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Lenten thoughts on Forgiveness and Repentance
By Rev. Jose A. Malayang • To forgive or to repent is a personal act, a personal choice, whether or not it is inner or outer driven. It may start with a feeling but should become a conscious act. • In both instances, it is more authentic, more noble, more ideal if the act is done willingly and unconditionally. • Forgiveness, freely and unconditionally given, is liberating: A Nazi concentration camp and Holocaust victim once wrote, “forgiveness is to set a prisoner free – and to realize the prisoner was you!” • To forgive or to repent is an independent act by itself, not necessarily conditional on the other. One can forgive without demanding an "I'm sorry" from the other. Or one repents driven from within, not from outside, as a result of self-realization. A person genuinely repents on a personal initiative. • Forgiveness and repentance may be both in the Bible. But they don't go together necessarily. The Sermon on the Mount model is, at the altar before making an offering or in an act of worship, to “make right” with the person you who has a grudge against you first and only then make things right with God! It is self-initiated, not triggered by an outside factor. (Matt. 5:23ff; I’m trying to avoid too many biblical references because it could lead to a non-productive “proof-texting” exchange.) • To demand or even just expect repentance prior to giving forgiveness makes both acts "forced," most probably grudgingly done, perhaps devoid of genuineness and sincerity. • Forgiveness does not come easy for most of us. Our natural instinct is to recoil in self-protection when we've been injured. We don't naturally overflow with mercy, grace and forgiveness when we've been wronged. But just because it doesn't come easy or naturally does not mean it can't be done. At some point it becomes an imperative: forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us (Lord's Prayer). To forgive is to be forgiven! This is an essential biblical injunction. • Repentance, theologically and etymologically speaking, means "to turn around" or to do an about face. As in the prodigal son: on his own realization and initiative, he turns things around and seeks his father’s favor and acceptance. He took the first step; it wasn't demanded of him. The father was already waiting even before the son knew it or sought forgiveness. • Theologically then, forgiveness is not something one can simple dispense like dispensing Kleenex from a box. It is a gift! God’s forgiveness is a gift - not given for what one does (appeasement, confession, repentance). • Interestingly, a ministerial colleague of mine sent me this note: in the Catholic Church now, rather than "confession" (a person-with-a-priest one on one), what they do now is do a "sacrament of reconciliation" - small group confession-repentance-reconciliation, with a goal of changed life. ________________________________ |
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“Listen to Him”
Matthew 17:1-9 “While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” Grant us O God, hearts and ears that are open Today is the last Sunday before we begin the Season of Lent - a season that defines for us who Jesus is. We have to prepare ourselves as lent brings us a different picture of Jesus. The Jesus of Christmas is so lovable. Baby Jesus is so cute like any other child whose presence brings never-ending amusement. In the Philippines, the baby Jesus - the Santo Nino draws large crowds of devotees within the Roman Catholic tradition. It is easy to embrace the Christ of Christmas but the Christ of Lent is quite a challenge. The church set the Transfiguration story to mark this transition of seasons. It is a strange and intense story. Jesus took with him Peter, James and John into the mountain and something extra-ordinary happened. This is how Matthew described the experience, And he (Jesus) was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. In this particular moment, the three disciples experienced a different presence. Jesus was not in his usual appearance. They have no way to describe the experience but these words – Jesus face shinning like a sun and his clothes dazzling white. Have you been to a beautiful place, have seen a beautiful view or have heard a soothing music or melody or have eaten a very delicious meal… an experience that would really make you scream like WOW… (grabe) and then you are given just one sentence to describe the experience. It’s difficult isn’t it. We always say words are not enough to describe what we went through. For a beautiful scenery, we can capture it through our digital camera, show the image to our friends but still you cannot describe fully the experience. It is here inside of us. In the movie Alladin, a beautiful song “A Whole New World” was featured. One of the song writers is Alan Menken a Jewish New Yorker from New Rochelle. Together with Tim Rice they wrote the song sang as a duet by Peabo Bryson & Regina Belle. I can hear the music in my mind when I think of it. The lyrics capture the experience we are talking about. Alladin was telling the Princess that through a carpet ride he can show her the world. But what would that world be, what would be that experience? Menken and Rice put words and music together… Unbelievable sights This is as far as the words can go. Lovers know this feeling. Remember that moment when you were in love – whether with your partner or when you are in love with something that you are passionate about. Words are not to describe the feeling, the event, the moment. How would you describe to others your experience of God’s love and forgiveness and the joy and the peace of God in your life? Words are not enough. Words are always inadequate. That’s why we need artists, we need poets, we need musicians to help us process our experience of God’s presence. To help us hear the divine language and the finer things in life and at the same time help us shape or put into substance our response to God. We need help because in many instances divine encounter creates disorientation among humans. We need help in ordering our thoughts and responses. In the transfiguration story Peter, James and John encountered the God in Jesus. They had been with him day after day but this time God showed to them Jesus as the authority of the law and the power of the prophetic voice through the images of Moses and Elijah. The experience was so intense and so disorienting especially for Peter who found himself mumbling, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” The story can be viewed from many perspectives. It is so rich with meaning and possibilities for our spiritual journey. But today, I focus on that voice that Peter, James and John heard, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased…” In the church calendar, we move from Christmas to Epiphany reminding us that Jesus birth is not only for the Jews. Even kings from the East came to worship him. Immediately after we were ushered to the story of the Baptism of Jesus. In that story the heavens opened and the spirit of God descended like a dove and the same words were heard, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with whom (him) I am well pleased…” (3:17). But Matthew added this phrase, “listen to him!” We do a lot of listening: listening to news and at times gossips, listening to sermons from our wife and our husband and from pastors as well. We listen to our bodies, we listen to our inner feelings. Yes, this is what God is calling us – to listen, listen to Jesus and to listen carefully especially in this season of Lent for we will encounter a different Jesus, not the baby one but the suffering Christ. And many do not want to listen to this Jesus. It is my prayer that we would hear a different Jesus, different than what we usually hear: a Jesus that would challenge our comfort zones, a Jesus that would shake our cherished foundations, so that God can do the rebuilding on Easter. A story was told of two friends who had not seen each other for many, many years. As they were walking through the street together, renewing old times when one said, “Just a minute, I think I hear something.” “What is it?” “I heard a cricket. “A cricket in the middle of the city?” The guy turn a stone and true indeed there was a cricket chirping. The other guy said, “wow, that's incredible. Of all the people on the street at this hour, hurrying from work, you alone hear the cricket above all the traffic noises." "My friend," said the first. "I learned a long time ago that people hear in life only what they want to hear. Now, the noise of traffic has neither increased nor decreased in the past few moments, but watch." And as he finished speaking he let a several quarters fall from his pocket to the sidewalk. Everyone within an amazingly large hearing distance stopped and looked around. On Wednesday the season of Lent begins. But as usual life in New York will go on as it is. Even during Holy Week, nothing will change. You will not notice the difference. The season in our church calendar is not in sync with the what’s going on in the world. It takes disciple and intentionality on our part to listen to Him. We can devote 15 minutes in reading, reflecting and praying through our daily devotional guide. Go through the suggested activities in our Taking Faith Home Guide. Listen, listen to Jesus, begin the discipline today! 9th Sunday after the Epiphany/Transfiguration Sunday |
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“Wrestling With Our Worries”
