the trumpet | august 2017 · the gospel according to john 17: 20-26 contains the prayer of jesus...

The Trumpet | August 2017

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www.csicod.org

[email protected]

http://www.csicod.org/

mailto:[email protected]


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India were convinced that division was the greatest hindrance to more effective evangelization of

the country. By the providence of God, the four great traditions namely the Anglican, Presbyterian,

Methodist and Congregational united into one body for the common good. The Church of South

India affirms that the purpose of the union by which it has been formed is the carrying out of

God’s will, as this is expressed in our Lord’s prayer. “That they all may be one…. that the world

may believe that you have sent me” (John: 17: 21). It believes that by this union that the Church

of South India will become a more effective instrument for God’s work, and that there will be

greater peace, closer fellowship and fuller life within the church and renewed eagerness and power

for the proclamation of the Gospel of Christ.

The Gospel according to John 17: 20-26 contains the prayer of Jesus Christ for his future believers.

Jesus prayed for all people. It is expressed in the prayer of Jesus Christ “that they all may be one”.

It is the central theme of Jesus’s Prayer. Jesus also mentions about the standard of unity. The

standard of unity is the oneness between Jesus and His Father. The very same kind of unity is

expected among us. The Church of South India believes that the unity of His Church for which

Christ prayed is a unity in Him and in the Father through the Holy Spirit, and is therefore

fundamentally a reality of the spiritual realm. It seeks the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace.

The Church of South India affirms that the church is the servant of God and is called to carry on

the mission of God in the world. The church exists for mission and by mission.

As the members of CSI, it is the time to praise and thank God for the grace upon us. As we

celebrate the 70th year of formation of this great union it is our duty to demonstrate that unity with

our fellow beings. The supreme value of Christian Faith can be seen by others only through the

unity of believers.

May God Almighty grant us His grace and strength to grow in this union and bring glory to his

name.

May God Bless us.

Rev. K. G Thomson

Beloved in Christ,

The church of South India will commemorate the 70th year of the formation

on 27th September 2017 (1947-2017). The Church of South Idia came into

existence because of the deep desire on the part of Indian Christians to come

together. The church leaders as well as the missionaries working in South


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September 3, 2017 (Malayalam)

Teachers Agents of Liberation

1st Lesson Proverbs 8: 1-12 Mr. Richardson Mathew

Psalm 119: 97-104 Mr. Bradley Tom James

2nd Lesson Acts 8: 26-38 Mrs. Annu Vinod

Gospel Reading – Mark 6: 34-44

September 10, 2017 (English)

Transforming the Oppressive Structures

1st Lesson Nahum 1: 1-15 Mr. Eapen K Samuel

Psalm 113 Mr. Prestin Cherian

2nd Lesson Acts 4: 32-37 Miss. Alisha Miriam Itty

Gospel Reading – Luke 13: 10-17

September 17, 2017 (Malayalam)

Peace and Conflict Resolution

1st Lesson Genesis 13: 2-12 Mr. Thomas Varghese

Psalm 16 Miss. Jerlin George

2nd Lesson Acts 6: 1-6 Mrs. Rachel Thomas

Gospel Reading – Matthew 20: 1-16

September 24, 2017 (English)

Fruitfulness of the Elderly

1st Lesson Genesis 17: 1-8

Psalm 92

2nd Lesson Philemon 1: 8-22


October 1, 2017 (Malayalam)

Spirituality of the Youth in the Contemporary World

1st Lesson Genesis 41: 37-43 Mr. Thomas John Thoppil

Psalm 111 Mr. Revin Philip

2nd Lesson Philippians 3: 1-16 Mrs. Biji Mathew



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The Vicar and members of the CSI Congregation of Dallas wish the following members

a very Happy Birthday!!!

