Accepting the blessing of fullness of life

Title: Accepting the blessing of fullness of life
Scripture Texts: Genesis 12: 1-4a; John 3: 1-17
16 March 2014
Delivered at Filipino community in Zion Methodist Church, Seoul, Korea
by Frank J. Hernando

Points of Reflection:

1. The catch phrase "born again" has been used mainly by the new religious movements as distinct characteristics of a religiosity that has been centered on separation from the ways of the world and achieved well assured place in the heavenly places. There are those who have been piously following the born again life and somehow this new found life has given them opportunity to live the values after conversion and have reckoned with the possibility to live a godly life have forsaken the ways of the world.

2. Nicodemus, a scholar of the Pharisees secretly met Jesus at night to ask important questions such as how he may enter into the kingdom of God and Jesus answered him saying that unless he is born of water and the Spirit he won't be able to enter it. Then followed by the question how he can be born again and Jesus gave him an illustration about the wind, which a person would not know where it is blowing from and where it goes, it blows freely. This is the life in the Spirit. Furthermore, Jesus stressed the importance of believing in the Son of God. The life in the Spirit can be seen in the life and mission of Jesus. In Jesus the kingdom of God is made real, we hear it, feel it and accessible in faith. God embraces us and the world through the Jesus Christ. This is the very essence of John 3:16.

3. You might recall the last few hours or even minutes before you depart home for a long journey to work overseas, if not to another city, when you have packed in your luggage clothing, some personal things that are important to you, documents, some photos, and in your hand carry bags were medicines for common flu symptoms, candy or chocolate, few packs of biscuits and for women perhaps lipstick and make-up kit if they have it. After you have said your goodbyes to parents and loved ones, you are ready to go with firm hopes that working or emigrating to another country will give you a better life. Your mind was filled with best interest to support your family when you have found adequate job and prayed that you will be safe and become a blessing to your family.

4. Our generation is not the first to do extensive migrating to other places or countries, the biblical story of Abraham and Sarah is one of the many stories about migration and this can be dated in 2000 BCE in the Ancient Near East, the region in world we now call the Middle East particularly the countries of Iraq, Iran and Palestine. In so many ways, we have been influenced by this biblical story in our journey to other countries to find decent jobs and where we live to realize our personal, family and social dreams of prosperity and find meaning in life. Paul Nuechterlein expresses his insight on this story:

“As I seek to live my faith from day-to-day, there is no more simple theme than "blessed to be a blessing." The promise of blessing to Abraham and Sarah is not just for their sakes but that "in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. In the Spirit, God's loving desire for the whole world begins to become our desire. In making a covenant with Abraham and Sarah, God initiates a long process of salvation that promises to bring us into line with God's desire, with a goal no less than the blessing of being chosen in order to be a blessing to all the families of the earth. A sense of chosenness for its own sake is a failed sense of calling. Chosenness must always be for the sake of being a blessing to all the families of the earth.”

5. Being a blessing both for your own families and all families around the world entails not just knowing your own needs and aspirations but also the broader or deeper reasons why you and all people have those needs such as economic sufficiency, social acceptance, meaningful and fulfilling life. There are psychological approximations of what a blessed life is such as the understanding of self-actualization. Abraham Maslow describes the self-actualized life as the following:

Maslow's self-actualizing characteristics:
+ Efficient perceptions of reality. Self-actualizers are able to judge situations correctly and honestly. They are very sensitive to the fake and dishonest, and are free to see reality 'as it is'.

+ Comfortable acceptance of self, others, nature. Self-actualizers accept their own human nature with all its flaws. The shortcomings of others and the contradictions of the human condition are accepted with humor and tolerance.

+ Reliant on own experiences and judgement. Independent, not reliant on culture and environment to form opinions and views
Spontaneous and natural. True to oneself, rather than being how others want

+ Task centering. Most of Maslow's subjects had a mission to fulfill in life or some task or problem ‘beyond’ themselves (instead of outside of themselves) to pursue. Humanitarians such as Albert Schweitzer and Mother Teresa are considered to have possessed this quality.

+Autonomy. Self-actualizers are free from reliance on external authorities or other people. They tend to be resourceful and independent.

