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Dearly beloved, I wish you all a very happy and prosperous New Year 2017. May the Lord who is the Restorer, be with you all and give you back all that was lost in the past! In Zephaniah 2:6 we read: The Lord their God will care for them; He will restore their

fortunes. Yes, our God is a God who cares for His children more than a mother would care for hers. Hallelujah! So let us not worry – either for our personal needs or for the future of the ministry. He will take care of everything. Let us focus on developing a positive attitude this year, making our lives meaningful. Let us promise ourselves…

To be so strong that nothing can disturb my peace of mind. To talk about faith and happiness to every person I meet. To make all my friends feel that there is something good in

them. To look at the sunny side of everything, and make my

optimism come true. To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and expect

only the best. To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as I am

about my own. To forget the mistakes of the past, and press on to the greater

achievements of the future. To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every

living creature I meet a smile. To give so much time to the improvement of myself that I

have no time to criticize others. To be too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy

to permit the pressure of trouble.

My attitude is my life! A prayer for the New Year 2017 (by William Barclay) O God our Father, tell us what You want us to do with this new year 2017. Help us to learn from our experience and not to make the same mistakes over and over again. Help us not to allow the same temptations to conquer us and the same faults to spoil life for ourselves and for others. Help us to look upwards and always to move onwards, that each year of our life may become like what

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You wish it to be. Throughout this year that lies ahead, grant that we may have discipline in living, strength in following the truth, faithfulness in our relationships and renewed trust in Your Gospel, O Christ our Lord! Amen. IMPORTANT DAYS THIS MONTH:

15 Jan 2017 Sunday 7.30 am – Covenant Sunday 21 Jan 2017 Saturday – New Year retreat at Mullipakkam

village 22 Jan 2017 Sunday 7.30 am to 12.30 pm – New Year retreat

at Church 22 Jan 2017 Sunday 6.00 pm – Church 175th year inaugural

celebration and Confirmation service.

Wishing you once again a very happy, prosperous and Spirit-guided New Year 2017. God bless. In Christ’s service I remain, Rev. D. Richard Ambrose Jebakumar Presbyter-in-charge

NEEDED… VINTAGE PICTURES OF STEC

Do you have old pictures taken in our church during the 1960s, 70s or 80s or even earlier? It could have been at a baptism, confirmation, wedding or

Sunday worship - whatever the occasion, with or without people, please do share it with us.

As our Church will soon be celebrating its 175th anniversary, the pictures will be used for the Calendar and Photo Exhibition that is being planned. So please do handover your old prints to Suresh Balasunder (they will be scanned and returned to you in a week). If you can scan them in hi-res, that would be great too! You can e-mail the old pictures to fabiolaj@gmail.com

An optimist stays up to see the New Year in. A pessimist waits to make sure the old one leaves. - Bill Vaughan

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HIS PERFECT PLAN

Last month, I had the wonderful opportunity of delving a little deeper into the history of our Church, while working on the

documentary ‘The Story of St. Thomas by the sea’. Not only did I get to interact with all the wonderful people who contributed to the documentary in many ways, but it was a great learning experience for me. As the story of Robert Carver (1788-1845), the missionary who established our Church unfolded, I could see the wonderful hand of God in bringing Robert Carver to India. I was amazed at Robert Carver’s walk of faith that brought him from England to Ceylon to India, in the midst of the personal tragedy of losing his young wife in childbirth (a fairly common occurrence at that time). Of how he rose above his own loss, shouldered the responsibility of establishing a congregation, the effort he put in to convince the authorities of that time about the need for a place of worship and the rich legacy of faith and dedication that he has left behind. The life of Robert Carver reminded me of the struggles that Job underwent (Job 29 & 30), losing all, yet holding on to his faith in God. While poring through the dusty, almost-crumbling registers at the Diocesan archives along with Anne Dayanandan who heads it, we found that Robert Carver’s profession was listed as ‘Clerk, Missionary stationed at St. Thome’, which explained his humble beginnings. Robert Carver was ordained a minister just around the time of the consecration of our Church. It was indeed exhilarating to find that Robert Carver’s infant daughter - Mary Anderson Carver - who had lost her mother in Ceylon, later grew up and married the famous G U Pope – the famous Tamil scholar and missionary! Though we could not find a picture or portrait of Robert Carver even after searching extensively online and through the Diocesan archives, we gathered enough information that can be used to trace his descendants and probably invite them for the 175th anniversary of our Church in December 2017. If you are interested in knowing more about the history of our Church, do read the serialized history of our Church on page 11. You can also find the information on our Church website www.santhomeenglishchurch.org under ‘About Us’. Also watch out for the 12-minute documentary film on our Church’s history ‘The Story of St. Thomas by the Sea’ that will be screened during the 175th year Inauguration on 22 January 2017.

Fabiola Jacob

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Featured on the cover this month, is the All Saints Cathedral, Cairo, Egypt photographed by Arun Jacob. About All Saints Cathedral, Cairo All Saints’ Cathedral, Cairo is located in Zamalek - a strategic and prosperous part of the city, not far from Al Azhar, the hub for Sunni Muslim. As the mother church of the

Episcopal / Anglican Diocese of Egypt with North Africa and the Horn of Africa, it is one of the most-used Cathedrals within the Anglican Communion, and also shares the tumultuous history of Christianity in Egypt. Consecrated on 23 January 1876 as a small parish Church by Bishop Samuel Gobat with the Duke of Sutherland laying the foundation stone, the first All Saints Cathedral “became the main centre of worship for many British residents in Cairo and in the surrounding areas.” Enlargements were made in 1891, 1892 and in 1899. In 1914 Egypt became a British Protectorate and in 1915, the Bishop of Jerusalem decided “the time had come for the construction in Cairo of a church worthy of our religion and our name.” On 25 April 1938, the Feast of St. Mark, the patron saint of Egypt, Bishop Llewellyn Gwynne established the second All Saints’ Cathedral in Cairo and the Archbishop of York, Dr. William Temple, consecrated it. World War II brought many British to Egypt and North Africa. In 1956, after a decade of political unrest in Egypt, the government forced all expatriate clergy to repatriate, leaving only four Egyptian clergy, temporarily under the direct oversight of the Archbishop in Jerusalem, to maintain dozens of churches throughout Egypt. With great regret and sadness, many Anglican churches in Egypt were destroyed, some were taken by other denominations, and some were given to other denominations. Yet, God preserved the Anglican Church in Egypt which remembers “blessed by Egypt my people.” Following a notice by President Gamal Abdel Nasser in 1963 for demolition to make way for the bridge connecting El Gezira to Ramses, the second All Saints Cathedral was destroyed in 1978, ridding the Cairo skyline of anything “western” or “Christian.” But on the Feast of St. Mark, 25 April 1988, the third and present All Saints Cathedral in Zamalek, Cairo was consecrated by the

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Archbishop of Canterbury and Bishops Ghais Abdel Malek and Isaaq Musaad (the Diocese of Egypt’s second and first Egyptian bishops, respectively). Built of concrete and designed in the shape of a cross at ground level, with a crown at the top, the All Saints Cathedral’s lotus-shaped roof is visible around Zamalek. As the spiritual centre of the Diocese, the All Saints Cathedral is committed to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ in “words and deeds.” English Services are held on Fridays at 10am and Sundays at 10.30am. Morning Prayer is held on Mondays through Thursdays at 8am. The church has a wonderful choir.

