My dear parish members,

Greetings in the name of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ

“How can I repay the Lord for all His goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord’ (Psalm 116:12-13)

It is my pleasure and privilege to write through the pages of the Mar Thoma, congregation’s web page about our life in front of our lord and saviour Jesus Christ.

Life is a journey. Life is short. In our more reflective moments, we remember these truths. If life is a journey, should we then not think about the fuel which powers us to our destination? As Christians, we are cognisant of the fact that prayer powers our journey; and that our ultimate destination is to remain in the eternal heavenly abode of our Lord and Master, who brought His Kingdom during His historic living and it would consummate in its fullness in future

A little more than two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came and founded His Body, the Church through His Apostles and disciples for the salvation of the whole created order, including human beings. In the years which followed, the Apostles spread His teachings far and wide. They established many churches, all united in faith, worship, doctrines and the partaking of the Mysteries of the Body of Christ.

The Church recognized that as it is a faith community, it could not exist meaningfully without reference to that larger community outside of it. They experienced Christian fellowship and unity in life before it was defined or explained. This is the reason why nurturing of the community is viewed as a vital ministry of the church.

One of the most striking elements of early Church Life is its members’ sense of fellowship as exemplified in Acts 2:42 - ”They devoted themselves to the apostle’s teachings and fellowship”. This sense of fellowship was distinctively manifested in the Jerusalem community. They strove to be inclusive and ministered to the marginalised like the many poor people in society, especially the widows and orphans. They shared their possessions. “None considered their property to be their own, but to be used for the good of all.” (Acts 2:45-47). So they had placed emphasis to the practice of faith in the form of doing good works, while at the same time subjecting themselves to the spiritual authority of the apostles and abiding by their teachings “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds...... Can such faith save him?.... In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2:14-17).

Sadly, the situation today is quite different. An astonishing number of denominations and para-christian religious groups claim to be the successors of the early Church. Claims and counter-claims are the order of the day. A yardstick for truth is needed by which to compare what the Church originally believed in and practiced with what these groups claim. In this climate of confusion, we should examine the human situation, both within and outside the church.

There is an increasing compartmentalisation of biblical faith from mainstream contemporary life. Most people, including Christians, see Christian life as a matter of adhering to routines and regulations, which are unrelated to the art of living. To them, spirituality has little to do with the challenges and possibilities of “secular life” Hence, the scope of Christian living is reduced to seeking favours from God.

To the majority, life is to be lived according to the pressures and pulls of human nature and popular secular culture, in pursuit of instant personal gratification. This is achieved with no regards for cost or consequences, or consideration for the welfare of others. However, the proof of the vitality of a spiritual tradition is the extent to which it empowers the most vulnerable segments of a society or community. It is this insight that underlies Jesus’ announcement that He came to “to preach the good news to the poor…to proclaim freedom for prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour”

Poverty is the essence of vulnerability. Contrary to popular assumption, modern man is most vulnerable.  The more materially privileged they are, the more vulnerable they tend to be. This vulnerability stems from emotional, relational and spiritual poverty or deprivation. The worst part of this human condition is the lack of awareness of this sorry state of existence.

Contributing factors include unprecedented affluence, ever-expanding boundaries of individual freedom, the collapse of moral norms under cultural pressures, perilous neglect of the logic of life, depletion of the sources of guidance and counselling, emergence of a culture of consumerism and indulgence, etc.

In addition, there is something about the relentless speed, drive and spirit of this age that is incompatible with Christian living. The frantic pace of a consumerist life style robs this generation of the leisure to be. Man is too busy and blinded by his pursuits to enjoy the gift of life. Spiritual alienation results, trapping man in an emotional void.

There is an urgent need to address this situation. We need deliverance. Salvation is the divine gift by which we are delivered from sin and death; united with Christ, and brought into His eternal kingdom. Salvation demands our faith in Jesus Christ. We cannot save ourselves by our own good works. It is a never-ending life-long process, where we strive with God’s help for perfection. As humans, we are fallible and must keep striving. In this process, a contemplative and prayerful life would help us to get on the authentic track of life, which in turn brings us to the original blessedness.

Like breathing is essential to sustaining life, prayer sustains our spiritual health. Like breathing, prayer must become second nature. Prayer aligns us to God’s will as it is the conduit for communication with God. In this communication hierarchy, as modelled by our Master in the “Lord’s Prayer”, the focus is primarily on God, His Kingdom and Will. This is followed by the needs of “our neighbour” and others. Our personal concerns and requests come last. This is the way our prayer should also be.

There are two dimensions to prayer - corporate prayer and personal prayer. Both play an important part in our spiritual journey. So, our spiritual journey should be a key concern of the Church to be effective, the Church must be seen to be relevant, and be in tune with the day-to-day human situations. Corporate worship must address the life situations of the people.

For personal prayer to be effective Man’s aspirations of striving for holiness and emulating our Master hinges on his ability to be subjugated to Christ and to control his own inner drives and passions. According to Eastern spirituality, fasting, restraint from anger and jealousy, sexual passion, sensual stimulation, and of all inner turmoil which makes us do things against our own free will, is a necessary preparation for prayer. This preparation enables us to worship in truth and spirit, by involving our whole being – body, mind and spirit.

This realignment through prayer will power our journey such that we strive to shift from an “I” centric alienated existence to a more “God-centric” and “fellow human beings centric” fullness of life. We will be empowered to live a more Godly life and be better able to withstand the pressures and pulls of human nature and secular culture, while being fully engaged in society. A Community of such fervent believers will translate into corporate worship which will be in-tune with the realities and vulnerabilities of society, and offer the world a relevant and necessary alternative.

Therefore my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Let’s worship together as a believing community in Switzerland and do marvellous ministry for the Lord through our life and deeds.

May God bless you all

With Prayers

Yours in Christ’s Service