Church For LGBT - Open Table MCC - Philippines podcast

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Biscuits & Jam

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The War and Treaty Are Getting Carried Away 46:55

5 päivää sitten46:55

Toista Myöhemmin

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46:55

The War and Treaty’s Michael and Tanya Trotter grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and Washington, DC, respectively, but both have family roots in the South. They also grew up in the musical traditions of their churches – Tanya in the Black Baptist Church and Michael in the Seventh Day Adventist Church – where they learned the power of song to move people. After becoming a father at a very young age, Michael eventually joined the armed forces and served in Iraq and Germany, where he took up songwriting as a way of dealing with his experiences there. Meanwhile Tanya embarked on a singing and acting career after a breakthrough appearance in Sister Act 2 alongside Whoopi Goldberg and Lauryn Hill. Now, after a long and sometimes traumatic journey, Michael and Tanya are married, touring, winning all sorts of awards, and set to release their fifth album together, and their fourth as The War and Treaty. Sid talks to Michael and Tanya about the new record, Plus One , as well as their collaboration with Miranda Lambert, what it was like to record at FAME studios in Muscle Shoals, and how they’re blending country, soul, gospel, and R&B. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices…

Church for LGBT - Open Table MCC - Philippines

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The Inclusive Church with special ministry to the LGBTQI community

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#Religion #Christianity #San Jose #Philippines #Open Table MCC Sunday Worship

Church for LGBT - Open Table MCC - Philippines

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updated 7 päivää sitten

Jaa

Sarjan koti•Feed

The Inclusive Church with special ministry to the LGBTQI community

22 jaksoa

#Religion #Christianity #San Jose #Philippines #Open Table MCC Sunday Worship

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Grace in Community 43:29

7 päivää sitten43:29

43:29

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the encourager, in encouragement; the giver, in sincerity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness. Let love be genuine; hate what is evil; hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal; be ardent in spirit; serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; pursue hospitality to strangers. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Romans 12:3-14 NRSVUE Good Afternoon everyone. Today is the last Sunday of Ordinary time. Ash Wednesday na this week and next week will be our first Sunday of Lent – Kwaresma. Today is also our last Sunday sa preaching series natin sa GRACE with a Bonus Preaching Track. Sino pala ang naka-kumpleto sa inyo sa preaching series na ito? Perfect attendance? Ano ang tumatak sa inyo sa series na ito? In all of the Sunday na andito kayo ano yung isa o dalwang bagay na pulot at bibit-bitin Ninyo about Grace? (Free chika). Direk, preaching time starts now. We have been talking about grace for several Sundays now, but for the last time, I wish to talk about grace more in the context of community life BILANG Open Table MCC. Afterall our middle name is “Community” and this is also one of our local church values, togetherness in community. Pero I hope even if I will be talking about Open Table’s context, you will also learn about Grace na pwede nyo ring apply sa iba pang mga communities and groups na part kayo, and even sa inyong mga personal relationships, families, and other friends. One of my favorite authors and I would say a public-life theologian, Diana Butler Bass says, Christianity did not begin with a confession. It began with an invitation into friendship, into creating a new community, into forming relationships based on love and service. When Jesus started his travelling ministry of preaching and healing, it started with an invitation –Jesus invited his first followers, yung magkapatid na Simon Peter and Andrew, at yung magkapatid na James and John, sons of Zebedee. His 12 to 15 initial followers where not only his disciples, they were his friends, the community he travelled with. Christianity is and should be an invitation into friendship and community expressed through service and love as per Diana Butler Bass. As it later developed, our primary conception of God as Christians is Communal. God as Trinity expresses the nature of God as love within a community. Kasi love is relational. God as ONE God yet Three Divine persons, and one of the 3 became bodily human – this Triune God incarnated in Jesus Christ is queer and non-conforming. If we are created in the image and likeness of God, ergo, one of our most fundamental natures is being communal or relational. We are social animals sabi nga. We are bound to form groups. Our survival and development depended on us working together as groups. This is even more true for Filipinos and many Asian and South East Asian cultures – we are communal and familial culture. As per Elizabeth De Castro, professor of Psychology tells us that “Kapwa” is the core of our Filipino consciousness, and Kapwa means you, me, and we together, and from this cultural consciousness of KAPWA – kabutihan loob – inner goodness – proceeds. The hyper-individualism of Western Capitalism is exactly what is making us feel alone, depressive, anxious, and toxic. Hyper-individualism is also what’s making some progressives and wokes, toxic and mean. We are all here today because by human nature, by our Filipino culture of Kapwa by our Trinirarian Christian faith, we are called into community – hence we come and gather as Metropolitan C-O-M-M-U-N-I-T-Y Church. But communities are not perfect. Sometimes communities, families, and relationships are difficult, annoying, and disappointing. Because we are not perfect. Diversity and differences sometimes cause tensions and even conflicts. Natural yun. And if I must say mas dangerous ata ang community na walang conflict or disagreement kasi hindi na sila diverse even sa pag-iisip. We acknowledge the imperfection of communities including Open Table. We acknowledge that there will always be some tensions and from these we learn, and we mature to live by and practice GRACE – loving kindness. Kasi kung perfect na yung community, wala na tayong matututunan at pagyabong. There is no growth in perfection. Perfection is death. It is only in and through an intentional shared life together that God transforms us and our individual selfishness, arrogance, and greed. Christianity and other spiritual traditions has always been a an invitation into communion – into connections. Therefore, the invitation of Jesus Christ into friendship and a new community is an invitation to a life and a spirituality of GRACE – loving kindness. Afterall, All relationships are only formed and maintained when the people give loving kindness to each other, especially in their imperfections. GRACE is what makes belonging possible and sustainable. Our problems and challenges as a faith community today is not so different with some of the early Christians. As the Christians communities started to grow and expand, Paul and the other leaders struggled with organizing and guiding the Christian communities who were diverse. Paano ba gabayan at i-organize ang mga ito bilang mga taga sunod ni Hesus? They were diverse coming from different religious and opposing backgrounds, and all of them were born, grew up, and lived within a culture and society that was Imperial and Patriarchal. The first 30 to 40 years of Christianity after the death and resurrection of Jesus, there were tensions and conflicts between Jewish Christians and Gentile Christian, and these conflicts or tensions were recorded in the Book Acts twice, and then this was evident in the letters of Paul, lalong-lalo na sa Galatians. But even the Gentiles came from different religions, cultures, and races. Christian communities were also composed of mostly the poor, peasant workers, and slaves but later they started to have “middle class” – merchants, artisans, land owners, and even Roman soldiers and Roman government officials. And of course, they have women, men, and eunuchs as members and leaders. It cannot be helped that sometimes this diversity coupled with human imperfection leads to tensions and conflicts. And again, Paul’s letter is his response to internal issues and his way of giving guidance to the church community in a particular city. It is his way of reminding them what it means to be in relationship with each other as a community of followers of Jesus Christ. So what can we learn on how to live by Grace AS Community and IN Community? Let’s take a small piece of advice from Paul in his letter to the Christian community in Rome and try to contextualize it to Open Table today, 2000 years after. In any community or organization, there is a tendency for some individuals to think of themselves too HIGHLY and above others. Ako dapat ang mas mataas dito kasi ako ang mas maganda, mas matalino, mas magaling, mas may ginagawa or ako kasi ay matagal na dito sa church. Pwedeng totoo naman. It can be true that someone is brilliant in the church. It can be true that one member is talented on one talent or many. It can be true that one or several members are the ones who put in more work than the others and we must appreciate and acknowledge each other’s contribution but we must never have this arrogant attitude of “I’m better than you.” And this happened some time ago, there was this person who had a certain intelligence and skill but later felt that he/she/they was doing more than the others and expressed annoyance with some other people in the community. This person also felt na dapat maging board or officer siya agad-agad kahit na kaka-member pa lang niya. Hindi siya nakatiis sa sarili nyang annoyance, the person decided na baka hindi ito ang community for me kasi mga pabebe ang mga tao dito according sa kanya. Dapat wala tayong culture and mind set na ganito sa Open Table MCC na ABOVE ako kasi ako ang mas maganda, mas matalino, mas magaling. The word for this is arrogance and entitlement, and a mindset of toxic competition. There’s nothing more destructive than a community of toxic competition. One of the great theologies of Paul is using the human body as a metaphor for the church community. This theology is present in his other letters, but most especially explained in 1 Corinthians 12. Walang kailangan magmataas o magmalaki because each one is a member of the one body. We are part of and connected with each other. Each part has a function for the overall life and well-being of the one body. Hindi rin natin pwedeng silipin at kwestyunin ang ginagawa at binibigay ng bawat isa kasi community is volunteer – ayon sa kakayanan at kagustuhan. Although syempre ibang usapan yung nagcommit at volunteer tapos hindi nagpakita or nagdeliver. Bawat isa ay may function para sa maayos at matiwasay na pamumuhay nung iisang katawan. The person that you are, the talents and skills you bring, the experience and perspective you offer, they are all valued and needed for the life and ministry of the church. Accounting for Financial integrity, Administrative skills for organizing and coordination, music for worship, technical skills (tech people) to extend the reach of our proclamation, public speaking and critical thinking for facilitation or preaching. One person or a few individuals cannot do everything here and we can only do more when we have more of you joyfully volunteering. Paul reminds the Christians in the Imperial Capital of Rome to genuinely love one another – agape. Love that is based not just on feelings but more on choice; on commitment. Love that has concern for each member and leader of the church. A community without love ceases to be a community and it cannot call itself Christian. Paul, says to have mutual affection for each other. Meron tayong concern sa well-being ng isa’t isa. Love and affection na paminsan-minsan sumasalo sa duties and responsibilities of each other. Sige ako muna mag-hermana para saluhin si Keppy or swap muna kami sa hermana duties kasi wala ako next week. Sige pastor, ako na muna mag-preach para makapahinga ka. Genuine love through action. Minsan nga love in the simple gesture na – “kumusta ka?” Hate what is evil. O diba… merong limitation at boundary. Right after saying, let love be genuine, merong paglilinya si Paul by saying hate what is evil. Because love does not rejoice in what is evil. Love and evil cannot be in the same space. Pero kung sakali mang merong evil, ang gamot ay grace and the response is goodness. Outdo one another in showing honor. This is a kind of mental gymnastics. From an individual point of view – you do not claim or expect to be appreciated or honored. You do NOT do things and give generously in our community because you expect to be appreciated or put into a pedestal. While at the same time, we have to maintain a culture of gratitude where we recognize, honor, and appreciate the effort, skills, and generosity of each one. We give credit where credit is due. We honor those who are really deserving of honor and acknowledgement. BUT each one of us do not operate and are not motivated by any honor or appreciation. While we do not expect or ask for honor or appreciation, when it is given, DO NOT DISMISS or invalidate it. Accept it. You are allowed to feel the joy of people’s gratitude. Then move on and let go. We should honor each other while at the same time we are not motivated to be honored or elevated. We are reminded that our church community has important and serious work. Hindi biro ang time, effort, and skills, and money given week after week so that we have a Sunday service and a safe space. So this verse 11 reminds us two things – hindi puro baklaan lang. We are here because we serve the Lord by serving people. Diana Butler Bass says that community is about service and love. Second, nakakapagod ang ministry kaya we are reminded to reinforce our ZEAL. Keep the fire going. Strengthen our spirit and resolve. What’s the fuel to keep us going in our ministry and advocacy? Baklaan. Yes, baklaan. Ang ating mga baklaan at mga pagsasaya, even that has a purpose and the purpose is to encourage us, comfort us, and give us inner strength and joy to continue serving God and serving people. In all their work as community and the struggles they face, Paul reminds the Roman Christians to rejoice in hope – magalak sa Pag-asa. To remind them to be patient in their affliction and to persevere in prayer. Just continue living, serving, and hoping. Dahil everything changes and with change the hope that things will be better. After sa lahat-lahat ng pinagdaanang struggle at conflict nitong Open Table, we never lost hope, we were patient in our afflictions, we kept going and we persevered in our prayers. After ALLLL of it, we are now here in Wilshire Annapolis, and it can only get better from here. Amen? The church of Jesus Christ is a radical community not only of inclusion but also of care and hospitality – the saints who are members of the church – Cause Paul calls members of the community as saints. And then care and hospitality for strangers… strangers are those who are not part of our community but who comes to us or the ones we encounter along the way. As a community held together by God’s grace we should never neglect our Christian duty to help one another and even strangers and neighbors who are different from us and not part of our community, and I think we are developing and expanding this through our Pride Cares program currently led by Mother Sean. Dahil itong Open Table is bida-bida and yung pag-bibida-bida naman nito ay both may puso (genuine) at may ibubuga, we have had some detractors over the years both internally and externally. Itong Wilshire chapel natin at yung Free To Be Me Project are concrete proofs of our work, and it is unavoidable that some people will talk badly about us. Once upon a time may nagsabing plastik ang Open Table lalo na yang si Joseph at si Jack. Dear, magkaiba kasi yung plastic sa merong good values and right conduct. Hindi part ng values natin ang makipag-murahan at bardagulan sa social media tulad nung daily habits nila. Not once did this church ever respond to any public attacks. If we needed to respond, we always did so with GRACE, dignity, logic, and TRUTH! Kaya lalo silang nang-gigigil sa Open Table at kay Joseph. Sundin natin ang chika ni Paul when it comes to detractors simply say to them – Bless your heart dear. Bless your 1 person organization or 1 person church. Let the work and the community speak for who we are as Open Table. Instead na mag-aksaya tayo ng oras at energy sa mga detractors, magfocus na lang tayong Open Table to rejoice with those who rejoice through our ministry and advocacy, and to weep with those who come to Open Table weeping. Live in harmony means as much as possible let us not create unnecessary issues and dramas that does not help each other or our community as a whole. Merong mga bagay na hindi maiiwasang mapag-awayan or maging issue, and perhaps we can learn and grow from those, pero meron ding mga away at drama na hindi na necessary at aksaya lang ng oras at energy. May mga chismis na hindi dapat pinag-uusapan. Hindi rin pwedeng may paksyon-paksyon sa community. Diversity must not lead to factions within the church. Nachika na yung about sa arrogance kanina. Let’s go to that other verse… Do not claim to be wiser than you are. A truly wise person knows and is aware what he/she/they DO NOT KNOW. Ang tunay na marunong ay alam ang limitasyon ng kanyang dunong. So in any community, then and now, we know meron talaga yung dunung-dunungan. Yes, it might be true na matalino at magaling ka, pero it doesn’t mean na ikaw lang ang magaling or marunong, and therefore learn to listen to the wisdom of many people, the wisdom of the elders, and to the wisdom of the collective. Wag chika-ng-chika kung hindi naman willing magdeliver at magstep-up. God’s grace calls us and meets us in and through community, here in Open Table and in other communities and relationships. Grace transforms us to love and appreciate each other. To remember that we are connected and part of a greater whole. That we should not put ourselves above each other and to focus our energies in serving the Lord by serving others. We are a community of followers of Jesus Christ who from the cross said, “ Forgive them for they do not know what they do.” Jesus who taught us to love our neighbors as our selves, and to love our enemies. Jesus who told us to talk to each other directly when we have conflicts; Jesus who commanded us to feed the hungry and welcome the stranger… I end this preaching and our preaching series on grace with our last verses because ultimately the Grace of God through Jesus Christ is revealed to a cruel world in this way: Do not repay evil with evil… overcome evil with good. And we can only do that In Community, with Community, As Community, and Through Community. Let us live by God’s grace and offer it to others as Open Table Metropolitan C-O-M-M-U-N-I-T-Y Church. The post Grace in Community appeared first on Open Table Metropolitan Community Church .…

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Favored: Queers Full of Grace 30:33