Centipede

A single guy decides life would be more fun if he had a pet. So he went to the pet store and told the owner that he wanted to buy an unusual pet. After some discussion, he finally bought a talking centipede, [100-legged bug], which came in a little

white box to use for his house. He took the box back home, found a good location for the box, and decided he would start off by taking his new pet to church with him. So he asked the centipede in the box, "Would you like to go to church with me today? We will have a good time." But there was no answer from his new pet. This bothered him a bit, but he waited a few minutes and then asked him again. "How about going to church with me and receive blessings?" But, again, there was no answer from his new friend and pet. So he waited a few minutes more, thinking about the situation. He decided to ask him one more time; this time putting his face up against the centipede's house and shouting, "Hey in there! Would you like to go to church with me and learn about the Lord???" A little voice came out of the box, "I heard you the first time! I'm putting on my shoes!"

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WHAT IS EPIPHANY?

Observed on 6 January, the Epiphany celebration remembers the three miracles that manifest the divinity of Christ. The name "Epiphany" comes from the Greek word Epiphania, and means "to show, make known, or reveal." The celebration originated in the Eastern Church in AD 361, beginning as a

commemoration of the birth of Christ. Later, additional meanings were added - the visit of the three Magi, Christ's baptism in the Jordan River, and his first miracle at the wedding in Cana. These three events are central to the definition of Epiphany, and its meaning is drawn from these occurrences. While some Greek Orthodox Churches still observe the Epiphany celebration as the Nativity of Jesus, the majority of the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Anglican Churches focus on the visit of the Magi and Jesus' baptism. The significance behind the visit of the Magi is the revelation of Christ as "Lord and King." The Wise Men were the first Gentiles to publicly recognize the divinity of Jesus, by way of their offerings of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River revealed His divinity as the Son of God. John the Baptist, according to Matthew 3:16-17, testifies of the Holy Spirit descending upon Jesus like a dove, and a voice from heaven saying, "This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased." Several Russian, Coptic, and Greek Churches also focus on the Cana wedding miracle as part of the Epiphany celebration observance. For the Church, the Epiphany represents a responsibility to reveal Jesus as the Divine Son and Savior sent by God the Father to atone for the sins of mankind. It is a time of healing and fellowship, where the Church comes together in the covenant of brotherhood to love one another as Christ commanded.

Courtesy: www.sharefaith.com

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NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS – SHOULD YOU MAKE THEM? One of the traditions associated with New Year’s observances is the making of resolutions, promises to stop or start something in the new year. On an average, almost all of us make one or more New Year’s resolutions each year, which commonly include weight loss, exercise, quitting smoking and better money management. Typically, about 75 percent of people who make resolutions maintain their commitment past the first week, and less than half keep their word to themselves after six months. Numbers vary, of course, and some people actually make the desired changes in their lives. But for the most part, it’s another disappointment and another failure, and it comes up again at the next New Year’s time. Making New Year resolutions was started by early Babylonians. Although this is generally assumed as accurate, no one really knows, but it’s the stuff of great trivial conversation at social gatherings, particularly New Year Eve parties. For the Babylonians, the start of the new year was a good time to return borrowed items, such as farming equipment, and so begin the new year with a clean slate. Some believe that New Year’s resolutions began as promises made to the gods, negotiating or bargaining in the hope that the gods would grant some favor in return, such as a good harvest. It was also believed that breaking of New Year's resolution brought bad luck. The Bible does not speak for or against the concept of New Year’s resolutions. Every day is the day the Lord has made, as Psalm 118:24 states, and “we will rejoice and be glad in it.” One can make a resolution or promise to oneself any day of the year, and keeping it or breaking it is in their hands. One thing the Bible does say in Ecclesiastes 5:2,4 and 5 is that if one makes promises or vows to God, it shouldn’t be taken lightly. “Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; therefore let your words be few. When you make a vow to

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God, do not delay to pay it; for He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have vowed— Better not to vow than to vow and not pay.” Setting a goal or several goals at the beginning of the new year can be stimulating, but it’s the motivation to keep the resolution that is important. One can determine to pray more, read the Bible more, go to church regularly, or volunteer more, but these resolutions can fail without correct motivation. The incentive must come from within with purpose and a plan. Even though there might be a setback at times, the best thing to do is to immediately start again. After months and months of tests to develop an electric light-bulb, Thomas Edison was interviewed by a reporter who asked Edison if he felt like a failure and if he thought he should just give up. Edison replied, “Young man, why would I feel like a failure? And why would I ever give up? I now know definitively over 9,000 ways that an electric light bulb will not work. Success is almost in my grasp.” After over 10,000 attempts, Edison successfully invented the light bulb. The point is, don’t quit. If it’s a worthy goal, it’s worth sticking to, even if it means starting over a few times. The principles presented next in this series will ensure success in selecting and achieving resolutions.

Courtesy: www.sharefaith.com

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WHY GOD CREATED BEAUTY IN WOMEN

Eve was beautiful but brought sin into the world, Sarah was a beauty, but lied with her words. Rebekah was beautiful, but cheated Isaac when he was old, Rachel was a beauty, but to steal her brother’s idols, she was bold. Queen Vashti’s beauty made her disobey and was rejected and thrown, Esther, with her beauty captured the crown and the throne. Ruth was beautiful but had to gather grain as they fell, But Boaz saw her inner beauty which words could not fell. Job’s beautiful wife was terror possessed, Her daughter’s beauty, earth never before witnessed. Shulamite maiden was beautiful, and sun toned, Solomon liked her beauty and sought her hand. Mary was beautiful and was the chosen one, Dorcas was beautiful and helping others never shunned. The beautiful Canaanite woman asked the Lord’s body as bread to be given, Beautiful Mary Magdalene met the risen Christ before He went to heaven. One Man’s beauty marred all women’s beauty by birth, His beauty surpassed ten thousand beauties of this earth. He is the Giver of life and beauty, To save me, He lost His beauty and died as His duty.

Prema Jayasundar

MY BELOVED

My beloved is delightful than wine, I am wholly His and He is mine. Black as raven and wavy is His hair, His eyes are like doves that dwell by waters there. My beloved is ruddy and radiant, He is fairest than ten thousand. Purest of gold is His head, His cheeks are like spices of bed.

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His body is like that of carved ivory, His lips are scented with myrrh He is altogether lovely to behold, He is my perfect lover and loved. For my sake He was rejected and beaten, With a rod His face was smitten. For my iniquities He was crushed, For my redemption my Beloved was crucified.

