Praise the King

 This sermon was preached on the dawn before Christmas Day at Tuguegarao Central United Methodist Church. The theme of the celebrations and title of the sermon was Praise the King. The scriptural text was taken from the Gospel of Luke 2:13-20. The theme focus of the sermon was focused on Jesus, the King, is born to bring social justice, inclusivity, and hope for all people, especially the marginalized. Thus, we must come, and let us adore Him. The good news is that Jesus Christ the King is born.

 

The FB Live record can be found here. 

or here.

A Prayer for the World

"And the Word became flesh."

Dear God,

You are the ruler of the world

Who have given your Son on Christmas Day

Open our hearts to receive your precious Gift

Through the work of your Son among the people.

Amen.

 

December 2021: Sunday After Christmas

After the first Christmas story in the Gospel of Luke, we read about the only recorded event in the Bible about the childhood of Jesus. An interesting story about Jesus who got lost and was found in the temple. This is the sermon I will preach entitled "Lost Without Jesus." 

I am preaching again in a live Face2Face Worship Service after almost 2 years of online worship.

Scripture: Luke 2: 41-52.

I remember how our daughter Neya got lost in the mall. I will also share how we felt lost when my mother died because of Covid19. I will share it in the sermon.

I will also reflect on how this pandemic have us focused on "essential things" in life and lost sight of Jesus. 

Click the complete video: First Sunday after Christmas 2021

The Word Became Flesh

 

Text: John 1:14

Theme: Salvation Comes to the World

Preached virtually on the 24^th of December 2020 in the last Morning Watch of Tuguegarao UMC

Good morning and Merry Christmas. I am PasDoc Neki Soriano and I bring you greetings in behalf of my family. I am thankful for the opportunity to share with you the good news this Morning Watch. In this time of pandemic, I usually bring the bad news to people telling them that they are sick, but I am happy that for a change, I can share with you the good news of the birth our savior Jesus Christ. 

We celebrate Christmas as the birth of Jesus. But that birth is not just a simple birth. It is very complicated that we may never truly comprehend. It has many implications to the world and in our lives.

But for many non-believers, Christmas is non-sense. They even think Christianity is a belief on something very simple, ordinary and foolish just like believing in Jesus who was born on Christmas day. The birth of Jesus may not have meaning to us especially at this time of pandemic. We do not see how God can save us through Christmas, some may not even see God at all because of the situation we experience and this weakens our faith.

But the birth of Jesus is a very complicated matter that might need more than our ordinary minds to be stretched. The birth of Jesus is something that is not as simple as we often think and we might never understand fully. That is okay because our ways are not God’s way and our mind may not fully grasp the mystery of God. Yet, we must be able to appreciate the importance of Christmas when we recognize the complicated meaning of the Gospel verse we have read today. Only if we recognize the complicated birth of Jesus can we make sense how salvation comes to the world.

Our text comes from the Gospel of John. The Gospel of John usually focuses on the common theme about the relationship between humans to God through the person of Jesus Christ.

The Gospel of John is a unique Gospel that focuses on the message that Jesus is divine. The word was in Jesus and this Word became flesh and blood in Jesus.

I read in one article by Rev. Kevin De Young, he believes that the verse should look closely on the meaning of the words “only” and “dwells” to emphasize the message of the writers of John.

Why was this the message during that time?

There are rumors during that time that Jesus is just human. As the early followers of Jesus, they also have confusion on what is the person of Jesus.

False teachings make people confuse and weakens our faith in God. A misunderstanding of Christian belief can lead to unfaithfulness and other harmful actions. So the Gospel writers have to describe the origins of Jesus. In John 1:1 he says, “in the Beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God…. Then in verse 14 it says, “and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”

Even among early Christians, just several years after the death of Jesus, there are rumors that God did not yet send the messiah. And that God did not come to the people in the flesh through Jesus. In verse 14, Jesus is described as having the glory of the one and only son. In the original Greek, the word “one and only” is a translation from the Greek word “monogenes.” This word was used 5 times all in the Gospel of John. The most popular verse where the Greek word “monogenes” was also used was in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave his “monogenes” son.” What does the word mean?

