Church for LGBT - Open Table MCC - Philippines

I thank my God for every remembrance of you, always in every one of my prayers for all of you, praying with joy for your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:3-6 NRSVUE “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:1-5 NRSVUE Pakinggan natin ang sinasabi ng Espiritu Santo sa atin ngayong araw. Nawa’y ang pangangaral na ating matatanggap ay magbigay-inspirasyon, kalinga, at hamon sa atin. Amen. Kanina, nabanggit ng ating Hermanan na gumagamit tayo ng mga kanta nina Adele at Lady Gaga. Pero ngayon, ibang klaseng kanta ang gagamitin ko—isang K-pop song. Bago ako magsimula, may ipaparinig ako sa inyo. DJ, pasensya na Chris dahil baka ma-copyright tayo, pero gaya ng sabi ko, ito ang ganda ng preaching sa isang inclusive church—meron tayong mga contemporary readings. Ang pamagat ng kanta ay “What It Sounds Like” ng Huntrix. Ito ang huling kanta sa Netflix movie na KPop Demon Hunters (na ngayon ay Oscar’s best animated feature film). Para sa akin, maraming bahagi ng movie ang queer-coded at ang plot mismo ay isang malakas na queer allegory, partikular sa pag-explore ng themes ng shame at coming out. Ang kantang ito ay sumasalamin sa kwento ng mga queer Christians. Ang unang verse ay nagpapaalala sa akin ng aking karanasan bago ako nag-come out. Nagsisimula ito sa isang tapat na pag-amin: marami sa ating mga queer Christians ang dumaan sa hiya dahil sa kung sino tayo. Sinubukan nating ayusin ito at nagdasal tayo nang marubdob sa Diyos na baguhin tayo. Nung umuwi ako sa Cavite kamakailan, hinanap ko ang dati kong diary. Hindi ako consistent sa pagsusulat, pero kapag may dinaramdam ako, isinusulat ko ito. Ang simula ng bawat entry ko ay “Dear Jehovah” dahil iyon ang tawag sa Diyos sa kinalakihan kong relihiyon bilang Jehovah’s Witness. May isang pahina doon na ang sabi ko sa Diyos, “Bakit niyo po ako ginawang ganito? Ang hirap-hirap”. Ang prayer ko pa nga noon, gawin niyo na lang po akong bisexual para man lang may option ako at maitawid ko pa rin. Sa dulo ng diary, nakiusap ako sa Diyos na huwag sana akong ma-fall sa aking first love. Pero walang nangyari sa pagbe-beg ko. Siguro ang sabi ng Diyos sa akin, “Deserve mo anak, i-experience mo ‘yan.” Doon natapos ang diary dahil lumandi lang talaga ako at hindi na ako nag-pray. Siguradong may ganyan din kayong moments. Sinubukan ninyong labanan ang inyong nararamdaman at ni-repress ang inyong mga emosyon. Gaya sa kanta, baka nagsinungaling kayo sa inyong pamilya, kaibigan, at lalo na sa inyong sarili. Naramdaman ninyong wala ang Diyos sa inyong panig. Ang mga karanasang ito ay nangyari dahil ang tingin ng maraming simbahan sa queerness ay “unholy”. Madalas sa kanila, ang kabanalan ay kapareho lamang ng moral o sexual purity, o kaya ay pag-conform sa mga tradisyon. Malamang isa yan sa rason bakit kayo narito sa Open Table, dahil na-realize ninyo na ang listahan nila ng rules ay hindi naman talaga sukatan ng holiness. Bawal ang premarital sex, bawal ang same-sex relationships, pati ang pag-aayos ng sarili ay binabantayan. Dahil sa mga rules na ito, marami ang nakakaramdam ng guilt. Sa mga Katoliko, tinatawag itong “Catholic guilt”. Pero ang totoo, karamihan sa mga rules na iyon ay hindi naman talaga Biblical. Sa framework na ito kung saan “conformity” ang goal, nakondisyon tayo na ikahiya ang ating mga katawan at relasyon. Pati ang ating mga straight allies ay biktima rin ng sistemang ito. Ang turo sa kanila, ang sex ay regalo ng Diyos pero sa loob lang ng kasal. Ninakawan sila ng purity culture ng pagkakataong intindihin ang kanilang mga katawan at ang tunay na kahulugan ng intimacy. Na-witness ko kung gaano ka-obsessed ang mga simbahan sa purity. Sa dati kong church, bawal lumabas ang couple nang silang dalawa lang; dapat laging may “chaperone”. Noong bata ako, pabor ito sa akin dahil lagi akong libre sa pakain kapag isinasama ako ng tita ko sa date nila ng boyfriend niya. Bukod doon, matindi rin ang pressure sa mga couple na magpakasal agad para “hindi magkasala”. Sa mga Jehovah’s Witness, maximum na ang dalawang taon ng dating; kapag lumampas doon, minamata na kayo. Kahit hindi pa ready ang couple—hindi lang sa financial kundi pati sa emosyon—napipilitan silang magpakasal dahil sa takot sa “sexual imm

