Midwives of God's Kingdom

Stewardship: Midwives of God’s Kingdom

A sermon preached in the Stewardship Sunday of the Tagalog Service at the Kamuning UMC last Nov. 18, 2012.

Text: Mark 13: 1-8

Ang Diyos ay sumainyo...

Noong una kong binasa ang teksto natin ay naalala ko ang una kong pasyente na tinulungan kong manganak. Ang tagal ng kanyang labor. Dumating siya ng gabi at halos 14 hours siyang naglabor dahil kinabukasan na siya nanganak. Sa loob ng 14 hours nay un ay sakit na sakit siya. Humihilab daw ang tyan nya at pumapalo hanggang sa likod. Sabi ng residente ko ay ganun talaga ang nanganganak at kailangan ko lang siyang alalayan at siguraduhin na hindi magkakaproblema habang nag-lalabor. Noong manganganak na siya ay kinakabahan ako dahil first time ko at hindi ko alam ang aking gagawin. Sabin g residente ko ay huwag ako matakot dahil lalabas at lalabas din ang baby, kailangan ko lang alalayan ang nanay at hawakan ang ulo, hilahin pababa at pataas para matulungan mailabas ng maayos ang bata. Paalala ng residente ko sa akin, manganganak at manganganak din yan, kailangan ko lang alalayan para may mabuti at maganda ang panganganak ng ina sa bata.

Ang teksto ngayon ay hango sa Marcos 13:1-8. Ang Marcos ay kilalang libro kung saan madalas ay nag-iiwan ito ng mga katanungang kailangan nating sagutin. Pakinggan natin kung ano ang challenge sa atin ngayon sa pagcelebrate natin ng Stewardship Sunday. Ngayong umagang ito ang ating teksto ay patungkol sa kwento ni Hesus kasama ang mga disipolo  at papalabas sa templo. Noong isang linggo ay narinig natin na binabatikos ni Hesus ang mga lider sa templo na lihis ang kanilang kalooban. Ngayon naman ay napansin ng mga disipolo ang kagandahan ng templo at ang gara nito. Ngunit si Hesus ay hindi na-impress sa panlabas na ganda nito at sinabi niyang masisira din ito sa takdang panahon.

Tinanong ng mga disipolo kung ano ang mga tanda kung kelan ito mangyayari. Nakakatakot ang sagot ni Hesus dahil parang katapusan na ng mundo kung mangyayari ito. Eto ang sabi niya, mangyayari eto kapag nakikita nangyaring:

o   Masisira ang mga matitibay na bagay tulad ng templong gawa sa malalaking bato

o   Ang mga bayan ay mawawasak ng digmaan

o   Ang lupa ay guguho, magkakaroon ng kalamidad, baha, bagyo, lindol

o   May tag gutom na mangyayari

Hindi ba parang ngayon lang yun? Hindi ba meron tayong nakikitang ganito, tulad ng:

o   may digmaan sa mga bansa…

o   may gulo sa pagitan ng gobyerno at mga rebelde…

o   bagsak ang pandaigdigang ekonomiya… kaya mas madaming naghihirap

o   madami ang walang trabaho…

o   madami ang namamatay sa gutom… dahil kulang na sa pagkain

o   may pag-aaway sa mga kaibigan at sa pamilya kahit sa loob ng simbahan…

Nagbabala si Hesus, mag-ingat kayo, sa panahong ito ay madami ang magpapanggap na messiah. Sa panahon na tayo ay nakakaranas ng problema, paghihirp, kasakitan, mas madali tayong nabubulag sa hindi tama. Madali tayong maloloko dahil naghahanap tayo ng mabilis na solusyon. Sa mga panahong tayo ay tuliro, may magpapanggap na tutulong na ibalik ang dati at pipigilan at aalisin ang sakit at hirap na ating dinaranas sa buhay. Ang mga huwad na messiah ay pipigilan nila ang labor pains. Gusto nila na tulad lang ng dati, na walang kirot, walang problema, ok sana yung walang problema pero ang ibig sabihin nun ay wala ding pagbabagong magaganap o maaaring mas masama ang kalalabasan.

Maalala ko yung kwento ng bata at ng paru-paro. Siguro narinig niyo na ang kwentong ito. May isang batang pinapanood niya ang maliit na caterpillar na umikot at gumawa ng cocoon. Habang naghahanda ang uod na lalabas sa cocoon para maging butterfly ay gumawa ito ng maliit na butas. Ngunit para bang hirap ang uod na lumabas sa maliit na butas. Naawa ang bata sa uod. Naisip ng bata na baka hindi maging butterfly ang uod kaya gusto niya itong tulongan. Nilakihan ng bata ang butas ng cocoon para makalabas ang uod. Ngunit hindi alam ng bata na ang maliit na butas, ang tila hirap na dinaranas ng uod ay isang proseso lamang upang maging ganap ang kanyang transpormasyon bilang isang paru-paro. Imbis na makatulong ay nakasira pa ito dahil hindi natanggal ang mga sobrang tubig, hindi nahanda ang pakpak ng uod para maging paru-paro. Minsan ang hirap na dinaranas natin ay kailangan upang mas mapaganda ang kalalabasan ng isang bagay.

