From the desk of Rev. Simon Behanan

Inside this Issue

1. Message from the Vicar

2. Wedding Anniversaries

3. Birthdays

4. Bible Readings

5. News and Announcements

6. Worship Services

Theme For The Year 2005: Fellowship with God, self and others.

“But they shouted, “Take Him away! Take Him away! Crucify Him!” John 19:15

     The passion narratives of Jesus are vivid and vicarious. His arrest, trials, crucifixion and burial were moments when God’s love met human brokenness and aggressiveness. What the Jewish and Roman authorities did to Him were expressions of human aggressiveness to others and to God. This is something that we have to deal with in our daily life, especially during this year’s Passion Week. Through His vicarious suffering, Jesus was providing an opportunity to the Jews and the Romans to reflect upon the roots of their cruelty and disregard for others. Since Jesus preached, interpreted and lived the word of God differently, the authorities and their followers were distressed, and wanted to destroy Him for He was different from them. This points our finger to the big problem that we all have in our daily life: our difficulty to accept others who are different from us. We want everybody else to be like us and if not so, (God has created others as different), we are not able to accept them. In that situation, the human tendency is to destroy the other: through words, actions, attitudes and responses. Like the authorities who killed Jesus, human tendency is to annihilate others who are different from us.

     One of the crucial issues that we have to deal with during this season is our attitude towards others. Respect for others who are different from us, instead of crying to crucify them, grows out of Christ event in our life. The Christ event is the resurrection of Christ in all the areas of our life, the incarnation of the risen Christ in our daily life and experiences. This happens when we decide to cleanse our life of all rubbish, hatred and disregard for others, and when we allow the risen Christ to take charge of our whole life. This involves the painful experience of crucifixion and burial of our present life on the cross of repentance and reconciliation, and the glorious experience of resurrection that involves the breaking of our tombs of selfish regard for us and disregard for others, and rising up to the point of submission to the will of God fully and potentially. Resurrection is, therefore, living with Christ everyday. Then we will be able to consider all others, as different, unique and created by God, who deserves an equal regard and respect. This is love and there is no space for hatred in this love. Therefore, do not crucify others, but only love them and lift them. Easter Slogan: No more crucifixion, only resurrection.

March Birthdays

The vicar and the members of Atlanta Mar Thoma Church wish the following members a very happy birthday. Please plan to attend the celebration communion service on the Sunday following the occasion.

March Wedding Anniversaries

The vicar and the members of Atlanta Mar Thoma Church wish the following members a very happy Wedding Anniversary. Please plan to attend the celebration communion service on the Sunday following the occasion.

Bible Readings for March 2005

Worship Services