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Dalit Liberation Sunday.jpg) 9th December 2012
Letter from the
General Secretary/National Council of Churches India (NCCI)
Break Barriers!
Build the World of Equality!
Dalit Liberation Sunday is celebrated during the Advent
season every year. This observance makes us look at the significance of the
birth of Jesus Christ afresh. The incarnation of Christ is not some charitable
act of condescendence, but a decisive expression of the divine in breaking the
divide between God and humanity so that God could identify with humanity, and
humanity could experience togetherness with God. Paul says that Christ Jesus,
“though he was in the form of God did not equality with God as something to be
exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human
likeness.” (Phil.2: 6-7) Not only is the divine-human divide obliterated, but
even the human-human divide is eradicated as Paul affirms, “For he is our
peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the
dividing wall, which is the hostility between us.”(Eph.2:14) In other words, the
incarnation has theological-sociological significance.
A spirituality which operates out of theological
justification of the sociological status quo can only think of doing charity as
an act of condescension. The divisions and barriers remain. They are transcended
only temporarily, similar to acts of giving gifts to orphanages and old
people’s homes or war truces at Christmas time. Once the Christmas season is
over, we are back to our structures, divisions, and barriers. This is an
expression of love without justice. However the celebration of Dalit Liberation
Sunday calls for a spirituality which operates out of a theological questioning
of the sociological status quo. Jesus declares it powerfully in the Nazareth
manifesto: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to
bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim
the year of the Lord’s favour.” (Lk.4:18-19)Here is a spirituality that
questions the status quo, that seeks to break all unjust divisions and
barriers, and commits itself to bring in a world of love with justice.
May our celebration of Dalit Liberation Sunday lead us to a
celebration of love with justice!
Roger Gaikwad
General Secretary, NCCI
Introduction
“Break the barriers: build the world of
equality”
Dalit Liberation
Sunday
9th
December 2012
‘Are you not like the
Ethiopians to me, O people of Israel? says the Lord. Did I not bring
Israel up from the land of Egypt, and the Philistines from Caphtor and the
Arameans from Kir?’ (Amos 9:7)
‘He unrolled the scroll and
found the place where it was written: ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because
he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim
release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the
oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’ (Luke
17- 19)
‘So when the Samaritans came
to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there for two days.’ (John
4:40)
‘The voice said
to him again, a second time, ‘What God has made clean, you must not call
profane.’ (Acts 10: 15)
Barriers that unjustly
divide
Heinous discrimination based on casteism, the most
complicated social system in the world, has erected barriers between humans
instead of creating common places. Discriminating and socially ostracising the Dalits,
who are also the equal creations of the Creator God, on the basis of birth
could be seen as a real challenge to the entire humanity. Those who are from
the ‘dominant caste’, benefit out of this system in India. They want to see the
continuity of the system. Even though Dalits are transformed into a people who are
aware of the gravity of the marginalisation they face and much more able to
resist the marginalisation and atrocities, the situation is not changed to the
degree it should be. The National Council of Churches in India (NCCI) along
with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), want to uphold the
Christian spirituality and ethics of equality and equal opportunity for all
humankind against the marginalisation and oppression of Dalits.
Liberation from
Limitations
Dalit Liberation Sunday, an initiative of the National
Council of Churches in India, was later on taken up in a larger form by the National
Coordination Committee for Dalit Christian Rights (NCCDC), a joint programme of
NCCI and CBCI, aiming at the empowerment of the local congregations for Dalit
liberation. Dalit Liberation Sunday is celebrated by the member churches of
NCCI and the churches under CBCI in their local congregations across India on
the Sunday nearest to the International Human Rights Day (IHRD December 10th)
commemorating the importance of it in Indian Dalit struggles. In order to create
widespread awareness and muster solidarity campaigns against casteist
discrimination, this Sunday is celebrated with a special order of worship,
rallies, folk art forms, solidarity fellowship and campaigns.
Some Ideas
for Worship
1. Invocation
Use drum beating for the invocation. The traditional Dalit
percussion instruments can be used for this invocation. In front of the church
a pot and a broom could be kept eighteen feet away from the front door to
denote the heinous untouchability suffered by Dalits. A red carpet or red cloth
can be kept between this pot and the front door. Worshippers can start the
procession from around fifty or more feet away from the front door and step
over the boom and pot and tread over the carpet to enter the church as an act
of protest against casteism.
In the forefront of the procession a Dalit girl may carry an
open bible. Worshippers can feel free to dance according to the drum beats. A
cross, surrounded by a broken chain, which symbolises our God’s solidarity with
the struggling people, could be carried by a Dalit boy.
2. Lighting of the
lamp
After entering the worship, place the elders of the church
may join in lighting an earthen lamp as a symbol of the presence of the Holy
Spirit.
Call to Worship
Their inhuman atrocities have carved caves
In the rock of my heart,
I must tread this forest with wary steps
Eyes fixed on the changing times
The tables have turned now
Protests spark
Now here
Now there
I have been silent all these days
Listening to the voice of right and wrong
But now I will fan the flames
For human rights.[3]
Come let us praise the God who appoints us over nations to
pluck and pull down evil and oppressive structures.
