ÿþ<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <head> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" /> <!-- InstanceBeginEditable name="doctitle" --> <title>The Voice Of Orthodoxy</title> <style type="text/css"> <!-- body { background-color: #ecedf2; } .style81 {color: #0C5ADC; font-weight: bold; } .style82 {font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; } --> </style></head> <BODY LEFTMARGIN=0 TOPMARGIN=0 MARGINWIDTH=0 MARGINHEIGHT=0> <table width="784" height="111" border="0" align="center" bordercolor="#E9E9E9" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <tr> <td height="45" bgcolor="#9999FF"> <p align="center"><font size="+6" COLOR = #990000> THE VOICE OF ORTHODOXY</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="45" bgcolor="#9999FF" valign="top" > <p align="center"><b><font size="+2"> <i>A Bimonthly Conservative Journal To Defend The Apostolic Faith, Morals And Canons Of The Ancient Orthodox Church.</b></i> <strong> <table width="784" border="0" align="center"> <tr> <td align = "left">Volume : XIV</td> <td align = "center">MAY - JUNE 2010</td> <td align = "right">Issue : 3</td> </tr> </table> </strong> <marquee scrollamount="2" direction="left"><i>ORTHODOXY: THE TRUTH BEARER; FOR REQUESTS CALL: 773-480-7273</i></marquee> </p> </td> </tr> </table> <table width="784" height="758" border="0" align="center" bordercolor="#E9E9E9" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <tr> <td width="164" height="182" rowspan="2" valign="top" bgcolor="#9999FF"><br /> <table width="96%" height="75" border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="1" bgcolor="#9999FF"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="153" valign="top"> <table> <tr> <p><img src="../../images/st.mary.jpg" width="153" height="209" /></p> </tr> </table> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#eef5f9"> <td bgcolor="#ecedf2" height="14"><table cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" width="98%" align="center" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="15%" height="16"><div align="right"> <div align="justify"><font color="#333333" size="2"><width="8" height="9" /></font></div> </div></td> <td align="justify" width="85%"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#333333" size="2"><a href="../../default.html">Home</a></font></td> </tr> </tbody> </table></td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#eef5f9"> <td bgcolor="#ecedf2" height="14"><table cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" width="98%" align="center" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="15%" height="16"><div align="right"> <div align="justify"><font color="#333333" size="2"><width="8" height="9" /></font></div> </div></td> <td align="justify" width="85%"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#333333" size="2"><a href="../../current.html">Current Issue</a></font></td> </tr> </tbody> </table></td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#eef5f9"> <td bgcolor="#ecedf2" height="21"><table width="99%" height="18" border="0" align="center" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="15%"><div align="right"> <div align="justify"><font color="#333333" size="2"><width="8" height="9" /></font></div> </div></td> <td align="justify" width="85%"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#333333" size="2"><a href="../../archives.html">Archives</a></font></td> </tr> </tbody> </table></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </br> <font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong>Sponsors &gt;&gt;</strong></font><br /> <table width="98%" height="159" border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="1" bgcolor="#ecedf2"> <tbody> <tr bgcolor="#eef5f9"> <td width="149" bgcolor="#ecedf2" height="23"><table cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" width="100%" align="center" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td><div align="justify"></div> <font color="#333333" size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" class="style45"><b>Coming Soon..</b></font></td> </tr> </tbody> </table></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><!-- InstanceBeginEditable name="EditRegion13" --> <table width="620" border="0" align="center"> <tr> <b><u>An Open Letter to the Sunday School Department of the Indian Orthodox Church by the OBL Forum</u></b></font></a></li></ul> <p align="center"><font size="5" face="Nimbus Roman No9 L"><b>Orthodoxy Beyond Limits Forum members write an open Letter to the Sunday School Department of the Indian (Malankara) Orthodox Church</b></font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Nimbus Roman No9 L"><b>To <br> Metropolitan Dr. Yacob Iranaeus <br> President <br> Orthodox Syrian Sunday School Association of the East (OSSAE)</b></font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Nimbus Roman No9 L"><b> <br> OVBS 2010- Some Reflections</b></font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Nimbus Roman No9 L">We take this opportunity to congratulate the team of OVBS (Orthodox Christian Vacation Bible School) 2010 in the improvement made over the previous year. Yet let me express certain constraints observed as I am curious over the future of Orthodoxy in India. These observations are not to undermine the pain, energy and hard work behind designing, creating and delivering a curriculum for OVBS 2010, but to emphasize that each point could have been far greater had team leadership