LIBERATING NAKEDNESS

A Review of the book, "The Naked Anabaptist" by Stuart Murray

The book was very well written and can be easily understood by any type of reader, even those who just bumped into Anabaptism and who have no background about it. I love how Stuart Murray discussed the history of Anabaptists and comprehensively researched on its roots and the people who were first involved in this movement. It is inspiring, as an Anabaptist, to read further about the tradition that I grew up with, and understand more about its core convictions and even its weaknesses. I love how he expounded on each of the seven core convictions that spell out what it means to be Anabaptists today, which are:

1. Jesus is our example, teacher, friend, redeemer, and Lord. He is the source of our life, the central reference point for our faith and lifestyle, for our understanding of church, and our engagement with the society. We are committed to following Jesus as well as worshiping Him.

2. Jesus is the focal point of God’s revelation. We are committed to a Jesus-centered approachto the Bible, and to the community of faith as the primary context in which we read the Bible and discern and apply its implications for discipleship.

3. Western culture is slowly emerging from the Christendom era, when church and state jointly presided over a society in which almost all were assumed to be Christian. Whatever its positive contributions on values and institutions, Christendom seriously distorted the gospel, marginalized Jesus, and has left the church ill equipped for mission in a post-Christendom culture. As we reflect on this, we are committed to learning from the experience and perspectives of movements such as Anabaptism that rejected standard Christendom assumptions and pursued alternative ways of thinking and behaving.

4. The frequent association of the church with status, wealth, and force is inappropriate for followers of Jesus and damages our witness. We are committed to exploring ways of being good news to the poor, powerless, and persecuted, aware that such discipleship may attract opposition, resulting in suffering and sometimes ultimately martyrdom.

5. Churches are called to be committed communities of discipleship and mission, places of friendship, mutual accountability, and multivoiced worship. As we eat together, sharing bread and wine, we sustain hope as we seek God’s kingdom together. We are committed to nurturing and developing such churches, in which young and old are valued, leadership is consultative, roles are related to gifts rather than gender, and baptism is for believers.

6. Spirituality and economics are interconnected. In an individualist and consumerist culture and in a world where economic injustice is rife, we are committed to finding ways of living simply, sharing generously, caring for creation, and working for justice.

7. Peace is at the heart of the gospel. As followers of Jesus in a divided and violent world, we are committed to finding nonviolent alternatives and to learning how to make peace between individuals, within and among churches, in society, and between nations.

These core covictions have implications to how the Anabaptist churches, no matter what clothes they wear, continue to live in peace, being able to actively relate to one another in harmony, while at the same time economically and socially responsible.

He also quoted David Augsburger’s definition of spirituality in the Anabaptist tradition as “tripolar – the spirituality of personal transformation (the inner journey), the experience of divine encounter (the God-ward journey), and the relation of integrity and solidarity with the neighbor (the co-human journey with friend and enemy, with neighbor and persecutor) cannot be divided. Tripolar spirituality sees all three as interdependent.”

For me, this vividly describes my personal experience as having grown in an Anabaptist Mennonite church, and struggling between keeping myself safe within the boundaries of the comfort of my church family or going out on the streets to deal with poverty, injustice, and conflict in my society (the way Jesus would).

Anabaptism, however, also has its own flaws. Stuart Murray described them as: legalism, selectivity, intellectualism/anti-intellectualism, divisiveness, separatism, quietism, and inertia. They were each explained in the book, and he talked about how the Anabaptist tradition in itself is not the perfect way of interpreting the Scripture. He affirms though that there are many things that other traditions can learn from Anabaptism, and that this tradition has a lot to offer to the post-Christendom era where many people are already being moved to become a church that is actively engaged in societal transformation.

The Naked Anabaptist is eye-opening, challenging, exciting, and indulging. It is a fresh new way of understanding Anabaptist tradition without the boringness of other theological books. It was educational and informative, especially for people who are just beginning to understand deeper what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

THE WOUNDS OF PEACE

In writing this, my heart is in peace; and my heart goes out to the many peace workers who have come and gone, and to the many more who are currently sacrificing their lives for the cause of peace.

I am struggling right now, and am having so many difficulties figuring out so many information that are being fed to my 22-year old brain. I am tired thinking. I am exhausted. Yet in this exhaustion and quest for answers, I see the faces of many wounded peace workers. Their passion, creativity, and enthusiasm will tell you that they are excited doing peacebuilding work. Their eyes, however, tell a different story.

