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.

Fire and Hammer

“Is not my word like a fire?” says the lord, “and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” Jer 23:29 

     God uses two metaphors to illustrate the characteristics of His word. The word of God is like a fire and like a hammer. Fire burns and produces heat and light. Fire purifies unclean materials and consumes those that cannot stand its heat. Without fire, we cannot survive in this world and at the same time fire is a threat to our survival. Fire is a friend of humanity as well as a threat. The word of God, the spiritual fire, is an unending fire that burns in the human hearts and life situations. It will help us purify all the impurities and imperfections in our life. Are we willing to let the fire burn within us? If so, we will be purified so as to produce light that guides and guards the humanity. Then the darkness within us will disappear and we would become better human beings who can see others as they are. One reason why there is darkness in the world is because our eyes are too blind to see the light. The word of God will burn within us and open our eyes to see the light in and around us. Let there be light!

     The word of God is like a hammer. A hammer pounds hard materials like rock and creates little useful pieces out of that. It will break the hard sides of our lives and would enable us become little pieces of God’s love and compassion. We are sometimes fearful about the hammer and its impact in our lives. Therefore we try avoiding all sorts of hammering and we look for safe havens. Our unconscious resistance to become vulnerable before the word of God keeps us away from the beauty of Christian life. Are we willing to become susceptible to the hammering word of God? Are we able to identify the areas in our life that needs heavy pounding as well as thorough transformation? 

     The fire and hammer are agencies of God that purifies and breaks us in order to become new human beings in Jesus Christ. Let the fire burn within us and break us so as to become a new humanity.

October 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.

October 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 October 2005

Worship Services