July - The Moravian Church Eastern West Indies Province

Transcription

July 2015 Issue.
Christian Education Department Engendering Real Evangelism
CEDERE
Communication from the Minister of Christian Education
Moravian Church Antigua Conference
design, social commentary etcetera; still, a
great portion of the celebration is reveling.
The Greek word for reveling κώμοϛ
Our Church
The Moravian Church or the Unitas
Fratrum (United Brethren) is a
Protestant denomination. It was
founded in what is now the Czech
Republic in 1457. This
organization has touched lives
worldwide. We believe in :
• One God manifested in three
equal and distinct person, God
the Father, God the Son and God
the Holy Spirit (the Trinity).
• The Holy Bible is acknowledge
as our Sacred Scriptures and our
primary guide for life and faith.
• The Sacraments of Baptism and
Holy Communion.
• Spiritual growth through a
personal relationship with Jesus
Christ , our Chief Elder.
Our Province
The Moravian Church Eastern
West Indies Province is comprised
of six (6) Conferences, namely,
Virgin Islands, Antigua, St. Kitts,
Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago,
and one (1) mission namely,
Grenada. The Chairman of our
province is Rev. Dr. Cortroy Jarvis.
Our Conference
The Antigua Conference
established in 1756 is the second
oldest and the largest of the six (6)
conferences. It is made up of
fifteen (15) congregations. The
Superintendent of our conference
is Rev. Algernon Lewis.
By Rev. Bonnie E.B.W. Smith
To Carnival or not to Carnival: that is the
question. Protestants and Evangelicals
alike have been wrestling for decades with
the relevance of Carnival. For most,
Carnival has evolved into pure bumping,
grinding and indecent exposure, a far cry
from the celebration of the Afro-Caribbean
emancipation from slavery, which it was
said to be put aside for in most contexts.
The cultural relevance of Carnival has
come into question especially since so
much of the celebration leans toward our
African heritage which our colonial
masters and missionaries alike associated
with evil. But what does the Bible have to
say about Carnival?
Although the Bible does not speak directly
to Carnival, and Jesus is not totally
opposed to culture, Christians have to
look closely at the teaching of Jesus and
determine participation in Carnival. Jesus
said in John 14:6 "I am the way, the truth
and the life. No one comes to the father
except through me. " Does Carnival call
persons to follow Jesus as the example
for believers? Who or what is being
glorified in carnival? The ultimate mark for
participation should always be one’s
answer to the above questions.
In Romans 13:13 Paul writes, “Let us live
honourably as in the day, not in reveling
and drunkenness, not in debauchery and
licentiousness, not in quarreling and
jealousy”. Much of Carnival lends itself to
the performing arts, panorama, costume
The Moravian Motto: In Essentials, Unity; In Non-Essentials, Liberty; In All Things, Love
(komos) is defined as a village festival in
which the goal is an all night merrymaking
and drinking. Most participants in Carnival
are not productive until days after because
of the amount of alcohol consumed. Some
otherwise model citizens make poor
decisions during Carnival; these include
illicit sexual intercourse, and driving under
the influence. The Apostle Paul urges
believers in Romans 12:1-2, “... to present
your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and
acceptable to God, which is your spiritual
worship. Do not be conformed to this
world, but be transformed by the renewing
of your mind, so that you may discern what
is the will of God—what is good and
acceptable and perfect.”
In light of this, some Christians may not
have a problem deciding that it is the will
of God to stay away from Carnival. As a
result this is the time of year when most
Christians go on vacation, camps and
have retreats. However, there are those
that will go to the events which for them
are culturally correct and wholesome for
the entire family. Nonetheless, some
Christians maintain that Carnival is culture
and more Christian programmes and
activities need to be included. In fact, one
Christian denomination had a mass troop.
Whatever our position is on Carnival,
ultimately our decision should be guided by
our relentless desire to glorify God; thus,
unearthing those cultural practices which
are admissible or inadmissible in the
Kingdom of God. Therefore, when we
apply God’s word to our lives we are able
to determine if it is advisable to Carnival or
not to Carnival!
1
July 2015 Issue.
The Afro-Caribbean Woman:
her stormy past that lingers
The Afro-Caribbean woman much like her
Afro-American sister lives life in a constant
hurricane in which the category four (4) or
five (5) storm gust wreaks havoc on home,
state and community. She is in a constant
survival mode reaching to the top with
clinched fist, battling tornados of judgement
because she sins differently than others. In
times of calm, quite like the eye of the
hurricane, she is awakened by her mind
troubling her patterns and pathology that
are rooted in shame and pain.
