Spiritual Reflections

Royalties read multi-directional!

2009-11-21T17:29:00.001-08:00

We live in a world where there is lots of noise made talking about separation of church and state. All those discussions will come to an end when we talk about Jesus as the King, which is a political concept. There is absolutely no separation of church and state in this story of the Kingship of Christ. Is there?

This brings us to a new problem that we haven't properly defined church and state. We haven't defined what politics is all about and what church is all about. If Christ is both King and Savior of the world, then it is impossible for us to separate church and state.

I heard this story of a great salesman who was sent to the Arab world to sell soft drinks. After a long and hard trip he returned to the base completed failed. His boss was surprised at as what happened to him knowing what he was capable of doing. The salesman responded. When he got his posting in the middle east he did not know how to speak Arabic. Therefore he decided to make his sales pitch in posters of images. He made his first poster of a man who is tired and exhausted. Then he made the second poster that showed this exciting and energizing drink. The third poster showed an energetic and refreshed and rejuvenated guy. But then after spending all these money for these advertising campaign he learned that people in the Middle East read from left to right.

This is what happened to churches across the world over centuries. We are teaching about Christ to a people who have become one directional than multi directional. Either they read from left to right or right to left where as God is written all over. Unless we are able to teach our new and younger generation to read God all over in all directions we will have to divide churches and states. Unless our younger generations are capable of finding God in all intersections of life, we will struggle to find God as King.

Who is a king? For a world like ours that prides itself of its democracy, kingship is not attractive. We came into existence fighting kings' rule.

Pilate is caught between Jesus in the praetorian and Jews in the courtyard. He is struggling to find the truth. His gut tells him the truth about this man standing in front of him but his stomach, meaning his cravings for power make him want to do otherwise.

The inability to find the truth comes from our inability to sense the whisper of the Holy Spirit within us. Truth is always a gut feeling that pulls us to the right action as we face a challenge in life. Then we have the cravings of daily life that pulls us apart from doing the right thing.

For those who cannot live a truthful life, kingship of God is always scary. God's ultimate power lies in his capacity to replace power with love whereas man's limitedness lies in his capacity to replace love with power.

The division of a world into political or religious segments comes from the same question Pilate is asking here. What is the truth? Truthful living has been lost in today's financially fallen world. Truthful living based on truthful forecasting and planning has been fallen through the cracks of love of power and money.

Why don't we want God in politics? Because it calls us to speak what we mean, live what we speak and do what we promise. These things are not part of the politics we know of today. With all the pressures of the global village, we are still called to live daily life truthfully loving our neighbor as ourselves.

God is written in all directions. Unless we are able to read and write God in all directions, which calls for truthfulness, compassion, kindness, courage, sternness, and more, we want everything to be compartmentalized and separated.

This is why God is king; because God does not compartmentalize one principle from another and a person from another.

To put it simply:

· Money comes with God – spend it as God wants.

· Sex comes with God – Enjoy it as God meant it to be

· Life comes with God – live it as God wants

· Human being comes with God – respect them as God would

· Politics comes with God – exercise it with power of love.

We share them all with the rest who all comes with God, from God. We are Royalties as I said on last Sunday, because we come from God who hasn't compartmentalized us into divided human classifications.

What is the kingship of Christ we are celebrating today? It is the celebration of oneness and integrity of life. Kingship calls for truthfulness, inviting us to pay attention to the whisper in our hearts at every turn of life.

Fr. Jos Tharakan (C)

Sand castles we build and destroy!

2009-09-26T21:20:00.000-07:00

A man who was walking across a bridge and came upon another man standing right on the edge, about to plunge to his death. The first man shouted "Stop! Are you a Christian?" "Yes, as a matter of fact I am." "Well so am I. Are you Catholic or Protestant?" "I'm Protestant," "Well so am I. Are you Episcopal or Baptist?" "I'm Episcopal." "Wow... I am too. Are you a United Episcopal church of America or The Episcopal Church? "I'm in The Episcopal Church," "Me too, that's amazing! Do you use 1949 or 1979 BCP?" "I use 1979 "I can't believe it, so do I." But tell me do you ordain women?" He answered, "Yes we do." To which the first man said, "Die you heretic," and pushed him off the bridge.

Here is another one. "Jesus, we just saw someone who is secretly preaching in your name. He seems to do a lot of miracles in your name including healing a lot of people. They seem to bring the people to the kingdom of God without permission. What do you think of it? We told him to stop as he does not have permission from you or us for that matter. He did not listen to us. What do you want us to do to him?

Don't you think that is what happened to all Christian Churches in history? Someone did spread the kingdom of God without the permission of the other who considered themselves better than the other?

They were too much worried about their own fellowmen not following the rule while the Satan, the evil power gained momentum on them. So, Christ uses this occasion to teach them to wage a battle against evil rather than one another.

Christ tells his disciples that the first enemy in our world is territorial ism that makes us arrogant. He calls the apostles to see the big picture in the plan of Salvation that empowers human beings who are willing to take risks to bring the kingdom to those who seek it.