Prema Jayasundar

Quick & Easy Sports Quiz

1. In Formula One racing, what is the total weight allotted to a car?

2. How many squares on a chess board are white?

3. If you win a rubber in a game of bridge, what have you done?

4. Which sporting siblings are nick-named Tugga and Junior?

5. Who is the most destructive cricket batsman in the world? 6. Which is the only Grand Slam Ivan Lendl did not win?

D.I.A. Soundarapandian

Answers to Quick & Easy Sports quiz are found on page 14

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175 YEARS OF ST. THOMAS ENGLISH CHURCH

Part II – The Consecration and Early Years

THE WESLEYAN PERIOD: The year 1824 is associated in the history of the Church at San Thome, with the advent of the Rev. Robert

Carver, an earnest and experienced Methodist missionary from Ceylon who,

after a meritorious service of nine years, had sustained a grievous bereavement. He appears to have succeeded in securing the goodwill not only of Sir Thomas Munro, the Governor of Fort St. George, but also of Bishop Heber, and took charge both of the work of the old Vepery Mission and of that at Poonamallee, St. Thomas Mount and Pallavaram. His services were greatly valued by all non-Roman residents in the district, whether British, ‘Eurasians,’ or ‘native’, for among other things that he did, he used in his ministrations the Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England. Visiting San Thome in 1830, Bishop Turner of Calcutta felt that, in view of the large European residents in the area, then a popular health resort, especially for sick officers and their families, there should be a proper Church and an episcopally ordained Minister. To this end, he himself contributed a sum of money, and a site was purchased, but nothing further was done, and the ground lay waste until 1836. Later on Bishop Daniel Corrie of Madras wrote to the Home Society and obtained a grant of 200 pounds. By means of subscriptions, chiefly raised by the exertions of the Bishop’s daughter, and some of her female friends, a Catechist was engaged, whose business it was to seek out and collect together the Christians scattered around this place, and read the Scriptures amongst them. However, the sudden death of Bishop Corrie in 1837, while presiding over a meeting of the S.P.G. in Madras, together with the esteem with which Rev. Robert Carver was held by the Europeans of San Thome, was responsible for the delay in erection of the Church. THE S.P.G. PERIOD: About this time, Rev. Robert Carver was transferred to Mannargudi by the new Superintendent of the Methodist Mission of India and Ceylon and he was succeeded by Dr. George Uglow Pope, the famous Tamil Scholar from the S.P.G. With the advent of the intrepid young Rev. Pope, he imbibed new values to place full faith in God, in belief and in vision emphasizing that nothing is

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impossible with a right attitude, hard work and team spirit. Dr. Pope’s efforts were equally directed to the extension of the Church. Knowing his extraordinary qualities and ability the S.P.G. wanted his services for the development of the Southern Villages and posted him to Sawyerpuram where he achieved great things for God. He carried the light of the Gospel into every neighbouring village and stationed Catechist trained by him in Christian doctrine to minister to the needs of the congregation. As a result, the Rev. A.C.Thompson of the Vepery Mission was appointed by the Archdeacon to look after San Thome Mission in 1837. Rev. Thompson had been regularly holding divine Services both in English and Tamil. Unfortunately, he had to leave for England in 1839 and the progress of the construction of the Church suffered once again. Rev. Thompson collected money to build and to furnish the Church. The average attendance at that time was about 23 children at the English service at 40 at the Tamil service. A Tamil School was also attempted but it did not materialize. Rev. Thompson again took up the question of the construction of the church and received Rs.2,000 from His Lordship the Metropolitan of India and smaller sums from other sources. In his place, the Rev. W.Taylor, originally from the London Missionary Society was placed in charge of San Thome with additional charge of St. Thomas Mount. Speaking of Rev. Taylor, the new Bishop Spencer wrote, “Now single handed at Madras, our zealous and able missionary is literally sinking under the weight of his charge”. THE CONSECRATION OF THE CHURCH: We find Rev. Robert Carver back at his post in San Thome in 1841, with a license from the Bishop of Madras, after severing his connection with the Methodist Mission. He was ordained a Deacon and a Priest in 1842. By December more money had been collected to facilitate the completion of the Church construction. He had the supreme satisfaction of witnessing the final construction of the church and of the adjacent burial ground and the consecration of the Church’ on the 10 December 1842 by the Bishop Spencer of Madras in the immediate presence of the Metropolitan of India. Rev. Robert Carver died in 1845 and was buried under of Altar. The Bishop then out of Madras, having heard of Carver’s hopeless state, wrote in his journal, “The sad tidings reached me here of the utterly hopeless state of my dear, long-tried, and

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always found faithful friend, Mr. Carver, one of the most devoted servants, I hesitate not to say, of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Diocese”. The following inscription on the tablet over the grave was composed by the Bishop himself. “Sacred to the memory of the Rev. Robert Carver, Missionary of the S.P.G. and late minister of this Parish, who departed this life at San Thome on August 25, 1845, aged 57 years, after thirty years of devoted work in India”. “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord”. The separation of the English and Tamil works in San Thome dates from 1848 when the Rev. A.R. Symonds, the Secretary of the S.P.G. in Madras, purchased for the use of the Tamil congregation the old Wesleyan Chapel, formerly used by Rev. Carver, appointing an Eurasian clergyman to Minister in it, to be followed by Indian clergyman. Since 1856 successive attempts were made to sell the English Church to Government and to secure its conversion into a Government Chaplaincy. This was because on the one hand, the Directors, feeling that Government in India ought to dissociate themselves from missionary work, had already embarked on a definite policy of abolishing the joint use of Churchs by European and Indian congregations, not only in San Thome but also in Black Town Trichinopoly, Tanjore, Ramnad, Palayamcottai and Chittoor. On the other hand, the Bishop, the Archdeacon and the S.P.G. were convinced that it was not morally right to expend Mission funds on European congregation. It must be remembered that, at that time, St.Thomas was the fashionable Church of Madras and was attended by the Governor of Madras (who held a pew) and by the elite of Madras Society, who also, incidentally, contributed liberally towards S.P.G. funds. The church building, therefore, together with the School and the Parsonage were offered to Government and was valued by the Chief Engineer at Rs. 20,068. But the sale was never effected for one reason or another. All that happened was that a grant of Rs.100 per month was obtained in the year 1863 from the Government for Ministerial services to the English congregation and for the use of the burial ground, the Government also undertaking to keep the fabric in repair for the time being. For many years the incumbency of the church was filled by the Secretaries of the S.P.G. notably by Rev. A.R. Symonds, in more recent years, the church has been served by principals of St. Paul’s High School, Vepery, also the Cathedral Chaplains, when the head of St. Paul’s High School happened to be a layman.

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Since those early days, the domiciled part of the congregation has slowly but steadily declined in number, partly at least through inter marriages with the predominant Roman population, but still a small keen group of Christian who are devoted to their little old church continued to attend.

DIA Soundarapandian To be continued next month…

Answers to the Quick & Easy Sports Quiz

1. Up to 600 kgs 2. 32 3. Won (usually) two out of three games 4. The Waugh twins - Steve and Mark Waugh 5. Adam Gilchrist of Australia 6. Wimbledon.

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JOHN WESLEY AND

THE HOLY CLUB’S 22 QUESTIONS In 1729, while John Wesley was a student at Oxford, he started a club with his brother Charles. It was soon mockingly dubbed “The Holy Club” by some of his fellow collegians. The

club members rigorously self-examined themselves everyday by asking the following 22 questions: 1. Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I really am? In other words, am I a hypocrite? 2. Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate? 3. Do I confidentially pass on to others what has been said to me in confidence? 4. Can I be trusted? 5. Am I a slave to dress, friends, work or habits? 6. Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying? 7. Did the Bible live in me today? 8. Do I give the Bible time to speak to me every day? 9. Am I enjoying prayer? 10. When did I last speak to someone else of my faith? 11. Do I pray about the money I spend? 12. Do I get to bed on time and get up on time? 13. Do I disobey God in anything? 14. Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy? 15. Am I defeated in any part of my life? 16. Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy or distrustful? 17. How do I spend my spare time? 18. Am I proud? 19. Do I thank God that I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisees who despised the publican? 20. Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold a resentment toward or disregard? If so, what am I doing about it? 21. Do I grumble or complain constantly? 22. Is Christ real to me? As we enter into the new year, let us also examine ourselves, and strive to live a life pleasing to God.