14 päivää sitten30:33

30:33

Thus says the Lord: Maintain justice, and do what is right, for soon my salvation will come and my deliverance be revealed. Happy is the mortal who does this, the one who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath, not profaning it, and refrains from doing any evil. Do not let the foreigner joined to the Lord say, “The Lord will surely separate me from his people,” and do not let the eunuch say, “I am just a dry tree.” For thus says the Lord: To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, I will give, in my house and within my walls, a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. Isaiah 56:1-5 NRSVUE Our scripture reading for today is taken from the 3rd part of the book of Isaiah in the Hebrew Testament or 1st Testament. The book of Isaiah is divided into 3 parts which corresponds also to the 3 historical period of the ancient kingdom of Judah – the first part of Isaiah, written either by the prophet himself or one of his closest disciples was written before the Babylonian exile of the kingdom of Judah. The 2nd part of Isaiah was written by one or several anonymous authors, possible 2nd generation disciples of the prophet, and the 3rd part of Isaiah where our text today is taken, was also anonymously written after their exile and upon returning to their homeland when they were trying to rebuild their lives there. Our scripture reading is the opening chapter of the 3rd Isaiah. As mentioned, they have just returned to their homeland. But notice and it is a curious thing that upon returning to their homeland, the opening chapter of the 3rd Isaiah tells us about God urging the people to maintain justice: Thus says the LORD: Maintain justice, and do what is right, for soon my salvation will come and my deliverance be revealed . And then it further tells us that God favors and blesses foreigners and eunuchs. Why? We have just returned to our homeland after being forcibly exiled in a foreign country for 70 years and leaving our homeland with its capital city and temple completely destroyed. Why is God through the writings of the Isaiahic prophetic tradition talk about foreigners and eunuchs? In the book of Isaiah, as well as the Book of Jeremiah and to some extent, Ezekiel – the authors interprets the destruction of the kingdom of Judah and its temple, and the people’s exile in Babylon as God’s punishment to them because of decades and even centuries of oppression, perversion of justice, government corruption, and idolatry, and also to the extent that the Temple and its priesthood justifies the injustices of both government and Judaic society. The prophets also speaks about how the kingdom of Judah and its rulers have become arrogant and complacent simply because they saw themselves as God’s chosen. God’s favored people. Afterall, God was with them in and through the Temple in Jerusalem. And yet, despite their arrogant claim to God’s presence and favor, they went out of their way to play political games with much stronger kingdoms and empires which means to say, they do not fully trust God’s power. This sense of being the chosen and favored by God was amplified by the destruction of their cousins, the 10 other tribes in the North when the Assyrian Empire destroyed the Northern Kingdom of Israel and its capital city of Samaria. Naku kami talagang mga taga Judah ang favorite ni Lord at hindi yung mga pinsan namin na taga-Samaria. Growing all the more arrogant because they believed they were the favored people of God above all others, together with the injustices and corruption within and around their kingdom, the Prophets rose up to challenge and denounce them and their rulers, and warn them if they do not change their way of thinking, living, ruling, and worshipping, there will be dire consequences. And so when Babylon destroyed Judah and its city of Jerusalem along with its temple, and then exiled the people, this was interpreted by the prophets as the fulfillment of the earlier warnings. The thing about God’s favor and being “chosen” is not because of anything that the people have done or have. Afterall, they were the least among the nations. They were not even a nation at one point. They were slaves called Hapiru. God’s favor was because God heard their secret crying and wailing as slaves in Egypt. God chose them, the slaves and the weakest of peoples, because of their oppression. And I bet you, wherever oppression, slavery, and injustice happens and to whom, there God is choosing and favoring those who cry out to God. The theology of being chosen or being favored is not because you are special. It is not because you are Jewish or evangelical Christian, or the first church built upon Peter. The act of God favoring and choosing slaves is God’s act of rebalancing the world. In a civilization where those who claim to be chosen or favored are the powerful, the mighty, and those who dominate with violence and exploitation, God’s favor for the weak and the slave is God’s first act of justice in a world full of injustice. God’s grace – loving kindness and favor – uplifts the poor and lowly, and pulls down the high and mighty as the declared in the song of Mary of Nazareth in the gospel of Luke. Kaya wrong ang mga Christians nagsasabing ayaw ni Lord ng equality and equity. As an exiled people who are now returning to their homeland of Judah, God through the 3 rd section of the book of Isaiah, is reminding them to maintain justice because God listens to the cries of those oppressed by injustice. God reminds them, that his favor is NOT exclusive to them because of their religion or heritage, but can be transferred, given, or extended to those they consider as their enemies or those minorities they consider as unclean, unacceptable, and cut off from the people, which one of those are the eunuchs both literally and figurately. The term eunuch aside from being literally a castrated servant of the royal family takes care of the harem.- this term has also been used to refer to what we consider today as gay or trans, and when not used in as an official title, it is mostly used as a derogatory term similar to when the word Bakla is used as an insult. The literal eunuchs serving in the palace, they are considered as outsiders kasi hindi sila lalake in a patriarchal society, pero hindi rin sila babae even as may slight na pagtingin sa kanila bilang binabae. You cannot really place them exactly where they should be in a patriarchal society and religion, and therefore, they are outside of God’s grace. Castrated, they are castrated from all things holy. But God, in this scripture from the 3rd part of Isaiah, tells the CHOSEN people – I have chosen also and favored Eunuchs. I will give the eunuchs a name and a memorial far greater than you so called favored sons and daughters. See the contrast a eunuch who could not be considered male nor female is favored and will be given greater honor than the male sons and the female daughters? There’s this contrasting gender play in this passage where the gender minority is lifted higher than the gender majority of the chosen people. Andun na naman yung pagbabalanse ng Diyos – ang pagtataas sa Eunukong nasa baba at nasa labas at ang pagbababa sa mga mataas at nagmamataaas na mga favored sons and daughters. Interpreting and saying all of that we can then transpose that to us, queer people of today and to any other sector who are historically marginalized and oppressed. In a society where there is injustice and oppression and in churches who cast away their eunuchs or try to change them, God’s favor moves over to the eunuchs and foreigners of today – the queer people and foreign immigrants and refugees. We have a promise from the book of Isaiah that God will favor us and give us a blessing, an honor, and a memorial greater than those sons and daughters. There is a promise that queer people, like the eunuchs of old, will be favored by God more than religious groups who are so sure of their favor and salvation despite not caring about the injustices around them and injustices perpetuated by some of them. Do not make the mistake of claiming God’s favor kung wala kang pakielam sa injustice. The prophet in the first part, Isaiah 1:13-14, 17 Bringing offerings is futile; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and calling of convocation. I cannot endure solemn assemblies with iniquity. Your new moons and your appointed festivals my soul hates; they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. (v17) learn to do good; seek justice; rescue the oppressed; defend the orphan; plead for the widow. In a world full of injustice and inequality, God takes the side of slaves, orphans, and widows. In a world full of hatred, violence, and greed, God favors the eunuchs and refugees of today. God’s favor is revealed in and through the lowly and God’s grace flows from them. From us. Pero ito nga rin yung warning sa atin, lalo na rin dito sa Open Table. God’s favor is also God’s warning. The covenant of being chosen and favored has its duties and obligation. Do we believe that we are favored Open Table? Favored ba tayo as a faith community of eunuchs and the lowly? Are you full of God’s grace? Yes we are. We had our many exodus moments and walking in many several valley of tears and struggles. As an individual gay person you once trembled in fear and constant worry about your sexuality but now some of you are already freed from that. As Open Table we were a queer church without a home and a direction for many years. People looked down on us. People called us kulto. Some of you even wonder then or even now, kung kulto nga ba itong sinisimbahan ko? And yet through it all, like how God journeyed with the slaves from Egypt so did God journey with us and kept our small community alive so that God’s favor and grace will continue to be revealed for Filipino Eunuchs… and now revealed to others, even to straights who also found themselves exiled from their own Christian churches. You are favored Open Table. You full of God’s grace. You are given a new name and a new memorial but you must never lose this favor or grace by becoming high and mighty by losing your commitment to justice, compassion, and the practice of grace. Besides, we only maintain God’s favor – grace – when we live and grow in grace. The favor that God has given this community and to each of you as individuals is both its living warning and continuing promise. Therefore I end this preaching today with both the blessed assurance of God and God’s warning through the prophet: Thus says the LORD: Maintain justice, and do what is right, for soon my salvation will come and my deliverance be revealed. Happy is the mortal who does this, the one who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath, not profaning it, and refrains from doing any evil. To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, I will give, in my house and within my walls, a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. The post Favored: Queers Full of Grace appeared first on Open Table Metropolitan Community Church .…

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Choosing Grace and Slaying Demons 44:11