Yesterday in the UN one of the world leaders proposed that Switzerland be divided up and given to France, Italy and Germany. Another guy had been talking about eradicating Israel. And then there is another man who said, he does not smell sulfur at the foot of the UN seat. Of the 3600 years of written history of the world there had been 280 years of peace and 8000 peace treaties broken.

Men do not mirror themselves in running water--they mirror themselves in still water. Only what is still can still the stillness of other things.

- Taoism. Chuang Tzu 5

Be still and know that I am God.

To know God and God's purpose we have to be still both internally and externally.

We all have to calm down and allow the other to be still. Let the course of the action takes its time to see the lasting result.

Here is a beautiful story.

Some children were playing beside a river.  They made castles of sand, and each child defended his castle and said, "This one is mine."  They kept their castles separate and would not allow any mistakes about which was whose.  When the castles were all finished, one child kicked over someone else's castle and completely destroyed it.  The owner of the castle flew into a rage, pulled the other child's hair, struck him with his fist and bawled out, "He has spoiled my castle!  Come along all of you and help me to punish him as he deserves." The others all came to his help.  They beat the child with a stick and then stamped on him as he lay on the ground.... Then they went on playing in their sand castles, each saying, "This is mine; no one else may have it.  Keep away! Don't touch my castle!"  But evening came, it was getting dark and they all thought they ought to be going home.  No one now cared what became of his castle.  One child stamped on his, another pushed his over with both hands. Then they turned away and went back, each to his home.

-          Buddhism  Yogacara Bhumi Sutra 4

Store up treasures for yourself in the kingdom of God. All that we build here are sand castles and all that we fight about are sand castles. We ourselves destroy them at the end of life. Along the way of building those sand castles we have destroyed lives and hopes.

This is what Jesus is warning against today in the scriptures. Beware of the sand castles we build and the lives we destroy for our own territorial-ism.

Is it the hand that causes us to destroy the other? Hand is the extension of God's creative power. Turn your hands into the hand of God. If not for creation what is it for? If our hand cannot any more create, then it is not worth it.

Are our feet that cause us to destroy the other? Our feet are the extension of God's sustaining power. If our feet are not for preservation and prevention what are they for? If we cannot walk the mile like Christ did with those who are lost and unloved, what are they for?

Are our eyes what cause the destruction of the other? Our eyes are the eternal sight of God that protects and watches over the weak and poor, the sick and the lonely.

Why is Christ focusing on the hands, the feet and the eyes here? Because as St. Theresa of Avila says:

Christ has no body now but yours,

No hands, no feet, on earth but yours.
Your are the eyes through which He looks with Compassion on this world
your are the feet
with which He walks to do good.
Your are the hands
with which He blesses all the world
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet.
Yours are the eyes, you are His body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours
Yours are the eyes, through which He Looks
compassion on the world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

Peace happens only when Christ happens in the other. Peace happens only when God loses the boundary.

Fr. Jos Tharakan

What are you talking about?

2009-09-20T05:37:00.001-07:00

Mark 9:30-37

Jesus and his disciples went on from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it; for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, "The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again." But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.

Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the way?" But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all." Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, "Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me."

The New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Sometimes during the service I hear some people talk. It may be a comment about something or the a response to something I said during my sermon or the confusion I create from time to time. Then I have a temptation to ask "what are you talking about there by the way?". Can you imagine the embarrassment it would cause to the person who was talking during the service?

Was Jesus trying to embarrass the disciples asking this question to them as they were on their way somewhere?

Many times when Jesus said things it confused the disciples. Sometimes it angered some of his hearers. Jesus was not an easy to understand preacher sometimes. Today we find him doing something that is against cultural understanding and practice.

This is a heartwarming story as he makes a child an example. He respects, cares and admires the innocence of a child. That is such a sweet thing to do. Don't you think? He is such a caring person and it is easy for us to imagine such a God because we do the same. However at the time of Jesus, it was not so. Children are the least priority in the ancient world.

According to some Mediterranean writers, including St. Thomas Aquinas, if there is a fire in the house, a man is obliged to first save his father, then his mother and then his wife and only then his child!

Wow…. Aren't you glad that they were not born in modern America or didn't live in today's world? They won't be saints I can guarantee you. At this time of cultural understanding of what is and who is important what Jesus said was outrageously un-sweet. He picked up a little child and said, 'be like this child'. He broke all the rules. He was being un-cool when being cool was following the norms of the society.

Now speaking of children being devalued at that time I should say it is not just children who were devalued. According to Megan McKenna, who is a Theologian, story teller, lecturer and artist, the list of those devalued include peasants, farmers, shepherds, widows, slaves, the unemployed, aliens, immigrants, prisoners and homeless.

Does this sound familiar? Do we have people who are devalued amongst us? The poor and the powerless are devalued all over the world regardless of the nation they live – the first or the last world.

May be Jehovah's Witnesses have a point when they try to covert people, when we are changed we will live here on earth like we will live in heaven when all are of equal importance and value.