Kaya hindi kayo magtataka (may mga OB ba ditto?) na ang painless or epidural ay may kasabay na mataas na incidence ng Caesarian Section. Ayon sa mga pag-aaral, ang mga nanganganak ng painless ay may mas mataas na risk na mauuwi sa Caesarian Section. Hindi naman ito nakapagtataka dahil ang labor pains ay isa sa mga mekanismo na kung saan ay bumababa ang bata hanggang siya ay mailuwal. Kaya ang nanay na naka-painless ay nawawalan ng pagkakataon na makatulong na i-ire ang bata para mas mapabilis at mapabuti ang panganganak niya.

Kung may mabuting maidudulot pala ang labor pains dapat wag nating tularan ang mga nagpapanggap na messiah. Huwag tayong maging tulad sa mga pekeng messiah na susubukang pigilan ang hirap at sakit at ibalik ang dating nakasanayan na. Sabi ni Hesus na mga peke sila, na para bang ang pagbabago at ang pagdating ng kaharian ng Diyos ay isang bagay na puede nilang pigilan. Hindi puedeng pigilan ang birthpangs na ito. Ang mga bagay na nangyayari dahil kasama ito sa planong pagbabagong ihahatid ng diyos.

Ang matindi, sabi ni Hesus, ang mga masasakit at malulungkot na pangyayari na parang birth pains ay simula pa lamang. Sa orihinal na Greek version, ang ginamit na word ay odin, na ang ibig sabihin ay ‘pang’ or pain or spasm. Ito yung klase ng sakit kapag ikaw ay may dyspepsia, na parang pinipilipit ang tiyan mo. Pero ang mas akmang sakit na ito ay tulad ng sakit ng panganganak. May tinatawag na Braxton Hicks sa medisina, ito yung false labor before mangyari yung true labor pains. Parang panganganak kasi masakit siya sa umpisa pero alam mo na may mabuting maidudulot yun sa kinalaunan. Alam ng ina at ng anak na bagamat mahirap ang pagdaraanan nila ay pagkatrapos nito ay matinding kaligayahan ang madarama nila. Kung ang birthpains pala – kung ang mga paghihirap na dinaranas natin ay tanda lamang ng simula ay hindi tayo dapat matakot dahil alam natin na may mabuting mangyayari pagkatapos.

Ito ang pangakong nagbibigay sa atin ng pag-asa, na sa likod ng kirot ng ay may kasiyahan. Ito ang magandang balita mga kapatid, “Na kahit na tayo ay dumaranas ng paghihirap, kaguluhan sa ating mundo, sa ating lipunan, sa ating pamilya at kahit sa ating iglesya alam natin na sa kabila nito ay ang kagandahan at kaligayahang naghihintay dahil bahagi ito ng plano ng Diyos upang tuluyang maganap ang paghahari niya sa atin at hindi na ito mapipigilan.”

Ngunit hindi ibig sabihin na sigurado na ang pagdating ng kaharian ng diyos ay wala na tayong gagawin bilang mga kristiyano. Ito, mga kapatid, ang tanong na kailangan nating sagutin. Alam natin na ang babaeng manganganak ay talagang manganganak kahit anong mangyari. Ngunit mayroong mga doctor at midwife na puedeng tumulong sa kanya upang mas maayos ang pagdating nga sanggol. Mga kapatid, hindi tayo tulad ng pekeng messiah na pipigilan ang kirot ng panganganak, bagkus tayo ay mga katiwala ng Diyos – mga midwife. Ang tanong sa atin, bilang isang katiwala ng Diyos dito sa lupa, paano ka magiging isang mabuting midwife na tutulung  na magiging mas maayos ang kapanganakan ng pagbabagong hatid ng kaharian ng diyos. Bilang katiwala ng diyos, paano ka tutulong na maging ganap ang paghahari ng Panginoon sa mundong ito?

Bilang katiwala at midwife na tutulong sa birthing process: Ano ang gagawin mo bilang katiwala upang makapagpahayag ng mabuting balita sa mga nagugutom? Sa mga may sakit? sa mga makasalanan? Sa mga ligaw ang landas?

Bilang katiwala ng Diyos, paano mo lalabanan ang kasamaan sa mundong ito? Mga kapatid, hindi tayo ang messiah ngunit bilang katiwala ni Hesus at tanging sa pangalan niya ay ano ang gagawin mo?

May mga papel diyan na puede niyong sulatan at sagutan. Ito ay sa pagitan mo lamang at ng iyong Diyos. Ano ang gagawin mo, ano ang ibibgay mo bilang isang midwife at katiwala para sa kaganapan ng pagpapalawak ng kaharian ng Diyos. Sagutin ito at ito ang pangako mo sa Diyos, at ihulog dito sa harapan mamaya habang umaawit ng himno. 