been more professional. </font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Nimbus Roman No9 L">Our immediate concern is over two topics </font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Nimbus Roman No9 L"><b>1.The Theme v/s drawing <br> 2.Selection of people of greatness</b></font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Nimbus Roman No9 L"><b>The Theme v/s drawing </b></font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Nimbus Roman No9 L">The drawing itself is mundane and ugly. Picture or a drawing is a comfortable media to explain an idea explicitly. The drawing drawn in accordance with the Biblical verse does not convey or reveal itself of the meaning. The  iconography is depicting a middle aged lady as the protagonist in a theme for children s catechism mars the show. When the poster of OVBS 2010 was exhibited, we asked few adults and few children whether they could explain the meaning of the drawing. To our astonishment none could give the answer correctly. </font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Nimbus Roman No9 L">A drawing is a representative of idea in life. A drawing should reveal and convey an idea effectively. We reserve our comment on the aesthetics.</font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Nimbus Roman No9 L"><b>Introducing Great People (Selection of people of Greatness)</b></font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Nimbus Roman No9 L">There are eight lives given for senior students, one belongs to 4th century and rests are from modern age. Six lives are very familiar through text books or through supplementary readings. There are only two from Orthodox. While I take no prejudice against any of these great people, we could have spared this for Orthodox Greatness. </font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Nimbus Roman No9 L">Among the general public Roman Catholic is Christianity, even above average knows only Roman Catholic and Protestant mainly and evangelists for their sound and fury, Orthodox Church comes nowhere. Should we not take an effort to alter this, teaching our children of our greatness, tradition and of our Saints and great men?</font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Nimbus Roman No9 L">Unless the Church take initiative in imparting Orthodox Identity and introduce Orthodox faith and Patristic Traditions among our children, the future will definitely be at crossroads.</font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Nimbus Roman No9 L"><b>WILL ROMAN CATHOLIC CURRICULAM INTRODUCE ST GREGORIOS OF PARUMALA OR EVEN ST MACRENA? WILL THE MARTHOMA CHURCH (REFORMED ORTHODOX CHURCH IN INDIA) TEACH THE MISSION WORK OF ST GREGORIOUS OF PARUMALA?</b></font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Nimbus Roman No9 L">When Orthodox Church conduct a course for their children during summer vacation the attribute should focus to impart Orthodox faith among them keeping the Trinitarian Centrality and perception. We need not be secular. Hence selection of these great lives should have been from Orthodox world. <br> Incidentally American Orthodox Church is changing the name to Orthodox Church Vacation School to distance itself from others. </font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Nimbus Roman No9 L">Now it is a suggestion that we introduce our great Laity who strived for strengthening Malankara Orthodox Church and our men of importance, past and present. Tradition is the sum total of the past strength of the past people carried over.</font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Nimbus Roman No9 L">It is a fact that ten days OVBS experience of the children brings them nearer to Church than any other teaching. If the mode is made into a camp life it would have been still more effective.</font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Nimbus Roman No9 L">It is a matter of inquiry and study how the parishioners take OVBS. My interaction reveals that families give much importance to OVBS and they take it seriously. Voluntary contributions to OVBS are a signal to this consideration. Even a small Parish generate around Rs20000/- for the exclusive use of OVBS.</font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Nimbus Roman No9 L">If we are serious about OVBS, it is a research for 365 days. Each year a new team should prepare the courses. Our planning should be at least two years ahead.</font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Nimbus Roman No9 L">But we need professionalism supported by pedagogical approach to subjects, quality books and teaching materials, imaginative drawings and innovative methods. We have resources, we have talents, FIND them, INVITE them, they are willing to be part of any programme or project. </font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Nimbus Roman No9 L">In Christ</font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Nimbus Roman No9 L"><b>Members of the OBL Forum (Orthodoxy Beyond Limits Forum) <br> Email: <a href="http://theorthodoxchurch.info" target="_blank">theorthodoxchurch.info</a>@<a href="http://gmail.com" target="_blank">gmail.<WBR>com</a></b></font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Nimbus Roman No9 L">Copy to <br> Rev Fr O Thomas <br> Director General <br> Orthodox Syrian Sunday School Association of the East (OSSAE)</font> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br></p> </table> </body> <!-- InstanceEnd --></html>