Rev. Peter W Marty is an Evangelical Lutheran Pastor, Theologian and thinker. Marty talks about what happens to people who shifts the focus like Jesus did. For Jesus it was God for sure who was the priority but on earth the list was rearranged and the children, the powerless and poor gained importance. And Jesus therefore was "scheduled for death".

When we reverse expectations and assumptions, be sure to get ready for execution.

So today, what are you talking about? You can ask me the same question Jesus asked his disciples. And I will say, I am talking about who is important among us?

I think when Jesus took Peter, James, and John a few times by themselves to the mountaintop and shared stuff with them, they did think they are more important than the rest of the bunch. So, I wouldn't blame them for such a conversation on their way to Jerusalem.

All are equal in our churches today and should be every day. And then someone said, Yes, "All are equal and some are more equal". We sometimes behave in our claim of the kingdom of God that some of us are more equal to the grace of God and God's love than others. Some of us in this world think that we are greater than somebody else from the list given by Megan McKenna, the peasants, farmers, shepherds, widows, slaves, unemployed, aliens, immigrants, prisoners, homeless.

We live in a culture and a time when winning is all that matters. Getting to be the first in the world, in the games, in the life and in money is all that matters. We could easily plunge into a world of chaos as a result of this winning attitude that degrades people and dehumanizes mankind.

I read this story recently of Joe Jacobi of the Washington Redskins. He once said, "I'd run over my own mother to win a Super Bowl." Hearing Jacob's boast, Matt Millen of the Oakland Raiders said, "To win, I'l run over Joe's Mom, too."

See the world we live in.

We all want to be first. That is what the talk is about. Who will be the first. We have examples after examples. President Johnson was one of the most ambitious guys in history. He wanted to win in all what he did. Where did he get it from? From early morning hours of toe pulling by his father who said to him, "Get up, Lyndon. Every other boy in town has a head start on you".

We live in a world of ambition and achievement. Examples after examples I can show you including the story of the current president and the previous one, and a list of others in power and politics, spirituality and religion.

But ultimately all the race we do and all the games we play has to end with the names and lives of those who were lost and are powerless.

The kingdom of God is for those who have the courage and readiness to reverse the expectations and assumptions. It is for those who have the courage to rise to the top of the pyramid from the bottom of the world through their innocence and truthful life.

Get involved in the lives of people and let not anyone pass by who is not cared for.

A comedian said he was once mugged. He was beaten up, his face blackened and bruised. Someone asked him, "why didn't you fight back?". Then he answered, "I started to but I decided not to get involved".

My dear brothers and sisters, get involved in this world today. Do not be afraid of being involved with the innocence of a child and the prudence of Christ.

Welcome someone into your lives and into the life of All Saints. Devalued human beings are all over and amongst us. Let us be servants in a world of masters. Christ was one and so shall we be. Let us shake up the world around us, and be assured we will be scheduled for execution. But the secret is resurrection is around the corner.

So do not be afraid. Truth will always win. Innocence will always rise to the top. Let us be like the children amongst us. Amen.

Fr. Jos Tharakan

Where is true happiness?

2009-09-12T20:07:00.001-07:00

Mark 8:27-38

Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" And they answered him, "John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." He asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Messiah." And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.

Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things."
He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."
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The Bible texts of the Gospel lesson is taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the USA, and used by permission.

I heard this story of a man who considered himself to be very important. One day he went to the doctor's office and found himself behind several others waiting for the doctor. He then approached the receptionist and told her, "I had been waiting here for a long time. Don't you know who I am?". The lady with a smile picked up the intercom microphone and announced, "I have a man here who does not know who he is. Can someone help please?".

I wonder if that was the response Jesus got when he said, do you know who I am? I am sure it is not.
Who are the truly happy people?

Truly happy people are people who don't save too much of what they have now for a later time. They spend their time and energy while alive with those around them. They don't wait for the best moment of life to find happiness. They find it at the spur of the moment.

Dr. W. Beran Wolfe, once wrote, "If you observe a really happy [person] you will find him building a boat, writing a symphony, educating his [children], growing double dahlias in his garden, or looking for dinosaur eggs in the Gobi Desert . . . To find happiness we must seek for it in a focus outside ourselves."

That is what self denial is all about. Self denial is our willingness to go outside of ourselves to find happiness. It is finding a focus in life that is more than yourself. Yes, happiness is a byproduct of self-denial.

Discipleship is not easy. It is a process through which we make the other more important than ourselves. That costs. It is the philosophy of John the Baptist, who said, I shall be small so that He can be big.

In our daily life we can find it in good parenting. It is about giving yourself for your child and your family. There are more disciples here than anywhere else. For a child it is living to the full potential to make a difference in the world they live in. Living here among the different types of children with kindness and compassion, giving up selfish interests for the sake of others is what discipleship is.

I see parents take their children for all kinds of stuff in their schools, basketball and baseball coaching, dances, music, cheerleading practice. Aren't you trying to show to the world what a beautiful child you have and what a gifted person your son or daughter is. I hope you are empowering your children to be great people in this world.
A work of art becomes only a work of art when someone who knows about art can enjoy it. For example when Bach or Beethoven composed all those beautiful symphonies and kept it to themselves they would not have become a work of art. When it left them and others began enjoying them, it became a work of art. When Michael Angelo or Picasso shared their painting it became a work of art. Centuries after they have been created people still admire their works because they shared them with a world that did not know about it but came to enjoy it.

