st. stephen’s church · 2018-06-15 · women. in our use of language, we must avoid ignoring,...

ST. STEPHEN’S CHURCH (CHURCH OF NORTH INDIA)

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NEWSLETTER

MAY 2018

(For Private Circulation Only)

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Almanac and Lectionary: May 2018

Date

Theme & Readings

Liturgical colour

Sunday, 6 May 2018 Holy Communion Services: 7 a.m., 9 a.m. & 6 p.m.

Fifth Sunday after Easter Theme: Jesus promises that the Spirit of truth and love will come to dwell in the Church. 1st Reading : Acts 11:1-18 Psalm : Psalm 98:1-6 Epistle : I John 3:23-4:4 Gospel : John 14:21-26

Refer to Readings for Sunday Worship ~ page 113

White


Sixth Sunday after Easter Theme: The ascended Lord upholds those who are united to him by faith. 1st Reading : Acts 7:54-60 Psalm : Psalm 27:1,3-5 Epistle : I John 2:28-3:3 Gospel : John 17:11-19


White


Pentecost Theme: The gift of the Holy Spirit. 1st Reading : Acts 2:1-11 Psalm : Psalm 139:1-4,7-8,11-12,23-24 Epistle : I Corinthians 12:1,4-13 Gospel : John 20:19-23


Red


First Sunday after Pentecost: Trinity Sunday Theme: God the Holy Trinity. O.T. : Isaiah 6:1-8 Psalm : Psalm 46:1-6,10-11 Epistle : Ephesians 3:14-21 Gospel : John 16:5-15


White

Sunday, 3 June 2018 Holy Communion Services: 7 a.m., 9 a.m. & 6 p.m.

Second Sunday after Pentecost Theme: The unique authority of Christ our Lord. O.T. : Deuteronomy 5:22-28 Psalm : Psalm 89:5-6,8-9,14-17 Epistle : I Corinthians 4:14-21 Gospel : Mark 1:21-28


Green

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FROM THE PASTOR’S DESK

AFFIRMING THE DIGNITY OF WOMEN

Many shocking incidents of violence against women are being reported in the media almost on a daily basis. In all likelihood, most such cases may not be even reported to the police. Even when it is reported, to even file a First Information Report (FIR) is a challenging task. In many cases, the victims are blamed for the violence. We also find that the perpetrators are increasingly brazen about their acts. When the accused are powerful, the victims are also intimidated. Political leaders promise strict action and stiff punishment, but the conviction rate is so poor that there is no fear of the law. While the nation seems to be making progress on some fronts, the attitude toward women is outdated. How can there be a positive change in the society in this regard? What should be the response of the church/Christian in this context? Can making provisions for severe punishment under the law reduce crime against women? The answer is ‘No’. Yet, if there is speedy trial and certainty of punishment, to an extent the law can serve as a deterrent. Ultimately, however, if the crimes against women have to drop or stop, there has to be a change in the mind set of people; a change in thinking and attitude. How women are viewed is important. The bible has good news for women. Genesis 1:26-27 affirms that men and women are equally created in the image of God: “Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over … So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” God has given dignity to every human being, including women, by creating them in his image/likeness. To violate this dignity is an offence against the creator God. In the Gospels we find that Jesus treated women with respect. At a time when women practically had no standing in society, Jesus treated them as persons of worth. As Christians we must develop a biblical world-view of women. We must remember that we are called to be the ‘light of the world’ and the ‘salt of the earth’. We must be instruments in bringing about change in the attitude of the members of our society. If our response to the crimes against women is only to pray for victims or, may be, to hold candle light vigils, we may not see any change of scenario. Beginning at home, we must respect the personalities, abilities, views and choices of women. In our use of language, we must avoid ignoring, stereotyping and depreciating women. We must also be able to critique how sources like the media present women in stereotyped ways, and present a counter-cultural viewpoint that is based on the Scripture. Let us continually affirm the dignity and worth God has bestowed on every person, particularly women. In His Grace, Thomas Jacob

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NEWS & NOTES

“…serve one another in love.” Galatians 5:13

Weekly Bible Study: Members meet every Thursday at 7.30 p.m. in the PHCC for a time of fellowship, singing and interactive Bible study. Guest Speaker: We thank Rev. Paras Tayade, Faculty, Union Biblical Seminary, Pune, for sharing the word of God on 1 April (Easter Sunday), and Rev.Keith Pasgon for taking the evening service on 8 April. Obituary: We are sad to announce the passing away of Ms.Lydia Vidyasagar, aged 72 years, on 15 April and Mr. Sudhir Gaikwad, aged 58 years, on 22 April. May our Living Lord comfort the bereaved families. WFCS: The members of WFCS volunteered to distribute breakfast on Easter Sunday. Membership: We are happy to welcome and introduce the new member: Mr.Manish Kumar Chauhan, Ms.Sangeeta Chauhan and 2 daughters (Full Membership). Senior Citizens: We pray for all the senior citizens of our Church that our merciful God will give them good health and strength. Sick & Housebound: We continue to pray for the sick and housebound members of our Church: David C. Matthew, Prakash Naik, Olga Nazareth, Loolu Thomas, Lizzy Kurian, Padmini Abraham, Judith Rallia Ram, Anitaa Thakur, Nancy Razdan and Thankam Venkatraman that God’s merciful hands be upon them to heal and strengthen them.

