... somewhere between these two schools of thought, they intersect...
I was invited to talk to pastors, seminary students and community leaders of Malaybalay City, Bukidnon. I focused on the impact of Covid 19 on the mental health on the youth and the need for the church to be a safe haven for those undergoing mental health crisis.
In this month of February, let us spread some love and not the virus.
As we celebrate our family anniversary, we pray for each other.
Loving God,
You are Love for God is love,
Who have taught each one of us to love one another even our enemies,
Shower us with your love and care
Through our family members and friends. Amen.
“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
and have no compassion on the child she has borne?
Though she may forget,
I will not forget you!
16 See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;
your walls are ever before me." (Isaiah 49:15-16)
This story from the Bible reminds us of the faithful love of God.
Mom died early this morning while in hospital.
She has been confined for almost three weeks now. Her immunocompromised state did not help in her condition.
I am not able to go home because of this pandemic. The family is also in quarantine. We will not be able to have a wake for her. Thanks to technology, we can have virtual memorial services nightly.
Mama Dania is a loving wife and mother. Many remember her as a missionary, lay pastor, teacher and community worker. Her friends remember her kindness. Young women look up to her as a model clergy wife and mentored them on how to be partner to their spouses. She loves children. She loves plants and flowers too.
We will plant a tree in her honor. We encourage people to do the same.
She will be missed.
Lunar Eclipse.
There are many amazing things in the heavens and in the sky. This reminds me of the Bible Story in Psalms about awe one gets when one looks at the wonderful creation of God in the heavens, the moon and the stars. How God can make great things yet give more concern to a less than amazing being. But when you look at little children, your own kids, you understand. A parent will do anything to make their children happy. No wonder, parents can give up everything important just to make it on the special day of their child.
My youngest daughter celebrated her 4th birthday. I tried to travel despite restrictions of this pandemic and hurdle challenges just to make it to her birthday. When we remember how God made amazing things, including us humans, then we can focus more on the good things that life may offer.
Covid reinfection is real.
The story of the blind man Jesus healed in the Pool of Siloam is a too often narrative of victim blaming. The disciples asked who sinned, the blind man or his parents. Even Jesus was accused of being unlawful when what he did was to heal the sick. The constant narrative in the interventions about Covid infection is lack of discipline (in observing safety protocols of wearing mask, shield and social distancing). With this narrative, the solution is discipline - strict implementation of the law, by law enforcers. To be sure, discipline is necessary. But public health emergencies need public health interventions too. Otherwise, those infected are stigmatized as undisciplined unlawful people. What a pity to the many health workers who sacrificed their own health, safety and their lives yet still gets the blame when they get infected.
No one has to be blamed for their own illness. Just as getting sick should not mean committing sin. The stigma and discrimination that comes with illness has been too long a narrative even in the Bible. The HIV epidemic has stigmatized and discriminated people living with HIV. Also those with Covid-19 has been labeled as disobeying safety protocols. Yet, Covid infection and reinfection can still happen without fault by anyone.
Hope comes from God. Hope means the impossible can happen if it's God's plan. The story of Saul shows us that we might have plans that is different from God. Saul has other plans different from God but it is God's plan that happens. Everything happens according to God's plan. The news of the vaccine coming to the country through the generous donations of other countries wasn't even possible last week. Now, in just a matter of days we were told to implement the national Vaccination Plan. Well, it is always better to have an implementation than a plan remain a plan. The hope of eliminating Covid-19.
God has a plan that we do not expect. The first dose of Covid-19 vaccines were given today and I was one of the first batch to be given the dose. Despite the hesitancy of many people because of the uncertainty on the vaccine, leaders must lead by example. We got the Sinovac and almost all of us did not have any untoward reactions. By God's grace, the vaccination will help us achieve herd immunity to help end the pandemic.
It is not difficult to find stories in the Bible experienced in real life. The wedding in Cana was a memorable story about God's bounty and Joy. But people forget that Cana could just be but a symbolic place. There was nothing special about the place in Cana but it was witness to the first miracle that Jesus performed written in the Bible.
We would have celebrated our anniversary abroad renewing our vows in symbolic and historic churches. But the quarantine only allowed us to stay within the city. We planned of celebrating in the chapel in Callao Cave but it was close to the public. We ended up renewing our vows in a very symbolic location - under the heavens and with God as our witness.
Callao Cave is a beautiful setting of many weddings. It is witness to the vows of love of couples. Most importantly it is witness to the blessing of God as the center of the relationship.
Counting change as the year 2021 ushers in.
We love Bible stories because we can relate to them and learn important life lessons. This year, I will share some Bible Stories that relates to some important situations we encounter in this year as we face the Covid-19 Pandemic. I hope this will help us center ourselves in God's story despite the current pandemic.
Samson had his hair cut by Delilah. Samson was a Nazirite - set apart. People forget that Samson and Delilah is a story from the Bible. And people forget it is not a love story but about God enabling us to fulfill the work God called us to do.
