1.1TENANTS in the VINEYARD (Mark 12:1-12/Matthew 21:33-45/Luke 20:9-19)
MESSAGE to the COMMUNITY:
Vineyard describes the vast opportunity of man in the aspect of blessing and challenge. The text described the life suffered by the tenants and the owner. It truly pictured the cruelty of the tenants, of whom the land was entrusted by the owner. This text would convey the message of being a steward to the land built and prepared by one owner. This text would effectively and powerfully tool the community on how to portray to the coming and sending away of the one who owns. The acts of the tenants describe the human nature of grabbing and pretend to own something that is only given for a short period of time. It was the tenants who forgot the truth that things are just temporal, so is true to the landowner. Their personal war to be the owner themselves prompted them to do cruelty and make crime to others. Tenants are able to crush a brother and the owner was able to live a comfortable life while others are hungry.
MESSAGE to the PEASANTS:
I have two important messages to both the owner and tenants. Each of these parties may portray or do cruelty to each one. The owner may end up doing unfair system to the tenants in the same way the tenants may neglect the authority of the owner, leading them to dishonest management and unfair giving of collections and harvest. The Parable will show us that both worlds end the same fate, peasants and dispossessed of their land will gain and loose much more. What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. Message for the peasants shall be? What we experience today some thrive to live and suffer. Our unjust tenant system happens. Poor people are bound to survival and connected to live for the day. This text would help us remind our community to look and attend to the needy. The Lord Jesus never failed to connect us to His living message: to care and tend the flock.
1.2WORKERS in the VINEYARD (Matthew 20;1-16)
MESSAGE to the COMMUNITY:
The text talks about the evidence of how many affects the relationship of the community. The people involved in the story portrayed their rights in performing a job. In the same manner that the owner had his right to give generously and or fairly. When dealing this text to the community, it is right to touch on treating the people in the community not only in the matters of fairness and generosity but also mercy and being just. When a church/community performs its duty of caring the flock with mercy and righteous dealing, the community in return shall freely do the act with pure intention and that is doing right and practicing common union.
MESSAGE to DAILY WAGE EARNERS and SECURITY of TENURE:
There are immeasurable and stomach aching realities of poor people, under paid workers in the Philippines today. Some may even feel tired of talking and thinking about solutions to all of these. The message of the parable pertaining to the daily-wage earners and those who have no security of tenure powerfully convicts to the truth that we are about to experience much more suffering, because, we have neglect to cater to this serious problem of our society. Our government has provided work but not for all, we are not free to choose jobs because we are bound to survive, when poverty, corruption and oppression swallowed our governance, the entire country suffered and we all grasp for a living. The parable showed the picture of work, wage and schedule. Today, in our time, we are forcefully allowing ourselves to work even if we don’t hold a good future, no tenure, no increase in wage, because we wanted to survive. As a messenger and ambassadors for Christ, we are then called to teach and equip the church our community to put into practice, fair labor and wage given to our workers. Giving full attention to Christ’s teaching of love, mercy and grace. Doing righteousness to our decision making especially when dealing to people/s lives. 2.1BIBLICAL NARRATIVES: God’s CHAMPION and REDEEMER on:
“The FALL”
Adam and Eve both sinned and fell to the devil’s trap. If I were to describe the redeemer, I would say it goes to the character and attitude of God who ask them and called them where are you? A statement which describes the calling to someone who has went away. The champion goes to Eve, according to the scripture, she has never indicated grumbling and she never fault find to her partner, a good and encouraging character of a believer. Someone who does not find fault to others but realize and recognize one’s weakness is a n act of brevity and maturity.
“RUTH 1” RUTH, NAOMI, and ORPAH
Naomi is the champion in the story for she remained faithful to her duty as a mother in law to Ruth and Orpah. She never held the authority of keeping them together for her own agenda but let them go and decide for themselves to go back to each others homeland. Very different to what typical mother in law in our time who takes authority to some couples lives. Ruth is the redeemer for she has performed the task of redeeming the integrity of both hers and Naomi. It is always a pity for a woman to left alone in those times, but Ruth never left her mother in-law though her husband had already died. Her marriage to Boaz entirely redeemed her mother in laws land and ownership. Today there are many Ruth and Naomi’s who are champion and redeemers of their own right, those who seek the lost and answer the call of mission.