“Do not love the world or anything in the world” I John 2:15

Isaac Cladio Hon. Secretary

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HEARD FROM THE PULPIT

8 April 2018 ~ 1st Sunday after Easter Theme: ‘Joy and peace, power and new life are given through the resurrection of Christ.’

John wrote this letter to expose false teachers and to challenge the Christians not to remain in sin. One of the most dangerous heresies of the first two centuries of the church was Gnosticism. The central teaching of the Gnostics was that the spirit is wholly good and matter is wholly evil. The Gnostics also denied the humanity of Jesus in two ways: While some of them said that Christ only appeared to have a body, others said that Christ joined the man Jesus at baptism and left him before he died. This is the background to the first letter of John.

John wrote: “… we have heard … we have seen with our eyes … we have looked upon and touched with our hands...” (I John 1:1). The apostles heard Jesus teaching with authority; saw Jesus performing miracles. They had also seen Jesus’ arrest, crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. The apostles had also looked upon Jesus in amazement before and after his resurrection. Finally, they had touched Jesus with their own hands. John’s point here seems to be that God’s Son Jesus Christ really lived, really died on the cross, and really rose from the grave. The Incarnation was not an illusion or a hallucination, Christ’s resurrection on Easter was not a myth or a fairy tale, but it was something John (and the other apostles) actually heard, saw and touched, something that is real. God had truly become human. For our spiritual journey to be joyful we must have the foundation in reality, the reality of the incarnation and resurrection of Jesus Christ. John goes on to speak about fellowship (I John 1:3). Not only do we need the right foundation for our journey, but we also need the right companions. If we build our spiritual journey on the word of life (God’s revelation), share it with other Christians in fellowship, base it on God’s revealed truth in the Bible, and allow it to transform our lives, our joy will be full.

15 April 2018 ~ 2nd Sunday after Easter Theme: ‘Witnesses to Christ’s resurrection.’

After the Pentecost event, the apostles began to preach Christ boldly. The essence of the preaching of the apostles was that Jesus Christ died and rose again. The religious leaders tried to suppress this message. They arrested Peter and John and put them in jail. The next day they were released after giving strict warnings not to preach anymore in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered boldly, “Whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge; for we cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19-20). Later, in Acts 5:12, we read: “Now many signs and wonders were done among the people through the apostles.” The Jewish religious leaders realized that they had failed to suppress the message of Easter that Jesus rose from the dead. So they arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. They thought that this way they can silence the apostles. But an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought the apostles out, and commanded them to tell everyone about the new life in Christ. So the apostles continued to preach Christ boldly. The apostles were then flogged and ordered not to speak in the name of Jesus. But the apostles did not stop teaching and preaching the good news of Jesus Christ (Acts 5:42). Today, for fear of the consequences, we prefer to be silent when it comes proclaiming the gospel. However, we must remember that we are called to be witnesses to the resurrection of Christ. When there is opposition, our stand must be the same as that of Peter and the other apostles - “We must obey God rather than any human authority.”

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22 April 2018 ~ 3rd Sunday after Easter Theme: ‘The Good Shepherd.’

Jesus compares himself to a shepherd: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep…” (John 10:11). The shepherd and the sheep share an intimate relationship: “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me - just as the Father knows me and I know the Father” (John 10:14-15). Can we recognize the voice of the Good Shepherd in midst of all the noise and distractions of this world? Are our ears and hearts tuned to hear his voice? Without the good shepherd leading us through our journey here on earth, we will lose our way.

Based on the intimate knowledge between Jesus and his Father, there exists an intimate knowing between Jesus and his sheep. Jesus knows them by name and leads them; his sheep, in turn, hear and know his voice and follow him (John 10:3-4). The Greek word translated here as ‘know’ (Gk. ginosko) means to know experientially. It is not knowledge from reading a book. The word ‘know’ is used several times in the Bible to refer to physical intimacy in marriage. For example, in Genesis 4:17, we read, “Cain knew his wife and she bore a child.” It doesn’t mean Cain knew his wife’s name. It implies the most intimate kind of love relationship. So when Jesus says he “knows” his sheep, he is saying that our relationship with God is a very personal and intimate one. The crucial question is: Do we know the shepherd – the good shepherd? Not a bookish knowledge of the shepherd, but a deep, personal and intimate relationship with Jesus. It is only when you have that intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, would you be able to say with confidence: “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing… Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me…” (Psalm 23:1,4).