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CHRISTMAS ROUNDUP

Christmas Party at Men’s Fellowship Christmas is a season of carols and gifts, a time for celebrating the birth of our Saviour. And so on 3 December 2016, members of the Men’s fellowship

met at the multipurpose hall in our church premises for an early Christmas celebration. Our Pastor Rev. Richard Ambrose, Mr. Benjamin Hastings and Mrs. Gemina Martin also joined this celebration. The programme started with an opening prayer by our Pastor Rev. Richard Ambrose. This was followed by a short speech by Mr. Manoharan Gnanaolivu during which he gave an introduction to the history of Christmas celebrations and welcomed all who had joined the Christmas party. He gave each of us a beautiful greeting card and wished us a bright and happy Christmas and New Year on behalf of the STEC- Men’s Fellowship. This was the first Christmas wish we received this Christmas season. We sang carols and our Pastor Rev. Richard Ambrose shared the message with us. A Christmas chocolate cake was ready for cutting and all the members together cut the Christmas cake. It was a wonderful moment to see all the men together joining hands in cutting the cake. This was followed by high tea and fellowship – and a surprise – a gift for each one of us present there! The men enjoyed the Christmas party, and it was a privilege for me to have been present on this memorable occasion.

Kavita Edward Sunday School Christmas Play The Sunday School set the tone for the Christmas celebrations in our Church with their annual Christmas Play on 4 December 2016 in the evening. It was put together by the children of the Sunday school with help from the teachers and volunteers. Based on the story of the nativity, the Christmas play also had Satan as a character who plants seeds of doubt in the minds of the characters involved in the nativity. But the message that nothing can stop the will of God from proceeding irrespective of Satan’s attempts to stop it was brought out beautifully. It served as a good reminder for the congregation that God’s plan for our

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lives cannot be stopped irrespective of the attempts of the devil. But what is required of us is to follow His will in our lives and have faith in Christ. Watching this play, I was reminded of Philipians 4:12 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”. The other activities of the evening were a lovely dance by the beginners, and the distribution of gifts to all the Sunday School children. On the whole, 4 December 2016 was a memorable evening - one that won’t be forgotten soon!

Mark Rohan

Spreading Christmas Cheer – Women’s Fellowship Members of the Women’s Fellowship visited Mrs. Daniel of Rohini Gardens to share the joy

of Christmas with her on 10 December 2016, as she is unable to attend church due to weakness. She was very happy to see us and enquired each one of us about our family members by name. We were amazed by her memory and Deepa told us that she would ask about the church service every Sunday. We sang some carols and her favourite songs and Iris Manoharan shared a message based on Ezekiel 37. We really got some new insights about the post-captivity life of the Israelites. With a prayer and Christmas wishes, we took leave of the family. Next we visited Pauline who resides at Raheja Complex. Pauline is a newcomer to our women’s fellowship. Her flat was tastefully decorated for Christmas. After some carols, Vinodha shared a message of entertaining Christ when we show hospitality to the needy around us (Matt 25: 34-40). We were happy to meet the family members of Pauline and to pray with them and to wish them a Merry Christmas. The Christmas Get-together On 20 December 2016, we had a Christmas get-together in Church. We sang carols, followed by games organized by Shilpa the event manager. It was tambola first, followed by a group game of dumb charades. Then we had to answer a variety of quiz questions based on the Bible. It was very interesting. The program ended with high tea and a group photograph. We would up with a prayer and a Christmas wish.

Vasanthi Premkumar

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Christmas in Song The joyful season of Christmas is never complete without the Carol Service at STEC and this year the choir rose to the occasion yet again on 18 December 2016 with a wonderful rendition of “Changed by a Baby Boy” – a Christmas musical. ‘Changed By a Baby Boy’ rejoices in the greatest story ever told and how God's miraculous plan impacted the world then...and now. Arranged and orchestrated by the Grammy and Dove Award-winning Lari Goss, who brings his inimitable style to this Southern Gospel-flavored musical, veteran writer Nan Allen has created narration which uplifts and inspires. Made popular by the Gaither Vocal Band, ‘Changed by a Baby Boy’ was a tall order indeed, made all the more interesting by the ingenuity of our home-grown choir. Performed with effortless ease, with Anila Manoharan directing and accompanying on the electronic keyboard, the musical was a seamless 42-minute Christmas worship experience, with memorable solos and songs that showcased the talents and abilities of the choristers in full measure. The musical journey of transformation began with a racy overture “Listen to the angels singing…” and was soon followed by the melodious tones of Mercy Roshan singing “Tonight”. Anupa Paul’s theme solo “Changed by a Baby Boy” turned out to the highlight of the performance that evening, followed by a wonderful, energetic reprise by Aria Manoharan. Also unforgettable were “He drew the line” and Sandra Jacinth’s “Go tell” rendered in true Southern Gospel style, followed by a reprise of ‘Tonight’ that brought the musical to a joyful end. And then the congregation sang the traditional all-time favourite ‘Silent Night’, holding candles in the stillness of the night. The carol service was followed by a fun evening of carols and games around the campfire, organized by the energetic couple - Anita & Josh Foulger. And then we tucked into a sumptuous feast of hot mutton biryani as the evening came to a close, ushering in the Christmas week.

Fabiola Jacob

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STEC MEN’S FELLOWSHIP - BIBLE STUDY

THE EARLY CHURCH (discussed during the meeting on

10 Dec 2016) “The Early Church”, dates back to the period from 30 to 100 A.D. The four

Gospels record the advent and ministry of Jesus in the world. Thereafter, Luke continues with his book of Acts of the Apostles which recounts the establishment and development of the Early Church. When Jesus was arrested, we read, how – “All the disciples deserted Him and fled” – (Math 26:56). However, Jesus after His resurrection, appeared to His disciples on various occasions, over a period of forty days and gave encouragement and promised – “ You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you: and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, all Judea, Samaria and the ends of the world” – (Act 1:8) - which include Caesarea, Antioch, Asia Minor, Greece, Rome, Spain etc as we read in chapters 10-28 of Acts. The “Great Commission” of Jesus, before His ascension, was – “Go and make disciples of all nations” – (Math 28:19) - Are we empowered with the Holy Spirit? – are we implementing Jesus’ Great Commission? The Day of the Pentecost kickstarted the emergence of the Early Church, when the assembly of God-fearing Jews, from different parts of the world, saw the Holy Spirit in the form of tongues of fire resting on all the disciples and they started talking in tongues. Peter’s sermon on that day made a great impact on the international crowd gathered there - “Those who accepted his message, were baptized and about three thousand were added to their numbers that day” (Acts 2:41). Thereafter, the Lord added to their numbers daily. The day of the Pentecost falls on the fiftieth day after the Sabbath of the Passover (Lev 23:15, 16). Penta means five. The early church was organized and developed by the disciples and evangelists and it spread like wildfire. At that time, the Jewish temples and synagogues were controlled by the chief priests and the Pharisees. The genealogy of Herod was ruling the Holy Land under the overall governance of the Roman Emperors. Under this complicated scenario, the plight of the Early Church was unimaginable. They were persecuted beyond limit, in order to safeguard their own power and position. The Early Church had the privilege of the leadership of apostles and others .who had walked with Jesus and heard His teachings -

