An
Open Letter to the Sunday School Department of the Indian Orthodox Church
by the OBL Forum
Orthodoxy
Beyond Limits Forum members write an open Letter to the Sunday School
Department of the Indian (Malankara) Orthodox Church
To
Metropolitan Dr. Yacob Iranaeus
President
Orthodox Syrian Sunday School Association of the East (OSSAE)
OVBS 2010- Some Reflections
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.
Our immediate concern is
over two topics
1.The Theme v/s drawing
2.Selection of people of greatness
The Theme v/s drawing
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.
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.
Introducing Great People
(Selection of people of Greatness)
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.
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?
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.
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?
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.
Incidentally American Orthodox Church is changing the name to Orthodox
Church Vacation School to distance itself from others.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
In Christ
Members of the OBL Forum
(Orthodoxy Beyond Limits Forum)
Email: theorthodoxchurch.info@gmail.com
Copy to
Rev Fr O Thomas
Director General
Orthodox Syrian Sunday School Association of the East (OSSAE)