Awe came upon everyone because many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved. Acts 9:1-18 (NRSVUE) When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Luke 4:16-21 (NRSVUE) Mula sa Rejection Tungo sa Komunidad Sa ating mga teksto ngayon, makikita ang dalawang magkaibang eksena. Sa Lucas, naranasan ni Jesus ang pagsubok—mula sa paghanga ng kanyang mga kababayan hanggang sa matinding pagtanggi (rejection). Dahil tumanggi si Jesus na magsagawa ng mga milagro para lamang sa kanilang aliw, napuno sila ng galit at sinubukang itulak siya sa bangin. Sa kwentong ito, tila si Jesus mismo ang nangangailangan ng paglaya at pagtakas. Sa kabilang banda, ang teksto sa Acts ay nagpapakita ng “Life Among the Believers”. Ito ang simula ng paglalakbay ng mga apostol kung saan ang konsepto ng komunidad ang nagpalago sa Kristiyanismo. Ito ang bersyon ng “bigyan ng sapat ang lahat sa araw-araw”—isang radikal na pagbabahagi at pagmamahalan. Pag-unawa sa Soteriology Ngayon, pag-uusapan natin ang Soteriology o ang teolohiya ng kaligtasan. Ang salitang ito ay nagmula sa Griyego na soteria (salvation) o soter (savior). Ito ang pag-aaral kung paano inililigtas ang tao, mula sa ano, at para sa ano. Para sa marami sa atin, lalo na sa LGBTQ+ community, ang salitang “salvation” ay may dalang mabigat na bagahe o trauma. Madalas itong ginagamit bilang panakot—na kung hindi mo ititigil ang pagiging bakla, hindi ka mapupunta sa langit. Para bang may monopoly ang ilan sa kaligtasan. Marami sa atin ang lumaki sa takot na mapunta sa impiyerno, at ang turing sa kaligtasan ay hindi inclusive kundi divisive. Ngunit bakit takot at discomfort ang dulot nito kung ang ibig sabihin naman talaga nito ay “deliverance” o “redemption”? Subukan nating bawiin o i-salvage ang tunay na kahulugan ng salvation mula sa Bibliya. Biblical Meaning: Kaligtasan Bilang Paglaya at Pagbabalik Sa orihinal na konteksto ng Bibliya, ang kaligtasan ay bihirang tumutukoy sa kabilang buhay (afterlife). Ang sinaunang Israel ay walang konsepto ng afterlife sa Genesis, Exodus, o mga Awit. Ang unang malinaw na pagbanggit sa buhay pagkatapos ng kamatayan ay lumitaw lamang sa Aklat ni Daniel, na isinulat noong 165 BCE. Kaya naman, narito ang apat na pangunahing balangkas ng biblical meaning ng salvation na dapat nating tandaan: Liberation from Bondage (Paglaya sa Pagkaalipin): Ang kwento ng Exodus mula sa Ehipto ang humubog sa salitang ito. Iniligtas ng Diyos ang mga Israelita mula sa pang-aalipin ng Faraon sa pamamagitan ng pamumuno ni Moises. Ito ay paglaya patungo sa isang bagong buhay at tipan (covenant) sa Diyos sa Bundok Sinai. “Ang Panginoon ay aking kalakasan at aking kapangyarihan. Siya ang naging aking kaligtasan” (Awit 118:14). Return from Exile (Pagbabalik mula sa Pagkakabihag): Ito ang ikalawang mayor na balangkas. Noong ika-6 na siglo BCE, sinakop ng mga Babilonia ang Jerusalem at binihag ang mga tao. Sila ay inapi, pinahirapan, at nawalan ng kapangyarihan sa loob ng 50 taon. Natapos lamang ito nang sakupin ng Persia ang Babilonia, at pinayagan sila ni Cyrus na bumalik sa kanilang tinubuang-lupa. Ito rin ang konteksto ng ikalawang bahagi ng Aklat ni Isaias—ang parehong teksto na binasa ni Jesus sa scroll. “Ang Israel ay iniligtas ng Panginoon ng isang walang hanggang kaligtasan” (Isaias 45:17). From Infirmity to Wellbeing (Mula sa Karamdaman Tungo sa Kagalingan): Ang mga Ebanghelyo ay naglalaman ng maraming kwento ng pagpapagaling ni Jesus. Sa kontekstong ito, ang kaligtasan ay nangangahulugang paghahilom ng ating mga sugat at pagiging buo (whole). Ito ay mas literal na panggagamot. Fear to Trust (Mula sa Takot Tungo sa Pagtitiwala): Ang pagtatagumpay laban sa takot at pagkabalisa (anxiety) ay isang karaniwang tema sa Bibliya. Ang “Huwag kang matakot” ay isa sa mga pinakamada

Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. For three days he was without sight and neither ate nor drank. Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.” The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem, and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized. Acts 9:1-18 (NRSVUE) Isang mapagpalayang araw sa lahat ng kababaihan. Ngayon ay Pandaigdigang Araw ng mga Kababaihan (International Women’s Day). Inaalala natin ang mga dakilang kababaihan sa kasaysayan—ang ating mga ina, kapatid, asawa, kasamahan sa trabaho, mga lingkod-bayan, at lingkod-simbahan na patuloy na bumubuo ng mas mabuting mundo at kinabukasan para sa ating lahat. Tayo ay nasa Lenten series pa rin ng ating simbahan. Noong nakaraang dalawang linggo, tinalakay ni Pastor Jom ang kalikasan ng “sin theology”. Noong nakaraang linggo naman, pinaalalahanan tayo tungkol sa Juan 3:16, ang ating paboritong memory verse, ngunit binigyang-diin din ang talata 17: na hindi tayo nais hatulan ng Diyos. Sa hapong ito, ipagpapatuloy natin ang talakayan at magpopokus sa kung ano ang susunod. Susubukan nating unawain ang Metanoia. Ang Metanoia ay kombinasyon ng dalawang salitang Griyego: ang “Meta” na nangangahulugang beyond, after, o change; at “Noos” na ang ibig sabihin ay perception, understanding, o mind. Sa Griyegong Bagong Tipan, karaniwan itong isinasalin sa Ingles bilang repentance o pagsisisi. Kaya naman sa Marcos 1:15, sinabi ni Jesus: “Magsisi (repent) at maniwala sa mabuting balita dahil malapit na ang kaharian ng Diyos”. Sa Gawa 2:38, sa sermon ni Pedro noong Pentecostes, sinabi rin niya: “Magsisi (repent) at magpabinyag ang bawat isa sa inyo sa pangalan ni Jesu-Cristo upang mapatawad ang inyong mga kasalanan”. Sa tradisyong Kristiyano at teolohiya, tinitingnan ang metanoia bilang isang karanasan ng konbersyon—isang pagbabago mula sa lumang gawi patungo sa bago at mas mabuting buhay. Sa kuwento ni Saul, makikita natin na ang tunay na pagbabago ay madalas nagsisimula sa isang hindi inaasahang pagtatagpo o mystical experience. Habang si Saul ay naglalakad patungong Damascus—bitbit ang kanyang mga plano at awtoridad—bigla siyang nabulag ng isang matinding liwanag. Dito natin makikita ang ironya: si Saul, na akala ay “nakikita” ang lahat at alam ang lahat ng tama, ay kailangang mabulag upang tunay na makakita. Ang kanyang pisikal na pagkabulag ay sumasalamin sa kanyang espirituwal na kalagayan. Sa loob ng tatlong araw, siya ay nasa dilim—walang pagkain, walang inumin, at walang kasiguruhan. Ito ang yugto ng paglilinis, ang sandali kung saan ang lahat ng kanyang pinaniniwalaan ay gumuho upang bigyang-daan ang isang bagong katotohanan. Upang mas maunawaan ang pinagdaanan ni Saul, maaari nating gamitin ang konsepto ng Old Testament scholar na si Walter Brueggemann tungkol sa buhay ng pananampalataya. Ayon sa kanya, ang ating buhay ay dumadaan sa isang cycle: Orientation: Ito ang panahon kung saan maayos ang lahat. Alam natin ang ating gagawin, kontrolado natin ang sitwasyon, at panatag ang ating loob sa ating mga nakasanayan. Ito si Saul bago ang Damascus. Disorient

Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with that person.” Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? “Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen, yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world but in order that the world might be saved through him. John 3:1-17 (NRSVUE) Tayo at si Nikodemo Sa ating pagbasa, nakatagpo ni Hesus si Nikodemo sa gitna ng kadiliman. Si Nikodemo ay isang taong may mataas na katayuan ngunit may dalang mga tanong na hindi masagot ng kanyang tradisyon. Sinabi sa kanya ni Hesus, “Maliban na ang tao ay ipanganak na muli, hindi siya makakakita ng kaharian ng Diyos.” Bilang isang Katoliko at Kristiyanong bakla, madalas kong nararamdaman na ako si Nikodemo. Sa Juan 3, pumunta siya kay Hesus sa ilalim ng takip ng gabi. Bakit gabi? Siguro dahil takot siya sa sasabihin ng kapwa niya Pariseo , o siguro dahil hindi pa niya kayang pangatawanan sa harap ng marami ang kuryosidad ng pananampalataya niya. Ganoon din ako; maraming tanong, maraming takot. Until now, hindi pa rin ako sigurado sa aking pananampalataya. Gayon din ang pakiramdam ko sa tuwing naririnig ko ang mga mapanghusgang salita sa paligid na nagsasabing mali ako, makasalanan ako, at hindi karapat-dapat. Ang mga salitang ito ay parang kadiliman na nagpapalayo sa akin sa liwanag ng Diyos. Sa ating paglalakbay bilang mga LGBTQIA+ na mananampalataya, ang pag-uusap nina Hesus at Nikodemo ay tila isang salamin. Tulad ni Nikodemo, marami sa atin ang lumalapit sa Diyos sa gabi o sa gitna ng kadiliman , dala ng takot sa sasabihin ng iba , ng bigat ng ating pagkakakilanlan, at ng tanong na: “Tatanggapin ba ako? Karapat-dapat ba ako?”. Ang Tunay na Ibig Sabihin ng Muling Pagsilang Ang sagot ni Hesus ay hindi pagtataboy kundi isang paanyaya: “Kailangan kayong ipanganak na muli.” Ang muling pagsilang na ito ay hindi nangangahulugang kailangang burahin ang ating kulay. Sa halip, ito ay pagpapaubaya sa Banal na Espiritu na linisin ang ating paningin upang makita natin ang ating sarili ayon sa tingin ng Diyos : mahalaga, banal, at sapat. Ang konsepto ng muling pagsilang ay madalas gamitin laban sa atin upang sabihing kailangan nating magbago o itatwa ang ating tunay na pagkatao. Ngunit sa mas malalim na espiritwal na pag-unawa, ang muling pagsilang na tinutukoy ni Hesus ay hindi pagpatay sa ating katotohanan, kundi pagyakap sa ating banal na pagkakakilanlan bilang mga anak ng Diyos at malaya sa tanikala ng mapanghusgang mundo. Mahirap isabuhay ang gospel na ito sa mundong puno ng limitasyon. Ngunit dito pumapasok ang tunay na milagro ng Espiritu Santo. Aaminin ko, hindi madali. May mga araw na mabigat ang krus ng diskriminasyon at pagdududa. Subalit gaya ng hangin na binanggit sa bersikulo 8 na umiihip kung saan ito nais, ang Espiritu ng Diyos ay hindi nakakulong sa kahon ng tradisyon. Tuwing ako ay humihingi ng patnubay, ipinapaalala ng Diyos sa akin na ang Kanyang grasya ay sapat. Ang aking pagkatao ay hindi hadlang sa aking paglilingkod; ito ay aking natatanging paraan upang ipakita ang makulay at malawak na pag-ibig ng Maylikha. Hindi ako o tayo tinawag para maging perpekto ayon sa pamantayan ng tao, kundi para maging tapat sa ilalim ng biyaya. Paglilingkod sa Pamilya at Trabaho Ang paglilingkod ay hindi lamang ginagawa sa loob ng simbahan. Ito ay isinasabuhay natin sa bawat aspeto ng ating pang-araw-araw na pakikibaka. Sa Ating Pamilya: Madalas, sa pamilya tayo pinakahina

As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. John 15:9-14 (NRSVUE) So, this Sunday is the first Sunday in our Lent season. As all of you know naman, Lent season is in preparation for Easter or Resurrection Sunday. This is when Jesus rose again. So that’s going to be a month from now — malapit na. And along with that, all the preparations that we as a community is going to face. This is the season where we reflect on the life of Jesus — lahat ng drama bago siya mamatay at mabuhay muli. And in this season we are invited to pray, to fast, reflect, and to be charitable, which I encourage all of us to observe in our own little ways. Even though some of us here are hindi naman Katoliko, and if hindi ka naman religious, the practice of abstinence and self-discipline is still valuable pa rin naman and something that we must all practice. Lent season is not just about the disciplines in themselves. The challenge for all of us Christians this Lent is that these practices will eventually lead us to repentance and transformation. And repentance and transformation all start with the acknowledgement of our sins as an individual and as a collective. That’s why this afternoon we would be discussing sin — the nature of sin, and kung ano nga ba ang sin. In the study of theology, sa mga may theology background diyan or nagse-seminary, we also divide theological topics into branches. Just like in science — sa science we have biology, we have chemistry, zoology. In theology, meron din. Dini-divide din natin yung knowledge or study ng theology into branches. So in systematic theology, we also have the likes of Christology, which is the study that concerns the nature of Jesus. We have Soteriology, which we will be discussing in the coming weeks. Soteriology is concerned with salvation in the Christian sense. And for today we would be discussing Hamartiology, which is the study of sin. So yung paglabas niyo mamaya, uy grabe, feeling niyo may MDiv na kayo dahil may natutunan kayong theology on this service. Pwede niyo nang i-flex sa mga friends niyo. So why is it called hamartiology? I-clarify ko lang: hamartiology is spelled — it’s a single word. Hindi siya “hamar” and “theology” with space. It’s from the Greek word hamartia, which means to miss the mark. So in your New Testament books, when you read the word sin, some of those came from the word hamartia and is translated to sin in English. So I mention na some of those kasi hindi lang naman hamartia yung word for sin. There are many of that. But for this afternoon, we will be focusing on the word hamartia for sin. There are some people who think na pag progressive ka wala ka nang konsepto ng kasalanan. Kasi nga if ang same-sex relationship ay hindi niyo naman tinuturing na kasalanan, then ano pang kasalanan for you? Since parang lahat naman ay pwede — diyan kayo nagkakamali. Kaya nga may community guidelines tayo. The funny thing is, for some people it seems that being gay is the greatest sin that there is — even worse than the seven deadly sins. It seems to be more acceptable to some than gay people getting married or being in a same-sex relationship. Para mas grabe pa ang reaksyon nila dito rather than a president ordering the killing of people, regardless kahit maraming inosente ang madadamay. So the question is: wala nga ba tayong konsepto ng kasalanan bilang progressive Christians? Not at all. Not at all. In fact, the challenge with being a progressive Christian is that what we consider sins are sometimes those that are not obvious and sadly even considered as normal or acceptable in this society that we’re in. Pumunta lang kayo sa news feed niyo at sa comment sections ng mga tita at tito niyo. Grabe. Hindi ko naman jine-generalize lahat ng tita, kahit ako naloloka minsan na grabe normal okay lang sa kanila ’to. Minsan napapa-question ako: ako ba yung mali? For example, killing people for the greater good daw is acceptable for some. Makikita mo yan sa comment section. Corruption — some people, even Christians, don’t even seem to care or are not angry with the rampant corruption that’s happening in our country. Yung iba jina-justify pa at pinagtatanggol. Yung iba may pa-prayer vigil pa. They are even more angry sa pagbuo ng relationships nating mga bakla and even with the recent Supreme Court decision allowing same-sex partnerships to co-own properties. Mas kasalanan pa sa kanila na may dalawang babae o dalawang lalaki na magkaroon ng legal protection to own properties rather than their own favorite politicians na nagnanakaw ng properties that