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Jesus was leading and mentoring them. The leading apostles that commanded the mission–field of the early Church were Peter, Paul and John. At Jerusalem, Peter and John continued preaching and healing sick people, for which, they were arrested and hauled up before the Sanhedrin and they were – “commanded not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus” – (Acts 4:18). And after further threats, were released. Similarly, the other apostles were also arrested, put in jail, flogged and persecuted. But God was with them and they continued to teach and proclaim the good news (Acts 5:12-41). The Apostles chose seven more evangelists to back up the ministry, and Stephen and Philip were among them. We read the episodes of these evangelists who were full of faith and the Holy Spirit.

Stephen was stoned to death for his scathing speech to the Sanhedrin, attacking the foundation of Judaism.

Philip went to Samaria and ministered. His encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch is well known, when he explained a passage from Isaiah to him, converted and baptized him.

Jesus Himself appeared to Saul, who was persecuting the Christians, and converted him. As Paul, he started the ministry thereafter, covering vast territory during his four missionary journeys, right across Asia Minor up to Rome and beyond. He was a “Church planter” and established churches all over his mission field. He converted and mentored all his evangelists. He kept track of all his churches and advised them through epistles, which form part of the Bible. Paul had a number of devoted companion evangelists like Barnabas, Timothy, Silas, Titus and others who did mission work with him. Because of his witnessing Jesus, he was imprisoned by Roman Emperor Nero and later executed in 68 A.D. The Zebedee brothers John and James were committed to Christ and courageous to the end under persecution –

James was arrested by king Herod Agrippa, who – “put him to death with a sword”– (Acts 12:2)

Peter was also arrested and kept in jail to be executed. But as we read, angels of God brought him out of jail and sent to another safe place (Acts 12:3-19).

The “Good News” was preached and sick healed by the other apostles also, at various remote countries.

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Andrew, brother of Peter, preached in Greece and Russia. He was crucified on a “X” shaped cross.

Philip preached in Ukraine and was crucified on a “tall” cross.

Bartholomew ministered in Asia Minor and he was flayed alive in Armenia..

James (brother of Mathew), Thaddeus and Simon are listed in the Gospels as Apostles, but no additional facts are available.

Apostle Mathew was a penitent, hospitable tax collector, called by Jesus to be His disciple. He spread the Good News as far afield as Persia, Macedonia and Ethiopia. He died a martyr. Mark, also known as John, had travelled extensively with Paul, Barnabas and Peter on their mission journeys. The reminiscences and inputs from them were the principal source for writing his Gospels. Though he was not one of the 12 Apostles, he was closely connected to them. They used to assemble in the “large upper room” owned by Mark’s mother Mary, as recorded in the Bible at three instances –

The “Last Supper was celebrated in this large upper room – (Mark 14:15).

After the ascension of Jesus they assembled in an upper room – (Acts 1:13)

After Peter’s miraculous escape from the prison, he went to this upper room where the disciples were assembled and praying – (Acts 12:12)

.Mark is also identified as – “A young man, following Jesus, fled naked, leaving his garment behind – “(Mark 14:51, 52) when Jesus was arrested.

We do not know more of Mark except he ended up in Rome, when Peter and Paul were there. (Col 4:10). Luke is a Gentile, a physician by profession, turned into an evangelist. Though he has not met Jesus, he formed part of Paul’s missionary entourage and travelled with him on and off, till Paul’s final days in Rome during 64 AD. Thereafter he became a leader in the church of his hometown Antioch in Syria. He wrote the Gospel and the Acts during 80 AD. Nothing more is known about him. Judas Thomas, popularly known as – “Doubting Thomas”, was inquisitive, faithful and courageous. He stuck to Jesus even during dangerous situations, even unto death (John 11:16). His

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faith made Jesus comment – “Have you believed because you have seen Me? – Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed” – (John 20:28). This blessing of Jesus applies to all believers like us. It is a well-known fact that Thomas came to India, preached and established churches. He was martyred in Chennai. Our church is named after him. We are proud that the early church was planted in India also during the first century A.D. itself. Excavations in Egypt during 1945 have revealed papyrus documents called - “The Nag Hammdi Find” – with recordings about the activities of Thomas in the mission field. The chief enemies of the early church, who persecuted and executed the evangelists and believers, were –

Roman Emperor Nero – who executed Paul and Peter. Roman Emperor Domitian – who sent John on exile to

Patmos. King Herod the Great and his dynasty ruling Palestine.

The great theologian Tertullian wrote – “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church” – which has been proved correct. The early church has revealed to us the founding of churches, spread of the Gospel, the evangelistic efforts in the apostolic pattern. It has taught us how to cope with pagan thoughts, persecutions and anti-Christ societies and governments, which are even now existing here and around the world. What are we doing about it? The spread and triumph of the Christian church under the exalted Jesus Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit and combined with the mission work of the evangelists, is sure to fulfill the Great Commission of Jesus Christ – “Go and make disciples of all nations” – Amen. Are we taking up our role in this seriously? Members of the STEC Men’s Fellowship wish the readers a blessed and prosperous New Year 2017.

Manoharan Gnanaolivu

Convenor

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An excerpt from the book ‘If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat’ by John Ortberg When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. — Matthew 14:32

Waiting is the hardest work of hope. - Lewis Smedes Waiting patiently is not a strong suit in American society. We are not a patient people. We tend to be in a horn-honking, microwaving, Fed-Ex mailing, fast-food eating, express-lane shopping hurry. People don’t like to wait in traffic, on the phone, in the store, or at the post office. Robert Levine, in a wonderful book called `A Geography of Time’, suggests the creation of a new unit of time called the honko-second — “the time between when the light changes and the person behind you honks his horn.” He claims it is the smallest measure of time known to science. Most of us do not like waiting very much, so we like the fact that Matthew shows Jesus to be the Lord of urgent action. Three times in just a few sentences Matthew uses the word immediately — always of Jesus: Jesus made the disciples get into a boat and go on ahead of Him “immediately.” When the disciples thought they were seeing a ghost and cried out in fear, Jesus answered them “immediately.” When Peter began to sink and cried out for help, Jesus “immediately” reached out his hand and caught him. Jesus’ actions are swift, discerning, and decisive. He doesn’t waste a honko-second. And yet, this is also a story about waiting. Matthew tells us that Jesus comes to the disciples “during the fourth watch of the night.” The Romans divided the night into four shifts: 6:00–9:00; 9:00-midnight; midnight–3:00; and 3:00–6:00. So Jesus came to the disciples sometime after 3 o’clock. But they had been in the boat since before sundown the previous day. Why the long delay? If I were one of the disciples, I think I would prefer Jesus to show up at the same time or even slightly ahead of the storm. I’d like Him there in a honko-second. But Matthew has good reasons for noting the time. A. E. J. Rawlinson notes that early Christians suffering their own storm of persecution may have taken great comfort in this delay: Faint hearts may even have begun to wonder whether the Lord Himself had not abandoned them to their fate, or to doubt the reality of Christ. They are to learn from this story that they are not forsaken, that the Lord watches over them unseen… [that] the Living One, Master of wind and waves, will surely come quickly for their salvation, even though it be in the “fourth watch of the night.”