We are the works of art by God. Christ was a Work of Art for God. So are we. When we are shared we become meaningful. Or else we will be like bonds and stocks, closed up in a safe room afraid of being stolen. It is not worth it if we are locked up in safe deposit boxes to gain value. Value for human life comes from being spent now and not later unlike money.

We are the work of art created by God with one purpose. The purpose is simply to share it with people who can see the beauty in us. It also calls us at the same time to see the beauty in others as much as it in us. True happiness comes from sharing the art that we are.

The concept of self denial is not good news, no wonder Peter didn't like the idea. Especially it is true when you are an oppressed minority, when you are an abused individual or society, self denial will not sound spiritually appealing. For a woman who is kept under subjection it is no good news. Was self denial right for the young girl who was under subjection for 18 years in the sub-human living conditions in the backyard?
Truly happy people are those who live their lives with one purpose that is to make life easier for someone else. It is not living a life with the hope of the rewards that awaits at the end of the day or ages to come.

True self denial is when one empowers the other to shine in the world about them and not be intimidated by it. True self denial is saying to the world that you are secure in yourself and there is something beautiful about you that the world needs to see. Self denial only becomes meaningful and beautiful when one's worth is recognized and celebrated by oneself first.

This is the premise where Christ said to Peter, Peter, it is not the flesh and blood that revealed this to you, but the Holy Spirit. Christ was secure in himself and was happy that someone else saw His greatness.

My dear brothers and sisters, today I invite you to empower the grace and beauty of your child and yourself to emerge from places that are hidden and start living.

Do not hoard up the treasurers you have within yourself. Human beings lose their worth when it is hoarded up. We lose our worth by the minute we hoard our worth under a bushel.

Teach yourself and your child to claim Christ now and live Christ today. They won't have a chance to learn it tomorrow.

Peter spoke up given a chance to express what he knew by the gift of the Holy Spirit. Your child and yourself need to speak up what the Holy Spirit tells you here and now and claim Christ for your family.

Self-denial is all about what John The Baptist said earlier, "He must increase and I must decrease".

Bring into your life the affection of Christ and the effect of it will be longer than your life.
Bring into your child the power of God and effect of it will be a lifetime.

What you do to your child today is what they will hold onto tomorrow. I can guarantee you one thing, if your child knows something about God in his or her life in the future, it is not from me but from you.

Dear Pastor, I liked your sermon on Sunday. Especially when it was finished, is what kids are going to tell me.

Today I call upon all of you, Children, Youth, Parents, Teachers, Ministers, Members of this community, give God to your child and help us do the same.

Decrease in yourself so that God will increase around you. That is what Self-denial is all about. Peter did so.

Spring time in Spiritual Life

2009-08-29T17:57:00.001-07:00

James 1:17-27

Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God's righteousness. Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.

But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act-they will be blessed in their doing.

If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

· Song of Solomon 2:8-13
· Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

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One of the Sunday school teachers came to the pastor one day and said, Pastor do you know what your son told us today in the Sunday school? And of course you can imagine the thought process of a pastor. Oh, my… here we go with another embarrassing moment. But then he said, ok. Tell me. The teacher continued. She told the children how Adam and Eve was made and on and on.

Pastor's son then asked, "you mean I am made of dirt?"

She said, Yes.

Pastor's son responded, "hmm… my mom is not going to be happy about that".

This is where I want to begin today. We are all made of dirt and therefore the potential to bring forth all that is beautiful and alive is so great in us. Why? Because when there is good dirt it can produce more.

The spring time gets its meaning from the flowers that spring up and the fruits that are brought forth in the dirt that is fertile and ready. Spring time is pleasant to the eyes and the heart because it is all about life and all its colors sprung forth from the ground below.

A little dirt is good for your health is what doctors would say and a knowledge of it is even better so that we are not paranoid about the dirt we all carry or made out of. It keeps us on the grounded in reality rather than above ground. What lifts us up are actions here below.

"Magic mirror, magic mirror who is the fairest one of all: the queen of the land or the Snow White?" Of course it is Snow White, the one who cooks for the dwarfs, the one who plays with the creatures of the world, the one who cares for the least and the lost and the one who is innocent and pure.

We are little wingless birds hopping on the ground without the actions of faith. When we begin to act on our faith then we will grow wings to fly into the heavens and hover over the rest of the world. Faith in action is the wing that takes us to eternity. Hoping on the dirty ground with actions of love and compassion will grow us our wings to fly away. Some churches and individuals have claimed a song to be their personal property. I want to claim that for myself and you know it.

Some bright morning when this life is over I'll fly away
To that home on God's celestial shore I'll fly away
I'll fly away oh glory I'll fly away (in the morning)
When I die hallelujah by and by I'll fly away

What gives us power to fly around and away are actions of faith pre-redeemed by Christ. But it has to happen here and now. What makes spring time of spiritual life is the knowledge of the dirt we are made of and the possibility of the dirt we are made of to bring forth life and all its colors. None of us will fly away alone. None of us will fly away without those we care for. Some bright morning we will fly away with a few more people in our hearts.