29 April 2018 ~ 4th Sunday after Easter Theme: ‘God is love, and we can only know him if we ourselves show love to others.’

In I John 4:8, we have one of the most profound statements of the entire Bible – God is love! It is something many today perhaps would find very hard to believe. Scientists estimate there are at least one hundred billion galaxies in this universe. The galaxy that we live in - the Milky Way galaxy – has an estimated 200 billion stars, of which the sun is just one. And on this tiny little planet earth there are over 7.6 billion people. When we consider all these figures, can we really talk about God loving us? Can the God who created such a vast universe be bothered about the seemingly insignificant creatures called human beings on this tiny little planet earth? When we see so much suffering, violence and injustice in this world, we may ask, “How can there be a God who really loves?”

Can such a great God be bothered about my small life, is a wrong question to ask. Because he is so great that he can be bothered with each of us individually. John emphasizes the amazing fact that God is concerned with human beings: “God sent his one and only Son into the world… not that we loved God but that he loved us… Beloved, since God loved us so much…” (I John 4:9-11).

When John says ‘God is love’, he is not saying that it is a quality that God has; he is saying that love is the essence of God’s being. It is not just that God loves, but that he is love. If we are truly God’s children, we would want to be like our Father. We would want love to be a part of our nature. The Christian church should be a community of love as Jesus commanded, “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35).

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GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE We thank God for the lives and faithful service of all those who passed away in the month of May of earlier years.

YEAR NAME 1894 HOWELL HELEN FRANCIS 1899 ALLTREE ISABEL 1900 MORRIS AUGUSTINE 1902 DALL JAME JOHNSTONE 1905 CHRISTIAN BARBARA 1967 DODD FLORENCE MAUDE 1979 KOSHY P. KURUVILLA 1986 TRUMAN ELISHA RAJA RAO 1990 KADNAR MANUEL S. 1994 GAIKWAD S. PUSHPA 2000 NATH SURESH JOGINDER 2001 SOANS CLEMENT EZRA 2003 RAPAZ HELEN 2005 DONGRE RAJESH 2005 CHERIAN K.C. 2005 JOHN MATHEW BENJAMIN 2007 ANCHAN HENRIETTA 2009 THOMAS MANGALATH THOMAS 2009 THOMAS SUBASH 2017 DAVID PROMILA

QCCCS NEWS

The academic session 2017-2018 is over. 17 students from the Day Care Centre (DCC) have received admission into reputed schools in Bandra. Interviews to fill the vacancies were concluded in mid-April. 30 applications were received out of which 26 turned up. All were given admission. Only 1 English medium student from the Study Centre (SC) appeared for the SSC exams this year. The QCCCS will remain closed for Summer from 1st May to 31st May. Kumary Koshy Hon. Secretary

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REGULAR ACTIVITIES

Worship Services on Sundays: Holy Communion (Said): 7 a.m. & 6 p.m. Holy Communion (Sung): 9 a.m.

Church Office: Saguna Doshi (Monday to Saturday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.)

26423955

Rev. Thomas Jacob, Presbyter-in-charge

9820736359 / 26428803 [email protected]

Isaac Cladio, Hon. Secretary

9869513872

K.P.George, Hon. Treasurer

9821074653

Sushill Augustine, Hon. Jt. Secretary

9820657433

Sabina Solomon, Hon. Jt. Treasurer

9820080456

St.Stephen’s Church 46, Mount Mary Road, Bandra (West), Mumbai – 400 050

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.stephenschurch-bandra.com

facebook page: @stephenschurchbandra

Activity

Venue

Day & Time

Contact Person

Phone No.

Pastorate Committee

Meeting

Parsonage

17 June

10.45 a.m.

Isaac Cladio

9869513872

Sunday School

PHCC

Closed for summer. Reopens on 10 June

Beulah Anand

9967170867

Bible Study

PHCC

Thursdays 7.30 p.m. No Bible Study on

24 & 31 May

Rev.Thomas Jacob

9820736359

QCCCS:

Day Care Centre & Study Centre

PHCC

Closed for Summer. Reopens on 1 June

Kumary Koshy

9820217524

st. stephen’s church · 2018-06-15 · women. in our use of language, we must avoid ignoring,...

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