History records that the Afro-Caribbean
Woman was brought to the islands washed
by the Caribbean Sea without personal
consent, imprisoned in the bellies of cargo
ships chocking on human waste,
dehumanized and ashamed; sold, branded
and put to work without compensation like
field animals. Forced to carry children of
rape, which she live everyday to abort.
Detesting the man she loved to hate
because he looks so strong but still here
eyes cry out "Gird up your loins like a man"
Job 38:3. Subtly or overtly resenting God
for making her skin so black, her lips so
thick, her hair so course and tightly curled.
In this post-emancipation era her aim and
desire to push for better for her family has
resulted in her purposefully leaving her
children to fend for themselves while she
holds two (2) and three (3) jobs to make
ends meet. And the pattern continues, her
rape is now her daughter's story. What is
different however, rather than spitting on
her daughter and leaving her covered in
waste, the post-emancipation abuser
furnished her daughter with niceness, and
when that does not appease metes out
threatenings.
This results in many unwanted pregnancies.
In particular, teenage pregnancies is a
pattern in some if not most Caribbean
families. Children are brought into the world
unwanted and in their upbringing feel
unwanted. Abortions are popular. Way
before the Morning-After pill Caribbean
Women mastered the art of bush medicine
with birth impeding potency.
Her desire is to climb the corporate ladder
to success. Some have made it but on her
way there, she must endure the tale
carrying idleness of her sisters treating her
like she does not deserve to be there.
Since her grandfather physically abused her
grandmother, her parents fought like cats
and dogs and her two last children's father
loves to beat her. This is just a fraction of
her pathology, an anomaly from what is
accepted as healthy, customary or
competent.
She is undeniably powerful but her power is
stymied by the relentless patterns which
seem like next of kin in her consciousness.
These patterns are recognizable since they
are often inextricably linked to stories of
livelihood, ascendancy, attachment, money,
wholeness, courage, and achievement and
are passed on through observation or
experience and kept in her biological
information bank to be lived out and
perpetuated.
The elements of her complete experience,
good and bad, contribute to her function
and disfunction in relational issues. Through
her function and disfunction she is
indistinguishably connected
to her preemancipation history. Her authentic Goddesigned potential-full, "fearfully and
wonderfully made" self is totally tied to her
liberation.
Ironically, the Afro-Caribbean women who
would have receive their "liberation" spend
much of their time condemning their sister
who is yet on her way rather than making
space for her through loving caring actions.
Even her honest self-help efforts are
laughed at and labelled as "a wha she a
play". How have the "liberated" AfroCaribbean women missed Jesus' teaching
in Matthew 25:40, "truly I tell you, just as
you did it to one of the least of these who
are members of my family, you did it to me".
As a church generally and the female arm
of the church specifically we need to do
better to understand and accept the
patterns and pathology of the AfroCaribbean Woman to better offer wholistic
ministry rather than a bandaid response.
The modern day Caribbean Church is
populated with pretentious and judgmental
"liberated" women who refuse to see
themselves through the eyes of the typical
Afro-Caribbean woman and love as Jesus
called His disciples to love. In light of this,
the presenting question then is: Who then is
"liberated"?
Up coming events
The monthly health walk is scheduled for
Saturday, 18th July
5:00a.m from the
Cana Moravian Church through Sawcolts
to Wallings Damn and back to Cana
Moravian Church via Folly Hill. Breakfast
will be on sale at $10.00.
〰
The Christian Education Department of
the Moravian Church Antigua Conference
p re s e n t s " S u m m e r Ca m p f o r t h e
Performing Arts" from 27th July to 9th
August 2015. Registrations forms and
other pertinent information are now
available, please contact your church
office.
〰
The Youth Commission presents Friday
Night Vibes - The Driving Movie. This will
be held on Friday 31st July 2015 7:00pm
at the Cedar Hall Moravian Church
Grounds in Jennings Village. The dress
code is black top and Blue Jeans. See
flyer on page 5 for more details. Friday
Night Vibes ah ha!
〰
African Heritage Sunday will be
commemorated on Sunday 5th August,
2015. During this time of celebration we
are encouraged to acknowledge our
African heritage by wearing our African
colourful garb. This year we will focus on
the skirt.