So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them, and Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told them. When the eighth day came, it was time to circumcise the child, and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. Luke 2:16-21 (NRSVUE) Ano ba ang Queer Theology? Sa pinakasimple nitong paliwanag, ang Queer Theology ay isang paraan ng pag-unawa sa Diyos, pananampalataya, at teolohiya mula sa perspektibo ng mga taong matagal nang nasa laylayan — lalo na ang LGBTQ+ community. Hindi ito simpleng pagdagdag ng bagong label sa teolohiya. Sa halip, ito ay isang paanyaya na tanungin ang mga matagal nang itinuturing na “normal,” “natural,” o “tanging tama” sa loob ng pananampalataya. Queer Theology asks: Sino ang may boses sa teolohiya? Kaninong karanasan ang itinuturing na mahalaga? At sino ang matagal nang hindi naririnig? Teolohiya Mula sa Karanasan Sa tradisyunal na teolohiya, kadalasan ang boses na nangingibabaw ay: lalaki heterosexual nasa kapangyarihan bahagi ng dominanteng kultura Ngunit sa Queer Theology, nagsisimula tayo sa karanasan ng mga taong matagal nang isinantabi — mga taong sinabihang hindi sila kabilang, hindi sila banal, o hindi sila sapat. Dito, ang karanasan ng pagiging queer ay hindi hadlang sa pananampalataya. Ito ay nagiging daan upang mas malalim na maunawaan ang Diyos. Pagbawi sa Salitang “Queer” Ang salitang queer ay minsang ginamit bilang insulto. Ngunit sa paglipas ng panahon, ito ay binawi at ginawang simbolo ng: pagtutol sa mapanupil na pamantayan pagtanggap sa pagkakaiba pagdiriwang ng identidad Sa konteksto ng teolohiya, ang pagiging “queer” ay hindi lamang tungkol sa sekswalidad o kasarian. Ito ay tumutukoy sa anumang pananaw na: humahamon sa nakasanayang sistema naglalantad ng hindi pagkakapantay-pantay nagbibigay-boses sa mga nasa laylayan Ang Diyos sa Gilid, Hindi Lang sa Gitna Isa sa pinakamahalagang paalala ng Queer Theology ay ito: Ang Diyos ay hindi lamang matatagpuan sa sentro ng kapangyarihan — kundi sa gilid, kasama ng mga itinulak palayo. Makikita natin ito sa maraming kuwento ng pananampalataya: sa mga itinaboy ng lipunan sa mga itinuturing na “makasalanan” sa mga walang lugar sa templo Sa mga kuwentong ito, ang banal ay hindi natatakot sa pagkakaiba. Sa halip, doon ito namumukadkad. Isang Paanyaya, Hindi Isang Banta Para sa ilan, ang Queer Theology ay tila pagbabanta sa tradisyon. Ngunit para sa marami, ito ay paanyaya: na palawakin ang ating pag-unawa sa pag-ibig ng Diyos na kilalanin ang dignidad ng bawat tao na gawing mas makatarungan ang ating pananampalataya Hindi nito sinisira ang pananampalataya. Sa halip, tinatanong nito kung paano tayo magiging mas tapat sa mensahe ng pag-ibig, katarungan, at awa. Sa Huli Ang Queer Theology ay hindi lamang teorya. Ito ay buhay na karanasan ng mga taong patuloy na naghahanap ng lugar sa loob ng pananampalataya — at natutuklasan na ang Diyos ay matagal na nilang kasama. Ito ay paalala na ang pag-ibig ng Diyos ay hindi limitado ng ating mga kahon. At marahil, ang tanong ay hindi kung may lugar ba ang queer sa teolohiya — kundi kung handa ba ang teolohiya na kilalanin ang Diyos na matagal nang kumikilos sa gilid. The post Queer Theology Revealed appeared first on Open Table Metropolitan Community Church.

When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Luke 4:16-19 (NRSVUE) One of the central questions of liberation theology is: Who are the poor, and who are the oppressed? It asks us to look closely—not at poverty in name only, but at genuine poverty. It challenges us to identify who truly bears the weight of injustice. Liberation theology teaches that God actively participates in the work of justice and transformation. This work is not merely human effort; it is God’s own work unfolding in the world. At the same time, we—especially as Christians—are invited to participate in that divine work. At Open Table MCC, we are clear about one thing: we are not a triumphalist church. We do not claim to be the answer to all the world’s problems. God’s work is far bigger than any single church. MCC is only one of many communities—alongside other churches, organizations, and even other religions—that take part in God’s larger movement toward justice. Naming Injustice and Upholding Dignity A key element of liberation theology is the recognition that systemic injustice and oppression exist—in society, in our country, and even within institutions, including the church. Because of this, liberation theology asks us to examine structures of oppression: Where are they found? How do they operate? And how do they violate human dignity and the dignity of creation? Faith, in this view, is not just about heaven, the soul, or the afterlife. While spirituality matters, faith is also physical and material. It is lived out in solidarity with others. If God cares deeply for creation and for human dignity, then we too must care for the well-being of every person and of the earth itself. This theology is incarnational and critical. It encourages critical thinking and honest questioning. Faith is not blind obedience to religious authority. We are called to ask difficult questions—especially when oppression, discrimination, or injustice is present. A Communal Faith, Not an Individual One Liberation theology resists highly individualistic expressions of Christianity. Salvation is not just about “me and God.” It is communal and collective. In the same way, sin is not only personal. One of the failures of modern Christianity is reducing faith to individual morality while ignoring structural and societal sins. Scripture repeatedly shows that God, through the prophets, John the Baptist, and Jesus, denounced corruption and injustice. Liberation theology asks us: What are our collective sins? What social evils—such as poverty or environmental destruction—are produced by systems we benefit from or fail to challenge? God desires happiness and abundance for all, yet this is blocked by human-made systems of greed. This is why liberation theology critiques the so-called prosperity gospel, which teaches that personal righteousness leads to personal wealth. True abundance, instead, comes from justice, equality, and dignity for everyone—across race, religion, class, and identity—together with a responsible relationship with the environment. So What Now? If God is a God of justice and of the poor, what does that mean for us today? Especially for those of us who live comfortably? Two questions for reflection: How is God continuing to resist violence, greed, and oppression in our world today? What is your own calling and participation in God’s work of justice and liberation? Regardless of belief, we all share responsibility for creating a more just and humane world. Concrete Ways to Respond Here are some practical invitations: Listen to activists. You don’t have to agree with everything, but listen—especially to those from poor, indigenous, and marginalized communities. Get to know the poor and the oppressed. Learn their names, hear their stories, and recognize Christ in their faces. Many of us are only one sickness or one lost job away from poverty ourselves. Do not settle. The world does not have to remain unjust. There is always something that can—and must—be done. Be critical in critical times. Ask questions. Read carefully. Hold leaders accountable, regardless of political affiliation. Speak up in daily life. Challenge bullying, discrimination, and unfair treatment wherever you encounter them—in families, schools, workplaces, and communities. Join and volunteer. Find reputable organizations aligned with your passion—whether LGBTQ+ advocacy, environmental justice, or urban poor work. We cannot do everything, but together we can do something. Protest when you can. Public witness against in