3. CHARACTER in the BIBLE
I can fully identify with Moses, a man of courage and leadership. I have always been shy and unable to do things my own; I never had the ability to perform well. Moses was called regardless of his problem in eloquence and public speaking; he was able to do it with power. I trust the Lord’s guidance, the way Moses did when God uttered to him, I will be with you and I will tell you what to do. Moses had some episodes of management problem, he was open to suggestions and developed others critique into something that made him into a more effective leader. In our calling as pastors, we are therefore encourage to become open and willing to connect to things that would greatly bring us to heights in doing the task given to us.
4. THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION GROUNDED ON CRITICAL ASIAN PRINCIPLE:
When I had the opportunity to grab a copy of this CAP, I fully trust that the effect of our ministry and mission leads us to a more dynamic, socially in reaching and out reaching. It has fully developed the need to answer the call of Church’s design to be really felt in the community of which we are living and existing. Because churches are busy teaching and learning more on heavenly things and have forgotten to immerse to the true situation, thereby forgetting their role in the society. But there are still in need of continuous development in order to keep track and posted in the changing times and struggle.
5. CHURCH'S MINISTRY TO THE PRESENT CONTEXT:
The church as a design is a locus for mission, meaning it is there to remind the community of its obligation to the environment and more importantly to the lives of the people. The Church should be a starting point or host of changing and challenging message to bring the glory and kingdom of God. The UCCP Statement of Faith even suggest and powerfully indicate the picture of a Church and Community that gives Food for the hungry, light to the blind, freedom and justice for the oppressed.
submitted by: Bea HernandezMDIV Senior
July 31, 2008 1:20 AM
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Monday, June 23, 2008
He's Got the Whole World in His Hand
A SURVEY on ECUMENICAL MOVEMENT
Asian and Philippine Ecumenical Movement
by: Ma. Beate Mantilla-Hernandez – Master of Divinity - Senior
Ecumenics and Mission
Ecumenical movement seeks to achieve unity among all religions through cooperation and fostering greater mutual understanding. The word is derived from Greek oikoumene, which means the inhabited world, and was historically used with specific reference to the Roman Empire. Christian denominations and Christian Churches separated by doctrine, history and practice.
Its goal is to briefly identify its statement of unity, a fully committed fellowship to proclaim the teachings declared by Jesus Christ. Because of its increasing relation between members of churches, some may convey different articulations and definitions, to some it also impress deep results and affects the Church in its entirety.
There were many issues related to the Ecumenical movement which was designed to truly unite the Church in every aspect and stream of vision and mission, though designed to convey the mission and personality of the Church, it went through many areas of controversies. Premises on Church’s true essence in the society.
There were approaches which will concretely identify a possible solution to magnify and root the very core of a problem. Existing to understand how to go about procedure to primarily contextualize our efforts to align everything without neglecting each one’s need and purpose. The Ecumenical Movement has basically referred to as such important issues which may lead to root us in interpreting and communicate the Christian Gospel in relation to community, life of the Church and distinct dynamics of Asian realities.
There is a serious need to realize in understanding what Ecumenism tries itself to deliver in this society. Indeed we are called to participate in the active roles of each one as we go along.
As a survey, this work has defined the result of our education purpose as a Church, called for greater heights to proclaim, declare and seek the concern of our nation. Concretely, this paper study has touched the very meaning of education as it presumably connects the continuing reflection of our theological understanding no matter what the issue is all about, and how we go about theology to surface our need to attack the countries reality of hope and struggle in many areas of theological understanding.
Aforementioned in the survey, it will help us theologically construct, to finally implement, promote situation to interact issues such as globalization, global empire building, ecological and gender justice issues etc. not only on matters about doctrine and religion.
