Chrysostom Thirumeni

So much has been written about Chrysostom Thirumeni. Yet so much is to be written. There are simple things that speak a lot with a personal touch, which might have helped you to think and rethink; which might have changed your world view, ideology, theology or perception of yourself, your ministry. This blog intends to bring out such personal stories which would help others to think differently, creatively and critically. For example, when I was working in Allahabad Mar Thoma Parish, soon after my ordination in 1977, Chrysostom Thirumeni came to Allahabad with the intention of visiting the congregations in my charge, mainly, those at Obra, Renukoot and Singrauli. Few days spent with Thirumeni really altered many of my notions of ministry, theology and the world.(To read more click here) Sphere: Related Content

Felix Wilfred Festschrift and Padma Shri Prof. Dr. Anandakrishnan

A Festschrift in honour of Dr. Felix Wilfred on his 60th birth anniversary was released at the Senate Hall of the University of Madras on 22nd July 2008 . Dr. Felix Wilfred retired recently from the University, having served the Department of Christian Studies since its inception in 1993 and as its Head from 2003. Dr. Wilfred is widely known as an Indian Christian theologian who is conversant with Indian traditional philosophy as well as subaltern traditions. He is also a member of the Research Committe (SATHRI) of the Senate of Serampore College (University). He is currently the President of the editorial board of Concilium, the renowned theological review published in seven European languages.( ...to read more click ) Sphere: Related Content

Evaluation Service: Daniel T. Philip

On July 23, 2008, Mr. Daniel T. Philip conducted his evaluation worship and sermon. Both the worship and sermon reflected his social and spiritual concerns as well as creativity. His friends composed the Invocation song and the Commitment song.Rev. Sam Mathew,K., MTh II, Sam N. Joshua, and Shaiju Kumar did the beautiful Rangoli and art work. Shaiju Kumar whose mother passed away on the morning of July 24, 2008, could not participate in the evaluation session. One significant feature of the service was that there was no actual public scripture reading. Instead, there was a contextual enactment of 1 Kings 21: 1-19 (Naboth Text). Continue to read... Sphere: Related Content

Shaiju's Mother passes away

Shaiju's Mother passes away

Mr. Shaiju Kumar K. S., BD II, lost his mother on 24th July 2008. He belongs to the CSI South Kerala Diocese. The funeral will take place on 26th at Nagercoil, his home town. Mr. Alex Das BD II accompanied him to kerala. A large number of students gathered together to express their solidarity as he was leaving to the funeral. We express our heartfelt condolence and uphold the family in prayer at this moment of deep sorrow and great loss. Sphere: Related Content

Join the Campaign to free Dr. Binayak Sen.

Dr. Jesudas Athyal, a member of Gurukul faculty on leave, has recently wrote about Dr. Binayak Sen, a Doctor trained in CMC Vellore, who was arrested by the Chhattisgarh government for helping the people who were evicted from their land for diamond mining. His wife Ms. Ilina Sen has recently visited Boston where Dr. Athyal is currently doing some research work. All those who are concerned with human rights must participate in the campign to free Dr. Binayak Sen. (Read more here ) Sphere: Related Content

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Abraham Mar Paulose: Children the Priority

Dr. Abraham Mar Paulose celebrated Holy Communion at the Annanagar Mar Thoma Church yesterday, Sunday 20th July. It was his first visit to the parish after his consecration as a bishop in 2005. As the youngest bishop of the Church, he expressed his concern for the place of children in the Church. He lamented that it has been the Sunday School which is often canceled when a special function happens in a Church. As the General Secretary of the Mar Thoma Sunday School Samajam, then priest Rev. Dr. K U. Abraham, he has made significant contributions to the children's ministry. (To read the full article click here)

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Worship and Sermon by Mr. Binu Thomas

On 16th July 2008, it was the turn of Mr. Binu Thomas, B.D. IV to conduct Evaluatory Worship and Sermon. The text for the sermon was John 7:53 -8:11. The text refers to the story of Jesus dealing with the Pharisees who caught a woman in adultery. This is a story not found in many manuscripts. (Read more here) Sphere: Related Content

Person and Work of Christ: Confusion of terms in Patristic theology

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Much of the controversies that raged the Patristic period regarding Christology were due to the confusion of meanings in the usage of Greek terms in the Alexandrian and Antiochean Schools. Dr. V. C. Samuel in his Council of Chalcedon Re-Examined (1977) writes: "In the Christological controversy, unlike any other theological dispute in the ancient church, there was a great deal of obscurity on account of the technical terms that were employed. theologians of all shades of opinion used the following terms: ousia in Greek; the Syriac used either ousia or Ithutho to correspond to it. Hupostasis in Greek and its Syriac equivalent Qnumo. Physis in Greek had kyono as its Syriac rendering. The Greek prosopon had parsupo in Syriac. (Continue...Person and Work of Christ: Confusion of terms in Patristic theology).