Even among early Christians, they try to understand what the birth of Jesus means. The Arian controversy is one of the significant concerns on false teachings about Jesus being born as the Son of God. The Arian controversy discusses the relationship God the Father to God the Son. Questions are asked:

o   What kind of relationship do they have?

o   Is Jesus just a common human being or is he divine like God?

o   Are they similar or are they the same in substance?

o   Was Jesus made out of nowhere or does he exist forever?

o   Was Jesus just an adopted son of God or a real begotten son?

The Arian controversy lead us to the Nicene Creed. Most of written in the Nicene comes from the Gospel of John. That is in the Nicene Creed we emphasize the Trinity of God. We, United Methodists and other mainline Christians articulate our belief as written in the Nicene Creed. It is found in your United Methodist hymnal. We profess and declare that:

-          We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God,

o   There is no other Son of God. False teachers will claim that they are the Son of God.

-          eternally begotten of the Father,

o   They have a relationship of Father and Son. Jesus is called the Son because of his relationship with the Father.

-          God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God,

o   Jesus is true God. Jesus is divine. Not like the other group who does not believe in the divinity of Jesus.

-          begotten, not made,

o   Begotten, not made. The origin of Jesus is therefore not temporal. There was not a time that there was no Jesus. Jesus is eternally begotten from the Father.

-          of one Being with the Father;

o   Jesus has the same being as the Father. As the Father is God and Holy, so is Jesus. The Logos is the same Logos in Jesus.

-          through him all things were made.

o   The Logos when spoken created the world. When God spoke, it was created through Christ. When God said, let there be light and there was light. It was created through Christ.

-          For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven,

     was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became truly human.

o   If Jesus is not divine, then Jesus cannot save us from our sins. Our salvation will not happen.

o   If Jesus is not divine, he is no longer with us is that God is distant and far from us.

 

We appreciate better the message of Christmas when we have a better recognition on the meaning of Jesus as the Word becoming flesh. Jesus became human to connect us to God. We hear this often every Christmas. But I wonder if we really appreciate the importance of this verse especially at this time of pandemic.

In the text, we read that “he dwells among us.” Now, “dwelling’ in the original Greek, “skene” means pitch a tent or tabernacle. God is pitching a tent among humans. Pitching a tent in this sense is not temporary, it means staying for a long time. Israel, when they pitched the tent, their intention was to be with the presence of God everytime. So when they were wandering, they pitched tent so they could house God and be with God everytime. Then it became a temple. So pitching tent means staying forever. Pitching a tent also means closeness with one another especially with daily activities. Also, pitching a tent is becoming one of them. He is not a stranger to us. He is one of us. God dwelling among us is a very important message at this time of pandemic.

What is the most common problem and dilemma asked today?

This pandemic makes us think that God has abandoned us. Just like the early Christians whose faith was weakened by false teachings, the pandemic can weaken our faith. Our circumstances make us doubt our faith.

Or you could be like me. When I became sick with Covid, and I was in the hospital bed with the oxygen and having difficulty breathing, I was having a spiritual crisis. I was not doubting the presence of God, in fact, I was actually leaving God out at this time of pandemic. I relied on science. I relied on medicines and the health workers. People were telling me na “magpalakas ka.” “Kaya mo yan.” And so I thought that I can do it “on my own.” I do not have to be connected with God.

This pandemic has made us disconnected with God in either way. Either we think that he abandoned us or we think that we do not need God. Either way, we do not recognize that God is with us. God is someone distant. God do not understand us. God is somebody different from us. We do not recognize God among us.

But the Good News my dear brothers and sisters: is that God became incarnate and became human born as a baby on Christmas day so that God can dwell among us humans. God wants to be in our ordinary lives, in our daily activities, in our everyday struggle, in the midst of all our busy lives, God is with us.

That is reason enough for all of us to be thankful even at this time of pandemic, suffering and chaos. That is enough reason for us to be grateful to God.

If we recognize the significance of the Word becoming flesh, of how a God that is divine will choose to become human in Jesus so that we can restore our broken relationship with God the Father as his children, we are able to appreciate and be thankful to God.

Is there something we can be thankful about at this time of pandemic? God became flesh and stayed home with us. That is something we should be grateful because we are not alone. God has lived and dwelled among the unholy and broken world.

Salvation came into this world on Christmas day when the Word became flesh. That is reason for us to celebrate, worship God and invite everyone to "come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant! O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem; Come and behold him, Born the King of Angels: O come, let us adore Him, (3×). Christ the Lord."

