World Sunday School Day: 1st November 2014 (Free Ebook – Robert Raikes and how we got Sunday School)
George Romney’s portrait of Robert Raikes, the newspaperman who popularised schooling on Sundays Photo: National Portrait Gallery, London
2nd November 2014 : World Sunday School Day – The first Sunday of the Month of November is celebrated throughout the world as Sunday School Day. The Mar Thoma/ CSI/ CNI churches are celebrating Sunday, 2nd November, 2014 as World Sunday School Day.
Robert Raikes (1735- 1811), an English Publisher, started the first Sunday School in the city of Gloucester in England in 1780. During the early days, reading, arithmetic and Bible was taught at the Sunday Schools.
In 1809, Church representatives of the Malankara Churches held a meeting at Kandanadu Church, near Ernakualam to arrange facilities to teach children in the Church about religion, prayers and sacraments. The India Sunday School Union was founded in 1876.The Mar Thoma Sunday School Samajam was established on 25 February 1905, at the Maramon Convention.
We encourage our readers to read and share this Free 4 page PDF Ebook Resource for your Sunday Schools and children’s services: Robert Raikes and How We Got Sunday School
Inscription on the tomb of Robert Raikes.
7 October, 1837: Birth of Thomas Mar Athanasius Metropolitan
Thomas Mar Athanasius Metropolitan
7 October, 1837: Thomas Mar Athanasius, the first son of Abraham Malpan was born into the Palakunnathu family of Maramon. He was the Metropolitan of The Mar Thoma Syrian Church from 1877-1893. It was during his time the Mar Thoma Church lost almost all their churches and properties in a court case called the “Seminary Suit”.
The main events during his episcopate are the formation of “The Mar Thoma Evangelistic Association” in 1888 and the beginning of the Mar Thoma Church magazine “Malankara Sabha Tharaka” in 1893. Though the episcopate of Thomas Mar Athanasius was a period of trial and suffering for the Mar Thoma Church, it was also one of great spiritual promise for the future. He was called to his eternal home on 10 August 1893.
Pages from History: 7 October, 1837 – Rev. Dr. Hermann Gundert arrives in Trivandrum.
Hermann Gundert
7 October, 1837: Rev. Dr. Hermann Gundert, the German Missionary arrives in Trivandrum had an audience with His Highness Sree Swathi Thirunal Maharaja, the ruler of Travancore. Rev. Gundert compiled a Malayalam grammar book, Malayalabhaasha Vyakaranam (1859), a Malayalam-English dictionary (1872), and contributed to work on Bible translations into Malayalam. He worked in various parts of South India for 23 years (1836- 1859).
The archives of information he collected from Kerala are kept in the Tuniberg University, Germany. He returned to Germany in 1859. There he took ten more years to complete the Malayalam-English dictionary. Though Gundert came to Kerala as a missionary, he is remembered today mainly for his contributions the language Malayalam. He lived in Calw, Germany where he passed away on April 25, 1893.
Pages from History: 6 October, 1536: Church executes William Tyndale
William Tyndale
6 October, 1536: Church executes William Tyndale (b.1494).
The first English version of the Bible made by direct translation from the original Hebrew and Greek, and the first to be printed, was the work of William Tyndale. He met bitter opposition from the main Church. He was accused of willfully perverting the meaning of the Scriptures and his New Testaments were to be burned as “untrue translations”.
He was finally betrayed into the hands of his enemies and on 6 October 1536, was publicly executed and burned at the stake by the Catholic Church.
Pages from History: 4 October, 1836 – Abraham Malpan ends Maramon ‘Muthappan’ Festival
Image from maramonmarthomachurch.com
5 October, 1836: Malayalam Year 1012 Kanni 19: Members of the Mar Thoma Maramon Parish used to celebrate the festival of “Muthappan” every year.
Muthappan was a wooden idol in the shape of a human, made in memory of a foreign Bishop who came to Kerala in AD 1685. Offerings and prayers were conducted in front of this idol. The people of Maramon believed that the cause of all their prosperity and blessings was because of this semi-god, Muthappan.
Large crowds used to attend this yearly festival, which was a good source of income for the Maramon Parish. On 4th October 1836, the day before ‘Muthappan Festival’, the reformer of the Mar Thoma Church, Abraham Malpan threw “Muthappan” into the well situated in the Church compound and put an end to this festival forever, starting the reformation process.
26th October 2014: Family Sunday Service (Free pdf EBook)
The Principles of Christian Family Life (Malayalam)
On 26th October 2014 (20th Sunday after Pentecost), Family Sunday is celebrated by the CSI church, CNI church and the Mar Thoma Syrian Church. The focus of the service is on the “Faith that has to be formulated in family life”.
Download this free pdf Ebook published in Malayalam in 1951 that is still relevant to today’s Christian life. This book can be used as a resource for your Family Sunday service. The link can be shared and used by church members, parishes and church organziations. It can be accessed on any smartphone, tablet or computer for free.
The Principles of Christian Family Life (Malayalam) (Published in 1951)
or
Pages from History: 29 September, 1978 – Pope John Paul I passes away
Pope John Paul I
29 September, 1978: Four weeks after being elected, Pope John Paul I passed away while reading a devotional in bed.His 33-day papacy was one of the shortest reigns in papal history, Having died before he could make a legacy as a pope, he is best remembered for his friendliness and humility, making him known as “the smiling Pope”.
