman and Todd, 2001.

Leanne Van Dyk. ed. A More Profound Alleluia:

Theology and Worship in Harmony. Grand

Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans, 2005.

P.J. Alexander. ed. Tradition and Modernity.

Thiruvalla: Mar Thoma Syrian Church, 2000.

Geevarghese Panicker and John Vellian. A

Historical Introduction to the Syriac Liturgy

Kottayam: SEERI, 2010.

*Revd Jameson is currently completing

his PhD studies at St. Patrick’s college,

Ireland in the field of ‘Liturgical

Theology.’ Achen has been in Ireland

since 2010; he completed his MTh studies

in 2012.

13

‘Lex orandi, lex credenti’ (Prayer Leads to Belief.) Dr. Zac Varghese, Sinai MTC, London

Prayer is fundamental

to all religions.

Religion articulates

itself through a set of

commandments, laws

or doctrines; these will

become beliefs, but it is

prayer that leads to

these beliefs. Followers

of religions try to express their beliefs based on

their sacred scriptures, sacraments and the

traditions of their communities. Stanley Jones in

his book, ‘The way’ quotes Deissman to say, “All

the religions of the world begin with man’s

initiative–man searching for God. In Christianity

God takes the initiative.” In Christianity, we

believe in God’s redeeming unconditional love

and His amazing grace. Man’s initiative in this

respect is thanking God through prayer for the

redemptive action on the Cross. As we will see

later, this man’s initiative itself is a gift from God.

Primal religions in the early years of the life on

the earth were based on, spontaneous responses

of our ancestors to their environment, which were

linked with their security and survival. They

believed in the protection provided by an unseen

power or powers, which they assumed to be god

or gods. They developed the ideas of good

beneficial gods and of evil demonic gods. They

thanked good gods through prayers and offerings

of all kinds including human sacrifice. Therefore,

whatever was helpful to humans was that good

gods desired and provided; whatever was harmful

was divinely forbidden. This is how God

consciousness began and prayer became an

integral part of this development and human

nature. This continues to be a way of making use

of God for personal benefits and self-centred

interests without a concern for the common good

of the community. Someone once said, ‘as long as

there are math examinations, there will be prayer

in schools.’ This very true in all aspects of our

lives, we turn to God in prayer only when we have

a personal need. Our love for God mostly is a

‘need-love’ because we need Him for overcoming

difficulties in life.

It is worth listening to the French Benedictine

monk, who became an Indian Sannyasi, on how to

pray: “No one can truly be a Christian, if he makes

use of God or things of God–for example, the

Church–for any kind of selfish object either in this

world or the next. A Christian is the one who loves

God for His own sake and for his fellow Christians

for their own sake–or else, for God’s sake which is

the same thing–and never make use of them for

his own personal interests. Even when he prays

for himself, his prayer is always, like that of Jesus,

for the glory of the Lord–that glory of which he

himself, in all that he is and in all that he does, is

only a manifestation in time, yet within the

fullness of risen Christ.

Anyone whose self-centred prayer sought to

appropriate the gift of God for his own benefit

cannot be a Christian; for a Christian is one who

would in this world manifests the only son of God

in a human body and spirit. Petition in the name

of Jesus which is so warmly recommended to the

disciples and which should be like the continual

breathing of faithful hearts, reaches infinitely

further than the petty individuality of the one who

prays or of the one who is prayed

for………………………………No one can pray except

in the spirit, in the mystery of divine koinonia.”1

No person becomes irreligious by raising a

question, even about what may be considered as

the key principle of religion. Therefore, it is time

that we ask questions about our prayer life and

the theology of prayer. Prayer is not to get God to

do what we want Him to do for our individualistic

interest and convenience, but is getting our

interests and needs in line with God’s purpose.

Jesus taught us, ‘Thy will be done on earth as it is

in heaven.’ If we carefully listen to most of our

extempore prayers, we are often preaching to God

and reminding him of His promises as if He has a

memory loss. We often think that we know how to

pray, but there is so much to learn about prayer.

It is important to learn about prayer because

prayer is life itself. It is said that when we learn to

pray, we learn to live according to God’s purpose

for us. Prayer is for bringing the whole of life,

every aspect of life, into the presence of God for

transformation. Prayer is the only way open to us

for establishing and sustaining a relationship with

God which is intimate, personal, and real. St. Paul

asked us to pray continuously and thank God

under all circumstances.

14

Unfortunately, prayer in public or during

corporate worship does not come naturally or

easily to most of us and as a result when a priest

invites us to pray after his sermon, it is usually left

to just few regular people and who often have an

habit of repeating the sermon and highlighting

the points as if God was somehow not listening.

Therefore, we need advice and assistance if we are

going to pray effectively in public and in private.

Even the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how

to pray. Jesus most importantly taught them how

not to pray as well (Matt 6: 5-13). I have often

thought that the theology of the prayer is not

sufficiently emphasised in our Church. The early

Church was first and foremost a praying

community. Prayer was the spiritual energy

behind the entire apostolic mission. There is

nothing wrong in using the prayers of saints and

other well-meaning prayers used by our ancestors

and others because we do believe in the

communion of saints.

St. Augustine did leave a wealth of insights on

prayer through his treaties and letters. Augustine

held the view that without faith, one could not

pray. For Augustine, “The very source of all good

things, is given to him in prayer, it is faith that

prays, a faith given to him without asking, which

indeed unless it had been given, he could not

pray.” Augustine argues that faith and prayer are

gifts of God. He has good authority in presenting

this theology of prayer because St. Paul wrote to

Romans, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in

our weakness. We do not know what we ought to

pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us

with groans that words cannot express” (Romans

8: 26).

