Why take orders from....?

In one of my letters i have mentioned the authority as not free, rather free person. That being not denied or challenged, why should i take orders from such one? Hence, i planned to defy the so-called order of appointment by not taking charge before the expiry of the date given there.

While i was nourishing that thought i met with an accident on the previous night forcing me to the hospital bed on the following days! However, the authority came to visit me while i was recuperating in one of their facilities.That might have given them an impression that i could not take charge because of the accident!

I was rather led to this decision because none in the diocese thought of inviting me for the grand gala show of the Platinum Jubilee of the diocese nor for any of the preparatory jamborees  like the much hyped 'synod' and the like. Not even my so called friends ever thought of me. They were seemingly busy with the unreserved 'decorations/honours' given to them and others.

All these led me to be resigned thereafter. This continued even when some one of them contacted me in the guise of friendship and another one who seemingly master minded it followed the suit! What a friendship is that?

The ‘alter Christus’!

Priesthood with its different variants, prevalent, rather dominant in the church was of later origin. Seemingly it was the place of the elders the priesthood grabbed to reign the roost. It was conveniently clubbed with that of the apostles also. The bishops, claimed to be the successors of the apostles are said to have the ‘fullness’ of priesthood and the priests only have a share in that. With the ‘conversion’ of Constantine, the bishops were endowed with titles of feudal lords and all that follow them. Thereafter the prophet Jesus was relegated to the corner and Christ the King and Jesus the high priest came to adorn the center stage.

The priests today claim only the last supper role, ignoring everything else. They can work the ‘wonder’ of transforming the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ along with the forgiveness of sins and nothing more. This they do with all priestly and royal investiture and paraphernalia ignoring the very personal and informal gestures of Jesus. Now, that is invariably connected with money in the name of intentions and stipends.

Again it gave rise to the daily Eucharist and now the adoration aspects. Man is conveniently sidelined against the categorical demand of Jesus that ‘Sabbath is made for man’ and not the other way round. Priests are more managers and administers than spiritual ‘dispersers’.

They can sacrifice anything and everything except the institution of the church and its structures. It won’t become a grain of wheat to give way to the ‘reign of God’ announced by Jesus who himself accepted death to rise in glory.

Priest and Prophet

One of the basic tenets of the church is that Jesus was a priest! This the church presumably inferred from the few references to that effect from the letter to the Hebrews. However, Jesus never ever seemed to have claimed so in the gospels.

Peter in his first letter extends priesthood to the disciples in exile of the Dispersion also: “Come to him, to that living stone… like living stones be yourselves built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood.” 1:4-5. “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people…” 2:9.

It was this priest Jesus and to a certain extent the king Jesus that matters to the church than the prophet Jesus contrary to Jesus’ own understanding of himself and approach to people and events. He seemed to have loved the vulnerabilities of being a prophet rather than being made a king (Jn. 6:13-14). Many a times he was in conflict with the priests and the authorities who worked hand in gloves with one another.

Preaching and Practice

“They bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with their finger.” Matt 23:4

“Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest… For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” 11:28-30

Burden here seems not to be physical, but rather of anxieties, fear and the like including the burden of law… This becomes evident from the following saying of ‘Jesus to the crowds and his disciples: The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; so practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do; for they preach, but do not practice.’ 23:1-3

“Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them.” 5:17

“You have heard that… But I say to you that…

Why still...?

Having crossed fifty

one must naturally

climb down slowly

with all equanimity 

and maturity too...

But with me,

it is still the upward

movement, with

no sign of exhaustion!

Seems like asking:

why this kolaveri da?

Dull days...

What is happening?

No energy, no creativity!

Not anything worth

coming out...!

Drowsiness all through!

When will sleep be

enough for me?

Old friendship are

sprouting anew...

Some have almost 

faded out...

Some are still 

on the wait...

New friendships too

are not that scarce!

Even after thirty plus years

in ministry 

am still struggling with

my little faith!

Not quite ready to

give up for anything!

Going strong in my

convictions day after day.

There is fire very much

within...

That is not glowing

well enough...

Let me at least keep

that fire burning...

The Hiding beauty…

The Hiding beauty…

Wonder did I

Asking myself

 Why at all people hide behind!

Only then I realized that

There could be a corollary to this:

Someone might be

Watching, rather

Observing someone!

Yes, you stole my admiration

Hiding behind!

When I could see

Everyone in the congregation,

Rather everyone one was

Beholding at the ‘celebrant’

You alone were ‘hiding’ behind!

Yes, that forced my admiration!

Was it unbecoming of a ‘celebrant’?

Who cares, but

Would love to consider that

A matter of admiration of beauty,

Enhanced by the ‘hiding,’

Rather shall I say ‘shying’!

Is not Divinity

‘Satyam’, ‘Sivam’, ‘Sundaram’?

You were bestowed aplenty

With the last of the divine shade!

Your shying smile

Literally captivated me!

Was adoring the beauty from afar!

Seeing that not in the congregation

Left me ‘troubled’ indeed!

It is only a tribute to Beauty,

Both outward and inward equally.

Keep it up knowing that

It is a shadow of divinity real.

To ......., the hiding beauty…