Malankara World Journal, Volume 1, No 3, May 6, 2011, Malankara World, Baselios Church Digital Library

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
Psalm 121:1-2

Next Sunday (May 8) is also the Mother's Day. Syrian Orthodox Church gives great importance to mothers. We wish all mothers a great Mother's Day.

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Bible Readings for This Sunday (Second Sunday After Easter/First Sunday After New Sunday)

What is Special About Orthodox Worship?

[Editor's Note: The following is adapted from a message seen on the Internet.]

We are not a personality driven MegaChurch that rises or falls based on a pastor. -- Our High Priest is Christ Himself.

Because we look beyond this human vessel and focus on Christ in the Eucharist.

During our Holy Prayer to God, what do we have?

1. We enter in holding aloft the Word of God, singing praises to God.

2. We hear the Word of God, we meditate on this.

3. We sing praises to God, recite glorious psalms, dwell our thoughts on God.

4. We recite the Nicene Creed acknowledging our Triune God.

5. And then we experience a marvelous, miraculous experience, the Eucharist! Why is it all of this? Because we witness God's sacrifice, His giving of Himself to us, we look on in awe at Jesus Christ, our Lord, God and Savior in the Eucharist, fulfilling His promise to us and giving us the graces in communion

6. We pray to the Father as Jesus taught us to pray.

7. We experience the blessings of the Holy Spirit, the grace, the freely given grace granted through the Spirit.

8. We pray in silence, contemplating this supernatural experience

9. We greet one another, brothers and sisters, all sharing in this ONE experience along with millions of our brothers and sisters across the world, stretching back to the Apostles and forward to His return

10. We leave the Church with joy, Christ in our hearts and the Holy Spirit indwelling in us with the grace of the Father.

We are blessed to have experienced this.

What is at the centre of our Churches? Not like in others, the pulpit, glorifying the preacher, but in Our Church the center-piece is the altar with the Eucharist, the Bible and the Cross, remembering us of Our Risen Lord, His sacrifice and His Word.

The Existence of God: Seven Threads of Evidence
Scripture attests to seven aspects of God's word, accessed through the physical, rational, social, and spiritual domains of the human experience. They are like the threads of a tapestry that come together to tell a story that engages the heart, soul, mind, and body of our humanness. A brief introduction of each follows.

Are you condemned?
We can make a religion of anything that we are devoted to. My religion is Christianity. There are a set of practices that are associated with the Christian religion, but I think my Christian belief encompasses much more that a set of practices or rules of behavior.

A Chronological Sequence of the Resurrection Events
Here is a possible and likely chronological sequence of the resurrection appearances. It is a kind of synthesis that attempts to collect all the data and present it in a logical order.

Did the Resurrection Really Happen?
The defining issue of Christianity is the question, 'Did Jesus Christ rise from the grave?' In essence, was the Resurrection of Jesus an actual bodily resurrection or merely a spiritual manifestation of some sort? Since the day Jesus rose from the dead, detractors have tried to deny the reality of His Resurrection because a genuine resurrection proves His deity.

The World as Sacrament: The Theological and Spiritual Vision of Creation
In the Philokalia, St. Anthony of Egypt describes nature as a book that reveals the beauty of God's creation: "Creation [he says] declares in a loud voice its Maker and master." Or, as St. Maximus the Confessor claims in the 7th century, the whole world is a "cosmic liturgy." What, then, is the Orthodox theological and spiritual vision of the world?

Orthodox Christianity: The Lasting Solution
Christianity is not a quick fix; it's a gradual step-by-step growth. This is hard for many to accept, including myself. We fall into the trap of those who claim otherwise.

When All Means Fail
This is the last devotional written by David Wilkerson. He posted it on his blog just before leaving for a fatal trip. He died in a traffic accident on April 28, 2011.

Do You Still Believe?
Do you still believe I love you unconditionally? That you are being led by my Holy Spirit? That I bottle every tear you shed? That you are right now—in this place, in this very hour—in my perfect will?

Christian Life is A Race
Paul often compared the Christian life to a race, and I can see why. The Christian life is not easy, sometimes there are moments when you’re so tired you just was to give up.

