Reformation Rally-October 25, 2009

This year’s Reformation Rally was held at Baker Hall of the UP Los Baños campus ground. Churches representing Classis SOuther Luzon and North and SOuth Metro Manila congregate at the humid BAker Hall around 8:30 Am to have a joint liturgical worship service. An American missionary gave the message (sorry-we were late in coming-around 9 AM since San Pedro CRC was 75 men strong and we have to wait for others before leaving San Pedro, Laguna around 8 AM-so I don’t know his name). There was also an ordination of a pastor from Pila CRC.My children and I took lunch outside the campus at a Chowking store. Around 2 PM I took-out hamburger meal from Mcdonalds. The crowd was large and the hall was not enough:

The afternoon session was eventful with some particpation from the different Southern Luzon churches- The music was more contemporaneous and lively this time with at least 4 bands leading the singing. Our church interpreted the Desert Song by Hillsong with a Maranao(?) inspired dance by our feamle youth members. It was well-received by the congregation. The program ended by 3 PM and we left in our own jeepneys. Below are the members of San Pedro CRC that attended the affair:

My daughter and I took some of the pictures -and video-but since our videocam is new-we used the wrong setting (close-up) so the video was blurry. But here is my picture with Baker Hall building at the background:

Got to be a Long Weekend (October 15-19, 2009)

It is kind of busy week. Starting last Thursday-the Men in Powerhouse (MIP) visited me and my family together with their wives. We have a simple late night merienda of pansit and some barbeque.

We have simple bible studies discussing from some scriptures if people experience the absence of God. My answer to the question is that I no longer  doubted God’s existence-but only if what He thinks is good for me-is in the immediate or the current is pleasant experience or good in my perspective. Bro Val narrated his experience where his father was the in-patient of St. Luke’s Hospital for 1.5 years and then died afterwards. Most of his salary and life savings were gone because of that.

I said at the office-we always makes the newbie try the hard stuff so we can see how he can handle and if he really have the right stuff. When he keeps failing-we either helped them or re-assigned other jobs which we can handle. I am not sure if this is the same way God sees it. I also said that I was not able to really answer it-but found comfort in the absurdity of the death of His Son-who was the most righteous person who lived and yet died a criminal or sinners death. Forsaken by God-yethe justified many.

Based on the question of Bro Mar-regarding election which he applied to the members of Pacita Bible Baptist church-especially their smugness-Pastor Ed gave his mediating opinion (between Arminius and Calvin) that though real Christians really don’t fall away from salvation-no man is reprobated-and thus the Lord is willing to elect all men in Christ. It is man who chooses not to be elected. Me-without correcting this erroneous and still Arminian position, pointed our that based Colossians 3:12- the elect or chosen of God must reflect humility and not pride. For we are chosen in him, in Christ-so we cannot really boast of anything-except to boast the election of Jesus first. It is also possible that in Jesus -all men are elected- like the opinion of Barth-since Jesus worth and his death is able to pay the sins of all men-if he intended it in his eternal will and purpose. But we cannot look at election nakedly. It is always in the mirror that shows how Christ suffered-even when he does not merit such death. I also mentioned that in the Canons of Dordt which was the source of the historical five points of Calvinism-it mentioned that election is not of the same weight or ultimacy as that reprobation. Hell was prepared for the devil and his angels-not for unbelieving men. And thought source of election is God’s favor-the source of election is men’s unbelief.

Then by Saturday -I was included in the Powerhouse Annual Vision weekend. I even presented a 10 minutes talk regarding the importance of core values-which was excerpted from my  experience with my utility company. Later in the afternoon we have symbolic end of the day eating of black forest cake from Red Ribbon.

Sunday: I am in the second installment for the Junior High of San Pedro CRC of my series regarding Election and Covenant in the life of Abraham-especially Gen 12:1-20-God called him. Then after the worship service -Rayuel and I returned back around 2:30 pm and attended the zone youth  fellowship of 5 churches affiliated with CRCP.

It started late and dull but it picked up speed in the end-especially with the games, special numbers from Bulihan CRC and Emmanuel Christian Church. I  left SPCRC around 5:30 pm to get my 2 kids from the barbershop.