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Matthew wanted his readers to learn to wait. Another moment of waiting involves Peter’s decision to leave the boat. He cannot do this on the strength of his own impulse; he must ask Jesus’ permission first, then wait for an answer — for the light to turn green. I wonder if another type of waiting was involved for Peter. What do you suppose his very first steps on the water looked like? I expect that Jesus was an accomplished water-walker. But for Peter, I wonder if there wasn’t a learning curve involved. Maybe, like the Bill Murray character in the movie What About Bob?, he had to start with baby steps. Learning to walk always requires patience. It was not until the whole episode was over that the disciples got what they wanted — “the wind died down.” Why couldn’t Jesus have made the wind die down “immediately” — as soon as He saw the disciples’ fear? It would have made Peter’s walk easier. But apparently Jesus felt they would gain something by waiting. Consider the activity that Peter and the other disciples had to engage in right up to the very end: waiting. Let’s say you decide to get out of the boat. You trust God. You take a step of faith — you courageously choose to leave a comfortable job to devote yourself to God’s calling; you will use a gift you believe God has given you even though you are scared to death; you will take relational risks even though you hate rejection; you will go back to school even though people tell you it makes no sense financially; you decide to trust God and get out of the boat. What happens next? Well, maybe you will experience a tremendous, nonstop rush of excitement. Maybe there will be an immediate confirmation of your decision — circumstances will click, every risk will pay off, your efforts will be crowned with success, your spiritual life will thrive, your faith will double, and your friends will marvel, all in the space of a honko-second. Maybe. But not always. For good reasons, God does not always move at our frantic pace. We are too often double espresso followers of a decaf Sovereign. Some forms of waiting — on expressways and in doctor’s offices — are fairly trivial in the overall scheme of things. But there are more serious and difficult kinds of waiting: Waiting may be the hardest single thing we are called to do. So it is frustrating when we turn to the Bible and find that God Himself, who is all-powerful and all-wise, keeps saying to his people, Wait. In the Bible, waiting is so closely associated with faith that sometimes the two words are used interchangeably. The great promise of the Old Testament was that a Messiah would come. But Israel had to wait — generation after generation, century after century. And when the Messiah came, He was recognized only by those who had their eyes fixed on his coming — like Simeon. He

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was an old man who “was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.” But even the arrival of Jesus did not mean that the waiting was over. Jesus lived, taught, was crucified, was resurrected, and was about to ascend when His friends asked Him, “Lord, will you restore the kingdom now?” That is, “Can we stop waiting?” Paul wrote, We ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Forty-three times in the Old Testament alone, the people are commanded, Wait. Wait on the LORD. The last words in the Bible are about waiting: The one who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’ It may not seem like it, but in light of eternity, it is soon. Hang on. “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” All right, we’ll hang on. But come! We’re waiting for You. Why? Why does God make us wait? If He can do anything, why doesn’t He bring us relief and help and answers now? At least in part, to paraphrase Ben Patterson, what God does in us while we wait is as important as what it is we are waiting for.

Courtesy: Zondervan

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MARY LOUISA WHATELY

Mary Louisa Whately (August 31, 1824 – March 9, 1889) was an English missionary in Egypt. She spent over 30 years building schools for both girls and boys, ministering to their families and writing books based on her experiences.

Whately was the first person to build educational facilities for the lower classes in Cairo, especially for Muslim women, and establishing schools for all rather than only those who could afford it. Early life Mary Louisa Whately was born on August 31, 1824 at Halesworth in Suffolk, England. She was the third child, the second daughter, born to Richard Whately and Elizabeth Pope. Her father was a rector in Suffolk when Mary Louisa Whately was born but was appointed Principal of Alban Hall in Oxford in 1827, and then Archbishop of Dublin in 1831. On his appointment as Archbishop the family moved to Ireland where Mary Louisa Whately remained until she went to Egypt. Mary never married and had no children but travelled often to visit her family in Dublin. Mary Louisa Whately's mother and youngest sister died in the winter of 1860. Her father, Archbishop Richard Whately died in 1863. Education Mary Louisa Whately had little formal education. She was taught by her well-educated mother and father as a girl in reading, writing, and school subjects such as history, arithmetic and science. They also trained her in religious studies. Mary Louisa Whately was a quick learner and was diligent in her studies. When the family moved to Dublin, Archbishop Whately opened a school where Mary Louisa Whately and her siblings taught the city children. This training through teaching was instrumental in Mary Louisa Whately's later career. She was also educated in Italian and French and gained valuable experience working with various nationalities during the Irish famine through this. When Mary Louisa Whately moved to Cairo she endeavoured to learn Arabic and hired Mansoor Shakoor, a native missionary, to teach her. Missionary accomplishments Mary Louisa Whately first moved to Cairo, Egypt in 1860 to recover after suffering health difficulties. Upon arriving she found

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a house in the lower class area of Cairo and discovered there were no schools available for young girls in this society. Mary Louisa Whately bought a house and hired a poor Syrian girl who lived in the rooms below to help her teach. This was the first school in Egypt for Muslim girls. In 1861 Whately moved to Pau, France to rest and continue to recover. That winter Whately cared for the son of a Scottish minister who was terminally ill. Whately's work with this man was instrumental in her decision to open a medical mission in 1879. In the winter of 1862 Whately returned to Cairo and re-opened the school she had started. Shortly after Whately arrived in Cairo she opened a school for Muslim boys. Whately hired her Arabic teacher Mansoor Shakoor and his two brothers to help her teach at both schools. This allowed Whately to traverse the Nile and visit other towns and villages. Whately read to the women and children of these towns and provided what education and medicine she could. In 1869 the Prince of Wales visited Whately in Cairo which led to a grant of land just outside the city walls being given to Whately for the purpose of building a school. As the school grew Whately decided to open a medical facility on the campus for care and training. Writings Mary Louisa Whately wrote 12 books on her missionary works and regarding life in Egypt. She wrote them to educate people in Great Britain about daily life especially regarding the poor in Egypt. Her books Child-Life in Egypt, Ragged Life in Egypt, Scenes from Life in Cairo and Stories of Peasant Life on the Nile were some of the first of their kind regarding Egypt. They describe the hardship and tasks that the poor and the children have in life simply to survive. Her collected works Letters From Egypt to Plain Folks at Home were an explanation of what Mary Louisa Whately was accomplishing in Egypt, what Whately's own daily life included and what the lives of those with whom Whately lived were like. Whately wrote other books reflecting on certain experiences she had and people she met. Whately's books A Memoir of Mansoor Shaknoor and The Prism... were about certain people who had a significant impact on Whately's life and ministry.