Sometimes there is a spiritual arrogance in

thinking that God knows our needs even before

we ask and hence there is no need to pray. There

is no enemy to prayer like pride; spiritual pride is

the death of prayer. Prayer is an expression of

humility and our utter dependence on God. We

will be what we will be through the grace of God;

grace is not a repayment, nor is it given according

to one’s merit through good work. Prayer points

to the human need for divine grace. Grace is what

St. Paul preached throughout his ministry: “For it

is by grace you have been saved, through faith-

and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-

not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are

God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do

good works, which God prepared in advance for

us to do” (Ephesians 2: 8-10).

Prayer is also a time for listening to God; it is in

our inner silence we listen to God. If we want to

understand silence in action we must look at the

Lord of the Gospels. In Jesus we see a perfect

balance between inner silence and outer activity;

in Jesus we see ‘silence in activity and activity in

silence.’ It is to this balance and this permeation

of one with the other that we aspire and to the

gaining to which our lives should be directed. This

alternation between activity and the silence is set

in motion in all physical and metaphysical

dimensions such as day and night, wave motions

of peak and trough, high tide and low tide, sleep

and wake cycles, seasonal changes and setting up

of circadian rhythm. Thus, silence is at the centre

of our existence. In this amazing world of silence,

movement is not directly from one person to

another outwardly, but from the silence in one

person to the silence in the other. It is in silence

we feel the grace and power of the indwelling

Christ. It was this awareness which prompted the

Psalmist to say,” Be still, and know that I am

God.” Silence should always be regarded as one

of the blessings of a Christian lifestyle, for it

prepares the way for the union of the soul with the

will of God.

The tabernacle worship described at length in

great detail in the Old Testament (Exodus and

Leviticus) was very restricting, prescriptive and

legalistic. God was not pleased with vicarious

sacrifices which had become no more than trite,

hypocritical ritual, as was spelt out in Amos (5:

21-23). Today, thanks to the ultimate sacrifice of

Jesus, we are able to worship God and enter His

presence whenever we want to through our

prayers; the curtain in the Temple is torn from

top to bottom. Prayer has the power to make

‘justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a

never-failing stream” (Amos 5: 24). In the April

15

this year, Laurence Freeman wrote the following

in the ‘Meditatio Newsletter’ about silent

conversation with God: “For the contemplative

Christian prayer is not, essentially, speaking to

God. It is about entering into a silent conversation

with God through the mind of Christ. It is not

about opposing our will to God’s or negotiating a

settlement over our differences of opinion about

what is good for us. It is about an active, whole-

hearted surrender to the will of God who knows

our needs with an intimate and unique love

because he is part of our humanity, sharing will

all wounded-ness and complexity.”

In summary, praying without believing and

believing without praying are meaningless. Faith

leads to prayer and prayer leads to faith, and faith

is grace. Prayer is the place and time where we

experience the overlap between heaven and earth;

it is indeed the place where past, present and

future are mysteriously held together under the

mediation of the Holy Spirit.

Reference:

1. Abhishiktananda, ‘In Spirit and Truth’, ISPCK,

1989.

An Overview of Bible Study

Classes of Maramon

Convention, 2016. Dr. Ninan D. Kurunthotikal, Tabore MTC,

Manchester*

[For the last 121 years our people have been

listening to many world famous theologians,

missionaries, our bishops, and evangelists at

Maramon Convention. As a result, our people are

familiar with biblical stories. Every year some

familiar and new interpretations are offered to

these familiar stories and parables in the Bible.

But we often forget these expositions as we leave

the convention venue as the waters of the Pampa

river flows away to the sea. Attending the

convention has become a ritual as well.

Therefore, it is refreshing to see the efforts of Dr.

Ninan; he has given us a brief sketch of the Bible

study of the 121st Maramon Convention for us to

reflect; we are grateful to him for making this

available to us for publication. The following

synopses of six Bible studies give us a taste of the

big overarching story of God’s relationship with

humanity and the created world. These stress

the importance of prayer and studying the Bible

in depth for walking with God. It begins with the

creation story and ends up with Paul’s letters.

This should help us to internalise these stories

and make it our own and in our own contexts.]

Revd Dr. Leonard Sweet, an eminent theologian

and evangelist, was the main speaker at the 121st

Maramon Convention, organised by the

Evangelistic Association of the Mar Thoma

Church. He has been associated with ‘The Stanley

Jones Foundation’ for quite some time. Dr.

Stanley Jones, as we all know, was a very close

friend of our Church and was arguably one of the

greatest evangelists and missionaries of all times.

His great legacy lives through the work of the

Foundation named after him. It is gratifying to

note that Dr. Stanley Jones’ granddaughter, Dr.

Anne Mathew- Younes, was also present at the

Convention this year.

16

At this year’s Maramon Convention, Dr. Sweet

took the Bible classes from Monday the 15th

February to Saturday 20th February from 7.30 am

to 8.30 am. This author had the unique

opportunity to attend these classes. Dr. Sweet’s

words were splendidly translated by Revd VM

Mathew, a rising star in the ranks of the Mar

Thoma clergy.

15-2-16: Revd Dr. Sweet opened his account by

saying that for too long, we have treated the Bible

as a bird in the pan, but the Bible is a live bird, he

exhorted. It is the greatest story ever told. He said

that we have always tried to memorise verses

rather than trying to grasp the meaning. He

compared the bird in the pan to the bird in the

bush and went on to say that from Genesis to

Revelation, the Bible is a living word of God, the

most inspired, authoritative word of God.

