A New Year

It was a rainy New Year. The past few days has been raining including the Christmas Day. So the New Year's Eve was also cloudy and rainy. But it was a great day of celebration as my two sides of the family were together. We were in Tuguegarao City.

We had singing sessions while waiting for the year to turn over. Some of the ladies were busy preparing for our media noche and the kids were having fun playing. It was a picture of a perfect holiday. 

This year, we will travel to different places and visit the United Methodist Churches and locations in that area. 

Join me in our year round travel. 

Waiting for Advent?

This article was shared in a Christian magazine. I wanted to share it with you all here online. The message is inspired by the Gospell of Luke 1:26-38. 

Who among you already had their Christmas party? How many of you opened their gifts already? How many of you have their gifts still wrapped? We are teaching our kids to also wait until Christmas. We already gave Christmas gifts to our kids as early as November, but they are not yet opened until now.  This will be the message for us this early morning.

We are on the third week of Advent. Advent is a season of waiting – hopeful waiting. I hate to break the bad news, but in the Christian calendar, it is not yet Christmas. It is still advent, the season of waiting – a time of anticipation and expectation… expecting for the coming of Jesus and anticipating for that day to celebrate the birth of Jesus on Christmas day, and hopeful waiting for the second coming of our Lord.

Our story this morning is about that anticipation period. The time before Mary gave birth. This is the time when Mary became pregnant and had to wait for that first Christmas.  This was about a little teenager girl. Imagine a girl – in a patriarchal society, she is considered a second class citizen. This is a child – in a society, she is innocent and without experience. She was given a task by God and the task is big – to bear a king.

Let us focus as our story tells us that Mary will be pregnant. She will be expecting. She will be waiting for nine months until the boy whom Israel has been waiting to be their messiah will be born. I remember princess Kate and prince William when she got pregnant with her baby two years ago. It was all over the news, people were excited, not only English people. People were waiting and anticipating, they even camped outside the palace and the hospital during the due month. She will be the mother of a future king. People asked, “is it going to be a boy? lalaki kaya? Healthy ba yung baby paglabas? Guapo ba?” How did the Princess feel? Ano kaya yung iniisip niya? Ano kaya yung pressure sa kanya to be expecting a baby king? But that’s for a princess. How about the commoner? Yung ordinary pregnant women?

What is it like to be expecting a baby and waiting for it to be born? I had a patient who became my friend (Gina) who wanted to get pregnant. They were expecting to get pregnant for years. They waited for the baby to be born. They got pregnant after more than 7 years of waiting. While they were waiting, they were also preparing. While waiting for the baby to be born, there needs to be preparation. As doctors, we help the family, the father, especially the mother to prepare for the coming of the newborn baby.  

Pregnancy is a time of preparation. “Nine months of preparation yan.” You need pre-natal care. We make sure the mother is healthy. Regular check up is needed to make sure no infection that will jeopardize the pregnancy. We need to provide nutritious food and vitamins to the mother. Also given is vaccine to the mother to make sure no  infection happens. Then we need to monitor the baby inside that it is healthy. We do an ultrasound. We check the movement of the baby and the position of the baby. We also tell the family to prepare a baby bag ready to be brought during the due date. We ask the mothers to prepare a duster during that day. We ask the father to prepare diapers, ready some medicines that will be necessary during the birth.

Pero hindi ko pa rin maintindihan hanggang ngayon, kapag may nanganganak at dinala sa ospital yung tatay wala pa ring tsinelas. Kapag hiningi mo yung lampin, yung mga gamit, dextrose, gamut wala daw. Wala din daw dalang pera pambili ng gamut sa botika. Emergency daw kasi kaya nakalimutan. Nine months siyang nagbuntis, they were expecting for this day for nine months pero wala pa rin preparation. Emergency pa rin. Hindi napaghandaan.

The Advent season is a time for us to prepare ourselves as we wait for the coming of our Lord Jesus. Most of us are unprepared for that coming of Jesus. As Christians we are like Mary, we are made pregnant by the Holy Spirit. That is the good news. The Holy Spirit has filled us. Within us, we bear the image of Christ. But many of us are not ready to give birth to the image of Christ.

We fear and doubt that great things will be accomplished. We cannot do it because we are too small, we are too weak. We are just simple people. The Nobel Peace Prize for 2014 winner is the youngest winner. She is a little girl. She is only a teenager, 17 years old. She is Malala Yousafzai. She is a Pakistani. She is advocating for women to be educated. She wrote a blog for this advocacy because the Taliban ban the education of girls in their country. When she became famous because of this advocacy, the Taliban tried to silence her and shoot her in the head. She survived it.