Source: The Internet

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O FOR A CLOSER WALK WITH GOD

Poet William Cowper liked to walk. It was good therapy for him. He had tried to commit suicide three times and had been hospitalized twice for insanity. During his hospitalization, he became a Christian, and after his release, he became a good friend of John Newton, the author of `Amazing Grace’, who also enjoyed walking. Besides their mutual love of walking, they both had a

sense of humour and liked to write poetry. John Newton encouraged Cowper to write hymns, and they had a friendly hymn-writing competition. When they walked together, Cowper moved at a fast pace, but he also loved to stroll slowly through the little town of Olney, where he visited the poor and chatted with the children. Sometimes they would read the Bible together in Newton’s garden. One morning, Cowper was reading the passage in Genesis that talks about Enoch walking with God. Sometimes he thought there was nothing better than to walk with John Newton, but he knew walking with God was better yet. That thought inspired him to write this hymn. O for a closer walk with God, a calm and heav’nly frame A light to shine upon the road, that leads me to the Lamb. Where is the blessedness I knew, when first I saw the Lord? Where is the soul-refreshing view of Jesus and His Word? Return, O Holy Dove, return, sweet messenger of rest I hate the sin that made Thee mourn and drove Thee from my breast The dearest idol I have known, whate’er that idol be Help me to tear it from Thy throne and worship only Thee. So shall my walk be close with God, calm and serene my frame So purer light shall mark the road that leads me to the Lamb.

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GOOD SAINT NICK

For many centuries “Good Saint Nick” – Saint Nicholas or Santa Claus, the Patron Saint of young children has been associated with Christmas and

Gifts. His name, originally from the Latin, Sanctus Nicolaus, has had various forms, including the German Sankt Nicolaus, Dutch Sinter Klaas, Santa Klass, English Father Christmas etc. and finally becoming our modern “Santa Claus” – his name is synonym with unselfish giving. Although it is customary to regard him as a myth, there actually lived a real St. Nicholas, an early Christian Bishop, who lived during the fourth century. Nicholas, the only child of wealthy Christian parents, was born around 280 AD at Patara, a port in the province of Lycia in Asia Minor. Early in his childhood, his devout mother taught him the Scripture. When both parents died during an epidemic, they left the young boy in possession of all their wealth. Young Nicholas dedicated his life to God’s service and moved to Myra, the main city of his province. There, after the death of their Bishop, members of the council balloted unsuccessfully, for some time, to choose a successor. Finally, in a dream, the oldest official of the Council was told to stand next day at the Cathedral door and select as the new Bishop the first man named Nicholas who entered. When the young Nicholas went to the Church for the morning prayer, he was asked his name and soon afterward, he was selected by the council and consecrated to the high office, though because of his youth he tried to refuse the position but was over-ruled. Early in his new career, during a visit to the Holy Land, he was so impressed by the places connected with Christ’s life that he decided to resign from his Bishopric at Myra and remain in Palestine but God commanded him to return to Asia Minor. Nicholas was very popular as a Bishop, and several stories of his generosity and ability to perform miracles have been recorded. It is said that on his return from the Holy Land, a mighty storm arose and the ship was almost wrecked. Nicholas calmly prayed to God, and the sailors were astonished when the wind suddenly abated, and their lives and the ship were saved. Because of this the Bishop had been famed for his ability to calm the sea in times of storm, and he became the patron of all sea-faring men.

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Another miracle happened to him in 325 A.D., when the sons of a rich Asiatic on their way to study in Athens, were killed by a wicked inn-keeper. This man had the boys dismembered bodies in casks of brine, and salted them down for pork. Nicholas, on his way to the Council at Nicosio, stopped at this inn, and that night in a dream, the crime was revealed to him. He forced the wicked man to confess and then Nicholas made the sign of the Cross over the casks, prayed earnestly to God, and immediately the three boys were restored to life and the good Saint became the patron of children. One of Nicholas’s chief characteristics was his unsurpassed generosity. In his youth, he had learnt by going around among the people to know how many were oppressed by poverty. As a result, he often went out in disguise and distributed presents especially to children. The most popular story of the Saint’s good deeds concerned the three daughters of a nobleman who had lost his fortune in unsuccessful business ventures. As a result there was no dowry for his daughters. The Bishop decided to remedy this. When the eldest daughter was of marriageable age, he went to their home one night and secretly threw a bag of gold through the window and the girl was married well. Again, at the proper time for the marriage of the second daughter, Nicholas repeated his kind deed. But when the Bishop repeated his generous act for the third time, the father of the girl caught the Bishop in the very act of throwing in the bag of money. The grateful father could not keep the secret, even though the donor begged him not to reveal his name. Thus the three daughters were happily married, all through the kindness and generosity of St. Nicholas who is consequently regarded as the patron of girls in the marriageable age. It is said that one of the bags containing the gold fell into a stocking hung near the chimney to dry and, from his incident, the Christmas custom of hanging stocking in anticipation of receiving presents from Santa Claus originated. Santa’s red sleigh is an added attraction for the boys and girls who are thrilled by his eight real reindeer that include the popular “Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer” In spite of his modernization, it is good that the memory of the generous Bishop, St. Nicholas, is still alive today, for he is the personification of the true spirit of Yuletide and brings happiness to millions of children.

D.I.A. Soundarapandian

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BIBLE QUIZ 2017 FOR ALL

The quiz is open to participants of all ages. Answers should be given by the 20th of every month. Late entries will not be considered. Answers should be mailed to sheebs@hotmail.com or given to Mrs. Sheeba Roshan in person. Names of participants with score will be mentioned in the next issue. Winners will be awarded at the end of the year. QUIZ 1 Portion: Book of Ruth

1. Name the city in Judah: 2. Whose son was David's grandfather? 3. Who was left alone? 4. Who had much grief for whom? 5. How much barley did Ruth glean in the field? 6. Who was a mighty man of wealth? 7. Choose the right answer:

The Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with her. a. Ruth b. Naomi c. Orpah

Who said to whom:

8. "May you be richly rewarded by the Lord." 9. "The Lord be with you!" 10. "This kindness is greater than that which you showed

earlier."

Answers to Quiz 12:

A. Significance of following numbers 1. 1100 – number of Silver shekels promised by each of the

Philistine rulers to Delilah - Jud 16:4,5 – number of Silver shekels taken by Micah from his mother -

Jud 17:1-3 2. 2 – number of Midianite leaders (Oreb and Zeeb) captured by

the men of Ephraim - Jud 7:24, 25 – number of Midianite kings (Zebah and Zalmuna) captured

by Gideon - Jud 8:10-12 – number of donkeys taken by the Levite when he went to

Bethlehem - Jud 19:1-3 3. 600

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– number of Danites armed for battle who stood at the entrance to the gate - Jud 18:13-16

– number of Benjamite men who turned and fled into the desert to the rock of Rimmon and stayed there for four months - Jud 20:46,47

B. Who are these people? 4. Lappidoth – husband of the prophetess Deborah - Jud 4:4 5. Jether – the oldest son of Gideon - Jud 8:19-20 C. Who said to whom 6. Samson (to himself) - Jud 16:30 7. Jephthah to his daughter - Jud 11:32-35 D. Answer the following 8. Who killed Abhimelech? - His skull was first cracked by the upper millstone dropped

by the woman from the tower roof in Thebez. Abhimelech then requested his armour bearer to kill him with the sword to avoid the humiliation of being killed by a woman - Jud 9:50-53