The story of Jesus starts in Genesis. Revd Sweet

directed us to Genesis Chapter 2 verse 4. He

asked: What is the first metaphor shown by God?

We have to get the metaphors right. Words come

last, metaphors first. He went on to describe the

metaphors:

1. The metaphor of dirt, dust and earth.

2. Water, we are clumps of clay, God raised Adam

from the ground.

3. Breath of God (wind).

We come from clay and we return to dust. Each

one of us is an ‘original’ creation. How do we keep

the clay moist? Dr. Sweet mentioned ‘hard-soul’

Christians. We do not go the kiln until our death.

What is the moisture that we are talking about?

The biggest moisture is prayer and Bible study.

Fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit is the ultimate

moisture of all.

Dr. Sweet concluded the first morning’s Bible

class by saying that we should read the Bible as

one story. The first and the last words of the Bible

are important. The book of Genesis tells us to ‘eat

freely.’ In revelation, God says: “Drink freely the

water of life.”

16-2-16: Revd Sweet continued his deliverance

on the theme of the story of the Bible in six words:

Come down – Justification

Come out – Sanctification

Go up– Glorification

God came down all the way to meet us. Revd

Sweet said that the Gospel in short the story of

dirt and water. He recalled how Jesus touched the

lepers. Pointing to Genesis Chapter 2, verse 8, he

reiterated the story of the Bible beginning in a

garden. God puts us in a garden. God likes trees.

We have a symbiotic relationship with trees. The

Bible describes two trees–the tree of life and the

tree of knowledge. Dr. Sweet said that God wants

us to participate in His creativity (Genesis 2: 15-

17). God wants us conserve His creativity and to

continue His work. He added that we are only

subcontractors to the Almighty. God said–eat

freely of the tress except one. The first words of

God are ‘yes’, ‘yes’. Genesis is God’s ‘yes.’ Dr.

Stanley Jones once said that Jesus is God’s big

‘yes’. God believed that Adam needs to be in a

relationship (Gen 2: 20). Man gave names to

animals and birds.

Revd Sweet concluded the Tuesday study session

by referring to crucifixion. Jesus died due to a

broken heart, exuding blood and water. At That

moment the Church was conceived.

17-2-16: Revd Sweet started Wednesday session

by referring to the following back to basic points:

1. Return to the Scripture

2. Reading the Bible in the local vernacular

3. Rediscovering Jesus

For returning to the Bible, William Tyndale was

strangled to death and burned for translating the

Bible into English the Bible proved beyond any

shadow of doubt that Jesus was the greatest

communicator ever lived.

Revd sweet touched on the stories around

metaphors. (A metaphor is a comparison made

between two or more things using figurative or

descriptive language–God is my shepherd, I am

the light of the world etc. Metaphors serve to

make difficult to understand ideas or concepts

more tangible.) He mentioned the Greek word

‘Alethea’ which means Truth. Christianity is about

Truth. He also stated that Truth is a person. Dr.

Sweet referred to ‘Alethea’ again as coming out of

hiding. God has put us in the garden, expecting us

to tender and till it. He wants us to walk the

garden at dawn and desk with Him. The speaker

reminded us that we are hiding from God, from

ourselves and from each other. We have a broken

relationship with God, and with Nature. This is

the original sin. To come out of hiding is

evangelism. We are hiding and God is seeking us.

God steps in with His son, Emmanuel.

17

Revd Sweet brought the class to a close by

mentioning two Hebrew words: ‘Yahve’ standing

for ‘Jehovah’ and ‘Hineni’ meaning ‘Here I am.’

18-2-16: Revd Sweet stated that true originality

is a return to the origins. He described Jesus as

the last Adam (1 Cor 15: 45).

Revd Sweet then asked, what is the symbol of our

faith? The answer is ‘The Cross.’ Jesus became

one of us; he was both the lion and the lamb – a

state of paradox. Dr. Sweet then touched on the

story of the Passover. He asked, “Are our houses,

place of prayers? Do you love your lamb? Agape–

Jesus asked Peter, ‘Do you love the lamb?” Palm

Sunday denotes the fullness of the lamb; the

Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the

world. Jesus was crucified at 9 am and he died at

3 pm. Passover was over when the paschal lamb is

slain. ‘It is finished’ and Jesus became blood and

bread.

19-2-16: Revd Sweet started Friday morning

study with reference to St. Paul. He went on to

describe ‘semiotics’; the word ‘semiotic’ has come

from the Greek equivalent of ‘semeion’, which

means sign.

Jesus wants us to read the signs of the times.

Revd Sweet even referred to ‘Semiotic tribe.’ The

speaker mentioned Philippians Chapter 4 as

prison literature. Rejoice in the Lord always. The

Lord is near. “The peace of God that passes all

understanding will guard our hearts and minds in

Christ Jesus.” He put particular emphasis on

Verse 6 – “Do not be anxious about anything, but

in everything, by prayer and petition, with

thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” This

is to achieve peace (shalom). Revd Sweet analysed

this verse in some detail and mentioned six

cardinal points: Anxious, nothing, be prayerful,

everything, be thankful and anything.

We should become a Lord’s Prayer. There is a

Jewish saying – ‘An hour of study is an hour of

prayer.’ ‘To sing is to pray twice,’ goes another

Jewish saying. Revd Sweet also talked about

confidence and humility– what he described as

humble confidence, the essence of the right Spirit.

