July 2001

“Make Yourself Nothing”

 Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

Philippians 2:6-11 is known as the Christological hymn. The affirmation of Paul, in this hymn to Christ as God incarnate, is thought to be one of the Church’s earliest confessional statements, used in first-century worship. It is surely one of Scripture’s most profound statements of Jesus’ full deity. It portrays Christ as “in very nature God”, but emptying himself to take on human nature and suffer a shameful death. It affirms not only Jesus’ resurrection, but also His ultimate exaltation over all. Yet Paul applied this most profound of the mysteries of our faith in such a simple, practical way. We are to look at the attitude of humility Jesus displayed, and adopt it in our relationships with others. 

What the world doesn't understand is that Christians choose humility not out of weakness, but out of strength. We choose humility, because our vision of Jesus deals a deathblow to all man’s pride. Whatever basis we might have for believing ourselves better than others– intelligence, looks, wealth, education, etc. — all pale to utter insignificance when we see Jesus, willing to abandon His rightful claim of full equality with the Father, to not only become a human being, but even to die on a cross. 

Seeing Jesus, we realize that all those claims we might make to superiority must also be nailed to Jesus’ cross. We must give them up; put them to death once and for all. For only when our pride has been put to death will we begin to care for others as Christ has cared for us. And to a real Christian, as to Christ, the interests of others are more important than of his own. Someone said ‘we climb to glory on the down escalator’.

In Christ’s Service,

Thomas Chandy Achen

Date	Day	Time	Worship
July 01	Sun	9: 30 am	Holy Communion Service English
July 08	Sun	9:30 am 10: 30 am	Adult Bible Class Holy Communion Service English
July 15	Sun	9: 30 am 10:30 am	Adult Bible Class Holy Communion Service Malayalam
July 22	Sun	9:30 am 10: 30 am	Adult Bible Class Holy Communion Service Malayalam
July 29	Sun	9:30 am 10: 30 am	Adult Bible Class Holy Communion Service Malayalam

• Diocesan Bishop Visit – Sunday, July 1

• Graduating Students Recognition – Sunday, July 1

• Family Conference – July 5-8

• Metropolitan Visit – Wednesday July 11 at 7 pm

• Vacation Bible School – July 19 - 21

• Picnic – July 28 at the Croton Point Park, Croton, NY

• Youth Retreat – August 3, 4, & 5

• Students Thanksgiving Sunday – August 12

• Edavaka Mission Convention – August 17, 18, 19

• Family Sunday – October 4th Sunday

• Edavaka Mission Millennium Theater Trip Nov. 9 

• Miracle of Christmas and Christmas Water Show

• Church Convention – Nov 16 – 18

• Thanksgiving – Nov 22

• Christmas

• Caroling

• 24^th Christmas Eve Carol Service

• 25^th Morning Service