Come let us worship the God who empowers us to destroy and
overthrow dehumanizing and subjugating systems.
Come let us rejoice in glorifying the God who builds and plants
a society of equal and Just[4], Amen.
Opening Prayer
God of justice and dignity, who broke the yoke of oppression
and slavery in the midnight for Israelites, help us to turn our dreams of
equality into reality. God of grace who stood with Ruth and Naomi who roamed
with empty bellies, grievous and anxious hearts strengthen us in our
helplessness to work for those who are pushed to the margins. God of Love, who
engaged the Samaritan woman in your ministry, liberates us from oppressive
structures and dominant forces that enslave us. In Jesus name we pray Amen.
Opening Hymn: Jesu
Jesu fill us with your love
Praise and Thanks giving (responsive reading)
L: My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God
my Saviour.
All: for God has looked with favour on the lowliness
of God’s people
L: for the mighty One has done great things for me and holy
is God’s name
All: for the mercy of God is on all who are
oppressed, marginalized and in various forms of bondage.
L: God’s mighty arm has scattered the proud in the thoughts
of their hearts
All: God has brought down the powerful from their
thrones and lifted up the lowly
L: God has filled the hungry with good things and sent the
rich away empty
All: God the merciful always remembers the misery of
God’s people and rescues and saves Amen. (Song of Mary modified Luke
2:46-54)
SCRIPTURE READING
SERMON
Confession
Compassionate God you have created us in your image and
likeness. You made us all equal but we have distorted the principle of equality
on the basis of caste, gender, colour, region and creed. You made sun, moon,
earth, water, trees and sky for everyone’s need. But we exploited and abused your
creation for our greed and selfish gains. Like Peter we have believed in holy
and profane creatures and segregated people and sinned against your creation.
We have believed in baseless and illogical myths of Purusa of Rig Veda and
practiced Caste system. We are not worthy to be called your children. Oh Lord,
you are full of mercy and compassion; forgive us our foolish and unjust ways. You
have called us to be partners of transformation, but we have failed to hear the
cries of our brothers and sister in bondage of poverty and oppression. God of
love and mercy forgive our short comings and transform us by renewing our minds
to do your will and what is good and acceptable Amen. (Roman 12: 2)
Absolution
So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation;
everything that is oppressive and hard hearted has passed away. May God our
creator who turns darkness into light, who brings us from ignorance to
knowledge and from death to life forgive us and make us new creation Amen. (2
Cor. 5: 17).
Intercessory Prayers
Let us pray for the victims of Lakshmipeta village in
Srikakulam of Andhra Pradesh where 4 dalits were hanged to death and 30 men and
women were severely injured. May God heal their seen and unseen wounds …… Silence
Let us pray for the Ministers, President, Governors, and
Judiciary and for all the government officials who are involved in the public
administration. May God grant them human heart and wisdom to do the right and
just acts ….. Silence
Let us pray for the Church to be a channel to demonstrate
God’s love in this world. To achieve equality, justice and dignity to all its
members irrespective of their caste, colour, and gender, linguistic back
grounds and regional background….. Silence
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayers
Closing Hymn: Help us to accept each other….
Lord’s Prayer in our Mother Tongue
Closing Prayer:
God of Gibeonites, who stood for the helpless, be with us
and strengthen us. God of lowly Galileans and Samaritans who empowered the weak
and marginalized for your ministry be with us and empower us. God of
Dalits/ancestors we thank you for your son Jesus Christ who experienced pain,
sufferings, betrayal, neglected and slaughtered like us and shared our pains
and became a hope for us to resist violence and break barriers. Help us to be
your channels of liberation in this world. In Jesus name we pray Amen.
Benediction:
May God bless you with discomfort
At easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships,
So that you may live deep within your heart.
May God bless you with anger
At injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,
So that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace.
May God bless you with tears
To shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger, and
war,
So that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to
turn their pain to joy.
And may God bless you with enough foolishness
To believe that you can make a difference in the world,
So that you can do what others claim cannot be done,
To bring justice and kindness to all our children and the
poor.[5]
[1]
http://infochangeindia.org/human-rights/analysis/dronacharyas-all-caste-discrimination-in-higher-education.html
[2]
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-11-09/india/35015844_1_dalit-houses-dalit-youth-dalit-boy
[3]
(“caves” by Jyoti Lanjewar) Sathianathan Clark, Dalits and Christianity, (Delhi:
Oxford University Press, 1998), 179.