Pages from History: 27, 28 September 1917 – First Mar Thoma Clergy Conference
27, 28 September, 1917 (12, 13 Kanni M.E 1092): First Mar Thoma Clergy Conference. The first annual conference for the priests of the Mar Thoma Church was held in September 1917 at the Syrian Christian Seminary in Tiruvalla under the leadership of Bishop Titus II. It was a two-day conference. Priests from Anglican Church also attended this Conference. Rev. Dr. L. P. Larsen Principal of the Bangalore Theological College was the main speaker.
Pages from History: 27 September, 1947: Formation of Church of South India (with Photos)
Photo credit: http://www.csisynod.com
27 September, 1947: Formation of Church of South India (CSI) in 1947, as a union of Anglican, Presbyterian, Congregationalist and Methodist churches. The idea of a Church union was proposed in 1919 at a conference held in Tranquebar (now Tarangambadi) in 1919. After 28 years of discussions various denominational churches in South India established by different Missionary societies agreed to the formation of the Church of South India in 1947 after India attained independence. The inaugural ceremony was held at St. George Cathedral Madras (Chennai).
Today the Church of South India is one of the largest Protestant churches in India and is a member of the Anglican Communion and its bishops participate in the Lambeth Conferences. It is also a member of the World Council of Churches, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, and the National Council of Churches in India.
The Church of South India (CSI), Church of North India (CNI), and Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church of India jointly formed the Communion of Churches in India (CCI) in 1978 for mutual recognition of the ministry and leaders, inter communal relationship, and to explore possibilities of working together and other areas of cooperation in the fulfillment of the mission of the Church in India.
At the inauguration of Church of South India. Photo by Mark Kauffman (LIFE magazine)
The presiding bishop of the inaugural function was the Rt. Revd. C. K. Jacob of the Anglican Diocese of Travancore and Cochin. A vast congregation gathered in the cathedral at Madras from all over the world. The following historical declaration was made by Bishop Jacob at the inaugural service.
“Dearly beloved brethren, in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ the head of the church, who on the night of his passion prayed that his disciples might be one, and by authority of the governing bodies of the uniting churches whose resolutions have been read in your hearing and laid in your prayer before Almighty God; I do hereby declare that these three churches, namely – the Madras, Madura, Malabar, Jaffna, Kannada, Telugu, Travancore Church councils of the South India United Church; the Methodist Church of South India, Trichinopoly, Hyderabad and Mysore districts; the Madras, Travancore and Cochin, Tinnevelly and Dornakal dioceses of the Churches of India, Burma and Ceylon; are become one Church of South India, and these bishops, presbyters, deacons and probationers who have assented to the basis of union and accepted the constitution of the Church of South India, whose names are laid upon this holy table, are bishops, presbyters and deacons of this church. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.” ~ wikipedia
Inauguration procession of Church of South India. Photo by Mark Kauffman (LIFE magazine)
Inauguration procession of Church of South India. Photo by Mark Kauffman (LIFE magazine)
Inauguration service of Church of South India. Photo by Mark Kauffman (LIFE magazine)
Inauguration service of Church of South India. Photo by Mark Kauffman (LIFE magazine)
Inauguration service of Church of South India. Photo by Mark Kauffman (LIFE magazine)
Photo credit: http://www.csisynod.com
Presiding Bishop Rt. Revd. C. K. Jacob at the Inauguration of Church of South India. Photo by Mark Kauffman (LIFE magazine)
Clergymen from 5 Protestant faiths attending the inaguration of the Church of South India. Photo by Mark Kauffman (LIFE magazine)
St George’s Cathedral, Chennai (photo credit – wiki)
Pages from History: 27 September, 1976: Juhanon Mar Thoma Metropolitan passes away
Metropolitan Juhanon Mar Thoma (Photo credit: LIFE magazine)
27 September, 1976: Juhanon Mar Thoma Metropolitan Passes away. (b.7 Aug.1893) .Dr Juhanon Mar Thoma was the Metropolitan of the Mar Thoma Syrian Church from 1947 to 1976. He provided the Church with the emblem having the motto: “Lighted to Lighten”. This has been appreciated by many leaders of Christian churches.
“Ecumenism was a reality for him; he restored peace with the Indian Orthodox Church. He actively participated in ecumenical councils such as the World Council of Churches. In 1948, he led the delegation to the first Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Amsterdam. At its second meeting at Evanston, Illinois in 1954 he was elected as one of the presidents of WCC. During the third Assembly in New Delhi in 1961 he was the chairman and guided the deliberations with distinction.
It was in 1974, it was decided enter into full communion with the Churches of South India, North India and with various provinces in the Anglican communion.” ~ wikipedia.com
On 26 June 1975 the then Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi declared Emergency. Juhanon Mar Thoma was the only Christian leader in India who raised a voice and sent a letter to the Prime Minister arguing for the restoration of democracy.
Dr Radhakrishnan, vice-president of India (right) greeting Bishop S. U. Barbieri, Metropolitan Juhanon Mar Thoma and Archbishop Iakovos during the Third Assembly of the WCC in New Delhi, November 18 – December 6, 1961. (Photo from the Archives of wcc-coe.org)
The six new elected Presidents of the World Council of Churches (1954).
Standing, left to right, the are Bishop Dibelius of the Evangelical Church of Germany, Bishop Barbieri of the Methodist Church in Argentina, Metropolitan Juhanon of the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar, India, the Very Rev. John Baillie of the Church of Scotland, Bishop Sherril of the Protestant Episcopal Church of the U.S.A.
Seated, left to right, Bishop bell of the Church of England (Honorary President), Archbishop Michael of the Eastern Orthodox Church in North and South America. (Photo from the Archive of wcc-coe.org)
Nalloor Library 