Matthew 6: 23-34 “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today. Speak to us O God through the hearing of the scripture and through the mediation of our hearts. Amen. Wrestling and worries. I am not really a sports guy and I do not enjoy looking at the brutal and violent expression of wrestling presented on TV through Worldwide Wrestling Entertainment. But I may admire the rituals of thee sumo wrestlers of Japan and the traditional wrestling in the Olympics. Wrestling is an old sport practiced by the Greeks and passed on through generations. Wrestling is "a sport or contest in which two unarmed individuals struggle hand-to-hand with each attempting to subdue or unbalance the other". The image that comes to mind when I think of wrestling is that of Jacob who wrestled with an angel or who wrestled with God in a place called Penuel (a word which means, I have seen a divine being face to face, yet my life is preserved.) This story in Genesis 32 is portrayed in several classical paintings. I think of wrestling as I read our text today that focus on worry or anxiety. “Do not worry…” Jesus advised all of us as he laid the supremacy of God’s Kingdom and rule. “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” Food, drink and clothing may not be the biggest concern for many of us. Here in the U.S. many of us can eat whatever we want. In fact, the problem of many people has nothing to do with scarcity of food but how to control intake. The by-word for today is diet. So with drinks, it is widely available from soda of different colors and water with a variety of flavors. Clothes perhaps, for those who are keen on fashion, those who want signature jeans, shoes and matching bags. But if you are not choosy, you can clothe yourself comfortably by not spending much. But during Biblical times when people relied on local farms on their food supply, a long drought brings disaster to families and communities. There was always a cloud of uncertainty especially with their lack of tools in mass production and weather forecasting. Living in a land with deserts, a land where access to wells that at times become a source of conflict help us appreciate their worry on what to drink. They do not desire and debate about how many calories are there in a soft drink, what people wanted was just plain, clean and potable water. Imagine the cost of clothing when everything had to be weaved manually. I believe many of them do not care for colors or style. What was important was protection from the heat of the sun and the wind that often times carry dust and sands from the desert and protection from the cold of the night. I believe it is important to imagine the context to appreciate what Jesus said about do not be anxious or do not worry about what you eat, what you drink and what you wear. Much so with life, do not worry about your life. Imagine yourself living in a land occupied by the Roman Empire. When a soldier can pull you out from the field and compel you to carry a load for him. A land where full rights and privileges were only for granted to citizens but not to subjects and slaves. A land where a infraction against authorities, being actual or imagine, means death through crucifixion. We can translate this to a more contemporary setting. Jesus might tell us. Do not worry about your retirement, where you live, whether in Florida or California or the Philippines. Do not worry whether you live in a facility called assisted living or buy a smaller apartment. Do not worry about 401K or whether Social Security will be sustainable in the future and so with the other investments and stock markets. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you.” Now this will ring a bell. Now we understand how radical Jesus was and is. To many Jesus may sound irresponsible and not sophisticated enough in understanding our complex world – therefore irrelevant. But true indeed, Jesus looks at life differently and this is where our wrestling begins. We who say we want to follow him. We who say Jesus is our Lord and Savior! Yes we struggle on how to make sense of Jesus in our world today. And to be honest we wrestle with these issues. We wrestle between the supremacy of God’s power in our lives and our stubbornness to live life based on our own strength. Some have experienced the freedom and the salvation Jesus offered from the grip of self-centeredness. Living as if everything revolves around us - our needs and wants. Just like wrestling some have subdue their inner desire to accumulate and find security in what they possess. But some are still in the middle of the fight. Many are worried and anxious what will happen next. A story was told of two explorers who explored a jungle safari when suddenly a ferocious lion jumped in front of them. "Keep calm" the first explorer whispered. "Remember what we read in the book on wild animals? Do not panic, do not worry, do not be anxious, remember the instruction, “If you stand perfectly still and look the lion in the eye, he will turn and run." "Sure," replied his companion. "You have read the book, and I have read the book. But has the lion read the book?" When we face our own lions – we ask the same question. But consider what statistics say about anxiety or worry. Jesus put it this way. “Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?” Jesus is telling us that only God controls the future. Our security rests in God alone. When will be the time in our life when we say – we are secure and safe in the future? How much money do we need to be in our account to say, it is enough? How many times do we forfeit worship time in exchange for extra work so that we will have more and in our calculation everything will be provided for in the days ahead. Jesus is saying to us - walk with me in your life journey. Trust me and trust God and you can live life in all its fullness. Live life in grateful appreciation to God. Put God at the center and everything will fall in its proper place. The paradox of the Christian faith is that as we let go of ourselves and let God rule our lives we will experience the presence and the power of God. But it’s scary because we put all that we have in God’s hands. In everything we are called to have faith in the Almighty God. One writer puts it this way: “The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety.” George Muller Massena, one of Napoleon's generals, suddenly appeared with 18,000 soldiers before an Austrian town which had no means of defending itself. The town council met, certain that surrender was the only answer. The old dean of the church reminded the council that it was Easter, and begged them to hold services as usual and to leave the trouble in God's hands. They followed his advice. The dean went to the church and rang the bells to announce the service. The French soldiers heard the church bells ring and concluded that the Austrian army had come to rescue the town. They broke camp, and before the bells had ceased ringing, vanished. (Source Unknown) Jesus is saying to us today, have faith in God. Entrust your future to God. Isaiah had a beautiful picture in reminding us of God’s promise, “I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands…” God will not forget us. God will remember us. So I say to you, my brothers and sisters - do not stop wrestling until you subdue your fear, your anxiety, your worry – and find rest, peace and strength in God! |
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“Redefining Holiness”
Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18, Matthew 5:38-48 “You shall be holy for I the Lord your God am holy…” The word holy evokes different reactions to different people. I remember a friend who said, “I don’t want to be holy, I just want to be normal.” That was a reaction to someone who prayed so loud in a fast food restaurant as if calling the attention of everybody how holy or how close he was to God by his act of praying. We have our own way of doing things on matters of prayer. It is always desirable to pray before meals. At times, we pause in silence thanking God for the blessings set before us. At times, we utter words of thanksgiving. Most of us do not pray out loud in a restaurant for people to hear although some consider praying loudly as an act of witness. The purpose of prayer is not to be seen or to be overheard by others. Prayers are addressed to God not to those who are within hearing distance. I believe that people are holy not because they pray, they pray because they are holy. For most of us holiness is associated with prayers and rituals and the practice of public worship. Holy people are those who practice these disciplines more often. You may also have heard the expression “holier than thou.” A phrase many people used in derogatory terms for those who criticize those who cannot cope up with who they are in the way they disciplined themselves and people whose faith and practice do not match. But holiness is not optional. In fact it should be our norm. God reminds to us today, “Be holy for I the Lord your God am holy.” But what does holiness means? Is the display piety in prayer and worship life the full measure of holiness? Our texts in Leviticus and Matthew challenge us to expand our understanding of holiness. Beyond the practice of prayer and worship that are part and parcel of who we are as God’s people - our Biblical readings point to us to the practical implications of our faith in our daily life, the expressions of holiness in the context of our relationship to others. I remember a song that we used to sing back in the 80’s entitled, “Worship and Work Must Be One.” A powerful attempt to bridge the articulation of our faith expressed in worship and the way we live our lives when we are away from the gathered congregation of believers. The song stressed again and again that our worship and our work must blend in perfect harmony. So for the Israelites who were about to enter the promise land God gave the word. If you say you believe in me, show your concern and compassion especially for the poor and for the alien. In the Message translation the commands are packed tightly:
“Don’t steal. “Don’t lie. “Don’t deceive anyone. These are expressions of holiness that God wants from us. Notice the refrain of the cluster of commandments - I AM GOD. God who is holy desire these acts and since we say we believe in God, the God who is holy – we are also expected to act in holiness like our God. You shall be holy for I the Lord your God am holy. John Brown hits it right when he said: "Holiness does not consist in mystic speculations, enthusiastic fervors, or uncommanded austerities; it consists in thinking as God thinks, and willing as God wills." (John Brown, Nineteenth-century Scottish theologian, quoted in J. Bridges, The Pursuit of Holiness, p. 51.) This list reminds us that faith in God goes beyond individual and personal and even sentimental relationship with God alone faith demands from us compassion and justice for others – for the poor, for the alien, for our neighbors. This is also part and parcel of what it means to be holy. When we embrace and live out our faith fully, we also witness the fullness of God’s love to the world. I like what D. L. Moody said: “A holy life will make the deepest impression. Lighthouses blow no horns, they just shine.” We do not have to pray out loud for people to know that we are holy. Our holiness will just shine – in the way we share our resources. In the way we give our tips to those who serve us. In the way we pay the wages of those who work for us. In the way we make it easier for others to accomplish their work and goals in life. I took note of that section that says, do not curse the deaf and do not put a stumbling block in front of the blind, in short do not be a prankster, do not be cruel. Our holiness shines in the way we make just and fair decisions. When we do acts of kindness and love. When we let gossip and rumors stop with us and refuse to pass it on. These are acts and expressions of holiness as well. Practice What You Admire In life, what we admire, adore, greatly respect, and worship, we eventually become.?? (John Brokhoff, Old Truths for New Times, CSS Publishing Company) In our lesson about Appreciating Spiritual Gifts, we were reminded that the purpose of our gifts would be to build up the body of Christ and to help each of to grow in Christ-like maturity. This is our prayer that we shall be Christ-like, to eventually become what we admire, what we adore, what we greatly respect and worship. Holiness is not the exception. Holiness is the norm to which God calls us to be. Listen to God’s word for us today, “you shall be holy for I the Lord your God am holy.”