September 3 Miss. Alisha Miriam Itty

September 3 Mrs. Annu Vinod

September 4 Mrs. Leena Rony

September 4 Mrs. Reshmi Abraham

September 5 Mrs. Mariamma Mathew

September 11 Mrs. Susamma James

September 12 Mr. Nevin John

September 15 Mrs. Thresiamma Jacob

September 18 Mrs. Amy Mathew

September 21 Mr. Samuel Joseph

September 21 Mrs. Saramma Thomas

September 21 Rev. A.V Thomas

September 24 Mr. Richardson Mathew

September 27 Mrs. Aleyamma Kurien

September 27 Mr. Eapen K Samuel

September 30 Miss. Rebecca Richardson

September 30 Mr. Thomas George

The Vicar and members of the CSI Congregation of Dallas wish the

following families a very happy & blessed wedding anniversary

September 12 Mr. Thomas Varghese (Monachan) & Mrs. Susan Varghese (Lissy)

September 14 Mr. Sreejith John Joseph & Mrs. Rachel Thomas (Bindu)

September 14 Mr. Bobby K Abraham & Mrs. Nisha John Abraham

September 16 Mr. Vinod G Philip & Mrs. Annu Vinod (Reelu)


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Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and

petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Philippians 4:6

Why doesn’t the pencil work? It has not been sharpened! Well, how can that be fixed? Talk

about how we can sharpen a pencil quite easily, whether we use a handheld, hand-cranked, or

electric sharpener. Then we can use the pencil in various ways—writing, drawing, and filling in

bubbles on a test sheet.

Our lives can be sort of like these pencils. God wants to use us in all sorts of wonderful ways to

serve Him and His people. But we first must be “sharpened” for His purposes. How does this

happen? Well, most importantly, we can sharpen ourselves through the sword of the Bible and the

power of prayer.

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even

to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the

heart. -Hebrews 4:12

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with

thanksgiving, present your requests to God. -Philippians 4:6

And sometimes, God uses other people to help sharpen our “points”: As iron sharpens iron, so

one person sharpens another. -Proverbs 27:17

Once we develop our faith and trust in God, He can use us to do remarkable things. It would be

silly to sharpen a pencil and set it aside, but when we use it, the purpose of the lead is fulfilled.

Once it is sharpened, will it stay that way forever? Of course not! Eventually, the point will dull,

or the tip might even break. We need to continue sharpening a pencil in order to keep using it. In

the same way, we must continually return to the Bible and to prayer, so that we can remain “sharp”

and usable as Christians. We keep close to God by loving Him and communicating through Him,

reading His words and talking to Him in prayer. And we also love His children, as Jesus instructed:

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my

commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in

his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. -

John 15:9-11

Christ here promises that God will keep us close if we remain near to Him. When we do this, we

can rest assured that we will stay sharp. Because without God, life is like an unsharpened

pencil…it just has no point!


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Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example

for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.

1 Timothy 4:12

A Thank you note

This past month, we were able to hold our annual youth retreat and it was definitely

a blessing. Several of the youth attended and we were able to build community and

spend time rooted in worship and scripture. The pictures in the Kodak moment show

a glimpse of what our weekend looked like and we appreciate the church for all your

support and prayers.

Upcoming Youth Events

Flag Football Tournament- Sept. 9th

Youth Bible Study- Sept. 23

Regional Retreat (Houston)- Oct. 28


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"Jesus Loves Me."

The very first Christian song most children learn is "Jesus Loves Me." Yet few people know that

"Jesus Loves Me" began life not as a song but as a part of one of 1860's best-selling novels.

Anna Warner was well aware of the coming of the War Between the States. She lived with her

father and sister on Constitution Island. Their home was practically next door to the United States

Military Academy at West Point, and from her front porch she constantly heard the rumors of war.

Yet even in the face of uncertain times, every Sunday Anna taught Bible classes to the cadets.

While it broke her heart to consider the dismal fate for those too young to have experienced the

many blessings of life, she also fully comprehended the importance of leading each of them to

Jesus now. With an urgency brought about by a nation on the brink of dividing, sharing Christ's

love became her mission in life.