At the end of this session, one brother from the

audience stood up and narrated his testimony. He

said that he was a very pushy, and over confident,

high flying executive in an IT company. He was

brought down to earth by the sudden loss of

vision in both eyes. He said in a calm voice how he

had come to terms with his condition and how

strongly he upholds his faith. Let us praise the

Lord for His faith.

20-2-16: Revd Sweet reminded us that the story

of Jesus begins in the book of Genesis. Then he

returned to St. Paul and 2nd Corinthians, Chapter

11. Verses 19 and 22 are dripping with sarcasm.

The sufferings that Paul endured are graphically

detailed in verses 23 to 26. Wherever Paul went,

there was either revival or riot. Paul was tortured

and his body was full of scars and broken bones.

Every scar had a story to tell. Jews had stoning as

their capital punishment. Acts 14 verse 19

narrates Paul’s stoning. His body was dragged

along and left for dead. But God brought Paul to

life.

Revd Sweet concluded the session and this year’s

Bible study with a question– Was Paul the 13th

disciple of Christ? Revd Dr. Sweet thought that

he was and it was his personal opinion

.

Reflections: Maramon Convention is generally

characterised by the big gatherings on the public

meeting held in mornings, afternoons and

evenings, addressed by our beloved Thirumenis

and International speakers of repute. But on the

fringes of the pavilion, many blessed and glorious

events take place.

The Bible study classes lasting around one hour

from 7.30 am to 8.30 am, Monday to Saturday

open our eyes to the story of the Bible, a story that

has still not been completely explored or told.

Human beings, as we are, can only make an effort

to understand the truth– the truth that passes all

understandings.

The president of the Evangelistic Association, Rt.

Revd Thomas Mar Timotheos presided over all

sessions of the Bible study. Other bishops, Rt.

Revd Dr. Geevarghese Mar Theodosius, Rt. Revd

Joseph Mar Barnabas, and Rt. Revd Dr. Isaac Mar

Philoxenos attended some sessions and blessed

the attendees and praise the Lord.

* Dr. Ninan is a member of the Tabore Mar

Thoma Church, Manchester, and is a retired

GP. He was one of the conveners of the 2014

Family Conference.

18

News

Creative partnership with

the Sinai Mar Thoma Church

of North London

The Bishop of Willesden, Pete Broadbent, has

signed an agreement with the Right Revd Dr

Geevarghese Mar Theodosius, Bishop of the

Diocese of North America and Europe in the Mar

Thoma Church, to work in a creative partnership

with the Sinai Mar Thoma church of North

London.

The Mar Thoma Church is a Syrian Christian

church headquartered the state of Kerala, India,

with followers across the globe. Traditionally

believed to have been founded by Saint Thomas

(Mar Thoma), in the year AD52, the church is one

of the oldest denominations of Christianity.

The clergy of All Saints Harrow Weald, James

Mercer and Peter Ward and the Revd Dr Thomas

Philips of the Mar Thoma Church attended the

signing. As part of the partnership, the churches

have already held joint acts of worship and

continue to explore opportunities for shared

outreach and collaboration in mission action

planning.

Bishop Pete said “We are already in full

communion with the Mar Thoma Church, but it’s

great to cement that relationship with them and

for one of our parishes to commit themselves to

work hard on even closer relationships. Thanks

to the people of All Saints’ Harrow Weald for

taking this seriously.”

The Revd James Mercer, Vicar of All Saints’,

Harrow Weald, commented “It is a real blessing

for us at All Saints’ to be able to work and pray

with such a creative and committed fellowship.

Our shared acts of worship have been very

exciting and colourful and the post-service

curries are to die for!”

The Revd Dr Thomas Philip, Vicar of Sinai Mar

Thoma church, commented “We welcome the

opportunity that our new partnership with All

Saints’ offers to build friendship and trust across

ethnic communities. We look forward to

exploring what it will mean for us to be a

recognised parish within the Diocese of London

and sharing in the adventure of mission.”

All Saints’ work is a key example of the Diocese of

London’s Capital Vision 2020 of serving local

communities in a way that is ‘confident,

compassionate and creative’. The innovative

community work of the church was praised by the

thinktank Res Publication in its report Holistic

Mission: Social action and the Church of England

in 2013.

The church is currently undertaking a major

reordering of its iconic Butterfield church

building (the All Saints’ Serving Harrow or ‘ASSH’

project). Fundraising has begun to enable the

church to install a biofuel boiler and underfloor

heating and to replace the 1950’s vestry block,

which has reached the end of its usable life, with

additional community accessible space and an

outdoor classroom to serve the on-site Forest

School. The project also seeks to enhance the

church’s built heritage and includes measures to

lessen the carbon footprint of the church campus,

in line with the diocesan Shrinking the Footprint

environmental campaign.

This article and picture was published in the

newsletter of All Saints’ church and also in the

CTE newsletter for May, 2016.

19

34th Mar Thoma Family

conference-Europe 26th-28th August 2016

Hayes Conference Centre, Derbyshire,

DE55 1AU

‘Preserving the Timeless While Adapting

to the Times.’

Lord, may your wonderful message of

salvation be fresh for us today and for

everyone in every age. Amen.

The Sinai, MT Church, North London together

with All Saints MT Church Peterborough have

accepted the responsibility to host the 34th family

Mar Thoma family conference.

Early registration will help to organise this

conference to bring out the maximum possible

effect and enjoyment. Please help with your

prayers and advice. Please direct your registration

queries to Mr. Dileep Cherian

mfc2016_ registration@sinaimarthoma.org

Web site: http://www.sinaimarthomachurch.org

A reflection on the Theme:

Under the theme of the conference we will be

exploring the timeless truth, our Mar Thoma faith

formulations, and the challenges facing Mar

Thoma Diaspora Christians in pluralist societies,

in various post-modern life situations, and

continuing the reformation under the guidance of

the Holy Spirit.

