Sabbatical Day 13

Yesterday Friday I met the Bishop of Madras, The Rt Revd Dr Devasahayam Vedanayagam, bringing greetings from the Diocese. Bishop Stephen has written a dedication in two of his books for . A shawl of greeting was placed around my shoulders. I mention that I have met Bishop Lesslie Newbiggin. He tells me that Bishop Lesslie had encouraged his own vocation to Christian ministry, and present me with a biography of Lesslie Newbigin written by a CSI pastor.

The church of South India, Wikipedia tells me, "runs 2000 schools, 130 colleges and 104 hospitals in South India. In the 1960s the church became conscious of its social responsibility and started organising rural development projects. There are 50 such projects all over India, 50 training centres for young people and 500 residential hostels for a total of 35,000 children. the CSI south kerala diocise also runs a medical college at karakonam, Trivandrum."

"The School for Small Farmers is a specific agency catering to the needs of the farming communities in their Dalit and Adivasi congregations."

"The Church of South India was inaugurated at St. George’s Cathedral Chennai in 1947
The CSI was inaugurated on 27 September 1947 at St. George’s Cathedral Chennai, only a month after India achieved its independence from the United Kingdom. It was formed from the union of the South India United Church (itself a union of churches from the Congregational, Presbyterian and Reformed traditions) and the southern provinces of the Anglican Church of India, Pakistan, Burma and Ceylon and the Methodist Church of South India. In the 1990s, a small number of Baptist and Pentecostal churches also joined the union."

Encyclopedia of Christianity Online:
"Protestant missionary work (Mission) early demanded close cooperation among Indian churches. Many national Christians felt that the multiplicity of denominations tended to be a hindrance to the evangelization of Indians and worked for union in their country. This trend became stronger in 1905 with the formation of the National Missionary Society.
"The first step to negotiations for union came in 1919 at a conference for pastors in Tranquebar, when 26 pastors of the South India Church and 7 Anglican representatives affirmed their readiness for union. On the basis of a manifesto drawn up there, the Anglicans and the SIUC began negotiations. The manifesto took as its basis the four points of the Lambeth Quadrilateral, which listed the elements to be honored in any reunion plans: (1) Holy Scripture, (2) the Apostles’ and Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creeds, (3) the sacraments of baptism and Eucharist, and (4) the historic episcopate, adjusted to local situations. Five years later the Methodists joined the negotiations. Agreement about the bishop’s office and the status of nonepiscopally ordained ministers (Offices, Ecclesiastical) was reached in 1929. The bishops would conduct new ordinations, but ministers already in office would be recognized without further laying on of hands. In 1941 the mother churches agreed to the draft of a constitution. On September 27, 1947, the new church began life at a solemn service in St. George’s Cathedral, Madras."
"...The organization of the CSI includes pastorates (comprising one or more congregations) and dioceses (with more than one pastorate). In 1994 there were 21 dioceses and 9,000 congregations. To understand the CSI as a model of union, it is important to grasp that there are church councils and diocesan councils made up of both clergy and laity. The church thus combines various structural elements. Representatives from all the dioceses form the synod, the supreme ruling body. The diocesan council in each diocese has representatives of all the ministers; the president of the council and the diocesan committees is the bishop. A bishop also presides over the synod, elected by the synod as moderator for a two-year term. The CSI recognizes three offices: deacon, presbyter (Pastor, Pastorate), and bishop. Women have been ordained since 1982. Only ordained ministers may administer the sacraments."
"...The organizational unity of the CSI, whose members speak different languages and belong to different social strata and castes, is seen as a symbol of the unity of all Christians. One of the challenges to the CSI is to preserve this unity in the face of the tendency to fracture, which is undeniably present. The much-debated episcopal office has served as an instrument to maintain unity, even as serious questions have arisen regarding its functions and effects.
The gospel is being preached to non-Christians, and the CSI is growing and becoming more significant. Dialogue with other religions must continue. In spite of its minority status, the CSI has made an important contribution to the solving of social problems by its broad ministry of education and development. The movement for the uplift and liberation of the Dalits (untouchables/outcastes) deserves special mention."

The unity, the Bishop confirms, is a unity of diversity. Each church maintains something of its own tradition within the greater unity.

He is to take a confirmation service and we talk in the car. I enquire how many confirmation services he attends; 3 or 4 a week. There are 6-7000 new Christians each year, mostly I think in the rural areas. Today's service is on the outskirts of Chennai. Most if Will have been baptised as children. The age for confirmation is 18 and the preparation lasts 6 months.

Recently the Bishop took the baptism of I think he said around 500 Christians. It is exciting to hear more first hand of the worldwide growth of the church.

We drive past a Hindu funeral procession. Cremations often take place on the same day as death.

At the church there is a fabulously warm welcome. Photographs with the candidates are taken before the service.

The service follows roughly the same liturgy as in England. One hymns is O Jesus I have promised. I recognise the tune of the other but can't remember the first line or words. The Bishop preaches on the prayer of Jabez, and runs through it on the way home - the service was in Tamil. He stresses how God gives us new names,new identity in Christ (referring to Jacob), and how important this is for the 'Untouchables' who make up, he informs me, around 75% of the church.

Once a person becomes a Christian they face the loss of caste, with the loss of the dignity of caste and alienation from family, and finding employment is harder. An "Untouchable" has less to lose, and they find a new dignity.

The wonderful hospitality continues as we share in a meal after the service.
Afterwards, we stop off at a wedding. Weddings quite often take place later in the day with celebrations in the evening. The happy couple:

I have been asked if I would speak at a service on Sunday. A privilege, a joy,a responsibility - and pretty scary!

"Dear Lord, please help me. I feel out of my depth. I am told there will be 100, perhaps quite a lot more, at the service. It will be in a rural community. Folk I know hardly anything about in a land and culture I barely understand. Help me to listen and by your grace cover my ignorance. Like Paul in Athens, may I find those points of contact. It will be a great joy that most will be new Christians - soundly converted and instructed I understand but young in faith: that for which we long with a deep longing in the UK. Stories I have heard of faith outside western Europe about to be experienced firsthand. The lectionary, followed throughout CSI is not the same as the UK, but the theme is a delight: the Supremacy of Christ - John 1:29-34, Rev 5:1-14, Ps110, Isaiah 41:1-4) I am unworthy; may I know your grace. Amen."

I began reading last week the Ramayan of Valmiki. Stephen Neill observed that one of the great missionaries read it early on and this was a good place to start, as this ancient poem is well known. It crosses my mind that are themes that are relevant eg to Psalm 110. This may help me find some language to use. I dig around Wikepedia and speak with the Bishop about Hinduism.