1921 - 2005

GOLDEN JUBILEE OF ORDINATION



Moses Arlvarpillai Ratnarajah was born in Jaffna,Sri lanka on the 11th of October, 1921. He experienced God's call for ordained ministry and surrendered himself to HIS call. He joined the UNITED THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE in Bangalore to do his Theological studies. He went on a scholarship to Chicago,America in 1955 and was awarded the "WORLD CHURCH FELLOW" degree. M.A.Ratnarajah always used to say that God moves in a mysterious way and that he drew nearer to God by HIS refusals, and that God did not say "YES" to all his prayers and petitions !

He served in:-

Jampettah Church, Colombo (1949-1951)

City Mission Church,Colombo (1952 -1955 )

Kallar Methodist Church,Batticaloa (1956-61)

Pulliantivu Church,Batticaloa (1962-65)

Hatton Methodist Church (1966- 68)

Trincomalee Methodist Church (1969-72)

Point -Pedro Methodist church (1973-75)

St.Peter's church,Jaffna (1976- 78)

(The Rev. M. A. Ratnarajah succeeded Rev. Nodder in Jaffna, as Circuit Superintendent in 1976. In addition to fulfilling his Circuit duties, he was also given the arduous role of Chairman of the North and East Districts. Under his leadership, new plans and projects were worked out for Allaipiddy, Kilner Institute and Puttur. His intention was to revive the work for the then 'present age' and to have them serve in ways appropriate)

Moor Road Methodist Church,Colombo (1979-81)

Tamil Nadu Theological Seminary

Pilimatalawa Theological seminary


M.A.R had very deep faith in God and finished his race very well.

His favourite hymns were:-

1. O Love that will not let me go

2.I heard the voice of Jesus say

3. Jesus saviour of my soul

4.God moves in a mysterious way

5. O for a heart to praise my God

6. O for a thouand tongues to sing

7. When I survey

8.In loving kindness Jesus came

9. And can it be that I should gain

10. Sinners Jesus will receive


GOLDEN JUBILEE OF ORDINATION

The Rev.M.A Ratnarajah celebrated his Golden Jubilee of Ordination as a Methodist Minister in the Methodist Church,Sri lanka. A special service of Thanks Giving was held at the Uniting Church,Dulwich hill,Sydney,australia,followed by a meeting organised by the Rev.D.J.Jegasothy,the minister in-charge where high tributes and felicitations were made thanking God for the wonderful ministry of Rev.Ratnarajah as a pastor,writer,translator and an effective lecturer at the Theological college at pilimatalawa,srilanka and the Tamil Nadu Theological Seminary,Arasarady,Madurai,South India. The mail speaker was Mrs.dorothy Melntyre whose speech is recorded elsewhere. Rev.Ratnarajah hails from Kaddaively church,Jaffna,where his father was held in high esteem as a Tamil pandit and Poet. He was dedicated to ministry on the third day of his birth by his devoted parents,when he was miraculously healed by God in answer to their earnest prayers of faith and dedication,when doctors had given up hopes of any recovery.His parents had been quite often telling their son of this miraculous healing and the vow they had made to offer him to this great calling if and when it came to him. A conviction that God had chosen him from his mother's womb,was growing in the mind of young Ratnarajah as he grew up and various other factors played a heavy role in his life that ultimately made him offer himself for ministry.He grew up with the strong sense that his life had been spared and guided and that he lived for a special purpose. His father Pullavar Arlvarpillai was keen that his son should have a very strong foundation and scholarship in Tamil Language and Hinduism if at all he offered himself as a candidate for ministry. Rev.Ratnarajah offered himself to Methodist Ministry and was accepted as a suitable candidate by the North Ceylon Methodist Synod under the Chairmanship of the late Rev.James Mather in 1944. He had his Theological studies and training at the United Theological College,Bangalore,from where he passed out with his degree in Theology and College Diploma.During the period of probation of three years,Rev.Ratnarajah was stationed at Jampettah ,Colombo as an assistant Minister to late Rev.Thambipillai. He was ordained as a full fledged minister on the 14th January 1952 at the Methodist Church,Kollupitiya,where the Revs.S.G.Mendis,GA.F Senaratne,D.J.Bartholomeuz, James Mather and D.T.Niles laid their hands on him and invoked God's blessings. He was given the opportunity to continue his studies at the Chicago Theological Seminary,Chicago, where he stayed nearly for two years.He continued to serve the church for nearly 35 years in various capacities and retired in 1984 when he was invited as a visiting professor to the Tamil Nadu Theological Semainary,Madurai,India ,where he served for nearly 12 years,lecturing in Philosophy,Major religions,Hinduism,Dialogue and Mission and Neo Guru & secular movements. As a Teacher, Pastor and Preacher he was in great demand by congregations and by Hindu public that listened to him eagerly on topics of Political,Social and Religious concerns. Commenting on Rev.Ratnarajah,the late Rt.Rev.Dr.S.Kulendran,Bishop of Jaffna diocese of C.S.I said "Rev.Ratnarajah has competence in various branches of the formal discipline of the Theological studies, but in our context,he was particularly good at interpreting the christian message to those of other faiths.I recommend him heartily to any position in the "Ecclesiastical sphere of work" The Rev.Dr.Kambar Manickam,former principal of Tamil Nadu Seminary said,"During the period of his service at the seminary in addition to his teaching assignments,Rev.Ratnarajah rendered yeoman service to the Seminary and to the community in various capacities such as Chaplain,Warden,Faculty Secretary,and as Warden for married students.He was involved in all dialogue programmes of the seminary,and during the course of his teaching,he produced a text book in Tamil on Budhism. Many community members turned to him for counselling whenever they were in need of it.His mild and at the same time firm approach was appreciated by many.In general ,one gets the impression that the Rev.Ratnarajah's ministry was a committed one." The former president of the Methodist Church,Sri Lanks, the Rev.S.K.Perera said, "Through the impact of his father ,who was a Tamil scholarRev.Ratnarajah acquired an interest in Tamil Language,and he has several books to his credit.He also served as executive secretary of the Swabasha Education,Northern Board of Religious Education in charge of Christian Curriculum and as Chairman of North and East Districts of the Methodist Church,Sri Lanka.He is possessed of a quiet and friendly disposition,unassuming and modest in his ways." The Rev.Dr.Gordon Moyes Superintendent of Wesley Mission,Sydney,Australia commenting on Rev.Ratnarajah's recent books, "Faith in Fifty hymns' says,"The Rev.Dr.M.A.Ratnarajah from Sri Lanka has been known to me for well over 25 years. He is a Theologian and a Hymn writer. He has a number of books to his credit both in English and Tamil.He has written these fifty hymns,laid out in five aspects,of Christian faith. These Hymns are straightforward and written to metres for which there are well known tunes. They are Theologically sound and have about them the freshness of crisp writing.