Imagine that you are about to read a letter with

the full text of the 800 year old Magna Carta,

which has already changed the world – and is now

addressed to you directly! How do you make it

fresh for you today? Jesus reduced the Ten

Commandments all the laws of Moses, regulations

of the Sabbath and other stipulations into two of

loving God and our neighbour. How do we deal

with it today?

The Christian faith is timeless, God-given and

grace-driven, but its intellectual expressions must

change with the passage of time because our

thoughts forms change. The presuppositions and

suppositions of one age are different from those of

another. The practical aspect of Christian life is

not the same as that which was proposed and

practiced at the ‘Pentecost’, a thousand years ago,

even before the Second World War or at the

beginning of the 21st century. Care must be taken

to acculturate the essential Christian faith into the

language and thought forms of our present age

and younger generations without in anyway losing

its core beliefs and fundamental faith these

contain. In this effort, equally great care must be

taken not to dilute the Christian faith with the

passing fashions of a particular age, so that the

cutting edge the Christian faith is not lost. Is

something true because it is ancient and

traditional? Without doubt, great truths were

enunciated in the Bible, other Holy Scriptures,

and in ancient times in many places through

many holy people and traditions. But of course

great truths can also be revealed under the grace

of God now and in the future.

May the Holy Spirit help us to ‘Preserve the

Timeless While Adapting to the Times.’

20

Speakers-Family Conference

OUR DIOCESAN BISHOP

The Rt. Revd Dr. Isaac Mar Philoxenos, our

Diocesan Bishop, has been bishop since October

1993. Thirumeni served as Diocesan Bishop at

Bombay-Delhi Diocese (1993-2001), Kottayam-

Kochi Diocese (2001-2008) and Chennai-

Bangalore Diocese (2009 - 2016). Please see the

previous article on the bishop.

LORD LESLIE GRIFFITHS

Lord Leslie Griffiths, Baron Griffiths of Burry

Port, (born 15 February 1942) is a Methodist

minister and life peer in the House of Lords,

where he sits with the Labour Party. Griffiths

became a local preacher in the Methodist Church

of Great Britain in 1963. He completed a Master

of Arts in Theology at Fitzwilliam College,

Cambridge in 1969, while training for the ministry

at Wesley House. He spent most of the 1970s

serving the Methodist Church of Haiti, where he

was ordained, before returning to Britain to serve

in ministries in Essex and Golders Green. In 1987

Griffiths completed a PhD from the School of

Oriental and African Studies, University of

London. He served as President of the Methodist

Conference from 1994 to 1995. Since 1996 he has

been Superintendent Minister at Wesley’s Chapel,

London

ROD AND RUTHIE GILBERT

Rod and Ruthie Gilbert or Steve & Christie

Rod and Ruthie Gilbert have a wealth of

experiences and adventures in mission for over 30

years. In 1995 they established Scripture Union

Family Life Centre- Cornerstone House, at

Mahabalipuram, South India, and the Avalanche

Adventure Camp Centre. They brought up their 5

children in India, now ranging in age from 32 to

16. They have four lively grandchildren.

Rod was Principal of Hebron School, Ooty, India,

and latterly Trinity College in Sri Lanka. Ruthie is

a qualified counsellor and together they worked

with Bethany Ministries, Hong Kong, as the

Pastoral Couple for Mission Life Coaching

REV DR JOHN PERUMBALATH

Rev Dr. John Perumbalath has been appointed as

the first Archdeacon of Barking, Covering,

Havering, and Dagenham. He also has been Vicar

of All Saints’ Church, Perry Street, Northfleet,

21

Gravesend, and the Diocese of Rochester's Urban

Officer. He comes from the ancient Syrian

Christian community in Kerala, South India, but

was ordained in the Church of North India (CNI)

after training at Union Biblical Seminary, Pune.

He began his career as a lecturer but then left

university teaching to take up the post of Vicar of

St James' Church, Calcutta. He served on the

General Synod and various commissions of CNI

before he moved to the UK in 2001. He is

currently, a tutor for the College of Preachers and

a trustee of USPG. His PhD dissertation was in

the field of biblical interpretation. He is married

to Jessy and they have one teenage daughter.

GARY GRANT

The Entertainer's Gary Grant: the

Christian Toyshop Entrepreneur

Gary Grant is a very busy and a successful

business person (his company, ‘The Entertainer’,

is the biggest independent toy retailer in the UK) .

What is more, The Entertainer’s growth

was achieved without trading on Sunday –

now the busiest day of the week on some

high streets – in line with Grant’s Christian

ethics. His story is interesting as he started with

just £1000.00 in 1981, grew rich and found life

did not match up to the wealth he possessed and

then became a Christian with strict principles.

Very Revd V. T. John, Vicar of the Sinai

MTC

Visiting those in prison Roy Abraham, Sinai MTC, London

“Sometimes our light goes out, but is blown

again into instant flame by an encounter with

another human being.” ― Albert Schweitzer

It's hard to imagine how visiting a prison could be

an uplifting experience apart from it being a very

personal one. It was while reading Nelson

Mandela’s book ‘The Long Walk to Freedom’ that

brought the basic cells on Robben Island alive and

managed to deliver just that - a very personal

experience. For it was in this sparse environment

that Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for 18 of

the 27 years of his detention. To emerge from

such confinement almost three decades later and

lead South Africa to its proudly multicultural

modern state is testament to the power and drive

of both the man and the human spirit.