Educating little children and forming them in Christian values is a preparation for these children to become willing instruments of Gods plan. We need to prepare them early and properly to become willing instruments of God. The world will experience the saving grace of Jesus in feeding the hungry, healing the sick, pulling down the wicked, finding the lost, through the body of Christ today.

We join the anticipation of the pregnant Mary. She anticipate the birth of a child who will deliver Israel. Mary was told that his son will be the king who will reign over the house of Jacob forever. We anticipate that day when the hungry will be filled, the rich are sent empty, the sick healed, the humbled lifted. As Christians, we are made pregnant by the Holy Spirit with the image of Christ. We wait with hope, we wait with joy, we wait in solidarity with all who suffer. We wait knowing that it will come. As we wait, we know that God is with us as all of us are pregnant and filled by the Holy Spirit. The challenge for us, are we ready and willing to give birth to Jesus Christ in our life?

The Antidote for an Unhealthy Life

I have been asked to write an article about Christmas. As I was browsing some of my notes, I came across this old article I wrote years ago about healthy living. This thought has been formative on my understanding of the relationship of the body and spirit. Let me share it with you again.

We want to be healthy, especially during the “- ber” months. Fever, cough and colds are common during this season and we don’t want to get sick. That is why whenever we don’t feel well, feel weak, have body pains or other symptoms, we immediately take medicines that will help us feel better. It is good that we have access to capsules and syrups that help us get rid of the harmful elements in our physical bodies that make us sick. But, what about our Christian well-being? How can we get rid of the things that makes us spiritually unhealthy? Every day we encounter temptations in this world that leads us to sin. We commit sinful acts that make us live unhealthy lives. Sin poisons our bodies. Is there an antidote for this poison? Is there a medicine that can help rid our bodies of the poisonous effect of sin?

Gregory of Nyssa, one of the early Christian teachers, described the Holy Eucharist as a medicine. The Holy Eucharist, or what we commonly call the Holy Communion, is a medicine that counters the deadly effect of sin. He said that the Holy Eucharist is an antidote that heals us from the poisonous sin that leads to death.

Every day, in our work, in our school, in our offices we are tempted to commit sin. These temptations make our thoughts, words and deeds acts of disobedience to God – we sin. Sin poisons our Christian well-being. Sin leads us to an unhealthy life. We need an antidote against this poison. The antidote must be something that has power to overcome sin and death. That antidote is, of course, the body and blood of Christ. This becomes the antidote because the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ whose birth we celebrate on Christmas overcame death when he resurrected from the dead after three days. That body and blood of Christ is present in the elements of the Holy Communion. Remember, Jesus said, “Eat this bread for this is my body… drink from this cup for this is my blood…” Thus, partaking in the Holy Communion allows our body to assimilate the “healing effect” of the body and blood of Christ. Through the sacrament of the Holy Communion, we receive the outward sign of the inward grace from God. John Wesley emphasized that the Holy Communion is a means of grace. When we drink from the cup and partake of the bread, we are actually receiving the grace from God and the power that gets rid of the poisons of sin in our bodies. Isn’t that great? We actually have a medicine that keeps our Christian well-being healthy. And wouldn’t our bodies be healthier when we get rid of the poisons of sins frequently? Wouldn’t we be healthier if we receive God’s grace through the Holy Communion more often? After all, Jesus invited us to do it frequently when he told us to drink from the cup of the new covenant, “Do this as often as you drink, in remembrance of me. (1 Corinthians 11:25)”

The Church Role in Empowering Communities

Faith-based organizations (FBOs) can help empower the community to actively participate in improving the health condition of the society. The Comprehensive Rural Health project in Jamkhed, India is an example of how FBOs and churches can influence the health of a community (Chand & Patterson, 2007). Educating the people and influencing their behavior to choose what is healthy and beneficial to the community are strong contributions of churches and FBOs. One such field in public health is the increasing cases of maternal death around the world where the church can positively contribute to its reduction. This has been the contribution of the FBOs in India where the communities where empowered to choose facility-based deliveries with skilled birth attendants to reduce maternal death (Chand & Patterson, 2007).