Rev.Ratnarajah has the following books to his credit

1. Christianity and Communism

2. Baptism - Tamil

3. Buddhism - Tamil

4. Christians who nurtured Tamil language

5. God experience in Christian Hymns - Tamil

6. Jesus wept - English

7. Missionaries who nurturd Tamil langusge - English

8. Finishing well - English

9. Faith in fifty Hymns - English

He has also presented a number of papers on dialogue and mission and on social and cultural issues.




Praise be to God for the sincere and devoted service of the Rev.M.A.Ratnarajah



FINISHING WELL

What one elderly person needs in society today, is some sort of recognition that he or she is still wanted in society,where their knowledge ,age and experience would still count. Loneliness especially in an elderly stage is some thing very painful.When the elders look back into their younger days and think over the esteem and respect they were held in and the contribution they had once made to home,church and society it becomes a very painful experience for them to know that in their old age,in the midst of sickness,suffering and loneliness they are discarded by everyone,sometimes even by their children and to be treated as unwanted people and only as nuisance that continues. Once the joy and happiness and usefulness are over, the elders themselves wonder if they have anything more to do before they close their chapter.Such feelings have done their worst in promoting disappointment and frustration and a sense of insecurity among many an elderly person. What They need now in life is some sort of fellowship,mixing up,and the assurance that they are still needed by everyone who gratefully remembers what they once did and how cheerfully they gave themselves up in the service of their children,grand children and to everyone in society who needed their help. To squeeze the orange for juice and to throw away the skin is alright in daily life,but it is a crime to do such a thing when it comes to the question of how to deal with our elders. It is with this challenge of bringing back our elders to secure a sense of usefulness and making them feel that they still have a role to play even in their stage that "ELDERS' FELLOWSHIP" is formed in many churches.This helps not only to bring in the elders of the church but also the others in our neighbourhood to promote a feeling of unity and usefulness and a sense of brotherhood. The elders still have hope and reason to live for if only they could be helped to spend their time gracefully,running their race well ,fighting their battle well keeping their faith and finally finishing their race well. I pray to God that the elders in our churches and societies will receive their lost joy and peace once again in the midst of old age and feeble condition that will finish their race well with the Lord's commendation "Well done good and faithful servant ,enter thou into the joy of the Lord" It is with this prayer and hope that I bring out this small booklet that tells every one of us young and old as to how we could live a successful and meaningful life that would help us to end our journey with a note of satisfaction that we have finished our race,fought a good fight and kept our faith leaving the younger generation know the responsibility and accountability of our lives.

M.A.Ratnarajah



JESUS WEPT

Suffering is the major problem in life.Both Hinduism and Buddhism take the question of suffering seriously.Buddhism goes deeper into the question and brings "Dukka" (suffering) as the only reality in life.The main theme in the Bible is also suffering-The Cross- While the former religions speak of human suffering,Christianity speaks of Divine suffering- The Suffering God.The Cross is the symbol where God's love and human sin meet.cross is the enacting in human history of the eternal drama that goes on in the heart of God.The temptation is to have a cross-less Christ. A cross-less Christ has no meaning for us.It is on the cross that we see the human Jesus reflecting the Divine heart of God.An honest experiment with the man called Jesus will certainly end up in the discovery of God that is love.It is in His human tears that one sees the love of God.It is in His weep,that one sees his joy.This small booklet "JESUS WEPT" is the result of such meditation on the cross.Let the cross speak

M.A.RATNARAJAH