Two Important Things to Know on the Advent Schedule in Santiago UMC

There are 2 things you need to remember during the Advent Season when you are in Santiago City, Isabela. Here are the 2 things:

1. The Santiago Central UMC has usually 2 services during the Advent Season. It has a Simbang Gabi which is usually 6PM and then the Morning Watch which is usually at 5:30 AM. 

2. The last Simbang Gabi on the 24th of December is usually a family service. They encourage every family to have their own family devotion. A liturgy guide is usually given.

This year, I was tasked to be the speaker in one of the Morning Watch. The theme assigned to me was "In the depth of brokeness, pardon and reconciliation."

Below is a very short excerpt of the sermon.

"The Gospel Text is from Luke 2. The theme ofr this year's Simbang Gabi is "In the depth of brokenness, pardon and reconciliation." The title of this sermon is "More than forgiveness, reconcile."

I am a medical doctor and I usually bring bad news to my patients. But today, I am happy to share with you the good news of Jesus.

The Gospel of Luke we read is focused on Christ as the Savior. This is a unique message in this book.

Luke was written to include the Gentiles. It tells them about this reconciling God.

Who is this reconciling God?

 -   In the Luasanne Document on Reconciliation from Duke Divinity School, the Jewish concept of reconciliation encompasses two intersectional expressions: a vertical reconciliation with God and a horizontal reconciliation with other people.

o   The dichotomy between the sacred and the profane created a gulf which separated humanity from God.

o   Rituals such as offerings for atonement, through which the profanity was removed, played an important part in restoring the relationship between God and Israel.

o   In the prophetic tradition listening to the voice of God, as revealed by the prophets, became the means through which Israel could reconcile with God. 

o   If we look at the Greco-Roman and the Old Testament understandings of reconciliation it was ascertained that actions like prayers, healings, giving sacrifices, sharing meals and exchanges occurred in both. The Gospel of Luke uses these images to illustrate the reconciliation between God and men.

§  In the Jewish world priests and prophets were mediating agents on behalf of the people, whereas in the Greco-Roman world the mediating agents were primarily the priests.

§  In Greco-Roman society, the gods themselves acted as mediating agents. The motivations for reconciliation were also similar.

o   Luke speaks about reconciliation even though he does not use the common Greek terms for reconciliation. The chapter also focused on Jesus’ enactments of reconciliation through the healing of those with leprosy.

o   Mission reconcilatio is the mission of God.

o   God’s reconciling mission does not happen in a separate vacuum or in the spiritual domain only. It is ingrained in the world we live and the people we live with. It is present in our homes, in our workplace, in school, in our church, in the society, in the government, in this world.

o   Relationships are not just defined by the present situation but also by the history of the past. The hurt and the trauma that led to conflict and war must be remembered in memory.

o   When Christians are passive bystanders and refuse to become constructive agents of reconciliation amidst such divisions and destructive conflicts, we are guilty of withholding love to a neighbor, the love of God is not manifested in our lives, and we give life to a defective gospel.

o   Every act seeking reconciliation, no matter how small, matters greatly to God. The scope of reconciliation runs from healing in one person’s life, to two individuals overcoming animosities, to nations and long-divided peoples seeking to do so.

o   Christ calls for far more than admitting guilt, but deep contrition, and a costliness and depth to healing broken relationships which goes far beyond tolerance or peaceful coexistence. This witness begins at home.

o   For the church to make peace, she herself must embody God’s peace as a living sign of God’s reconciled community. Baptism identifies believers as one church family, the body of Christ. Within their families, local churches, and the larger Christian family and our tragic divisions, Christians are called to a special witness of fidelity, sacrificial love, boundary crossing, and common prayer, seeking to heal conflicts following our Lord’s words in Matthew 18:15-20.

o   Biblical reconciliation also leads Christians beyond church circles to vigorously analyze, engage, and influence our local communities, nations, and world as witnesses for reconciliation and just community. Without sacrificing our Christian convictions, we should seek to partner creatively with people of good will to promote peace, including with people of other faiths. At the heart of the church’s public engagement is a prophetic responsibility to call political authorities to account.

Reconcile with who?

-          - Reconcile with God, self, others and nature

-          - John Wesley approached a holistic salvation in the work of Christ. God is reconciling the world in a holistic way.

Who is this forgiving God?