For thus it says in 1 Peter 2[:9], “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a priestly royalty.” Therefore we are all priests, as many of us as are Christians. But the priests, as we call them, are ministers chosen from among us. All that they do is done in our name; the priesthood is nothing but a ministry. This we learn from 1 Corinthians 4:1, “This is how one should regard us. Servants of Christ, and stewards of the ministries of God.” Let everyone therefore who knows himself to be Christian be assured of this: that we are all equally priests. That is to say, we have the same power and respect to the word and the sacraments. However, no one may take use of this power, except by the consent of the community, or by a call of a superior. For what is the common property of all. No individual may arrogate to himself, unless he is called. And therefore, this sacrament of ordination, if it is anything at all, is nothing else than a certain right, where by one is called to the ministry of the church. Furthermore, the priesthood is properly nothing but the ministry of the Word; the Word, I say; not the law, but the gospel. Martin Luther King on Priesthood Then afterward I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female slaves, in those days I will pour out my spirit. Joel 2:28-29 (NRSVUE) Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region around the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the River Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Therefore, bear fruit worthy of repentance, and do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Matthew 3:4-9 (NRSVUE) So, binasa natin ang quote from Martin Luther, one of the prominent Protestant reformers, who also happens to be an Augustinian monk. What many people do not know is that he was also a Bible scholar. Maraming gumugulo sa isip ni Martin Luther noon. Takot na takot talaga siya sa Diyos. The fear was very palpable. Hindi talaga siya mapakali. Walang panalangin, walang misa, walang sacred space na kayang mag-alis ng takot niya sa Diyos at ng pakiramdam na makasalanan siya, through and through. One of the suggestions given to him by the head of his religious order was to go to the university and study theology and the Bible. Eventually, he became an expert in the New Testament. Para sa akin, doon nagsimula ang kanyang critical response at critical view of the Catholic Church. Inaamin naman ng Catholic Church na mayroong mga abuses during that time. Some of these abuses can be read in the writings of Martin Luther. Isa sa mga tinuligsa niya ay ang hierarchy of the church based on priesthood, where ordinary people were treated as inferior. May mga sulat siya describing how priests and bishops treated ordinary people like basura, parang hayop, according to him. There was this strong distinction between the priesthood and the lay people, and he saw this as deeply oppressive. When he studied Scripture, one of the things he articulated—particularly in The Babylonian Captivity of the Church—was his critique of the seven sacraments. He argued that only two were truly sacraments, while the rest were ministries and did not carry special power or grace. Later on, Protestant scholars pointed out that the Greek word for priest, hierus, is almost always used in the New Testament to refer to Jesus Christ as the High Priest. The only other time it is used for people is in First Peter, where it says, “You are a royal priesthood, a chosen race.” One of the arguments, then, is that Jesus Christ did not try to establish a new priesthood in the way that it later developed in the Roman Church. Scripturally, the word for priest does not refer to church leaders. Leaders were called episcopos (overseers), presbyteroi (elders), and diakonoi (servants or ministers). There is a specific Greek word for priest, and it is not used for church leadership. Some Protestant arguments say that Jesus did not intend to establish a priesthood similar to the temple priesthood, which was hereditary and separated from the people. There are also interpretations pointing to the tearing of the temple veil at Jesus’ death, symbolizing direct access to God’s holiness for all. For Luther and the Reformers, ordination was not about special grace or spiritual superpowers. It was simply a difference in ministry. Any power connected to sacraments and rituals belongs to the whole community—to the priesthood of all believers. All sacramental authority has already been given to e

Metropolitan Community Churches is one chapter in the story of the Church, the Body of Christ. We are people on a journey, learning to live into our spirituality, while affirming our bodies, our genders, our sexualities. We don’t all believe exactly the same things. And yet in the midst of our diversity, we build community, grounded in God’s radically inclusive love for all people. We are part of an ongoing conversation on matters of belief and faith, shaped by scripture and the historic creeds, building on those who have come before us. Our chapter begins when God says to us: “Come, taste, and see.” “Come, taste, and see.” Jesus Christ, You invite all people to Your open table. You make us Your people, a beloved community. You restore the joy of our relationship with God, even in the midst of loneliness, despair, and degradation. We are each unique and we all belong, a priesthood of all believers. Baptized and filled with Your Holy Spirit, You empower us to be Your healing presence in a hurting world. We expect to see Your reign on earth as it is in heaven as we work toward a world where everyone has enough, wars cease, and all creation lives in harmony. We affirm Your charge to all of humanity to care for the land, sea, and air. Therefore, we will actively resist systems and structures which are destroying Your creation. With all of creation we worship You—every tribe, every language, every people, every nation. We know You by many names, Triune God, beyond comprehension, revealed to us in Jesus Christ, who invites us to the feast. MCC Statement of Faith As we continue our “Faith Revealed” series leading up to Lent, we are diving deep into what we actually mean when we talk about faith at Open Table MCC. Following our discussion last week on the “Queer Trinity” and embodied theology—the idea that God is revealed through our physical bodies and identities —today we explore the document that binds our global community together: The MCC Statement of Faith. What We Believe The preaching highlights that unlike many older denominations, MCC does not focus on long lists of rigid, dogmatic theologies. Instead, our faith is defined by several core pillars that emerged from years of global conversation and research within our denomination. 1. Radically Inclusive Love At the heart of our community is a “radically inclusive love for all people”. This isn’t just a slogan; it is the foundation of our identity as a church that affirms diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, and expressions (SOGIE). 2. A Progressive, Justice-Oriented Faith Our faith is “progressive,” which means it is actively informed by justice. We are not passive observers; we are called to be a healing presence in a hurting world, resisting systems that destroy creation and marginalize people. 3. The Church as a Home When asked what MCC faith looks like, many members describe it as “home”. We strive to be a sanctuary where everyone—including those living with HIV and families exploring progressive theologies—can feel safe and valued. 4. An Evolving Conversation The current Statement of Faith, approved in 2016, moved away from strictly traditional patterns to better reflect our lived reality. It acknowledges that we don’t all believe exactly the same things, yet we remain part of an ongoing conversation shaped by scripture, reason, and our own experiences. A Reflection on our Shared Journey The sermon reminds us that our faith is “revealed” through our diversity. Whether you are a “legacy member” or a guest visiting for the first time, you are invited to “taste and see”. We reclaim the idea that God is beyond comprehension and yet revealed in the very human acts of building community and seeking justice. Closing Prayer Loving God, thank you for this community. Thank you that despite our imperfections, You gather us here to learn, to grow, and to mature. Speak to us through Your Holy Spirit and guide us as we continue to build a community founded in Your love. Amen. The post MCC Faith Revealed appeared first on Open Table Metropolitan Community Church.