I grew my hair long. It was not intentional. It was symbolic of how long this pandemic has affected our lives. This pandemic caused us to be in quarantine, lockdowns, businesses closed including barbershops since last year. The haircut I got today from my wife will be the first since last year. She is not Delilah, but my wife did cut my hair.
Text: John 1:14
Theme: Salvation Comes to the
World
Preached virtually on the 24th 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."
There is always Joy to the world. This month, I was invited by an old friend and fellow previous NUMYFP leader, Joy Bohol, to share my thougths and experiences about Covid-19 for the World Council of Churches. Joy Bohol has been a missionary for the GBGM in various countries and now serves as missionary assigned to the WCC youth sector. You can support missionaries like Joy and others thru their Advance GBGM account. I was honored to be able to share with the global church God's goodness even at this time of pandemic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0WhkuanGII
When I got back to the hospital on
the first Monday morning of September, I was informed that I got exposed to a
doctor who may be positive. The next day, I was monitoring myself. On
Wednesday, I was not feeling well so I went home early because I thought it was
just a migraine. The following day, I self-quarantined after learning that some of
the other doctors had tested positive for Covid19. I returned to the hospital to have my swab test later that afternoon. I kept monitoring my body temperature
as it was persistently going high up to 37.5 degrees C. Later that Thursday night, my body
temperature was already at 38 degrees so I immediately went to the hospital and was advised admission.
It was nerve-wracking to think what could happen next. I was at first feeling Ok because I only experienced fever the first few days. Yet, I was worried because I heard one of the doctors who got infected now has pneumonia. So, I tried to exercise too and eat well and do my best to make sure my body can cope. I told myself that I should get past the first 10 days without any breathing problems. They said the worst Covid19 symptoms are in the first 7 to 10 days. Unfortunately, even on the 8th day my fever was still present and I was beginning to catch my breath even with the short distance to the
bath room. Also, radiographic tests showed I have severe pneumonia. The nurses gave me oxygen but I refused hoping that I can teach my lungs to adapt and cope to the
situation. The next day, my oxygen saturation was going below the
acceptable level of 90. I was having short shallow breaths but putting the
oxygen did help me breath better. Different thoughts started to fill my mind at
that point. I was still within the 10-day period where most of the morbid cases
of Covid-19 usually takes place. In those moments, I just stared at the window.
In an instant, the doctor is now the patient.
I was in a situation where I was not just a
patient trying to recover physically but was also struggling emotionally and
mentally. I was thinking how health workers affected with Covid-19 may have
felt knowing they were at a critical condition and could die. I did not fear death
but there was sadness in me. I was lamenting. I was also thinking how my Uncle,
the elder brother of my father, may have felt during his own hospitalization.
He knew he had Covid19 and he knew he was in critical condition. No one was
with him while he was in the hospital. What were his thoughts then? My uncle
died the next day after he was confined. Not one family member was with him
when he died and when he was buried. It was emotionally stressful for me. Our
family could not even grieve properly for his death. I was also thinking of the
patient in the next room. I can hear the beep of his ventilator. For several
days I wake up at night to the sound of that beep. But one afternoon, the nurse
called code on him. My next room neighbor did not make it. He was another death
case from Covid19. I can imagine the grief of the family. It seemed an eternity
of mental and emotional stress for me. Even if I am a clergy, I was in a
spiritual crisis. If I do not make it, I would have many unaccomplished goals.
I would be leaving my wife and kids with nothing. I would not fulfill my
promise to my family. I would let my friends and colleagues down. I felt the
gift of life is wasted. I turned to God.
The lamenting became questions. How can I get past this situation? When I asked God, I realized what
was the problem. I reflected on my attempts trying to protect myself from Covid19?
How hard am I trying to heal myself from Covid19? Ilang tao ba ang nag message and told me with good intentions to keep myself healthy? Pero, where is God in
all of those efforts? Maybe I trusted too much on my own strength? Have I
forgotten to put everything on God alone? Is not God the God of everything?
Then why am I trying to make things happen? Since this pandemic started, I was trying
to fight the virus by myself. This concept was fed by messages of “kaya mo yan” (you can do it), “palakas
ka”(just be strong), “ganito gawin
mo, ganyan” (do this and that). Because of the messages I received I got the idea that
I can fight the virus with my own effort, I just need to do some things for my
body to resist it. But I realized that I have left out God in the equation. Because I was centered in my
own effort I have notincluded God part of the healing. That was wrong. God should be the one to heal me. God will let it happen what God wants to
happen. God will use all the T cells in me, even the medicine and
technology if God so desires, not me. I should surrender all to God and let God.
No effort from me to heal me but my only effort is to surrender to God. It will
be God at work, all the time.
Things got better and it made me hopeful.