It is important to measure the contribution of FBOs and any other agencies in empowering the community. Community empowerment can be measured using the five domains of empowerment including confident, inclusive, organized, cooperative, and influential (Community Development Exchange, 2008). We measure empowerment because it is important to assess if there is real community empowerment that happens in the community after health promotion programs. Real community empowerment needs a shift of power to the people where they are the ones who are able to identify the problem, sort through it, and find solutions to the problem (Lord & Hutchinson, 1993). An example of a strong involvement of the people is the community-based participatory research. This type of involvement allows learning, research finding and dissemination of results through the help of all actors in the community (Thompson, Viswanath, Molina, Warnecke, & Prelip, 2016). We see such kind of participatory research in Gbanko. In this area, community participation in health has dramatically reduced their maternal mortality rate (Gala, Umar, & Dandeebo, 2015).  FBOs are also catalyst of real community empowerment which is important in sustaining the change that takes place in the community. Evidences have shown us that deep community involvement is crucial as it provides the necessary resources to keep the program sustainable over time (Nation Online, 2013).

References

Community Development Exchange. (2008, April). What is Community Empowerment? (CDX, Ed.) Retrieved Octobe 18, 2018, from www.cdx.org.uk: https://myportal.upou.edu.ph/pluginfile.php/219578/mod_folder/content/0/what_is_community_empowerment.pdf?forcedownload=1

Lord, J., & Hutchinson, P. (1993, Spring). The Process of Empowerment: Implications for Theory and Practice. (C. J. Health, Ed.) Retrieved October 18, 2018, from Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health: https://myportal.upou.edu.ph/pluginfile.php/219578/mod_folder/content/0/Process%20of%20Empowerment.pdf?forcedownload=1

Mbuagbaw, L., & Shurik, E. (2011, October 26). Community Particiaption in HIV and AIDS Program. (D. E. Barros, Ed.) Retrieved October 18, 2018, from cde.intechopen.com: http://cdn.intechopen.com/pdfs/22456/InTech-Community_participation_in_hiv_aids_programs.pdf

Thompson, B., Viswanath, K., Molina, Y., Warnecke, R., & Prelip, M. (2016, August 1). Strategies to Empower Communities to Reduce Health Disparities. doi:https://dx.doi.org/10.1377%2Fhlthaff.2015.1364

Universal Health Care

This month is crucial in a paradigm shift on the health care system of the Philippines. We dream to have healthy communities free from preventable diseases. We dream of having an accessible and affordable health care readily available for ALL. We dream of a Universal Health Care anchored on a strong Primary Health Care.

The Health Board

I traveled in the morning. I traveled at night. But the whole day was a fruitful day.

The Davao Episcopal Area was able to organize the Health Board that will over see the direction and implementation of the Health Ministry of the Church. Last September, the board elected its set of officers. We were also able to set the direction of the ministry with the identification of the priority health concerns in the area.

Freedom was remembered on the day of the declaration of the Martial Law. The DEA Health Board gave me an insight on the boundaries of freedom that we exercise. Freedom does not allow us to do what we do but rather guides us on the good that we need to do that others may benefit from.

Kadayawan sa Laity Congress

I traveled to Davao to attend the National Laity Congress. We were going to introduce to the national leaders of the different laity organizations the health ministry of the United Methodist Church - the Hulapalooza.

It was also Kadayawan Festival in Davao and so it adds up to the celebration in the area. I miss traveling to places but what I miss the most is the excitement that the destination will be a fun place for fellowship and not just any "work. " Our Christian journey in life should always like that. We must always look forward to the joy we will all have when we reach our destination. We must not only look at the destination as a place where we must arrive but a venue for celebration. 

Abundant Health. Abundant Life

Abundant Health Forum in Manila

A reflection shared during the 1st Pan-Asia Methodist Abundant Health Forum held in Manila. 

John 10:10 … “ I came that you may  have life and have it abundantly.”

I am happy to share the good news because often, I bring bad news to the patient.

I always say that, because that is true. The hospital is the darkest and the loneliest place on earth. It is a place where you can see sorrow, anxiety, distress and hopelessness. People are sick and in pain while suffering from cancer, malnourished children dying of preventable death like dehydration or dengue fever. You have stroke patients or heart attack patients in the ICU. You have surgical patient with neoplastic masses if not vehicular accidents. These are just patients, these does not include the family members who are equally worried and hopeless with the condition of their patients.

