The Passion Week in the Seminary has already started and it is a mixed bag of feelings. Normally the Prayers are emotional and thought- provoking. But since it is our last year in the seminary as students and also because of the exams and the thesis- submission et al, it is proving to be a hectic time.
I may be biased in saying this, but people who say that the Orthodox prayers and style of worship is too monotonous and boring should spend at least a week in the Seminaries of our Church. The tunes of the songs are really soul rending and beautiful. But on the flip side, not everyone knows the tune so it may be difficult to sing. Another problem is that most of the songs are in Malayalam and that too not the kind you talk at home or listen to in movies. It is really poetic and classical Malayalam. So that is where i envision the role of the Church. The songs should be ideally translated into regional languages- at least English and Hindi for a start. The tunes could also be suited to the language, but then i have my own doubts whether the new tunes would have the variety and the beauty of the Syriac melodies. Please don’t mistake me for a traditionalist... it is just that the music that is in our worship is much more than just music. These tunes and the octo-echoes are envisioned by our forefathers who were so developed in spirituality that they could understand the finer nuances of music and the human psyche... so there is a symbiotic relation between the two. But that said, all these make sense only when the ordinary people of our church are able to benefit from this rich liturgical treasure and use it to enhance their own spirituality...
It is also terrifying and awe- inspiring to think that the next year at this time, if in the Will of God, I would be in some parish conducting the Passion Week Services. It would be my responsibility to lead the people into a level of spirituality and personal experience of Christ during this time. As a first- timer then, I am sure that I would miss and cherish the time that I spent here in the Seminary, easily blaming the Achens or others for all the mistakes and the wrong tunes, etc.
