Jose P. Mathew's Worship and Sermon in Gurukul Chapel

Captain Jose P. Mathew, from the Salvation Army, India South Western (Kerala) region, now studying in Gurukul, conducted his evaluation worship and sermon on 29th October 2008. The invocation was led by Jose himself. During the invocation Salvation Army flag, representing victory and authority ( the colours of which symbolized Trinity: bluie - Creator, red - blood of Jesus, yellow -  the work of the Holy spirit), was elegantly carried by the young daughter of Jose. His wife, Alice, a good singer, led the Bhajan which was written by Jose himself and composed by John G. Varghese. It reflected the   theme of the sermon, prophetic mission of building a new community.

The sermon was based on the text, Ezekiel37: 1-10. Jose started his sermon with the story of Colonel Yesudasan, founder of the Salvation Army in Kerala, who brought new life to the marginalized and the downtrodden Dalits of Kerala. Jose P. Mathew lamented that instead of building a community, now the "spiritual mafia" is taking over the church, making the Church, a religion of the market, without any sense of  divine call or  clear vision. Ezekiel is an example of a prophet who had genuine call from God and a clear vision for  the society:  The "dry bones," he saw represented the pathetic situation of the people in the valley. Today the Churches are insensitive to the realities of the valley --  the injustice, poverty, violence against the dalits, women and the marginalized in society. Instead of a people oriented ministry what we have now is a " task oriented and tradition oriented ministry."  "Creating a new community out of dry bones is the mission of the Christians," he said. "Building community is not to convert people from other religions or bring people form other churches. "He quoted Mother Theresa who once told a journalist: I convert Hindus to be better Hindus, Muslims to be better Muslims, and Christians to be better Christians. Mission is liberating people form spiritual and physical bondage. Kingdom of heaven is the place of a liberated community. Jesus' sacrificial work on the cross was laying down his life for building a new community. Jose P. Mathew delivered the sermon in a  clear and convincing manner. He was confident  and proved himself  to be an efficient worship leader.

Jose and his wife  are  experienced ministers in the Salvation Army. Salvation Army always encourages team ministry of the whole family. We pray that Jose and his family would make  the ministry of the Salavation Army  much more effective in India. 

Praxes Sphere: Related Content

Worship and Sermon by Mr. G. Greeto Racharia, BD IV

Worship and Sermon by Mr. G. Greeto Racharia, BD IV

Mr. G. Greeto Racharia, BD IV, led the evaluation worship and sermon , the last of the June term, on 27th August 2008. The worship started with a music prelude during which a slide show of slum children and refuges was presented with the caption “open your eyes to the realities around you.” This introduced the theme of his worship and sermon: “The Life giving mission of God Towards children.” The text selected was Genesis 21: 8-20, the story of Abraham casting away Hagar and Ishmael their the plight in the wilderness. The invocation song was the composition of Dr. Parattai (a) Theophilus Appavoo, who always experimented with unconventional tunes and style of folk music in worship. Greeto’s confessional prayer also used an unconventional format. He made his methodology clear at the very beginning: a reflection on the text from a sociological perspective of the suffering children. Greeto Racharia runs a Non Governmental Organization for the benefit of the children in one of the biggest slums in Chennai, Kannagi Nagar. It was his involvement with the slum children that made him to read the Bible from the perspective of the slum children who go without food and proper education.
Read more Sphere: Related Content

Esao Basumatary's worship and sermon

Esao Basumatary's worship and sermon

Esao Basumatary, BD IV, conducted his evaluatory worship and sermon on 20th August, 2008. The theme of the sermon was "A call for God's inclusive mission through transformation." The text was Matthew 8:5-13 (Jesus healing the centurion's servant). The sermon was divided in to three sections: (1) Preparing ourselves to be transformed for God's mission - self transformation, (2) Becoming an agent of transformation for God's mission and,( 3) Practicing God's inclusive mission. His major emphasis was that unless one has been transformed one cannot be part of God's mission: To change others we have to change ourselves first. To teach others we have to learn first. Being transformed is the precondition to become an agent for God's mission. God's mission is inclusive. Inclusive mission is participating in God's mission by joining hands with others who work for the upliftment of the marginalized regardless of religion, caste and economic status.

To continue reading click here Sphere: Related Content

Evaluation Sermon by Ms. Rosalind Elaiyarani

Rosalind Elaiyarani, BD IV, conducted her evaluation worship and sermon on Wednesday 13 August 2008. The text was Micah 4:1-5. The sermon was titled, "Towards a New Community in Obedience to God." She had three points in her sermon: 1) Towards a community of Unity. 2) Towards community of Peace. 3) Towards a community of Economic Sustainability. Read more Sphere: Related Content

Book Review --Y. T. Vinaya Raj. Re-imagining Dalit Theology - Postmodern Readings.

Even though the book is only less than 100 pages, it is rich and solid in its contents. The attempt of the author is to construct an Indian Christian theology based on Dalit experiences along postmodern lines. Vinaya Raj views caste as an epistemological problem. Caste as an episteme positions Dalits in a “subordinate” social status and renders them as “lesser human beings.” To read more click here

Sphere: Related Content

Evaluation Worship and Sermon: Vakappalli Dora Babu

V. Dora Babu, BD IV, conducted his evaluation worship and sermon on July 30, 2008 in the Gurukul Schwans Memorial Chapel. He preached on the text, Acts 16: 9-15. The sermon was titled "'God's Mission' -- A Journey from Vision to Mission." The worship included songs in Hindi, Malayalam and Tamil; also there was a prayer of confession suiting the message of the sermon. The sermon started with the story of Helen Keller who lost her eyesight and hearing ability at the age of one and half years due to some illness. "What would be worse than being born blind?" she was asked once. "Having sight without vision," was her reply. (....to read more click here) 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

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

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

SCM and Fine Arts Inaugurations

Praxes: SCM and Fine Arts Inaugurations 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

Evaluatory worship and sermons: Dn. Aby Paul.M

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