Heralding the new heaven and new earth

 

Sermon: “Overcoming Challenges and Moving Towards Transformation and Renewal”

Rev. Francisco J. Hernando, Ed.D.

For the 92nd Founding Anniversary, Cosmopolitan Church, Manila

English Service at 10:00 A.M. 

March 02, 2025 at the Rev. Mary Boyd Stagg Sanctuary

Theme:

HERALDING THE NEW HEAVEN AND THE NEW EARTH: TOWARDS RENEWAL AND TRANSFORMATION.

Scripture Texts:

Isaiah 65: 17-19; 

Revelations 21:1-7 

Luke 21: (5-19) 17-19

Isaiah 65:17-19

17For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. 18But be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating; for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy, and its people as a delight. 19I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and delight in my people; no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it, or the cry of distress.

Revelation 21:1-7 (NIV)

A New Heaven and a New Earth 

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”[a] for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’[b] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.

Luke 21: 17-19

17 Everyone will hate you because of me. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 Stand firm, and you will win life.

Greetings of love and peace!

Warmest greetings of love and peace from the Office of the President of Union Theological Seminary, Philippines. I am grateful for the invitation as the  homilist for this first Sunday of the 92nd Founding Anniversary of the Cosmopolitan Church, here in Manila. I am glad that Bishop Jerome Baris is back to the ministry of this Church and reconsidered his full-time work here, especially on this occasion which is very vital that we have someone who takes care of the pastoral functions and takes on the administrative roles to make this occasion meaningful and fulfilling. 

Everytime I think of Cosmopolitan Church, I am reminded of big names in the country like Jovito Salonga, Fidel and Ming Ramos, Aguilar-Villar families and other prominent families. I would not miss the faces and presence of Brother Keith Quebral, Carina Lyn Viceno, Ate Linda Senturias and others. Their presence puts me in the present, the real life of the Church and at the same time gives me glimpses of the past, like going to the same seminary or at one time or another working together in a particular program or project. 

What makes a Church anniversary meaningful is for us to connect the past and present realities, to who we are as a community of faith. We project to the future, without us physically, but foresee how the future generation of Church members will benefit from the ministries we have carried out, and the faith we have nourished that strengthened the unity of the Church and the common hope for sustainable stewardship of our resources both human and material. 

Overcoming challenges…

Reflecting on the Scripture texts we have for today’s meditation, I have come across with the historical background of the texts from Isaiah 65: 17-19, Revelation 21: 1-17 and from the Gospel of Luke 21: 17-19, that mention the challenges the people of God encountered in their particular contexts. For the 5th century BCE Prophet Isaiah’s situation, the challenges were on the rebuilding of the nation, both the infrastructure, like the rebuilding of their homes and the temple and the reinventing of their faith as the people of God, and the attempts to revive their communities that somehow reflect the heyday or prosperous years with food sufficiency and stable monarchy providing the security, and peace in the land.

Bible scholars have established that the challenges that confronted the people of God in the 5th century BCE were: The return to the homeland after the captivity in Babylon was not promising, there were many difficulties like few had chosen to return. And those that had returned faced nearly insurmountable obstacles. 

Following his policy of allowing a great deal of freedom among conquered peoples, in 538 BCE, Cyrus issued the edict that allowed the Israelites to return home. He not only allowed those who wanted to return to do so, he ordered the rebuilding of the Jerusalem Temple, the vessels that had been looted from the Temple returned, and even committed funds from his treasury to aid the project (Ezra 1:2-11, 6:3-5)

After the return, the community of faith in Israel was in a desperate situation. Not only were the economic and social conditions difficult, they began to face a theological crisis. Many have forgotten the basic faith affirmations they had, their behavior were secularized or reflective of the prosperity cults that promised abundant agriculture produce, protection from the invaders, somehow the people embraced syncretic religious beliefs rather than holding on to monotheistic faith in God.

I was reading internet information on the history of the Cosmopolitan Church, I found out that before the word “resilience”, was frequently used in disaster relief and rehabilitation programs, the Church has shown its resilience in overcoming obstacles, such as the schism of 1933-1935 that led to the formation of the Church under the Philippine Episcopal Methodist Church and then under the Japanese occupation (1942-1945), when the church building was used as military detachment by the Japanese Imperial Army, and during the World War II when the building was destroyed, the Church was able to restore the building and recoup the faith community and restored the regular worship services, evangelism and Christian Education programs. 

In the years of tyrannical rule of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. in the 70s and 80s, the Church through the leadership of Rev.  Ciriclo Rigos and Senator Jovito Salonga have initiated the pro-democracy, justice and peace advocating program, the Wednesday Forum in 1973, which was in hiatus for many years but relaunched in 2019 and now has become a regular forum for social issues and concerns. I’m glad to have been part of Wednesday Forum as BTR presenter in January 2024.

  

Similarly, in the schism in 2012, a faction of the congregation, led by Pastor Phoebe Dacanay, chose to disaffiliate from the UCCP, marking a new chapter in the church’s history. Throughout its history, the UCCP Cosmopolitan Church has been a steadfast institution, adapting to challenges and serving both its congregation and the broader community with unwavering faith and commitment. 