-        - In the essay “Forgiveness in the Gospel of Luke” written in 2009 (retrieved essaytown.com) Luke tells of 28 stories about forgiveness. It also emphasized that “Forgiveness is God’s action through Jesus of Nazareth.” It said that this is a scandal in Luke’s gospel. When Jesus forgives a paralyzed man, Jesus’ detractors accuse him of blasphemy for daring to assume the prerogative of God (Luke 5:21). His banquet companions are dismayed by his evident presumption: “Who is this who even forgives sins?” (Luke 7:49).

-     - Forgiveness is God’s gift to all humankind. God offers forgiveness without restriction to the entire human family. Luke’s story of God’s forgiveness begins in Jerusalem (see Luke 1 and Acts 2) with Jewish people. Even here, however, the picture is a universal one, since the Jews gathered in Jerusalem for Pentecost come “from every nation under heaven” (Acts 2:5). It is back to these nations, the Gentiles, that the word of God’s forgiveness is ultimately destined in Luke/Acts."

In   

   The sermon message was very intentional to encourage the listeners that this Advent season, we must not only forgive but reconcile with those we have quarrel with. The example of God, who did not only forgave us but also reconciled humanity to Him, was to be followed.

W  Whenever, you are in Santiago City dring the Advent season. Choose a time, when to worship with the people called United Methodists.

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?

Happy Birthday Jesus

Whose birthday is it anyway? Who is receiving the gift?

We often get lost in all the festivities. That is a common reflection we get during Christmas. It is always good that we get reminders that we keep Christ in Christmas.

But one common problem we tend to neglect during Christmas is the gift giving. We often have exchange gifts as part of our Christmas celebrations. We received gifts... big... small... food... novelties... wish list... dream gift... and more. We even enjoy wrapping the gifts we will give to loved ones.

How excited must have been the Father who was getting ready to wrap the gift He will give to save the world. That gift is more precious than any other gift in the world. That gift is wrapped when we received it. The gift is wrapped in baby clothing. Have we dared open the gift? Have we unwrapped the gift God has given us? Again, we have put Christmas about us. We have focused on the gift that WE will receive from God.

Whose birthday is it anyway? Who should be receiving the gift? Who should be giving the gift?

The Word Became Flesh

A sermon preached during the Christmas Day Service (Dec 25, 2016) at Tuguegarao Central UMC.

Naimbag nga bigat kadacayo amin kakabsat. Merry Christmas canyayo.

Amo yo, idi intawag ni Pastor nga syac ti agsermon ti Christmas Sunday, excited nac. I am always excited to share the good news gapo ket as a medical doctor canayon met nga bad news ti mai-share ko kadagiti pasyentic.

But today is Christmas Day. Today is the day when we celebrate The Word is made flesh and dwells among us.

The Gospel of John is a unique book among the four Gospel books. It is only the Gospel of John which tells the birth story of Jesus differently. It emphasizes a high Christology, meaning the emphasis is on the divinity of Christ. Why the need for emphasis?

The Gospel of John was probably written to early Christians meaning they already know and believe that Jesus is the messiah. However, they still face persecution thus their faith is in jeopardy.

The Gospel of John hopes to deepen the faith of the already existing believers of Jesus by emphasizing that Jesus is indeed a divine being. It strengthens their faith by teaching them that in recognizing that Jesus is the messiah, they will see the glory of God that is full of grace (love) and truth from God. Belief in a divine God therefore needs a better illustration than just a birth of an infant Jesus to an incarnate God who became flesh. Faith in God is deepened by recognizing that God is not a distant God but a God whom we can experience and see in the person of Jesus. 

You will not find the manger story or the visit of the three kings or the visit of the angel to Joseph and Mary. No, the birth story of Jesus in the Gospel of John is different.

Why do you think it is different? Because the writer of the Gospel of John wants to emphasize to us that Jesus is not just a cute little innocent baby. There is more to that.

You see, Christmas is not just the birth of the baby Jesus. Any baby can be born on Christmas day. 

In the hospital, when I was on duty on Christmas day we deliver babies on December 25. Yung ibang Nanay, ipipilit pa na makapanganak ng December 25. Maglalabor ng December 24 para makapanganak ng 25. Tapos ang ipapangalan sa anak nila ay Hesus. Pero yung tatay, hindi si Joseph. Sabi nga yung anak cute like Jesus pero yung mukha ng tatay mukhang si Hudas. Christmas is not just the birth of the infant Jesus. The writer of John makes a strong emphasis by describing God as the Word who became flesh and dwells among us.