According to the wisdom of Blessed Mother Theresa "Keep in mind that our community is not composed of those who are already saints, but of those who are trying to become saints. Therefore let us be extremely patient with each other's faults and failures." We are made up of human elements of failures. But what we are blessed with human capacity to bring about life from it.

Spring time of Spiritual Life is when we absorb God's words like the earth that absorbs all the water that is poured on to her. This is what James is talking about, "Let everyone be quick to listen" quick to absorb, listen carefully and allow life to germinate and regenerate slowly. It produces patience in the midst of needing to establish our point of view and our ideas about life. It stops our anger from getting beyond ourselves. It slows us down so that God can be the righteous judge and our merciful father.

Twelve years ago around this time there were two significant deaths in this world. Both of them were known for their acts of faith, one from a place of splendor and honor and the other from a place of humility and simplicity. Nevertheless both grew wings by their life, to fly away in the midst of the dirt they lived in and was made of, Princes Diana and Mother Theresa.

Today therefore when we reflect on the ideal prayer and perfect answer part three, let us remind ourselves of faith that comes alive in actions of our daily living.

The Seasons of grace are moments of life when it is filled with acts of kindness and compassion. Seasons of grace are seasons of life when from a place of splendor and honor and from a place of humility and simplicity we reach out to those who are in need of God.

Grace is measured by the life that it generates around us. When grace abounds in us, life in all its forms will be plentiful. It is life when we are able to convey to everyone that we all share from the gene pool of God and therefore part of one divine family, with a history and a future. This was the story of Mother Theresa who died on September 5^th 1997.

Do we hear the voice of God when troubles in life set in? Yes, we can. If only we can be "quick to listen" as St. James would say. The more we hear, the less we talk instead let God talk.

The rituals for rituals sake Jesus is talking against, challenging people to live what the rituals call for, the song that Solomon is singing to celebrate the love that he found and the instructions for Christian life given by St. James all speak of one thing, the need for truthfulness in actions and belief. True prayer is the true expression of what is going on in our hearts through actions to prove it. True prayer generates life rather than defiles the self or others.

We have God's response to such a state of in life as we hear in the Song of Solomon. Here is the union of the bride and the groom. We hear in the song of Solomon the oneness of the soul that has reached the peak of such relationship. Life becomes meaningful and fruitful. Every action in life brings forth fruits and flowers to adorn the earth and those on the earth. There is a fragrance of holiness around them. There springs forth new life and new energy. God's answer is new life like the spring time around us and new possibilities like the moment of Resurrection.

Fr. Jos Tharakan
Rector
All Saints' Episcopal Church
501 South Phoenix Ave
Russellville, AR 72801
Phone: 479-968-3622
Web: http://www.allsaintsrussellville.net

Faith is a tricky thing

2009-08-11T06:01:00.000-07:00

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Hebrews 11:6

Faith is a tricky thing. Faith requires acknowledgement. We can only believe in someone or something after we acknowledge it as a being. It starts with oneself and then things around us to people around us and the whole humanity as God's creation. Therefore all of God's creation as good enough for God to begin with before we attribute everything else to what God created. Faith starts with the acknowledgement of that which is out there as good enough in itself. When something is good enough in itself, it is ultimately good enough for the creator. Faith is a tricky thing. It challenges us to become who we are primarily created to be and then faith will emerge out of nowhere giving rise to all kinds of expressions of charity.

Jos+
Fr. Jos Tharakan

Faith is a journey

2009-08-09T04:25:00.001-07:00

Faith is a journey gently taking in all that does not make sense to
human senses. It is walk of life where light is only a possibility but
moving toward that light is a necessity. That is only possible for a
person who knows living today in kindness and compassion is the right
thing to do. If you are that person your faith is stronger than you
know.

Blessings
Fr. Jos
Sent from iPhone.

Praise God for all the blessings

2009-08-08T11:01:00.001-07:00

I praise God for all the blessings of life and most specially for
technology.

Blessings
Fr. Jos

Keeping commandments!

2007-04-14T11:41:00.001-07:00

If you love me keep my commandments - John 14:15

What are the commandments that the Lord is asking us to keep? Just two. There is no greater commandment than this that love the Lord you God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind, and the second love your neighbor as yourself. Let us go further and say may be just one. Love your neighbor as yourself! And the other will emerge as a result!

Before we start loving others let us start with ourselves. This coming week, take a few minutes of each day and thank God for the wonderful blessings you are given in your life. Take a few minutes to rest and treat yourself with a cup of hot chocoloate, an ice cream, a nice restful drive, forgive yourself for some of the things of the past that still seem unforgiven, respect and care for yourself and your needs, and do those things that you would really like for yourself.