Oftentimes, I listen to the soft voices of peace workers crying out for peace. I would feel their hearts beat the same way as mine, yet their eyes, when you look closely, will bring you to a window where you could see wounds of past and present. Wounds that are so deep and remain unhealed. Wounds that are caused by fighting for the bloody battle of "peace building".

The window to these souls will bring you to an empty, dark room, where the smell of blood and injustice is so overpowering, and you'll hear a heartbeat that is almost fading. The cry for peace is so loud, yet the voices are weakening. Slowly, I come to realize, peace work makes one vulnerable to many open wounds.

In my youth and in my early years in peace building, I tend to get scared of what lies ahead. I'm afraid that later I would get so wounded inside, while struggling to move forward every single day of my life - for the cause of peace.

This struggle leads me to reflect on why I am doing this, and how my journey has been so far.   My reflections lead me back to Jesus. As a response to the calling of God, I chose to follow Jesus by way of peace building work. It was not easy, and it is never going to be.

In the past, I have already been wounded. I have even experienced the point of nothingness - of struggling because I can no longer find meaning in my own life while I try to work for others to find meaning in theirs. It was devastating. And yet, now I have been completely healed from those wounds. I have been restored. I have been re-energized, and even reconciled to wounded relationships.

I wonder why others seem to have not recovered at all from wounds of the past. Then in searching the Word, I found the answer, which is Jesus. Jesus might be the missing piece of the puzzle that others are struggling to find. Jesus, the Prince of Peace, who has come to reconcile man to God, is often times left on the margins. Often times, Jesus is even forgotten and not included in the picture of peace.

But Jesus is the ultimate source of peace. Jesus should be the blood that flows through every veins of the peace networks ever existing in the world. Jesus "is" the heart of peace building. Without Jesus, peace building is but another attempt of the world to make a better world - but to no success.

World peace, in essence, is not possible without Jesus. Now I understand better why the peace that Jesus gives, is not the kind of peace that the world can EVER offer.

The PEACE of JESUS TRANSFORMS the heart and soul. The peace of Jesus, among others, HEALS all kinds of WOUNDS. Day to day, as one struggles for peace, only when we allow Jesus to transform our lives would we ever attain peace, and thus be able to pass it on to others.

Today, at 22, I am very vulnerable. I will still get wounded, over and over. Yet the wounds I will acquire, I completely surrender to the Prince of Peace, whose wounds have saved my soul.

I am leaving you at peace. I am giving you my own peace. I am not giving it to you as the world gives. So don't let your hearts be troubled, and don't be afraid.-John 14:27

HABAGAT - BAGYO SA PUSO KO

Ang sakit sa puso.

Mula pa noong isang araw ay walang patid na ang pagpatak ng ulan. Ulan na kay lakas at may kasamang hangin. Walang tigil. Ito'y hindi bagyo. Ito'y tinawag lamang na hanging "habagat".

Tatlong araw na mula nang dumating ang walang tigil na pagbuhos ng ulan - ito'y luha ng kalangitan, ayon sa iilan. Ito raw ay galit ng Diyos, sapagkat marami ang nagnanais na maisabatas ang RHBill. Isang panukalang batas na naglalayong makatulong sa mas nakararaming kababayan upang maiwasan ang patuloy na paglala ng kahirapan. Ngunit para sa iilan na makitid ang kokote, ito raw ay sa demonyo. (@%#!) Hindi gumagamit ng lohika!

May mga iilan, sarili ang iniisip. Nagdiriwang sa baha, sapagkat mawawalan ng pasok sa eskwela. Ngunit sa likod ng bakasyon na ito, juskopo ang daming tao ang nagdurusa sapagkat lumubog ang mga kagamitan, walang makain, at walang matulugan. Nakukuha pang magdiwang. tsk.

Sa aking munting paraan, pinilit kong makibahagi sa pagtulong. Pinilit na sa abot ng makakaya, ay makidamay at magbigay suporta sa mga taong nasakuna. Alam kong hindi ito sapat, at ayokong ito'y ipagkalat. Ngunit iyon lamang ang maliit na bagay na aking kinaya.

Nagdurugo ang aking puso, pagkat saksi ako kung paanong karamihan sa aking mga kababayan ang nabubuhay sa isang kahig isang tuka. Batid kong ang kanilang kabuhayan ay nakasalalay sa pang araw-araw na pagkayod. Ngunit sa mga ganitong pagkakataon na sila'y hindi makapagkayod, ano na lamang ang kanilang ipapasak sa kumakalam na sikmura?
Sa mga ganitong pagkakataon na ang kanilang mga munting barong-barong ay binaha, naputikan, at ang ilang kagamitan ay nabasa, ano na lamang ang kanilang gagawin sa araw ng bukas?