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“Beyond What Is Required”
Deuteronomy 30:15-20, Matthew 5:21-37 “…I am commanding you today, by loving the Lord your God, walking in his ways and observing his commandments, decrees and ordinances…” The world around us is saturated with messages about love as people mark Valentine’s Day. We had great sharing and discussion in our nurturing sessions about “Make Love not War: The History of Valentines Day.” We learned the origins of the celebration, we noted the way Valentines Day is commercialized as any other celebrations, except Good Friday, we affirmed romantic love as part and parcel of God’s creation – therefore it is good! We highlight Biblical texts in Song of Solomon embracing an affirmative view of sexuality. And we say romantic love is not the same love that Biblical writers referred to when they point to God’s love. Although loving relationship between husband and wife was used as a metaphor by St. Paul when he wrote about Christ and the Church. The Koine, the common Greek language used during New Testament times have 3 words all translated in English as love: Eros, used to describe the love of couples, the root of the English word erotic. Phelia, the love experienced by siblings and friends like brotherly and sisterly love and Agape, which we are more familiar with, the love of God and our love of God. When the world celebrates Valentines Day it is about Romantic love. There is nothing wrong about romantic love when we put it in its proper context, romantic love as the highest expression of the couples love for each other. Yahoo News featured an item with a headline that says: Malaysian Muslims Warn Against Valentine’s Day. It is about authorities warning a crackdown on “immoral acts” during the celebration. They view Valentines Day as synonymous with vice. Wan Mohamad Sheikh Abdul Aziz, head of the Malaysian Islamic Development Department said, "In reality, as well as historically, the celebration of Valentine's Day is synonymous with vice activities." He noted a ruling issued years ago that says [Valentines] "is associated with elements of Christianity," and "we just cannot get involved with other religion's worshipping rituals." I can only say that Christianity has nothing to do and will not encourage or condone the vices he speaks about, whatever it is. There are no Christian rituals associated with Valentines. In our Protestant and Reformed tradition Valentines is not part of our church calendar. And we have nothing to do with the commercialization of Valentines either. However, we can use the occasion to reflect about love - God’s love for us and our love to God, and our love to others. The text in Deuteronomy set the tone of our relationship framework when the writer speaks about “loving God, walking in his ways and observing his commandments, decrees and ordinances.” Love is the unifying theme that describes our relationship with God and God’s relationship with us. “Love the Lord your God, with all your heart, mind and soul.” And we are also reminded that “…God loves the world so much that he gave his only begotten Son…” Later in his epistle John wrote, “we love because God loves us first.” How do we love God? People in the Old Testament and even today solve it by making a list of things to be followed and obeyed. Have a check list and follow it to the letter and all will be well with you. In fact, in Deuteronomy it is a guarantee of success and prosperity. But we know that the list can be circumvented. During the time of Jesus, many leaders find a way to cite exemptions to the rules. We also note that internal debate during Biblical times within the community of believers, when they included the story of Job in the sacred text. It is not as simple and sure that following the text word for word solves the whole problem. We can relate to this desire to follow the text when the new congress convened. They begin by reading the Constitution of the United States of America. Reading the text is one thing, interpreting the text and its implication about our day to day living is another thing. There are those who would say just follow what it says. There are also voices that say, we have to interpret the text and put into consideration the shifting conditions of our time. I believe that love, whether love of God or romantic love cannot be reduced to a list of things to be done. Love is first of all a relationship of trust and commitment. There are expectations and at times it is good to list down these expectations but love is definitely beyond what is on the list. Love even goes beyond what is expected! This is what Jesus wants us to embrace. Jesus premised his teaching with the words, “you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times you shall not murder…” but then he shifted from minimum requirement to that which is greater. He then said, “but I say to you…if you are angry, you will be liable to judgment…” During our days in school, there were classmates whose attitude in learning was set to what we called bare and minimum. They argued why set a higher standard, as long as we pass the subject that’s okay. This attitude was also transmitted in the church. I have heard people who said, “don’t be too good, you might go beyond heaven” (molapas ka unya sa langit). So if they see someone “walking the second mile” they would say, “ayaw palabi,” set a limit, just the bare minimum will do. But I don’t think this is how love operates. Love goes beyond the mere minimum. And those in business know and exploit this passion. They know that when a person is in love, as they say, “sky is the limit.” This is how prices are set for flowers on sale on Valentines Day in the Philippines. We can easily understand this dynamics when we speak about romantic love but what about agape love. When we talk about loving God, do we also say sky is the limit or just the bare minimum? Jesus sets a higher perspective it comes to following God. It is not as simple as following the rules, it is going even beyond what the rules require. Love that transcends the bare minimum, love that goes beyond what is required. The Jesuit priest, Anthony de Mello talks about a Master in a Monastery. The Master always warns the monks against the tyranny of the law. He acknowledged there are rules in the monastery. “Obedience keeps the rules”, he said. But love knows when to break them.” I like the refrain our gospel text this today: “you have heard that it was said…the great refrain of Jesus is but I say to you…” I rejoice in our radical and responsible freedom to love. Indeed Christianity is a religion of love and not a religion that focus on rules and regulations. Christianity is a first of all a religion that highlights relationship – relationship with God and our relationship with each other. Wealth, Success, and Love (Author and Source Unknown) A woman came out of her house and saw 3 old men with long white beards sitting in her front yard. She did not recognize them. She said "I don't think I know you, but you must be hungry. Please come in and have something to eat." Is the man of the house home?", they asked. "No", she said. "He's out." "Then we cannot come in," they replied. Later when her husband came home, she told him what had happened. "Go tell them I am home and invite them in!" The woman went out and invited the men in. "We do not go into a house together," they replied. "Why is that?" she wanted to know. One of the old men explained: "His name is Wealth," he said pointing to one of his friends, and said pointing to another one, "He is Success, and I am Love." Then he added, "Now go in and discuss with your husband which one of us you want in your home." The woman went in and told her husband what was said. Her husband was overjoyed. "How nice!" he said. "Since that is the case, let us invite Wealth. Let him come and fill our home with wealth!" His wife disagreed. "My dear, why don't we invite Success?" Their daughter-in-law was listening from the other corner of the house. She jumped in with her own suggestion: "Would it not be better to invite Love? Our home will then be filled with love!" "Let us heed our daughter-in-law's advice," said the husband to his wife. "Go out and invite Love to be our guest." The woman went out and asked the 3 old men, "Which one of you is Love? Please come in and be our guest." Love got up and started walking toward the house. The other 2 also got up and followed him. Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success: "I only invited Love, Why are you coming in?" The old men replied together: "If you had invited Wealth or Success, the other two of us would've stayed out, but since you invited Love, wherever He goes, we go with him. Wherever there is Love, there is also Wealth and Success!" Let us invite love in our life. Let our hearts be full of love not just on Valentines Day but all throughout the year. Let us make love the foundation of all our relationships – our relationship with God and our relationship with each other. Let us love God above all, walk in God’s ways as we follow God’s commandments! All this is summed up in the key verse for us this week in our Taking Faith Home material, a translation from CEV. “Choose Life! Be completely faithful to the Lord your God, love him and do whatever he tells you.” |
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“For God’s Sake, Shine!”