Let us apply the commandments first to ourselves so that we can effectively and lovingly apply it on others. If only I know how painful it will be when people reject me, hurt me, love me, care for me, and understand me I can probably understand the pain or joy other's might go through when I do the same to them. How can I keep the commandments if I don't know what it does to me when I keep them? So, today let us make a decision that we shall look deep into our own pains and joys so that may be we could show our love better for others. We could think twice before we say things to others we won't say to ourselves or we won't someone else to say to us.

May you blessed today and coming days to keep His commands starting with yourself.

Fr. Jos

Weekly Communiqué

2007-03-01T16:09:00.001-08:00

Post-Convention Mop-up

The 135th Convention of the Diocese of Arkansas is history and the dust is settling. Kudos to Mike Schaufele, Cindy Miller, Rocki Proffitt and all of the good folk of St. Mark's, Little Rock, for a super job hosting the almost-300 attendees. The hard efforts they made to see to every detail obviously paid off. Thank you.

There were several elections and appointments during the process, and for those who were not present, they were:

Elections

Standing Committee:

Mrs. Lynn Barton, Holy Cross, West Memphis
The Rev. Pam Morgan, St. Andrew's, Mountain Home

Executive Council:

The Rev. Gene Crawford, St. Mark's, Crossett (Clergy, SE Convocation)
Mr. Andy Peeler, St. Mark's, Jonesboro (Lay, NE Convocation)
Mr. Garry Roberts, St. Thomas', Springdale (Lay, NW Convocation)
The Rev. Danny Schieffler, St. John's, Fort Smith (At-Large Clergy member)

Ecclesiastical Court:

The Hon. Robert L. Brown, St. Margaret's, Little Rock (5-year term)
Mr. George Talbot, Grace Church, Pine Bluff (3-year term)

Camp Mitchell Board of Trustees:

Dr. Robert Seibert, St. Margaret's, Little Rock

Trustee, University of the South:

Mrs. Pan Adams-McCaslin, St. Mark's, Little Rock

Appointments

Commission on Constitution and Canons:

Mrs. Sherry Furr, St. Luke's, North Little Rock (filling an unexpired 2008 term)
Mr. Barry Coplin, Christ Church, Little Rock (2010)
The Rev. Danny Schieffler, St. John's, Fort Smith (2010)

Commission on Ministry: (reappointments to terms ending 2013)

Mrs. Shellie Bailey, St. John's, Harrison
The Rev. Steve Thomason, St. Thomas', Springdale

We heard inspiring words from Bishop Benfield as well as from the Rev. Mike Kinman, Director of Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation, who shared stories and information about our role and responsibility to respond to the Millennium Development Goals. Of note was the news that All Saints', Bentonville, has had it's organizational meeting and Bishop Benfield will meet with the Standing Committee soon to ask them to designate All Saints' as a mission station in the Diocese. The biggest news was that the members of convention approved the resolution to move St. Thomas', Springdale, from mission to parish status. Congratulations to all!

Deadlines, Deadlines, Deadlines

Parochial Reports are due today!

The Canons (1.6.1) of the Episcopal Church state: A report of every Parish and other Congregation of this Church shall be prepared annually for the year ending December 31 preceding . . . and shall be filed not later than March 1 with the Bishop of the Diocese.

Guess what, folks. Today is March 1. We have always been lenient in the past about this deadline, but due to the fact that we plan to publish both the 2006 and 2007 Journals of the diocese as one document and we hope to have this available sometime next month, we need your Parochial Report right away. The Parochial Report is not contingent on your audit or anything pertaining to this year. This is information for 2006 that you are reporting. IF you have lost your copy, please be in touch with Beth Matthews and she can send you a copy and/or give you your ID and password so you can file your report online.

Also, each congregation recently received a survey from the Church Pension Fund requesting information on lay employees. This is a very important survey that will impact, and hopefully help improve, the role of the lay person employed in the work of the church. The deadline for this survey is March 5 and thus far we still have 35 congregations who have not responded. If your church has no paid lay staff, they need to know that, too. [Editor's note: I am part of the task force that is working on this and we are working hard to find out, for one thing, just how many lay employees there are in the Episcopal Church, so please respond to this survey as quickly and accurately as you can.]

New Face of the Diocesan Website

Have a Look!

You are invited to visit www.arkansas.anglican.org to view the recently updated diocesan website. Many thanks to the Rev. Jos Tharakan, Missionary Chaplain at Christ Church, Mena, for his expertise and diligence in getting this updated site up and running. We welcome your comments and ideas about our website. It still is in process, but the basics are out there and updates will be frequent, so visit often and let us know what you think.

Upcoming Events

March 2-4 Happening #18, Camp Mitchell

March 12-24 Executive Council overnight meeting, Camp Mitchell

March 16-21 House of Bishops' meeting, Camp Allen, Texas

March 18 Arkansas Day at the National Cathedral

The Weekly Communiqué

2007-02-21T14:13:00.001-08:00

The Diocese of Arkansas
The Weekly Communiqué for Episcopalians Throughout the State

February 1, 2007

A Statment from Bishop Benfield

On February 19 I read with interest the texts of the draft of a proposed Anglican Covenant and the primates' communiqué following their meeting in Tanzania. I have not read any comments from the participants in that meeting, and I look forward in three weeks to hear from the presiding bishop about what she heard and saw and shared at the meeting. The Episcopal Church's House of Bishops will be meeting in Texas at that time, and it will also give me a chance to hear from some of the more experienced bishops about their take on the proposals and how we might best proceed.