21 päivää sitten44:11

44:11

They came to the other side of the sea, to the region of the Gerasenes. And when he had stepped out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met him. He lived among the tombs, and no one could restrain him any more, even with a chain, for he had often been restrained with shackles and chains, but the chains he wrenched apart, and the shackles he broke in pieces, and no one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always howling and bruising himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before him, and he shouted at the top of his voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” For he had said to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” He begged him earnestly not to send them out of the region. Now there on the hillside a great herd of swine was feeding, and the unclean spirits begged him, “Send us into the swine; let us enter them.” So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine, and the herd, numbering about two thousand, stampeded down the steep bank into the sea and were drowned in the sea. The swineherds ran off and told it in the city and in the country. Then people came to see what it was that had happened. They came to Jesus and saw the man possessed by demons sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the legion, and they became frightened. Those who had seen what had happened to the man possessed by demons and to the swine reported it. Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighborhood. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed by demons begged him that he might be with him. But Jesus refused and said to him, “Go home to your own people, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and what mercy he has shown you.” And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone was amazed. Mark 5:1-20 NRSVUE This story of demonic possession in the gospels is a famous one and rightfully so because it is a synoptic story, meaning that it is present in all three synoptic gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke. Which means to say, that it holds great significance to the early Christian communities and the story runs deep in their oral traditions about Jesus. The gospels are rather silent on why the person became possessed. Both scripture and later theologians tell us about several reasons for demonic possession – one obvious and frequently mentioned reason is delving in occult practices – summoning spirits, divination, spell casting, and etc. Basically, a human person trying to look into, influence, and control supernatural forces, and energies to gain power over nature or over other people. In the apocryphal story of Tobit, a high ranking demon was oppressing – attacking – a young woman because the demon simply enjoyed doing so. Stories of demonic possessions and other diabolical attacks have been recorded across different cultures, religions, and spiritual traditions throughout the ages BECAUSE this is their way to explain unknown neurological and psychological conditions. This is just an intelligent guess, perhaps between 90% to 98% can be explained and treated by modern medical science neurology, psychology, and psychiatry. We have to admit that in many cases what persons who exhibit sudden change of behavior and condition that seems to be weird and demonic is actually caused by many psycho-social factors and experience of trauma. After all we can also interpret the traumatic experiences and social conditions of injustice are demonic in and of themselves. Human cruelty is demonic. Injustice and systemic violence is demonic and causes negative mental health conditions to so many people. In my mother’s side of the family, we have some experience to this. Yung bunso nilang kapatid na isang taon lang ang tanda sa akin at some point started to exhibit weird behaviors. Yung natutulala na unresponsive. Hinihimatay na lang bigla-bigla and especially scary for them ay pag hinihimatay sya sa daan when she is travelling. By the way her name is Grace. Una siyang dinala sya sa albularyo. Sabi may dwende daw at diwatang and during one of the albularyo sessions, may lakas syang medyo hind tugma sa kanyang pangangatawan, and then she also spoke in a different voice na boses dwende. Several exorcism sessions by the albularyo pero hindi sya gumaling. Dinala naman siya ng Tita kong fundamentalist born again Christian sa kanilang church and subjected her sa deliverance ministry. Hindi rin gumaling. Finally, they decided to bring her to a psychiatrist. MRI and Citi-scan including blood work. Walang makitang problema. But when she was interviewed sabi nung doctor na mukhang depression because of poverty and then some traumatic experiences from her childhood. My mother’s side of the family are poor despite having a Chinese father na hindi pinalad sa buhay na yumaman. I wont go into the details of their family history bastat 11 silang magkakapatid and my mom is 2nd eldest at itong tita kong ito ay yung pang 11. She unfortunately, was not the smartest in the family. Far from it, parang naubusan ata ng talino sa 10 other siblings at walang natira sa kanya and I’m not saying that to insult, disrespect, or look down on her. It is just the way she is. Kasi matatalino yung iba kong mga tito at tita lalo na sa Mathematics kasi yung lola ko was said to be matalino sa mathematics pero sunga sa pag-ibig. Anyway, so itong tita kong ito could not go to college kasi hindi nya kaya and also because economic reasons. She barely finished highschool. And then soon after, she got pregnant and married also to guy from a poor family na unfortunately walang diskarte sa buhay at gusto lang pa-side-line side-line. Nakapagtapos naman ng college at training to be a sea-man. But for some reason, walang confidence to go out of Rizal and work somewhere. Ni hindi na tinuloy yung pag-se-sea man nya kasi gusto nya lang magstay sa Rizal. Eto yung literal na lalakeng maiinis ka kasi tila parang wala talagang pakielam sa situation at condition ng kanyang asawa’t anak. So there are stories na minsan wala silang makain or yung story na kanin at toyo or kanin at kape lang. So lack of nutrition, living in a housing na walang maayos na CR, and then unprocessed trauma, sinong hindi madedepress duon? The psychiatrist prescribed antidepressant medication, several sessions of counselling, and then advised my mother to help her sister to move to another residence and to help the family get a decent way of earning money. So, some of the siblings worked together and pooled funds para matulungan ang bunso nila. The family moved back sa family house nilang magkakapatid na mas maayos kesa dun sa tinitirhan nung tita ko sa dulong bahagi ng Rizal. It is also within reach other siblings. Binigyan nila sila ng puhunan para magtinda ng sea food sa area. So living in a different and much better place, the home she grew up in, having the means to earn money enough for proper nutrition and other basic needs, plus the medication, plus counseling, plus human interaction with friends and relatives, her previous symptoms that was attributed to some demonic or spiritual possession stopped. And it will re-occur tuwing wala syang pera. Demonic possession pala ay merong socioeconomic triggers noh? Now, am I saying this to disprove demonic possessions and oppressions and other negative spiritual problems. Both yes and no. Everything that happened to her and the socio-economic situation she is in might not be literally demonic but it is figuratively demonic. As I have said human cruelty, abuse, and many individual as well as systemic issues like poverty are demonic. Even real exorcists would sometimes agree that traumatic experiences and terrible living conditions can indeed be entry points of actual demonic possession or oppression. In the anime series Demon slayer and also sa longest supernatural series titled, Supernatural – Demons used to be humans. We will stick with Demon Slayer. Spoiler alert. The humans who experienced great cruelties and tragedies became demons. Those who were abused or rejected by parents or those that experienced bullying or violence from society were offered to become demons to have power, strength, and long life basically as an answer to the weakness and frailty of their human body. The premise is, you were not able to defend yourself from cruel people or you are dying of a terrible sickness or injury because you are human. Overwhelmed with grief, pain, anger, frustration, and hatred, they willingly chose to become demons. Unfortunately, for some demons, life did not get better and rather became worst because may hierarchy ang demons and lower demons had no value or dignity and were dispensable. They lived terrible lives that were easily destroyed by demon-slayers. The high-ranking demons on the other hand went on destroying human life by the hundreds, consuming entire families and towns to satisfy their hunger. By the way, demons become stronger and more powerful the more they consume human flesh and as they become more powerful, there’s a possibility of their rank or status rising. In the series, the main protagonist, Tanjiro Kamado, and many other demon slayers also experienced similar cruelties and tragedies but by the hands of demons. Tanjiro, the hero of the series, lost his family to the Demon king who slaughtered them except for her sister, Nezuko, who he turned into a demon. The thing about demon slayers, 3 of the high-ranking slayers called Hashiras were as cruel and cold as demons. Their anger and hatred for what happened to them turned them into cold, heartless, and apathetic humans who despite doing their duty to save humans and fight demonic entities, are themselves cruel with lower ranking slayers and with each other. This is the stark contrast between Tanjiro and the 3 hashiras, and also the contrast between her demon sister Nezuko and the other demons. Despite unimaginable tragedy and the difficulties of becoming a slayer, Tanjiro remained joyful, hopeful, friendly, and empathetic with everyone INCLUDING being empathetic towards the demons whom he fought and defeated. He has a heightened sense of smell that he can smell not only the distinct bodily scent of people, things, and demons from far away, he can also smell emotions. And those times he defeated demons, he could smell the demon’s sadness, regret, pain, and grief. There was a specially touching moment when he and several others defeated a strong high-ranking demon-siblings. Despite the tragedy of Tanjiro with all the emotions of anger, grief, and even hatred against demons specially, the demon king for the massacre of his family and turning his sister into a demon, he never lost his connection to the core of his grace – The memory of the love, intimacy, and joy of his family. His anger and even his hatred for demons were always informed, influences, and wrapped by his CORE – the inner grace of the love of his family. This is the same with her sister, despite already a demon – her sister, with the help of Tanjiro, never consumed human flesh. She resisted her hunger and desire for human flesh. Far from it, she also fought against other demons to defend human life. And when she almost gave into her demonic hunger on a couple of instances, Tanjiro had to remind her about their relationship as siblings. Tanjiro had to sing to her their mother’s lullaby to bring her sense of humanity back. Every time she would defend humans, she will remember her mother or other siblings and see them in the faces of those other humans she is defending. After these 3 long stories about fantastical demonic possessions – first from the synoptic gospels of how Jesus has cast out demons, from my tita’s story, and now from an anime story our gospel lesson for today are these. We know and acknowledge that life is as difficult and cruel as it is good and beautiful. You may have experienced or up to now continue to experience terrible things. Cruel things maybe even from the people who claim to love you. Your parents and siblings. Even in the series, Demon Slayer, there were those who experienced cruelty from their mother or brother and was the reason that pushed them to become demonic. You might also be experiencing economic hardships with the current situation in our country, and yes we have always said here that many problems we have are socially and politically systemic; You might be experiencing depressive episodes and triggers because of where you are right now in your life and the things happening or not happening to you. All of those are valid and true. All of the emotions you are experiencing are also valid as much as the emotions of the demons and the demon-slayers in the series – the anger, grief, pain, fear, disappointment, hatred – lahat na ng negative emotions you can name – All of these are true and valid because you have experienced them or are experiencing them even today – While at the same time – NEVER EVER GIVE UP AND SURRENDER TO THE DEMONIC or NEGATIVE VOICES INSIDE YOUR HEAD TRYING TO PULL YOU DEEPER INTO THE ABYSS. Do not be so willing to take the hand of negative thoughts and ideas. While your emotions are experiences and feelings are valid and true, some thoughts and ideas are not. Some of the thoughts and ideas that RISE up from those feelings and experiences may not be valid or true. For example, if in your anger or pain, your thoughts will lead you to hurt someone else and to do violence, then that is not a valid idea to address your terrible experience and the anger that came out of it. Yes, it is overwhelming to feel negative emotions especially when the ones who have hurt you are the ones you love – In the name of JESUS CHRIST – LOVE made flesh – I ask you not to surrender yourself to the inner saboteurs inside your head. In the name of Jesus Christ, source of our grace – do not buy into offer and the idea that to be strong is to become as cruel, hard, and violent as the monsters who have hurt you in the past. Do not be swallowed up by the tragedies and cruelties of your life and of the current cruelties of this world. When such things happen and when you feel terrible it is all the more necessary that you exert every effort and strength to choose life and to choose what is good, beautiful, loving, and true within you, around you, and in our world. It is all the more that you cry out to God for help and reach out to others for support and care. As Christian we cling to the ultimate Good – GOD. We look inward and search for God within ourselves through prayer and medication. Pray to God and if you need, you can direct all your anger and frustration with God. Release all your anger and hatred with or towards God. And I imagine God simply embracing you and saying, “its okay. Let it all out. Give it all to me. I understand my child and I’m sorry.” Can you imagine God saying sorry to you? Can you imagine a loving God who understands you anger against him/her/them? Seek God through collective prayer and ritual– a community that prays and sings together. Seek God also in the friendship and care of others AND by becoming a friend to others and caring for them. Tanjiro in the demon slayer was someone who always made friends or the very least a friendly gesture even to those he did not like. Friendship is a space of God’s grace. And in the demon slayer series, great and powerful demons were only defeated when slayers who cared for each other worked together to defeat the overwhelming demonic force. In all the great fantasy stories and in even in the stories of our Christian faith, we are able to push back the evils of this world when we are together and in our togetherness God’s power of love and grace is revealed. Gandalf in Lord of the rings says, it is the small acts of kindness and love of ordinary PEOPLE that puts the darkness at bay. Even when you think and feel that you are alone and those feelings are valid, you are never alone. God is with you and there are many people around you. Jesus comes to you and meets you even in your darkest of times. He is the ultimate demon slayer and he also sends other demon slayers in the person of friends and communities who can help you fight and defeat the voices in your head. In times of pain, loneliness, and degradation, that is when you seek and reach out to God more, in prayer, in friendship, and in community. Without knowing it, God has always been reaching it out to you. Do not remedy your pain with pain. Do not remedy your loneliness with isolation. The solution to darkness is not going deeper into the abyss but rather lighting a candle. Go as far away from the darker path into the lighter path. In Lord of the Rings, Gandalf could not decide which of the 3 paths to choose, he contemplated for a while and then chose the path that did not have a foul smell and where there is fresh air blowing from. If you feel depressed, do not go deeper into depression by isolating yourself more. Depression is in itself a signal for you to seek relief. If you are hurting emotionally, the answer is not to hurt yourself physically. If you feel sad and alone, reach out to others and go out. Do not stay in your room and listen to more depressive songs. If you really need to and are able, seek professional help and take medication if you must. If hindi ka naman able, find a support group, talk to supportive friends and family, journal your thoughts and feelings. EAT and TAKE a bath. I’ve also discovered and encountered, that some people who are depressed are simply because of physical exhaustion. Yung pagod sa trabaho, kulang sa tulog, at pagkaen ay may negative effect sa ating mental health. Rest. Eat. Shower and be clean. There is always something we can do as individuals and we can do as group of friends to care for one another. Do not believe the voices in your head that you are weak and cannot do better. Do not believe the voices in your head that you have no value or worth. Do not believe the voices in your head to isolate and separate yourself. Do not believe the voices in your head asking you to harm your body and to harm others. Do not believe the voices in your head that in order to be strong you need to become as cruel and as evil as the ones who have hurt you. Do remedy the evil with evil but rather with what is good, beautiful, and true. Lastly, stay true to the core of what is GOOD in your life. Like Tanjiro hold firmly to what is Good even in the very moment of tragedy and cruelty. Even in the face of a powerful demon. Even in the face of Death and the possible death of a loved one. HOLD Firmly to what is GOOD. Remember that there is as much good or even more good in your life than there is tragedy. Sam wisely in Lord of the rings says, there is good in this world worth fighting for. Remember those moments or experiences that you were loved, seen, and heard. Remember the people who believed in you, cared for you, and supported you. Hold on to those memories. Hold on to the love that has been passed on to you. In this church, remember the love of Kuya Mike and the service of Choi. Remember the love, dedication, and goodness of Pastor Egay as your reason to continue living, loving, and serving. Gamitin ang alaala ng ating mga mahal sa buhay hindi para lalong malungkot at malugmok bagkus mabuhay ng masaya at may pag-asa. Let us remember the love and sacrifices of all our Queer ancestors like Father Richard and Allan Tolosa, just to name a few. Our preaching today is about choosing and rejecting Grace. May we not reject GRACE by giving up on what is good in us and in this world and believing the negative voices in our heads trying to pull us into the abyss and become demons in human form. And even for us, who think of ourselves as demon-slayers, the righteous ones, may we be careful with our own internal issues and wounds and become cold, apathetic, and cynical do-gooders. The philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche warns us – “He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.” Let us always choose GRACE and hold on to it like our very life depends on it. Let us reach out to God and seek God in all the changing seasons, situations, and conditions of this life. And may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ who cast out demons and the love of God found deep within our humanity, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit reach out to you, hold you, and pull you out of the abyss. May you hold on to the hand of God that reaches out to you ever so tightly. Amen. The post Choosing Grace and Slaying Demons appeared first on Open Table Metropolitan Community Church .…

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Grace Is Its Own Boundary 30:08

28 päivää sitten30:08

30:08

Owe no one anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery; you shall not murder; you shall not steal; you shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law. Romans 13:8-10 NRSVUE When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, an expert in the law, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:34-40 NRSVUE Is love and by extension grace really UNCONDITIONAL? What do you think? Perhaps we have to understand what do we really mean by unconditional and where it applies? Today, I will be preaching and talking more about love and from love extrapolate – extend the application – towards our topic and theme of grace. Afterall grace comes from love and we define grace as loving kindness. Kindness that is loving. Kindness motivated by and comes from love. What do we really mean to say and we say unconditional love and by extent, unconditional grace? While it is soooo good vibes to hear this truth that has become a cliché and a ms. Universe meme, “Unconditional love,” what does it really mean? On the contrary, why is there so much harm and unloving actions especially in places and people who claim to preach “unconditional love”? The problem kasi and this is the nature of cliché’s, a universal truth simplified and told over and over again, actually loses its inherent wisdom and power. Sobrang gamit na gamit yung “unconditional love” and “grace” by almost anyone and everyone pero hindi naman siya nauunawaan at naipapaliwanag logically and contextually. While there is universality to “unconditional love”, what is universal will always be nuanced in the local and contextual. So what do we mean by unconditional? Let me offer for this Sunday A wisdom about it. Unconditional means that every person born is and should be loved, valued, respected, and cared for with whatever physical, psychological, and medical conditions that they have which they cannot change OR conditions and situations that can changed, but do not have to, in order to be loved, cared for, and valued. Unconditional love means that your race and ethnicity has nothing to do with how other people or society should treat you. The measure of love, grace, respect, welcome, access, protection, care, and many other things necessary for life should not be conditional base on race and ethnicity, sexuality and gender, It should not be based on color of skin, eyes, or color of hair; it should not be based on blood type or other physical conditions, neurodivergence, other attributes including disabilities or physical and mental limitations. You are loved, valued, respected, protected, and cared for simply because you are a living human person with inherent dignity and inalienable rights. You do not have to change because you most likely cannot change these physical conditions. If a church, religious leader, or politician tells you that you have to be of a certain race or sexuality to be loved, to have equal rights, and to be protected of the law, then that is not unconditional love and that certainly is a form of unjust discrimination. The second thing is about things you might be able to change but doesn’t necessarily have to, to be loved, respected, and cared for. For example your nationality and citizenship, your religion or non-religion. The sports you like to watch or play. Your hobby like cosplaying and dressing up. Your tattoos, piercings, and the way you express yourself through clothing. These things generally should not be a basis or measure of whether you are loved, respected, cared for, recognized, given to access to social services, and given opportunities. Hindi mo necessarily kailangan magpalit ng nationality or religion mo, or ano mang personal mong interest or hobby para tratuhin ka ng maayos at kilalanin ang iyong karapatan at dignidad bilang tao. You are a human person born unique into this world – no one has been like you before and no one will be like you after you are gone. You are a miracle and a gift born out of creation and evolution and you are and should be loved, valued, respected, protected, and cared for regardless your distinct conditions, attributes, and even socio-cultural and socio-political particularities. This is what we mean when we say love and grace are unconditional. While at the same time – love and grace are conditional. They are. And when I say conditional I mean that love and grace has their boundaries. And as our title indicate, they are their own boundaries. They are their own conditions . Huh? Ano pastor? Love is its own condition. Grace is its own boundary. Anything that is unloving is outside of love and therefore there is a boundary between what is loving and what is unloving. Pag-ibig mismo ang sarili nyang limitasyon o pagtatakda. Merong lubid na pumapagitan sa kung ano ang mapagmahal at ano ang HINDI mapagmahal. Pag-ibig mismo ang hangganan. Love in itself is the boundary. Grace in itself is the same measure and standard. Truth is its own measure of things. Goodness is the line drawn on the sand. Love and grace define the boundaries, edges, conditions, and limitations. This is exactly how I understand and will interpret what Paul says in his letter to the Romans when he says, “Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.” Let us all together again read Paul’s chika in the letter to the Romans: Owe no one anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery; you shall not murder; you shall not steal; you shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law. The letters of Paul were not written nor were intended as doctrinal definitions. These were his theological reflections and admonitions in response to the different conflicts, issues, and problems of the 1st century Christian communities in different cosmopolitan cities of the Roman Empire. In this particular letter of Paul, he reminds the Christians in the imperial city of Rome how love should be understood and practiced. Madali sabihin paulit-ulit ang salitang love or agape pero para kay Pablo meron itong konkretong depinisyon na nagtatakda ng limitasyon – Love does not harm, therefore love is the fulfilment of the law. Of any law. As a pharisee this is Paul’s interpretation that re-phrases what Jesus says in the gospel of Matthew – Love God, love neighbor as you love yourself – Every other law, commandment, and prophetic message are based on these two. Pero malinaw na ang ibig-sabihin ni Jesus at ni Paul, – na ang pag-ibig ay hindi nagpapahamak, mapanakit, mapang-abuso, at mapaniil. Love does not harm. Condition is not based on your physiological conditions like SOGIESC or color of skin, and other social-cultural and socio-political attributes like nationality or religion. The conditionality of love is based on how you treat others. It is based on whether your behaviors and attitudes are harmful or loving. Ang condition ay kung paano ba ang ating pag-uugali, pakikitungo, at pakikipagkapwa. Unconditional love would also ask us to love as we have been loved. Jesus says in John 13 and John 15, “Love one another. As I have loved you, you should love one another.” Love is its own standard. Love is its own condition. Grace is its own commandment and the boundary we are asked to live by. Kung gusto natin ang unconditional love at ang free gift of grace for ourselves, we must be willing to also live by, practice, and give love and grace to others. Kung gusto natin ng pagmamahal kailangan nating magmahal. Kung gusto natin ng pagtanggap kailangan nating tumanggap. Kung humihingi tayo ng pang-unawa at pagpapatawad kailangan natin umunawa at magpatawad sa ibang tao at sitwasyon. Kung gusto natin ng safe space para sa ating sarili kailangan din nating umayos ng pag-uugali para ibigay ang safe space sa iba. Although don’t get me wrong and this might be some kind of intellectual gymnastics, while I say kung gusto mo ng pagmamahal kailangan mo magmahal, I did not mean to say na kaya ka magamahal kasi ineexpect mong mahalin ka pabalik. No. That’s not what I mean. Love is something that is freely given. Grace is something generously shared without expecting anything in return. But it is equally true na kung gusto natin ng pag-ibig kailangan nating mabuhay na umiibig, umuunawa, at nagpapatawad. In the same perspective, we say that love and redemptive grace should not be an excuse or justification for harmful behavior: May grace naman kasi so I will do whatever without considerqation. May unconditional love naman eh, ipipilit ko yung gusto ko kahit na hurtful sa iba. Unconditional love does not excuse harmful behavior. Pero paano yun, eh hindi naman tayo perpekto? Do I have to walk on eggshells or tiptoe on thin ice? This is why we have grace and why grace proceeds from love. Love demanding love does not mean demanding perfection. Either wise it is not love if it requires perfection. After all the true test of love and grace are in those unloving moments we experience. Gulley and Mulholland in their book, If God is love, tells us, “Grace isn’t tested by our friends, but by our enemies.” Kinikilala naman ng pag-ibig at grasya ng Diyos na hindi tayo perpekto. Kaya nga merong grasya in the first place. Grace is redemptive and love is reconciling in many different situations and conditions. Kaya nga merong pagpapatawad at pang-unawa. But let us be clear, there is no space for ill-intended and harmful actions and behaviors. Love does not give space for harmful behavior even as it recognizes imperfection. The remedy of love for our imperfection is GRACE and GRACE is the process of accountability, transformation (repentance) and redemption. Authors Gulley and Mulholland in their book, If God is Love… tells us, “the perpetrator must accept punishment and repentance as the necessary cost of reconciliation.” GRACE is the other name for a accountability. Walang espasyo para sa mapanakit na pag-uugali at pagkilos pero merong espasyo para sa proseso para sa pagbabago – and that is case to case basis. Grace and forgiveness acknowledges each of our imperfection but what it offers is not a way out na parang walang nangyari. Grace offers a path acknowledging our imperfections, owning up to it, maturing us, and helping us to do better. Here we make the distinction between someone who honestly made a mistake. Someone who have hurt or harmed you because of natural human dynamics of relationship… someone who at the height of anger said something terrible… versus someone who has sinister intentions who will even use concepts of goodness or grace to manipulate his way to get what he wants and to damage or abuse as many people as he can. While there is no one outside of God’s love and redeeming grace, there are people who will continually choose to do harm by abusing and twisting what is good, beautiful, and true – at marami sa mga yan ay mga charismatic religious leaders ng malalaking mga simbahan. Many others ay mga pulitiko from political dynasties. Bahala na si Lord sa kanila. While God’s grace is infinite, I am not. We are not and the same grace of God calls us to hold people accountable for the unloving actions and decisions they do especially for those who are in power. A call to justice in government, church, and society is grace holding those in power accountable and offering them a way to be redeemed. In closing, unconditional love upholds diversity. Different conditions and situations are not the measure of love, value, and worth. While every human being is and should be loved and welcomed, not all behaviors are. Love is its own limitation. Grace is its own wall for anything unloving and ungracious. Grace is the medicine for our imperfections and less than good behaviors and actions. God’s gift of grace is the gentle yet firm process of accountability and redemption. I end our preaching for this Sunday with a from the same book, If God is love by Philip Gulley and James Mulholland, Human transformation comes when love casts out fear, assuring us we’ll never be disowned, abandoned, or destroyed. Only in the rich soil of unconditional love can we truly grow. And may we grow within the unconditional boundaries of love and when we fall outside of it, may we be willing to hold on to the graces that reaches out for us to pull us back in. In the name of Jesus who pulls us back into love’s embrace. Amen. The post Grace Is Its Own Boundary appeared first on Open Table Metropolitan Community Church .…

