Laity Address: Transformed AIMP to Serve

Dr. Chita Rebollido-Millan

 

Greetings of joy and peace to you all, my fellow AIMPs!  I thank God for the privilege of bringing this Laity Address to this august body for the second time.  Will second time be twice as nice?  I hope so but I’m wary that the responsibility that goes with it is double the first time.

 

INTRODUCTION

 

If I may ask each one of you, why are you here?  Why are you attending this 2nd Ang Iglesia Metodista sa Pilipinas National Conference?  What have caused you to join AIMP rather than remain in the United Methodist Church (UMC) or elsewhere?

 

I’m sure that if you were to answer me one by one I would get voluminous answers, some are the same and others are different.  But I like to believe that there will be more of same/similar answers than the different replies.  Looking back to 2010 or before, we went through discouraging times, dispiriting moments, shaken convictions, and challenged principles/morals mainly caused by the erroneous practices (rampant power hunger; truth and justice were not practiced; politics during episcopal elections; priority of legalities over substance; church administration off balanced church ministries and missions) in the UMC where most of us came from.  But from those thorny experiences sprouted a fragrant flower, the birthing of AIMP.  Now on its 3 ½ year we can only shout our praises and thanks to our Lord Jesus Christ, the head of our Church.

 

NOW TRANSFORMED!

 

Yesterday passed but it is now part of today and tomorrow.  We learn from yesterday but we should not stay in the past.  The best we can do is pick up the priced lessons from the past and use them in today’s work and life. 

 

I salute you my sisters and brothers for bravely taking the stand to leave the UMC and put up/join/lead our new church, the AIMP.  I therefore challenge you to become new, to be transformed by our Lord Jesus Christ.  In II Cor 5: 17 is written: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!”  If in the past we stayed and enjoyed our comfort zone, that has no more place among us Transformed AIMP!  If in the past we sat around idle, that is not allowed among us Transformed AIMP.  As our native salawikain goes, ‘walang lugar ang tamad dito.”  We all need to get busy if we are truly Transformed AIMP!  

 

I would like to borrow Warren Wiersbe’s outline in one of his expositions for this laity address.

 

1.   WE ARE ‘FISHERPEOPLE'

 

It may interest us to note that Jesus called so many fishermen to follow him.  Why?  Maybe because fishermen are courageous.  Out in the middle of the ocean, in the deep blue sea they brave the heat or rain if only to fish for their food or living.  Fishermen (professional) also do not quit.  They make it a point that they go home only when their bait is bitten and a fish is hooked or when their banca is made heavy with fish caught. 

 

Jesus needs courageous people and those who do not quit like the fishermen.  "Come,

follow me," Jesus said, "and I will send you out to fish for people."  [Matt 4:19].  Today, Jesus needs Transformed AIMP who are brave, who are bold.  It is inspiring to get updates or reports from clergy, deaconesses and lay people that this young,  3 years and 4 months to be exact, from their SM (silong ng manga) worship center they have moved to a house worshipping congregation, and on to a concrete church building, evidence of how brave they fish people for Christ.  This is very moving.  We are on the right track to pursuing our first priority: increase in membership.

 

We should be reminded however, that if we are fishing people but cannot catch any, and all our efforts seemingly are in vain, something must be wrong.  Could it be that we didn’t consult our God?  That we just went ahead confident of our stock knowledge and rich experiences?  That by the influence of our secularized world we forgot our dependence on God and eluded ourselves into thinking that we can fish just by ourselves?  And so, like Peter who was sincere and worked hard, there were no results, ‘they toiled all night and caught nothing’ (John 15:5).  Transformed AIMP should know by heart that when we do not seek God’s will and direction, we cannot expect blessings from Him.  Our churches will be ‘bonsai’ or maintenance churches, worst, if they will turn menopausal churches.

 

Our theme: “PINALAYA, PINAHAYO, PINAGPALA” is indeed fitting and relevant.  Humayo tayo, ihulog ang ating mga lambat sa mga taong nauuhaw sa salita ng Diyos.   

 

Transformed AIMP, are you ready to serve?  To serve by bravely fishing people?

 

2.   WE ARE SHEPHERDS 

 

Jesus, the Great Shepherd had an intimate relationship with his sheep, the disciples.  As Shepherd he calls his sheep by their first name, a display of the personal dimension of his relationship with them. He knows each one individually.  In our Philippine society, we are pleased to be called by our first name, it’s so sweet to the ears, but not to be called by our family name, unless it is accompanied by a description (Miss, Rev., Dr., etc.).

 

Further, the sheep recognizes his voice and follow him.  By the constant association the sheep learns to recognize which is the voice of his shepherd and which is not.  This is one wonder among animals - they know their master/shepherd just by their voice.