Additionally, our sanctuaries
could be decorated with items from our
ancestral past as a teachable for our
children.
〰
Do you have an upcoming event which
you want others to know about? Do you
have a response to one of our articles? Do
you have an article or a poem to share? If
your answer is yes, please send your
notices, announcement, advertisement,
concerns response/reaction, and articles
to [email protected]
2
July 2015 Issue.
(Youth Ignited Energized Living For the Devine)
'Nuff'Respect!
.
By Rev. Bonnie E.B.W Smith
Growing up as a child in Antigua and
Barbuda, being respectful was not
optional, it was a requirement for every
day living. Being respectful suggests
that one understands boundaries and,
as such, has a caring attitude toward
people, endeavoring to treat them with
dignity.
Respect involves self-governing. This
means that one values oneself to the
point of controlling one's action. One
shows respect by extending courtesy in
speech, saying kind things to others.
When one is respectful, treating others
the way one wants to be treated comes
naturally. Self-governing extends to the
way one carries oneself. Does what you
wear expose body parts which should
be covered? What about your body
odor? Also, respect involves making
sure no one hurts or abuses you or treat
you unfairly, even if they are your elders
or people of importance. People should
earn our respect. Note well, one does
not have to respect persons who
deliberately do bad things to others.
In showing respect one should be
mindf ul of o the rs. Respect helps
people to feel valued. The elders should
be respected because of their lived
experiences. Conversely, one should not
respect the elderly person who metes
out harm towards him/her.
Respect requires that society's rules are
honoured. Make every effort to live in
harmony at home, school, church and in
the wider community. It is disrespectful
to take what is not ours. Bullying is a an
act of disrespect and should not be
engaged in or be tolerated. "So in every
thing do unto others what you would
have them do to you..." Matthew 7:12.
Nuff respect!
Surviving High School
By Chloé Ambrose
It was the Summer of 2010 that
introduced me to my new found love,
anxiety. Finding out about my
promotion to high school brought me
great happiness simply because I was
always curious and ready to
experience new aspects of life .
Upon my arrival to the Secondary level
of my education, I was made aware of
the various personalities that were as
wide and as wavering as the ocean. My
first three years of high school were
bittersweet. I was blessed with the
opportunity to represent my school on
various occasions both on island and
other countries. I had a splendid time
being engaged in the things that made
me feel. Upon a series of exciting
events, some of my fellow classmates
decided to attack me. I personally had
no idea as to where this new found
hate was coming from. They found it
pleasurable making fun of me and that
really killed my self-esteem. In third
form, it was difficult going to school
because I anticipated being preyed on.
My patience was constantly on trial
and it took a lot of prayers and advice
from my family for me to not horrifically
express myself due to the hidden
anger that lurked within my body.
Eventually, I overcame all the name
calling and bad mouthing that I
received from the unschooled
individuals.
In my last few years of High School I
was searching for the confidence I
once had. I am still on a path of
regaining it all. I have learned a lot from
my high school experience and I will
make sure to use it as a tour guide on
what to expect in the 'real world'. Next
time I will know how to deal with
various situations and people with bad
intentions. As for right now, I am
unbothered and I feel really
overwhelmed because I have friends
that bring positivity into my life. I've lost
a few friends on my journey. But as my
favorite poet, Lana Del Rey would say,
"It takes getting everything you ever
wanted, and then losing it to know
what true freedom is." The reality of
my high school life will never be in the
same league as my expectations.
However, I am fully content.
What's Next? A mind in Transition
Congratulations! Exams are now over,
high school and college years are
passed. The presenting question is:
what's next? Many young Caribbean
minds are in transit. Their thoughts are
in conveyance from decision to
decision wresting with a place of
resting to secure a promised future.
Some plans involve college and or
University in the Caribbean, United
States of America or Europe. Many
may opt to look for scarce
employment in the highly competitive
Caribbean job market. Whatever the
wrestling, be determined to ground
your decision in Jesus who is
recorded in John 14:6 as "The way,
the truth, the life.'
This description of Jesus by Jesus
through the Apostle John is fast
becoming a favorite passage.
Because all of who Jesus is could be
drawn from this brief but powerful
statement. Jesus is here calling his
audience into a relationship of
confidence with God in Christ- God
who is available, accessible and
approachable. Human beings can
communicate with God in prayer to
build relationship, seeking guidance
and disclosure in decision making.