Calvary covers it all
Rom. 8:28 is God’s own All-Purpose Vitamin for us. Let us be sure to have it in our kit, and use it often there is no fear of overdose.

God's Law: Understanding Romans 2:12-16
I have, for some time, been perplexed by the fact that the people I rub shoulders with both in my profession as well as in my day to day living, behave in unexpected ways.

Who Will Cry For Us Now?...David Wilkerson Obituary
Out of Wilkerson’s work on the streets of New York city, came Teen Challenge, the singularly most successful drug rehabilitation program in existence. Totally Christ centered, unabashedly evangelical, Teen Challenge truly works wonders in lives to this day.

The Power of Belief and Expectation
While you may not always get what you want, you will always get what you expect! The power of belief and expectation work just as effectively on your feelings of self-doubt and limitation as they do on your thoughts of success and achievement.

The Second Chance Wont Come...
Life might not give you a second chance. So never waste a moment when you can make up for your deeds.

Can Common Pain Relievers Do More Harm Than Good?
When it comes to relieving the common headache or body aches, it seems as if the cure may be worse for you than the pain it’s supposed to relieve.

25 Reasons Why You Should Start Drinking Green Tea Now
Green tea has increasingly become a very popular drink worldwide because of its immensely powerful health benefits. It is extraordinarily amazing what green tea can do for your health.

Redeeming the Realities of Marriage
If you are going to have a marriage that lives in unity, understanding, and love, you must have a little-moment approach to your marriage. This is the nature of the life God has designed for us.

Commitment -What is the Meaning of 'For Better or For Worse'
Commitment is a mindset . . . an attitude . . . a way of thinking that will enable you and your spouse to navigate through the still waters and the storms of a marriage relationship.

Time Together - Prescription for a Healthy Marriage
A team of counselors recently suggested that any marriage can be improved by committing to a 30/30 plan--spending thirty minutes together for thirty days.

A Visit to Heaven (an Evangelical's visit to a Catholic seminary)
My brother is a Roman Catholic seminarian, and I visited him at Mount Saint Mary's Seminary, Emmitsburg, Maryland the last couple days to see him installed in his second-to-last office (acolyte) before hopefully being ordained a priest (in about two years). Let me tell you what I found among the more than 150 seminarians I spent a couple days with.

The High Church: Chapel That Really Is That Little Bit Closer to God
This is the church where religious leaders really are preaching from on high - perched 130ft on top of a pillar of rock.

Dealing with Feelings of Loneliness

by Dr. Jack Graham

I am like a desert owl of the wilderness,
like an owl of the waste places;
I lie awake;
I am like a lonely sparrow on the housetop.
Psalm 102:6-7

I heard about a man whose mother woke him up one Sunday morning and said, "Now, you've got to get to church."

So he said, "I'm not going to church today."

She said, "Well, that's unusual. You always go to church. Why don't you want to go today?"

He said, "People always ignore me there. They talk behind my back, they don't speak to me, and they walk right past me like they're avoiding me. I'm sick of it! So I'm not going to church."

So his mother said, "Well, number one, you have to go because the Lord expects you to go. And number two, you're the pastor!"

Isn't it true that even in a place like church, there can be so much loneliness? Even though you're surrounded by people, it can be as if you're the only one around.

There's so much loneliness in the world today. That's why we have all these support groups and the singles scene and all the things that people are trying to do to fill the gaps in their lives. But even with all those things people are trying to use to numb the pain of loneliness, the feeling of isolation still remains in so many hearts.

Perhaps you're feeling alone today. Oh, you may be with family and friends, but on the inside there's that aching, nagging alienation that's tearing you up. So if you're feeling alone, remember that God is ever-present and never leaves your side. You can always count on him because he truly cares for you.

WHILE YOU MAY BE FEELING LONELY, GOD IS ALWAYS THERE AND WILL BE WITH YOU THROUGH EVERY SEASON OF PAIN.

Malankara World Journal May 6, 2011 Volume 1, No. 3

Malankara World Journal May 6, 2011
Volume 1, No. 3