Today marks my first blogging anniversary. Indeed, it does not seem so long, when I posted my first blog. This after consistent, should I say persistent, proddings from a pastor friend, Jonan Castillon, during our morning walks. At that time, I started to regain my strength by walking few meters everyday after months of bedridden. He encouraged me to blog as part of my healing process. His successful journey in on line niche was contagious that despite my skepticism, I entertained the idea. However, I did not know how to start. Thus, despite his hectic schedule, Pastor Jonan took time to tutor me hands on blogging. Thereafter, I experienced the gradual process of growth comparable to my healing process.
My first blog PADAYON: Our Life Journey serves as journal of my experiences to inspire readers to continue the commitment in service, no matter what. PADAYON is an Ilonggo term which means continue. In deeper sense, it connotes moving/going on (or never give up) despite adversaries or adversities. After a month or so, I realized his advicewas making sense. My interest in writing was revived. Rather than fretting over my limited mobility, I made use of my time in blogging. I poured out my thoughts and emotion into the blog and found relief.
With such inspiration, I opened another blog to ventilate my suppressed commitment to the service of the people towards development.My health condition had become oppressive. I was at the peak of service and leadership when the devastating illness forced me to rest. It was difficult for me to adjust, having been very active for the past decade. The overflowing energy for service found expression thru this blog that focuses on networking-for-holistic-development. Later, I changed the name Networking to Development Issues and Concerns to broaden its coverage.
With two blogs to maintain, my mind had been busy. Slowly, my focus was diverted. Instead of spending most of my time observing my seemingly deteriorating condition, I was obliged to give time to my blogs. My vulnerability to depression caused by the delay in healing process started to diminish.There was a paradigm shift in my mind and heart. The delay of complete healing became an opportunity to evaluate my life and faith. I have more time for self and family. More time to read the bible, pray, meditate, reflect, put faith into action in almost all aspects of life. All the wonderful things previously deprived of me due to very hectic schedule prior to ailment.
Such realization motivated me to create another blog with a focus on these experiences. Faith Journey serves as forum for life and faith experiences of people who have survived the test of times and circumstances. This is a venue for us to learn from one another and share so that others will also find inspiration in their faith journey.
Learning and enjoying the blogging world, I decided to maximize the beauty of web linkages and networking. Hence, another blog to provide an opportunity for others to share their resources. Dubbed Resource Sharing for Development, this blog is an attempt to widen my services to humanity through linkages and networking of developmental and service-oriented blogs and bloggers. It covers areas represented by the acronym SERVES: Social work, Education, Resource sharing, Volunteerism, and Spirituality.
However, the inspiration did not end there. Overwhelmed by the progress in ranking of blogs in both Alexa and Technorati, I decided to provide a convergence of all my blogs. Hence, I created a family blog i.e. Lariza. Website which received inspiring comment from my blog mentor. Much to my amazement, in a matter of less than a month, my Alexa rank had a dramatic improvement. From about 30, 000, 000, it ranked 2,000,000 overtaking my older blogs. It had even reached less than a million rank. But the trend reverted when I resumed my former position as head of the Department of Social Work.
Before the resumption of my hectic schedule, I succeeded to create two more blogs. Both are official web sites of the organizations my wife and I helped put up. NETSnews for an independent inter-denominational seminary based in Escalante City, Negros Occidental. The other one is ICON Network, official website of the Iloilo Coalition of NGOs and POs- a network of non-government organizations (NGOs) and people’s organizations (POs) in Iloilo.
The development in blogging and subsequent inspiration to me has been reflective in my health condition. While I have not mastered yet all the blogging technology, I feel contented to see the progress. Likewise, although I have not fully recovered as far as my health condition is concerned, I appreciate any progress big or small. Indeed, the therapeutic effect of blogging courtesy of Pastor Jonan B. Castillon.
Showing posts with label Negros Theological Seminary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Negros Theological Seminary. Show all posts
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Sunday, April 10, 2011
True Service
Last Friday, I had the privilege of being the speaker of the First Commencement Exercise of the Negros Theology Seminary (NETS). Despite my health condition, the administrators requested for a recorded video message. Most of the administrators and faculty were former students in the Master of Socio Pastoral Ministries.
Let me share the main points to the readers. The scriptural basis for the message, as requested, was Luke 5: 1-11. Using the acronym of the seminary -NETS, I have organized my points in the context of the story, as follows:
Needs
1 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret,[a] the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. 2 He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets.
The first two verses present the needs of people and Jesus, as well as that of the fishermen. Jesus needs a pulpit to satisfy the cravings of the people for God’s words. In finding a boat, Jesus ably meet the needs both of the people and the owner of the resources. For Jesus also knows the needs of Simon and company. He understands that Peter and his coworkers are capable of bringing in a huge catch. But the problem is that they are absolutely convinced nothing is there to catch, having spent the whole night.There’s a need to overcome their pride.
Encounter
3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” 5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
Such is the encounter of Jesus with the veteran fishermen. After the paradigm shift of using the boat as pulpit, Jesus moves on to the next level of change. In the guise of gratitude for the favor, he encouraged Simon to resume fishing for a compensated catch. With reservation grounded on experience and expertise, Simon dared to risk another attempt. Surprisingly, the cycle has been broken by such paradigm shift. An overwhelming catch rocked their boats.
Transformation
8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.”
Humbled by the encounter, the veteran fisherman bowed to the carpenter’s son. It is safe to presume that Simon might have under estimated Jesus. A transformation takes place in Simon’s heart. But it was just a prelude of the real transformation in the lives of the fishermen. Thereafter they become fishers of men.
Service
11So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.
This seals off the transformation process. Instead of savoring the gains of their catch, they forsake all and follow Jesus. Rather than advancing their needs and interests, they serve the interests of Christ – advancing the Kingdom of God.
True service is a by- product of transformation, resulting from a personal encounter with the One who knows our needs.
Let me share the main points to the readers. The scriptural basis for the message, as requested, was Luke 5: 1-11. Using the acronym of the seminary -NETS, I have organized my points in the context of the story, as follows:
Needs
1 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret,[a] the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. 2 He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets.
The first two verses present the needs of people and Jesus, as well as that of the fishermen. Jesus needs a pulpit to satisfy the cravings of the people for God’s words. In finding a boat, Jesus ably meet the needs both of the people and the owner of the resources. For Jesus also knows the needs of Simon and company. He understands that Peter and his coworkers are capable of bringing in a huge catch. But the problem is that they are absolutely convinced nothing is there to catch, having spent the whole night.There’s a need to overcome their pride.
Encounter
3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” 5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
Such is the encounter of Jesus with the veteran fishermen. After the paradigm shift of using the boat as pulpit, Jesus moves on to the next level of change. In the guise of gratitude for the favor, he encouraged Simon to resume fishing for a compensated catch. With reservation grounded on experience and expertise, Simon dared to risk another attempt. Surprisingly, the cycle has been broken by such paradigm shift. An overwhelming catch rocked their boats.
Transformation
8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.”
Humbled by the encounter, the veteran fisherman bowed to the carpenter’s son. It is safe to presume that Simon might have under estimated Jesus. A transformation takes place in Simon’s heart. But it was just a prelude of the real transformation in the lives of the fishermen. Thereafter they become fishers of men.
Service
11So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.
This seals off the transformation process. Instead of savoring the gains of their catch, they forsake all and follow Jesus. Rather than advancing their needs and interests, they serve the interests of Christ – advancing the Kingdom of God.
True service is a by- product of transformation, resulting from a personal encounter with the One who knows our needs.
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