+Continued freshness of appreciation. The self-actualizer seems to constantly renew appreciation of life's basic goods. A sunset or a flower will be experienced as intensely time after time as it was at first. There is an "innocence of vision", like that of an artist or child.

+Profound interpersonal relationships. The interpersonal relationships of self-actualizers are marked by deep loving bonds.

+Comfort with solitude. Despite their satisfying relationships with others, self-actualizing persons value solitude and are comfortable being alone.[19]
Non-hostile sense of humor. This refers to the ability to laugh at oneself.

+Peak experiences. All of Maslow's subjects reported the frequent occurrence of peak experiences (temporary moments of self-actualization). These occasions were marked by feelings of ecstasy, harmony, and deep meaning.

+ Self-actualizers reported feeling at one with the universe, stronger and calmer than ever before, filled with light, beautiful and good, and so forth.

+ Socially compassionate. Possessing humanity.

+Few friends. Few close intimate friends rather than many surface relationships

In summary, self-actualizers feel finally themselves, safe, not anxious, accepted, loved, loving, and alive, certainly living a fulfilling life.

6. Above all these self actualizing characteristics, we need the spiritual power that comes from Jesus Christ who always remind us to live with justice, compassion and love. People around us may know that we are self-actualized Christians but they will feel they are embraced by the love of God when we bless their lives with grace of God. Amen.

-------------------- --------------
References:
1. http://www.textweek.com/
2. http://girardianlectionary.net/year_a/lent2a.htm
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-actualization

Our transfiguration in Jesus Christ

Title:

Texts: Exodus 24: 12-18; Matthew 17: 1-9
02 March 2014

by Frank J. Hernando

Synthesis:

Today is the last Sunday of Epiphany and the coming week the Season of Lent begins. It is part of the Christian calendar that we talk about the transfiguration of Jesus on a mountain prior to the our scriptural and theological readings and reflection on the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. With the texts both from Exodus and the Gospel of Matthew in cycle A of the lectionary readings, we hear from the scripture how Moses went up the mountain for prayer and fasting for many days and thereupon the mountain received the commandments from God, we commonly know as the giving of the ten commandments, a summary of the laws and regulations that had bound the entire Hebrew people to God and each other as a nation.

Also we hear from Matthew how Jesus went on a mountain to pray and there together with three of his closest disciples, he was transfigured or metamorphosed into Moses and Elijah. Both biblical personages have been considered the bastion of the law and prophetic utterances respectively. Accompanying the transfiguration was the voice of God saying, “This is my Son with whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.” This transfiguration leaves a mark on the connection of Jesus with God and his predecessors, Moses and Elijah who both stood for the unity of the Hebrew nation, given that the Hebrews were not a mono-ethnic nation, but a confederation of tribes which was very difficult to handle politically, socially and economically. Jesus’ mission to realize the reign of love through justice and unity by ending the system of blood sacrifice, received the affirmation that he is the Son of God and that his mission was a once and for all the blood sacrifice that will end the sacrificial system that had oppressed people in history and in the present.

Jesus Christ’s transfiguration for believers and disciples then and now discloses both personal and social aspects of life. The sacrificial system has not disappeared on the face of the earth, therefore the continuing confrontation goes on until the reign of love, justice and peace is realized. This can be seen in how many people have lost their dignity and have been alienated from the sources of abundant and meaningful life. Laborers, even with long hours of work could not receive just wages, the poor are marginalized and many people living in cities are deprived of their rights to healthy environment and basic social services. Jesus’ transfiguration is an assertion of the God’s holy will for the unity of the nation and solidarity of nations towards just, loving and peaceful world.

Our own personal and social transfiguration entail repentance, fasting from the habits and use of laws and regulations that prevent God’s love to grow in our lives. This transfiguration should encourage us to be like Jesus Christ who was not afraid to face the cruelty of the Jewish and Roman authorities but challenged them so that new life will emerge and transform society. The necessity of having a religious faith that transfigures our values and our character is much needed. We should transcend religiosity that perpetuate the sacrificial system to prosper. When we are able to transcend this, we are transfigured in the image and likeness of Jesus Christ. +