When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
Now there were devout Jews from every people under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”
But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Fellow Jews and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
‘In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
Acts 2:1-21 NRSVUE
Eto na naman tayo. Just like nung ascension story, may feeling na parang tuloy-tuloy lang na naganap ang mga eksena. Pero yun pala, it took another week or so. From the time na umakyat na si Jesus sa langit, sunod na naganap yung isa pa nyang pangako, the coming of the Holy Spirit. Naalala ko tuloy yung first time na nagsulat ako ng sermon about the Holy Spirit. Isa sa mga tanong sa utak ko ay: So dumating lang pala ang Holy Spirit after ni Jesus? Eventually, nasagot ko rin naman. Because we know that even during the Old Testament, the Spirit was already active. But at that time, they appeared upon specific people, for specific moments—like with prophets, visions, and proclamations. Isa na nga dun ang prophecy about the Messiah na, by the time of our story in Acts, ay naganap na.
Ang title ng previous sermon ko was “Mission: Completed,” referring to the completion of Jesus’ earthly mission. Pero hindi doon natatapos ang kwento. Ang mission natin ay nagpapatuloy. Hence the title of my preaching today: “Mission: Continued.” Sa Acts 2, sa araw ng Pentecost, we witness not just an event, but a moment of divine empowerment, isang surprise that changes everything.
Like in the previous stories we’ve explored these past weeks, ganun na naman ang feeling ko sa text na ito. Ang lalim, napaka-profound, literally prophetic, and undeniably powerful. At maidagdag ko lang, napaka-dramatic din ng arrival ng Holy Spirit—may wind, may fire, may speaking in tongues. Pero rather than mag-focus sa question na “Did this really happen?” or sa scientific explanation ng mga events na ito, I found myself thinking: Napaka-queer! BONGGA! Imagine, rushing wind, dancing flames, ecstatic speech, if that’s not divine drag, I don’t know what is!
And then, I thought about how beautiful this story is. If we look closely, we are reminded of the experiences of the very first Christians. Just like us, Hindi nila na-meet ang historical Jesus. They were holding on to stories, appearances, memory, and promise. Just like us. They were scared. Just like us. They were unsure about what was next. Just like us. But then something unexpected happened. God surprised them. And through wind and fire, they were not just comforted, they were transformed.
Now let’s rewind a bit to remember how we got here. Our Easter series, The Gift of Surprises, started with the theme “Mission: Love One Another” Ang huling commandment ni Jesus wasn’t about doctrine or rituals, but about love. Love for one another as a sign of being His followers. And we explored how that love shows up, especially in queer lives, in chosen families, in checking in, showing up at paggampan sa maraming ganap ng ating simbahan. And let’s be honest, the fact that we, as queer Christians, continue to love a faith tradition that hasn’t always loved us back? That’s already divine.
In our second week, “To Be or To Do,” we reflected on how Jesus broke Sabbath rules to heal – and this healing wasn’t just physical, it was revolutionary. We asked ourselves if we want to be recognized—or if we want to act. We remember si Dr. Paul Brand, si Princess Diana, at si Pope Francis—each breaking through stigma, expectation, and status quo to bring compassion. And just like them, we are invited to choose substance over ego, pagkilos over parangal.
Then 2 weeks ago, in “Mission: Completed,” we stood with the disciples as Jesus ascended. Pero hindi siya nagpaalam na parang “goodbye,” kundi parang “your turn.” The mission passes on to us. He promises the Holy Spirit—and that’s what we receive today.
Acts 2 is the moment when that promise breaks open. When the Holy Spirit descends, the disciples aren’t just moved, they’re activated. They begin to speak in different languages. And not just “foreign” tongues—understandable languages, spoken by the diaspora, the outcasts, the visitors. That’s the first miracle: People heard the gospel in the language they actually understood. Hindi Latin. Hindi theological jargon. But the language of their home. Their heart. Their mother tongue.
And isn’t that what our queer ministry is? speaking the language people have been denied in churches for so long? Telling them: You are welcome. You are holy. You are fabulous. You are enough. Telling them that God doesn’t just tolerate you, God celebrates you. And doing so in our own lingo, bekimon, or just Tagalog with a bit of camp.
Let’s not forget: when the Spirit came sa para sa mga believers, outsiders assumed they were drunk. Kasi nga, the Spirit made them loud, animated, passionate. Familiar? That’s us every Sunday! Loud, fabulous and unapologetic. But Peter responds: “No, we are not drunk. It’s only 9 in the morning!” And then he quotes the prophet Joel: Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young will see visions, your old will dream dreams. It’s one of the most inclusive visions in scripture. Walang age or gender limit, lahat ng uri, everyone, all flesh. And to think na isa ito sa mga unang sermon ni Peter sa pagsisimula ng Christianity, as it expands beyond Jerusalem, Antioch and the Asia Minor and Africa. Ang mga sinaunang preaching pala has always been about God’s radical inclusive love for all people, pero anyare dun sa ibang fans club ni Jesus? Parang na lost in translation ata.