Sa ngalan ng Ama, ng Anak, at ng Espirito Santo. Amen.

References:

-          Matthew Henry’s Commentary of the Whole Bible. Mark 13:1-8.

-          Albert Barnes Notes on the Bible. Mark 13: 1-8.

-    Early Epidural Doubles CS Risk after Induction. http://www.obgynnews.com/news/top-news/single-article/early-epidural-doubles-c-section-risk-after-induction/9f4bc64ad44766d61d23925541d43b01.html

- Radical Gratitude. http://www.nwumf.org/images/radical_gratitude/year_b/radical_ gratitude_nov1306.pdf

-          Lectionary Planning  Help. http://www.gbod.org/site/c.nhLRJ2PMKsG/b.3879973/k.9C35/ Lectionary_Planning_Helps_for_Sundays.html

Breaking the Bad News

Last Thursday, I was tasked to present an interesting case during the monthly Tumor Boards of our hospital. Since this month was also the celebration of the World Hospice and Palliative Care Month, I decided to focus the discussion on how to properly disclose the diagnosis of cancer to our patients.

The case we presented was an actual case of a hospital employee who presented with a cough and was suspected to have lung metastasis and needed diagnostic workup to look for the primary cause. However, the patient had history of anxiety and the relatives are colluding not to disclose the diagnosis until the biopsy is certain. After two weeks, the biopsy was out and we were called in to disclose the diagnosis and the medical plan.

I discussed to the group the procedure we followed in disclosing to the patient and his family. I used the six step SPIKES procedure proposed by Baile, Buckman and Lintze. I explained the importance of preparing a good setting, knowing the patients perception, inviting ourselves and using the patients knowledge in explaining the disease, showing empathy and explaining the medical strategy in handling the condition.

It was overwhelming to receive enthusiastic response especially from the medical consultants from other specialty. Their enthusiasm felt like they found a new ally in battling cancer. We could never overemphasize the importance of giving good patient care especially to our cancer patients. And there is no better way to start showing our love and concern to our patient than in disclosing properly a bad news. 

Surgical Amputation of Sinful Parts

A Sermon preached in Kamuning First United Methodist Church on Christian Education Sunday, Vesper Worship.      
      The Lord be with you.
      I am a practicing medical doctor in Ospital ng Maynila. And I am tasked to preach tonight because our topic is on the surgical amputation or removal of your hand, your feet or your eyes especially if they are sinful. This is the instruction of the Great Physician, this is the advice Jesus gave to his disciples according to the text that we read from Mark 9:38-50.
      The Gospel of Mark is known for his unique and radical stories and instructions. Today we read a very radical teaching that Jesus gave to his disciples. This is appropriate because we are at the end of our Christian education month celebration. During the previous Sundays we have given emphasis on the importance of Christian education as part of our discipleship – part of our training and transformation as followers of Jesus Christ. It is appropriate then that we end Christian education month being educated by Jesus himself about some basic principles in our discipleship.
     In our Gospel reading, Jesus talked about the things that can endanger our Christian health. The gospel text uses the Greek word “skandalizo” which means a stumbling block to describe sin. Anything that puts blemish in our Christian health and leads us to commit sin is a stumbling block. And Jesus said, the stumbling block must be removed to keep ourselves healthy and holy, to remain faithful followers of Christ.
     This is a story of why we need to be mindful with our Christian life. This is a question of how serious are we in our discipleship. How committed are we to becoming true Christians? How committed are we in removing sinful things within us that endangers our faith, our Christian health?
     How committed are we to remain faithful disciples of Jesus? Is there conscious effort from us to be free from sin and distractions that endanger our Christian health and discipleship? Or are we complacent and too comfortable with our faith now that we tolerate simple sins and stumbling blocks because we believe they are, after all, not really destructive to our Christian discipleship.  Remember, our sinful nature tempts and may cause us to commit sin and fall away from God. Sometimes we no longer see these little stuffs as harmful especially if they are important to us. But Jesus said, cut your hands if it causes you to sin. Of course, like any Jewish Rabbi, Jesus was using a hyperbole and was exaggerating to emphasize a point. But why did Jesus instruct his disciples to amputate parts of our body? Why do we need to remove some body parts? Can we not just keep it? What happens if we keep it?
     Two months ago, I had a patient that we needed to cut his right foot. He was a 55 year old man from Tondo and works as a kagawad and he patrols their area every time. But because he walks a lot, his foot got injured with a blister that eventually became an open wound and later on was infected. Because he was diabetic, the wound did not heal easily until his foot became gangrenous. “ibig, sabihin, nabubulok na yung paa nya dahil sa hindi gumagaling na sugat.” He was advised that his foot should be amputated or the infection will spread in his body and will be a cause of his death. The right foot was the diseased body part but it endangers the life of the patient if not removed. The gangrenous right foot could be the cause of his death. But he does not want his foot to be amputated. Last Friday, he was admitted in the hospital. He was septic. “Kumalat na sa buong katawan niya ang infection.” I visited them and the whole family was there because it was also his birthday. The patient was intubated and was unconscious. The wife told me, “kung pumayag lang sana siya noon na putulin na yung paa niya sana maayos pa siya ngayon.” That same night, my intern informed me that the patient already died. The patient died because of the non-healing wound in his right foot. If only he agreed that his foot be amputated, he could have saved his life.     
     When Jesus instructed that we need to cut-off any sinful things in our life, he wanted us to preserve our Christian life. He wanted us to remove the sins that threaten our Christian health and lead us to death. He did not want us to go to hell. Yes, Jesus mentioned hell. And he did not want us to end up there. We must cut and remove the stumbling blocks of sin to preserve the Christian life God has given us. Anything that causes us to sin and be derailed from living a holy Christian life is a stumbling block and must be removed. Anything that threatens our spiritual health must be cut-off.
     Cutting off something is easier said than done. But Jesus always says radical things, radical enough to shock the disciples and even us. What Jesus was teaching his disciples was ironic because he was telling the people that to remain spiritually healthy and holy you must amputate and remove part of your body that is unclean when in fact, it was their custom at that time that people with no hand, or lame or blind are not allowed in the temple because they are thought to be unhealthy and unclean.
     The Jewish people thought that having two hands and two feet is more important but Jesus said NO! What is more important is a clean and healthy spirit.  And so if your hands and feet are unsalvageable and they cause your spirit to be unhealthy and sinful, remove it to save yourself from becoming sinful. And anything that you think is important should be cut-off and removed if it blemishes your spiritual health. If it is your eyes, remove your eyes. If it is your mouth, remove it. If it is complacency in your faith, remove it.
     Complacent faith? Is that a stumbling block in our spiritual health? Does it affect our discipleship making? Yes, complacency is one of the threats to our Christian growth. We can become complacent and comfortable with what we do that we think we know enough. Our complacency had allowed us to become mediocre in our faith and turn a blind eye on little stumbling blocks in our Christian growth. This is especially true if we have been long-time Christians. We lose the desire in our heart to become better Christians every day. Complacent faith can threaten our Christian health.
     Aside from a complacency in our discipleship, there are other stuff that we think are harmless but can endanger our Christian life. Every day we encounter temptations that lead us to commit sin. Every day we encounter stumbling blocks to our faith. And Jesus said, whatever part of you that may cause you to stumble and sin must be cut-off.   
     Are you not scandalized enough by what Jesus requires of us? Anything that leads us to poor Christian health and life must be removed. Not only our body parts. If it is your boyfriend/girlfriend that threatens your Christian health, remove it. If it is your best friend or barkada that teaches you to sin, remove them. If it is your family that prevents you to know more about your God, cut them off. If it is your career that keeps you from becoming a good disciple, remove it and resign. If it is your bank account and wealth that hinders you from obeying God, remove it. Anything that makes you stumble from becoming a good disciple of Christ must be cut off and removed. These are some of the radical demands of Christian discipleship.
     I had a friend when I was a UMYF and he had a girlfriend for almost four years. On the day of their anniversary, he was planning to propose to her. But he had a problem, it was a Saturday and he has praise and worship practice and the next day is a busy Sunday for him so he planned to do it on a Monday. But her girlfriend insisted that they should celebrate on Saturday and that he should skip band practice just this once. He was in a dilemma, if he will not practice the music ministry will be compromised and his faith might suffer but if he will not heed her girlfriend’s request, her girlfriend will get mad and will not forget what he did for the rest of their life. So he asked me what to do. I said, “Christ above all.” (Pause)
     My brothers and sisters, would you be able to give up your relationship if it causes you to move away from God and stumble in your faith?
      Would you quit your dream job because it tempts you to be corrupt and causes you to commit sin everyday?
      Or how about the common stumbling blocks that we fail to see as hindrances to our faithful discipleship.
      Would you be able to sacrifice a little of your precious time for your Sunday afternoon nap so you can come thirty minutes earlier to attend Vesper Sunday School?
     Can you turn off your cellphones and risk missing an important business call so you can give your 100 percent focus in worshipping God?
     Those are the important parts of your life. Would you be willing to cut-off these important parts in your life that cause you to stumble in your journey towards a healthy life in Christ?
     Can you do it? Because it is difficult and it will be painful.
     But Jesus said, we have to do this if we want to become faithful followers of Jesus Christ. If we want to live a blameless and healthy Christian life, we must remove the stumbling blocks that cause us to sin. But it is going to be painful.
     It will be painful to resign from your dream job. It will hurt when you will end unhealthy relationships. It will be agonizing to sacrifice your family ties. It will  be difficult to wake up early from your sleep or nap. It will be difficult to forgo an opportunity. It will be painful and difficult to sacrifice something important in our life.
     But it is better to be jobless than to be sinful. It is better to be single if it means God will be your constant companion. It is better not to have a cellphone if it means we can worship God whole heartedly. It is better to have lack of sleep if it means more time with God in Sunday School.  For Jesus said, it is better to lose a part of yourself than to lose your entire life.
     It will be difficult and painful to lose supposedly important things in our life. Imagine the pain of surgically amputating your hand or your feet. Imagine the psychological torment it will bring to see a part of you absent. The physical pain, the mental pain and the psychological and spiritual pain will haunt you and may even leave you sleepless.  But those are just temporary. Jesus, the great physician promised that if we follow his prescription and advice, our life will be preserved.  That is the good news my dear brothers and sisters, if we choose to obey the Great Physicians advice to surgically amputate and cut-off the things that cause us to sin, Jesus promised that even if we are blind or lame, we will have a healthy and holy life FOREVER in the kingdom of God.
     My dear brothers and sisters, take the Great doctors advice. With God’s help, amputate and cut-off the sins that will destroy you, and you will live a healthy life forever in the kingdom of God.
     In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Noah and the Flood