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2,000th anniversary of the Saint Paul's s birth.

On June 28, 2007, Pope Benedict XVI decreed 28th June 2008 to 29th June 2009 to be "The Year of St. Paul" commemorating the 2,000th anniversary of the Saint's birth.

The Pope declared:

"Meetings for study will be promoted and there will be special publications on Pauline texts, to promote the immense richness of the teaching contained in them, true patrimony of humanity redeemed by Christ.
.... Also, in every part of the world, similar initiatives will be organized in dioceses, sanctuaries and places of prayer by religious institutions, institutions of study and assistance, which carry the name of St. Paul or which have been inspired by him and his teaching."

In Chennai Layola College will be holding a special programme to inaugurate the celebrations on 17 July 2008.

After attending the the inauguration of the year long Jubilee Programmes in Damascus, where St. Paul experienced his conversion to Christ , Renuka Narayanan has published an article. Read the article here: The Church that came to Malabar by Renuka Narayanan, Hindustan Times

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Sermon on the Mount : Earth Quake Resistant Foundation

Sunday, July 13, 2008

In concluding the Sermon on the Mount Mathew records that Jesus has said: Any one who hears these words of mine and obeys them is like a wise man who built his house on rock ... (Matt.: 7:24-27). I have preached on this verse several times. All those sermons were focused on the necessity of unchanging foundation. That has been the way it was interpreted in the Annangar church by Dr. K.M. Thomas, of Kozhikode today. Dr. Thomas is brother in law of Mr. James Abraham (Saji), our choir member, who visited the Church for the promotion of the ministry of the Gideons International. Gideon ministry would place Bibles in Public places in your name for the money you contribute. The parishioners generously responded to his appeal. People are in search of reliable and strong foundation. However, these days I am being challenged by the schools of non foundationalism and post foundationalism. The argument of the non foundationalism is that there are no reliable foundations. There are only shifting foundations....(continue...)




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Evaluation Worship Service and Sermon by Y. Biju

Mr. Y. Biju conducted his Evaluation Worship Service and Sermon on wednesday July 09, 2008. The order of service was well prepared. The service started with the beautiful Malayalam invocation song: Ishwara Enne Nin Veenayakkoo, Nin Veenayil Enne Nin Ragamakkoo (God make me your lute and let me be your tune in it). Also he included a very meaningful commitment song, composed by Dan Schutte, a Jesuit priest, in 1979, based on Isaiah 6:8 and Samuel 3. The most popular part of the song is the refrain which goes like this:

Here I am Lord, Is it I Lord?
I have heard your calling in the night.
I will go Lord, if you lead me
I will hold your people in my heart.

The sermon was based on the text: John 13:1-17, the story of Jesus washing the disciples' feet. He has titled his sermon as: Foot washing: A Model of Christian Ministry. Before the Sermon there was a skit played by John Wilson and team to bring out the central theme of the service. Mr. Biju who hails from Kerala is a very quiet person, consciously participating in the various activities of the College. Before coming to theological studies he worked as a missionary. The rich experience he brings with him has made him a different type of leader, a follower of the Servant Jesus who came not to be served but to serve. Serving others is Spirituality is the message he has attempted to communicate with his life in Gurukul and the sermon he preached, a quiet revolution. He has joined Gurukul as a private candidate. Hope the Mar Thoma Church to which he belongs will make use of his talents and commitment in its ministry. He is now serving as the Thiruvalluvar Hostel Secretary. Sphere: Related Content

Bachelor of Christian Studies Contact Classes in Chennai

Bachelor of Christian Studies Contact Seminars were held at ICSA, Egmore, from July 7 to 11, 2008. The new Dean of the Serampore Senate Extension Programme, Dr. Wati Longchar, organised the programme. He visited Gurukul also. Faculty members from Gurukul and Madras Theological Seminary Chennai, UTC, Bangalore and ACTC, Hyderabad acted as resource persons. Dr. Merci Rani who was in Gurukul for her M.Th and Ph. D. studies and now a faculty member at MTS also was a resource person. About 40 students in four batches attended the classes. Most of them came from secular fields -- one person was an MS in Neurosurgery, two were university professors, others were teachers, IT professionals, missionaries and house wives. They mainly joined this programme to get some deeper understanding of Christian faith and the degree they would get will of course qualify them to effectively participate in the Church's ministry along with their secular jobs. (To continue reading go to:Theologia Viatorum: Bachelor of Christian Studies Contact Classes in Chennai Sphere: Related Content

Kerala text-book controversy

tag: Church and State

What happens in Kerala in the name of a seventh standard Lesson on religion can only be described as chimaerical roadshow. It is not an innocent sort of reaction from some fundamentalists, but a calculated move to create confusion, much ado about nothing. Read more here ... Sphere: Related Content

Theological Education

Theological Education
Senate of Serampore College (University) is revising its curriculum. It has conducted several seminars and consultations in different parts of India inviting academicians and church leaders. Theological education in India needs serious re-thinking. Primarily we need to be clear about the aims and objectives of theological education in the Indian Context.