On the 10th day, I told myself to take it one day at a time. I will
be improving only by God’s work. I am not yet out of the woods but there is
hope. I will get pass the critical period. The pulmonologist visited me and
told me that my laboratories were improving but I needed to shift to new
antibiotics. That was great news for me. It made my spirits high. It boosted my
morale. Only by God’s miraculous work can this happen. I never lost hope in
God. Even when I was thinking the worst that could happen to me, that is when
my hope in God was greater. I understood that hope is when everything is
impossible, you still believe something good can happen. Hope is the only thing
left. Hope is the only thing that keeps a person alive in the worst situation.
I love seeing the break of dawn in my window every morning. I make sure I listen to hymns played in YT. The lyrics speaks to me “When you don’t understand, when you don’t see His plan, when you can’t trace His hand, trust His heart.” I am remind by this song to hope only in God. I love the prayers of healing from family, friends and church communities. I remember people who overcame this illness inspired me and strengthened my hope. Worrying makes it difficult to get by everyday with all the negative thoughts and “what ifs” without having hope. I reminded me to never lose hope or I will not survive. When I couldn't breath, I just prayed. I know I cannot do it. But I have hope in God that God can do it for me. I have hope that in God’s perfect time I will be healed. I held on to that hope. When I can just easily give up, hope is the only thing left to keep me focused on recovering and getting better. I have high hopes because I have a great God. I never doubted so my faith in him never wavered. My hope of recovery was never lost because I know God can do it. I can continue the fight because God is my hope.
Update: On November 1, 2021 my mother succumbed to Covid-19 after several days in the hospital. My hope in the resurrection inspires me that all those who suffered will be at peace with God.
Dear Lord,
My lungs are weak and failing, may you give me some strength too.
My body is sick and aching, come heal me with your hand.
My mind is confused. I'm worried, help me to understand.
I am not afraid because you have promised you will always be with me.
I am not alone because I know I will feel your presence with me through the healthcare workers who sacrifice themselves to be instruments of healing.
My X-rays, CT scans, the lab results and the vital signs are not looking good. But my hope in you remains. There is nothing else that I can hold on to. For the facts do not count when the Great Physician is at work.
My spirit is in crisis. But my faith is in you Lord. Thank you for the moon that reminds me that the dawn is coming. Thank you for the morning light that shines so bright. My soul praises you for I was able to experience You again intensely. Thank you for the opportunity to refocus myself back to You. I can now look beyond myself.
God of grace. Let my experience be mine alone. Keep my loved ones and everyone else safe. Spare the weak. Protect the vulnerable.
God of love. Thank you for showing your unconditional love to us. Thank you for your Son who showed obedience to Your will.Thank you for His life and His victory over death. We are not afraid because of His triumph. We will overcome this illness. We will overcome this pandemic. We will overcome.
I am not alone because of family and friends who keeps me company. Thank you for technology that allows videocalls, SMS and chats. We have felt your presence, Oh God, through each others messages.
I am not afraid because you are the God in times of calmness and in times of storm. You are the same God before Covid19, in this time of Covid19 and even after Covid19 is gone.
My mind has received the peace of God which surpasses all understanding.
My body is now rested with the Balm of Gilead we have been healed.
My lungs are now stronger with the power and might bestowed upon us all.
I can breath now for the breath of the Almighty gives us life that is full.
Amen.
While we celebrate, we do not see Covid-19 ending anytime soon. We are preparing the hospital for a long term response. Thus, we transferred the Covid 19 response back to the Administration and incorporated it back to the regular hospital operations. We welcomed the new CMPS this month too and with the new leadership, we are excited with how our response against Covid-19 will be.
One of the church workers active in the work of the church is Rev. Edgar de Jesus. He is the current President of the NAFAUM. I had a quick chat with Pastor Edgar today. He was inviting me to the upcoming Zoom Webinar on June 22 entitled "Leading the Church in the time of Pandemic." This has been a series of ongoing discussions which is a very timely topic as the world goes through a major change in its daily activities including the church. The way how church activities like mission work, outreach, conferences and the regular worship service is being affected such as the church sacraments of baptism, Holy Communion and even the rituals of wedding and burial have to be drastically change. It has create confusion, chaos, debates and unanswered questions. People can no longer have the Lord's Supper because of the quarantine. People can not gather in worship so will they be allowed to celebrate the Lord's Supper online? If gatherings are not allowed, then how can public declarations of the couple's love be done during their dream wedding. Will it be done online? Even the annual conferences, which is the major and crucial activity in the church have to be postponed. How can deliberations on church concerns be done including the reading of appointments? And this has domino effect on the length of stay of the administrative pastors and the District Superintendents and even the episcopacy. But the crucial concern is how can the church perform now its mission in the society? The forum will focus on how the pandemic affected the programs of the church in promoting social justice. Have we all just paused our work as Christians because of the health concern? Will Jesus have stopped ministering to the poor and oppressed because there was a curfew and quarantine? I am excited about this online event. This webinar will be able to provide insight and guidance to how the church will move forward in its life even as we anticipate major changes in the United Methodist Church. Pastor Edgar will moderate this event.