Why was John using the Word (logos) becoming flesh to describe God incarnate as man?

The birth story of Jesus, that is God becoming human, is described in the Gospel of John as the Word becoming flesh. Let us focus on that “Word.” For John, God is the “Word.” In the original Hebrew Bible, the Greek word for “Word” is Logos.

Logos is the Greek word that means divine wisdom, potent energy, creative power.

Let me share with you how other authors and theologians answered this question about  Logos. First, the writer of John wants to emphasize to us by referring to Jesus as the Logos. This Logos is the God that created the world through a spoken Word, God said “let there be light and there was light.” That Word that can create is God. That Word is Jesus. Jesus is the Word that can create the world and the source of all created things. That Word is also the source of love, charity, grace and truth.

Another thing, the birth of Jesus for John is not just a simple single event with a particular date in the history of events. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. It is important to recognize that the beginning is not an event but rather beyond the human history. It is cosmic and thus is an eternal unit. The Gospel of John emphasizes that Jesus is not finite.

But then, the Word, that is Jesus, enters into the finite world in verse 10. Although, the world rejected the very God that created the world. Except for some people who were born again and received Jesus.

The story of Jesus is the story of the Word becoming flesh. It is the story of an infinite God coming into the finite world as a human being. It is the incarnation of God as man. The writer of John is sharing to us their experience of that incarnation. Jesus is the human manifestation of God’s creating and saving love. God, through Jesus Christ, has shined the light through all the dark corners of the earth.

One book emphasized that when the Word became flesh it dwelt among us, the dwelling was not temporary. A closer study on why the writer of John used the word dwell means the intent of God to becoming flesh was not only to experience humanity but to be among humans in this world not for a temporary moment. The original Greek word used for dwelling could also mean “to tabernacle” or “to tent”. To tent mean to stay close without boundaries. The tabernacle reminds us of the Old Testament where the presence of God with the people is symbolized by the tabernacle. The verse could therefore translate as “God tabernacled” with us. Here it is important to understand that the incarnation of the Word in the human form of Jesus does not only stop in Jesus but God is present with all of humanity who have received Jesus as their lord and savior.

God is with us through Jesus. And we could see God’s gracefulness and truthfulness in Jesus.  God is graceful that he forgives us even if we are unworthy of it. God is truthful that he keeps his promise of salvation to us.

The Gospel of John is telling his readers before and to us today that God became flesh in Jesus and the truthfulness and gracefulness of God can be seen in Jesus who became human like us. But why do we need to be reminded of that?

This problem is not unique during the time of John. Even to this day we hear some people talking about Jesus as a mere human being. That is the reality. Some groups and cults have propagated this understanding that Jesus is not divine and therefore not the messiah. Why is this dangerous and important for us Christians?

Because if Jesus is not God and man, then the person who suffered on the cross to save us from our sin and defeated death was not God but a mere human being. It will mean that humanity was saved by Superman – a superhero. Not God himself. You owe your salvation to a human being. We are entrusting our lives and our future to a mere human being.

As Methodist, we are one with many mainline Christians who expresses the same basic belief with early historical Christianity that Jesus Christ is human. That is apparent in our Nicene and Apostles Creed. That is apparent in our hymns and prayer to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

We celebrate Christmas because we celebrate not just the birthday of an infant but the incarnation of God becoming flesh. For the same reason, those who do not believe Jesus as the incarnate God do not have a reason to celebrate Christmas. Again for the same reason, if you do not understand Christmas as the celebration of the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us then better not celebrate Christmas. The decorations, Santa Clause, Christmas trees, parties, exchange gifts and good food are nothing if we only see Christmas a birthday of Jesus without recognizing that in that birth God became human. Our faith may need a little upgrade from God.

My friends, let us examine our faith quickly. When we pray, do we call to our heavenly father or do we look for Jesus? When we see the manger, do we see a poor little baby or do we see God reaching out to us humankind? When we see the cross, do we see a suffering and bleeding Jesus or do we see God reconciling the sinners to his glory?  When we celebrate Christmas, do we see the birth of a baby or do we incarnation of God becoming flesh? Is this because we do not often see Jesus as God.