How do we go about it? Primarily, we need to define the root of our tradition and culture, seek the very essence of our being as a person, as a community of faith, as a country, as a people of God, as a group of people who lives in a land, and from which each one has able to develop their own purpose. In this manner, we will be able to start reflecting, developing and nurturing what we have as a person. Thereby making ourselves ready for ecumenical work and mission.
Finally, as I begin and orient in the reality that for a nation to be at its best is to understand the characteristics, self-identify its cultural identity and thereby reclaiming the faithfulness of God.
If we are unable to know our deepest roots, faith and understanding our teachings from what we have from the past, we will never come to grow for the purpose of keeping our heritage, culture and perspective. Thereby enabling individuals to ecumenical understanding in proclaiming and doing missions.
The Ecumenical movement has also much to develop in the years to come, and I have watched and observed its progress as time pass. We, are much in await to its improvement and developing as a curriculum, for the meantime, it has progressively indicated in our theological education as a result. Dealing such an issue indicates our urgent answer to the call of Churches to its mission while being faithful to Christ teaching of salvation and pastoral ministry.
Asian and Philippine Ecumenical Movement
by: Ma. Beate Mantilla-Hernandez – Master of Divinity - Senior
Ecumenics and Mission
Ecumenical movement seeks to achieve unity among all religions through cooperation and fostering greater mutual understanding. The word is derived from Greek oikoumene, which means the inhabited world, and was historically used with specific reference to the Roman Empire. Christian denominations and Christian Churches separated by doctrine, history and practice.
Its goal is to briefly identify its statement of unity, a fully committed fellowship to proclaim the teachings declared by Jesus Christ. Because of its increasing relation between members of churches, some may convey different articulations and definitions, to some it also impress deep results and affects the Church in its entirety.
There were many issues related to the Ecumenical movement which was designed to truly unite the Church in every aspect and stream of vision and mission, though designed to convey the mission and personality of the Church, it went through many areas of controversies. Premises on Church’s true essence in the society.
There were approaches which will concretely identify a possible solution to magnify and root the very core of a problem. Existing to understand how to go about procedure to primarily contextualize our efforts to align everything without neglecting each one’s need and purpose. The Ecumenical Movement has basically referred to as such important issues which may lead to root us in interpreting and communicate the Christian Gospel in relation to community, life of the Church and distinct dynamics of Asian realities.
There is a serious need to realize in understanding what Ecumenism tries itself to deliver in this society. Indeed we are called to participate in the active roles of each one as we go along.
As a survey, this work has defined the result of our education purpose as a Church, called for greater heights to proclaim, declare and seek the concern of our nation. Concretely, this paper study has touched the very meaning of education as it presumably connects the continuing reflection of our theological understanding no matter what the issue is all about, and how we go about theology to surface our need to attack the countries reality of hope and struggle in many areas of theological understanding.
Aforementioned in the survey, it will help us theologically construct, to finally implement, promote situation to interact issues such as globalization, global empire building, ecological and gender justice issues etc. not only on matters about doctrine and religion.
How do we go about it? Primarily, we need to define the root of our tradition and culture, seek the very essence of our being as a person, as a community of faith, as a country, as a people of God, as a group of people who lives in a land, and from which each one has able to develop their own purpose. In this manner, we will be able to start reflecting, developing and nurturing what we have as a person. Thereby making ourselves ready for ecumenical work and mission.
Finally, as I begin and orient in the reality that for a nation to be at its best is to understand the characteristics, self-identify its cultural identity and thereby reclaiming the faithfulness of God.
If we are unable to know our deepest roots, faith and understanding our teachings from what we have from the past, we will never come to grow for the purpose of keeping our heritage, culture and perspective. Thereby enabling individuals to ecumenical understanding in proclaiming and doing missions.
The Ecumenical movement has also much to develop in the years to come, and I have watched and observed its progress as time pass. We, are much in await to its improvement and developing as a curriculum, for the meantime, it has progressively indicated in our theological education as a result. Dealing such an issue indicates our urgent answer to the call of Churches to its mission while being faithful to Christ teaching of salvation and pastoral ministry.
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