Chicago Mar Thoma Church

Chicago Mar Thoma ChurchPARISH MESSENGERBi-MonthlyDECEMBER 2018 - JANUARY 2019

Chicago Mar Thoma Church2018 Executive Committee MembersRev. Shiby Varughese P.Rev. George VargheseMr. Eapen P. ChackoMr. Teji ThomasMr. Monish K. JohnMr. Leboy Wilson ThoppilMr. Abraham K. AbrahamMr. Sims P. ChackoMr. Mathew M. MathaiDr. Joe M. GeorgeMr. Daniel C. VargheseMs. Sunina M. ChackoMs. Sally ChackoMr. Biju JacobMs. Sujatha AbrahamMs. Annie VargheseMs. Lexine VarughisMr. Roy ThomasMr. Sunny CherianMr. Aniyan VargheseMr. Abraham Varghese (Saji)Mr. Alwin AbrahamMs. Aney AbrahamMr. Eipe C. VargheseMr. Koshy VargheseMr. Shaji KoshyMr. Mathews P. ChackoMr. Iype GeorgeMr. Anish MathewsVicar / PresidentAssistant Vicar/Vice-PresidentVice-PresidentSecretaryTrustee - FinanceTrustee - AccountsLay Leader - MalayalamLay Leader - EnglishMandalam MemberDiocesan Council MemberAssembly MemberAssembly MemberChoirEdavaka MissionSevikha SanghamSunday SchoolYouth FellowshipYuvajana SakhyamArea 1 RepresentativeArea 2 RepresentativeArea 3 RepresentativeArea 4 RepresentativeArea 5 RepresentativeArea 6 RepresentativeArea 7 RepresentativeArea 8 RepresentativeArea 9 RepresentativeArea 10 RepresentativeArea 11 RepresentativeArea 12 262-432-36302018 Elected non-committee membersMr. Jacob ThomasLay Leader (Malayalam)Mr. Joshua Thomas RincyLay Leader (English)Mr. Shani AbrahamAuditorMr. Sam GeorgeAuditorNote: Phone numbers provided are Cell Phone contactsParish Messenger December-2018 - January- 15Page 2

VICAR’S MESSAGEDearly Beloved in ChristWe are heading towards another Christmas season and preparingourselves to bid farewell to 2018. Let’s remember the grace andmercies of God which protected us.Human is the best creature created by God clothed with thegarment of glory. God in human form is Jesus Christ who came tothis world to redeem us from all sin and evil. The coming of God and becoming of Godinto Jesus Christ is the story and history of Gospel. The mystery of God is revealed andreflected in the birth, life and crucifixion narratives of Jesus Christ. All gospel writersexplore this great truth in their narratives.St John 1:14 says “And the word became flesh and dwelt among us”Christmas is about the word incarnation. We sing it every year in our Christmas carols,especially in "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing." Charles Wesley wrote that, and one lineyou've sung says, "Veiled in flesh, the Godhead see; Hail the incarnate Deity." TheApostles' Creed teaches the doctrine of the incarnation when it says, "conceived by theHoly Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary."Christmas is frankly doctrinal, and it's boldly historical. In incarnation the invisible hasbecome visible, the incorporeal has become corporeal. In other words, God has becomehuman. The absolute has become particular. The ideal has become real. The divine hastaken up a human nature. This is not only a specific doctrine, but it's also unique. God isso imminent in all things. God is so imminent that it is possible, but he is so transcendentthat the Incarnation of God in the person of Jesus Christ is a , , , event.Incarnation is Salvation in HistoryIn other words, the doctrine of Christmas is that God became historical. The manger, theresurrection, the story of Jesus is not just a story. It's true. It actually happened in history.The point of Christmas is that Jesus Christ really lived, and he really died. It happened inhistory. He did these things. He said these things. The gospel is not that Jesus Christ comesto earth, tells us how to live, we live a good life, and then God owes us blessing. The gospelis that Jesus Christ came to earth, lived the life we should have lived, and died the deathwe should have died, so when we believe in him we are accepted and live a life of gratefuljoy for him. The story and history of Christmas is one more moral paradigm to transformus. Traditional religion says salvation is escaping out of this world into the kingdom ofGod, but the gospel of Christmas is that salvation is the kingdom of God coming into thisworld. World is God’s creation, body is holy, matter is precious, physical life is a gift. Thefuture of the gospel is a new heaven and a new earth.Parish Messenger December-2018 - January- 2019Page 3

Incarnation calls us to be Spiritual and MysticalIncarnation will make you deeply mystical, happily material, fiercely relational, and freeto be emotional. First of all, Christmas will make you deeply mystical. First John 1:3 says,"Our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son." This word fellowship, whichis koinonia, means that if Jesus Christ has come, if Christmas is true, then we've got a basisfor a personal relationship with God. God is no longer a remote idea or just a force wecower before, but we can know him personally. He's become graspable. He’s going to besomebody you can relate to. You're seeing him weep. You're seeing him upset. You'reseeing him cast down. You're seeing him exalted. Christmas is an invitation to becomemystical. Christmas is an invitation to know Christ personally. The gospel of Christmasmakes us deeply mystical and happily material, but it makes us fiercely relational. TheIncarnation imprints on us an attitude toward relationships. Christmas is about is that youbecome more desirous of intimate personal relationships with other people and better atgetting them, because the Incarnation is the secret of good personal relationships.As the Vicar, I sincerely urge members of the parish to prepare us for this Holy seasonthrough participating in lent, fasting and prayers. Adhering to discipline our spiritual habitsinto devotional practices of faith let’s give priority to build our relationship through the actof repentance and reconciliation. As parish let’s wake up from our slumber dreams andlook to the future with altruistic visions and imaginations. Future is coming to us and Godholds the future. Let’s be a transformed community to serve the Lord in this great nation.May the Triune God bless you all Wish you all Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!Shiby AchenVicarASST. VICAR’S MESSAGEDearly beloved in Christ,Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.We are in the Advent season. Christmas carol rounds are alreadystarted and through our songs and actions we are supposed to be themessengers of God’s love towards humanity. If we analyze the birthnarrative of Jesus, we realize that both the shepherds and the magibecame significant witnesses to the incarnation. Both groups knew about Jesus throughspecial revelation from the heavens. Both understood that he was special. And at theParish Messenger December-2018 - January- 2019Page 4

moment they saw him, they all worshipped. But their worship pattern was different. Theshepherds worshipped Jesus with their words and lives. After hearing the angelic message,they went, and they saw Jesus. They told everyone what they had seen and heard, and allwho heard it were amazed (Luke 2:18). They glorified God in heaven by proclaiming whatthey knew of his baby Son. That’s the worship of shepherds. The Magi had travelled so farfor that very purpose. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary,and they bowed down and worshipped him (Matthew2:11). They offered gifts as if theywere giving to a King: Gold, Frankincense and myrrh – expensive spices, fragrant oils andthe most valuables of their day. That is, they bowed in reverence and offered their best.That’s the worship of Magi. As we celebrate this Christmas, let us ask ourselves Am I likethe shepherd or the magi? Do I talk about God or give my best for him? TO WITNESSTHE SAVIOR IS TO WORSHIP HIM. Let us submit ourselves before God and be the truewitnesses of our Savior by worshipping Him in truth and spirit. God bless you.Wishing you all a Blessed Christmas and a Wonderful New Year.In His Service,Binu Achen.SECRETARY’S DESKWho am I? What am I?Once upon a time a donkey was carrying an idol of God on his back; and was walkingalong the street, all people around him started to bow down; seeing this the donkeyfelt elated; started becoming arrogant and threw tantrums. The owner held thedonkey by the reigns and whipped him; and reminded the donkey; people are bowingdown NOT to you but to the idol that you are carrying. The donkey learned a lesson;but many of us still behave arrogantly and flaunt our position.Few years ago a CEO who retired from active service said so; during the time I wasthe CEO; I used to get lot of calls, my phones never stopped ringing; people throngedmy office and home to meet me; he said, I thought how much valued am I; howmuch important am I; but after retirement the solitude; the silent phone; the anxioussight to see someone walk-in; the darkness of seclusion all kept reminding me; thosebusyness; phone calls; visitors were meant for the Positions that adorned me and notfor ME as an individual.Often while we hold positions in society and at work place; we get carried away andfall into the trap of feeling elated, become arrogant; without realizing the fact thatour importance is all due to the position or title we hold and not because of ourmerits.Every object derives its value and energy by the position it holds; its not inherent toitself. Water flowing from mountain top; stored in dam, let down by force, rotatesturbines and generates electricity; it’s not an inherent quality of Water to generateParish Messenger December-2018 - January- 2019Page 5

electricity on its own; but because of the position from where it flows down. Weneed to make meekness as humbleness as our identity and trademark.I’m reminded of a Facebook post; it says so; “You were given birth by someone;You were raised by someone; You were imparted knowledge by someone; thenWhat is it that you own to boast and be arrogant”.When people gathered to crown Him as King or Messiah; Jesus eluded them; whenpeople were hatching a plot to scorn and crucify; He went into their midst; bysubmitting and humbling Himself to the plans of His Father; He humbled Himselfby being born in a Manger to a village girl and carpenter. Let us try to emulate theChrist like behavior in us; stooping down to servanthood; humbling and clothing ourbody, mind and soul with meekness, gratitude and appreciation towards others andto the society and have self-realization; I’m worthless without God in me.Wishing All our Families a Joyous Christmas & Blessed 2019Together in His ServiceTeji ThomasParish Carol ServiceSaturday 22nd December @ 05:00 pmRefer to Lectionary @ http://marthoma.in/lectionary/Sunday School Time: 08:30 am (December)Sunday School Time: 08:50 am 16-Dec22-Dec2018 - CAROL Rounding Schedule - DecemberDayAreaAreaTimeSaturday312:00 PMSunday712:00 PMFriday45:30 PMSaturdayEcumenical Carol Service5:00 PMSunday512:00 PMFriday25:30 PMSaturday612:00 PMSunday812:00 PMSaturdayCMTC Carol Service5:00 PMParish Messenger December-2018 - January- 2019Page 6