Matthew 5:13-20 Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path, O God What are we here for? What is the purpose of our life? One of the things that I learned about salt - aside from its ability to spice food and to act as preservative to meat and fish - is its capacity to melt ice and snow. Living in the tropics, we do not experience cold and freezing weather like what we have right now. We do not even have a word for snow. In our vernacular Bible, the word for snow is “nieve” which is Spanish and not Visayan. Jesus speaks of salt in its capacity to add a distinct taste. “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.” If Jesus experienced our snow storms maybe he will also speak about salt as an agent that help dissolves snow. How does salt dissolves the snow? This is how it is explain. “Ice forms when the temperature of water reaches 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees Celsius). When you add salt, that temperature drops: A 10-percent salt solution freezes at 20 F (-6 C). On a roadway, this means that if you sprinkle salt on the ice, you can melt it. The salt dissolves into the liquid water in the ice and lowers its freezing point.” The word freeze implies “no movement.” It is use by police officers when they apprehend a suspected criminal. With their guns drawn, they will say “freeze” in other words “don’t move.” Freeze – no movement also describes what happened to traffic during winter storm. The train and the bus and other vehicles stop moving. Using salt as a metaphor during winter, gives us a picture of movement and activity. Snow sprinkled with salt means life goes on. Light on the other hand is a metaphor widely used in the Bible. “You are the light of the world…. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.” This is our life’s purpose to provide light to a dark world. We seldom experience brown or black outs here in the U.S. You had a major one a year or two after 9/11, I was in the Philippines then. I remember seeing on TV large number of people crossing a bridge. But in the Philippines power interruption is a common experience. Sometimes it happens between 6 to 8 in the evening when people are eating dinner, so when the light are off – everything stops. But when power is restored, when the light shines again – you can hear shouts of joy and jubilation – it means life returns to normal. People can go on living because there is light. You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world, Jesus tells us. To me it means we are to provide not only taste and brilliance but expanding the metaphors we are called to make life possible - in a tasteless, in a freezing, in a dangerous and dark world. We are called to bring salt, light and life. What does it mean to bring salt, light and life to the world? This week I read again the story shared by one of my favorite authors, Tony Campolo. He wrote: Many years back I was out in Honolulu for a speaking engagement. Given that I am from the east coast I tend to rise a bit before dawn when in Honolulu. With this background you should understand why at 3:30 in the morning I was wandering up and down the streets of Honolulu looking for a place to get something to eat. The man waited a moment and then almost sneered as he answered, “No you don’t. There’s no church like that. If there was, I’d join it. I’d join a church like that!” We do not know what, when or where God will open opportunity in our lives to throw a party of this kind, a situation where we can make a difference, a lasting impact in a life of a person. If ever it comes do it – let your light shine. Let it shine in whatever way you can. According to the book Life of Francis d'Assisi, Francis once invited a young monk to join him on a trip to town to preach. Honored to be given the invitation, the monk readily accepted. All day long he and Francis walked through the streets, byways, and alleys, and even into the suburbs. They rubbed shoulders with hundreds of people. At day's end, the two headed back home. Not even once had Francis addressed a crowd, nor had he talked to anyone about the gospel. Greatly disappointed, his young companion said, "I thought we were going into town to preach." Francis responded, "My son, we have preached. We were preaching while we were walking. We were seen by many and our behavior was closely watched. It is of no use to walk anywhere to preach unless we preach everywhere as we walk! (Daily Bread, December 15, 1991.) Today, God reminds us…let your light shine! 5th Sunday After the Epiphany ------------------------------ |
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“God’s Point of View” Let your Spirit open our hearts and minds, O God
Miserable are the partygoers, Miserable are the forceful, Miserable are those with no hunger or thirst for God, Miserable are the merciless, Miserable are the impure, Miserable are the troublemakers, Miserable are those who have gained prominence through immorality, Miserable are you when people praise you Start the grieving process and prepare yourself for disaster, Matthew structured his gospel like that of the Exodus story. Biblical scholars observed that Matthew’s sequence of events resembles the Old Testament account. “Both narratives tell stories of the slaughter of infants, the return of the hero, the passing through water, and a temptation in the wilderness, followed by the law giving on the mountain. When Jesus went up into the mountain, it was an allusion to Mount Sinai and “Jesus would then be the new Moses, and his preaching of the Sermon is analogues to the giving of the Torah.” However, one important dimension in reading the beatitudes is to remember that it is not prescriptive but descriptive in nature. “Jesus is not asking that the crowd to become poor in the spirit or mourners or persecuted for righteousness sake’; instead, he offers consolation to those who find themselves poor and in mourning and persecuted.” You do not have to seek persecution, so that you will be blessed. The beatitudes speak powerfully to the early church as they face the difficulties in their witness, in their desire to live out their faith and hope in God’s Kingdom. In fact, the beatitude was and is a commentary of the existing order of the past and of the present. Jesus is saying that in God’s kingdom – it is upside down. Yesterday, I saw a TV program in Filipino Channel featuring some unique spots in the Philippines. One town was featured because of a big building that looks like a chicken. It is a landmark in a town called Manukan in Zamboanga. (Manuk is our word for chicken). But what catch my attention was a restaurant built upside down. If you look at the structure outside, you will have the impression that the roof is on the ground. When you go inside, you will find the tables and chair decorated on the ceiling, they even have a piano hanging. Yes, it is upside down…and this is the image that Jesus wants us to see in the beatitudes. The blessed ones are not the rulers, not the emperor nor his collaborators in the occupied territory. In God’s kingdom, in God’s point of view, the blessed ones are the poor and the oppress, those who suffer for righteousness sake, those who have no one to call but God – they are the blessed one. Epiphany is also described as a season of surprises. This is just one of the surprises that we have to deal with when we encounter Jesus, when we are confronted by God’s kingdom. Our epistle reading carries this upside down perspective when Paul describes what we proclaim. Listen to his words: “Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom and God’s weakness is stronger that human strength.” The Beatitudes present to us an upside down perspective. It tells us about a promise and a possibility. If we walk in the ways of God’s Kingdom – we are not only blessed but we are also living the possibility of the transformation that awaits all of us. At age 16 Andor Foldes was already a skilled pianist, but he was experiencing a troubled year. In the midst of the young Hungarian's personal struggles, one of the most renowned pianists of the day came to Budapest. Emil von Sauer was famous not only for his abilities; he was also the last surviving pupil of the great Franz Liszt. Von Sauer requested that Foldes play for him. Foldes obliged with some of the most difficult works of Bach, Beethoven, and Schumann. When he finished, von Sauer walked over to him and kissed him on the forehead. "My son," he said, "when I was your age I became a student of Liszt. He kissed me on the forehead after my first lesson, saying, 'Take good care of this kiss--it comes from Beethoven, who gave it to me after hearing me play.' I have waited for years to pass on this sacred heritage, but now I feel you deserve it." (Source Unknown.) The beatitude is a sacred heritage. It is like a kiss passed on to us from Jesus to generations of Christians who live out the faith – which at times ridiculed as weak and foolish. Mahatma Gandhi, though not a Christian find power and strength in the beatitudes, so with Martin Luther King. The power of the beatitude comes not when we decorate these words on this wall but when we experience it ourselves. When we embrace the God’s blessing and the possibility that it offers. ‘You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. ‘You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost ‘You’re blessed ‘You’re blessed when you get your inside world — ‘You’re blessed ‘Not only that — count yourselves blessed And all heaven applauds.
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“Follow the Light” |
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“Our Choice of Words and Symbols” “The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, The aftermath of that shooting in Arizona last week brings into focus the use of words and symbols whether in political discourse or in our civil conversations. We hear calls to “tone down the rhetoric.” In effect, it is a call to use words and symbols appropriately and responsively. May God give you of the dew of heaven The power of words is illustrated even in medical experiments. Have you heard of the placebo effect? Patients react positively to treatments when procedures were performed or they took medications prescribed by doctors who told them they were part of their treatment. It may not last long, but the power of the doctor’s word affect how the patient’s body react. Yes, words have power and people of faith know this power long before the world has exploited it. Paul in our Epistle reading today cited speech as one areas in the life of faith where God works in us. He said, “I give thanks to my God always for you, because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind…” All of these thoughts about words and symbols are also triggered by the phrase describing who Jesus is in our gospel reading. Today, John reminds us that Jesus is “the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” The importance of symbols is illustrated in the way companies project their image to the world. Powerful logos remind people of what they represent. When a letter M is written in a certain way, we know that it represents McDonalds. There is a certain angle in the picture of the eagle when we know that it represents the United States of America. We too have symbols. The cross during the Roman Empire was a symbol of death and punishment but became for us Christians, a symbol of life and salvation. The descending dove may be an ordinary image to many but to us it conveys the presence of the Holy Spirit. But why use the Lamb of God for Jesus? Why not a roaring lion or a fearless and a fiery dragon? Or some other symbols that represents power and strength. The lamb in the Jewish tradition is used as the primary animal for burnt offerings. People were told to offer unblemished lamb, the best from their flock as offering to the God. Looking back at the life, the ministry, the death and resurrection of Jesus – believers concluded that Jesus is the sacrificial lamb, like the lamb they used to offer in the temple whose blood represent the cleansing of their sin. In fact Christians remember what Isaiah (53:7) wrote and claim it to describe the life of Jesus. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
But this is not the Jesus we encounter in the Bible. John invites us to see him as ‘the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Jesus operates in a different level and we know that as the choir reminds us with that phrase in their anthem, “my peace I leave with you, my peace I give with you, not as the world giveth…” With what is going on in the world today, we should remind ourselves of the words and symbols that represents us. We should not take for granted its power to build or to break. We should be conscious that while “we are in the world, we are not of the world.” We are to be careful and responsible with our words. Benjamin Franklin said: “Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but…?to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment." We should listen carefully, with what others are saying. Stephen Covey author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, calls for emphatic listening. “In emphatic listening” he said, “you listen with ears, but also, and more importantly with your eyes and heart. You listen for feeling, for meaning. You listen for behavior. You use your right brain as well as your left. You sense, you intuit, you feel.” Above all, let us remember that we seek and listen for God’s word in our lives. We shape our hearts and minds not according to public opinion but according to the standards of Jesus, the Lamb of God. As the scripture reminds us: “Let us set our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.” Jesus, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”
2nd Sunday After the Epiphany -----------------?---------------------- |
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“Peace: The Fruit of Repentance”
Isaiah 11:1-10, Matthew 3:1-12 Draw us closer to you O God, as you draw closer to us. One of the most awaited events this past week was the release of the secret diplomatic cables of the U.S. State Department by WikiLeaks. This organization was also responsible in making public the War Diary involving military reports on events in Iraq and Afghanistan. People are divided on what to do with the guy who did it. Some wanted to prosecute him for treason, others lauded him for exposing the truth about what is going on behind closed doors. One Prof. Tom Flanagan in a TV interview calls for the assassination of the Wikileaks Director, Julian Assange. On the other hand, Ron Paul, a Congressman from Texas was quoted saying: “In a free society we are supposed to know the truth," Paul said. "In a society where truth becomes treason, then we are in big trouble.” This situation opens the debate about what constitute free speech and on the role of government in terms of controlling information. Many are still doing assessment on the impact and the damage of this expose’. But what bothered many people aside from the information they now know is the implication in terms of relationships between nations. Will it trigger war? Will it destroy the trust among leaders and peoples? On this 2nd Sunday of Advent when we light the candle of Peace we remind ourselves that peace is God’s desire for our lives and for the whole world. The coming of Jesus is a signal and a sign that God’s gift of peace has began. In fact, one of the descriptions of Jesus is that He is the Prince of Peace.
