NEW BRANCHES FORMED

BSI Perunkadavila Branch, a new Branch formed in South Zone of Kerala  in Trivandrum South Region at Irumbil CSI Church on 8th January 2023. Rev. John Evans presided the meeting. Rev. Jacob Antony Koodathinkal, Auxiliary Secretary gave the inaugural address. Rt. Rev Dr Austin Paul, Trivandrum Region President gave the key note address.

Committee was formed with members from various churches.

Rev. John Evans, President; Mr. Rose Chandra Das, Secretary; Mr. Livings Kumar, Treasurer and representatives from youth & women were also selected as committee members.

BSI Peechi Branch, a new Branch formed in North Zone of Kerala in Thrissur Region on 17th January 2023. Mr. M C George, Regional Co-ordinator presided the meeting, Auxiliary Secretary gave the inaugural address.

Committee was formed with members from various churches.

Rev. Reji Yeshow, President; Mr. Thomas M. M., Secretary; Pastor Ben John, Treasurer and and representatives from youth & women’s wing were also selected as committee members.

Clergies and pastors from various churches graced the occasion in both Branches. Appreciate the hard work of everyone behind the successful formation of new Branches.

WHITE CANE DISTRIBUTION

A one day programme was organised by the Bible Society of India Kerala Auxiliary in association with the Kerala Federation for the Blind, Kottayam District and NSS Unit of CMS College, Kottayam at CMS College, Kottayam. The program was in connection with the birth anniversary of Mr. Georgekutty Karapparambil, one of the pioneering workers and Former General Secretary of the Federation. Our Marketing Officer, Mr. George Philip K. spoke on the occasion and distributed white canes to the visually challenged participants. Participants who attended were from the different parts of the state.

1. When I survey the wond’rous Cross
On which the Prince of Glory dy’d,
My richest Gain I count but Loss,
    And pour Contempt on all my Pride.

2. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
    Save in the Death of Christ my God:
    All the vain Things that charm me most,
    I sacrifice them to his Blood.

3. See from his Head, his Hands, his Feet,
    Sorrow and Love flow mingled down!
    Did e’er such Love and Sorrow meet,
    Or Thorns compose so rich a Crown?

4. His dying Crimson, like a Robe,
Spreads o’er his Body on the Tree;
Then I am dead to all the Globe,
    And all the Globe is dead to me.

5. Were the whole Realm of Nature mine,
    That were a Present far too small;
    Love so amazing, so divine,
    Demands my Soul, my Life, my All.

The 4^th stanza is omitted these days. In the final stanza, some modern variations substitute the word “offering” for “present”.)

Isaac Watts was born in 17 July 1674 at Southampton, Hampshire, England and died as a bachelor at the age of 74 on November 25, 1748 at Stoke Newington, Middlesex, England. He is a non-conformist, an ecumenist, a theologian (he mastered the Biblical languages of Greek and Hebrew), a prolific writer, a philosopher, an educationist, a scientist, a pastor in Dissenting congregation (non-Anglican church), he is one of the greatest hymn writers of all time. He composed more than 750 Christian hymnals. He is recognized as the “Godfather of English Hymnody” and many of his hymns remain inspirational even today and have been translated into numerous languages. His hymn writing helped lead in a new era of English worship for the congregation to experience personal faith through singing.  This song “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” was composed and published in Hymns and Spiritual Songs in the year 1707 and it is one of the most beautiful hymns with an in-depth theology, beautiful rhyming and arrangement of words. The statement given by Charles Wesley, contemporary of Isaac Watts, who is yet another great Christian Hymn writer, brother of John Wesley, founder of Methodist Congregation in England, who wrote about 600 hymns to his credit reportedly said that he would give up all his hymns to have written this one. …. and pour contempt on all my pride. This statement from Charles Wesley is a clear testimony of the profoundness of this song. This song conveys the unfathomable depth of God’s Love and Humility in its richest grace and generosity. This song is one of the favourite songs during the Lenten Season, especially on Good Friday to remember the sacrificial act of Jesus Christ for the redemption of human beings and all creation and prompting us to respond through our actions, which demands “our soul, our life, our all”.

In this time of Holy Week, this song calls us to denounce our human ego, pride, our boastful nature and selfishness prompted by our social and economic status, cultural and religious practices, caste or ethnicity through the understanding of the kenosis of Jesus Christ (Christ emptied himself for our salvation at the Cross) with utter humility. What Isaac Watts truly wants from us is to sing whole heartedly with humbleness “Forbid it Lord, that I should boast, save in the cross of Christ, my God”, based on Galatians 6:14 & 15 “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation.” In and through the death of Christ and his resurrection from the tomb we became a new creation. What we should be boasting is the Christ who made us who we are now, not what we were before Christ.  Even as he being the most celebrated hymn writer and philosopher of his time, he has everything in his hand to boast about. Yet he did not, because he understood the depth of Christ’s redemptive act.