The parents may be stressed out where to get the finances necessary to pay the bills and to buy the medicines. You have relatives and friends who have lost sleep and tired because they volunteered to watch over their patients. You have loved ones who are worried about the job of their patients. Even their own jobs and business that they need to attend to that was disrupted by this illness. You have children who do not know what to do if their parents will be gone. Then you have the health workers in the facility who are so tired of their work. They not only feel tired but feel abused and unappreciated. They feel like they are overworked but underpaid. They have lost hope because they no other recourse and this is the only option left they have. All they can see probably is darkness. Just like the blind man who was standing in front of the temple. But Jesus did something unexpected. On a Sabbath Day, Jesus healed the blind man. But it did not only bring sight to the blind, it also opened the opportunity for the blind man to believe in the Son of Man and become a follower of Jesus. The blind man was offered a new lease of life… not just life but a life of abundance that only comes from Jesus. Wouldn’t that be nice? If all those who are sick, lonely, hopeless, imprisoned, living in the dark will find a life of abundance in Jesus?

I often see families referred to my service for family counseling. How can I help the parents? I see cases where the father and mother are resigned to the fact that their family is a hopeless case. Some  parents have even contemplated to end their lives because their family was going nowhere and they are dragging their kids with them. They have lost all desires to live because all they have encountered are problems, challenges and all the limitations life can throw at them. They have not seen any signs of abundant grace from God. They need a miracle. Are we expecting that the cloud will open in front of them and a bright white light will come down?

The hospital should be a place of hope because hopeless people go to that place. They need hope. Any place of healing and restoration should be a place of hope and life. Jesus is our hope. Jesus can give us life. And Christians should be able to reflect the hope and the life that comes from Christ. When we minister to the sick and the dying are we just able to address their physical ailments without restoring their mental, spiritual health? We provide holistic healing of the mind, body and spirit just like Jesus did. We offer them life, the life Christ offered. For we are instruments of Christ healing. Simple miracles can happen everyday.

I remember when I was a resident physician in Mary Johnston Hospital. Before we bring the patient to the operating room for a surgical procedure. We talk to the family and the patient and explain what will happen. This helps allay their fears and anxiety. We prepare them mentally. Not only that, together with the nurses, we pray with the patient and the family. The prayer calms their soul. They appreciate that a lot. We do that because we recognize that we are mere instruments of God’s healing ministry – the healing of the body, the mind and the soul.

Jesus promised us life and a life in abundance. That life does not only mean adding more years to it, adding more meaning to it or adding more importance to it. That life becomes abundant because Christ offers us hope, peace and joy. In our healing ministries, we open the door that is Christ for people to see the abundant life. As Christians, we are called to bring this good news that is Jesus Christ to every corners of the world. Let us be faithful in our calling, let us bring healing in this broken world. Let us continue to share the life of abundance that we all have found in Jesus Christ.

Jesus is a community medicine practitioner

If Jesus is alive today, he could have been a health worker. He would be a great community medicine practitioner.

The proceedings in the last Annual Convention of the Philippine Academic Society for Community Medicine, it was very inspiring to see snippets of Jesus and His work in the activities of the doctors and students engaging the people and the community. Different schools and universities showcased their partnership with the community in addressing their health problems towards improving the quality of life of the people. One video presentation showed how the team of doctors and interns transformed one community from a slum area into a vibrant baranggay over the years of its partnership. The work of Christ continues with the work of the community health workers. It is not because some of these institutions are Christian universities, it is simple the nature of their work as community health workers.

Helping the poor and sick, feeding the hungry, freedom for the captive and transformation of the world into a better place. Sound like very Biblical but that is precisely what these health workers are doing. I cannot wait for next years convention as they highlight the different best practices of the different institutions engaged in community work.

PASCOM Panel Discussion during the R.Fernando Memorial Lecture.

9 Things I Learned Getting to a United Methodist Church in Cebu

Lessons I learned after arriving at the Mactan International Airport at 8:05 AM to attend the Order of Elders and Workers Retreat. Here are the top 10 things I need to remember:

1. There is no breakfast meal in Jollibee. I was hungry but the only Jollibee store at the airport does not offer any breakfast meal. I had to find another store outside.

2. You can take the bus going to Cebu. I wanted to commute with the public transport in Cebu. They have a MyBus right outside the airport. It will bring right at SM City Cebu where jeepneys going all over are available.

3. Be ready with coins. The MyBus uses a tap card but if you do not have one, you need to pay the exact amount to the driver (actually you drop it in the box).