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“Keep Awake”
Isaiah 2:1-5, Matthew 24:36-44 “Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.” As we winded up our Thanksgiving celebration last Thursday evening, we found ourselves debating on what time we will wake up to catch the Black Friday sale on the mall. Looking at the flyers at hand, we figured out that the deals on electronics and other items were good enough. But we also knew that one had to watch and keep awake for many of the items on sale were limited in supply. Eventually, we decided to stay home. But the news mentioned people who really stood on line and keep awake and waited for the doors to open. At least on their part they knew the time when the sale begins. Advent is a time of waiting and watching. It is a season of anticipation and preparation, just like anybody would do if one would like to catch a sale after thanksgiving. Our book of worship reminds us that “the focus of the season includes not only preparation for the anniversary of Christ’s birth but also the anticipation of Christ’s return at the close of history.” (UCC-USA Book of Worship). The difference between waiting for the sale to begin and waiting for Christ’s return is clear. Jesus recalled what happened during the time of Noah. People were doing the daily routine of eating and drinking and marrying until the waters came rushing. He also pushed the imagination of his listeners. He told them about an owner of the house and a thief. If the owners knew the time when the thief comes, he will stay awake and prevent him from breaking his house. Jesus then said: “Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.” Advent is waiting, waiting for the Lord. Our gospel reading reminds us of the need not only to be watchful but also to live in anticipation and expectancy. Advent is waiting in the spirit of eager hopefulness. Today, we light our first candle of advent, the candle of hope. Advent is celebrating the hope that we have in God. The coming of Christ is our ultimate hope – the hope of the new beginning, the hope of transformation, the hope of the final culmination of salvation for us and for the rest of creation, the hope of the coming of God’s Kingdom and as we pray with Jesus the hope when “God’s will be done in heaven and on earth.” Advent is looking forward to God’s reset. We live in a world full of electronic gadgets. From computer, to cell phones, to GPS, to internet-connected devices. But often times these gadgets fail. At one point our digital phone stop working for several days. We all know that feeling of frustration and helplessness when we face a machine whose use we rely but whose inner working we don’t understand. When it stops working, we have no other recourse but to ask the technicians. When I called their attention the first thing they wanted me to do was to reset everything. This is also true with computers and other devices. Make a new start. I like to think of advent as waiting for God’s reset. Advent is our longing and our hope that whatever situation we face right now is not final. God will reset everything and we are called to watch and to wait in hope. The prophet Isaiah gives us a picture of our hope. He envisioned that day, when people recognize and worship the Lord, the day when people desire and seek God, the day when the people themselves will say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord… that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” Isaiah reminds us that when God will do the reset nations “shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more…” What a wonderful world it would be when all of us live in peace and understanding, when we don’t have to live suspecting each other, when everybody in Isaiah’s language, “will walk in the light of the Lord.” In Advent God is urging us not to stop dreaming and working and hoping for that ultimate reset. God calls us to keep awake, to ignite the fire of hope deep inside us. What do we hope for in life? How do we live our lives while waiting for the things that we hope for? Maybe we can make a list of our hope - Hoping for retirement, hoping for a project to be completed, hoping to go home, hoping for the children to finish school, hoping to move into a new house, hoping to start a business… when we have hope despair is out of the picture we keep ourselves in tune with the things that we hope for. Jesus is saying to us today, hope for greater and larger things, hope for God’s coming. Hope for the transformation of the world. So while waiting, anticipate with great excitement, do not sleep, keep watch or you will miss what you hope for. Last November 19, WGN a TV station in Chicago wanted to feature in their morning show an implosion of a bridge. Actually, a new bridge was constructed and demolition crews put explosives to the old bridge beside the new one. So the TV Station set up a camera with the purpose of showing to the public in real time when the crew will detonate and destroy the old bridge. So they waited and waited and waited for the moment. In the middle of this waiting one of the anchors call on briefly for the weather forecast. It was on that moment, in a split of a second, when explosives were detonated and they miss the whole event. They said: “It’s the ultimate frustrating moment, you wait and wait and wait for something to happen and then, when it does, you miss it.” How terrible it would be if this would be the metaphor of our waiting for God. We hope and wait for so long but on the last moment we miss the Lord. We miss what God is doing in our midst. We miss God’s reset. The warning still holds true, “keep awake” open your eyes to what God is doing because God will “make all things beautiful, not in our time, but in God’s time.” 1st Sunday of Advent November 28, 2010 ------------------------ |
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“Who Needs A King”
Luke 23:33-43 Last Tuesday, a breaking news circulated in the media outlets announcing the engagement of Prince William to Ms. Catherine Middleton, a commoner. The Prince is second in the line of succession after his father Charles, the Prince of Wales. William could one day become the King of England. Although in our age, only a few countries are ruled absolutely by monarchs, news about royalty never cease to capture the attention of many people. ABC World News reported that “within 25 minutes of the announcement's post on the royal Facebook page, more than 1,400 people "liked" the news.” There is something in the lives of Kings and Queens and Princess that attract our imagination. Many of the enduring children and fairy tales use royalty as the context of the story. Usually it begins with a line… Once upon a time in a kingdom far away, there live a king or a queen, a prince or a princess. Stories like “Beauty and the Beast,” “Cinderella,” “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” among others involve a royalty, a prince in their plots. The world of absolute monarchs ruling the land was the norm for many, many years. Nations were ruled by Pharaohs, Kings, Queens, Emperors, Shoguns, Sultans, Datus and many other names all pointing to a power concentrated in the hands of a ruler. Our experience of electing and changing leaders directly within a period of time is a recent development in the history of nations. For centuries, people rely on the word and the authority of their Kings whose power and title was passed on for generations within the family. As long as the King is good, benevolent and righteous people have no problem. But when the king becomes oppressive and unjust then the people suffer. And there is no recourse but to flee from the land because Kings have absolute power over their subjects. As the writer of the book of Proverbs (20:2) rightly observe, “The terror of a king is like the growling of a lion; whoever provokes him to anger forfeits his life.” It is interesting to note how the monarchy was established during the Old Testament period. There were famous Kings in Israel like David and Solomon. But how did it started? A story was recorded in 1 Samuel 8:4-22. One day the elders gathered in a place called Ramah and told the prophet Samuel ““You are old and your sons do not follow in your ways; appoint for us, then, a king to govern us, like other nations.” Samuel was displeased by the request and told God about it. Then the Lord said: “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.” However the Lord said to Samuel, warn them, show them the consequences of having a king. This is the warning starting in v. 11, “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen… plow his ground…reap his harvest… make his implements of war… He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his courtiers. He will take one-tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and his courtiers. He will take your male and female slaves, and the best of your cattle and donkeys, and put them to his work. He will take one-tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. The people heard the warning clearly but they refused to listen. They said, “we are determined to have a king over us, so that we also may be like other nations, and that our king may govern us and go out before us and fight our battles.” Note again their reason, “to be like the other nations.” True indeed had King Saul, David and Solomon but in later years Israel was divided and was ruled by many kings who behaved as what the prophet Samuel had warned. The desire to have a king happened not only during the time of Samuel. In the story of the feeding of several thousands with just 5 loaves of bread and two fish in John chapter 6, we read this note immediately after the story: “When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.” When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself. (6:14-15) So what shall we make of today’s celebration declaring Jesus as King? Christ the King or The Reign of Christ Sunday is not an old feast. It was conceived and added in the liturgical calendar in 1925 in the face of the growing nationalism and secularism that happened between WWI and WWII. It was meant as a declaration that Jesus is supreme over all the temporal rulers of the world. So when there is conflict of loyalty and obedience between the state or any other institutions and our faith in Christ – as believers we have no qualms in saying, we would rather obey Christ than the rulers of this world. It does not mean we have to be disrespectful to the ruling authorities but we know where our ultimate loyalty and obedience rest. In 1933, when Hitler seized power in Germany, he wanted to “aryanize” the church. He wanted Jewish Christians to be expelled. Many Christians embraced Hitler as a “German Prophet” and glorified the “Fuhrer Principle” and considered this radical consciousness as a “source of revelation alongside the Bible.” But a number of Christians stood up and wrote a document named The Barmen Declaration. It was a call to resistance against the claim of the Nazi state. They call themselves as The Confessing Church. One member, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, was teaching here in New York Theological Seminary when the war broke out. He went back to Germany and was executed by Hitler 9 days before the war ended. But what is central in Barmen Declaration is the proclamation that “Jesus Christ, as he is attested to us in Holy Scripture, is the one Word of God whom we have to hear, and whom we have to trust and obey in life and in death.” It is quite strange that as we end the church calendar and anticipate the coming of the new season we have this reading about Jesus crucifixion. But it reminds us that Jesus way and Jesus kingship is a direct opposite to ways and the kingship of the world. The world’s answer to Jesus challenge to live differently was to crucify him. On the other hand, Jesus response was to forgive. Jesus is King but unlike other kings, he leads us to sow peace and not to wage war, to extend the boundaries of love, to be generous in our graciousness, to minister to the least of our sisters and brothers, and to put God at the center of everything. Today, we pledge allegiance not to any other kings but to Christ alone for this crucified Jesus conquered the world and even death itself. Today we celebrate his reign. We honor him in our worship. We hold Christ in our hearts as we live like him day after day.