We Anglicans have always said that we best discern the will of God as we gather in community, and any opportunity that people take to sit down and listen to one another and share their stories will be helpful, indeed holy.

One of my disappointments with the communiqué is that the primates gave little attention to issues of hunger and war and poverty, and how the church is called to respond through the eyes of resurrection to a world that suffers from those afflictions. When we take the focus off proclaiming that sort of good news, I think we lose credibility among people both outside and inside the church.

No matter what happens in the larger church's governing councils, we in the diocese of Arkansas will continue to focus on proclaiming resurrection, a proclamation of the good news that nothing is stronger than God's love. We will do so in ways that are needed in this state and appropriate for our people and culture.

Larry R. Benfield

Bishop of Arkansas

Camp Mitchell Crawfish Boil

St. Margaret's to Host Event

The First Annual Friends of Camp Mitchell Crawfish Boil will be held on Friday, 27 April 2007 at 6:30 p.m. It will be held at St. Margaret's Episcopal Church at 20900 Chenal Parkway in Little Rock. It will be a great outdoor event. We will have musical entertainment more than 1,000 pounds of crawfish, a beer garden, and a ton of fun. Come one, come all and enjoy!

Convention Week

Due to the busy-ness surrounding our diocesan convention, this week's Communiqué is coming to you today instead of Thursday. Of course if we have any late, breaking news, you will hear about it. For those of who who will be at the convention this Friday and Saturday, registration begins at 10 a.m. on Friday, the first business session is at 1 p.m., and we hope to be finished by the time we have the Eucharist on Saturday at noon. (Note the word "hope" is not "promise." For those who won't be at St. Mark's with us this week, have a great week and please keep all of your fellow Arkansas Episcopalians in your thoughts and prayers.

Upcoming Events

February 23:     Clergy meeting with the bishop. 10:30 a.m. at St. Mark's Church
      in Little Rock.

February 23-24: Diocesan convention in Little Rock. Begins at 1 p.m. Friday
                       at St. Mark's Church.

March 2-3: Happening #18 at Camp Mitchell

March 12-13: Executive Council overnight meeting at Camp Mitchell

March 16-21: House of Bishops meeting at Camp Allen

Beth Matthews
The Diocese of Arkansas

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Genuine Love - here and now!

2007-01-26T19:32:00.000-08:00

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good. Rom 12: 9

Genuine love is a love that transforms oneself and others. Such an emotion is not motivated by selfish interest. It is motivated by what is best within us towards the best in the other. Genuine love does not have terms and conditions. Anyone who is capable of loving other this way is loving oneself the way God created him or her to be. Therefore such moment of genuine love is also a moment of spiritual enlightenment and transformation.

A person who loves oneself as God created him or her, will soon recognize that sometimes in his or her life there are things he or she does that are bad, sad, painful and shameful. This is what I call the moment of "Paul-ization" meaning, this is a moment of recognition human sinfullness and divine forgiveness. Instead of falling into depressing guilt they learn quickly that without holding on to what is true and eternal, good and genuine in others, they won't be holding on to God in this world. Life is not any more focused on bad, sad, painful and shameful things and acts, but truth, goodness, beauty that are real here and now.

Fr. Jos

New Virus - Trojan.Peacomm

2007-01-23T19:09:00.000-08:00

Dear Reflections Blogger

I usually do not send these kinds of emails. But I thought this will be very
useful since I was informed of this directly by Norton Anti-Virus company.
Here is the latest threat to computers as informed by Norton Anti-Virus
company.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
In order to ensure you are informed of the latest online threats, we wanted
to alert you that Symantec Security Response raised the risk level of
Trojan.Peacomm from a category 2 out of 5, to a
<http://nortonmail.symantec.com/ct/ct.php?t=443178&c=713361894&m=m&type=1&h=
E373ECED4D1F1A1F6268381336EC60D9> category 3 threat, due to the speed and
volume in which it is being aggressively spammed across the Internet. The
Trojan, which was first spotted January 17, 2007 has been raised to a higher
category following a sustained increase in new versions of the attack which
appeared over the weekend as the malware author responded to improvements in
protection made by security companies by adjusting his tactics.

Trojan.Peacomm is one of a number of spamming Trojan horse programs Symantec
has seen lately that appear to originate from Russia and are clearly aimed
at making money for the author by pumping up penny stocks. The victim is
enticed through social engineering techniques to open an attachment, which
typically appears to be a video clip on a recent, newsworthy event.

The trojan horse arrives as an attachment to an email purporting to contain
a video of one of several different recent news stories. The email itself
will have no message body, but will have one of several subject lines such
as "A killer at 11, he's free at 21 and kill again!," "Fidel Castro Dead,"
"Re: Your Text." For a complete list of subject lines, please
<http://nortonmail.symantec.com/ct/ct.php?t=443179&c=713361894&m=m&type=1&h=
E373ECED4D1F1A1F6268381336EC60D9> click here.