Related to this is what Luke 21: 5-19 says, Jesus warns us of the reality of divisions among kinfolk, betrayal of family members, or by fellow members. There will be chaos and violence and some will be dragged to courts, but he promised he will give us words and wisdom that none of our adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.  Jesus concluded by saying,  Everyone will hate you because of me (faithfulness to God in Christ). But not a hair of your head will perish. Stand firm, (be resilient, resist evil and have courage) and you will win life. 

The establishment of the student dormitory, a contemporary ministry that offers affordable lodging for students and youth who are pursuing their degree programs or are preparing to take board examinations has put the Church in the map of Metro Manila, is a relevant ministry that draws young people to the Church and be part of the contemporary ministry.

The Church experienced financial and management system constraints for several years, but the leaders and members have sustained their support to overcome those challenges. The visionary leadership of the Church enabled the setting up of a management mechanism that has stabilized its economy.

Moving towards transformation…

Social transformation does not happen by chance. The existential development of society includes the evolving concerns of individuals regarding meaning, purpose, and identity. As societies progress intellectually, philosophically and morally, their religious and cultic expressions lead to the shift in religious interpretation wherein literal or dogmatic religious interpretations move toward reform in religious traditions, reinterpretation of the texts and the emergence of new spiritual movements.

As societies develop existentially, individuals may challenge traditional religious structures, leading to secularization and theological perspectives often shift in response to existential concerns about human rights, justice and ethics. When societies undergo existential crises such as war, environmental catastrophe or philosophical disillusionment–religious movement can either decline due to skepticism or experience resurgence as people seek meaning and hope.

This is quite true in the experience of the first century CE Church under the empire of Rome, in which persecution and killings of Christians was prevalent. Roman Emperor Domitian (r. 81–96 AD) is often associated with the persecution of Christians, which is believed to have influenced the apocalyptic themes of the Book of Revelation, written by John of Patmos. 

His successor, Nerva (r. 96–98 AD), took a different approach, easing some of the oppressive measures Domitian had implemented. Domitian is considered one of the first emperors to systematically enforce emperor worship, which posed a direct conflict with Christian monotheism. His persecution of Christians is often linked to Revelation’s portrayal of imperial oppression.

Amidst persecution Christians’ ingenuity increased. They developed their symbolic world with the symbolic language which only insiders can understand and characteristically in opposition to the emperor’s repressive laws. The extent and severity of the impact of repression and persecution led to the urgency of transformation and renewal of their commitment for justice and peace. Thus the vision of a new heaven and new earth emphasized the hope for the reversal of their social situation. 

The Cosmopolitan Church’s prophetic witness during the Martial Law years was exemplary, because when churches and even legal luminaries were afraid to criticize Ferdinand Marcos Sr. Very few churches and concerned individuals stood up against the dictatorship and the massive violations of human rights. Cosmopolitan Church ministered to the detained political detainees and spoke against violations of human rights. 

Heralding the new heaven and new earth…

Furthermore, heralding the new heaven and new earth entail witnessing to our renewed life and pursuing our vision of sustainable society and the manifestation of the kingdom of God.

The vision of the new heavens and the new earth, maybe revealed on creative or even surprising terms God wants to bring it, that is our source of hope. With God as the Creator of that newness, if we are willing to respond as God’s people, the details matter to us because we need to be involved. The people of God ought to actively participate in the ushering of the new heavens and new earth.

We know that when the darkness seems darker, the glimmering light shines brightly in the dark. This means that when the lives of people and the sustainability of our ecology are threatened, we are compelled to think of new ways of doing our mission and ministry, and how we conduct our personal and social lives so that we can provide alternatives that will bring about newness.

In a recent episode of “Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho,” journalist Jessica Soho traveled to Batasan Island in Tubigon, Bohol, to investigate the alarming issue of the island gradually sinking. The phenomenon began after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Bohol in 2013, causing parts of the island to subside. Since then, rising sea levels have exacerbated the situation, leading to frequent flooding during high tides. This has severely impacted the residents’ daily lives, submerging roads, basketball courts, and even schools, disrupting education and livelihoods. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has declared some areas non-habitable due to these conditions. Despite the challenges, the community continues to adapt, showcasing resilience in the face of environmental adversity. This phenomenon is not only happening in Bohol but also in the island countries in the Pacific. This is both a national and global concern that the Church must consider in its programs.

Our witness and service to people who are poor and oppressed matters most in transforming our social situation. From the biblico-theological perspective of the new heaven and new earth, we envision a social order where justice is instituted, people’s behavior will no longer be based on their master-slave relations but on their abilities to contribute to the creation of just and peaceful society. 

Ang ating pag-uugali na hindi na nakabatay sa relasyon ng pagka-alipin kondi sa kanilang kakayahan sa pag-ambag sa pagpapatayo ng lipunang makatarungan at mapayapa. Isa ito sa mga tugon na dapat alalahanin ng simbahan bilang tagapagbalita ng bagong langit at bagong lupa.