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Giving Grace 43:54

5 weeks sitten43:54

43:54

We continue with our preaching series on Grace which is also our year long guiding theme. During our first Sunday we talked about Grace in the metaphor of water and the oceans. And then last week we continued still with water on how to live by grace in the same way we use water. Today we will be talking about GIVING GRACE, pero low key na muna tayo sa metaphor of water kasi baka umay na at over used na. After talking about LIVING BY GRACE, we proceed with GIVING GRACE. To some extent, natouch ko na a little bit as the closing part of last week’s preaching. Thank you everyone and all the volunteers last week for a wonderful worship service lalo na music team last week. Thank you JT for reading my preaching and Jom for officiating communion. And to clarify, my preaching last week in its entirety or in parts does not pertain nor is it directed towards any specific person. Okay? Pero syempre kung kinausap ka ni Holy Spirit sa preaching ni Pastor and the shoe fits… well, that’s not on me ha. And if naman relevant sayo, then there’s no reason to be affected. Okay? Preaching clock begins now direk. A bit of a review – so if you are a Christian, then Jesus Christ is God’s grace in the flesh and the source of God’s grace. Whether you are progressive, conservative, moderate or somewhere else in the Christian spectrum, Jesus of Nazareth, a subversive peasant Jew is God’s living grace and our source of grace. Amen? Si Jesus ba ang ating Lord, Savior, Teacher, and Friend? Yes. Amen? God’s grace like an ocean which no one can own or control exclusively, should be available and accessible to everyone whoever they are. And NO ONE is outside of God’s grace. Amen? Jesus in the gospel writings telling us his teachings and us his example shows us how grace looks like. The Apostle Paul responding to community issues by writing to the Christian communities spread across the Roman Empire and under Roman oppressive system, brilliantly articulates the theology of grace. Both Jesus and Paul’s theology of grace are subversive and counter-cultural to the cruel and oppressive Roman Imperial system. For Christians – GRACE – is no longer based on the cruel systems of the world, the empire, and of emperors and kings. Grace is God’s free and willing gift to all and no one can work to earn or deserve grace. Grace is based on love, compassion, kindness, and certainly common good for all. Lastly, grace is something we receive and experience through each other’s giving of Grace. We are also God’s channel – alulod – of grace. We give grace because we have received grace upon grace as per the gospel of John 1:16. Whoever you are, whatever your situation is then and now, in a unique and contextual way, you have received and experienced God’s grace. Masasabi nyo ba that you have always received and experienced God’s grace during or after difficult or painful moments? And the only reason we are here week after week worshiping and volunteering together for 18 years is only because of God’s grace through the grace of each other? Tama? Amen? Grace is not something horded or exclusively kept for ourselves. Eitherwise, like stagnat water it will rot. Give away whatever grace you have in many different ways and situations. Pero how do we give or extend grace nga? What’s the first obvious thing to do to be able to share grace? What is the definition of grace? – Loving Kindness – and loving kindness means doing or giving something good or beneficial to others, especially those who are struggling or in need without expecting anything in return or having other motives for helping. Let us all together read the next slide taken from the gospel of Matthew chapter 25:35-36: for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ This is the closing parable of the 25 th chapter of Matthew and it has been titled by bible publishers as the Judgment of the nations or Judgement of humanity. This verse is one of the mostly quoted and used bible passages here in Open Table or at least by me. At the end of it all, the measure and judgement of our lives will ONLY be our concrete actions of loving kindness to anyone who is struggling, sick, and in need? Especially to those who are desperate and whose only hope is God. Have you heard that phrase before? Those whose only hope is God? It means and refers to people na wala na ibang makapitan at malapitan maliban sa Diyos. Sa sobrang hirap o bigat ng kanilang sitwasyon, na halos wala na silang malapitan, ang tanging lalapitan na lang ay ang Diyos. Giving grace means to do or give something good for each other and for those in need when you are able without expecting anything in return nor any ulterior motive as reason for helping. Now let us be clear – helping and doing good does not mean doing it stupidly or being gullible. Hindi yan yung nagpapauto ka sa kung sino man para bilhan mo ng mamahaling gamit or gadget. Hindi yan kakikilala nyo pa lang for a few weeks or a few months eh pinautan mo na ng libo-libong pera. Hindi yan yung gwapo o Magandang nakilala mo sa social media send ka agad ng GCash. Tapos pledge mo sa church 150pesos tapos hind imo pa makumpleto. Nung dark ages ito ng MCC. Sige kahit wag na sa church sabihin ginagaya ko ang pang-guguilt trip na ginagawa sa evangelical churches. Sige kahit hindi na sa MCC, sa ibang charitable organizations na lang… hindi makapagdonate or bigay? May pang ES walang pang offering or walang pang ayuda sa Pride Cares or Angat Buhay Foundation? Chariz. Not Chariz. Again, wala akong moral judgement sa mga ganap nyo mga accla. Don’t get me wrong also, personal nyong mga buhay yan at mga relasyon, and pinaghirapan nyong mga resources nyo. Hindi yun ang problema, ang problema mga desisyon nyo sa buhay na minsan pajulit-julit. Go and experience God in those private extra-curricular activities pero wag excessive and ayusin ang priorities gurl. Ang dami kayang katangahan, pardon the language, because of wrong priorities and wrong forms of kindness. Minsan talaga napapaisip ako – kung sa simbahan or pride cares na lang sana binigay or sa Angat Buhay. Daming naloloko, na-sca-scam at nakukuhaan ng malaking pera because of wrong priorities and motivations masked or justified as kindness. Remember, Kindness is not something you do so that you can feel good about yourself. Kindness is not something you do or give EXPECTING love and intimacy in exchange. Generosity is not something you do or give so that you feel validated or affirmed. Grace as acts of kindness is yoru response to the pain, suffering, or desperation of another human being. O baka may magalit, this is not specific to anyone, eto ay nangyayari naman talaga sa sangka-acclaan maski nga sa mga shibulibambam na nagkape lang bukas live-in na agad. Maski nga sa straight minsan nangyayari rin ang mga ito. Aside from Loving Kindness, there are 7 other ways to give and extend grace. Aside from loving kindness, the first tangible form of grace is presence or being present. To show up. This is also deeply rooted in the most orthodox Christian dogma of Incarnation of God becoming flesh – Immanuel – God with us. God’s presence and grace became flesh when God became physically present in the person of Jesus Christ. In the same manner we can give grace when we are present with others. When we show up when a friend is struggling or sick. Grace is when we attend the worship service pag Sunday kahit hindi ka volunteer for the day. Sometimes, just being present is enough. After all everything begins with physical presence. You cannot do anything or do very little if you are not present. Pag present ka maraming pwedeng gawin depende sa situation and need, and as I’ve said sometimes, just being here is enough. Patience and understanding – one of the closest virtues to grace is patience. Sometimes Grace is used interchangeable with patience. For today I am not pertaini ng to patience in relation to waiting but rather, – pagpapasensya – and kasama niyang pagpapasensya ay pang-unawa or understanding. Giving grace means to try our best to be patient and understanding of others especially towards the imperfections of our loved ones,friends, people we work with, people in community, and people we encounter. As much as others have been patient and understanding with our imperfections, we should also be patient and understanding of others. Hindi pwedeng ikaw lang palaging pinagpapasensyahan at inuunawa. Ikaw rin dapat giving grace through patience and understanding. Next is acceptance – pagtanggap and this is the closest thing we can relate to as queer people. One of the greatest expressions of grace in our life as queer people is when we are accepted by our parents and siblings, our friends, other people, and most especially our church. Yung pagtanggap sa kabuuan ng kung sino tayo at sino ang ating minamahal ay isang uri ng grace. Pero maski hind isa mga LGBT. Acceptance in general is one of the greatest forms of grace someone can receive and experience. And so for friends and allies, your acceptance of who we are is grace for us queer people. Pero sa atin rin na mga queer, we also have to accept other queer people. May mga sitwasyon na mismo pang LGBT ang hindi makatanggap sa kwpa niya LGBT. Kahit hindi mo naiintidihan yung ibang letra sa spectrum of sexuality and gender, tanggapin natin ang ibang queers na iba ang LETRA at respetuhin the way they are. Next is Apology and Forgiveness – Medyo nabanggit ko na ito last week but it is necessary to repeat this twice because it is also a central theology and praxis of the Christian faith ano man and denomination or church tradition mo. Grace means the maturity and humility to give an apology and to ask forgiveness when you are wrong, have hurt someone, and failed in your commitment or broken your promise. Personal accountability, the initiative to apologize, and the effort to make amends – yung pagkukusa mong manuyo at ipakitang nagsisisi ka at magbabago – is a form of grace. Grace for yourself and grace for the ones you have wronged. Jesus tells us to be merciful so that we may receive mercy as well sabi nya sa gospel of Luke chapter 6 verses 36 to 30. So hindi tayo pwedeng humingi ng kapatawaran kung tayo mismo ay hindi willing magpatawad. And I will repeat what I have said last week, you cannot call yourself a Christian if you are not willing to forgive. Now forgiveness does not mean an erasure of what happened. Minsan hirap tayo magpatawad kasi parang feeling natin eh binabalewala o binubura yung nangyaring hindi maganda. No. Minsan interpretation lang natin yan. Forgiveness does not erase the past nor should it. Forgiveness also does not always lead to reconciliation. Depende sa sitwasyo. If reconciliation is possible then all the better pero if it is not, then that is okay. You can forgive without necessarily reconciling with the other person in the same manner na pag ikaw ang nakasakit sa iba at humihingi ka ng tawad, it doesn’t mean na pag pinatawad ka, you can go back to how you were together as before. For serious offenses lalo na criminal ones, forgiveness does not mean to say no longer serving your time in prison. And often than not, forgiveness does not have to be about the other person. It is about you processing and eventually letting go of the hatred, anger, and negative thoughs and feelings that is eating you from the inside out. Forgiveness is cutting your loses and moving on without forgetting what happened and its lessons. You can forgive and be forgiven while at the same time still accepting and serving the consequences of your wrong actions, words, and decisions. Lastly on forgiveness, no one can force anyone to forgive at any point in time. While I will preach and encourage forgiveness, no one, including myself has the authority to force any person to forgive. Forgiveness, however long or short it may take, is ultimately the decision, process, journey, and willingness of the aggrieved person. Civility – Grace also means being civil with those you disagree with or have some conflict with. Siguro mas irelate natin ito dito sa church community natin or sa inyong mga trabaho. You do not have to be super close with anyone to work with them. You do not need to immediately resolve a conflict or a disagreement nor immediately reconcile to continue working together. Giving grace is to act professionally and to be civil with those you have differences with or even conflict because the work, the mission, the advocacy, the ministry, COMES FIRST. What we do is over and above any of our personal differences and disagreements na minsan ay mga drama at pettiness lang din naman. In the current LGBT network na kasama at nakikibahagi ang Open Table, meron tayong mga organizations and individual leaders na nakakatrabaho at nakakasama na hindi kinikilala ang 1994 Pride march as the first Pride March sa Pilipinas. Pero magpapaka-petty ba ako or ang open table dahil sa magkaibang pagtingin sa kasaysayan? We will always maintain and proclaim 1994 as the first pride march in the Philippines and Asia pero that won’t prevent us from working with other LGBT organizations and leaders who might think otherwise. Ilang beses ko na nakwento during the dark ages, ilang beses na kami nag-away ni Christopher Celeste. Ilang beses na rin nagkasagutan at nagsigawan si Celeste at si Jack, and then other pang mga awayan nuon, but none of those were more important than the ministry and advocacy that do together. Ang mga away na iyon na marami ay ministry related will never destroy our friendships that were forged by our shared struggles sa Open Table. Giving grace means being civil with people you work with even if you don’t like them and they don’t like you for any reason valid or not. Volunteerism – Giving grace is to give our time, talent, and effort for worthy causes and in our cause for the our queer movement and the HIV movement in the Philippines. Volunteerism is a higher form of loving kindness because it is then responding not only to individual needs but it is responding to larger social-economic, socio-political, and socio-environmental cause. Nag-aambag at nakikisangkot ka sa mas malaking pangangailangan at gawain and that is giving grace. Pero eto nga, ang ating volunteerism ay hindi lamang yung eme-emeng tree planting here and there and clean-up sa dolomite beach para lang mafeel good tayo once or twice a year. Our volunteerism must not only be consistent, it must also be rooted in activism. Sabi ko nga dapat ang volunteerism ay isang uri ng aktibong pakikisangot, pakikibahagi, at pag-aambag sa mga social causes in our country and the world. All together read the text on the slide, In our world… Activism is how grace looks like in an oppressive world. Grace is not just personal, it is also social and political. Grace did not became flesh only for you. God became flesh to proclaim good news to poor, freedom to the oppressed and liberation to the captives. God’s grace is God’s unrelenting desire for every person and for all of creation to receive and experience LOVING KINDNESS through justice, equality, common good, and mutual compassion. Did you not know that the prophets of old were your ancient activists? Pag binasa nyong buo ang mga sinulat ng mga propheta tulad ni Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, and the 12 other prophets in the Hebrew scriptures, hindi nawawala ang kanilang CRITICISM of government including their call for justice and compassion for the oppressed. Activism is prophetic and Jesus was not only a healer and teacher, he was also a prophet. Activism and advocacy are essentially part of our faith and sacred scriptures. Isang uri ng grace ang pag-attend ng protesta. Hindi natin kailangan katakutan ang protesta. Hindi natin kailangan demonize ito. All of the advanced countries, except for a few, ay merong vibrant na aktibismo. One example is South Koren. Diba ang hilig-hilig nyo sa K-Drama. Sa South Korea, mabilis magrally ang mga mamamayan pag merong kurapsyon at maling ginagawa ang kanilang national elected officials. Wala silang rally for unity. Rally against corruption sila. Ang France. Viva Le France. Some of you love na love and Le Miserable. Marami sa mga accla dream puntahan ang Paris without realizing that it has a history of peasant revolts, labor movement, and socialism, and up to now, anytime na merong hindi magandang ginagawa ang gobyerno laban sa mga manggagawa, they will protest immediately. Let us consider rin na kaya hindi umuunlad ang atin bansa hindi dahil sa tatlong EDSA rally na nangyari or dahil may mga aktibistang reklamo ng reklamo. Can we consider na kaya hindi umuuland ang ating bansa kasi kinukunsinte natin ang mga corrupt na pulitiko sa gobyerno at kulang na kulang pa nga ang ating pagproprotesta as compared to South Korea and France? Protest is not the disruption of law and order. Society and government, and perhaps even some of the laws are DISORDERD that’s why protest becomes necessary. How to give grace in a cruel and oppressive world – volunteer based on activism and do not be afraid to protest the injustices around us even if things won’t change immediately or will not happen within our own lifetime. Of course, I understand na may kanya-kanya kayong kahandaan at pang-unawa and I will never force anyone to join any protest nor support any political group. Open Table MCC while I’m its pastor, will never force, pressure, or manipulate any of its members and leaders to attend any rally. But I hope you will by your own informed choice when you are ready lalo na ngayong darating na women’s month and labor day. How do we give grace? Activism or advocacy work Doing and gi ving something good The gift of presence Patience and understanding Acceptance Apologizing and in turn forgiving Practicing civility Volunteering And we can only give grace and do so much good if we are together as a church community serving each other and contributing to our larger queer sector and Philippine society. Kung hindi man dito and bet nyo, there are other communities and organizations who are equally doing the work of grace in other ways and places. The point is we can do better and a lot when we give grace together the same way the early Christians did. The book of acts gives us a glimpse both in chapter 2 and chapter 4 how the early Christians practiced and gave grace to one another. Acts 4 tells us: Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them. Having received and experienced grace, early Christians practiced and gave GRACE – Loving kindness – to one another in their communities despite systemic injustice, oppression, and later persecution. They persisted with their radically inclusive form of community and their proclamation of a crucified peasant Jew as Lord and Savior. I hope, we can follow their example who continue to live by grace and give grace to one another despite the world and context they lived in, which frankly was much worse than we have. They remained joyful and hopeful in the midst of fear and anxiety, and even in the face of impending death. I hope like them, we will not be overwhelmed with the current problems and troubles of our world today but instead, like them, draw out strength, courage, joy, and togetherness from the deep well of God’s grace through Jesus. May we continue to grow by practicing and giving grace. And then together with other organizations and networks, may we relentlessly demand for justice and denounce oppression. May everything we do as a community and as part of our sector, serve as our subversive act of resistance against the cruelties of this world. In Jesus subversive name we pray, may it always be so. Amen. The post Giving Grace appeared first on Open Table Metropolitan Community Church .…