Besides her teaching, the forty-year-old Anna also wrote. With her sister Susan she had written

several novels, using the pseudonym Amy Lothrop. In 1860 the sisters' Say and Seal became the

country's best-selling work. Written for the masses and the moment, not fueled by timeless

struggles or epic writing, the book would quickly pass from the public's fancy, lost with thousands

of other period pieces of the time. Yet, thanks to one very special scene on but a single page, the

essence of the book and of Anna's faith would live for decades after Say and Seal and Anna herself

had been forgotten.

In one chapter a child lay dying. Nothing could be done to ease his pain or give him a second

chance at life. As his ultimate fate grew nearer, the novel's focal character, Mr. Linden, attempted

to comfort the small boy. Looking into the child's eyes, he slowly recited a poem that began, "Jesus

loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so." The words of the poem made the boy's last

moments of life much easier. These simple lines also moved thousands of readers to tears.

Hauntingly beautiful, composed straight from Anna's faithful heart, "Jesus Loves Me" quickly

sprang out of her book's pages and became one of the most beloved poems of the era. No one can

even begin to calculate how many times it was said on the battlefield, in the homes of children

whose fathers were engaged in the Civil War, from pulpits and in Sunday school classes, and even

at the White House itself. Ringing so clear and true, Anna's sixteen short sentences had touched

the hearts of millions with verses meant only to calm the soul of a dying fictional character.

One of the scores of readers who memorized the poem was William Bradbury. A teacher of voice

and organ, in 1854 Bradbury had formed a piano company with Ferdinand Light and Henry

Newton. Besides heading up his business, the noted musician also continued a practice of setting

his faith to music by composing his own songs. By the beginning of the Civil War, Bradbury had

built his own music company to publish and distribute his works. It was during the time when his

music business was taking off that he first read and fell in love with "Jesus Loves Me." Then, to

fully complete the work, he added the following chorus:

Oh Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock

of our salvation.

Psalm 95: 1


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Yes, Jesus loves me,



The Bible tells me so.

The marriage of Waner's words and Bradbury's music

was one of the most beautiful gospel efforts of all time.

Yet the song "Jesus Loves Me" might have been as quickly

forgotten as the novel Say and Seal if Bradbury's music

company hadn't published it. Almost a hundred and forty years after

this song was first published, few know of the writings of Anna Warner or recognize the name of

William Bradbury. But even though the writer and the composer have been forgotten, everyone

knows their song. Children and adults of all races and even millions outside the Christian faith

can sing "Jesus Loves Me." How many millions have clung to this message on lonely nights or

rocked babies to sleep while singing this song is unknown. But what can be most assuredly stated

is that "Jesus Loves Me" is the foundation on which many children not only first come to know

Christian music but also come to know the love and sacrifice of the Lord who inspired it. And

this message is what keeps them singing the gospel throughout their lives.

Jesus loves me! This I know,

For the Bible tells me so;

Little ones to Him belong,

They are weak but He is strong.

Yes, Jesus loves me!




Jesus loves me! He who died,

Heaven's gate to open wide;

He will wash away my sin,

Let His little child come in.





https://www.kididdles.com/lyrics/a005.html


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The Elephant Rope

As a man was passing the elephants, he suddenly stopped, confused by the

fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied

to their front leg. No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants

could, at anytime, break away from their bonds but for some reason, they

did not.

The man was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from

their bonds but because they believed they couldn’t, they were stuck right

where they were.

Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief

that we cannot do something, simply because we failed at it once before?

Failure is part of learning; we should never give up the struggle in life.

Value

A popular speaker started off a seminar by holding up a $20 bill. A crowd

of 200 had gathered to hear him speak. He asked, “Who would like this

$20 bill?”

200 hands went up.

He said, “I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this.”

He crumpled the bill up.

