Friday, April 24, 2015

Yes Lord I will




Saul thought he had a plausible resume
Said he was a good Jew who kept the law
Called himself a pious pharisaic Jew

Saul refused to eat or drink until all Christian were put to death
Letter at hand, off he went far and wide
In the north, south, east and west he slayed and crushed believers

Then God arose from his throne but not in anger
God descended upon Saul but not with a hammer
In his blindness Saul received the sight of radical Faith 

Then Paul rewrote his resume, 
forfeiting his name, his fame and his belief
Accepting baptism he embraced a new life 
and discovered a new passion
Only with his cooperation 
did Paul find his way back to his original call.
For now he lives not for himself

The Lord is longing to rewrite your resume
For none knows the Lord the way he deserves
At the door of your heart He patiently stands
Longing, knocking, calling and waiting
He wants to do something new
Are you going to respond?





Monday, April 20, 2015

I Fling My Life




Gladly do I give my life to Thee,

Not solemnly, not grudgingly,

But I will l take my life and fling

It at thy feet and sing and sing

Happy to bring you this small thing




Mary Dixon Thayer

Faith and Relationship






We are in an era of so many distractions. Every day we are bombarded with all kinds of alerts from emails, cell phones, Facebook, twitter and other social networks. Our jobs, families, friends, social and religious commitments also compete or demand our attention such that there are days or weeks we feel completely exhausted and or disgruntled. Consequently, one may decide take a break from social media and watch something relaxing on television. Within minutes, you are bombarded with more commercials than you have time for. How do we deal with all of these? The challenge for me lies in learning the art of balance. According to Cornell University's Steven Strogatz, social media sites can make it more difficult for us to distinguish between the meaningful relationships we foster in the real world, and the numerous casual relationships formed through social media. By focusing so much of our time and psychic energy on these less meaningful relationships, our most important connections, he fears, will weaken.


Life is all about relationships. Beginning from the time we learned to interact with our parents and siblings while growing up, to how we formed relationships with friends, classmates, colleagues and co-workers over time. Our modern understanding of relationship has become more inclusive. Nowadays talk about relationships also includes the way we treat animals and the environment. This is why, in 1987, the United Nations World Commission of Environment and Development defined sustainable development as "a process of change in which the exploitation of resources, the direction of investments, the orientation of technological development and the institutional change are in harmony and enhance both current and future generations to meet their needs." Relationship is unique and dynamic but regardless of who or what we are relating with, there is a profound peace which comes from living a balanced life. A balanced individual understands the difference between doing and being, being abstract and concrete, and being active or passive.



As a woman in initial religious formation, I have been thinking a lot about how my relationship with God is connected with how I relate with others and all of creation. I have come to realize that it is important for me to set healthy boundaries that will continue to help me maintain a close relationship with God.  I have no desire to be caught up in the distraction and consumerism imposed by information and technology. It is not that I dislike social media, it has undoubtedly brought about many good things. On the other hand, research has shown social networking has many pitfalls. Apart from the fact that social media has contributed in making relationships more abstract than concrete, research has shown that people are becoming more isolated and youth are developing related health conditions among others.

We are balanced by listening, respecting the dignity of others, and expressing our feelings constructively. A balanced lifestyle does not come without effort. As a Christian, I will continue to strive to model all my relationships after the example of Jesus whose relationship with others was grounded in deep care, compassion and forgiveness. My relationship with God and others is deepened when I am attentive to my thoughts, feelings and actions. Relying on God’s providence, I will focus on the things that make me happy, demonstrate respect and care for the earth and which bring Glory to God


Saturday, April 11, 2015

I know why it is called "Good"



 Today is Good Friday, but what makes this Friday that “good?” Does it make all other Fridays of the year not as good? As a child this was one of the things I often wondered about. It was never really explained to me. But as I grew older and my faith deepened, I realized that my childlike trusting  belief in the truths of the church passed down by those I still hold in high esteem cannot be false. So, rather than spending much energy in asking “why? “I spent more time obeying what I was taught. In those days, Good Fridays were days of silence, sorrow, mourning, penance, fasting and prayer.

Today is the commemoration of the solemnity of another Good Friday, and the meaning has not changed for me. It remains the day we remember that our Lord Jesus was betrayed, rejected and crucified on the cross by those who were threatened by the goodness, holiness and benevolence of God through Jesus whom they called a trouble maker, a rebel, and one who incited others to disobey the law on Sabbath days. Yet, if Good Friday is associated with pain, sorrow and death, why does the church still call it “good?”

I think today should rightly be called “good” because it is the sum and summit of our Christian faith. Good Friday is not an end, but a continuum culminating to the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday. Perhaps this was the connection I did not understand clearly as a child. I failed to realize that the crown of thorns was replaced with a scepter of heavenly diadem which confirmed Jesus as God’s one, true and only begotten son. This means that by his resurrection, Jesus effectively conquered death forever and so has fortified us against eternal death. “O death where is your victory” asked the prophet Isaiah (15:55). In addition to destroying death forever, Jesus also procured the permanent forgiveness of all our sins. Now he lives to bring us back to God, which was why he appeared to his disciples after his resurrection.  

Easter has many messages for us, I will reflect on just two. The first is that all those who believe in the resurrected Christ now have direct access to him. In John 14:20 Jesus assured his disciples that he will rise and, when that happens, they will know that He is in the Father, just as they are in him and He in them. Since Jesus is in us, I suppose that everything associated with pain, sorrow, betrayal and rejection and death are extinct forever. This means that our burdens in life are not ours unless we choose not to open the door for Jesus. “ I am standing at the door and knocking. If anyone listens to my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he will eat with me” (Rev. 3:20). Secondly, Jesus was glorified through suffering and so suffering is part and parcel of our journey today.

As an adult, I no longer ask what makes Good Friday special because I know that Good Fridays are not annual events but daily journeys which help me to continue to encounter the resurrected Christ even in good and bad times. For I know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Rom 8:28)