Jesus taught his disciples how to
dialogue with God. The Lord's Prayer
(Matthew 6:9-15)
is an example of
Jesus' call for all to reach out to God
in prayer to secure intimacy with God.
Jesus is the trusted model through
which the knowledge and love of God
comes alive. Thus, following Jesus as
"the way, the truth, and life" should be
our lifelong aspiration.
3
July 2015 Issue.
Food Story - Mangoes!
For most Caribbean children up, the mango was monarch of all the fast food,
especially during the months June - September. This fruit which belongs to the
genus Mangifera family can be found on a tree which is average size, weighty
bent branches and closely packed leaves. During its season, the tree bears one
to thousands of this stone like fruit. Each fruit has a large seed which is
protected by a golden-yellow soft pulp when ripened or mint green firm pulp
unripened. Mangoes have coats of many colours depending on the specie. The
fruit can be very sweet or absolutely sour or bland. Mangoes are used both
unripened and ripened. The Mango is a Caribbean Fast Food because parents
do not have to worry about a cooked meal for children during mango season as
this fruit is eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
As time progressed Caribbean people became more industrious and mango
drinks, candied mango, pickled mango, chutney etcetera hit the stores. Now
Caribbean people have mangoes all year round. In Antigua and Barbuda a
mango festival is held annually. One rarely concerns oneself with the fruits
nutritional value as the satisfaction derived from a well ripened mango is
absolutely delightful and more desirable.
Mango is monarch among tropical fruits not because of its popularity but
certainly as a result of its nutritional value. According to Mae Chan in an article
entitled "17 Reasons why you need a mango every day" preventDisease.com
"Mangoes may very well be the king of all fruits. They fight cancer, alkalize the
body, aid in weight loss, regulate diabetes, help digestion, clean your skin, and
make the perfect snack. Here are 17 healthy reasons why you should be eating
a mango every day.
Nutritional Chart
One cup of mangoes (225 gms contain) contains the following percentages
that apply to daily value.
105 calories
76 percent vitamin C (antioxidant and immune booster)
25 percent vitamin A (antioxidant and vision)
11 percent vitamin B6 plus other B vitamins (hormone production in brain and
heart disease prevention)
9 percent healthy probiotic fibre
9 percent copper (copper is a co-factor for many vital enzymes plus production
of red blood cells)
7 percent potassium (to balance out our high sodium intake)
4 percent magnesium"
Could it be that a mango per day helps to keep the doctor away? If that be the
case, 'take time to make mango' a part of your diet for healthier living. Please
consult your physician for guidance as to how this can be done. That is our
Food Story for this issue. More on mangoes in our August issue of CEDERE.
The Christian Education Department is in the process of publishing the
September - December issue of 'The way, the truth, the life'. In light of this we
are seeking your creative design for the cover of each of or five (5) modules.
Prayer Corner:
Clement of Alexander maintained,
that prayer is, " keeping company
with God." When the Christian
keeps company with God, God's
will and way are transferred to the
Christian, thus taking expression in
lifestyle. In the company of God
one cannot elude the fact that " the
steadfast love of the Lord never
ceases, his mercies never come to
an end, they are new ever morning,
great
is
your
faithfulness" (Lamentations
3:22-23). Such knowledge should
evoke utterances of thanksgiving.
The Psalmist David understood this
well and embraced every
opportunity to express prayers of
gratitude to an awesome God.
Prayers of thanksgiving are
expressions of the Christians'
thankfulness for the graciousness
and generosity of God. The
Christian thanks God for what God
has done, is doing and will do for
his children. Prayers of
thanksgiving reach back, embraces
the present and anticipates the
future.
In Psalms 100 and 95 the psalmist
calls his audience to lively worship
with thanksgiving. Employing
beautiful shouts of choral
renditions in the presence of the
creator and sustainer of the
universe who shepherds his
people. The psalmist is
appreciative of the goodness, love
and faithfulness of God, thus
gratitude is unrestrained. Verses
6-7 of rendition 95 capture the
dramatic reverence of a grateful
heart, " O come, let us worship and
bow down, let us kneel before the
Lord our maker! For he is our God,
and we are the people of his
pasture, and the sheep of his
hands."
Please see the flyer on page six (6) for further information.