First, we need to start with defining the Indian cultural context.
Who is an Indian is question raised by several national leaders. To read further go to: Theologia Viatorum: Theological Education Sphere: Related Content

Towards Green Theology: Developing a Curriculum

July 6, 2008

Sunday Evening Chapel Service at Gurukul is a community event. This evening's preacher was Dr. Adella Paul, Retired Principal of Meston B. Ed. College, Chennai, now in the faculty of Gurukul in the department of Christian Ministry and the Wardern of Pandita Ramabai Women's Hostel. This was the third sermon I heard today, one was at the Annanagar Jerusalem Church by the vicar of the parish and another in the house of Dr.P.K. Joy, a neighbour and well wisher of Gurukul. The preacher for this meeting was Mr. Y. Biju, Secretary Thiruvalluvar Hostel, Gurukul. (To continue reading about the sermons please go to Sermonette: Three Sermons

The service was attended by Dr. K. Rajaratnam, our Director Emeritus. He came just after an Ecumenical Consultation in Africa. He has been so anxious to share with us his insights from the Conference. His newest vision is to challenge the Senate of Serampore College (University) to introduce a new Department of Green Theology. He said he was going to organize a consultation involving various theological seminaries to prepare a curriculum and syllabus for this new area. It is not actually a new idea. We have been discussing this area of theology from early 90s. Gurukul itself organized one of the Summer Institutes to study this subject and published a volume. What is new in the present proposition is to make it a part of the Serampore Currculum. With Dr. Rajaratnam's initiative things may move faster ion Serampore and we hope theological community in India would be able to contribute towards the global efforts to contain the growing ecocrisis. Sphere: Related Content

Introduction to Christian Faith

Christian Faith: Introduction to Christian Faith Sphere: Related Content

SCM and Fine Arts Inaugurations

Praxes: SCM and Fine Arts Inaugurations Sphere: Related Content

Ordination: Sibu Abraham Mathew

Praxes: Ordination: Sibu Abraham Mathew Sphere: Related Content

Race and Caste: Civil Rights Leader Rosa Parks Collection

Race and Caste: ABC News: Rosa Parks Collection Could Sell for $10M Sphere: Related Content

St: Paul's 200th Anniversary in Damscus

Church in the World: The Church that came to Malabar by Renuka Narayanan, Hindustan Times Sphere: Related Content

Evaluation Worship and Sermon: Dn.Babu Abraham

Dn. Babu Abrahm got his Deacon ordination during the summer holidays. It was very pleasing sight to see him in his black vestments, which is usually worn by the Orthodox ministers during liturgical acts, leading the Evaluation Worship and Sermon on Wednesday, July 2, 2008, in Gurukul Chapel. Dn. Babu Abraham in his sermon remembered how the late saintly Bishop of the Orthodox Church, Most Rev. Dr. Pathrose Mor Osthathios has opened the doors of his diocese to the Dalits that enabled persons like him to dream for the future and to be part of the ordained ministry of the traditional Syrian Church. He was thankful to God and his Church for ordaining him as the first Dalit minister in the Kandand diocese of the Orthodox Church. He titled his sermon, From Memory to Hope." It was a Dalit reading of Isaiah 51:53. Not only his sermon but also his worship service reflected the spirit of hopefulness and openness of the Gurukul. Much against the grain of his Orthodox tradition, he included in his worship service a modern version of the Creed, Affirmation of Faith, and a Contemporary version of the Lord's Prayer. To continue to read go to Liturgy: Affirmation of Faith and the Lord's prayer from Dn. Babu Abraham's Evaluation Service

Dn. Babu needs to be congratulated for selecting these versions for our use. Our prayer is that God may use him to lead his people in their struggles and hope to live and claim their God-given rights together with all other Dalits in India. Sphere: Related Content

Gurukul Community.Com: Rahbi Thar

Gurukul Community.Com: Rahbi Thar Sphere: Related Content

Evaluatory worship and sermons: Dn. Aby Paul.M

Gurukul Community.Com: Evaluatory worship and sermons Sphere: Related Content

Gurukul Community.Com: Towards Green Gurukul, Plastic Free Gurukul

Gurukul Community.Com: Towards Green Gurukul, Plastic Free Gurukul Sphere: Related Content

Gurukul Faculty Retreat: Dr. Sam Kamalesan

 Gurukul Faculty Retreat: Dr. Sam Kamalesan

Gurukul Community.Com: Gurukul Faculty Retreat: Dr. Sam Kamalesan

For earlier posts go to:Gurukul Community.com
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