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.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS
