Hello Friends,
And welcome to the 5th Sunday of Lent, where we will be talking about “Slumdog Millionaire, the final film in our Oscar Sermon Series. Because the DVD doesn’t come out until March 31st, we will be showing the film AFTER the sermon, on Friday, April 3rd, 7 pm.
We will be joined this Sunday by a Celtic band that Darryl has put together, and we’ll be starting off worship singing “Morning Has Broken.” We’ll also have a chance, during Time with the Children, to learn Hymn #252, one that comes to us from India. It’s called “Jaya Ho”, which is translated as “Victory Hymn.” Interestingly enough, “Jai Ho” is the name of the Oscar Best Song, which came from “Slumdog Millionaire.”
Remember that this is “Bring a Friend” Sunday,” so why not ask someone to come with you to worship this Sunday; find out if they’ve seen “Slumdog Millionaire”… could be an “easy ask”!!
Russell and Emily are going to give us a brief update on our Lenten Project, “Children Helping Children”.
Also… a reminder that this coming Saturday is our “Day Apart”, where we gather together (10 to 3 in the Salons) to do some dreaming about where we are headed in the coming year, where we discern that God is calling us. It looks like about 50 or so folk are planning to come… it will be a good day. There’s always room for more!! (But if you haven’t already signed up, please email Jim and Gwen Maclean-Cruickshank (bayview@bayview-bb.com) ’cause they’re planning lunch!)
And, we are sorry to say that Reta Chase passed away early in the week. There will be a graveside service at the family plot in her hometown in Saskatchewan; we will be having a small Memorial Service for Reta on Thursday, April 2nd, at 3pm.
GLEANINGS
It can sometimes be difficult for us to get beyond our own Euro-centric blinkers when we think about Christianity. We forget that it began as an “Asian” faith, and the subsequent centers of learning were in northern Africa. As we take a look at Slumdog Millionaire, perhaps it is important to remember that, according to tradition, St. Thomas, one of Jesus’ disciples, supposedly travelled to India in 52 AD, to Kerala, the southern most state on the Arabian Sea. He ministered there for nearly twenty years, until he was martyred — his tomb is still venerated today. Which means that Indian Christians have a longer history than many Europeans… Peter didn’t arrive in Rome until 68 AD!!
Today there are something like 25 million Christians in India, 2.3% of the population, which makes it the third largest faith group in India. The majority are Roman Catholic (17 million) but most Protestant denominations can also be found in India, as a result of the missionary efforts of colonial powers. Unfortunately, overly aggressive missionaries, particularly in the 19th century, offended many Hindus and Muslims, who experienced this as an attack on their faith and culture.
Some Indian Christians have been able to join together their faith while still maintaining their Hindu culture; they have found meaningful and faithful ways to celebrate, for instance, the Hindu festival of Diwalhi. And yet approx. 70% of Christians come from the Dalit caste (one of the lowest), and for them Christianity has been a way to challenge oppressive cultural structures. Today Christians are found all across India and in all walks of life, with major populations in parts of South India, Konkan Coast and North-East India, and sparse populations in Central India. Christian presence in India is most visible in the form of thousands of educational institutions, social services, and hospitals run by Christian organizations
We have much to learn from Christians on the other side of the globe; listen to these words from Chandran Devanesen:
Are you a stranger to my country, Lord?
My land of black roots and thick jungles…
where the monkeys chatter in the trees,
and the peacock’s shrill note
echoes through the mist-clad hills;
my land of brown, caked river mud
where the elephant and the leopard come to drink…
my land with its friezes of palmyra palms
etched sharply against the blue mountains;
my land of low-lying plains
with its miles of murmuring paddy fields
that stretch in undulating waves of green
to the distant horizon;
my land of sapphire skies and flaming sunset,
my land of leaden grey skies piled high
with banks of monsoon clouds;
my land of stinging rain, of burning heat,
of dark nights, of enchanting moons
that dance behind the coconut fronds;
my land of tanks and pools
where the lazy buffalo wallows
and the red lotuses lies asleep?
No, you are no stranger, Lord,
for the wind whispers of you
and the waters chant your name.
The whole land is hushed in trembling expectancy,
awaiting your touch of creative love.
Blessings,
Rev. Gary Paterson