And so today, as we celebrate Pentecost – the birthday of the church, let’s not treat it as just an ancient festival na medyo complicated ang history or isang cute liturgical moment. Let’s remember that this is our story, too. That same Spirit is in us. That same wind still blows. That same fire still burns. And in our church, this queer, DIY, sometimes-on-the-brink, sometimes-on-fire at agit church, The Holy Spirit is active.
Mission: Continued. Because we still have queer kids hiding in fear na napipilitang umattend sa kanilang mga simbahang mapang husga, We still have parents choosing to love quietly. We still have justice to fight for. We still have healing to do, in fact, a lot of healing, sa panahon ng impending na giyera, na pwede naman sanang maiwasan kung hindi lang sa EGO ng ilang lider at mga dabarkads nyang rich kids, lider na sinasabing galing pa naman sana dun sa promised land, Kaya tuloy ang laban against genocide, tuloy ang pagmamahalan, habang patuloy ang pagsigaw ng “Queer and Christian? Pwede!”
Pentecost isn’t just about what happened back then. It’s about what God is still doing now. It’s about the Spirit showing up and performing during drag bingo, in HIV awareness, in our trans siblings bravely living their truth, in a church that refuses to die. It’s about fire that refines, not consumes. It’s about breath that fills, not suffocates. It’s about voices that rise, even if they tremble. Parang si Maricel Soriano as Terry while confronting Monique.
The Mission Continues.
And as we continue this mission today, we also remember something very special. Today is Father’s Day. At bilang bahagi ng ating queer community, we know that not everyone had a father who showed up with love, understanding, or tenderness. And yet, we long for that kind of presence, a protector, a supporter, someone who holds space when the world turns its back.
For someone who had not just mommy issues, but also daddy issues, yes,I had both, a problematic parenting issue growing up, hirap ako sa mga honor thy father moments kaya bilang timely at relevant naman, push na. I can say na hindi naman sya toxic, growing up, bilang typical na bata sa generation natin, na napapalo, nabubugbog, not about my sexuality but because of kakulitan, and that’s something I am proud of, hindi man namin napag usapan personally, but I know that he accepts me for who I am, quoting him saying na “basta maging maayos ka lang” whether I like it or not, there’s a lot of traits that I got from him, both good and bad, My dad was sobrang sipag, he was an air force reserve officer, kaya sa bahay, hindi pwedeng basta ka lang nanunuod ng TV, dapat while doing that, magwalis ka rin or magtiklop ka ng damit, he practices what he preach, magaling din sya mag luto, pati nga uncles ko, may kanya kanyang specialty, kaya somehow he was hard to please. Sa kanya ko din natutunan ang pagiging entrepreneurial, pagiging street smart at maabilidad, but at the same time, nakuha ko rin yung “angil” nya, yung ugali na mabilis mag snap at magalit sa maliliit na bagay, I eventually became that person that I hated, pero na resolve ko rin ito eventually, some of you already know the story. an unexpected “positive” surprise.
Kaya’t gusto kong balikan natin yung series na When Life Gives You Tangerines – especially isang character ii Park Bo Gum na si Gwan-sik. Sa lahat ng mga eksena nya, isa talaga sa pinaka tumimo sa akin ay ang kanyang tahimik, pero matatag na presence. He wasn’t flashy. He didn’t say much. But he showed up, consistently. He loved Ae-soon with fierce gentleness. He protected her when others dismissed her. He stood by her when even her own mother struggled to choose her. He loved without condition, without noise, but with integrity and strength.
And for many of us, Gwan-sik represents the kind of father we all wish we had. The kind of parent we dreamt of as queer kids. The kind of ally who doesn’t need a seminar on SOGIESC to know how to love.
Our very own Steel Heart—strong, yet soft. Silent, yet brave. Faithful, without ever needing applause.
And isn’t that a glimpse of what God’s love looks like? Hindi yung judgmental God we were warned about, but a steady, committed, tender God who shows up, who sees us, who stays. A God who hears our queer prayers, who holds your gender-expansive heart, who knows every shade of your identity—and calls it good, wonderful and valid.
On this Pentecost and Father’s Day in the middle of Pride Month, we celebrate that kind of divine love. The kind that speaks your language, that calls your name, that sits beside you in silence and roars in fire pag kinakailangan
So mga kapatid, I leave you with this: the Holy Spirit is not waiting to be invited. Lagi nating sinasabi na ang diwang banal is already here, and tayo ang nag iinvite sa ating mga sarili into God’s Holy Presence. Hindi kailangan ng perfect theology, kundi mga bukas na puso at isip. na hindi kailangan buildings, pero Lord kahit isang permanent space lang sa isang building. The Holy Spirit needs boldness. And that spirit chooses you. Yes, you. Accla, bear, transwoman, nonbinary, a Guncle, questioning student, and even ang ating exhausted na mga ally, ikaw na yan.
This is not the end. This is not a period. This is a semicolon. A continuation. A comma in God’s long sentence of liberation.
So yes, the Spirit comes like wind and fire, but also stays like Gwan-sik. Quiet. Present.
This, mga dear, is the surprise of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit has come, to be with us till the end of time.
Our Mission: Continued.
Holy Spirit, activate. Mga besh, go. And may you know today that God, our Gwan-sik, our Steel Heart loves you, delights in you, and will never leave you. Amen.
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