Kumukurot sa aking puso na sila'y makitang nananatiling nakangiti at tumatawa sa gitna ng bahay na sira-sira. Ako'y nahihiya kapag sila'y nag-aalok ng mauupuan, makakain, at kung anu-ano pa, gayong sila itong nawalan at na sakuna. Isang pagpapala ang ganitong karanasan, ngunit dalangin kong ang mga taong ito'y lubusan rin naman pagpalain ni Yahweh. Na ang kanilang mga pangangailangan ay matustusan. Nawa ang kanilang mga kalusugan ay maingatan, at ang kanilang kinabukasan ay matiyak na may patutunguhan.



Yahweh,

Ako'y pinagpala sa araw na ito. Isang pagpapala ang mga bagong karanasan. Ngunit, magtatapos ang araw na ito na may sakit sa aking puso. Sakit na hindi ko matukoy, sapagkat napakalalim ng pinag-uugatan. Sakit na bunga ng pagtanto na napakaraming tao ang nagdurusa, gayong may iilan ang nakikinabang sa mga kayamanan na dapat sana ay pantay-pantay naming pinaghahatian. Ama, ako'y umiiyak sa awa. Awa para sa aking mga kababayan, awa para sa aking bayan, at awa para sa mga taong lumalangoy sa salapi at pagiging ganid. 

Yahweh, ikaw ang nakababatid. Alam mo ang aming kalagayan. Magulo. Magulo ang paligid. Magulo ang mga kaisipan, magulo ang mga tao. 

Sa gitna ng mga unos na ito, Ama, aking hiling na ako'y bigyan Mo ng sapat na karunungan upang matuklasan kung ano ang iyong layunin sa mga pangyayaring nagaganap. Ama, nawa sa lahat ng ito, maunawaan namin at madama ang iyong pag-ibig at pagpapala. Nawa, bilang Iyong tagasunod ay maging daluyan ako ng pag-ibig, pagpapala, at kapayapaan, na hindi nababalutan ng anumang pangalan ng simbahan o anumang samahan. Ikaw lamang ang papupurihan!

At sa aking pagtulog, dama ko pa rin ang kirot sa aking puso, ngunit ang sakit na ito ay gamitin Mo, upang ako ay lumago.

Amen

A GREAT COFFEE DAY

So, last time I mentioned something about missing coffee. I did! In fact, when I say coffee, it's not just simply any other kind of coffee. What I mean by coffee that I miss is Coffee for Peace (CFP) - Fairly Traded coffee that when you sip, you know you made a farmer smile because he was paid for a fair price for his coffee. When I lived in Davao, I used to have unlimited brewed coffee at CFP every single day. The last time I had a sip was in January, so it was really a long time and I have been badly longing for that good coffee again.

Yesterday, a friend from Davao brought me a small bag of CFP coffee and I was so excited to drink it that I actually had 2 cups last night and then another four cups the whole day today (now, it's all gone) :-)

Me and the precious CFP Arabica coffee :)

This afternoon, I met a new friend whose last name is Coffey, and we both had coffee together at a coffee shop near my office. What's interesting is that, the coffee shop serves PEABERRY coffee. It caught my attention on the Menu and I knew right after seeing it that I must taste that coffee.

What's with peaberry?

Well, it's more expensive compared to regular coffee beans because they are rare. Usually, a coffee cherry would produce two coffee beans. Peaberries are single beans formed out of one cherry, so they are more dense and flavorful.

When I lived in a coffee farm almost a year ago, we always saw peaberries among the tons of coffee cherries that we de-pulp everyday. It was when Keith and Jenna, my Canadian companions said that peaberry can be sold at a more expensive price, that Ate Kriz (my super Ate) and I actually got more curious about how it tastes. And today was a dream come true - I finally tasted peaberry coffee right on the day I least expected it :)

So, fifth cup today is peaberry coffee!

I praise God for a great coffee day today: four cups of CFP coffee, one cup of peaberry coffee, and a new friend  whose last name is Coffey :)

#Satisfaction

For those who are curious, here is the comparison.
On the left side is a peaberry, and on the right side is a regular coffee bean.
Photo downloaded from: drinks.seriouseats.com

ON OBEDIENCE

My heart sings this song out loud. I want to obey the Lord. I don't wanna go anywhere else than where He wants me to be. Call me crazy or a fool...

Today, I sit on my office table and ask myself the same question I ask every single day: "What  will I do today?"

Every day the answer I could think of is this: Work!