9. How many times did Gideon ask the Lord for a sign? – Three times Gideon asked the Lord for a sign – the first time when he requested the Lord to confirm that it

was He who was talking to him by requesting the Lord to wait for him while he went to bring his offering - Jud 6:17-22

– the second time when he requested the Lord to send dew only on the wool fleece and keep the ground dry - Jud 6:36-38

– the third time when he requested the Lord to send dew only on the ground and keep the wool fleece dry - Jud 6:39-40

– The Lord also gave him a sign – He told him to go down to the Midianite camp where he

and his servant Purah heard a man telling his friend that “A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp”. The friend interpreted this as the Sword of Gideon…and that God had given the Midianites into the hand of Gideon - Jud 7:9-15

10. Who killed Eglon, King of Moab? – Ehud (a left-handed man), son of Gera the Benjamite,

whom the Lord gave the Israelites to deliver them from the power of Eglon -Jud 3:15, 21

Points tally after Quiz 12:

Dec 2016 Aggregate

1 Adelene Mercy 10 80

2 Andrew Melvin - 69

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3 Aria Anna 10 88

4 Diya Rajiv 10 120

5 Felicia Williams 10 68

6 Jadon Dhyriam 10 119

7 Jason Travis Daniel 10 120

8 Jasweena Paul - 110

9 Jeremy Roopsingh 10 119

10 Jessica Moses - 57

11 Latha Chittaranjan 10 109

12 Natasha Jacob 10 30

13 Rachel J - 29

14 Santosh Dhyriam 10 119

15 Sharon J. - 28

16 Shreya Dhyriam 10 119

17 Sneha Rachel 10 120

18 Tasha Grace 10 119 BIBLE QUIZ WINNERS FOR 2016 A big thank-you to all the participants of Bible quiz 2016. Appreciate your commitment! The winners of Bible quiz 2016 are: First Place: Diya Rajiv Jason Travis Daniel Sneha Rachel Second Place: Tasha Grace Shreya Dhyriam Santosh Dhyriam Jeremy Roopsingh Jadon Dhyriam

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We welcome your original contributions to the EanMe in the form of articles, poems, Protestant church pictures for the cover, or information relevant to the season. Please send your entries by hard/soft copy to reach the STEC church office stthomasenglishchur@bsnl.in or fabiolaj@gmail.com by the 20th of every month.

You can read the current issue of EanMe online at http://www.santhomeenglishchurch.org/. A few earlier issues have been archived on `CSI St. Thomas English Church’ facebook page. Contributions are also invited for the Sunday bulletin. If you have any interesting information to share in the form of anecdotes, short stories etc. (around 100 words) relevant to the Sunday theme, please mail it to Kavita Edward: sandeekov@gmail.com We are on Social Media! ‘Like’ our Church page on Facebook to stay updated https://www.facebook.com/StThomasEnglishChurch ‘Follow’@CSI_STEC on Twitter Join our Church group on Facebook to connect with each other and share / view pictures of church events https://www.facebook.com/CSI St. Thomas English Church, Santhome

Travelling on work? Don’t forget to click a picture! If you happen to visit or see a beautiful, historic Protestant church that you think should be on our EanMe cover, please click a hi-res picture and e-mail it, along with a short note about the Church, to

fabiolaj@gmail.com

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FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMMES

Sunday School : English: Sunday – 8:15 am

Tamil: Sunday - 4 pm

Tweens Fellowship : Sunday - 4:30 pm

Medical Centre : Monday, Wednesday & Friday – 4.30 to 6 pm

Women’s Fellowship : I and III Saturday - 5:00 pm

Men’s Fellowship : II and IV Saturday - 6:30 pm

Adults’ Fellowship : Sunday - 5:00 pm

Hospital visit : II Sunday - 10:30 am

PASTORATE COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Mr. Bright Joseph Mr. Ajit Stanley Moses Mr. Daniel Manickam Inbaraj Mr. Ranjan Selvakumar Mr. Roshan Soundarapandian Mr. Gerald Joshua Divyaprabu Mrs. Caroline Roopsingh Mrs. Samantha Daniel Mrs. Ramona Crownie Deva Anand Mrs. Diana Prasathini Arjun

The Rt. Rev. Dr. J. George Stephen

Bishop in Madras

Rev. D. Richard Ambrose Jebakumar Presbyter-in-charge

Mr. Milton Sigamoney Mr. Ajit Stanley Moses

Lay Readers

Mr. Benjamin Hastings Secretary

Mrs. Gemina Martin Treasurer

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WORSHIP SERVICES – PLAN FOR JANUARY 2017 Date and

Time Day Services and Preacher Theme Stewards for Bible reading

and Offertory

1.1.2017 8.00 am

6.00 pm

New Year Day

Sung Eucharist: Celebrant: Rev. Dr. B.J. Premiah Evensong: Message: Mr. Milton Sigamoney

The Lord is

our Rock and Shelter

Genesis 12: 1 – 7 I Peter 5: 6 – 11 St. Mark 6: 45 – 51 Mr. & Mrs. Martin King

8.1.2017 7.00 am

8.15 am

6.00 pm

First

Sunday after

Epiphany

Holy Eucharist: Celebrant: Rev. Dr. B.J. Premiah Matins: Message: Rev. Dr. B.J. Premiah Holy Eucharist: Celebrant: Rev. Milanten Rajareeham

Honouring the

body as temple of God

Ecclesiastes 6: 1 - 12 I Corinthians 3: 16 - 23 Psalm 1 St. Mathew 5: 21 - 30 Mr. & Mrs. G.S.S. Rajkumar

15.1.2017 7.30 am

6.00 pm

Second Sunday

after Epiphany

Sung Eucharist: Celebrant: Rev. Dr. B.J. Premiah Evensong: Message: Mr. Ajit Stanley Moses

The Covenant

Jeremiah 31: 31 – 33 Hebrews 12: 22 – 25 Psalm 145: 15 – 21 St. Mathew 11: 27 - 30 Dr. & Mrs. Jacinth Cornelius

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22.1.2017

7.30 am

6.00 pm

Third Sunday after Epiphany

Sung Eucharist: Celebrant: Rev. D. Richard Ambrose

The steadfast love of God

Exodus 17: 1 – 7 Ephesians 3: 14 – 21 Psalm 86: 1 – 10 St. Mathew 22: 34 – 40 Mr. & Mrs. R. Leonard

Confirmation Sunday and

STEC 175th year Inauguration

Sung Eucharist: Celebrant: The Rt. Rev. Dr. J. George Stephen

Confirmation and

thanksgiving

Ezekiel 36: 26 – 28 Romans 8: 12 – 17 St. John 14: 15 – 17 Acts 1 : 8 Confirmation Candidates

29.1.2017 7.30 am

6.00 pm

Fourth Sunday after Epiphany

Sung Eucharist: Celebrant: Rev. D. Richard Ambrose Evensong: Message: Mr. Milton Sigamoney

True piety

Micah 6: 1 – 8 James 1: 19 – 27 Psalm 42 St. Mathew 6: 1 – 8 Mr. & Dr. Mrs. T. Ignatius