Now when all the people were baptized and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” Luke 3:21-22 NRSVUE What if the doctrine of the Trinity—often seen as a rigid, confusing math problem—was actually one of the most radical, inclusive, and “queer” ideas in history? At Open Table MCC, we believe the Trinity isn’t just an ancient dogma; it is a vibrant invitation to community. While many progressive spaces might shy away from traditional doctrines due to their historical misuse, we choose to reclaim them. We dig beneath the layers of colonial and imperial history to find the liberating truth at the center: God is not a solitary ruler, but a community of love. Beyond the Binary The history of the Trinity goes back to the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. The early church wrestled with a massive question: Was Jesus truly God, or just a human? Was he divine, or created?. The Council’s answer was refusal to choose a binary. They declared Jesus is both fully God and fully human. They affirmed that God is One, yet Three—Parent, Child, and Spirit. To the human mind, this is “mental gymnastics”. But to the soul, it is a profound truth: God transcends our limited categories. God is relational, not individual: The very “Godness” of God is relationship, not isolation. God is diverse: The Trinity unsettles the idea of a single, static monarch. Instead, we see a dynamic “Divine Dance”. Why the Trinity is “Queer” In our theological reflection, we dare to say that the Trinity is “queer”. Why? Because “queer” theology is about disrupting norms, questioning binaries, and finding the divine in the margins. It disrupts the norm: The Trinity unsettles strict monotheism by revealing a God who is both one and three. It affirms bodies: By declaring Jesus as fully human, the Trinity affirms that God has a body, a gender, and sexuality. God knows what it is to be brown-skinned, marginalized, and oppressed under empire. It invites fluidity: If God is a community of three persons, we can imagine a God who holds the fullness of the gender spectrum—Parent (Father/Mother), Son (Child), and Spirit (often associated with female or gender-neutral imagery like Ruach or Pneuma). A Promise, Not Just a Doctrine We know the doctrine of the Trinity has been used as a tool for colonization and violence. We do not ignore that history. However, we also see it as a “promise and an idea,” much like the city of Oz in the musical Wicked. It is a promise that love is not solitary. As our pastor shared, “To have faith in the Trinity is to realize that you are created in the image and likeness of this divine community”. You were created from love and for love. And just as God is a community, you can only truly experience that love through community and relationship. Living the Trinity So, what does a 1,700-year-old doctrine have to do with us today? It calls us to embody that same relational love. As Creators: We mirror the Parent/Creator when we make art, write poetry, or build something new. As Redeemers: We mirror Jesus when we forgive others and work for justice. As Advocates: We mirror the Holy Spirit when we guide, help, and stand beside one another. At Open Table MCC, we don’t just recite the creed; we dance it. We invite you to join this divine community where diversity is holy, and no one is meant to be alone. The post Trinity Revealed appeared first on Open Table Metropolitan Community Church.

So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. We love because he first loved us. Those who say, “I love God,” and hate a brother or sister are liars, for those who do not love a brother or sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also. 1 John 4:16-21 NRSVUE In today’s preaching, we will take a deeper look at the nature of faith and explore how we can move beyond simple belief into a lived commitment. The following reflection follows the flow of our recent teaching, inviting us to reconsider what it means to truly have faith. 1. Faith as Commitment, Not Just Belief In many traditions, faith is reduced to a set of doctrines or a “belief system”. However, the biblical Greek word for faith, pistis, is rooted in commitment and relationship. While belief is a part of it, belief alone is not faith; many can master theological arguments while possessing very little actual faith. True faith is an act of the heart—what the Latin credo (I believe) originally meant: “I give my heart to”. It is God who first initiates this commitment, inviting us into a covenant, just as God reached out to the slaves in Egypt. Faith is our response to that call, a decision to “take up our cross” and abide in love. 2. Faith is Relational, Not Just Personal We often think of faith as a private, individual matter between “me and God”. But if faith is a commitment, it must be relational. Our relationship with God is directly measured by our relationship with one another and the world. As 1 John 4:21 reminds us, those who love God must also love their brothers and sisters. Faith is found in how we treat our neighbors and how we care for the creation around us. 3. The “Sampa-Taya” Journey: Trust and Risk Faith is not about absolute certainty; it is about trust and risk-taking. The Filipino word pananampalataya captures this perfectly through the concepts of sampa (to board) and taya (to bet or risk). Think of a jeepney during rush hour. You sampa (board) even when it’s crowded, holding on tight alongside your fellow passengers, not entirely sure if you’ll make it home safely, but trusting the journey anyway. It is like our OFWs and seafarers who sampa (board) ships to work abroad, carrying only their small tokens of faith—a stampita of the Nazareno or a lucky charm—as they risk everything for a better life. Faith is that “Sampa-Taya” spirit—boarding the journey with God even when the road is uncertain. 4. Faith as Remembering to Find Hope We often look at faith as something strictly for the future, but we can only look forward with hope if we look back with memory. Throughout the scriptures, God repeatedly tells the people: “Remember”. Remember that you were once slaves; remember the covenant; remember the bread and the wine. When we face “dark times” or what we might call “chaka” (ugly) moments in life, our brains tend to catastrophize—we forget that things have ever been good and assume they will always be bad. We become like the Israelites in the desert who, despite seeing God’s wonders, wanted to go back to Egypt because they forgot God’s faithfulness. Faith is the intentional act of remembering that even in our darkest hour, God’s goodness was present, often through the people who stood by us. Living the Ordinary Faith Faith isn’t about constant excitement or emotional highs. Like a long-term relationship or marriage, there will be highs, lows, and long stretches of ordinariness where you might not “feel” anything at all. True faith is staying committed through that ordinariness. It is a journey we take together, remembering where we’ve been so we can have the courage to see where we are going. The post Epiphany: Faith Revealed appeared first on Open Table Metropolitan Community Church.