4
July 2015 Issue.
Moravian Page
The Driving Movie
Friday 31st July 2015
Ceda r Ha l l Mo rav ia n Ch u rc h G ro u nds
Jennings Village
S t . M a r y' s P a r i s h
A ntig ua
S h o w T i m e : 7: 0 0 P M
D r e s s C o d e : B l a c k To p a n d B l u e J e a n s
Fr i d a y N i g h t V i b e s a h h a !
July 2015 Issue.
THE MORAVIAN CHURCH ANTIGUA CONFERENCE
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
SUNDAY SCHOOL CURRICULUM COVER
COMPETITION
All Moravians in the Antigua Conference of the Moravian Church, are invited to submit a design depicting the
theme of our Sunday School Curriculum for the period September -December 2015. The theme is "The Kingdom of
God in Parables". Please see the Teacher's Module of the last issue of "The Way, the Truth, The Life" for the list of
parables. Please note that the Christian Education Department reserves the right to adjust or edit the cover design
as see fit but not without the artist’s permission. Also, the department will hold the copyright for the cover design.
Guidelines for Entrants
1. The design should be a graphic representation of the Sunday School Curriculum theme. It could include a pictorial
image along with words or it could be a word only design depending on the design the artist best sees fit to
communicate the theme.
2. The design must be original and may be done by hand or electronically or a combination of both. (Please do not
use another person’s design.) If you are creating your design electronically please DO NOT use CLIP ART but use
either Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, or any other suitable programme to execute your idea.
3. Use simple shapes and text.
4. Do not use photographs.
5. Use a distinct colour scheme (2-3 colours maximum) in your design and it should be able to stand out on any
background colour.
6. Designs should not be less than 4” x 6” and no greater than 8.5” x 11”.
7. Designs may be submitted in either hard copy or electronic format. The electronic format must be in JPEG or PNG
format, and the electronic size should not exceed 1 megabyte. Hard copies submitted MUST be in colour and should
be displayed on an 8.5 x 11 inches sheet.
8. Make sure that the cover design is created at very high resolution so that it can be enlarged for
placement on signs and banners.
Submission
Entries should be submitted by hand no later than Friday, 8th August, 2015 to the Conference Office in care of the
Christian Education Department. It should be clearly labeled as “Sunday School Cover Design September December 2015 ” with your name, address, congregation, personal contact number. Electronic designs MUST be
submitted both as a hard copy and an electronic version on a CD which should be properly labeled with the
information above along with the name of the software progamme used.
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6
July 2015 Issue.
The Camp Offers
Moravian
Dramatics/Poetry
Voice Training/ Dance /Choreography
church
Stage Presence
Antigua Conference
Presents
Summer camp
for the
Performing
arts Speech & Dialect
Show Hosting
Music (Piano/Guitar/Drums/Steel Pan)
Puppeteering
Arts
Coupled with the keen guidance and instruction of our
facilitators, the curriculum will create the platform to
awaken the creative genius in our Youth ages 7 - 18 years
and engender lively, colourful and excellent worship to
our deserving God.
27th July - 9th
August 2015
Juniors- 27th July-1st August
Teens - 3rd -8th August
Closing Concert - 9th August
Cedar Hall Moravian
Christian Education
Complex
A dynamic list of
facilitators has been
secured.
7
July 2015 Issue.
Business Focus
We bring comfort
to older people at a very
vulnerable time in their
lives.
The Bishop John E. Knight Golden Age
Home is a missionary outreach
programme started in 1993 by the
Moravian Church in Antigua.
SERVICES OFFERED
We offer day care and
residency for senior citizens.
We are located at
fulltime
We provided:
Skilled nursing care by registered
nurses and nurses aids personnel
who are well equipped to handle
emergency situations.
Weekly doctor check ups.
Medical monitoring and
treatments.
Personal care (including dressing,
bathing, and toilet assistance)
24-hour care and monitoring.
CEDERE is published and edited by Rev. Bonnie E.B.W. Smith, who is an
ordained Christian Minister in the Moravian Church Eastern West Indies Province
attached to the Antigua Conference as the Minister of Christian Education.
Contact: P.O.Box 1551, St. John's Antigua, W.I. Telephone#:1(268)462-5956 Fax:
1(268)562-2465 Email: [email protected]
8

July - The Moravian Church Eastern West Indies Province

Transcription

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