A day on the inside

Having joined this new parish just over 3 years

ago, I was very keen that we establish a new way

of engagement with a community who are

normally forgotten behind bars in prison. My first

encounter of visiting a prison was in 1995 after I

was elected as a Councillor and being given an

official guided tour. People that are incarcerated,

regardless of the circumstance, are typically

lonely and hopefully searching for a meaning in

their lives. I had no interaction with any prisoner

during the visit, however it left a clear impression

on my mind as to the meaning of being in prison

and those of us on the outside being imprisoned

in one’s mind by virtue of our limitations. Moving

around the prison grounds in "lockdown" mode

made me think about my own freedom and the

strict detention in which the prisoners live. We

had entered a world with its own culture and

rules, where order and chaos, fear and beauty,

22

kindness and brutality, can exist all in the same

moment.

Visit by the Sinai Mission

"Come to me you who are blessed by my father,

take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for

you since the creation of the world. For... I was in

prison and you came to visit me"(Matthew 25:34,

36).

As a member of the Mar Thoma community I

have been concerned for some time that we

appear to be an exclusive club, very much an

introvert community and insular from our

surroundings and insensitive to others’ needs or

suffering. This is not to exclude the many mission

outreach programmes that go on in India, but

those of us in the diaspora live, to some extent, a

very secluded life and appear to associate only

with like minded people. The objective of the visit

was to provide some joy to prisoners who

normally have little cause for celebration, and

perhaps to alleviate some of the stress and

depression that typically accompany prolonged

confinement. I was keen that our visit was to the

HMP Bovingdon, the prison I first visited as a

Councillor. As a group we were not going to

preach to the ‘sinners’, but rather to share time

with them and by this approach, rather than

thinking of the offence and passing another

judgment on the prisoners, we see people -people

who need light. There was a slight trepidation in

me as to how the inmates would see and react to

us particularly as we were not the typical Anglo

Saxon Church of England group. Moreover, as we

had a mixed group of female and male members

in a very male institution, reactions from

prisoners could have been somewhat

unpredictable.

The reception from the prisoners at our first

encounter was overwhelmingly positive. Many of

the prisoners knew hymns without the need for

song books and in fact taught us a hymn ‘Walk in

the Light’ on our first visit. The prison Vicar said

that the prisoners had not encountered such a

visitation before and they cheered us

enthusiastically! There was an instant demand

from the prisoners that we repeat these visits in

future, and as a result we try to engage with the

inmates at least twice a year.

The inmates participated with us by reading the

Bible and at end of the session came forward and

shook hands in true generosity and spirit. "We are

so happy, since we have never seen or experienced

anything like this program whilst we have been in

prison," said one prisoner. There were a few tears

at the end and this really reinforced that one can

be “blown again into instant flame by an

encounter with another human being.”

Some of the inmates fit the stereotypical image of

a prisoner, but many appeared no different from

people you may see on a city street and yet just

beneath the surface a deep sadness was revealed,

filled with the prisoners' unlived hopes and

dreams. Jesus said that it wasn’t the healthy that

needed a doctor, but rather the sick (Mark 2:17).

In the same way, those in prison need to hear

about the freedom found in Christ perhaps more

than anyone else.

At the end of our day in prison, I left with many

questions: What is inner freedom? Are criminals

born or made? Can people change? Is there room

for forgiveness in our society? I may never find

the answers, but the experience has given me a

unique insight into the complexity of human

relations and the immense suffering we inflict on

others and ourselves. Visiting prison was a

glimpse into another world, where I met face-to-

face with the very people our society wants to lock

away and forget. Their faith and courage are

inspiring to me, and I wonder if I would have the

same resolve if faced with similar circumstances.

Visiting prisoners is a simple yet highly effective

way to let the persecuted know they are not alone

and not forgotten. In this way we can minister to

their needs, if not physically, then at least

spiritually.

23

Meeting up with prisoners gives them the

opportunity to confront their guilt, remorse, grief,

and anger; it also opens up the possibilities of

making positive choices, no matter how small. We

can only make a contribution but for a very brief

moment leaving through the heavy metal doors of

the prison grounds remembering the words from

Matthew 25:31-45, “And the King shall answer

and say unto them, verily I say unto you, In as

much as ye have done [it] unto one of the least of

these my brethren, ye have done [it] unto me.”

COMPE Meeting 2016

The Council of Mar Thoma Parishes in

Europe (COMPE) welcomes

the new Diocesan Bishop,

Rt. Rev Dr. Isaac Mar Philoxenos

Episcopa.

The new Diocesan Bishop of North America and

Europe of the Mar Thoma Church, Rt. Rev Dr.

Isaac Mar Philoxenos Episcopa took charge as the

fourth resident Diocesan Bishop on 1st April

2016. Philoxenos Thirumeni arrived in the UK on

the 17th June for the first formal visit since taking

charge, and was warmly received by the COMPE

Secretary, Mr. P M Mathew, along with the Vicar,

Rev Shibu Kurian, and the office bearers of St

John’s Mar Thoma Church, Hounslow.

Philoxenos Thirumeni presided over the Seventh

Annual General Body Meeting of the COMPE,

which was held at St. John’s Mar Thoma Church,

Hounslow on the 18th June, 2016, at 10 am.

Europe Region currently has 11 Parishes and 5

Congregations with 10 full time clergies. This was

a well-attended meeting with 42 participants,

including a representative from Germany.

