Reflections

Start of Lent: A Time for Reconciliation John 2:1-11 Rev. Biju P. Simon MTC of San Francisco, CA & MTC of Silicon Valley, CA  9  When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom. The Great Lent (Valiya Nombu) or the fifty days of lent is observed as a preparation for our Lord's death on the cross and His resurrection. During this time Church gives emphasis on fasting, reconciliation, renunciation, alms giving, and prayer. Fasting and Prayer are an integral part of the Great Lent. Jesus Christ taught us "Except by prayer and fasting ", it is not possible to gain victory over Satan - St. Mathew 17:21. It is also a time of meditating on the salvific act of our God Almighty through His son Jesus. Today’s scripture passage describes a form of “reconciliation.” Reconciliation of water into wine at the Marriage at Cana. There i...

Good News To All Acts 16:6-10 Aswathi Varughese St. Thomas MTC, Lombard, IL 9  During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” The phrase ‘Good News to all’ is usually associated with the Christmas season. The joy, wonder and glory of the birth of Christ as proclaimed by celestial messengers. But can the parameters of redemption and salvation be defined by season, society or religion? My definition of “good news for all” took on a completely different perspective as I prepared to pen this reflection. My commute to work is usually interspersed with prayers, calls to India, calls to family, friends, more prayers, work related conference calls and of course music: sometimes Maramon convention CD’s and sometimes the Gospel music channel with a sprinkling of News (when bad weather is forecasted!). Then there are days when I’m tired and quiet and in a ‘listening only’ mode. The songs pl...

Good News to All Galatians 5:16-24 Dr. Binu Chacko St. John's MTC, NY 17  For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want.  Throughout time, we have seen the battle between light and darkness, the flesh and the Spirit. We are all battling something in our lives and are striving to succeed. In each of us there exists the power of the Spirit and the desires of our flesh.  We have to ask ourselves, do we respond to the prompting of our Spirit or the prompting of our flesh?  Often we behave like our peers, with or without peer pressures, conforming to worldly passions like fame, positions and possessions.  It can lead to greed, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, etc.  Can this cycle be broken so we may inherit the Kingdom of God? In our community,...

Good News to All Exodus 17:1-6 Vijitha Raju St. John's MTC, NY 5  The  Lord  said to Moses, “Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go.   6  I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. This passage from Exodus shows us how Moses led his people through another major challenge. Moses, holding on to the staff was amidst the angry crowd who were at a place with no water. Though this brief moment of fear overpowered him, his obedience and his abundant confidence in the Lord made him yet again victorious in front of the multitude that included other leaders and elders. This event was later celebrated by Israel’s hymn writers and prophets Psalms 78:15-16,20;105:41;114:8).   Don’t you and I relate to thi...

Good News to All Acts 10:9-16 Bently Joseph St. John's MTC, NY 15  The voice said to him again, a second time, “What God has made clean, you must not call profane.” “Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”  - Martin Luther King Jr.  Acts 10:9-16 describes the vision of Peter at Joppa. In the vision Peter sees the heavens open and a sheet descends filled with all kinds of four-footed animals. A voice tells him to get up, kill, and eat and Peter defiantly says no. A second time the voice says “what God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy” this happened three times before the sheet was taken away. As you may have guessed this vision was to show Peter that the Good News is meant for all and what God has considered cleansed is worthy of the message. Now the question arise...

Good News to All Genesis 1:24-31 Noble Philip St. John's MTC, NY 28  God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” God’s first words to man are true. They are not a curse; they have no innuendo of condescension or condemnation. They show that we are his ultimate creation and that he is leaving us in charge; they empower and give authority.  And they are words of blessing. In these words we get a glimpse of God’s heart for man. God gives man a “hope and a future.” He is for man and not against him. He wants to give us more than we are able to receive. His attitude toward us is that of abundant blessing. He created us in his image. Before we were blessed, while he created us, he made us in his image. We are made with His understanding and His love. Why do you think he created us tha...

Good News to All Ephesians 1:3-14 Angie Mathews St. John's MTC, NY 11  In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will,  The letter to the Ephesians is one of the four prison epistles written by Apostle Paul during his house arrest in Rome around early AD 60 (Acts 28:16-31). Like his other three prison epistles - Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon, the letter to Ephesians also begins with a salutation - ‘Grace and peace’ and also concludes his prison epistles with ‘Grace.’   Paul had the freedom to boldly preach and write about the Kingdom of God even under home arrest. This epistle gives us incredible strength because it was the Good News letter to the 1st Century New Testament Christians (Saints or set apart believers in Christ Jesus at Ephesus). A letter which meant far beyond not only to the Saints in Ephesus, but it also give...