Newsletter

"The time is near!", "It’s coming soon!", "Just around the corner!" Whew! The wait is finally over. Here we are! We are excited to present to you the first issue of TUCC newsletter. What? Did you think I was talking about the second coming of Christ?!

Well, we have some interesting stuff for everyone. We hope that the content will help build fellowship, put a few smiles on our faces, keep past members and extended family members in touch with us and be a staging forum for children to bring out their creative writing skills. More importantly we believe the newsletter will be spiritually uplifting.

Cheers, to all who made this possible. I take this opportunity to invite all the budding journalists out there to contribute to keep the Newsletter going.

Yours in Christ,
Preethi Samuel

LEARN TO FORGIVE LIKE JOSEPH Genesis 45:1-15.

It is very difficult to summarize all the events that led up to this Old Testament passage. Jacob had twelve sons. He favored Joseph above the rest. Joseph’s jealous brothers sold him to slavery. In slavery, he rose to become the manager of Potiphar’s house. One day, he was falsely accused of rape by Potiphar’s wife and imprisoned. By God’s plan and under His protection, Joseph eventually became the ruler of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh himself.

Then one day it happened. His backstabbing brothers came to Egypt seeking food. Unknowingly, they bowed at his feet. The tables had turned. Joseph could have taken revenge on them. But through some clever plans he uncovered the fact that his brothers had changed. In fact, he saw that one of them was even ready to give his life for another. He could contain himself no longer. He revealed his identity and forgave them.

We can understand why Joseph’s brothers were speechless. Guilt must have overwhelmed them. Fearful speculation must have crowded their minds as they thought about what Joseph might do to them for what they had done to him.

Although the reaction of Joseph’s brothers makes sense, his reaction does not. Joseph did what is unnatural for humans. He did not hold a grudge. Did you notice how he called his brothers to come close to him? He embraced them. With his body language he showed that he had forgiven them. Then Joseph reassured his brothers and encouraged them to forgive themselves for what they had done. Joseph forgave his brothers with unconditional love. Their sin against him was forgiven and forgotten.

Brothers and sisters in the faith, our opportunities to forgive will probably never come in such dramatic ways. But the Bible says that if we forgive others their sins our heavenly Father will also forgive us our sins (Mat 6:14-15).

May God bless us with this spirit of forgiveness!

- Pastor Godwin

Every New Year’s service we are reminded about the fruitless fig tree. After three years of eager waiting the disappointed owner asks his gardener to cut the tree down. The gardener manages to convince the owner to give the tree one last chance.

As we begin a new church year, it is time to dig around the roots and fertilize the soil and begin bearing fruits. It is time to bear the fruits of repentance (Luk 3:18), to bear the fruit of our lips (Heb 13:15), to bear the fruit of righteousness (Pro 11:30) and the fruit of the spirit (Gal 5:22). Every member and friend of the church should take this opportunity to reflect on their contributions for making the church fruitful. If one part of the body bears fruit the whole body can rejoice. In the same way, if one part of the body suffers, the whole body will suffer.

William Carey, the "Father of Baptist Missions," was born in Paulerspury, England, in 1761. At the age of 24, he accepted a call to become the pastor of a Baptist church. Carey kept urging his fellow pastors to set up a missionary agency, but they always seemed to have more urgent problems closer to home. At one meeting an elder pastor reportedly snapped at him: "Young man, sit down. When God pleases to convert the heathen, he'll do it without consulting you or me." But Carey simply would not let anything stand in the way.

After stimulating Baptist Missionary Society, he became its first missionary. Serampore College, which Carey and his colleagues established in 1810 to train Christian leaders, remains today as one of the outstanding educational institutions of Asia.

Carey devoted 41 of his 73 years to India without a return to his homeland. He was an able linguist and translator; a botanist of considerable reputation; and a missionary statesman par excellence. With the aid of other linguists, he translated the Bible into forty-four languages and dialects. Carey's name is still held in the highest esteem in India. The Indian Department of Posts celebrated the life and ministry of William Carey with the 6 rupee stamp. He lived and died by his often quoted motto.

In 1871, fire ravaged Chicago. When it was over, 300 people were dead and 100,000 were homeless. Horatio Gates Spafford, a lawyer who had invested much of his money into downtown Chicago real estate, lost a great deal in the fire.

After about two years his family decided to take a vacation to Europe. Delayed by some business, he sent his family ahead of him. Tragically, their ship, the Ville de Havre, never made it. It collided with an English sailing ship, the Loch Earn, and sank within 20 minutes. Horatio received a horrible telegram from his wife, "saved alone.". His four daughters had died.

Inspired by the Holy Spirit, after these terrible losses, Spafford wrote this song,

It is unimaginable to feel the pain that Spafford had experienced but he found peace in the fact that his soul was "well" because the peace of God that "passes all understanding" was with him. In spite of his pain, he could take comfort in God’s promise that He will take control of our pain when we let Him take control. He is responsible for our life. We are responsible for the choices we make, choice to find peace and comfort in His presence through Jesus Christ or a choice to try and find answers in people, things and situations.

We face pain in so many forms in our lives. I have always been touched by the tranquility of this song and known it through storms that have touched my shores. Hope this song sings to your soul whenever you need divine peace. Remember, whatever, wherever or however you are, God is bigger that all that and…It is well with your soul. God Bless!

- Sujaya Robin

- Joe Kingsly

A few years ago, I read a disturbing incident in the newspaper. A young boy poured kerosene all over his body and lit himself in the hope that his superhero would rescue him. But alas, his hero “Shakthiman” did not come to rescue him. He died pitifully.

“Shakthiman” was a popular TV serial, in India, at that time much like Power Rangers or Spiderman here in US.

The news made by heart ache for my students. I was compelled to tell them about the only true Super Hero.

It was December and we had a Christmas program in our school. I narrated this news incident and told the students about Jesus, the Super hero sent by God to rescue us from our sins and give us eternal life. Satan is a sly fox who will use even seemingly harmless TV shows to mislead innocent kids. We were lucky in our days, as we were not exposed to many of these wrong paths. So children, be watchful always for anything that might mislead you. And parents teach you children according to Deuteronomy 6:6-9

“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates” Deut 6: 6-9 (NIV)

- Dorothy Samuel