It has been raining for several days now here in Luzon and there is no typhoon. Rain day and night. Water is rising. Flood everywhere. This is how Noah and the people must have felt during those times it was raining and floodwater was rising. Beyond the theological point of the flood, I want to know how the people felt at that time. I want us to consider what we feel right now that rain is pouring and we are flooded.

What do we feel? Are we scared? Are we bothered? Are we happy? Are we gloomy? What are we feeling during these time?

I feel helpless.

And I wonder if what we feel right are the same emotions that run through the hearts of the people and Noah? Can we find a connection with Noah and his emotions? But how did Noah cope up? What was the promise he was holding that kept him going? What attitude did he exhibit? What kind of faith did he have? Can we have the same faith during this time? Can we hold on to the same promise of hope? Is not Noah's God the same God that we worship? We know the story of Noah and we know that at the end of the flood is a rainbow. I may feel down with all these rain and flood just like Noah and his family did. But I know that Noah's story ended happily and his emotions were high. I look forward to that day, when I will see a rainbow. And I know I will know how Noah felt when he stepped on dry ground.

Your Pastor is Crazy

Just for laughs, let me share you this.

In one group discussion I had with fellow pastors-to-be in seminary, we made fun about the need for pastors to have psychological tests. The logic behind the requirement was that only those who are mentally sound should be allowed to become Pastors. In that sense, no Pastoral candidate would pass their Psychological Test because only crazy people would want to be a pastor.

Who would want to work and sacrifice their time and energy for less than minimum wage? Only crazy people. Who would want to spend less time with their loved ones and more time with total strangers in hazardous hospitals and cold prison cells and still be unappreciated? Only crazy people. Who would want to spend an entire week reading books and write sermons to people who will not listen (if they would come to church) and be criticized for being sloppy? Only crazy people. Who would want to exert their effort, blood and sweat just to help another person and still be called ineffective? Crazy people. And who would spend their whole life SERVING others without expecting anything in return (indeed, they receive nothing/no pension when they retire)? Only crazy people.

Only crazy people who think as above can be pastors. They will not pass the psychological test. I guess I'm crazy. And if you want to talk to some more crazy person... go visit your Pastor. Hehehe...

Father At Work

Father at Work

(This sermon was preached in Kamuning United Methodist Church on Father's Day).

Today we read about two parables from the Gospel of Mark, the Parable of the Growing Seed and the Parable of the Mustard Seed. The Gospel of Mark is full of stories and images about the kingdom of God, about making God the king in our hearts, about making disciples of Jesus. That is our calling as Christians, to be disciples of Jesus and grow into Christ-likeness. The Parable of the Growing Seed is a story unique only to the Gospel of Mark and so this parable may emphasize an important message about our discipleship and growth as Christians after the seed of faith has been planted in our hearts. This theme is rightly so on Father’s Day. We know that Fathers want nothing less but for their children to grow in the right way and maximize their potential. Our Father in heaven definitely wants nothing less than to see the seed of faith planted in our hearts to grow and that this growth will lead us into Christian perfection. Let me be gender sensitive here, when we say heavenly Father to refer to God, we do not mean that God is a man for he has no gender. But I want to emphasize God’s Fatherly attribute of wanting nothing less than for his children to grow in faith to grow into holiness just as our Father in heaven is holy.

But how does the seed of faith grow?

The first parable is about the mysterious growth of the seed. The word “seed” in our Gospel comes from the Greek word sporos or spiro which also means “to scatter.” And Jesus was telling about the parable of the growing seed to describe the kingdom of God. What do we think or imagine when you hear the word kingdom of God. Not just any other kingdom, but the kingdom of God. And that kingdom of God is established here on earth. Maybe you think about castles in heaven. Or pearly gates. And not only glorious structures but also powerful and influential systems made up of strong, cultured and well-educated people. That’s what a kingdom looks like. And if that is the kingdom of the God of the universe, then it should be the best kingdom the world has ever known. To be able to build and grow that kingdom, you have to plan well. You have to strategize. You have to plan about your budget. Strategize how to raise that budget, what materials to use, when do you start and when will construction end. You have to organize what needs to be done and who are the point person in charge. You have to plan what should be accomplished within a timeframe? That is how you establish a kingdom. You have to plan, strategize, organize and think of a formula. And so imagine the shock of the people when they heard Jesus say, that the kingdom of God is like a little seed that you will scatter. “Ikakalat” mo. No plans or organizing needed. Ikalat mo lang. Building God’s kingdom should be almost in a disorganized, non-specific and non-systematic manner. Just plant the seed without plan, without strategizing where it will fall. At best, the sower can only plan to direct if he wants to scatter the seeds in the left or the right but he does not plan on which specific area the seed should grow nor how many feet away from the other seeds or other meticulous planning and strategizing. Imagine building a kingdom through a disorganized and unsystematic manner. That is an absurd idea. It almost guarantees that such kingdom will be a failure.

