Influenced By Conservative Style of Worship

Preaching in St. Stephen's Parish for the last three months has allowed me to experience a different kind of worship service.  It seems too box and conservative and yet I observe that participation of worship is more evident than conservative attitude in a modern, hi-tech and innovative worship in the Filipino-Chinese community.

I was able to remember how we use to worship in the old sanctuary in my church.  And there has quite many resemblances and flashback on their worship with ours.  I think our church was trying to cope up with the changes of time but was not able to do so due to many areas we failed to educate our congregation as well as we have too many senior citizens in our third service that has confused the whole worship ministry.  We were not able to create a clear picture on how our worship and liturgy needs to be done.  This is beside the lack of pastoral leadership.  What I mean in pastoral leadership is its lack of pastor's idea, concept and identity on the liturgy for such particular worship service that can effectively minister to our congregational age and needs.  Even the pastors are confused how to do about the worship.

I have observed that whenever we have big celebrations and going back to our conservative style of worship service like what happened yesterday during Sacred Music Sunday.  Many people commented that they were so much blessed with the whole worship service.  This can only mean, that the main congregation would really love the conservative style of worship but this worship is being managed by contemporary people.

The solution I think is that the leadership needs to take another look on their personal theology and philosophy of worship. If it does match with the present needs of the congregation in order to effectively minister to our people, then they are in the wrong worship service but if they do match, then we have to enhance our learning on the so called conservative worship and be able to bring our people to worship God in spirit and in truth.

You Can Choose Your Friends But Not Your Families

I was in my cousin's wedding, and his best man quoted, "You can choose your friends but you cannot choose your relatives."  Everyone broke out laughing.  It is very true, you can choose your friends but you are stuck with your family forever.  Whether they are good or not, you don't have a choice and needs to live with it.  Whatever... hahaha

Thinking about this seriously, it all the more boils down learning to accept people they way they are and continue to show kindness in order to maintain the peace, harmony and balance within the family.  I guess, I am stuck with my family hahaha... no choice but to accept them and thank God for them, no matter what... hahaha.  So, let's move on and stop complaining about our families.  hehehe

The same way how Jesus has shown grace and kindness to each one of us, should be the way how we should do it especially to our own family.  It is easier to accept people who are not members of our family because we are different with them.  But with family, we are each other's images, which means we have difficulty accepting each other because they are very much like us.  hehehe... Notice siblings non-stop bickering, you would notice they have the same behavior.  The same is true with parents complaining about their children and vice versa.  They are carbon copies, which is difficult to live with.

Such realization should enable us to accept and adjust with each other especially through the love of God in us.

Buti na lang meron tayong Jesus to mediate for us and transform us towards righteousness.

A New Hope for Our Family

I praise the Lord, after a long wait, he has arrived - Nigel.  After too many deaths in our clan and now we have a new generation adding to the vacuum.  This gave us hope and now a new generation especially for our family line at long last.

Celebrate for the Lord is good.  Nigel means the champion... my brother has dedicated him as the champion of God.  He is born today  2 pm at Manila Doctors Hospital, 5 pounds something... hehehe... Both Nancy and Nigel are safe.  According to my mom, he looks smart and very cute.  I have not visited them, too many stuffs and loads of work, I think, even tomorrow, I cannot dropby... haay, but still at least I am now officially - A-peh. hehehe

Immediate Charge for Asking the Price is 500 Pesos

I accompanied my father to another referred doctor with regards to a possible angioplasty.  So we made the appointment and waiting so long to meet the doctor.  After meeting the doctor, he did not even listen to my dad's heartbeat or something, but started to talk about the angiogram procedure and cost is around 60 thousand pesos.  Then, the list goes on, if it will include immediate angioplasty procedure, a stent for the first which includes hospital and professional fee was 350,000.  Additional stent is 120,000 pesos. Then after that, we were asked when we wanted the procedure to take place.  We shake hands then charged with 500 pesos for asking those prices.

Grabe noh... pati asking the price lang 500 na… hahaha

How to be a Pastor and Effectively Serve God?

How can I be a good pastor that effectively serves God?  This has been a question that I have been trying to answer for the last 8 years as a fulltime pastor.  It seems so difficult to really serve God and be a pastor of a church at the same time; there seems too many aspects to cover and it can't be covered in a lifetime.

I still remember my prayer during graduation in seminary that God would indeed bless the work of my hands.  I would definitely testify that He has blessed me with so much these 8 eights serving Him as a fulltime pastor.  I saw all things went well, everything done according to His will.  Actually, I am quite fulfilled with what I have contributed to His ministry through this years of ministry.  But still, it seems God is calling me to do more.  I am fulfilled and at the same time dissatisfied with what I have done for the Lord.  I have used my gifts fully for His glory, but I still know that I can do more and He demands more from me because of the blessings I have been receiving.  These are evidences of His presence in my life and so I am blessed.

So what next?  As time flies, I just wanted to serve God but it seems many opportunities are lost because of red tapes and uncooperative co-workers.  The question on the needed awakening is at the door?  How do we really awaken a sleeping giant like my church?  Eight long years of service and still the giant remains asleep.  Many things has been done, but she continue to sleep.  It seems it is so difficult to balance things to be a pastor of a church and effectively serve God.  It seems both are always in conflict.

Flattered...

This afternoon, I received a text message from John but it was blank.  It was weird, I thought maybe it was just a forwarded message or a graphic message which my good Motorola phone can't accept.  But it was very late tonight that I actually received the update and the text appeared.

It read, "Hi Leo-hia, I'm in a two day workshop about developing a leader of John Maxwell.  We are discussing about mentor-mentoring, and I thought of you, how your poured values and wisdom to me.  Let me take this opportunity to thank you and I really appreciate it. God bless."

As I read this message, I was so flattered and encouraged.  I praise God for using me to touch people's lives.  I think this is the greatest legacy I can and wanted to leave behind.  Equipping God's People for Every Good Work has been my life mission.  Being able to fulfill this with one person at a time is worth the effort.

I praise and thank God that I was able to make a difference in a person's life.  To God be all the Glory!

A Necessity in Church Discipleship

Discipleship is all about learning, personalizing and passing on the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ.  The vibrancy of the church often boils down to the issue whether the believer is really growing in their knowledge of Jesus Christ.  The problem is many Christians today are too lazy and often have tons of excuses when they are asked to attend growth opportunities.

Christians are lazy to find opportunity to further their knowledge with Christ.  Even if you get good speakers to preach the Word of God, it will be useless because the Holy Spirit can't work in a heart that is numb and closed for the gospel.  So, no matter what you do, they cannot be awakened.  I think it is so difficult to help people who does not want to help themselves.  At the end, they often blame God for their personal issues because at the first place they do not want to listen to God.

Education is one important in the ministry of the church and this is what discipleship is all about.  If we are not learning new things about God by the day, sooner or later we became stagnant and mediocre.  No wonder the church of Christ is not growing today.  If we do not have the desire to seek God; learn His ways, we cannot grow; the whole church cannot grow.  And so the church suffers.  Unless the spirit of God fills the church, the whole church remains lukewarm.

Let us learn and nurture our faith in Christ - the only way to we can grow and for our church to grow.