Meeting started with a Hymn, followed by

Worship led by Philoxenos Thirumeni and a

prayer by the Vicar General, Very Rev V T John.

Welcome address was given by the COMPE

Secretary, Mr. P M Mathew, he highlighted the

achievements of the new Diocesan Bishop over

the last 23 years of ministry to the three Dioceses

that was entrusted to Thirumeni. He said that

Thirumeni is a man with a great vision. Mr.

Mathew then welcomed the Vicar General, Very

Rev V T John, Rev Dr Jacob Abraham and Rev

Shibu Kurian who have arrived in the UK in

the recent weeks. He also extended a hearty

welcome to all other clergies and representatives

from various parishes and congregations. The

presence of a representative from Germany for

the first time at a COMPE meeting was greatly

appreciated.

Very Rev V T John gave an inspirational

devotional talk, which was based on Matthew 11:

29&30. He highlighted the need to work with co-

operation wherever our Lord Jesus requires our

service. He also challenged all those present to be

prepared to walk with Christ, and have the quality

of Christ, who was gentle and lowly in heart–a

24

character of the Cross. The devotional talk ended

with a prayer by Rev Alexander Tharakan.

Philoxenos Thirumeni, in his presidential

address, praised and thanked God for the

achievements of the region over the last seven

years under the gracious leadership of Rt. Rev Dr

Geevarghese Mar Theodosius Episcopa. He

emphasized on the realities of the Diaspora

community, and particularly various problems

and challenges confronting the second and third

generations in the region. Thirumeni shared the

concerns of many members who have great

expectation about Europe region becoming a Zone

or a Diocese, but challenged the community to

think about having a common place or a centre

for meetings and conducting activities. COMPE

was recognized by Thirumeni to be an effective

instrument to make the functioning of the Mar

Thoma Community in Europe smooth, and make

it more relevant to the current needs of the

members. He encouraged us to move forward as

parishes and congregations by supporting each

other with God-centred vision and objectives for

the common good the whole Mar Thoma

Community in Europe. Thirumeni recognized the

power of the Holy Spirit, helping us to work in

unity and concord. Thirumeni appreciated the

efforts of the Office Bearers of COMPE and

thanked all those present at the meeting.

Secretary, Mr. P M Mathew, presented the

Seventh Annual Report; Treasurer, Mr. Jaffey

Chacko, presented the Annual Accounts & Annual

Budget for the new financial year.

A key resolution was passed to request the

Metropolitan and the Episcopal Synod of

the Mar Thoma Church, for the approval of

the COMPE Constitution towards the

registration of COMPE as a registered

charity for the Europe Region. Some key

appointments made because of the arrival of the

new Clergy. Very Rev V T John was appointed as

the Vice-President of the COMPE, Rev Shibu

Kurian will be representing the Churches

Together in England (CTE) and Rev Abraham P

Mathew will be our representative for the

Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI).

As Mar Thoma Church will be celebrating its

Diamond Jubilee in April 2017, a sub-committee

was appointed to plan the event. The committee

consists of the Executive Committee of the

COMPE: Philoxenos Thirumeni (President), Very

Rev V T John (Vice-President), Mr. P M

Mathew (Secretary), Mr. Jaffey

Chacko (Treasurer), and the co-opted members

are Rev Shibu Kurian ( Vicar St John’s

MTC), Dr. Zac Varghese (Sinai MTC), Mr. Noble

Mathew( St James MTC).

25

The 34th Family Conference will be held at the

Hayes Conference Centre from 26 to 28 of August,

2016. Philoxenos Thirumeni is the Patron of the

Conference. The Convenor of the conference, Mr.

Abraham Mathews, updated the COMPE with the

progress made so far.

The meeting ended graciously following the vote

of thanks by COMPE Treasurer, Mr. Jaffey

Chacko, and a concluding prayer by Rev Abraham

P Mathew, and benediction by Philoxenos

Thirumeni. As part of Thirumeni’s first visit to

this Region, a Holy Communion Service

was also conducted at the St John’s Mar Thoma

Church, Hounslow, on Sunday, 19th June, with

more than 200 members attending the service

from various parishes.

On Behalf of the COMPE Executive Committee

P M Mathew, Secretary

Jaffey Chacko, Treasurer

20th June 2016

Obituary Mr. Jacob Ninan (1931- 2016)

Mr. Jacob Ninan,

who has died aged

85, on Wednesday

18th May 2016, was

born in the

Sankaramanglam

family of

Eraviparoor, Kerala,

on 11th June 1931.

Jacob left for

Singapore in June

1953 after

completing university studies. He first worked in

Malaysia with Prudential Insurance Company;

then he pursued his legal studies in London and

returned to Singapore as the regional manager of

an American reinsurance company.

During his early years in Singapore he was a very

active member of the St. Thomas Mar Thoma

Syrian Church and in particular with the Youth

Fellowship, holding various offices of

responsibility. He was also a Sunday school

teacher and also its principal till the family

immigrated to the UK in August 1980. He was a

keen sportsman from his student days, especially

football and athletics. His greatest passion was

badminton, which he continued to play till almost

to the age of 83.

In the midst of his hectic life he found time to get

married to Dr. Elizabeth Jacob and was blessed

with two sons. On arrival in England, the family

initially settled in South Yorkshire and, later after

retirement, in November 2002, moved to Bedford

to await the arrival of the first grandchild, Rohan.

Jacob’s joy knew no bounds and Rohan was the

apple of his eye. Later with the addition of two

more grandchildren, Ruben and Serena, he

completely indulged in loving them; in the

process he became a child in their company.