Planning and organizing has been essential part of our lives to ensure that our goals are met. Just think of the time when you were a kid and you were planning to be somebody when you grow up. You were planning to be the president of the Philippines, a well-traveled stewardess, an adventurous astronaut, a famous model, a professional basketball player or any other profession. The good father works hard to ensure that their kids will grow up to their potential. As we grow up we keep working out our plan to grow up the way we wanted to be. Because we know careful planning and organizing is key to achieving success. But Jesus said, the kingdom of God will grow without such plan and strategy. Just like the kids who did not end up growing as they planned, they still grew up to be fine man and woman because their father worked hard for their future. And so absurd as it may sound, God’s kingdom will grow even if there is no plan, even if it’s in a random and disorganized manner. Only because our Father is working, God is at work to grow the seed of faith.

And then we read that the farmer will sleep then wake-up and sleep again and do almost nothing, yet the seed will mysteriously grow although we may not see it. This is even more intriguing. How can we say the seed grew if we do not see evidence?

Alam niyo mga kapatid, we always fall on this trap. We always look for signs that a person has grown in his faith. We want to see the seed grow forgetting that the seed takes time to grow and the seed may in fact be growing underneath the earth away from our perception. Because we do not see the how the seed grow does not mean it is not growing. Even I fell on this trap. I lead a Bible Study group in my work place for three years now. And for the longest time I have been frustrated because I do not see any evidence that my co-workers are growing in their faith. I tried so hard to make the Bible Study interesting, I tried to encourage them to actively participate in our study, and sometimes I ask them to lead in the prayer or share some insights about the Bible. I gave my best effort hoping to see fruits that my co-workers are growing in their faith. Nut I still see no fruits. Well last month, I was away for almost a month, they told me that they missed the weekly Bible Study that we have. It turned out that our bible study group was the closest thing that they have to a spiritual family. And it was a venue for them to grow in their faith. I said, how can you grow in your faith when I do not see any fruit. I mean I do not see you volunteer to lead our bible study, or lead the group in prayer or any other similar signs. These are the signs I wanted to see. Because I do not see it, I thought they were not growing in faith. Two of them said, their actions may not have drastically changed but in their heart they felt the real presence of God in their life. Another one said, he has now been an active member of a Christian fellowship group in his residence since last year after being encouraged by our work. But one older doctor really had me reflecting, she said, “I don’t have confidence to pray aloud in our big group but now I always pray before meals.” And I realized that it was true. “Sya yung sumisigaw every lunch time namin, kasi sabay sabay kami kumakain sa office.” She would shout, “O pray na tayo.” I have taken that for granted when two years ago, it was a typical workplace where people would just grab a food and eat without praying. There are simple things that we do not see as signs of growth in the seed of faith in people’s hearts.

How does the seed of faith grow when we do not see it?

Most often we want to see the fruit before we say the seed has grown. Yet we forget that, even when we do not see it, even when slower than we expect, even when it was not to our expectations, our Father is working, God is at work to grow the seed of faith.

Here is another problem. Because we do not see the mysterious growth of the seed, we think our effort is necessary to help it grow. We think human work is important to build the kingdom of God. Our lack of understanding about the mystery of faith is exemplified at different levels with our typical attitude towards a person we think needs to grow his faith, needs to be changed and become Christian. And so we plot to do something so his faith will grow. When I was a UMYF, my professor was also my campus minister. I was so impressed by his passion in leading our group. He told me that campus ministry was his ministry. And so he asked me to invite some of my friends to attend an evangelistic night with an American Pastor. Someone that needs me to grow into a better Christian. When it was time for the altar call, the preacher said, “all those who felt that God is calling you, come to the altar.” Nung nakita nila yung baguhan kong kasama na hindi lumapit sa altar, the pastor went down from the pulpit and stood in front of us and said, “don’t be ashamed to come to God, just take that one step, and come to the Lord so you will be blessed.” I looked at my companion as if to signal him but he whispered to me, “hindi ko nararamdaman na tinatawag ako eh.” And so when my friend still did not come, when almost everybody who was new was kneeling in front, the pastor called some of the worship leaders and they circled around my friend as if they will gang up on him. So my friend was probably intimidated kaya sumama na din siya and he knelt in front. But that left a lot of question in my heart. What does the campus minister mean that this was his ministry? Isn’t it God’s ministry? And he was just taking part of God’s ministry? Bakit niya inaangkin na sa kanya yung ministry nay yun? And what did he mean that there are people who need me, my help to become better Christians? What can I do to make other people better Christians? Isn’t it God’s work to grow people’s faith? And what does it mean that the preacher almost wanted to drag my friend to come to the altar call? Was God too slow to change my friend’s heart that God needed the preacher’s help? This is an example of how ignorant we are to the work of God thus we try to put human effort to grow the seeds when faith is supposed to be the work of God.