4. There is a Traveller's Lounge in SM. This is very convenient for travelers going through Cebu. One can leave their bags there or take a shower for only P50. I took the opportunity to freshen up before I proceeded to my destination.

5. The Mall opens at 10 AM. I had to wait for the Mall to open before I could get to the available restaurants inside to eat my breakfast. I just ordered some cheeseburgers to go.

6. Take the 12 G or 12 I jeepneys to get to Labangon. There is a terminal infront of the Mall where jeepneys plying different routes are waiting. It leaves on time and does not wait for the jeep to be full.

7. Fare is P9. SM Cebu to A. Lopez is a little far but is just 9 pesos, that is 2 more than the regular fare P7.

8. The jeep route passes through a couple of landmarks in Cebu. We passed through Sto. Nino, Pier Uno, the old downtown Colon and the Vicente Sotto Medical Center.

9. The divine worship starts at 10:30 AM. I arrived at the church at 11:02 AM.

Birthday Ko

It's my birthday! I celebrated it with my wife while the kids are out on vacation.

God of Abundance comes on a Palm Sunday

This sermon was preached during the Harvest Festival Celebration of the United Methodist Church in Sinamar Norte, San Mateo, Isabela.

We are celebrating Palm Sunday. We welcome the arrival of Jesus in Jerusalem. This Palm Sunday is an appropriate time to celebrate the Harvest Festival. Pero, do we only celebrate Harvest Festival if we have a good harvest? Paano kung lugi tayo? Paano kung wala tayong ipagpapasalamat? Do we need to level up our celebration.

Let us pray.

Palm Sunday is a time that we recognize Jesus as a king. As we wave the palm, we are shouting together with the crowd Hosanna. We are recognizing Jesus as king with an expectation of what he can do for us.

We read in the Gospel, the entry of Jesus in Jerusalem riding a colt and welcomed by the palms. This image reminds us that Jesus arrives as a King. What kind of king? King who will give them a better life.

The story of Palm Sunday is much like our story today. When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the people were shouting Hosanna! Hosanna! Because they are recognizing the arrival of a king. In verse 10 we read, “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” a kingdom is coming. The people are expecting a new kingdom from this coming king. With that arrival they are also expecting something from this king. What are you expecting from your king? Every election, we anticipate a new leader. We expect that leader will bring in change for the better. We expect the leader to improve our current situation. We expect them to make our life better.

The people are expecting deliverance from this new king. The people of Jerusalem at that time is under the oppressive rule of Rome. Most of them live a miserable life. They do not want their current living situation. Mahirap ang buhay. Kulang na ang pagkain, mahal pa ang mga bilihin. Mataas ang presyo ng pagkain pero napakamura ng benta ng palay. Walang pera ang mga tao. Walang makain ng tama. Nagkakasakit na ang mga bata. Walang pambili ng gamot. Kulang ang budget. Walang pera. Just like Jerusalem, we currently live in a broken world. A world living in scarcity. Early on we are shaped by a theology of scarcity, we need more.

The people are shouting Hosanna. Hosanna means, “save us.” The people are recognizing that there is a new king coming to save them. Save them from what? Scarcity? A life that is miserable. We want to be saved by a king from this frustrating life.

And so as we welcome this King, we expect he will turn things around from a life of scarcity to a life of abundance. That is a reason for us to celebrate. Why not.

Kung wala kang pera, at panahon na ng sweldo – that is a reason for celebration. If for the longest time there is famine and drought and now it is harvest time – that is a reason to celebrate. And so we have every reason to celebrate the Harvest Festival. As we celebrate the Harvest Festival, we give thanks to God and celebrate the bountiful harvest. But do we celebrate a bountiful harvest because we want more harvest than the previous one? Masaya ba tayo kapag madaming pagkain dahil sanay tayong isa lang ang ulam. Gusto nating tikman lahat kaya kukuha ka ng madami at baka maubos agad. Masaya ba tayo kapag merong bonus sa sweldo dahil kulang na kulang ang sweldo natin. Masaya ba tayo kapag ka magaling na tayo dahil nga ang hirap magkasakit. Masaya ba tayo kapag madaming tao sa midweek service dahil madalas ay wala? Are we happy if we have something extra because most of the time we have nothing at all? If we are only grateful to God because we received something we do not usually have, then the entry of Jesus in Jerusalem is a reminder that we must go beyond the reasons for our celebrations.