Isaac Watts’s songs like “Joy to the World”, “Jesus Shall Reign Where’er the Sun”, “O God, Our Help in Ages Past”, “Alas! and Did My Saviour Bleed” to name a few, are the everlasting hymns we continue to sing in various seasons to strengthen our faith in Christ Jesus.

May you all have a meaningful Good Friday and Blessed Easter!

Dr. Hrangthan Chhungi,

A/D Church, Public Relations and Resource Mobilisation.

Women Leaders Meeting

Women Leaders Meeting

The Bible Society of India Andhra Pradesh Auxiliary organised Women Leaders Meeting on 8th March at Bible House in Guntur. Rev. Dr. Leelavathi Vemuri, BSI National President, delivered keynote address while Rev. K. John Vikram, Auxiliary Secretary led devotion and Mrs. K. Shilpa Vikram led a session. Nearly 130 women attended across the state representing BSI Andhra Pradesh Auxiliary branches. The Holy Bibles were presented to the delegates with support from the Church, Public Relations and Resource Mobilisation Department.

Emerging Leaders Conference

The Bible Society of India Andhra Pradesh Auxiliary organised Emerging Leaders Conference with the youth leaders on 22nd March at Bible House in Guntur. Rev. K. John Vikram, Auxiliary Secretary delivered Keynote Address, Bro. P. Jeevan Silvans Bose, GMI General Secretary, and Mr. Samuel Jonathan, Commissionar- AP State Information Commission led sessions. Nearly 150 delegates participated from across the state representing BSI Andhra Pradesh Auxiliary branches. Our Daily Bread copies were presented to the participants with support from  the Church, Public Relations and Resource Mobilisation Department. 

SCRIPTURE TRANSLATIONS FOR 723 MILLION PEOPLE COMPLETED BY BIBLE SOCIETIES IN 2022

In 2022, the third consecutive year marked by global disruptions, Bible Societies around the world completed Scripture translations in 81 languages used by 723 million people.

From Brazil to Bangladesh, 57 language groups – a total of 100 million people – received first Scripture translations. New or revised translations were completed in another 25 languages used by over 623 million people. These provide Scripture access to language communities whose needs are no longer met by previous translations.

“The unique and powerful story of UBS has Bible translation at its heart. Our translation teams are at the forefront of our mission as they strive to unlock the transforming power of God’s Word for their communities. It is a laborious task which requires sustained commitment and dedication – truly a ‘labour of love’. May Paul’s words to the Corinthians encourage each one of our translation colleagues to ‘remain firm and steadfast’,” comments Dirk Gevers, UBS Secretary General.

A BIBLE TRANSLATION COMPLETED IN RECORD TIME

The Bible Society of Nigeria (BSN) translated the first full Bible into Okun in just five years, breaking its previous translation record – completing the Igala Common Language Bible in 11 years. The Okun ‘language’ is a variant of the Yoruba language. The Iroyin Ayo version is the Yoruba Bible in Common language produced by the Bible Society of Nigeria in 2005. Due to the Okun language’s proximity to Yoruba, the Iroyin Ayo was adopted as the Base Text for the project.

While it stands as a distinct translation, the Okun Bible is in many ways an adaptation of the Iroyin Ayo version of the Yoruba Bible, albeit using Okun nuances. At the dedication service of the Okun Bible which took place in November 2022, BSN President Bishop Dr. Timothy Banwo urged Okun speakers from all walks of life to read the Bible in their language regularly.

OLD MANUSCRIPTS RECEIVE A NEW LEASE OF LIFE

The translation of the Bible into Ge’ez was done around the 4th and 5th centuries and it has been serving Ethiopian Christianity for the last 15 centuries, having a significant impact on the socio-political and scientific history of Ethiopia. The Bible Society of Ethiopia took the initiative to collect the manuscripts from various sources as it was mandated and requested by the Ethiopia Orthodox Tewahedo Church.

In June 2022, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Patriarch, His Holiness Abune Matthias, presided over the dedication of the newly compiled and published Ge’ez Bible and remarked, “It is a new day for Ethiopia. I feel that we have joined the Christians of the 4th and 5th century as they first received the Word in the language that spoke to their heart. Now we have welcomed the Word that our Christians yearned for a long period of time and it is a treasure that has come to our homes.”

His Holiness Patriarch Matthias dedicating the newly published Ge’ez Bible.