God is not far from us. And so we ask, can we deepen our faith if we see Jesus as God that is all-encompassing, all-knowing and all-powerful God? Maybe we will experience God as graceful, loving and truthful to his promise when we experience it through the humanity of Jesus.

God is not far nor absent if we Jesus as God.  Maybe, we will rely more on Jesus to heal us completely if we see him as God incarnate. Maybe we will trust more in Jesus to lead us to our lifetime partner if we see Jesus as God incarnate. Maybe we will not feel lonely and hopeless if we see our best friend Jesus as God incarnate. Maybe we will surrender the outcome of our exams to Jesus if we see him as God incarnate. Maybe we will not doubt the promise of Jesus that we will succeed in our businesses and careers if we see him as God incarnate. Maybe we will not impose our own agenda and personal plans and desires against the perfect plan of Jesus for us if we see him as God incarnate.  

You see, our faith deepens and strengthens when we recognize that baby born Jesus is God who became flesh. That is the message of the writer of John when he said later on 3:16, “For God so loved the world that whoever believes in Jesus (as the God who became flesh) will not die (from sins) but will have eternal life.”

That is the good news my dear brothers and sisters, that on Christmas day God became flesh and dwells among us. God is made flesh in you. God is living in you. In your daily lives and daily activities, the dark world will experience the presence of God and they will know God is for real.

God is for real. God is not just an idea. God is not some distant being. God is present in this world.

The hospital is a the darkest place on earth. But God is present there. There is sickness, there is hopelessness, there is trouble and anxiety. But that is where hope is needed. That is where God is made flesh in the lives of your health workers.

The church can be God made flesh in the lives of other people who live in the dark.

God became flesh on Christmas day so that God may live with us and become closer than ever to us. That in sinfulness and arrogance people may feel the grace of God, that in our unfaithfulness we can see the truthfulness of God, that in our suffering and pain we can feel the comforting embrace of God, that when we are fearful and anxious God is there to accompany us, that in our times of sadness and loneliness God is our companion, that in times of our victory and happiness God can share in our happy moments.

God came to this world, not in general terms. God wants to be with each one of us individually. God is coming to you. The Word that is God needs to be incarnate in this church, in our church group, in our families, in our relationships, in you and dwell in you, bringing with him truth and grace. God wants to be incarnate and become flesh in all of society and in us. Let us allow God to be born in our hearts this Christmas day. Amen.

Christmas over the years

Christmas celebrations are homecoming. When we were kids, we always go back to Cagayan de Oro for Christmas coz that is the hometown of my Dad. Christmas was like a homecoming where everybody comes back for a family reunion. My cousins and I had a great time spending the holidays together. It is one of only 2 occasions (the other is summer) in the year where we hang out and just spend time together. After several years, we have grown. And in the last couple of years we were not able to have our Christmas homecoming simple because our families have grown and moved to other places. Some of my cousins have migrated abroad. Some of us are deployed in far areas because of work.

This year, we have a great get together. This time, it is in Davao City where most of us are based. We have a simple celebration but a meaningful one. Just like the birth of Jesus, people from different places - the shepherds, the wisemen, came to a common place to celebrate the birth of a King. Our family members may come from different places but every Christmas, we gather together to celebrate the birth of Jesus.  Merry Christmas.

Hospitality on Christmas

We went to a non-Christian country during the holiday season. There was a holiday spirit but not necessarily a Christmas celebration. People were coming from different places to have a vacation. We looked for a place where we feel welcome as visitors. But no one bothered. Everybody was too busy with their own stuff. Everybody was settled in their own comfortable places. We stayed in a backpackers inn as there were no more available hotels during this time.

It was quite an experience going to our inn. We had to walk for almost a kilometer from the nearest train station before we could reach the place. We walked carrying four big luggage plus our backpacks while tagging along 3 kids and walking on sore foot and broken ankle. When we reached the inn, the inn was full. We had to wait until late in the afternoon because the room still needs cleaning and the previous room occupant has not yet checked out. So we had to wait in the crowded lobby - standing. It was really a tiring but learning experience for me.