Definitely. I go to the office to work. This is my job. But aside from the daily routine of facing my computer screen all day and doing tasks that were assigned for me to do, what is the essence of what I'm doing?

Still, the past events of my life come back to me and almost every single day, I ask myself why I am in this specific place, at this specific time, doing what I'm specifically doing? And the hardest question still is: Why am I doing this?

As I was on my daily scriptural reading this morning, I figured out the answer to my hardest question. I am here because I wanted to obey. To simply obey. Things may not be as easy as I have expected. In fact, sometimes I wanted to go back to that moment in my life six months ago and see if there is anything I could do to change the decisions I have made for myself. When I look back to that moment six months ago, and review what has happened to my life now, I have no regrets. I knew I just obeyed.

I may not yet be as happy as I used to be back then. I may be missing a lot of things, and I may be dreaming and hoping that I never had to make that decision. But there is one thing that's always better than the feeling of happiness - PEACE.

My heart is crying right now. The tears it sheds have nowhere to be placed. I keep it inside. This is how I release it. I miss people. I miss laughter. I miss fun. I miss playing. I miss coffee... But I am here now because I have to be here. I needed to just obey.

Obedience to God doesn't always mean you have to be happy one hundred percent of the time. Obedience sometimes may also mean you have to sacrifice several things - sometimes, they have to be things that make you happy or comfortable.

But how do I know that I was obeying His will? There is peace. Peace I have in my heart that I haven't felt for a long time. Peace in every situation that I encounter. Peace I feel every time I learn new things about my new job, and the spark of hope that there is some valuable reason why I am right here, right now. Peace in the new relationships I am building with the people around me.

Yeah, following God is not at all easy. But He provides the energy, comfort, and peace that we would ever need along this journey called life.

Live life in obedience to the One who has called you!

THE BRIGHTER SIDE

 Twenty hours of sitting on a bus and my bum is sore

Didn’t have a good sleep, Oh! How dreadful this is!

I opened my eyes to see how dangerous the road was,

and to my surprise, Behold! I saw beauty!

It’s my first time to witness this side of the country

Huge mountains bouncing green, with rivers binding them together

In the province of Ifugao, I was on a journey

and the rice terraces told my soul another story

My journey is like climbing up a mountain

At first you feel excited and you even run to get there fast

But eventually you get tired and you have no choice

but to rest even for just a little while

When you start your second wind, you will realize

You are better, you can run faster, more energized, and more dedicated to finish til the end

In the midst of my sore bum, my spirit was refreshed

My mind was rejuvenated, my soul re-energized

In the midst of a long and tiresome journey,

I had a glimpse of God’s glory

And this majestic view has taught me

to appreciate life’s simple blessings...

Life’s Simple Blessings

The bus leaves not on the appointed time, but only when all the passengers are there and ready to go.

Witnessing the gigantic mountains and being reminded how small I am and how big God is; how blessed I am that this big God loves me as I am

When children play with toys that you have seen for the first time, because they are made of pieces of wood and an extraordinarily creative mind

When there’s only one narrow road, but buses and trucks give way for each other

When you have a sore bum, yet you were blessed to see God’s awesome creation

When you set out on a journey with two people you just got to know, but you trust that they will be part of your long journey ahead... to teach you, mentor you, laugh and eat with you, and work together.

AT THE BEGINNING... OF A JOURNEY

Where I got the title:
For the past few weeks I have been thinking about how I'd update you about my journey. I can't think of  a nice title, and thus I can't even start writing an entry. Today I encountered this song that I've heard a couple of times before, and thought it was just a plain love song. When I played it and read the lyrics, I thought it was just a perfect theme song for me now! It was not just a romantic song after all! It is a song about the beginning of a JOURNEY.. how we find people on the same journey with us - most often surprisingly, and how we commit to journeying together with a friend, or maybe even strangers. Enjoy playing the song while you read! :)

So, a couple of weeks ago, I have been VERY busy. After three months of being unoccupied, I suddenly became my normal self again -  traveled a lot, met a lot of people, and ate a lot of good food! :) I would say, God might have really given me a good rest for a couple of months because he was preparing me to set out on a journey with much more passion, and much more lessons to learn. I would be enumerating the highlights of my experiences - or I would call them BEGINNING OF A JOURNEY:


1) Journey with the Evangelical Youth for Social Action


Last year, I met a bunch of young people who were on a journey towards peacebuilding among young people in Metro Manila. I was so much blessed to hear their story and somehow called myself an "adopted" member of this group. This group is working with fraternities and gangs around Manila, committed to provide an alternative environment so that these groups would no longer result to violence and frat/gang wars. It was exciting to see how this organization managed to grow and have more dedicated members. I kept connection with them only through facebook, not knowing when I could actually work with them closely - or if that would even be possible.