 

The second challenge to Transformed AIMP laity comes today, to be shepherds to people especially the lost.  The story of the lone sheep among the 100 sheep tells us that the shepherd had to leave the 99 to look for the one lost sheep. As shepherds we protect and save our sheep.   Such is the greatness of the shepherd’s love to his sheep. As Transformed AIMP, let us be shepherds who protect and save our sheep; who go before our sheep even if we get exposed to hazards if only to ascertain our sheep will be safe and well.  As Transformed AIMP our sheep know our voice so when we call them, they will follow us because they trust they will be safe with us.  “When he has brought them out, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice” [John 10:4]. “I am the good shepherd who is willing to die for the sheep” [John 10:11].  

 

As transformed AIMP Shepherds, let us take note that there are countless dangers these days to which our sheep/people are exposed to:

 

• There is surge in crime - from mall shootings to murders and unsolved media killings.  From January to May 2014, the total number of crime reported was at 289,198 compared to 245,347 last 2013, according to PNP data.  (Source: www.rappler.com/nation)

• While the world celebrates a seemingly woman-friendly Philippines ranked 9th globally and topped all Asia in terms of women’s participation in economy, education, health, and political empowerment), the number of Violence Against Women (VAW) cases reported to the Philippine National Police (PNP) has increased by over 500% in the past 16 years.  From 3,687 cases in 1997 to 5,734 in 2005 and 23,865 cases in 2013.  (Source: www.rappler.com/nation)

• Poverty incidence among Filipinos is registered at 25.8%,  as of first semester of 2014.  (Source: http://www.nscb.gov.ph/poverty)

• Over half a million school-aged children nationwide have been suffering from severe malnutrition.  This malnutrition makes Filipino children the third poorest and most disadvantaged sector in the Philippines, next to fishermen and farmers.  (Source: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story)

• There are 5.5 million Filipino children in the labor force.  (Source: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story)

 

Our sheep cry out loud for protection/salvation against these countless dangers.  Are we ready to embrace and shield them from harm?  Being part of the Philippine society which proudly boasts to be the only Christian nation in Asia with 86% of our population Roman Catholics and we, a part of the 2 percent of over 100 Protestant denominations, let us serve especially the sheep who are oppressed, marginalized and socially disenfranchised.  Let us be heedful of our third and fifth priorities: Christian education and spiritual gifts and ministries, respectively.

 

Transformed AIMP, are you ready to serve?  To serve by shepherding the lost?

 

3.   WE ARE DISCIPLES 

 

Jesus said to Peter and the other disciples, “Come, follow me” (Matt 4:19a).  And immediately Peter began to follow Him.  However, for a moment Peter took his eyes off the Lord Jesus, a mistake he had made at least twice.  When he was walking on the stormy sea with Jesus, Peter looked away from the Lord and began to look at the wind and waves, and immediately he began to sink (Matt 14:30).  He heard somebody walking behind him, it was Apostle John who was also following Jesus Christ.  

 

At many times, like Peter, we get our eyes off the Lord and start to look at other Christians.  Beware, it is dangerous to look at the circumstances instead of looking to the Lord.  When we get distracted we will get lost on the way, we might enter or exit at the wrong signage, hence, we get detoured out of the will of God.  We must not permit our curiosity about others to distract us from following the Lord.   

 

Let us not be distracted by the big churches around us as compared to our small churches – sa ‘silong ng manga’, garage or sala of a family, bamboo walled and nipa roofed churches.  For as long as we are following our Lord Jesus and are tagging others to follow Him, that’s discipleship.  We are His disciples and we disciple others.  Let’s be inspired by Mother Theresa’s words: “The Lord likes small things best, especially those done with love,”  and that of S. Tarr: “Greatness is achieved, not only by doing great things, but also, by making the small things we do great.” 

 

As a former kindergarten teacher I can recall one characteristic of three year olds which stands out.  That is, they learn primarily through exploring and while playing, they are better able to ignore distractions and focus on the task at hand.  As a three-year old church, we too can ignore distractions around us and focus on the task of discipling others.

 

Let us not be disturbed either by our small number now, we are but 3 ½ years old church.  Instead we should rejoice that by God’s grace and leading, our young church is expanding and it’s escalating in leaps and bounds.  Very recently the Mindanao Regional Conference added 5 pastors including their congregations; Palawan Regional Conference expanded to the Calamianes Islands; Visayas is our newly born ‘baby’; and if we may add Ilocos Sur, to name a few.  Developmental psychologists tell us that a three year old child is less top-heavy than toddlers and can move with greater sureness, have improved his abilities to run, climb and perform other large-muscle activities.  If I may liken our young church to that of a three-year old child?  We, too, are moving and working much faster than in our 1st and 2nd years, but we should always remind ourselves of just how much more there is yet to be done, that more running the hard race and climbing the steep mountains of discipleship is yet to be done.  “Whoever wants to serve me must follow me”, (John 12:26a).

 

Being disciples, we are tracking our second and fifth priorities: John Wesley Theological Seminary (which trains would-be disciples and disciple-makers) and stewardship, respectively.

 

Transformed AIMP, are you ready to serve?  To serve by discipling others?

 

CONCLUSION:

 

Jesus Christ transforms lives.  AIMP laity and clergy should yield to Christ’s will.  Then and there He transforms us and does remarkable things in and through our lives.   We can succeed only as we permit Jesus Christ to transform us.