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Living By Grace 32:30

6 weeks sitten32:30

32:30

How do we live by grace in a world that still struggles with cruelty, hatred, and greed? Paano tayo magpapatuloy na mabubuhay at maglalakbay bilang mga progresibo Kristiano sa mundong patuloy na meron kalupitan at pagsasamantala? Anong magagawa natin bilang indibidwal at bilang isang maliit na simbahan? Parang powerless tayo or that what we do has little impact? And maybe that is partly true, however, let us not underestimate a small group of people 2000 years ago who lived by the grace of Jesus of Nazareth, a peasant Jew they proclaimed as Lord and Savior. Let us not underestimate the impact we can have in how we live and serve today in this community AND serve AS community. Living by grace in our world today is like using water in our daily lives We use water for hydration and nourishment. We also use water for cleansing and washing, and in many ways cleansing is a form of healing. Lastly, we use water for recreation and play. Ang tubig ginagamit para maglaro at magsaya. Let us learn how to live by grace by these 3 uses of water in our lives. Pero bago yun let us remember that Jesus is our fountain of grace – the source of our spiritual water as Christians. A reading from the gospel of John: On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink . As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart * shall flow rivers of living water.’ Si Jesus pa rin talaga. As we talk about grace in the metaphor of water the gospel of John describes Jesus as living water. we keep in mind as we go through our discussion today, that Jesus is our living water, the source of God’s grace. Let us begin. Our first point of learning today. Living by grace is first like drinking water and being nourished by it. We all need water to drink. It has been said, and it is scientifically proven that you can survive only with water without food between 2 to 3 weeks or up to 40 to 50 days depending on your body composition, health, and training. Life is a journey as they say, and in the marathon of life, we need to regularly slow down or stop for a while to drink water – God’s grace – to rehydrate us and to strengthen us. Ang buhay ay parang isang marathon. Hindi sya minamadali at ito ay matagal at mahabang lakbayin. Tulad nang isang marathon where we need to pace ourselves – kalingan din natin bumagal o tumigil sandali para mag-replenish nang tubig – nang grasya ng Diyos. Kasi nakakapagod ang paglalakbay sa buhay na ito lalo na sa mundong ito na maraming paliko-liko at sira-sirang daan, may mga obstruction or obstacles. The road of life like literal roads in the Philippines are not pedestrian and PWD friendly. Our walk, run, or marathon in our country or the world are rarely ever smooth. This takes a toll on our bodies, hearts, and souls. We lose grace like losing water as we journey. We lose patience and hope. We get tired and sometimes we want to give up. Hence, just like in a marathon or any other journey, we need to replenish water from the source, Jesus, so we can continue on living, loving, and serving. How do we this? Where do we get this living water of grace? As Christians struggling to live, love, and serve today, the way we replenish the living waters of grace is of course with prayer and rest. Progressive Christians sometimes have a difficulty with prayer and sometimes even with rest. What’s the point of prayer anyway? Does it really it work? How can I rest with all the problems of the world? Prayer is not only wishing good things to come and expecting it all to happen. Prayer is a way to internally nourish ourselves with the grace of God. Prayer is more of listening and receiving grace through silence and rest rather than ranting to God. Of course, you can rant to God from time to time but for today as we learn about grace, let us look at prayer as one of those main faucets where we get clean water to drink. It helps if we use prayer practices or rituals that aid our prayer life. There are a million ways to pray. Find one that feels right to you. Light a scented candle and incense when you pray. Hike a mountain with a mountaineering group and as you hike focus towards prayer. When I go to the gym during leg day, I pray the Jesus prayer. Every painful step is a prayer. Sunday worship is a community ritual, a source of weekly grace. Prayer and Ritual both as an individual and with a group must be intentional the same way we intentionally get a glass of water to drink. You must rest both in body and in spirit when you are tired from the many journeys and struggles of this life. We can also drink the living waters of God’s grace in and through our relationships and communities; Not perfect but good relationships and communities. Grace is never in isolation. Grace is received and experienced through the relationships we have and communities we belong to. Yes, church community is a source of God’s grace, but it is not only in here. Yes, grace is also with our Christian friends and family, but not only with them. Open Table has always encouraged everyone to encounter and experience God in so many other places, peoples, and other activities other than church or religious activities. We need to drink God’s living grace from different relationships and communities. We need to share God’s grace with other peoples and places. Go out and spend time with your friends and family. Volunteer here in Open Table MCC or kung di nyo bet dito, pwede naman sa ibang organizations because God is equally present there. Engage other sectoral groups to learn more and make friends with the other oppressed. God’s living grace is also with cosplay groups. Drink God’s grace by cosplaying. Grace is something we receive and experience in and only through our connections – the relationships we have and communities we are a part of. Drinking water is essential to live and to continue journeying while at the same time, it has been said by many doctors that a lot of bodily issues can be addressed when we drink enough clean water daily. Ang problema kasi ang marami sa atin, mas sanay tayo sa soft drinks or other drinks na mataas sa asukal or kemikal. A lot of us do not drink enough plain clean water hence issues with our organs at a young age. In the same way, sufficient amounts of grace through prayer and rest, good relationships, and good communities are needed for our mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Lastly on the matter of drinking grace similar to drinking water, we have to choose carefully where we get our grace the same way we get our water. If we drink contaminated water, we get sick. We must be careful with the relationships and communities where we think we can get grace. We have to also question previous religious practices that we thought to be clean water but actually like soft drinks taken for too long damages our organs. Careful of relationship that are parasitic. Careful of toxic churches claiming to be welcoming. Careful of jowas who will not only drain your energy and patience but also your bank account. 2025 na mga accla. Wag delulu at hopiang panis. Careful also that you drink too much social media and doom scrolling, it is like drinking too much alcohol too often – like alcohol, social media can be addictive but depressive. Too much social media causes you to feel detached and depressive with all the terrible things happening in the world, and it can cause you other mental health issues. Everything you drink into your system impacts your body, mind, and spirit. Choose carefully the different kinds of water you put into your being. Are this living waters of grace or are these toxins that damage you? Our second lesson for today: Grace is also about cleansing and washing. Hindi maganda ang pakiramdam pag hindi ka naligo lalo na kung ilang araw na. Sa ating mga paglalakbay importanteng naliligo tayo. Importante ang naglilinis diba bottoms? Amen ba? In the continuing journey of life and in the many things we do, we need to wash ourselves from dirt, oil, sweat, grime, and bad smell. Similarly, in the same journey of life we need to cleanse ourselves with all the spiritual, emotional, mental, and social dirt we have accumulated. We wash with the waters of Jesus Christ. In Matthew we read… And there was a man with a skin disease who came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” He stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing. Be made clean!” Immediately his skin disease was cleansed. A person with a skin disease came to Jesus and asked, if you are willing, you can make me clean. Of course, Jesus wants to make us clean similar to the man. Jesus tells us, I am willing. But notice, the man made an effort to come to Jesus cleansing and healing. To be washed, we must want it for ourselves. Dapat gustuhin nating maghugas. We must also seek out cleansing. A lot of Jesus’s healing in the gospels are people coming to Jesus to be healed AND MADE CLEAN. Kailangan magpagpag at maglinis spiritually. You must intentionally choose to remove theologies, perspectives, practices, emotional baggages, bitterness, and resentments, regrets, and unnecessary thoughts that keeps looping in mind. If you need to seek professional help, do so if you are able. If you need medication, by all means. If you need to break-up with any friendship, connection, or jowa who only contaminates your well-being do so after doing much soul searching. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not one who will tell you to disconnect and cut off ties too easily and too soon. Diba ba nga relationships are sources of grace. But what I’m saying, if your relationship IS NOT a source of grace but the opposite, then you must let it go. But like careful and thorough washing of the body, you must be thorough in thinking carefully if you need to cut off someone from your life. When the red flags are slapping you in the face left and right, up and down, when good people around you are already saying the same things, then perhaps it is time to remove this person or persons in your life and block them in social media. I only hope you will do so with grace and kindness not only for yourself but also for those you are removing from your life. Let go and cut off in a gracious and matured way. Doing so is the Jesus way. The gracious way. Come to think of it, healing is all about cleansing and this includes dysfunctional family relationships we have. We also have to drop what conservative churches told us na “TIISIN Na lang”. or Magulang mo kasi sya kahit na one of those family members or parents are one walking embodiment of red flag and abuse. We have to wash ourselves with those people, situations, and practices even if they are by blood or traditions of our families that are actually nothing more than dirt in our lives. But again, do not do so easily but with the grace of Christ wash yourself of these things or those people in the same way you will carefully wash your body. Or minsan hindi mo naman totally kailangan icut ang buhay mo sa kanila, but you just need to distance yourself. In other cases naman, perhaps what you need to remove is not persons but the beliefs and practices of our families. Wag mo na iaaply sa buhay mo at personal mong mga relationship. Keep the relationship but break the cycle of trauma and abuse. Kasi if you remain unclean with all the generational and familial toxicity; if you remain unclean with parasitic jowas; If you remain in a toxic work; if you keep theological teachings and practices na toxic… so ano mangyayari sayo? What will happen to you if you remain dirty? You will get sick. You will not feel good about yourself. You might contract skin disease. You will be spiritually, mentally, and emotionally sick and may contract spiritual skin diseases that will fester – magnanana sa iyong kaluluwa. While we ask God to wash us and clean us with everything that is toxic, parasitic, or dirty in our lives, it is not a one-time cleansing. We are not perfect; we do not have perfect relationships and communities despite those relationships being good ones; We are living in an imperfect and still cruel world, and in many ways indirectly participate in many social evils like by buying starbucks or eating in Jollibee. Char. Not Char. And so we remind ourselves that throughout out our lives, we need to wash regularly by the living waters of God through Jesus. Like how we wash our body so must we regularly wash our hearts, minds, and souls from all the evils and cruelties of this world and our own. Habang nabubuhay tayo kailangan natin patuloy na maligo sa grasya ng Diyos hanggang mamatay tayo. Until we die, we will need washing. Diba nga yung patay hinuhugasan pa yan at nililinis? Cleansing is a lifelong process and activity we must be willing to undertake as many times over as we need. Our 3rd point to live by grace is to joyfully play. Maglaro. Rev. Elder Darlene Garner, in her very-wise-old-African-motherly vibe once asked us back in 2015 when we were still MCCQC – “As a church what are you doing for play?” And we could not answer. It’s no wonder why you are burned out and if you are not yet burned out, you will be sooner than later. PLAY is important. PLAY is a source of grace Jesus in John commands us to love and he says that I have said this to you so that your joy maybe complete. Paul also says that one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit is Joy. Loving and serving doesn’t have to be romanticized as a dramatic, tragic, or always sacrificing. Love is joyful and playful as much as it is sacrificing. Having fun is important in your personal life and relationships; It is important in our communities or organizations, and definitely joyful play is necessary for our spiritual well-being. Not everything is about work or serious stuff. Not everything should be about ministry, theology, and advocacy. If your life, relationships, work, and your community is not JOYFUL and does not have moments of play, then it will wither. Too much seriousness will wither your body and soul. Paul tells the Philippians: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. The early Christians were under the Roman empire. Many of their members were also slaves, widows, and peasant laborers, and yet Paul encourages them in all his letters but most especially in his letter to the Philippians to rejoice in the Lord and to practice joyfulness. Their lives are already difficult and tragic as it is, bilang komunidad kailangan nilang ugatin ang kanilang Ligaya sa Panginoon at maging intensyonal na maging masaya sa harap ng mga kalupitan na nakapalibot sa kanila. As church, that’s the reason why we have our once-a-year community swimming. That’s why we have celebrations during Easter, Christmas, and our anniversaries and we play queer lotto, and talk about drag. In the midst of all the evils and cruelties happening around us, never fail to still laugh, play, and find joy from time to time. Kahit papaano dapat merong kagalakan sa ating pakikibaka. Maski mga aktibista ay paminsan-minsan tumatawa at nagsasaya a hindi puro ra-ra-ra-sisbumba! To live by grace is to joyfully play from time to time to wash away the stresses and sorrows within us and around us. Joyfulness through play helps us to endure the journey ahead and the many struggles we will face. God is also with us when we play. In summary – to Live by Grace is: Drinking Grace from Jesus Christ through prayer, relationships, and community, and choosing carefully where to access or tap on God’s grace. Washing and Cleansing by God’s grace Grace through joy and play Pero akala nyo tapos na? But wait… may isang pahabol pa as a closing of this preaching. Like water, grace must be shared and given to others. You cannot keep it to yourself. You must share and channel God’s grace through kindness, generosity, and forgiveness. Letter to Ephesians tells us to be kind and tenderhearted to one another, and to forgive. Stagnant water also rots. Ang tubig na nakaimbak at hindi nagagamit ng matagal na panahon ay nabubulok din. We have to give away grace in the form of kindness and generosity, and ultimately as FORGIVENESS. Forgiveness is one of the greatest manifestations of grace. But of course, forgiveness does not mean to say not holding abusers accountable. We can forgive even as we hold someone accountable, and accountability is also a form of grace. But you cannot call yourself a Christian if you are not able to forgive because the one you follow forgave those who nailed him to the cross. So do not keep grace just to yourself. Share it. Give it away. Be generous. Forgive. And as Christians, it is not just kindness. As followers of Jesus who denounced injustices and religious oppression, grace is to work for justice and equality wherever we are. God through the prophet Amos says to let justice roll down and flow like water. GRACE in a cruel and unjust world is also through advocacy and activism. We believe that you cannot be a Christian and preach grace without wanting grace for all people in the form of justice that upholds human life, rights, and dignity. Hindi tayo puro play and joy lang. Yes need natin yan. Hindi tayo puro drink of grace by pray pray. Hindi ito puro personal self-help wokeness of cutting ties with the toxic boomer generation. Grace means ministry and justice work, and it also means passing to the next generation the grace we have received from our queer ancestors who paved the way. Ang daming nangyayaring masama sa ating paligid. There is so much fear among LGBTQIA+ people, immigrants, and other minorities in the US. Our own MCC churches in the US will directly experience the negative impact of their current situation in their country. Life is not getting better here in the Philippines and this coming midterm elections, mukhang mananalo pa rin ang mga kurap. Hindi tayo sure sa ceasefire sa Palestine. Injustice, cruelty, and greed abounds the same way that the Roman Empire 2000 years ago continued to oppress and kill many peoples including the persecution of Christians. But small and powerless as they are, Christian communities continued to live by grace through prayer, generosity, forgiveness, joy, works of compassion and common good, and their shared life together as a community. May we follow their example and live by grace in our time and lived reality today. In Jesus name, may it be so. Through this preaching may we receive God’s blessing. R: Thanks be to God! Amen! The post Living By Grace appeared first on Open Table Metropolitan Community Church .…