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“No Big Deal”
Luke 21:5-19 "When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately." Reading texts like this from the Bible and following current events on TV featuring wars and natural or man-made calamities provoke fear and restlessness in our hearts. Many believers ask the question - are we now entering the end times? What’s the point of working out day after day if after all this world of ours will come to an end soon, in fact very soon? Many of you love to listen to Family Radio because of soothing music and devotional content. But Family Radio President and Founder, Harold Camping, an engineer by profession and a former businessman, predicted on his radio program that our world will come to an end on May 21, 2011. That will be 188 days more. Observers said that this is not the first time that Camping made such prediction. Years before he said that the end will come on Sept 6, 1994. Many of his followers dressed on their Sunday’s best gathered with Bibles opened facing heavens in Alameda’s Veterans Memorial Building. The world did not end and Camping said he made a mathematical error in his calculation. Harold Camping is not the first on matters about predicting the end of the world. This subject matter is the favorite among cults and extremists. In the United Church of Christ, we seldom talk about this theme. We do not make a big deal about the end of the world. But from time to time, it comes up in our conversation. So what should be our attitude towards this theme? The early church wrestled with this issue as well. Paul had to deal with believers in Thessalonica who deeply believed that Christ would return soon and the end history is near. So they reasoned to themselves, what’s the point of working? They became idle. This is the background when Paul wrote: “Now we command you, beloved, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from believers who are living in idleness and not according to the tradition that they received from us.” So what will be our attitude when people predict the end of the world or Christ’s coming or about judgment day? For us, we go on living and working faithfully whatever and wherever God calls us. If you are a teacher, go on teaching. Prepare your lesson plan as if tomorrow you will go to your class again. If you do business, do it diligently, pay your bills and your debts, as if tomorrow you will open your doors again. If you are a professional sharpen your working tools, do not hang them. Get ready with your toolbox for tomorrows work. As Paul said, “do not be idle.” Do not stop working. During his 1960 presidential campaign, John F. Kennedy often closed his speeches with the story of Colonel Davenport, the Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives. On May 19, 1780 the sky of Hartford darkened tremendously, and some of the representatives, glancing out the windows, feared that the end was at hand. Quelling a clamor for immediate adjournment, Davenport rose and said, "The Day of Judgment is either approaching or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause for adjournment. If it is, I choose to be found doing my duty. Therefore, I wish that candles be brought." Rather than fearing what is to come, we are to be faithful till Christ returns. Instead of fearing the dark, we are to be lights as we watch and wait. (Harry Heintz). What Christ reminds us is that following him is not a guarantee that we will not undergo tribulations. What he promised however is that if we endure to the end “we will gain our soul.” Three weeks ago, worshippers in Our Lady of Salvation Church in Baghdad, Iraq were stormed by gunmen. 58 people were massacred including 2 priests. New York Times described it as “the worst massacre of Christians in Iraq since the war began in 2003.” One survivor Rudy Khalid, 16 years old said, “we’ve lost part of our soul now… our destiny, no one knows what to say of it.” We in America live comfortably and with relative ease. We are protected and enjoyed freedom of religion. We do not wish persecution. But I also pray and hope that we do not persecute those who differ with us. I pray that we also allow and give the same space to people of other faiths to enjoy the same freedom that we have. The worst that could happen to us here in America is claiming Jesus as our Lord and Savior yet in return we follow the way of those who hate us as Christians and show them as well that we are capable of returning evil for evil. Perhaps for us today, the endurance required of us has to do not with our capacity to absorb pain but in our ability to express acts of love and compassion when the world around us demands hatred and retribution. Then Jesus words resonates “by your endurance you will gain your soul.” Can we endure living and believing that loving the enemy is a better choice than “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” Can we endure living and believing that honesty and hard work is superior over quick and easy money through deceit and greed. Can we endure living and believing that everybody is created equal regardless of race, creed or sex and accept them as they are without condition or reservation. Can we endure living and believing that caring for the poor and defending the oppressed and those who have less in life is God’s option and therefore our mandate as well. Can we endure living and believing that as a church we are called “to be in the world but not of the world” rooted in the daily and worldly issues and concerns but respond and act not according to the ways of the world. If we can then we will gain our soul. Listening to our Scripture lessons today reminds us that the future is in God’s hands. But let’s not make a big deal about the future by forsaking the challenges of the present. Faithfulness requires facing what is set before us today. It may not be persecution for us here in America, unlike our brothers and sisters in Iraq and other parts of the world. It may be for us being true to our convictions. To stand up against anybody who proclaims that their imaginary temple, temples made of humans hands is indestructible: whether temples of ideology, culture or religion. Everything will come to an end. Only God prevails. For the sake of our souls, let us endure and stand up for the God, whom we know and encounter through Jesus.
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TO RISE WITH WINGS LIKE EAGLES
Isa. 40: 27-31
For some time now, we have been the recipients of your love and prayers. We’ve considered this church as our own. We have found love, hope and inspiration from all you and for this privilege of standing before you today, I am deeply honored, humbled and grateful. Our family had been through a rough summer. We walked through our valleys and mountaintop experiences. Without your prayers and love, we could not have made it. And by God’s grace, we are now in this sanctuary, giving God all the glory and praise. Prayer: O God, speak to us what you would have us hear and may we respond according to your will and not our own, In Christ’s name, we pray. Amen. There was this fiery, impassioned evangelical preacher in a church that got his congregation so excited that often resulted in a back to back response and meet up with one another. One Sunday morning, the preacher spoke about where he thought the church was headed and he said, “God wants us to move the church more than we sometimes want to move it. Our church has been crawling too long. God does not want us to crawl. God wants us to walk!” A voice chimed in from the back,“Amen, preacher, let it walk! Let it walk!” The preacher was now pumped up a little bit. He said, “Not only that! I think God wants us to be stronger. He wants us to march!” “Amen, preacher! Let us march. Let us march!” came the voice. “And if we can march, we can run! He wants us to run!” “Amen! Amen! Run, preacher, run. Let us run!” Everyone is now excited. Some stood up with arms raised. The he hit his fist on the lectern and said, “If you just give your money, we won’t only run, we can fly!” And they went dead silent. And the voice from the back said, “Let it crawl, preacher. Let it crawl!” Sometimes we feel like crawling from one day to the next day, from one moment to the next moment, from one experience to the next. Some of you are probably there, and if you’re not, you know somebody or love somebody who is. When Isaiah wrote this passage of scripture, he was referring to the Israelites who were held captives by the Babylonians. They have been taken away from their homeland, uprooted from their dreams, removed from the joys of their lives. They were just crawling from one day to the next. When life throws what seems to be overwhelming issues our way; when we are burdened with pain and problems; by God’s grace, we can survive, and live again. There is something about the human spirit when touched by God’s grace that lets it rise like the phoenix from the ashes even when everyone says there is no rising that can be done. Grace means that ours is a God of fresh starts and second chances and hope where there is no hope. Sometimes we experience this in small seemingly insignificant ways. Some problems come to us and we say, “this is the worst that can happen to us. And there is no way out”. But by God’s grace and God’s power, whatever life throws at us, even if we think they are insurmountable, we can rise up with wings like eagles. There is a movie being filmed in Hawaii right now, called “Soul Surfer”, based on a true story of Bethany Hamilton. She was born and raised in Hawaii and at 3 yrs old started to surf. She’s got more talent than anyone her age. At 13, as she was preparing for the National Amateur Surfing Championships her left arm was bitten off by a shark from the shoulder. They could not reattach it because the arm was gone. Weakened from loss of blood, she paddled back to shore with one arm while. One month later, after a miraculous recovery she took to the sea again. Her family knew. Everyone knew she could never compete again - because you need two arms to keep your balance. But she did not know that. So she surfed and fell again. Surfed and fell again. Two years later at 15 with one arm, she entered the amateur championships and she won. Three years later at 18, she turned pro, entered her first world championships, attended by the best surfers in Planet Earth, and won third place. When asked what could be the reason why her life was spared, she answered, “ God must have a bigger plan for me. God is using me by sharing my story to inspire others to know the Lord.” She has since become an inspirational and motivational speaker throughout the world, sharing her faith in God. In her book “ Devotions of a Soul Surfer” she had words like determination, confidence, courage, heart, dedication, devotion, hard work, grit, guts – that’s what little girls are made of. The heck with sugar and spice. She was knocked down and decided she won’t stay down. Life is going to knock us down. If you have not felt that yet, live long enough and you will. Life will knock us down. There will be illness, sadness, sickness, death or divorce, the loss of a loved one or loss of a job, loss of a relationship. Or whatever the issue is. But there is a choice to make. It is not IF the storms come, it is not IF we get knocked down. It is a choice whether we stay down or stand up; give in or get up. “God gives power to the faint and to those who have no might, he increases their strength.” That is the message for us. Not just for the Hebrews but for us, for whatever we have to face in life, there is somebody there with us who is bigger than the world. There comes a time, whatever we suffer, to make a choice. Either we surrender to the pains of our yesterdays or to embrace the promises of tomorrow. You are the only one who can make that choice. There comes a time to say “Enough of this grief and pain, this guilt and fear, this feeling of betrayal and wounded- ness of it all. Enough of cloudy days and tearful nights. Enough brokenness, enough despair. Decide to get up, dust off and move on. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. Before I close, I would like to share a story with you. A story so close to home. No, this is not my story. Most of you already know my story. I have this friend, a very dear friend. I am very blessed to have this person as a friend, a prolific writer, a respected leader, a loving husband, an attentive father and a doting grandfather, soft spoken and sincere, a man of faith and courage. A few years ago, as a family they traveled for a long awaited family reunion. Because of pressing responsibilities at home, he and his wife had to return to the States ahead. Their son was to follow later. At the airport, as the son prepared to take his flight back to the US, he suddenly went into acute respiratory distress and paralyzing weakness. He struggled with every breath, brought to the hospital where he was diagnosed with Guillen Barre syndrome, a potentially fatal disease. Treatment was promptly initiated. If care was delayed serious consequences could have happened. But he was treated in time. And by God’s grace and power, he survived the ordeal and eventually joined his family. Months later, as this family was putting the broken pieces of their life together, life throws another punch. He developed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma – a cancerous condition affecting the lymphatic system, just as his mother had to go through surgery for a malignant tumor. One evening as his father was coming from church, he developed chest pains. He drove straight to the emergency room, found to have an impending heart attack. This was followed by a coronary bypass. One bad thing happening after another. They went through the worst of times. Did they ever feel abandoned and alone and afraid? Did they feel forsaken? Of course, they felt alone and afraid and forsaken. That is natural! Like Jesus on the cross, he cried, “O Lord my God, why has thou forsaken us?” Yet, they walked in faith, never losing hope and ever clinging to God’s promise. For God said, “Fear not for I will overcome the world.” My friend said, “Even in the worst of times, I knew that God was with us, holding us, helping us, creating for us a future to live for.” Dear brothers and sisters, That’s the gospel of hope! That connects us to the gospel of grace. Some things Jesus said when he heals somebody: to the paralytic waiting for the opportune time to drop to the pool, he said, “it is time for you to walk and take up your bed and profess the love of God”, to the blind man - to open your eyes and “see the wondrous works of God”, to the hemorrhaging woman – “your faith had made you whole”, to the woman’s dead son - to rise from the dead and behold God’s power and grace, to the woman about to be stoned, to “go and sin no more”. We will no longer remain captives of the pains of yesterday. Instead, let us embrace the promises of tomorrow. ‘He gives power to the faint and strengthens the powerless. But those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall rise with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint.’ Prayer: Dear God, you know what we’ve been through; or what some of us are going through; or what we feel we might have to go through. You know those things. Help us to know that you are bigger than anything the world throws our way; that you love each one of us, that you call our name when darkness surrounds us, that you wait for us, that you take our hand and you hold us. Help us and create for us a future to live for. Remind us O God, when life is tough that by thy grace, we will survive and live again. Amen. Delivered at: FilAm UCC ------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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“Measured Differently”
Mark 9:30-37
He asked them, "What were you arguing about on the way?"
But they were silent, for on the way
they had argued with one another who was the greatest.
Give us the wisdom to understand your word
and give us the will to follow your command. Amen.
Who among us is great? What does it take to be considered great?
There are persons in history that people considered as great. We know of the general Alexander the Great… we also read in the Bible a person who called himself Herod the Great. In Russia, they had royalties named Peter the Great and Catherine the Great. I remember someone who said, “I am the greatest…” the boxer Mohammad Ali claimed at one point of his professional boxing career. He was quoted saying, “It’s hard to be humble when you are the greatest as I am…”
The world understood greatness clearly – it means being on the top of the list, being the first, being powerful above others. Greatness means prestige and privilege in society and among peers. The world puts high premium on being great whether in one’s career or one’s skill. Although I do not play tennis but I was fascinated by the championship game between Del Potro and Federer. Federer is one of the greatest players in the sports and was expected to win. No wonder when Del Potro won the U.S. Open Tennis Championship he was emotional for at that moment he was the greatest!
Jesus also talks about greatness in our gospel lesson today. Let us put into perspective his teaching as we reflect about its implications in our day to day living. The teaching moment came about when the disciples argued among themselves – who is the greatest? Actually, there were on a journey through Galilee to Capernaum. Jesus was explaining what will happen to him in Jerusalem. He was predicting his death and his resurrection. Mark noted that they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.
That was too much for the disciples. Last Sunday, we had the confession of Peter declaring Jesus as the Messiah, the Christ. As far as they understood the coming of the Christ means the punishment of the oppressors. It means victory against the enemy. Now it sounds confusing because Jesus was talking about suffering under the hands of the enemy. They could have asked for clarification but they remained silent. Perhaps they were afraid that if it was true then their dreams of sharing power in the coming dispensation would not be realized.
Perhaps the silence was their refusal to accept what Jesus was talking about and the evidence of what we call selective listening, meaning listening only to what we want to hear – was their argument as to who among them was the greatest! After all, if Jesus is Christ and Christ rules supreme, there would be assistants and from among the assistants there will be hierarchy and this is what they want to settle before the real thing happens. So when Jesus asked, “what were you discussing?” I like the other translation that says, “there was a deafening silence…”
Now the teaching moment, He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all." Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, "Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me."
A lesson about servant hood and about humility!
The desire to be great is human but what is divine is the way Jesus proposed how greatness is measured. Instead of power, privilege and prestige as its foundation, Jesus turns the conventional wisdom on its head − reversing first and last − emphasizing servant hood as the true measure of greatness. One writer (Barclay) said; It was not that Jesus abolished ambition. Rather he recreated and sublimated ambition. For the ambition to rule he substituted the ambition to serve. For the ambition to have things done for us, he substituted the ambition to do things for others. The truly great person is a diakonos − a deacon − a servant − a person who spends his/her day taking care of other people. We think of successful people as being "on top" and unsuccessful people as being "at the bottom" this is how the world looks at greatness, now he taught his disciples a different measurement, a different standard.
This is quite a challenge for us today. We have seen many people, even Christians as well who measured greatness the way the world does. There are those who will feel offended if they are not addressed properly according to their titles or not acknowledged in their achievements. Of course, we should be courteous, we should extend honor to where it is due but to make a great deal out of these outside trappings is not what Jesus wants his disciples to be. Jesus challenged all of us who follow him to live according to this rule. The church should demonstrate to the world what true greatness means. For Jesus himself said, “even the Son of man came not to be served but to serve.”
In the summer of 1986, two ships collided in the Black Sea off the coast of Russia. Hundreds of passengers died as they jumped into the icy waters below. News of the disaster was further darkened when an investigation revealed the cause of the accident. It wasn't a technology problem like radar malfunction--or even thick fog. The cause was human stubbornness. Each captain was aware of the other ship's presence nearby. Both could have steered clear, but according to news reports, neither captain wanted to give way to the other. Each was too proud to yield first. By the time they came to their senses, it was too late. (Closer Walk, December, 1991.)
Tragedies of this nature happened not only to ships but also in day to day living. It could have been avoided, only if each one thought of the other. But when one think of himself or herself as the greatest and demand that he or she should be treated according to the standards of the world then we are in the collision mode.