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to divorce her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Look, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.” When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife but had no marital relations with her until she had given birth to a son, and he named him Jesus. Matthew 1:18-25 NRSVUE Sa Isang progressive church na intentionally mulat sa mga katarantafudahan ng bayan at mg Mundo, we are always confronted with the hardest question pag pasko and then later pag pasko ng pagkabukay… Is there something to celebrate sa kashitan na ito? But we are reminded na Hindi porket maraming kashitan, Tayo ay magpapatalo at magpapalugmok sa mga tae ng kasalukuyang kaganapan. Advent reminds is that there is always hope and our hope is based on the action of God throughout history. Kaya mahalagang mag-alam natin ang history because it proves to us thay things do get better eventually. Advent reminds that our peace does not come from the kings and emperors of this world but from the king of heaven who chooses to lower himself and become human, poor, a servant, and someone willing to die. Ang kapayapaan ay nagmumula sa kanya at ipinakita rin nya sa kanyang naging buhay paano natin maaachive Ang kapayapaan sa pamamagitan ng paglilingkod sa isat isa.Advent reminds us that there is joy and we must actively pursue joy. Mariz reminds us that Joy is rooted in grace and growing from the soil of ministry and Advocacy. Joy through ministry and Advocacy is our act of resistance against sa kashitan ng Mundo and it is a gift of God through community and shared work. Lastly, today, last Sunday of Advent, we are reminded in all of this it is always about love from love and towards love. Love that is not abstract but love na bodily – nagkakatawan – and intimately relational. Pag-ibig na gustong makipag ugnayan, nakikipag-kapwa, at nais yumakap at humipo. Eto any pag-ibig na Ang pangalan ay Emmanuel – God with us. God through us. Sa lahat ng paalalang ito ay kung paano Tayo nag-ambag at nagparticipate sa Open table, merong dapat ipagdiwang ngayong pasko at sa pagtatapos ng taon. Merong pag-asang masayang inaabangan para sa darating na taon in the face of all the shittiness now and will also continue to come. Mary and Joseph as Immanuel Sa last Sunday of Advent and our last worship of the year magandang paalala ang ating scripture reading tungkol sa pagkakatawang tao no Hesus ayon sa gospel of Matthew. Ang buong gospel of Matthew ay tungkol sa presensya ng Diyos na kasa-kasama natin. Yan Ang main theological frame and linchpin of the gospel of matthew. It reminds us that Jesus is Immanuel – the living presence of God among us… But I want us to also look at this story a little differently. I want us to also realize that in the Story the presence of God to the Son of God was also Mary who chose and decided to conceive Jesus and give birth to him. She didn’t have to. She could say No especially when it will most likely get her into trouble and danger. But she said yes to the danger and to the physical struggle and pain of child bearing and child birth. Joseph also embodied Immanuel – God’s presence towards Mary and Jesus – when he decided to continue his marriage with Mary and not have her stoned to death for adultery. Despite his own internal struggle, shame, and pain, he accepted Mary and her pregnancy. She believed his dream when he does not have to. Unlike Kay Mary na Meron talagang nagpakitang anghel, so Joseph, nananiginip lang. Ano bang Malay nya kung lerler lang sya Ang under a lot of stress that caused that dream. Baka gusto nya lang paniwalain Ang sarili nya. But he kept faith and did not have Mary put to death. Or kahit Hindi na nga put to death, Sabi sa gospel, he just wanted to divorse her in secret para Hindi na mapahamak so Mary. But even with that, paano na lang si Maria bilang deborsyadang batang ina? Hindi man sya ma stone to death, how will she survive as a young mother divorced so young? She was poor and from a poor family herself. Peasante. So when Joseph decided to keep Mary as his wife and believe a dream, and be a father to Jesus, he was Immanuel to them. Pero Hindi lang si Mary and Joseph ant I

When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those with a skin disease are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.” Matthew 11:2-6 NRSVUE John the Baptist, the voice in the wilderness, the prophet who dared to speak truth to power, finds himself behind bars. And from that place of confinement, John asks a hauntingly human question: “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” This is not a question from an unbeliever. This is a question from someone faithful, tired, disappointed, and confused. And that matters, because it tells us something important: doubt does not cancel faith. Suffering does not erase calling. Joy, in Scripture, is not the absence of struggle. What kind of joy are we talking about? Let me be clear: when we talk about joy, we are not talking about being cheerful all the time. Joy is not a mood. Joy is not hype. Joy is not pretending everything is okay. Biblical joy is deeper than happiness. Joy is a deep, abiding inner assurance, a settled confidence rooted in a relationship with God. It’s the kind of joy that can exist even when the prison door stays closed, the kind of joy John needed while he was behind bars. Galatians 5:22 says: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace…” Notice the word fruit. Fruit is never manufactured by effort alone. Fruit grows when a tree is rooted, nourished, and abiding. You don’t yell at a tree to bear fruit. You don’t shame it into producing. Fruit is the natural evidence that life is flowing through it. Which means, if joy is fruit, then joy is not the goal – grace is the source. So What do we mean by a graceful ministry? A graceful ministry is not driven by pressure. It is not fueled by proving yourself. It is not obsessed with performance, productivity, or approval. A grace-driven ministry flows from this truth: God’s love is already given. God’s power is already at work. God’s grace is already enough. It knows: This is not about my strength. This is not about my perfection. This is about Christ’s work, not my résumé. That kind of ministry is marked by: Humility instead of control Patience instead of urgency Presence instead of performance And when ministry flows from grace, joy shows up. Not loud joy. Not flashy joy. But resilient joy. The kind that keeps showing up. The kind that listens without fixing. The kind that stays when it’s uncomfortable. This is exactly what Jesus shows us in Matthew 11:2-5. John sends word from prison, asking if Jesus is truly the Messiah. Notice what Jesus does not say. He does not say: “Try harder.” “Believe more.” or “Get it together.” Instead, Jesus says: “Go and tell John what you hear and see.” And then He lists evidence of grace at work: the blind receive sight the lame walk the sick are cleansed the deaf hear the dead are raised the poor receive good news Jesus points John not to spectacle, but to restoration. Not to power, but to presence. Even in the presence of miracles, even in the middle of grace, questions still existed. John still asked. And I relate to that. Fact 1: I am a queer woman. Fact 2: I am a Christian. I am both of these at once. And I no longer hide who I am to make anyone else comfortable. Just like John, I am a discomfort for other people—sometimes even to my own family. I have lost relationships because of who I am and what I choose to do. But standing fully in who I am has taught me something about Jesus: His grace makes room. Jesus’ ministry was not about shrinking people. It was about revealing truth and widening belonging. Yet even in the midst of grace, questions still exist. Even when I volunteer to contribute to this church—as your Hermana, your Community Connect Facilitator, your Inang Martha, and just your fellow churchmate—there are days I ask myself: “Am I really helping?” “Am I really showing up the way people need me to?” “Am I enough?” “Or… bida-bida ka lang? OA ka naman?” I have doubts. I have insecurities. But why do I still keep going? When Jesus did not condemn John. He responded with grace. And I realize: doubt does not disqualify me. Showing up is already ministry. I know that Grace is often uncomfortable. Grace stretches us. It challenges us. It calls us to love beyond what feels safe. Grace moves toward pain. Grace listens to the silenced. Grace meets the messy, the broken, the desperate. Grace reaches into the hardest places and says: You are seen. You are heard. You are loved. And maybe that’s why this Scripture feels personal to me. I often find myself surrounded by people in pain. Many times, people open up to me about their hurt, their traumas, their vulnerable selves. Sometimes I joke na “parang magnet ako” …ehh ha?