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Sino si Grace? Grace in the Flesh! 53:42

7 weeks sitten53:42

53:42

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. (John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ ”) From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. Scripture Reading John 1:14-16 (NRSVUE) God’s favor through loving kindness: what is Grace? It is a free gift from God out of God’s love for us. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God — not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we may walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10 It is like an ocean, it is inexhaustible. No one can claim absolute ownership or control over God’s grace. It is like water that will always seek the lowliest places (Richard Rohr) For us to understand and appreciate GRACE in a new and different way, we have to know about its context and development. Paul “saw” in Jesus the fullness of God’s grace – loving kindness – for all humanity within a world that was ungracious: a world that has very little love or kindness. Theologically, what we know and articulate as GRACE was a theological development of Paul, a learned jewish individual, probably a scholar, interpreting the life and words of Jesus that he himself received from the other Apostles and Disciples after he became a Christian. It was totally counter cultural, counter religious, and counter political to proclaim the Lordship, and Messiahship, and Resurrection of peasant Jew from Nazareth who preached love and compassion but was defeated, tortured, and nailed to the cross; that the peasant Jew was the Son of God and has the fullness of God’s favor in him. Χάρις (Charis) Noun and considered feminine Translated into english as grace. Favor, kindness, blessing. Derived from the Greek verb χαίρω (chairō), meaning “to rejoice” or “to be glad.” The Hebrew equivalent often associated with “charis” is חֵ ן (chen), Strong’s Hebrew 2580, which means favor or grace. Cultural and Historical Background: In the Greco-Roman world, “charis” was commonly understood as a favor or gift given without expectation of return, often to cement social bonds or express goodwill. In the New Testament, this concept is deepened & transformed to express the profound and unconditional* love of God towards humanity, which is not based on human merit but on God’s own character and purpose. Source: https://biblehub.com/greek/5485.htm חַנּוּן channuwn (adj) חֵן Chen (Noun) In hebrew chen is in the male form. Word Origin: Derived from the root חָנַן (chanan), which means “to be gracious” or “to show favor.” Usage: The Hebrew word “chen” primarily denotes grace or favor. It is often used to describe the unmerited favor or kindness that one receives from another, particularly from God. In the Old Testament, “chen” is frequently associated with God’s graciousness towards humanity, as well as the favor that individuals find in the eyes of others. Source: https://biblehub.com/hebrew/2580.htm Cultural and Historical Background: In ancient Hebrew culture, “chen” was a significant concept that underscored the relational aspect of God’s covenant with His people. It was understood as a divine attribute that was not earned but given freely. The idea of grace was central to the (ancient) Israelites’ understanding of their relationship with God, who chose them as His people not because of their merit but because of His gracious love. Cultural and Historical Background: In the ancient Near Eastern context, gods were often seen as distant and capricious. However, the God of (ansicent) Israel is depicted as intimately involved with His creation, characterized by grace and mercy. This understanding of God as “channun” set the Israelites’ faith apart, emphasizing a personal relationship with a compassionate deity who cares for His people and responds to their needs. Source: https://biblehub.com/hebrew Grace in the Context of Community & Relationship Paul became a Jewish Christian around around 35 or 38CE, approximately 3, 5 or 8 years after Jesus death on the cross. During that time the first Christian communities were mostly peasant Jews born and living in Judea which the Romans called and mapped as Palestine. There were a few greek Jews such as Philip and few merchant or artisan class members. A few gentiles were joining but they had to become Jewish first by circumcision and following Jewish way of life. Grace in the Context of Temple and Empire Greco-Roman Empire, Occupation, and normalcy of slavery. Slavery was part of the social order in many ancient empires. Patriarchal and Hierarchical. Social stratification based on race and gender. Grace – Favor – is based on the capricious and unpredictable behavior of Emperors or other socially superior persons. Living conditions to some degree are based on race. Greeks and Romans were the superior race. During the time of Jesus, the 1% owned and controlled the land and practically everything else. Half of the population was slowly starving to death. Life expectancy was 28 years. For the Jews, they are the chosen of the One True God and therefore, generally speaking, the perspective was, they have exclusive access to grace through the Law, the Priesthood, and the Temple in Jerusalem (Temple Theology). Despite references to justice, equality, and compassion in the Law and prophetic writings, there was still corruption even within the Jewish religious and political system that added to the suffering of the people on top of the Roman occupation and oppression. But there were of course many Pharisees and other Jews who tried their best to bring reform in the temples and synagogues, and address corruption and injustice. There were motivated by justice passages of the Torah (Law) and the prophetic writings. There were some pharisees who were part of the Jewish nationalist resistance. Roman violence was the source of peace and favor throughout the occupied lands. Pay heavy taxes or whatever little you have will still be confiscated. Do not question. Do not resist. You will be crucified. Your people will be massacred. Systemically, there was no or very little GRACE under the Roman Empire – under Pax Romana. Paul’s interpretation and theological views of Jesus was in response to the Greco-Roman culture, to Jewish theology and some strict religious customs and practices, and within the specific contexts of Christian communities wrestling with everything around them and within them. Grace in the Context of Community & Relationship The first Christian Communities for the first 50 to 100 years were trying to make sense of the life, meaning, & identity of Jesus of Nazareth whom they proclaim as the Christ. Paul’s letters & the gospels were written during this 100 years period. With the inspiration of the Holy Spirit they were writing their reflection who Jesus is & who they are as Christians in their living reality of the Roman oppression, the destruction of the temple in 70CE, and their internal community struggles. Grace in the Context of Community, Temple, and Empire If we first understand the contextual underpinnings of GRACE during the time of Jesus and as first articulated by Paul and the gospel writers, then we have a much clearer appreciation and richer theological reflection about grace in our current lived reality and present context. A Gracious Community Living In A Cruel World The first Christians followers experienced in Jesus the inclusive, equal, and unconditional graciousness of God and a better way, truth, and life. If there was a God it can only be the One who made itself known through this Jesus of Nazareth. From oral tradition, the gospel writers wrote about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth together with his teachings and commandments. Jesus in the gospels tell us that Loving kindness (Grace) is loving our neighbor – our kapwa – as we love ourselves, especially those we consider as enemies – the samaritans (Lk 10:25-37) , syro phoenicians (Mk 7:24-29) , and even Romans (Mtt 8:5-13) . Jesus in the gospels tell us that Loving kindness (Grace) is feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, welcoming the stranger, giving drink to the thirsty, take care of the sick, and visiting those in prison. (Mtt 25:31-40) Grace is never ignoring the poor around us. (Lk 16:19-31) Jesus in the gospels tell us that Loving kindness (Grace) is taking the side of the poor and oppressed by proclaiming good news to them, giving sight to the blind, releasing the captives, cancelling all predatory loans, returning land to farmers and indigenous peoples, all of which declares the Jubilee of the Lord. (Lk 4:17-21) Jesus in the gospels tell us that Loving kindness (Grace) is loving our enemies and praying for those who persecute us (Mtt 5:43-45 & Lk 6:27-36) NOT to perpetuate injustice but end cycles of violence and hatred. Jesus in the gospels tell us that Loving kindness (Grace) is forgiveness for those who have hurt us as much as we ask for forgiveness and understanding when we are the ones who have done wrong. (Mtt 6:14) Jesus in the gospels tell us that Loving kindness (Grace) is becoming the light of the world that burns and gets consumed for others to see. Grace is also when we become salt to be dissolved so that others will be nourished or preserved. (Mtt 5:13-16) Jesus in the gospels tell us that Loving kindness (Grace) when we do not serve greed (mammon) (Mtt 6:24-26) over the lives of people and we give what God requires – justice, kindness, and humility. (Micah 6:8). Jesus in the gospels tell us that Loving kindness (Grace) is when we protect, love, and care for ALL children and the vulnerable, God’s precious ones. And we ourselves reclaim our spiritual childhood in God. (Lk 18:15-17 & Mk 10:13-15) Jesus in the gospels tell us that Loving kindness (Grace) is when we remain in his love by loving one another as he has loved us, and like him offering our lives for our one another. (John 15:9-12) God’s loving kindness (Grace) according to the book of Acts is when we live together in community with genuine care for one another sharing everything in common and generously serving and giving according to each one’s needs. (Acts 2:43-47 & Acts 4:32-37) Paul interpreting the life and words of Jesus tells us that grace is a free gift from God through Jesus, therefore no one in the church community may boast. (Ephesians 2:8 & Romans 3:24-25) Paul interpreting the life and words of Jesus tells us that grace as the gifts of the Holy Spirit has been given to each one and every gift is necessary in the church community, the body of Christ. (1 Corinthians the whole chapter 12) Paul interpreting the life and words of Jesus tells us that grace is no longer based on race, gender, or socio-economic class for their is no longer gentile or jew, woman or man, slave or free – all are one in Christ. (Galatians 3:28-29) Paul interpreting the life and words of Jesus tells us that grace is loving because love is the fulfilment of the Law – Gracious love… is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable; it keeps no record of wrongs; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7) Paul interpreting the life and words of Jesus tells us that grace is joy and hope in the Lord. We need not fear nor despair with the cruelty that is around us because there is good, there is grace, there is a positive force that resist and pushback the evils of these world. (Philippians 4:4-7) And everything that is an opposite of what Jesus and Paul tells us are those that offend God’s grace: Dominance, greed, selfishness, apathy, intolerance, hatred, violence, religious self-righteousness and rigidity, oppressive hierarchies within the church community and preferential treatment, indifference to the poor and the hungry, privilege and self-preservation at the expense of others, arrogance, boasting, carelessness, abuse of children and the vulnerable, and abusing of faith and grace. How is our time and context today similar and different with context of Jesus, Paul, the gospel writers, and their communities? Understanding grace in the context of Jesus, Paul, and the early Christians, what is GRACE in our time today? How can we live, grow, and continue to be transformed by God’s grace today? What are the ways we can express God’s grace in our lives, relationships, and society in today’s world still struggling with cruelty. Sino si Grace? Jesus of Nazareth – a peasant Jew who preached and lived a radical and counter-cultural love rejected by religious leaders and executed by the Romans – is God’s grace in the flesh as testified by word, community, and martyrdom of first century Christians 2000 years ago. John 1:14-16 (NRSVue) : And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. (John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ ”) From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. Listen to what the Holy Spirit is telling us today . May what has been preached inspire us, comfort us, and transform us. Thanks be to God! The post Sino si Grace? Grace in the Flesh! appeared first on Open Table Metropolitan Community Church .…

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An Ocean of Grace? A “Progressive” Perspective 36:25