--------------------------------------------------

Well. So the simple thing to do. DO NOT OPEN ANY ATTACHMENT REGARDLESS OF
WHO IT COMES FROM unless you really really trust the person who sent that to
you.

Sincerely

Jos Tharakan

TEst

2007-01-19T19:24:00.000-08:00

Test

Bright Stars

2007-01-13T21:12:00.000-08:00

Do all that has to be done without complaining or arguing and then you will be innocent and genuine, perfect children of God among a deceitful and underhand brood and you will shine in the world like bright stars because you are offering it the word of life. Phil 2:15

People wonder at stars. They look at stars all the time. No one understands the mystery of stars. It is absolutely fascinating to look at stars every night and if we can we might do so during the day. If we look for them we can see them.

Bright stars are always in our midst, here on earth sometimes and not up in the sky. Who are they or what are they? They are those who do what they are supposed to do in life without a whole of noise around them. People who care for others, love others, forgive others, and those who do the small things for the sake of others. Word of Life is simple and incarnate. It is real, here and now through me and you.

Blessing your daughter

2007-01-11T10:37:00.001-08:00

God of love and compassion, today I pray for (name of your neighbor). Bless their efforts this day. Let no evil fall on them. Watch over their children. Give them a love for God. Bless them with the best of things in life if that would enable their spiritual well being and redemption. We ask this in the name of Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Christmas Eve 2006

2006-12-23T15:17:00.000-08:00

God looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant Mary.

I have always enjoyed working with people who are humble. It is so nice to be around those who can talk simple and do not need an interpreter. When people's head is filled with light their hearts are filled with love. Transparent people are truly a blessing. For God's light will shine through them. God will birth through them whose heart is lowly.

Today the Lord is inviting us to make a promise that we will be transparent and simple, two ingredients of lowliness; Easy to reach to: Angel Gabriel could reach Mary and will reach back quicker, Elizabeth was happy to see Mary. Let us make a promise that we will shine the light in the lives of someone this Christmas and will become the star in their journey.

As you see the birth of Christ within you, Shine with purity and transparency. Star in the east sometimes is the light you shed with your life. May be you are the only star a few wise or unwise in the far world is looking for direction.

Wish you a Merry and Blessed Christmas

Blessings

Fr. Jos

Christmas Eve 2006

Advent Sunday III - 2006

2006-12-16T09:46:00.001-08:00

Today the prophet is calling everyone who is listening to bear the fruits of repentence and change your life. How would do it in a simple way? Remember this: Do a little thing today that will make you proud tomorrow, and of course don't do anything to make your decendants proud! It is not worth it. besides the focus is yourown self. For it will only can destroy them. Do it for the sake of its own beauty, its own value, and its greatness and surely to bring out the good heart you have. Do it because it is to someone else in their current need and life situation.

Take this to heart today. Do a right thing for the right reason to the right person at the right time. A good fruit is when your right action brings in right results in the life of another person right around the corner. The good you do doesn't have to be to someone far away. Many times the ones around the corner do not get a lot of help. So, stay where you are, do what you do, enjoy what you have and be real to someone in their need today.

Advent Sunday II - 2006

2006-12-16T09:45:00.002-08:00

Sometimes I wonder why was the prophet crying in the wilderness! Where was the wilderness? And what was the wilderness like.

Then I realized that sometimes our hearts are so dried up we thirst for some refreshing, renewed food and water to enliven us. It is so crooked with pain and struggles of life, we become wilderness ourselves. We go through lives struggles alone even when we have lots of people to love us and care for us. While there is a mirage of coolness and confidence in the midst of such painful life events, there is such dryness behind it we dare not to share with others for fear of letting go of our past, present and sometimes unrealistic expectations of the future.

Today, the prophet is calling us to prepare the way for the life and light to pass through our lives and bring the realities of today into light. He is calling us to live today. Open the doors of insecurity, fear, sickness and struggles to let some fresh air of caring love pass through today. Allow the crooked paths to be streightened and valleys of fears and darkness be filled with the light of love. Open up.... allow some fresh air!

Advent Sunday I 2006

2006-12-16T09:45:00.001-08:00

We live in a professional world today. We are able to predict weather, future, life and even sometimes about heaven and all that is going on up there. Our professionalism has taken us so far that sometime we dare to tell the Lord what is to happen in the future and in the heavens.

Advent is a time when the Lord will show us a different way of looking at professionalism. It is a time to see new sprouts of life and love in our lives in day today living. Kingdom of God is very much alive here and now to those who can see the new sprouts of life and love everyday. Professionalism is the ability to see it as it happens and experience it as it happens. Today's most successful professionals are those who can see today as a great protential for tomorrow. Most of the future arrivals are already present in the new sprouts of today.

Therefore expect Christ today. Enjoy and experience life today. Share that life and love that emerges from it right now. For then you will bring kingdom of God right here on earth now and forever to last.