In 1 Corinthians 3:5-7 we read, What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” It is clear that God alone grows and increases our faith. If there was human effort, it is nothing but part of God’s work. With or without the human effort, God will mysteriously work.

Our great Methodist founder, John Wesley said, that the growth of the seed is a growth toward Christian holiness and it is possible by God’s grace alone. Wesley said just as the earth will grow the seed into a shoot, an ear and a corn God’s grace will move us toward justification, then sanctification and ends with our glorification. Wesley understood that our faith journey to Christian perfection is only possible through the grace of God. No human response is possible apart from God’s grace. Similarly, the growth of the Kingdom of God is not dependent to human work. Human effort has nothing to do with growing the seed of faith. We are not the ones who will build God’s kingdom. So we ask ourselves, how does the seed of faith grow? God’s kingdom will grow not because men are at work. It is because our Father is working, God is at work in growing the seed of faith.

Not only does the kingdom of God grow regardless of human effort, the kingdom of God can grow and will grow even if it starts from something small.

The parable of the mustard seed tells us that even a tiny thing known to man is enough to build a kingdom. A mustard seed is a very small seed almost similar to the seed that we see in a burger bun. And that is the smallest seed known to the Jews during the time of Jesus. It is indeed amazing to imagine that such a small seed can make an entire farm field be covered with the mustard weed. Yet, the fact is that small seed will grow up and notoriously spread itself. When it has grown big, it will attract birds which in turn will help spread the mustard seeds to grow in other areas. As the new mustard seed grows and spread more birds will come and more seeds will scatter. And almost an entire field will be covered by this unwanted weed. It would be nice to think that the point of the parable is to compare the growth of the kingdom of God with the spread of the mustard weed. We must understand that the mustard seed grows into a weed, something that farmers don’t like. The Greek word for mustard seed is sinapi or sinomai which also means to sting or hurt. The mustard seed indeed grows into a weed that hurt and destroys the other crops in the field that is why farmers crop it out. And yet despite the cropping out of the farmers, despite the suppression it gets, the tiny mustard seed will continue to grow and spread. More importantly, the weed that is despised by farmers will ironically attract birds that will help it spread more its seed. Such is the kingdom of God. It will be unwanted and its growth will be suppressed by people, circumstances and events. They will try to weed it out to prevent its spread. Despite that, God is at work in growing the little seed of faith.

My dear brothers and sisters, there will be farmers who will try to weed out and suppress the growth of our faith, there will be people who will destroy our faith, there will be circumstances where our faith will be shaken, there will be events where our faith will be tested, there will be division among our churches, there will be quarrels in our congregations, hurtful words that will be thrown against us, there will be false accusations, there will be retaliations, there will be aggression, there will be violence, friends will stab us in the back, there will be broken relationships between parent and child or between husband and wife, there will be brokenness, we will hate church, we will hate church members, there will be hatred, there will be dwindling membership, there will be finger pointing, there will be losses, we will loss friends and family members, we will be discouraged, there will be temptations, there will be difficulties and challenges, in our lives, in our relationships, in our work, in our home, in our church, and all these will happen to destroy our faith – to suppress the growth of the tiny little seed of faith in our heart. How can the seed of faith grow and spread with all these difficulties? The good news my dear brothers and sisters, is that our Father is working. God is still at work in growing the little seed of faith in our hearts. And the little seed in your heart will, despite and inspite of everything, it will attract another person which will plant another seed of faith in that other person’s heart. And it will attract another person and the seed of faith will continue to spread. All this will happen because of a tiny mustard seed. All this is possible because God is at work.

My dear brothers and sisters, when we do not see the sprout from the seed, when we do not see the outcomes we have envisioned, when everything did not come out as we have expected, or when our faith is being destroyed, do not despair. God is not yet finished. Remember the good news you have heard today, our Father is still working, God is still at work.

The Circuit Rider

The Circuit Rider

Objective:

•       To discuss the biblical basis for the itinerant system of our church

•       To remind pastors the difficult but rewarding task of being sent in the name of Christ and their task of sharing the grace of God for the sanctification of the church

•       To remind churches of their task in continuing the ministry and maintaining the health of the local churches

Whenever I lead the Bible Study in our workplace, I always ask questions.  So to give a twist on this Bible reflection, I will ask some questions and raise your hands if you know the answer. So for the first question:

•       Who is the famous circuit rider, also one of the first American Methodist Bishops, that become iconic with the image of a horse rider?

a)      John Wesley

b)      Francis Asbury

c)       Thomas Coke

The correct answer is b.) Francis Asbury. John Wesley also rode the horse and he indeed travelled great distance to preach the gospel. Despite being credited as the founder of Methodism, Wesley was not an American Bishop. That distinction belongs to Asbury and Coke who were consecrated at the same time as Bishops of American Methodist. Although both travelled on horseback, it was Francis Asbury who became associated with the circuit rider. His iconic image of riding the horse is a monument found in Drew University.