8 weeks sitten36:25

36:25

God’s grace is an ocean, an endless sea of infinite love, a cosmos onto itself. It surrounds you, embraces you, warms you like the babe, wrapped in swaddling clothes, like your mother’s loving arms, holding you, bringing relief. Grace is only ever given. Never bought, never earned. Every mystical experience is a remembering ancient knowledge now returned. What greater gift is there than this smallest blessing? Contemporary Reading “God’s Grace is an Ocean” by Aaron Waddell There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours. All the nations you have made shall come and bow down before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name. For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God. Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart to revere your name. I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever. For great is your steadfast love toward me; you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. O God, the insolent rise up against me; a band of ruffians seeks my life, and they do not set you before them. But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. Turn to me and be gracious to me; give your strength to your servant; save the child of your maidservant. Show me a sign of your favor, so that those who hate me may see it and be put to shame, because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me. Scripture Reading Psalm 86:8-17 (NRSVUE) Mapagpala at mapagpalayang 2025 sa ating lahat and Merry Christmas as per the Eastern Orthodox Calendar. Open Table MCC each year has a guiding theme. Lord teach us how to pray was the theme for year 2021, just barely coming out of the pandemic. The following year was, I Will Rebuild You Says the Lord for Year 2022 and then for year 2023, I will tend to you like a Garden Says the Lord with verse Isaiah 58:11. And then for last year, 2024 – Ano ang theme natin? I will Pour Out my Spirit and Establish You Says the Lord. Having a yearly theme is a way to dedicate, guide, and to frame our year to the different ways that God is present and revealing God’s self to us in our church community. Spiritually, I take this as God telling our community where is our growth or change area. For this year based on the majority of the congregation who answered the assessment survey, affirmed by the Ministry council, and approved by the congregation – our theme for this year is Grace with a bible verses John 1:14a and 16. But I will talk about our thematic verse not today but for another Sunday. Today I just want to deliver a message on how we should think about God’s grace metaphorically. Dapat next week pa ito, pero ichika ko lang din kasi kailangan for understanding… ano nga ba ang grace? Grace, at least for now, let us think of it as God’s loving kindness. If we want to be literal, Grace is Good Favor or delight like how a king positively favors or delights with a servant. Pero chaka kasi pag monarchial. Grace can also be delight – Yung natutuwa ka towards someone without no specific reason. Natutuwa ka sa kapatid mo simply because kapatid mo siya; sa anak mo or sa nanay mo hindi dahil may ginawa siya or silang something for you. Natutuwa – nadedelight ka – simply because. Pero let us prefer grace to be loving kindness. The loving kindness of parent to their child. Loving kindness of a lover to their loved one. The loving kindness of a beshiwap. What we also need to know about grace is that it is freely given and initiated by God and not something you earned or will earn – kaya actually the best relationship that will describe grace is – Friendship and/or community – I delight in you and love you hindi dahil magkadugo tayo or dahil jowa kita or dusto kitang kemehin. I delight in you and extend my loving kindness to you for no reason other than I choose you to be my friend or I choose to be with you in community. Lastly, let us understand grace as God’s power. There are theological definitions that would say the power of God is grace itself. The power of the Holy Spirit is grace. The blessings we receive are graces – loving kindness – from God. Our methodist siblings would even have categories for grace na para bang different kinds of powers – prevenient grace, justifying grace, and sanctifying grace. Ang kapangyarihan ng Diyos ay hindi power to destroy, overwhelm, or dominate. God’s power, in Christian understanding, is loving kindness. Ang kapangyarihan ng Diyos ay Kabutihang mapagmahal. I want us to think about grace first as symbolized by water. Water has been universally significant to all religions and spiritual traditions. Malalim at mayabong ang kahulugan at pag-gamit sa tubig sa iba’t ibang mga pananampalataya. Diana Butler Bass in her book Grounded says, God, is the One in whom we swim. She further says that many shrines, temples, and cathedrals were built over springs and ancient healing wells, including famous Christian sites like Chartes Cathdral and Lourdes. We can also find a lot of water stories in the Bible. In the Hebrew Creation Story in Genesis, in the beginning the Spirit of God hovered over the waters of the deep. Before anything, water and Spirit was already there existing with God. The slaves passing through water twice and the first time being delivered from their Egyptian oppressors. The story of Jesus at the well, Jesus calms the storm, and Jesus walks on water. The first and fundamental sacrament in Christianity that almost all Christians share is about water – Baptism – and today is the Sunday of the Baptism of our Lord. Today we will also renew the baptismal vows of our new ministers as they are formally and ritually received into the congregation. Many other religions treat water as sacred and symbolic of the spiritual life. Life on earth and indeed humans cannot exist without water. Human civilizations have evolved and developed besides great rivers and coastlines of oceans and seas. Our own body is filled with water. Scientifically speaking, we now know that life started not on land but on water. In the deep oceans of the young earth. It was only much later after millions upon millions of years and evolution that animal life crawled out of the water and into dry land. So, I want us to think about grace as water – no one can live without it. All of us are mostly composed of water. Everyone came from water and needs water. Everyone came from and because of grace. Everyone needs grace. Now let us think about grace not merely as water but specifically as an Ocean but not just one ocean – all 7 oceans of the world combined. Ganun kalaki at kalawak at kalalim ang GRACE ni God. Our contemporary reading by Aaron Waddell says… God’s grace is an ocean, an endless sea of infinite love, a cosmos onto itself. Like an Ocean, no one can own or control the ocean. There is no way that you as an individual or any group of people can own the entirety of the world’s oceans. Walang pwedeng mag-may-ari at magcontrol ng isang malaking karagatan tulad ng West Philippine Sea or magcontrol ng lahat ng karagatan sa daigdig. Therefore, tulad nang karagatan walang iisang pwedeng magmay-ari, magcontrol, or magclaim ng grasya ng Diyos. The grace of God and to some extent DIVINITY itself cannot be owned or controlled by one single church, denomination, or even one religion. It is arrogantly foolish to attempt or to say so. Anyone saying it either do not fully understand the enormity of God and God’s grace or alam nya pero gago lang talaga siya para paniwalain at manipulahin ang mga taong nabudol niya at patuloy nyang binubudol. Lesson 1 for today and to start our series on grace, no single church or religion, not even the human race as a whole, can exclusively own and control God’s grace in the same way that no one can own and control the oceans and seas of the earth. God’s grace, like water, is a gift given and available to all. If walang nagmamay-ari sa mga karagatan at sa tubig nito, then it should be freely available to all. The oceans of the world, and indeed rivers, lakes, and springs should be available and accessible to all. Similarly, God’s grace, like the waters of the world, should always be available and accessible to all who seek it and need it. And even if there are those who would control access to grace similar to access to water – water will always find a way and clear a path. Fr. Richard Rohr, a beloved Franciscan mystic wrote in one of his books and during his conversation with Oprah, said that love is like water – always seeks the lowest place. Remember what is grace? Grace if God’s LOVING kindness. Grace is inseparable with love, like water, always flows and seek the lowest places. Similarly, God’s grace will always find or create ways and paths to reach those in the lowliest. Hahanap at hahanap ng paraan at daan ang grasya ng Diyos, tulad ng tubig, para dumaloy at umagos pababa sa mga pinaka-aba at inaaping nasa laylayan at paanan ng lipunan at simbahan. The psalmist in our scripture reading declares: For great is your steadfast love toward me; you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. In the Hebrew Testament and Jewish religious perspective, Sheol is the deepest part of the earth, the land of the dead. And here the psalmist says, that the love of God is steadfast and went down to Sheol to deliver the psalmist out of it. Ang pag-ibig ng Diyos ay humanap ng daan at paraan para hanguin mula sa kailaliman ng Sheol ang salmista. God’ grace will always reach out to those in the deepest and lowest parts of humanity and creation – those who need God’s grace the most. No pastor, priest, bishop, or pope can prevent or stop God’s grace. The church did not stop God’s grace from abolishing slavery. The church did not stop God’s grace from uplifting women and women’s rights in both church and society. And in the last 60 or more years, the church did not stop God’s grace from reaching out and ministering to LGBTQIA+ people like water that came from the oceans becoming a storm whose name is Stonewall. The rain of stonewall fell upon those who have been denied God’s grace. Kaya wag tayong magpakagloomy and give in to what may seem to be the doom and gloom of our present times. History shows us that God’s grace and people’s commitment to justice are long term historical projects beyond our lifetimes. God’s grace overtime erodes landscapes of injustice and oppression like tides that carve even stone made islands. It has. It does. It will. From a personal perspective, ang Grasya ng Diyos ay palaging hahanap na daan at paraan para maabot ka sa iyong down and lowliest moments in life kahit na minsan yung mga down moments mo ay dahil rin naman sa mga kagagahan mo at mga maling desisyon sa buhay na paulit-ulit. God’s grace will seek you out from the lowliest moment of your life even if you caused it yourself. Merong tubig na hindi man maresolba ang lahat ng problema mo or agad-agad, pero tubig na magbibigay lakas at tapang sayo para magpatuloy muli. The same way how God’s grace never gave up on this church of Open Table MCC in all its lowliest and ugliest of times. How God’s grace, like rain water, nourished and refreshed this lowly church like dry land to give it new life. Our second lesson about grace is God’s grace like the oceans. It is and will always be available to everyone, and even if someone wants to wall it in, the ocean of God’s grace will always find a way to reach the lowliest. God’s grace, like the oceans, must not be abused or disrespected. Yes, God’s grace is the collective of all water on the earth – all the oceans, rivers, lakes, springs, waterfalls, and even ground water below and even the theorized oceans under the mantle of the earth. But we can even say that God’s grace is even bigger than all the waters of the earth. Sabi nga nung contemporary reading natin, God’s grace is a cosmos. Which simply means hindi natin kayang ubusin at arukin. While the ocean is and should be available to all, it is to be respected and even revered. You cannot be arrogant against the ocean or against any major body of water. The ocean is dangerous to those who think they can tame and control it in the same that God’s grace is something that cannot be tamed. In ancient times, there were a lot of superstition about sailing the seas because sailors know how dangerous the seas and oceans can be. But let me qualify. Seas and Oceans, rivers and lakes, are not dangerous in and of themselves. Bodies of water are simply the way they are and natural forces dynamically move them. Oceans and seas are only dangerous for people when people do not learn about them – the forces, seasons, and changes that affect and influence the waters. Water becomes dangerous when we do not take the time to know it before sailing into it or before using it. Ang karagatan at tubig ay nagiging mapanganib lamang pag hindi natin ito kinikilala at inaalam ng maigi bago natin ito puntahan, languyan, o bago gamitin at inumin. Danger is the attitude of humans who come approaching it with stupidity and arrogance. So is the grace of God. God’s grace is never dangerous. God’s grace is always available and in certain situations it is the one that reaches out to everyone and everywhere like rainwater. Pero it is arrogant of us if we think we can approach the grace of God arrogantly and with abusive attitude. Mahalintulad ko ito sa beach. Sabi ng mga parents natin, o wag kayong lalayo masyado. Dito lang kayo sa mas malapit. Pag masyadong maalon, wag na muna magswimming. Higit sa lahat ang paalalang wag pupunta sa dagat pag nakainom lalo na sa gabi. Pero merong mga teenager or even older adults na minsan matitigas ang ulo. Lalo na yung mga nakainom. Nag-iinum nung gabi biglang nagkayayaang magswiming para magtanggal ng amats. Ending, may nalunod. Another example at marami nito sa Pilipinas nung 80s and 90s. Barkong maglalayag sa gabi, over capacity. Minsan, hindi lang over capacity. Over capacity na nga nagdecide pa ring bumyahe sa gabi kahit meron ng news na may paparating na bagyo. Kaya naman daw kasi malaki yung barko. Ending lumubog at maraming namatay. Yes, God’s grace – God’s loving kindness is accessible and available to all like the oceans and seas. It is life giving and life nourishing. Like the oceans and seas of the earth, God’s grace sustains life on earth in so many different ways. The seas and oceans are responsible for the weather and temperature of the world. It also produces much of our oxygen. It also absorbs carbon from the atmosphere. Oceans and seas are major sources of food and energy. But it becomes dangerous and catastrophic not because it is evil or intends evil, but because we approach it with our human arrogance, stupidity, and greed. We must know, not God’s limits, but OUR limits as humans. We must appreciate with reverence God’s grace, like the ocean and seas, how it has and continue to sustain our life. Wag natin abusuhin ang grasya at pag-ibig ng Diyos simply because it is always available and freely given tulad ng tubig na andyan lang sa ating paligid anytime we want it. Besides, while God’s grace is inexhaustible like the oceans – we only experience and receive grace from one another. We, humans, as imperfect and fragile pipes – alulugod – of God’s grace have limited ways of extending grace. We cannot continually abuse each other as channels of God’s grace. We must clearly know hanggang saan lang tayo pwedeng lumangoy sa karagatan ng pag-ibig at grasya ng Diyos. And if we want to sail further out into the sea, we must study and learn like sailors and fisherfolks the proper ways of the sea and the knowledge of the winds, the seasons, and the tides. Like the sailors and fisherfolks who have reverence for the oceans and seas that gives life and purpose to them, we must respect and revere God’s grace for what it is – the source and sustainer of life, and a powerful force that is inherently good and beneficial, reaching out to the lowliest, but not something to be abused or disrespected. 3 lessons for God’s grace in the metaphor of water and oceans: Grace is like an ocean – no one can own or control it. Grace like water and the oceans and seas – should be freely available and accessible to everyone. God’s grace like water will find or create a way to reach the lowliest places and peoples. God’s grace like the ocean and seas – cannot be abused. We have heard it said – ashes to ashes and dust to dust. But I think, we can also think about it and say, from the oceans we came and to the oceans we will also return. After all are we not made of mostly water? Remember that you and me, we are all water that came from the Ocean we call God. Grow and mature in God’s grace and as God’s channel of grace because someday you and I will return to God’s Ocean of grace from whence we came. The post An Ocean of Grace? A “Progressive” Perspective appeared first on Open Table Metropolitan Community Church .…

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Joy and Contradictions 32:19

11 weeks sitten32:19

32:19

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place in the guest room. Now in that same region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them, and Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told them. Luke 2:1-20 (NRSVUE) Christmas season, which in the Philippines begin in September as per the Vatican council of the sy and ayala family, is a weird season for progressive groups including progressive Christians. Lalong-lalo na progressive Catholics. It is a weird, awkward, and contradictory season. Lalo na ngayon na sa mismong lugar kung saan pinanganak, nag-lakad-lakad, at nagmilagro si Hesus ay merong genocide na nangyayari. Weird, awkward, and contradictory because there is so much celebration happening and both the religious and capitalist messaging is about gratitude and generosity. It is the time for gift giving and thanksgiving. It is time for gathering together as family and friends. Sabi sa tradisyunal nak anta… “ Tayo’y mangagsiawit Habang ang mundo’y tahimik.” Ang totoo hindi tahimik ang mundo at nakakarindi ang sintunadong mga kanta ng mga nangangaroling na iisang kanta lang ang kinakanta, tapos tatlo o apat na grupo ang tatapat sa bahay niyo to sing the same song. Another contradiction and awkwardness pag pasko for progressives is the fact that from September to December, there is so much wealth created because of consumer consumption. Ang this humongous wealth gets concentrated with the Billionaires. And a lot of the items people buy comes from labor exploitation, some of which comes from modern slavery city of Valenzuela – the city of factories and manufacturing. Kasama dyan yung contradiction na maski pa magbigay sila ng 13 th pay at bonuses, almost 90% of employee salaries will go back to businesses kasi ang empleyado ay gagasta rin para sa pasko. Empleyado ng SM mamimili rin sa mismong SM. The irony of it noh? Kaya ang tunay na pinagpala pag pasko ay ang mga negosyante. And here is the conundrum, the season of Christmas or any season for that matter is a mixture – halo-halong pag-asa at kawalan ng pag-asa. Halo-halong gratitude and generosity with selfishness and greed, both individual and systemic. Magkahalong time for family gatherings and also loneliness kasi hindi naman lahat may pamilya to celebrate it and even those na merong pamilya, maraming mga LGBT are living in terror during the holidays going to homophobic churches and mingling with homophobic relatives. Halo-halong celebration and thanksgiving for all the blessings and good things of the year that is about ti end while at the same time kasama rin dyan ang lahat ng kashitan, pagsubok, karamdaman, and relationship break-ups of the past year. And just to reiterate, the contradiction of that we celebrate the incarnation of the Prince of Peace when in the land of his birth, at this very moment, there is continuing bloodshed, a huge number of those murdered where children and mothers. But let me ask you, was the first Christmas, whether the version of Matthew or today’s lectionary version of Luke, was it a time of perfect peace, prosperity, and celebration for everyone? It was not. It was almost exactly as we have it today. The first Christmas was also a contradiction, weird, and awkward. Kung may pagkakaiba man siguro, it was not as eventful as we have it today. It was so ordinary and unnoticed specially in the version of Luke. It was also a time of occupation, violence, and oppression by the Roman Empire. Im sure as Jesus was being born, merong mga katawang nakapako sa Krus sa kalsadang papasok sa Jerusalem and across the empire. The first Christmas, there was a lot of consumerism also lalo na nung nagpatawag ng Census ang Emperador at nag-siuwian sa kanya-kanyang mga probinsya or hometowns ang mga tao. Puno nga ang lahat ng mga “hotels” at walang matuluyan si Maria at Jose. I’m sure, in the midst of heavy taxation, exploitation, and oppression by occupying powers, Jewish people still went to the synagogues and made pilgrimages to the temple to practice their faith, celebrate Jewish festivals, and to find something to be thankful for in the midst so much suffering, burden, and even violence. And let us not forget that the persecuted Christians of the 1 st and 2 nd century, were singing songs of rejoicing and thanksgiving as they were being crucified, burned alive or fed to wild animals. They themselves were a contradiction of joyful death. The first Christmas – the Prince of Peace was born in a weird and awkward world – a mixture of many contradictions, and I am here to say to all fellow progressives who find this season very difficult. That is okay. Afterall, wala naman tayong choice. We are living, working, and struggling in such a world. We do not have to feel guilty if there is a part of us who wish to celebrate kahit konti in the face of contradiction. In the face of every shit thing we continue to fight for and struggle against. It is okay to celebrate, enjoy food, enjoy the company of friends and family even though we know na merong mga hindi makakapagcelebrate, merong walang makaen, at merong walang pamilya or worst, merong mga nawalan ng pamilya because of violence. I am sure, despite being in the middle of so much destruction, hunger, and violence, Palestinian Catholics will try their best to still “celebrate” and gather for worship, prayer, and fellowship inside ruined church buildings or destroyed homes, sharing whatever little food they have left with each other or communion as their only food. There will still be mass celebrated in the many churches across Palestinian lands this month and next month. Next month kasi ang Eastern Orthodox Christmas. They have to celebrate. They have to gather as a people. They have to still find the smallest spark of joy and hope, the smallest ounce of faith, and to muster scraps of love for them to endure and continue. We who are thousands of miles away, we can still celebrate despite all the contradictions. We can still celebrate for those who can’t. We have to celebrate and collect as much joy and hope we can and share as much faith and love for the same purpose of finding strength, courage, and perseverance to ENDURE the oppressive demands of this world and to continue fighting against it. Mary and Joseph, and the peasant shepherds despite being under Roman occupation celebrated and allowed themselves to experience great joy with the birth of Jesus. And even if we go to the version of Matthew, in the face of genocidal infanticide of King Herod, the wise ones from the East allowed themselves to experience profound joy. I’m sure Mary and Joseph also felt profound joy receiving gold and other expensive gifts, bilang sila rin naman ay isang pesanteng pamilya. Magkahalong joy with the birth of Jesus and then fear because Herod is out to kill Jesus and most probably his parents, and of course to kill also the wise one who lied and ghosted Herod. So my Christmas message for this year for all of us na mga mulat or woke at sa kung sino pang mga kaibigan natin sa movement – Do not feel guilty to celebrate this season if you are able. If you have the means to celebrate kahit konti. At kahit parang wala na dahilan o kakayanan to celebrate gawan nating ng paraan. Makicelebrate with others. Kaya importante ang community and friendships. The only difference between our celebration and those that this world would have us do, is to celebrate it with intentionality and remembrance, and not denial or distraction. The capitalist and imperial celebration is always to distract people so that they do not come to the awareness of their oppression. All the festivities and consumerism propagated by those in power are intended to exploit and distract the people. Para hindi natin maramdaman o makita ang ka-shitan ng mundong ito. Yun yung dapat na malinaw sa atin: na hindi tayo nagsasaya dahil gusto nating takasan ang mga kabwisitan sa mundong ito. Hindi tayo nagsisimba para lang magpasalamat sa ating personal na mga blessings at ipagdasal ang personal nating mga kagustuhan para sa darating na taon. Hindi tayo nagtitipon bilang pamilya o bilang magjowang bakla or magjowang shibuli para lang sa ating mga sarili kasi okay na tayo bilang tayo. We celebrate and find reasons for joy so that we can be renewed and strengthened. We take time to rest, pray, and reflect para may panibagong lakas para sa pakikibaka, adbokasiya, at ministry sa darating na taon. Magpapahinga, kakaen, at magtatawanan para humugot ng panibagong tapang para sa mga rally at iba pang pag-oorganiza na dadaluhan sa darating na taon. Mag-aawitan tayo hindi dahil tahimik ang mundo, bagkus, mag-aawitan tayo bilang uri ng nagpapatuloy na protesta sa mga simbahan at sa lipunang complicit sa injustices and consumerism na umiiral. Ang ating pagsamba at mga celebrasyon ay hindi para takpan o kalimutan ang mga problema ng mundong ito at maski ng ating mga personal na buhay, bagkus para meron tayong panghugutan ng lakas para patuloy na mabuhay at lumaban. Siguro ito rin ang ating bitbitin at pag-isipan sa darating na taon. How can we continue to create moments of joy and happiness sa ating mga sari-sariling buhay at sa community na ito para pang-hugutan ng lakas at pag-asa? Sabi ng ani Pastor Carleen, MCC served as her hingahan at one point of her life. Isa sa mga mumunting espasyo na Siya, bilang aktibista, ay nakakahinga at nakakatawa kasama ang mga accla kahit sandali in contrast sa sangkatutak na karumaldumal na kaganapan na kanyang hinaharap. How can activities of joy be a source of hope and strength for you and for others? Not as coping or escaping, but as protest to a world and even to a movement that would exploit our labor and skills. Pero syempre hindi puro joy and joy na lang justifying it as source of strength. With so much joy and hope, how do we translate yung joy and hope na iyon by contributing our part sa pagkilos, sa ministry, sa advocacy? With so much joy and hope, how can we begin to remove our fear about rallies and try to attend one? With so much joy and hope, paano ka higit na makikipamuhay at makikisangkot sa community at ministry ng Open Table? Para sa matatagal na dito, paanong magkakaroon ka ng renewal sa iyong faith and advocacy sa open table at hindi tignan ang community na ito with bitterness, resentment, or to look at it as nothing more than just a burden? With moments of joy and hope, paanong mabawas-bawasan ang pagiging triggered person mo at maging mas kalmadong titabeks? Borrowing the wisdom of Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber – Goodnews is only Goodnews because it is delivered in the context of suffering and death. The birth of Jesus Christ, 2000 years ago, was only Goodnews because it was under Roman occupation not because God will magically eradicate the problems we ourselves have created or allowed. The uneventful birth of a child in a cruel world; a child promised to embody the presence of a loving God, is good news and worth celebrating. Let us celebrate the good news of Christ’s birth by being intentional with our celebrations, rituals, and festivities as a source of our strength, hope, and perseverance. In the same way that the peasant shepherds under Roman oppression experienced joy by seeing the Christ child, or the Magi – the Wise Ones – after their long journey and with the threat of a murderous mad king, experienced the joy of encountering the same promised liberator, may we also continue to look for and experience the joy Jesus Christ in our relationships, communities, and advocacies; Jesus Christ who is present in the countless tears and the smallest of joys of the Palestinians experiencing genocide; Jesus Christ who is present in all the contradictions, awkwardness, and weirdness of this season, of our lives and of our world. Let us celebrate with both joy and tears mixed together. Isang mapagpala at mapagpalayang pasko at darating na bagong taon sa ating lahat. The post Joy and Contradictions appeared first on Open Table Metropolitan Community Church .…