The famous conductor, Leonard Bernstein was asked one day, what is the most difficult instrument. He answered the 2nd fiddle. Plenty of people want to play 1st violin but to get someone to play second violin or second flute, etc... that's a problem. Yet, without them, he said – there is no harmony.
Phillip Brooks made an apt comment when he said, "The true way to be humble is not to stoop until you are smaller than yourself, but to stand at your real height against some higher nature that will show you what the real smallness of your greatness is."
(quoted in Burning out for God, E. Skoglund, p. 11. )
What about the child what is its significance in this lesson? The child is also a symbol for anyone who is in need, helpless, or of lowly status. The child symbolizes powerlessness. Unlike our society, children were the least important people in the ancient cultures; children had the status of slaves. People had children to serve them and provide financial security in their elderly years. And they had many children, because the morality rate for children under 16 years of age was 50 percent. Childhood was precarious time in the ancient world.
Today, we love babies; we took pictures of them, we hug and kiss and cradle them. But let us remember that in the olden days children were not the objects of sentimental affection as they can be in our culture: So when Jesus took a child and said, "Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me --welcomes not me -- but the one who sent me." He was really making a statement! To be a child was to be a nobody. But Jesus was saying, welcome the “nobodies” and you welcome me, not only me but you welcome God as well.
The gospel lesson today is short and direct to the point. It challenges each of us to rethink where we are in terms of our goals in life. Greatness, yes but this time with a different twist: not a desire for recognition and preferment but a desire to serve the lowest and the nobodies. Jesus said, “So you want first place? Then take the last place. Be the servant of all.” (The Message)
Let us open our hymnal on page 576 and sing the hymn, “Make Me a Servant” and let the words of this hymn be our prayer
Make me a servant, humble and meek
Lord, let me lift up those who are weak
And may the prayer of my heart always be:
Make me a servant, make me a servant,
Make me a servant today!
16th Sunday After Pentecost September 20, 2009 -------------------------------------------------------------------------
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“What A Test!” Genesis 22:1-14 When God called, Abraham responded “Here I Am, Lord” and when given the instructions on what to do, he did not argue nor question God’s judgment – very early in the morning they started the journey. It was quite a distance because it took them three days. Three days is a long period of time to reflect and to ask and I would say to challenge God. We do not know what went through in Abraham’s mind as he looked at the face of his beloved son knowing that he would be offered soon as what they did to animals. To offer choice lambs would be fine but this time God asked for his only son, Isaac. Child sacrifice was not foreign to surrounding cultures. Worshippers of Molech did such practice, later in history, Jeremiah noted that (32:35) “They built the high places of Baal in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to offer up their sons and daughters to Molech, though I did not command them, nor did it enter my mind that they should do this abomination, causing Judah to sin. There is one disturbing story about child sacrifice in the Bible, the story of Jepthah and his daughter in Judges 11:29-40. Jepthah made a vow to the Lord that if the Amorites will be handed to him, he will offer whoever comes out first in his house. True indeed, the Amorites was defeated and the problem was that it was his daughter who came out first and Jephtah was devastated. At times, people use the Bible indiscriminately as if it is prescribes everything as long as it fits their purpose. It is not enough for us to say that it is in the Bible so it is true and should be followed. The Bible has to be interpreted, the word of God has to be mined in the texts and for us Christians should be subjected to the spirit and the mind of Christ who for us represents God’s fullest revelation. Let me state clear that we do not believe in burnt offerings, in the sacrifice of animals and much more in the sacrifice of children. We do not believe in such kind of God who demands these offerings from us. So what shall we make of the story of Abraham and Isaac? First, we affirm that God has the power and the privilege to test us. There is nothing wrong in being tested. We do this all the time. We test if the product we buy is consistent according to its claim. Teachers give tests to validate whether what they taught was absorbed and learned by their students. God also has the right to test us – to test our loyalty, to test our faith, to test whether we are true to our promise. The Psalmist speaks of God not only as righteous but the one who test the hearts and minds. (Psalms 7:9) There are several instances in the Bible where God tested the people. In Exodus 16:4 we read, Then the LORD said to Moses, "I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not. Writing to the early church in the time of persecution Peter said, (4:12) Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. There are tests that we go through in life and blessed are we if we pass the tests. The open question that we have to ask ourselves has to do whether we have the right to test God as well. There is a verse that is quoted all the time during financial stewardship campaign, Malachi 3:10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and thus put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts; see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing. To test God is to doubt God’s power and to challenge God’s authority over our lives. I believe that the giving of offerings should not be based on return of investment concept. Although many testified that those who are generous also receive generously from God. If you test God then it is between you and God. We are called to trust and not to test God. There is also a section in the Bible that is explicit. In fact Jesus quoted it when he was tempted by the devil. Deuteronomy 6:16, Do not put the LORD your God to the test as you tested him at Massah. Between test and trust, I would not dare to test God. I would rather trust God at all times. Second, the good news in the story of Abraham and Isaac is the truth that God saves. God saves just at the right time and on right moment. There are many questions that come to mind but the basic fact remains that God did not really want Abraham to kill his son Isaac. In the story we read, Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill his son. But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven, and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am.”He said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me." If this is a movie then this would be a great thriller. This is the moment of suspense. Then as we are about to shout or close our eyes, the storyline shifts and so with the whole movement. Then Abraham named the mountain, Yahweh-yireh which means God will provide. This is the good news! At the same time the end of the test and Abraham passed it with distinction. This story happens again and again in our lives. How many times have we thought that everything comes to an end when all of a sudden a surprise changes the whole scenario? For those who have no faith, they say, “suerte ka” (good luck) or it’s just the right timing. But for us who believe we say, it’s not “suerte” but God working in our lives. A personal testimony… our eldest son, Dim is a student in Cebu right now. He was complaining about difficulty in breathing and numbness of his hands and feet. Last Friday evening, we chat over the net and he asked permission to go home to Dunaguete. Gangging said; “he was just home sick.” But I have reservations. I remember saying, “have a check up because if something happens on the way you will be on your own and it would be difficult.” But it looks like he was just home sick and got so excited when he was allowed to go home. So he boarded the bus to Dumaguete. But when it was on its way – he again experienced difficulty of breathing and the numbness he felt before. We have a very close friend in Minglanilla, Cebu, Butch and Jo Ann Orillan-Guasa. Dim remembered just at the right moment when the bus was about to enter the town and asked that he will be dropped off at the Caltex Station that Buth and JoAnn owned in Minglanilla. He was about to collapse and Butch and Jo Ann also just arrived from Cebu. In fact Butch, as Jo Ann narrated was still at the steering wheel of their vehicle. It was also timely that they did not travel to Ormoc, Leyte where they also had a business. So they were there just at the right moment to help him. If Butch and Jo Ann were not in Minglanilla at that moment, personnel in the station do not know him and perhaps will not help him. Had he collapsed somewhere beyond Minglanilla then the consequence would be worst. But why do events like this happen – right people on the right place and the right moment. You tell me its suerte, it’s timing – no I would say, it’s God’s gracious and saving hand on work in our lives. God will provide is a testimony for many of us. Even at the darkest hour of our lives, God is there. I have a verse that I keep coming back when I think of tests and trials in life. Paul wrote something very powerful in I Corinthians 10:13, he said, No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it. God is not over yet with us. There would be other tests as well. But with what all of us went through in life, like Abraham looking at it in retrospect, we can say, what a test! It was through those tests that we know God in a more intimate way. For the reality is that while God tests us, God also build us. So don’t be afraid of test rather be prepared when tests shall come. Amen. 7th Sunday after Pentecost June 29, 2008 |
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Sermon Archives June 22, 2008 - "Earthquakes, Cyclones" - by Dr. Angel Alcala June 15, 2008 - "Each to the Assigned Task" June 8,2008 - "Where Does Faith Lead Us" June 1, 2008 - "Follow the Building Code" May 25, 2008 - "Getting Real with Our Worries May 18, 2008 - "Speaking of God" May 11, 2008 - "When the Spirit Comes" May 4, 2008 - "Why Do You Stand Looking Up to Heaven" April 27, 2008 - "Don't Forget the Punch Line" April 20, 2008 - "Comforting or Confronting" April 13, 2008 - "Life Abundant" April 6, 2008 - "The Emmaus Experience" March 30, 2008 - "I Believe; Help My Unbelief!" |
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Daily Devotion Archives Week of June 9-14, 2008 Week of June 2-7, 2008 Week of May 26-31, 2008 Week of May 19-24, 2008 Week of May 12-17, 2008 Week of May 5-10, 2008 Week of April 28-May 3, 2008 Week of April 21-27, 2008 Week of April 14-20, 2008 Week of April 7-13, 2008 Week of March 31-April 6, 2008 |
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