Mar Gregorios on Mission

Mar Gregorios on Mission

With all the hustle and bustle of the season, we need to be focused on
our mission which is profoundly tied to the eucharistic celebration.
Paulos Mar Gregorios (of blessed memory!) left us a riches of
direction and assistance in his writings.

Paulos Mar Gregorios was a Bishop in what was a mission diocese (New
Delhi), so it is clear that he believed in mission work. He believed
in mission work that proved one's Christianity rather than one that
counted converts. As an Orthodox Bishop, he understood non-Orthodox
manners and forms of missionary work are not compatible, perhaps even
contrary, to Orthodox manners and forms of missionary work. In
addition, he was very proud of the Church's ethnic and cultural
history in India and felt it important for it to have a truly Indian
identity - however not to the detriment of its universality.

Here are several quotes from the small collection of his writings
called, "Introducing The Orthodox Churches," published in 1999 by the
Mar Gregorios Foundation in Kottayam that indicate his views.
I have typed out seven quotes:

1. "The Orthodox Church in India lives at peace with followers of
other religions like Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Parsee, Jains, Buddhists,
etc. They are not aggressive in trying to convert the others but are
prepared to live with them in peace and concord, and with respect. For
this reason they are often accused by more aggressive Protestant and
Catholics, of being defective or lacking in missionary zeal.
"The Orthodox place greater emphasis on the quality of spiritual life,
on worshipping God in a fitting way, and in showing love and
compassion to all, rather than on evangelism or social activism. They
run schools and hospitals, orphanages and homes for the destitute, but
not for the sake of attracting converts. It is a silent labour of
service in humility which is its own reward." (p.4, "Introducing the
Eastern Churches" original article written in 1976)

2. "The witness of the Orthodox is a quiet one, based more on worship
and a holy life of love and service, than on preaching and
proselytism. This lack of aggressiveness is often criticized by
Western Christians as a lack of missionary fervour. But we know that
the aggressive Western missionary movement is intimately linked with
the economic, cultural and colonial expansionism of the west, and we
would rather not be associated with such an aggressive and
institutionalized mission." (p.15, "How Different is the Eastern
Orthodox Church?" original article written in 1991)

3. "The Eucharist is not a mere teaching session for the edification
of those who attend. It is the vital link between Creation and God. It
is the highest response to the Creation to God...The converse of
representing the Creation before the Throne of God would be for the
church to represent God before the heart and mind of mankind. The
mission of the church thus flows naturally out of worship. Only a
church which lives by the rhythm of eucharistic self-dedication to God
on behalf of the Creation can truly become the bearer of God's saving
grace for mankind. The rhythm of worship in the matrix of mission."
(p.49, from "Central Concerns of Eastern Orthodox Church" date of
original article not given)

4. "The real failure of the Orthodox Church does not appear to lie, at
least to the present writer, in her missionary laziness, but rather in
her unsanctified, power-hungry, quarrelsome, self-pre-occupied and
selfish life in the world. It is not missionary organization that she
stands most in need of, but rather evangelical simplicity and
eucharistic sanctity in ordinary life, manifesting the love, freedom,
and wisdom of God to mankind." (p. 50, same article)

5. "Eastern orthodox communities in the East have clung to the
cultural forms with desperate favour. They have been unable to
disentangle their national identity from their Christian faith, and so
have tried to hold blindly to many archaic traditions of a national
culture quite unnecessary for maintaining a Christian commitment in a
new Western culture." (p.53, same article)

6. "Orthodoxy holds the pure tradition of the ancient undivided
Church. But because of its ethnic group egoism remains incapable
either of enjoying their rich spiritual heritage or of sharing it with
others." (p54, same article)

7. "We are ahead of almost all the Orthodox Churches of the World in
using our own modern vernacular as the liturgical language of the
Church. No other Orthodox Church has so far been able to do this to
the same extent as we have.

"Yet in areas outside Kerala, do we have to insist on Malayalam
always? Can we have a Tamil Eucharist at Tadagom or Madras, a Bengali
one in Calcutta, and Hindi or English in Delhi and Bombay? This would
make it possible for non-Malayalees to enter into the riches of our
heritage and thus help us break out of our ethnicism...

"I am only saying these in the hope that the Church in Calcutta would
show a way to the whole church to break out of its narrow ethnical
confinement. The final decision depends upon the Episcopal Synod, the
leaders and people of our Church there, and on the boundless grace of
God who is always willing to give more than we dare ask for."
(p.61-62, "The Ethnic Character of Orthodoxy" date of original article
not given)
===============
As I was typing the quotes out, I was rejuvenated in spirit after a
difficult day. Thank you, Paulos Mar Gregorios, and pray for us.
I hope everyone in the Madison area will come and celebrate the birth
of Christ with us on Sunday 12/25 at 5:30am (sunrise), when we will
burn palms as the shepherds did outside Bethlehem.

In service to God and humanity,
Rev. Fr. John-Brian Paprock
Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Syrian Mission
Madison, Wisconsin (608) 242-4244
http://www.maruroopa.blogspot.com/