In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’ ” Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region around the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the River Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Therefore, bear fruit worthy of repentance, and do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. “I baptize you with water for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is more powerful than I, and I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” Matthew 3:1-12 NRSVUE Marami sa inyo dito ang tawag sa akin ay Ardy. Pero pag naririnig ng kapatid ko yang pangalan na yan, natatawa siya. Sa totoo, ako rin minsan, lalo na pag pinapakilala ako ni Jandi na Ardy sa friends at mga kakilala niya. Five years pa lang kasi yung pangalan na yan kaya hindi pa sanay yung kapatid ko, at minsan ako rin. Nung nag-out ako 5 years ago, I chose that nickname. Ayoko nang ipakilala yung sarili ko as Rhick, lalo na as Deuel. And looking back, it’s not actually about me wanting to be called differently, kasi unang-una mas madali yung Rhick. Ang Ardy, two syllables. It’s about me wanting to be known differently. I wanted to create this new self, this new identity. And so 5 years after, weeks after my birthday, napatanong ako, sino nga ba talaga si Ardy? Was I able to actually live differently? Was I successful in building this new self? Was I able to transform myself? Si Jandi alam na alam ang sagot sa mga tanong na yan. Yang mga questions na yan, obviously, hindi dumating sa akin out of the blue. When I was studying the scripture reading, na-fascinate ako kasi hindi nga pala bago itong konsepto ng transforming oneself. In Matthew 3:2, John proclaimed, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” The Greek word for repentance is metanoia, which is usually simply translated in English as to change or to transform. Hence, the call to transform oneself isn’t new. Even before Jesus, people were already called to be transformed. Digging into the historical context of this story, this call from John is an invitation for the people during his time to be renewed. If we go one verse back, this story of John is actually a bit theatrical because he appeared in the wilderness. So meron siyang ganung atake. Kaya naman John is actually a very queer Biblical character, not in a total SOGIESC sense, but in how he used strange fashion and lifestyle not to stand out, but to remind people of a story. Very draga. He intentionally wore, sa verse 4, clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist. Why? To look like Prophet Elijah. Bakit niya gusto magmukhang propeta? He wanted to be like the prophets of ancient Israel. He wanted to remind people of what happened to the Israelites when they didn’t follow God’s commandments. Kaya dun siya umeksena sa wilderness because it served as a stage that would amplify his message. He wanted to remind people that the true essence of the covenant and commandments is to show the world that there is a different way of living, of being. God gave ancient Israel a framework on how to set themselves apart from other nations. And so proclaiming the message of repentance from the wilderness must remind the Jews to become the people that Israel had been called to be from the very beginning. The past generations failed, and in verse 10, he declared that the time had arrived, God is offering a final opportunity. Therefore, John’s call for repentance is a call to transform oneself: to have a complete change of mind and heart, inviting people to be baptized to publicly proclaim that they are setting themselves apart from the ways of their world. Now, sa atin ngayon, what does the call for repentance mean to us? What does transformation of self mean to us? Syempre, hindi yan mag-start sa paggawa ng bagong nickname. Pwede niyo rin gawin iyon, but gaya nga ng tanong ko sa sarili ko, yes, gumawa ako ng bagong name for myself, but did I really undergo a genuine process of becoming transformed into some

When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. [[Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”]] And they cast lots to divide his clothing. And the people stood by watching, but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.” One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingdom.” He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:33-43 NRSVUE The Paradox of the Crucified King So the reading today is surprising, isn’t it? Did you wonder if it is Holy Week? Is it Good Friday today that we have the crucifixion? Now it’s a lectionary reading. It’s the reading today of almost all Catholic and mainline protestant churches who use the lectionary. It is the reading now because it declares that the king, the sovereign, the monarch for Christians is someone who is not on a throne, on a classic golden chair, but the throne of the one that we call king is someone who is nailed to the cross. The one that we proclaim Lord, King, Savior is someone that the early Christian movement in the first century saw as Lord and Savior. They believed that in the person of Jesus of Nazareth—someone who was born with and into and among the poor, the oppressed, and the marginalized. It’s not just that Jesus welcomed the marginalized. Jesus is part of the marginalized, discriminated, and oppressed people. Jesus’ Background and Shame His mother is a peasant from Nazareth. His adopted father, foster father, is a carpenter. No, in some parts of the gospel he is referred to as, “is this not the son of the carpenter?” In short, construe “isang day laborer,” a carpenter. In other parts of the gospel, there’s no mention of his father. He was referred to as “is this not the son of Mary?” What does that mean? Like in our song earlier about shame, right? That’s a shame. It means you are an illegitimate child. You are born out of wedlock. Because there was gossip (“chismis”) that Mary was the talk of the town because Jesus was conceived even before Joseph and she were officially and liturgically married. There were rumors that perhaps Jesus was the son of another man. So this Jesus, as he started to preach and do ministry, miracles were ascribed to him—someone who came from Nazareth. As one apostle later said, “is there anything good that comes out of Nazareth?” So meaning, not only did Jesus have many issues regarding his personhood, but he also came from a place considered bad, where nothing good comes from. He knew shame. He knew what it means to live among, with, and as an oppressed person in those times; as a son of a carpenter, as someone who was gossiped about as being born not really of Joseph. He knew all of that. The True Son of God vs. Worldly Power And so when he started his ministry, naturally his ministry was for his fellow vulnerable people who were also exploited, oppressed, and discriminated. After his ministry, crucifixion, and supposed resurrection, the early Christians started to reflect on who this Jesus is. The Jewish Christians of the first century started to proclaim that if there is really a God—the God of ancient Israel, Yahweh of the covenant—this God is someone who was evident in the life, the words, example, and the miracle of this Jesus who came out from a place where no good comes from. If there is a God, this God is evident in the life of Jesus. That is why the Gospel of Mark, the first Gospel, declares in the opening line: “this is the gospel, this is the good news of Jesus Christ, son of God.” You cannot say that in those times; that will get you crucified because “good news” only comes from the “true son of God,” which is the Roman Emperor. You cannot claim the carpenter, the peasant, the one who was crucified as a rebel, is the Son of God, King of the Jews, and Messiah. That was unheard of and unbelievable to many in the first-century Roman Empire. But in the Christian tradition, God chose to be born in human flesh. For God so loved the world that the word of God became flesh and dwelt not just among us but became and dwelt among the poor and the oppressed and knew the life and the oppression