Three weeks ago, they invited me to join their Leadership for Peace Training, and even welcomed me as a new member of their organization. I willingly committed to be part of their journey. We all do not know what lies ahead and what we could actually be doing together. All we know is that God is calling us as young people to be active followers of Jesus by doing something for the society. That is enough to declare that we are "at the beginning" of a journey together, and that we are committed to be on this journey together, no matter what lies ahead.

The Evangelical Youth for Social Action
Leadership for Peace Training
June 7-10, 2012

2) Journey with the Peace Church Philippines

Three weeks ago, the Barkman family arrived in the Philippines to start planting Peace Church Philippines, rooted in Anabaptist-Mennonite doctrine. They are a young couple with two little boys, and they managed to travel around Luzon so far, excellently.

Peace Church is in partnership with the Integrated Mennonite Church of the Philippines (IMC). I currently serve as the National Coordinator for IMC and I had the chance to give them a tour around the IMC congregations throughout Luzon. Their visit to the IMC congregations allowed them to see a better picture of how the Mennonite church in the Philippines currently look like. It also allowed them to personally get to know the people behind the IMC, and the work that they do in their own areas.

For me personally, it was a blessing to get to know them while at the same time introducing them to IMC. I do not know how we would specifically work together in the future, but one thing for sure, we will be on the same journey in the years to come, and that is very exciting!  I am not sure how far God would allow me to walk with the journey of Peace Church Philippines, but I am glad that "at the beginning" of the journey, we walked together.



3) Journey with the Integrated Mennonite Church of the Philippines (IMC)


I grew up loving the church, and I grew up dedicated to serving the church in any way possible. It is an honor and a blessing for me to be trusted as the National Coordinator for the IMC at this point in my life. Honestly, I have no idea what God is preparing me for, but right now I feel like I am just "at the beginning" of a wonderful journey that God has for me.

There are a lot of uncertainties, trials, and even heartbreaking moments that would challenge my dedication and commitment, but I always remind myself that I am committed first to God, and then to the church. My commitment to serving the church is backed by a dream of seeing a new breed of IMC leaders who would stand up and make a great impact to the society. I dream of an IMC where all the leaders work harmoniously with each other, and where all the members are building a harmonious relationship in their own communities, inspiring lives, transforming societies, and declaring the gospel of the Prince of Peace.



4) Journey with the Barkman Family


Spending a couple of weeks with the PeaceChurch planters has actually created a personal connection between me and the Barkman family. We were just strangers weaved on the same journey, and it is my delight to actually spend time with them. What seemed to be a professional task for me, created a personal relationship with this great family.

It was a joy and a blessing for me to spend time with Darnell and Christina, and their sons Cody and Makai. This wonderful, Christ-centered family is the kind of family I dream of having someday.

Darnell and Christina (my ate and kuya), have been very supportive of me and the ministry that I do, and they are a huge encouragement for me. To me, they are examples that I can follow in many different ways - spirituality, relationship, family, and personality. There is just so much lesson I learn just from talking to them, eating with them, watching them take care of their kids, and even just sitting with them on a 5-hour bus ride. :)

Cody and Makai are the kind of children that I dream of having someday. Aside from being cute boys (as most babies are), I could see how God has designed them perfectly to become missionary kids. Cody's friendliness and wit is a blessing that brings delight to every single person he meets. Makai's strength as a 2-month old baby that traveled half-way around the world shows how much God is protecting him, and it amazes people who find out how much he is already going through despite being very very young. :) As I only had one younger sibling and we are only two years apart, it is my first time to actually try being a "full-time" Ate (big sister). It is a blessing that God gave me these two wonderful kids to play with, and to have special times with. The moments we shared are moments I would never forget even when they grow old. :)

The Barkman Family
[Christina, Cody, Darnell, Makai, and Ate (me) :)]

The past couple of weeks have been very busy for me, and yet I anticipate the next few days to be more surprising, busy, inspiring, encouraging, and challenging. Whatever else may happen next, I'm pretty sure:

"... life is a road that I wanna keep going
Love is a river, I wanna keep flowing

Life is a road, now and forever, wonderful journey

I'll be there when the world stops turning

I'll be there when the storm is through

In the end I wanna be standing

At the beginning with YOU"

Please keep praying as I journey through life :)

-radicaljourneyist