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Crying Out To God From The Wilderness 27:39

11 weeks sitten27:39

27:39

In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’ ” Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region around the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the River Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Therefore, bear fruit worthy of repentance, and do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. “I baptize you with water for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is more powerful than I, and I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Matthew 3:1-11 (NRSVUE) Magandang Hapon! We’re now on our fourth installment of our Advent series “Crying out to God.” Last week we talked about the Magnificat, which was Mary’s song and cry of joy to God, when the angel Gabriel announced to her that she will be conceiving a child. We discussed the hope that Elizabeth and Mary received from God, and like them, we as a Church are also given a hope that we have the responsibility of parenting, the same way that Elizabeth and Mary raised John and Jesus. Just a fun fact before we proceed, ang patron saint ng city kung nasan tayo ngayon ay si St. John the Baptist, that’s why as a true-blooded San Juaneno, we celebrate our fiesta which is wattah wattah every June 24. Kaya markahan niyo ang date na yan, at wag na wag kayong dadaan sa San Juan between 6 AM to 12NN on that date kung ayaw nyong mabasa. We will fast-forward a bit with our passage today, which is about John the Baptist preparing the way for the ministry of Jesus. Ito na ang moment that the hope of Elizabeth was fulfilled, and as we’ve discussed John the Baptist also was dedicated by Elizabeth back to God. I only wonder kung ano ang reaction nya, when her son would go against the establishment where Elizabeth and Zechariah belongs, the priesthood, the dominant religious institution during their time. In our reading today which is a passage from the Gospel of Matthew, John the Baptist is described as someone whose clothes were made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. Hindi po yan Gucci belt or a designer piece, yes it’s authentic leather, but during their time, his wardrobe is giving poverty. John the Baptist lived a simple life. The Gospels also imply that John the Baptist started his ministry in the wilderness. As I prepare this sermon, this got me asking, ano daw? He was preaching repentance in the wilderness? Eh wala namang tao dun? But just two verses after, nasagot din naman, because people come to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. That’s just me na madaling mag over react. But, may isa pa kong theory diyan which we will be discussing later. There’s only two words that I want all of us to remember in this preaching, wilderness and repentance or metanoia. What is metanoia? This is basically the original Greek word used for the English translation “repent!” as we all know the New Testament was originally written in Koine Greek which is the most commonly used language in the Mediterranean during their time. Metanoia is basically a change of heart, a change from the inside, that leads to outward transformation. Two words that are worth reflecting on as we spend the remaining days of our 2024 in vacation, well, for some who took their leaves. Wilderness, what do you imagine when you hear that word? Para bang gubat or ma-pine trees tulad nung sa Baguio? Maybe for most of us it’s an enjoyable place where we go to para magbakasyon or mag-hike. Wilderness is basically being in the wild or a desert where only a few people dare to inhabit. The heat can be scorching and in my experience going sa gilid ng Holy Land, the desert can be so freezing cold sa gabi at pitch black, with only a bit of light from the stars. (Yes, sa gilid lang kami which is The Kindgom of Jordan, and still part parin naman ng mundo ng New Testament. And I just researched and found out na natanaw pala namin ang Judean wilderness there, where John the Baptist preached, sa pagkakaalala ko it was basically all sand. Hindi rin kami natuloy mag baptism sa Jordan river na may parang rope sa gitna which serves as their border with the state of Israel, kasil ung kulay nung tubig is giving leptospirosis, and sorry lord, wala kaming faith nun to believe na hindi kami tatablan ng leptospirosis o ma malaria) That’s wilderness for you! Hindi siya masaya, its boring, and it can be even dangerous. The word translated as wilderness occurred in the Bible around 300 times. A lot of our heroes of faith had spent their time there at some point in their lives. Abraham, Moses, Elijah, and even Jesus spent some moments wandering in that desolated and even dangerous place, showing us that in the comforts of our domestic and civilized lives, we are still meant to be in the wild from time to time, where we are freed from our human tendency to cling to certainty and security. And in the lives of some of our heroes of faith, spending time in the wilderness was also necessary. Hindi pwede ang shortcuts or expressways when it comes with our journey sa pananampalataya. Wilderness isn’t only geographic, it’s a place in our journey with God, it’s also a state of heart. Wilderness is where we are all stripped off of our superficialities, like John the Baptist in his very simple lifestyle,, this is where we are left alone to ourselves with nothing but God and us. This is where we see our core. I’m not saying that material possessions or any other pursuit is bad. But sometimes those can be a distraction in living a life that is true to who we are because wilderness is where our defenses are down making it easier for us to be more honest with ourselves and with God. So here’s my theory, maybe John the Baptist preached to himself first kaya sa wilderness niya sinimulan ang ministry nya? That he also repented there, the place where metanoia or the transformation of John’s heart started. We’ll never know, it wasn’t explicitly written there. As a queer Church, all of us here are fighting for our place in this society who also needs metanoia in the way they view people like us. But just like John the Baptist, as we prepare and start our ministry this coming 2025, let us not forget that we also need metanoia. For some here who aren’t in the wilderness right now, John the Baptist’s life is also a model for us, that from time to time we should make an effort to return and intentionally spend time in the wilderness, where metanoia or repentance happens best. Yes God loves us and we have reclaimed our worth and value before God as queer people, and that our queerness is part of God’s creation and divine image. But that doesn’t mean to say there is nothing to repent from or no transformation for us – we are still part of the human family that needs repentance and transformation. Transformation from greed, selfishness, and apathy. Repentance and transformation ng mga acclang madadamot, makasarili, matataray, at walang pakialam sa lipunan. We should cry out to God in the wilderness where no people is listening.. That before being a Christian witness in the world, like John and Jesus, we should first remove lahat ng ingay ng mundong ito so that we can listen to the inner voice within and do a self check. Like them, before engaging in their ministries, we should allow ourselves to be comfortable with silence. Our spiritual lives or inner lives (for those who are non-religious) needs tending to, or else we would be swayed with the unrelenting noise that this capitalist society is screaming at us in loudspeakers, which to be honest, many of us (yes, I’m raising my hands) have been already drawn to, especially in this season of peak consumerism, Christmas, a very far-cry from that image of Christ laid down in a lowly, un-hygienic, mabaho at un-Instagrammable na manger. And from the wilderness and our silence, we will see the things that need metanoia. We would see what needs to change as an individual and as a collective. Mga bagay na hindi nakakaganda. Mga bangayang maiiwasan naman dapat if we just know how to shut the fuck up. Wasting our energies and time by not choosing our battles wisely or not choosing where and when to give our limited fucks, mga putakan sa social media that could have spent in serving our queer siblings in whatever small ways that we can. Lahat nalang inaaway, even our allies. The feeling of being morally superior na totoo naman minsan, char, but what’s bad is that nabubulag na tayo sa ating moral or intellectual superiority that we become the same people that we vowed not to be, it’s just that we’re on the opposite side of the spectrum. Yes! We appreciate that we are passionate about other people, the marginalized, and the oppressed. But, like Jesus and John, it is important that we know first who we are before we can be that voice that speaks in the wilderness, so that we can utilize our zeal and anger in service to our cause. Hindi pwedeng tira ng tira at sugod ng sugod. Let’s go back to the wilderness mga bakla, let’s return to the silence of the desert. Ask ourselves, who am I? What do I stand for? And what drives me to fight for what I stand? What does the voice in the wilderness is telling me? Who is that girl I see staring straight back at me, ganern! And for some of us who serve, why do I serve here? For those who have been serving, leading, and volunteering for a long time now at na-experience na ang maraming wilderness moments or even crucifixions… Okay ka pa ba? Are you still motivated to the core and heart of why you serve in the first place? Baka kasi natatabunan ka na rin ng maraming bitterness and resentment for all the years of service you have given? Start from the heart. Is it coming from a place of love? Yes, we affirm that all of us can serve here kahit iba iba ang paniniwala natin at iba iba rin ang ating dahilan. But, nahukay na ba talaga natin ang ating puso to reach that depth where we can say it’s because of love? Because our service can leave us exhausted and minsan drained, it’s important that we know our core, at malalim ang ating hugot so that we won’t have any resentments and we will be always left energized as we serve. Because sometimes, your heart that is cultivated and transformed in the wilderness is the best protest and witness in our world. We need to cryout from the wilderness of transformation because only people transformed repeatedly in the wilderness can proclaim God’s transformative power. People will feel it eh. And maybe that’s the reason why hindi si John the Baptist ang pumupunta sa mga tao to preach repentance, it’s the people who are drawn to him even taking the inconvenience of going to the Judean wilderness to listen to his message. Maybe that’s the reason why some of our straight siblings are also drawn to MCC, also taking the inconvenience of knowing na hindi sila makakarelate sa mga drag race fans dito including me na isang straight, straight na bading. Could it be that they are also hearing God’s prophetic call in this wilderness we call MCC? People will be drawn out when our heart is right, right with ourselves and with God. People might not understand or even listen sa ating mga iyak, iyak ng protesta. Iyak para mabigyan ng pantay na karapatan, karapatang napaka basic tulad ng mabisita natin sa ICU ang ating same-sex partner, or maging kasama tayo ng ating mga partner in their dying days sa ospital. Hindi man nila maintindihan yun, kapag ang puso natin ay iisa sa Diyos, what they will see is our lives. That in their prejudice, they will be confused as to how our lives as queer people and same-sex couples are characterized by love. Dahil when it comes sa ating pamumuhay, wala silang palag jan, they can throw Bible verses after verses to invalidate our lived experiences, but they can’t deny when they witness it first hand in our lives. Na pwede palang maging nasa isang loving and committed relationship ang dalawang accla, that they too can raise children and create a loving and safe environment that will allow them to grow as themselves in the wholeness of their potentials. That queer people can be committed and loving followers of Christ too. That our SOGIE is a gift from God. And when our lives start being marked with a heart transformed by love in the wilderness, Like John the Baptist who rebuked the religious powers of his time, we too can do the same with conviction, strength, and love, knowing that our lives are marked with the prophetic anointing of the Holy Spirit producing fruits of lasting metanoia. So let’s retreat and go back to the wilderness, as we prepare the way for the coming of Jesus, who will baptize us with the Holy Spirit and Fire as we face whatever 2025 will throw at us. God bless us all! Thank you! The post Crying Out To God From The Wilderness appeared first on Open Table Metropolitan Community Church .…

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Crying Out To God With Joy 23:52

12 weeks sitten23:52

23:52

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are [...] Read More... The post Crying Out To God With Joy appeared first on Open Table Metropolitan Community Church .…

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Crying Out To God In Shame 21:08

13 weeks sitten21:08

21:08

There was a certain man of Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham son of Elihu son of Tohu son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. He had two wives; the name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah [...] Read More... The post Crying Out To God In Shame appeared first on Open Table Metropolitan Community Church .…

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Crying Out To God In Suffering 19:53

14 weeks sitten19:53

19:53

After a long time the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned under their slavery and cried out. Their cry for help rose up to God from their slavery. God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God looked upon the Israelites, and God took notice of them. Exodus [...] Read More... The post Crying Out To God In Suffering appeared first on Open Table Metropolitan Community Church .…

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Transgendering Of God In The Bible

15 weeks sitten

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Does God have a gender and if God does, what is God’s gender? Biblically speaking, God is anthropomorphically presented with both male and female attributes. Biblical verses that present God as Female or Feminine: Deuteronomy 32:11-12 – As mother eagle – As an eagle stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, as it [...] Read More... The post Transgendering Of God In The Bible appeared first on Open Table Metropolitan Community Church .…

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Joan of Arc: a Saint for Trans and Gender Fluid Christians

18 weeks sitten

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Are there “trans” or cross gendering saints and holy people in the history of the church? The Answer: Both Yes and No. Are there persons we can consider as saints or holy people FOR the transgender, fluid, and non-conforming Christians? The absolute and strictly male and female binary is mostly Western Christian Gender Construct and [...] Read More... The post Joan of Arc: a Saint for Trans and Gender Fluid Christians appeared first on Open Table Metropolitan Community Church .…

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