The circuit rider has been a name used to refer to the early Methodist preachers in America. As the name suggest, they are riding a horse to move around their circuit, the circuit is composed of many congregations. For his part, Bishop Asbury travelled 6,000 miles each year to preach. Do you have any idea how far that is? The Philippines is 1150 miles from the tip of Luzon to the end of Mindanao. That means Bishop Asbury rode the horse from Luzon to Mindanao at least six times within a year. And to think he had to do that every year. The distance is already a very tiring task to imagine. Add to that the dangers of travelling in a forest, the exhaustion of the body, the loneliness, the discomfort and the uncertainty of what lies ahead. Yet, the circuit riders went on. Now, if being sent as a circuit rider was a difficult and challenging task the question begs to be asked:

•        Why did John Wesley sent Circuit Riders to preach the gospel?

a)      It was part of his theological understanding of doing the mission

b)      It was a strategy adapted from the Bible to reach the wide field for evangelism

c)        All of the above

In her Theology of Mission paper, Pastor Jody Spiak noted that John Wesley saw practical and theological reasons in sending circuit riders.[1]

John Wesley wrote in a letter in 1756, "We have found by long and consistent experience that a frequent exchange of preachers is best. This preacher has one talent, that another; no one whom I ever yet knew has all the talents which are needful for beginning, continuing, and perfecting the work of grace in a whole congregation.”[2]

She added that the itinerant system of sending preachers was Wesley’s practical solution to the Great Commission. It is Wesley’s Theology of mission.

The itinerant system is a Wesleyan Theology of Mission[3]. It is a response to the concept of Missio Dei – God is a missionary God. The task of the church is not to do mission but to be part of the mission of God. Just as God the Father sent Jesus, so are we sent to the world to do the mission of God. Do you remember where can we find this verse?

•       Where  can we find this verse, “Peace be unto you, as the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you?”

a)      John 20:21-22

b)      John 11:35

We are sent. That is clear in John 20. In that chapter, Jesus was about to leave his disciples. He showed himself to them after his resurrection and commissioned them.First, Jesus appointed them to go on with his work, spread his gospel, and set up of his kingdom. The disciples were sent the way Jesus was sent. But the question we need to ask ourselves, how was Jesus sent? If we are to be sent just like Jesus, we should know how Jesus was sent. And that will be the model we will follow in performing the mandate that was given to us. So let us look, how was Jesus sent?

Read John 4:34; 5:30; 6:38

In Henry’s Commentary, Jesus was sent, not to be ministered to, but to minister. Jesus was not to do his own will, but the will of him that sent him – the Father. He was not to destroy the law and the prophets, but to fill them up. As the Father sent Jesus to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, so he sends us into all the world to find the lost. This is how we must also behave if we are to be sent like Jesus was sent.

Read John 8:29; 2 Cor. 5:9-11; Eph. 5:10; 1 Cor. 7:32; Phil. 3:7-8

In the following verses, we see that Christ was sent not to please Himself, but to please His Sender. In a posted Biblical reflection, the author noted that the danger of doing mission is we try so much to reach out to people by pleasing them when in fact it displeases God. [4] He then continued the reflection with the following verses.

Read John 3:34; 7:16; 12:49-50

Here we find in these verses that Christ was sent into the world, not with His own words and doctrine, but with the words and doctrine of His Sender.[5]

Read John 8:29; Matthew 28:20

         After Jesus was sent, he elaborated that the one who sent him did not send him alone. The Holy Spirit was always with him and so it will be with those Jesus will send. These verses are very comforting knowing that the mission we are tasked to do is difficult and full of challenges. The itinerant system that we Methodists go through every year is met with anxiety both by the “circuit riders” and the “parishioners.” There will be dangers and trials  to where we will be sent but as Wesley said, “the best of all, God is with us.”

        As we end our holy conferencing and go to our different church appointments, let me leave you with these words for reflection. Pastor Spiak asked these similar question but let me frame it in our present context. Despite a strong missional theological basis for our itinerant system, we have focused too much on the system of “sending/appointments” to which we resist so much. I believe that we only resist the system because we “forgot” the theology behind it. Now, my challenge is - how can we re-claim the missionary purpose of itinerancy? In the same way, how can the local churches reclaim its active participation in the missionary purpose of our itinerancy?

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[1] www.mm-umc.org

[2] The Encyclopaedia of World Methodism, Vol 1. 1974

[3] John Nuessle, www.gbgm-umc.org

[4] www.middletownbible.org

[5] Ibid.