[4]
Jer 1: 10 modified
[5] Franciscan Benediction
posted by communications on Wednesday, November 28, 2012 Basic Ecumenical Course
22 November 2012
Participating in God’s Holistic Mission of Reconciling the Whole World
“Ecumenism is not a subject to be studied but is a matter of life” says
Rt. Rev. Dr. Zacharias Mar Theophilus, Suffragan Metropolitan of Mar Thoma
Church and former member of WCC Central Committee. Delivering the key note
address at the inauguration of the Basic Ecumenical Course in the Ecumenical
Christian Centre (ECC), Bangalore, he said that Ecumenism is the affirmation of
life and in the midst of the escalating realities of the destruction of life, like
exploitation of children and nature, churches are urgently called to promote
peace and justice for all – as reflected in the theme of the coming WCC
Assembly in Busan in 2013 “God, lead us to Peace and Justice.” In the midst of brokenness of our world today,
he emphasized a critical need for a paradigm shift from being man-centered to a life-centered
praxis.
The two-week ecumenical course jointly
organized by the CCA Program Unit on Faith Mission and Unity (FMU), National
Council of Churches in India (NCCI) and Indian School of Ecumenical Theology
(ISET) of the Ecumenical Christian Centre (ECC) was inaugurated on November 20,
2012. After, an eco-friendly worship service that was held in the garden of ECC,
Rev. Dr. Cherian Thomas, Director of ECC and Rev. Dr. Reji Samuel, the Dean of
ISET warmly welcomed the participants and the resource persons. Prayers and
greetings were brought by Rt. Rev. Duleep de Chickera, retired Bishop of the
Church of Ceylon, and Bible Study leader of the course. Rev. Dr. Henriette
Hutabarat Lebang conveyed greetings from the CCA members and appreciated NCC India
and ECC for their wonderful collaboration in organizing this program.
As part of introduction to the ecumenical movement in Asia, Dr. Henriette Hutabarat Lebang shared the CCA life and ministry and Dr. Kambodji, CCA consultant for HIV and AIDS, presented the Challenges
of HIV/AIDS to the Ministry of Asian Churches today. In the sessions on
Ecumenical Journey of Churches in India, Dr. D. Arthur Jeyakumar, a church
historian presently teaching at the Gurukul Theological Seminary, presented a
paper on the ‘Indian contribution to the Ecumenical Movement,’ and Fr. Dr. Sebastian Payyappilly, CMI, lecturer
at Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram a prestigious Catholic Institution in Bangalore presented
the Roman Catholic Church perspective. Prof. Dr. Ninan Koshy, former Director of WCC
Churches’ Commission on International Affairs presented the Ecumenical Movement
in Asia. In concluding this first phase
of the course, the participants will discuss the emerging and challenging
issues in churches’ mission today and identify the sign of hope for the
reconciling mission of the churches in Asia today.
Several lectures addressing some
of the critical issues are scheduled as part of this course, such as, ‘Understanding People of Other Faiths’
by Prof. Dr. P.S. Jacob, former Principal of Ahmednagar College; ‘Religion and
Politics’ by Dr. Ninan Koshy; ‘Displaced People’ by Prof. Dr. Rini Ralte from
United Theological College (UTC) ; ‘Ecological Problems: the Importance of
Conservation’ by Rev. Dr. Allan Palanna from UTC; ‘Subaltern Issues: On
Fragmentation of Society (Dalits/Tribals)’ by Rev. Bharath Patta, General
Secretary of India SCM; ‘Children At Risk – on Child Trafficking’ by the
Director of Don Bosco, ‘Gender Justice and Transgender Issues’ by Prof. Dr. Sr.
Puspha Joseph from Madras University, ‘Vision of Unity in Plural and Diverse
Context’ by Rev. Dr. K. C. Abraham, former Director of SATHRI the research wing
of the Senate of Serampore University.
As part of the efforts to familiarize
participants with the life of communities in India, exposure programs to
selected religious centers, worship with local congregations in Bangalore and a
visit to Mysore city, a historic and important place in Karnataka, have been
included as part of the course. The five Bible Studies during the course are
led by Rt. Rev. Duleep de Chickera and Prof. Dr. Evangeline Rajkumar (Rev.)
from UTC Bangalore.
By the end of the second phase ,
the participants will have an idea of the Ecumenical movement in India through
lectures on the following topics by eminent theologians and ecumenists: ‘Ecumenical Journey of NCC India – Towards a
Wider Perspective’ by Rev. Dr. Roger Gaikwad, General Secretary of NCC India; ‘Witness
of Reconciling Mission in India’ by Rev. Dr. David Selvaraj, Director of
Vishtar and Rev. Dr. Mohan Lalbeer, (Secretary of the Board of Theological
Studies of Senate of Serampore College), Rev. Lee Hee Woon, a missionary of
Presbyterian Church of Korea stationed in Bangalore, and Rev. Vincent Rajkumar,
Director of Christian Institute for the Study of Religion and Society, CISRS. Pastors, theological educators, missionaries,
NGO activists in India are invited to attend this one day seminar that has its focus
on a new vision as theological educators and pastors in overcoming division, adopting
servant-ship as an agent of change and being channel of God’s grace. This is considered as a critical role and
responsibility of the churches today.
 posted by communications on Friday, November 23, 2012 |
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