Revelation 21 presents a theological vision of the new heaven and new earth, emphasizing God’s ultimate plan for redemption, restoration, and eternal communion with His people. The passage offers several key theological assertions:

1. Cosmic Renewal (Revelation 21:1) This is an assertion that the old, fallen creation will be completely transformed rather than merely repaired. The absence of the sea (often a biblical symbol of chaos, evil, and separation) signifies the end of disorder and suffering. This echoes Isaiah 65:17, where God promises to create a new reality free from pain and corruption.

2. The New Jerusalem as God’s Dwelling Place (Revelation 21:2-3). The New Jerusalem, descending from heaven, represents God’s eternal kingdom. The vision symbolizes God’s intimate relationship with His people, replacing the temporal temple with His permanent divine presence. Yet, the people have to constantly affirm it, and put into practice the faith they have in God. 

3. The End of Suffering and Death (Revelation 21:4). “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” This affirms God’s complete victory over sin, suffering, and death. It fulfills prophetic promises (Isaiah 25:8) and Paul’s teaching (1 Corinthians 15:54) about the final defeat of death whether in the real or metaphorical sense. The defeat of the powers of slavery and death and the vestiges of violent and oppressive governance and when justice is served are the historical manifestation of victory over the powers of death and darkness. The redeemed experience joy, peace, and wholeness.

4. God’s Declaration: “I Am Making Everything New” (Revelation 21:5-6). God proclaims: “I am making everything new!”—emphasizing divine restoration rather than mere destruction. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.” This asserts God’s sovereignty over all history and God’s power to bring a redemptive plan to completion.

Impact of Nickel Mining Operations on Local Livelihoods in Brookespoint, Palawan

The feature story on the impact of Nickel Mining Operations in the town of Brooke's Point, Palawan was made by Jessica Soho. It addressed the adverse effects of mining on local livelihoods. Brooke’s Point, known as Palawan’s “food basket,” risks losing its agricultural productivity due to mining encroachments on vital watershed areas. Barangays such as Maasin and Mambalot, crucial for rice production, are among those threatened, raising concerns about food security and the sustainability of traditional farming practices.

Throughout the segment, the resilience and unity of Brooke’s Point residents were evident. Both indigenous groups and local officials have actively petitioned against the mining projects, urging the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to revoke permits and protect their ancestral domains. Their collective efforts reflect a deep-seated commitment to preserving their environment and cultural heritage for future generations. 

This feature by Jessica Soho brings to the forefront the complex interplay between economic development and environmental conservation, emphasizing the need for sustainable practices that honor both the land and its people. This should not slip from the agenda of the Church in heralding the new heaven and new earth.

5. The Reward for the Faithful, Judgment for the Wicked (Revelation 21:7-8). “Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.” This reflects the spiritual endurance and God’s promise to those who remain faithful. This reassures believers that despite present struggles, God’s kingdom will ultimately prevail.

Revitalizing program ministries toward transformation and renewal

Finally, to overcome its present challenges and move toward renewal and transformation, UCCP Cosmopolitan Church can focus on the following key areas:

1. Strengthening Unity and Reconciliation. Emphasize shared values and theological foundations to foster reconciliation. With this the Church can proactively participate in Theological Education by recruiting students to become pastors. Establish theological education scholarships and support seminaries property development programs.
2. Revitalizing Worship and Discipleship. Introduce dynamic and engaging worship experiences that appeal to both younger and older generations. Offer discipleship programs that deepen spiritual formation through Bible studies, mentorship, and small groups and utilize digital platforms for online worship and Christian education to reach a broader audience.

3. Expanding Community Outreach and Social Advocacy. Strengthen the church’s social justice initiatives, continuing its legacy of advocating for human rights, democracy, and disaster relief. This is very crucial in the context of climate change and climate emergencies. Partner with local and ecumenical organizations to address pressing social issues such as poverty, education, mental health, justice and peace. Reignite the church’s historic commitment to supporting political detainees, marginalized communities, and disaster-stricken areas.

4. Engaging the Youth and Young Professionals. Develop programs tailored for young people, such as leadership training, career guidance, and Christian fellowship. Foster a sense of belonging by involving the youth in decision-making and church activities. Create digital and social media content that resonates with younger generations, making church engagement more accessible.

5. Strengthening Financial and Organizational Sustainability. Improve financial transparency and stewardship to regain trust and encourage generosity among members. Launch sustainable fundraising initiatives, including income-generating projects that align with the church’s mission. Train church leaders both from the clergy and the laity in effective management, governance, and long-term planning.

6. Embracing Innovation in the Ministry. Adopt modern technology to enhance evangelism, worship, and outreach efforts. Develop hybrid (online and in-person) church services to reach both local and international members. Utilize digital tools for church administration, communication, and member engagement.

By focusing on these areas, UCCP Cosmopolitan Church can navigate its challenges, rebuild its community, and continue its mission of faith, service, and transformation. 

It is my fervent prayer that the Cosmopolitan Church will consistently overcome the challenges to its mission and ministry at all fronts, and the leaders and members will do their best in strengthening the unity that binds all in the household of faith. Let this 92nd Founding Anniversary be the beginning of a new heaven and new earth. A happy and meaningful anniversary! Mabuhay ang Cosmopolitan Church! Amen and Amen. +

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