Our Christmas vacation made me reflect on the story of Mary and Joseph as they were traveling to Bethlehem and were looking for an inn that night. All the inn was full. Maybe they were as tired as we were, NO, much more tired as they had to walk and ride the donkey while we rode the bus and train. They had to walk for several kilometers while we only did one. We were fortunate to find an inn, although we needed to wait before we could settle in, but Mary and Joseph had no room for an inn. And so they settled for the manger. Our Christmas story this year was quite an experience that will change my perspective of the merry making holidays. Hospitality takes on a whole new meaning. The Christmas story of Mary and Joseph and the unborn baby changed the world. Do we have a room for them in our hearts?

Welcome to the Children's Christmas Party

Welcome to the Annual Christmas Party of Joy Kiddy Garden Learning Center. 

This event is very important and special for our kids and for our family. It has actually become a sort of family tradition. We have been coming to this party every year for the last four years because my kids are here. Two years ago, my daughter Neya and her friend Ayela were the ones singing. This year my son Ken and his classmates are celebrating Christmas. Next year and the following years, my pamangkin will still be here so andito pa rin kami. So it is like a family tradition. Speaking of tradition, the Simbang gabi every 5 o’clock here in the church is another tradition that I invite you to attend. Lalo na bukas, because joy Kiddy is the host. Lalo na at guapo daw ang speaker bukas. Artistahin.

I would like to share a story as a reminder of what our Christmas party is all about...

Once upon a time, there were two siblings - a little princess and a little prince who was invited to a birthday party of a king. They were so excited to go to the party because they know it was going to be fun, with lots of games, singing, dancing, yummy foods, and they know that the prince will also give away gifts to those who will attend the party. The boy prince was excited what will be the games in the party? How will he win the games? Will there be good prizes for the games? The little princess was also excited with the party. She wants to wear her pretty dress going to the party. She wants to dance and sing. She was also curious what will be the gifts the baby king will give to them for attending the party. They enjoyed so much the party that they were excited for the party again next year and the following year and the following year.

At the end of the party, the king said he will give away special gifts to his friends who attended the party. The king said he will give mansion castle/house and lot to all his friends. And so the prince and the princess were excited because they participated in all the events in the party. They were pretty sure that they will receive the special gift from the king.

So, the king was giving away the gifts to his friends, and then the prince and the princess came to the king ready to receive their gifts of a new mansion castle. But the king, asked them, who are you? Are you my friends? The prince said, your friends are my friends. I joined them to celebrate your party and I also played the games and won prizes. We are friends. The princess said, I came to your birthday party in my prettiest dress and I dance and sing and had fun in your party, we are friends.  But the king said, I don’t know you. Even if you celebrate and join my party during my birthday, you did not bother to know me. You never talked to me, you never came to me and greeted me, you never played with me, you never approached me. How can I be your friend? Coming to my party and enjoying it does not make you my friends. You should approach me, talk to me, play with me, build a relationship with me, that’s what makes friendship.  A birthday party only becomes special celebration and fun if you are friends with the birthday celebrant.

As we have our Christmas party, I hope that each one of us here are friends with the birthday celebrant – the king of kings and lord of lord, Jesus. Merry Christmas and I hope we will all have a fun and special celebration with this Christmas party.   

Thank you and God bless.

Happy New Year

BANG!!!   LIGHTS!!!    FIREWORKS IN THE SKY!!!

Celebrated New Year in Manila for the first time. I wondered how will we welcome New Year? There is not Ball Drop here like in Time Square? No, big parades nor any traditional public activity where people can go.

Will the church have some activity to welcome the New Year at 12 midnight? What can we do?

My family was present to celebrate with us.

The fireworks and the firecrackers were deafening. I wonder why most Filipinos light up a firecracker? Do they really believe that it will drive bad spirits away like the original intention was? Or it was a form of celebration? Or people simply want to hear a big bang? Or they just want to do what the pop culture dictates? How should Christians welcome the new year?

How will the church welcome New Year? What does your church teach its people?

Jesus said, "I am the light of the world." (John 8:12).

We reflected on this. We prayed and prayed for each other. And we claimed the light that is Jesus.

We light up this New Year as a symbol of our claim that Jesus will be our guiding light for 2014.

Happy New Year 2014

  

A Different Encounter with God this December

December is always unique and special. Yesterday, I had a different encounter with God. We went to the House of Refuge but it was not a church. There were songs of praise and worship but there were also sounds of laughter and joy. There were children all around and some adults too. Anywhere I looked, God was there.