Jacob slipped very peacefully from deep sleep into

eternity to be with the Lord the loved and

worshipped. He was a gentleman and a highly

respected member of the community. People who

knew him always commented on his gentle

qualities and amazing generosity. He was also a

member of the Sinai Mar Thoma Church, North

London. The funeral service was on Friday, 3rd

June at the St. James Anglican Church in the

26

beautiful village of Biddenham in the presence of

a large number of relatives and friends from all

parts of the UK.

Jacob Ninan is survived–and sorely missed–by

his wife, Lucy, two sons–Saju and Sajeev,

daughter-laws, and three grandchildren. The

members of the Mar Thoma Community in

Europe offer their condolences to the bereaved

families and friends. May his soul rest in peace

and resurrect in God’s glory.

Dr.Thomas Abraham (1933-2016)

Dr. Thomas Abraham (affectionately known as

Kunju by family and friends), age 83, of Boynton

Beach, Florida and Washington Township, NJ

passed away on Wednesday, May 18th, 2016 at

Palms West Hospital in Loxahatchee, Florida.

Born in Kerala, India on February 23, 1933 to Mr.

M.T. Abraham and Mariamma Abraham, he was

raised in a deeply devout Mar Thoma Syrian

Christian family.

Kunju attended Asram Higher Secondary School

in Perumbavoor, Kerala and completed his college

education from Mysore University. Afterwards, he

achieved his MBBS degree from Kasturba Medical

College, Manipal, India and later received the

Distinguished Alumni Award in 1984. He taught

pathology at Bangalore Medical College,

Bangalore, India. Kunju married Mariamma

Mathai in 1963 and moved to the United Kingdom

where he worked for the National Health Service

for 11 years as an Orthopedic Surgeon. In 1973,

they moved to New York City, where he

completed a residency in Physical Medicine and

Rehabilitation at the State University of New

York, Downstate in Brooklyn, NY. He was Board

Certified in his specialty and worked at Harlem

Hospital Center in NY, where he was also a faculty

member of the Columbia University, College of

Physicians and Surgeons. He also taught at City

College of New York, CUNY.

Dr. Abraham is survived by his wife of 53 years,

Dr. Mariamma (Marykutty) Thomas, son Dr.

Abraham Thomas and his wife Sera and their

daughter Marissa of Bloomfield, MI, son Mathew

Thomas of New York, daughter Marina Thomas of

New York and his three sisters Annie Idicula of

Edmonton, Canada, Saramma John and Mary

Sachariah of Teaneck, NJ. He was a loving and

giving husband, father, grandfather, brother,

uncle, cousin and friend.

Dr. Abraham was a gentle and humble man of

God. His life was driven by the purpose of

creating and doing something beautiful in the

eyes of God and man. He constantly felt that there

was a growing lack of love and charity for our

neighbors who lived in poverty and disease

around the world. As one not to complain, but

rather to act, he believed it was his purpose in life

to serve his Lord and Savior with the goal of

helping those less fortunate than himself.

As a highly respected physician and humanitarian

in the US, UK and India, Dr. Abraham decided it

was time to join with others to help those in need.

Soon after, he co-founded and became the

founding president of the Association of Mar

Thoma Physicians and Dentists (APDM). At a

public gathering held in August, 1991 the

organization was inaugurated in the presence and

with the blessings of the Most Rev. Dr. Alexander

Mar Thoma Metropolitan and the Most Rev. Dr.

Philipose Mar Chrysostom Mar Thoma

Metropolitan. The APDM was founded to foster

Christian fellowship and to promote international

medical and dental missionary work with the

major focus on special needs in India.

Dr. Abraham was also associated with the

formation of the Mar Thoma Church Diocese of

North America and Europe and was an active

member of many of its committees and

commissions. He represented the diocese in the

Mandalam (House of Representatives) and the

27

Mar Thoma Sabha Council (The Executive

Committee of the Mandalam). He was closely

associated with the late Dr. Zacharias Mar

Theophilus Suffragan Metropolitan and the

development of Santhigiri Ashram and the

medical clinic there. He also participated in the

formation of the FOCUS movement for bringing

together the Mar Thoma Diaspora across the

world.

Vadakkedathu Thomas Abraham

(1935-216)

Mr. Vadakkedathu Thomas Abraham (Tom), who

has died aged 81, on 15th March, 2016, was a

Christian, a missionary, and a chartered

management accountant.

He was a member of the St. James Mar Thoma

Church in Central London. In 1988, Tom and his

wife Annamma founded the St. Thomas Mission

to help those in need. They spent four to six

months in India working on projects supporting

the poor and spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ.

This missionary work took them to all over the

world where they have been able to give witness

the love of God they enjoyed and in turn they have

been blessed by the witnesses of many others.

In 2003 the family suffered a devastating blow

when their young son, Stan died. Annamma also

passed away in 2006 whilst in India. Tom

suffered a stroke in 2011, but never failed to

demonstrate his faith in Jesus Christ. He was an

amazing gentleman who loved, cared for others

even in his debilitating illness. He loved the Lord

Jesus Christ and his fellow brothers and sisters.

He is survived by his daughter June, son-in-law

Berley, and grandchildren Thomas and James.

Those who attended his funeral service paid

tribute to him and thanked God for his ministry at

St. Barnabas Centre, Bishops Stortford on 30th

March 2016. It was a most fitting and touching

farewell for a child of God. Many of us will reflect

on things that Tom said, preached and did and

recall them with great affection.

The Mar Thoma Community in the UK offer their

condolences to the family. May his soul rest in

peace and resurrect in God’s glory.