The story of the triumphant entry of Jesus reminds us that the reign of Christ is far greater than any the mind of man could ever conceive or plan. The people looked for someone to fight their battles in the present day world. They expect a savior who will save them from the difficulties, struggles and all the negativities of life. But God is more than that. God will deliver us not only from worldly troubles but will set us free from the sins of this world. 

This is the promise of God. Jesus said in John 10:10, I came that you may have life and have it abundantly. Also, when we say abundance of God, we do not simply mean lots of material things. Abundance comes from the Greek word perissós an adjective that means "all-around, excess" – properly all-around, "more than" ("abundantly"); beyond what is anticipated, exceeding expectation; "more abundant," going past the expected limit ("more than enough . . . "

Abundance does not mean material wealth. It does not mean being rich or having a lot of material things. Abundance means fullness. It also means all around. It is fullness in all aspect of life – physical, mental, spiritual, relational with other humans and with nature. Michael Schult, a Methodist pastor, described abundant life as characterized by love, relationships, beauty, justice, compassion and simplicity. Abundance is beyond our expectation of life.

Palm Sunday reminds us of the expectation of the people that the king will make things better for them. But God works beyond our expectations. 

Traditionally, the Harvest Festival is the celebration of the good things and bounty that we received from God. Nagpapasalamat tayo sa magandang ani natin, dahil may promotion sa trabaho, yung mga estudyante, dahil nakapasa sa next level, grumadweyt sa school at natanggap sa college. Dahil gumaling sa sakit or dahil nadinig ang ating mga panalangin.

But what if we are sick? What if we did not have a good harvest? What if we live a miserable life? Do we still have an abundant God?

We must level up our understanding of the harvest festival. Yes, the Harvest Festival is a time of gratitude and thanksgiving for the blessings that we receive but we must level-up. “LEVEL UP”

The Harvest Festival is no longer just a time of thanksgiving for the abundance we receive. It is a time to celebrate the abundance of God. It is a time to celebrate and say we have more than enough. This is the theology of abundance. The Festival is a declaration that we don’t need more and we have more than enough. It then becomes a time to worship a God of abundant grace.

Thus, even if we did not have a successful harvest, even if we are living a medyo gipit na buhay, even if we are sick or even if we have troubles in life. We still have an abundant God worthy to be praised. We do not need more of what we have now, we have more than enough. 

Because we are satisfied with what we have, it allows us to see beyond the superficial. Our situation should not be reason for the celebration. Instead, we celebrate the goodness of God regardless if we had a harvest or not. Even if we have problems. Even if we failed in our goals. Even if we are sick. We celebrate and worship God because of his abundant grace. Amen?!

Now, to be clear. It doesn’t mean that we become complacent and it is okay to live a miserable life. We are saying that we are already satisfied with whatever we have now, thus our situation should not be the basis of our celebration. In the same way, because we worship a God of abundant grace, we must live our Christian life in hopeful anticipation of God’s abundant grace to supply our need. 

While a young, spiritually-indifferent Oxford don, John Wesley met the college porter late one night. The porter was a poor but deeply pious man. The evening was cold, and he was poorly clad, so Wesley urged him to go home for a coat.

“I thank God for this the one coat I possess,” the porter replied, indicating the threadbare garment he was wearing. “And I thank Him for water, my only drink during the day.”
Intrigued by this response, Wesley queried, “What else is there for which you are thankful?”
“I will thank Him I have the dry stones to lie upon.”
“Please, continue.”
“I thank Him that He has given me my life and being, a heart to love Him, and a desire to serve Him.”

Though materially poor, the porter was spiritually rich. By focusing on the priceless blessings he had received from God – physical life, a spiritually-transformed heart, desire and opportunity to serve the Lord – he had much for which to be thankful. As his heart welled up with gratitude, he also sincerely thanked God for the provision of his basic material necessities .We are thankful to God not because of the good things we have already received. We are thankful because of his promise. “I came that you may have life and have it abundantly.”

We have an abundant God and that is reason for us to worship him. Part of our worship to an abundant God, we give abundantly. John Wesley taught the early Methodist to be very gracious in giving to others. He taught them to “earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can.” John Wesley was a very rich man but he owned nothing. He earned a big salary but he gave them all to the poor, those in prison, to the sick and to the needy. He gave them to the ministry of the Methodist societies. Why did he do this, because John Wesley believed that he has a very gracious God who can abundantly provide for his needs. Because he believes this, he can confidently give everything he has for the ministry of those in need. He believes that God’s abundance should be shared. He taught the early Methodist that God’s abundance is not only to the physical but in all things, including mind, the spirit, social, relational and the natural world. The acts of mercy like feeding the hungry and visiting the sick are means of grace that Methodist Christians should do in response to the abundant grace we receive.  

