Let me talk about the church I belong......
A few years ago in a first communicants' class I asked a few questions to the students...the questions I asked are....
1. Name of our church? Noboby given the full name.....do you know....!!!!!?
Ans:Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church
2. Can you explain..or..could you elaborate name of our church...? One of the students said....when somebody asked Thoma to move ..then we got the name mar thoma (thomayodu mari nilkkan paranjappol- Mar Thoma aayi).....!what an answer......can you elaborate our church's name.....
Ans: Malankara - Malakalude Kara(land of hills)=Keralam....
Mar = Saint
Thoma = Saint Thomas
Syrian = Early Christians of India later nurtured by the eastern churches
especially from the syrian church.....the tradition we belong....
3.How old our church.......many answers...100...200....!!!!!!!!
Ans: AD 52, St.Thomas Came to India in AD 52 and a community of believers accepted christ as their saviour....This church is rich in its history,teachings, liturgy,symbolic expressions of faith...........Even this church was there even before the first book/letter of the present New Testament......
4. Can you identify some of the features of this Church...
a) It is an Eastern Reformed Church
b) It is a Missionary Church....
c) Our church is an Ecumenical church......
We will continue this discusion...in 'my scribbling pad'..........
then what about the orthodox church?I think they sort of have the same history.
ReplyDeleteSecondly it would be great if you could describe the meaning of all the "acts" we perform as part of our kurbana starting from wearing the Kupayam onwards please.