Yesterday, December 8, 2013, we celebrated my sister-in-law's birthday in an orphanage. There were more than 20 boys and girls in that orphanage. We prayed, we sang, they danced, we ate good food and we had fun.

I was amazed by the ministry of this place. There were three house mothers taking care of all these little children, nurturing them and taking care of them. But they said a whole community of faith, the Bread of Life, showers them the love and support that they may grow according to God's plan for them.

The place is three storey's high and has rooms for girls and boys. They provide enough space for them to play. They have enough food for each kid. They can eat nutritious food three times a day. The children go to school. And they get enough school supply for them to do well. The place is amazingly decent considering it is run mostly from charity and donations. I was just blessed how this place can minister to children for decades now with support from the faith community. I can only imagine the dedication and the commitment of the loving people who showed the fruits of their faith.

I reflect back on the many big organized churches scattered around the world, yes, UMC one of them. I know our churches have made great advances in educating children with our pioneering work in kindergarten school. But I know there are people who have hearts to have a ministry with the orphans. I know KKFI ministers with street children. But I have yet to encounter a single local church who has a ministry for orphaned kids. I have yet to see a SEC recognized institution ministering to children supported by a single local church. I know there must be one out there. If not, will your church have the heart to start one?

What does 100 days before Christmas mean?

Today is the day when it is exactly 100 days before Christmas. This was the reminder given by the local evening news. I wonder what does that mean for many?

What does 100 days before Christmas mean? For that local news reporter, what does he mean by that when he reminded his viewers about it? My quick guess was that he was implying about the vacation that Christmas celebrations bring. Was he excited to get a break from work? Was he implying too that people get excited about the holiday celebrations? Does 100 days before Christmas mean also that merry-making and festive celebrations are near? This is probably the meaning for many, especially kids.

Most kids will probably get excited about parties and gifts they will receive on Christmas. And there are only 100 days before I get my most desired new toy gadget or doll or bicycle. That's what 100 days before Christmas may mean for some kids. For adults, they may also expect such gifts. Most will probably look forward to exchanging gifts and partying with friends. For some it will be a holiday vacation in some tourist spot. For business men, it means more income. For establishment owners like restaurants and hotels, it means more costumers and visitors. But not all will have a happy expectation to the 100 days before Christmas.

The less privileged will probably be reminded again of their miserable condition 100 days from now. The poor will most likely receive some "gifts" from good-hearted people 100 days from now. Some of the needy will think it is just another party day for the rich. But for most of the marginalized, 100 days from now will not matter - it will just be any ordinary day. But for religious people, it may mean something.

What does 100 days before Christmas mean for religious people? For Muslims? Probably not so much religious-wise. How about for Christians? What does 100 days before Christmas mean for Christians? If their answer is similar to those above, what makes Christians different from others? Is it a preparation for a church activity? Is it a countdown to the Christmas Camp? Or the number of days left to practice for the Christmas cantata? Or is it the number of days left before celebration of the birthday of Jesus? But why need to count? Would 100 days vs 99 days make a difference? So what if there is only 1 day left before Christmas? Does it matter? If it does matter for Christians, so what does 100 days before Christmas mean? Or maybe, it does not!

How about you, what does 100 days before Christmas mean?

 

Where is The Longest Birthday Celebrations

Have you ever wondered where is the longest birthday celebrations held?

The Philippines will have to own that distinction. The Philippines is that country where the birth of Jesus Christ is celebrated for almost four months.  My little kid is quick to remind me that Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus. And Christmas celebrations in the Philippines start as early as the "ber" months sets in.

Today is September 2. When I opened my radio this morning to listen to the morning news, I heard my station DZAS play my very first Christmas Song this year, "Feliz Navidad." Christmas songs in Septmeber. That is not unusual here in the Philippines. The "ber" months are associated with the rainy (typhoon) season plus the cold breeze of the air. Such is the atmosphere of the cold nights of Christmas. So one can say, the cold breeze of Christmas is now felt on the air this early in September. That cold breeze will continue until the months of December, even early January.

 So, from the "ber" months starting this September, until the last days of Christmas on January, people will be celebrating Christmas. Most Filipinos don't mind. We shouldn't. Especially if we really believe in our hearts that we must not only celebrate Christmas during December 25 but we must make everyday feel like Christmas. Now, that will leave us with a year long birthday celebration.