He then asked, “Who still wants it?”

All 200 hands were still raised.

He saw a trainer nearby and asked why

these animals just stood there and made no

attempt to get away. “Well,” trainer said,

“when they are very young and much

smaller we use the same size rope to tie

them and, at that age, it’s enough to hold

them. As they grow up, they are

conditioned to believe they cannot break

away. They believe the rope can still hold

them, so they never try to break free.”


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“My friends, I have just showed you a very

important lesson. No matter what I did to

the money, you still wanted it because it did

not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.

Many times, in our lives, life crumples us

and grinds us into the dirt. We make bad

“Well,” he replied, “What if I do this?” Then he dropped the bill on the

ground and stomped on it with his shoes.

He picked it up, and showed it to the crowd. The bill was all crumpled

and dirty.

“Now who still wants it?”

All the hands still went up.

decisions or deal with poor circumstances. We feel worthless. But no

matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your

value. You are special – Don’t ever forget it!

No Matter what happens…. Some memories can never be

replaced

Youth Retreat (August 18th)


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1. Tele Prayer

We will have Tele prayer on Friday’s at 8pm to 9pm. Tele Prayer conference number is 515-604-9057, the

access code is 539672 followed by the “#” sign. Please find time to join the tele prayer.

2. Church Convention

Our Annual convention will be held on September 15th and 16th at our church starting at 6 pm.

Main Speaker: Dr. Paul Dhinakaran

Please pray for our convention and make every effort to attend the convention and hear the life changing word

of God.

Please generously contribute to meet the expenses of our convention.

3. Church Harvest Festival

Our Annual Church Harvest Festival will be held on October 1st Sunday, 2017. Holy Communion service will

begin at 10:00 AM. All are requested and encouraged to attend the service, auction and all other activities

associated with the Harvest Festival this year. Please prayerfully consider the needs of the church and

contribute generously.

• Please do contribute at least one item for auction.

• Please do buy at least two items through auction.

• Please do contribute the tithe of one month salary of all earning members.

4. Snack Sponsorship

If you are interested in sponsoring snacks on Sundays after church service, please sign up on the snack

sponsorship list posted on the church bulletin board.

5. Cottage Prayers

Please sign up for cottage prayers, we humbly request you to open your homes for prayer and to provide only

light snacks. Following are the cottage prayers for the month of September.

• September 30th – Residence of Mr. Sheju Varghese and Divya Varghese.

Address: 7520 Fairmeadow Trl, Sachse, TX – 75048

6. Special Fund Raising for Church & Parsonage Maintenance

As per the decision made by the Half Yearly General body meeting held on 08/20/17, all families must

contribute generously to the maintenance work of the church & Parsonage. Our target is to raise at

least $35,000 for the various maintenance work.

• All Families are expected to pledge the amount they will contribute to the church for the maintenance

work within the next 2 weeks. The minimum amount is $500, please contribute more than the

minimum amount.

• All Pledges must be fulfilled by November 30th, 2017.

7. Prayer Requests

Please uphold in your prayers all the people who are suffering from the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in

Houston, South east Texas and Losianna.

Please pray for those who are sick and recovering, especially

• George Thomas (Thampichayan) – recovering from bypass surgery

• Mathew Mathew

• John Thomas’s (Deepu) father – recovering from bypass surgery in India.

• Annamma Eapen (Eapen Achen’s Kochamma)

God Bless you!

- Shelby Thomas

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CSI CONGREGATION OF DALLAS GARLAND, TEXAS

ANNUAL CONVENTION 2017 A time of hearing God’s uncompromised word, a time of renewal and revival

All are welcome to hear the word of God

Main Speaker: Dr. Paul Dhinakaran

Christian Evangelist

S E P T E M B E R

15 Friday

16 Saturday

6:00 PM TO

9:00 PM

the trumpet | august 2017 · the gospel according to john 17: 20-26 contains the prayer of jesus...

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