We continue these kind of ministries until today. Let me share with you one of the new initiative in ministry of the United Methodist Church based on this abundant God that we serve. This year we are launching the Abundant Health ministry in the Philippines. Let us reflect on these excerpts from the program description.

As a church, we are called to minister to others because we serve a God of abundance.
Thus, as United Methodists, we are committed to creating abundant health for all – a global connection striving for mental, physical and spiritual well-being. Lifesaving health ministries are enriching the lives of people around the world, from South America to Africa, from India to the Philippines and the U.S.

The God of abundance, does not only provide bountiful harvest for our crops or business or finances but also abundance of good health in our bodies physical and spiritual. John Wesley emphasized this holistic salvation from God. “It will be a double blessing if you give yourself up to the Great Physician, that He may heal soul and body together. And unquestionably this is His design. He wants to give you … both inward and outward health.” – John Wesley, from a letter written in 1778 to Alexander Knox, a theological writer.

God calls us to the ministry of healing. We have opportunities to utilize our resources to extend hope to all people, offering them a path to wholeness, joy and abundant life in Christ.

Jesus’ mission on earth was inaugurated by healing (Matthew 4:23-24), and his healing ministries were a central sign that Jesus was the promised Messiah (Luke 7:20-22). Therefore, we understand that continuing Jesus’ ministry of healing is an important part of what it means to be disciples of Jesus Christ.

We believe that God, who is already at work healing, renewing, and redeeming creation, not only calls us to follow the path of Jesus in this way, but will also empower us with the Spirit as we step forth in mission to seek abundant health for all!

In response to God’s abundant grace, we must get involved by engaging in personal, congregational and community health ministries. We can get started by committing to promote Abundant Health activities in your congregation and community. 

We live in a broken world. Every day we see sick people, hungry people, we see homeless people, we see unemployment, we see bankruptcy, we see greed, we see destruction of the earth, and we see scarcity. But the good news, my dear brothers and sisters, is we have an Abundant God.

We do not have to live in fear that what we have will not be enough. We do not have to fear that the future may leave us with nothing. We have a God of abundance that gives us hope. A hope that God will supply all our needs. We have an abundant God that inspires us to respond with a cheerful heart. Psalms 118:29 reminds us to give thanks to the Lord for he is good. His mercy endureth forever.

As we celebrate this Harvest Festival, let us remember that our thanksgiving is not dependent on the bountiful things we have received. We are thankful to the abundance of God who came to this world of brokenness and scarcity. We level up our thanksgiving by responding to his abundant grace in giving back abundantly to His ministries. 

“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

My dear brothers and sisters, let us not leave in fear of scarcity and brokenness. We have a God of abundance. We have a king who promises us fullness of life. Wave your palms up high, shout Hosanna in the highest……… and allow the king to enter our hearts. 

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Love Month

Helping others achieve. There was never a business that talks about success by helping others succeed. It usually dog eats dog world out there. Some things are amazingly unique. Compassionate economics is real. I am only beginning to understand that business as mission is possible. I have experienced it.

This is the greatest accomplishment in the month. I helped my partners and younger sister-in-law succeed in their business. What great joy.

This is also the month that the Health Program grant was officially awarded to us.

I have come to know early that ministries require resources and funding to be sustainable. With great support from the church and the community, effective altruism will also be a reality in church health programs.

Things are going to be great. These are simple manifestations of God's promise when he said in John 10:10, "I came that they might have life and have it abundantly."

Indeed we have a God of abundance.

What are your goals for the New Year 2018?

We start a new year 2018.

We have a new house. We live in a new subdivision. We have a new neighborhood.

We have a new member in the family. These are some of our accomplisments for 2017.

We have new goals. We have new dreams.

We are excited on what the new year brings. As we start the new year, we always plan. However, we know that our plan may not be God's perfect plan. Yet, we still pray that the desires of our heart will be granted. But we remain humble to bow according to God's will.

As we commit this new year to God, we also re-commit ourselves in obedience to God's will. We strive hard to do our best and leaving the rest to God's desire.

God is in control. We trust in what God has in store for us.