Construction Zone on the Road to Salvation

Our Lord has told us specifically that the road to salvation is difficult. Well at this point the road is under construction. For southern Californians we all know that construction in the freeway means many things.  Do we sit in traffic and hope that we don't wait too long?  Then have you ever noticed that when you do pull to the construction site there are about 5-7 guys standing around and only one person is working?  How about when the freeway has 5 lanes and it merges into one? You look over to the carpool lane and do you think? Do I feel lucky? Or we do we take a detour and try to find a better route. These are the things were we roll the dice and hope for the best. 

Well I'm on this road now and it's traffic it's the middle of the day, and I need to only drive five miles and I've been stuck for 2 hours. Should I exit or stick it out? Should I turn around and go home? It's difficult to know exactly what The Lord wants us to do.  

So instead of trying to figure out what to do or where should we go? How about we let Jesus be the driver of our lives? It may be traffic, it may be long, but only God knows the way. 

NAFAUM and the Young People's Mission

The millennial issue has been a problem for many of the established churches and the United Methodist Church is not exception.  Many theories have arisen as to what could be the leading cause of the exodus of younger generations leaving the churches.  One theory suggest that since the idea of a youth pastor/director was never a part of God's plan since there are no mention of any youth director ever mentioned in the Bible, so the source of a child's spiritual formation should not be anyone else but their parents.  Another theory is that since the churches are so old fashioned with their old hymns and sermons that do not speak to the issues of the younger generations.  Thus finding themselves either finding their spiritual feeding somewhere else or find the church to be a chore and not attend at all.  Another theory is that the youth are regarded as second classes members of the body of Christ.  Thus not being included in the development of the Church or any vital areas of the ministry.  Given enough time I am sure that their are many other theories as to why young is leaving the church.

I believe that it is all those issues and needs to be addressed if our beloved Church is to survive.

The NAFAUM Young People Core Team this year tried to addressed as many of the issues by not trying to dodge the issues but attack them head on.

So NAFAUM 2013 held at Riviera United Methodist Church the Young People core comprised by Kathylyn Talapian from Illinois, Allen Navarro from Northern California, Rachel Wu and Sara Agtarap from the Pacific Northwest, and Katerina DePano and myself from Southern California all leaders of their own respective Christmas Institute tackled each of these issues with programs such as Utilizing Social Networks workshop lead by United Methodist Communications' Minister of Online Engagement  shared to the next generation of leaders how the utilization of Social Networks can be a powerful tool of spreading the Good News from all corners of this Earth.  Then a workshop in Filipino Martial Arts lead by Filipino Martial Arts School owner Guro Francis Thomas B. Serrano (Myself) closed of the day of workshops.

On day two, for the first time in NAFAUM's 100 years history, a panel of Pastors and Lay Leaders participated in an open forum discussions of today's issues such as same sex marriages, health care reforms, immigration reforms, abortions and death penalty and where the United Methodist Church stood in these issues.  What made this even so important we allowed anyone to be able to ask questions about these issues and hear from different sides of the spectrum.  Lay persons such as Katerina DePano, Manang Ely Del Rosario, Pastor Glen Haworth, Pastor Amy Barker, and Pastor Richard Bentley did not duct any question and was ready to show to the audience that they do not all agree with everything written down on the United Methodist's social principles.  But that it was our diversity is what makes us a United Methodist. 

There were so many wonderful events including the amazing Filipino race and the YP congress. But Rachel and Sara who lead the planning for the CI Reunion gave everyone old and young alike a glimpse of CI from all over the United States. The photo montage that was put together was beautiful, and to see the old photos again was both embarrassing and funny. But what the rest of NAFAUM saw  was this is where our leaders are born and that CI needs to be supported if we want to continue to foster the next group of leaders. 

The last memorable moment for me is the Young People's Service. Our keynote sermon given by our very own Bishop Minerva G. Carcaño, with performances by Prayer of Jabez from IL, Fellowship UMC from Vallejo, CA and a dance also from IL. 

Over all the experience gave a sense of CI in July and one that has sparked the sense of service in me to continue to serve. And to the team, well done. 

Sanctity of Marriage

Right now the Supreme Courts of the United States of America (SCOTUS) are hearing arguments regarding same sex marriage. And as a christian man and especially as a candidate for ministry I am asked as to why I support same sex marriage. I want to clarify my position.

1. The question to me was never is homosexuality a sin. When it clearly states in the bible that it is. I have not read anything that contradicts that hence I will not ever preside a same sex wedding ceremony. I will attend one and support my friends and loved ones who choose to marry but I will not officiate one. That's not supporting their lifestyle but loving those who I do love.

2. What the issue at hand really is not about same sex marriage that concerns me. Is that we the people are giving our government the authority to legislate who can and cannot get married. This is not the role of the government and I am so confused how my republican brother and sisters who oppose big government to allow this happen. This is a step forward in regulating our religious ceremonies. Which the government has no right to be part of. If we say that two same gendered individuals cannot get married then whose to say that a couple of mixed culture cannot get married? Or a couple of different heights, age etc...I choose who I want to marry and in order for me to have the right to marry whomever I chose then I must afford that same right to ALL. Freedom of Speech is not exercised when I say whatever I want. It is exercised when I allow someone else to say something in complete contradiction to what I believe. And it must be afforded to all or none at all.

3. Sanctity of marriage??? If we as Christians really want to start waving the flag of the defense of the sanctity of marriage then we must defend the whole cause not just the things that you all like. Where is the defenders when our country/society has at least 50% of all marriages end in divorce. Or how people marry not because of love but out of financial convenience or immigration? Yet there are no protest about these things because as a society we crave the stories of celebrities marrying and divorcing and sleeping around from one partner to the next. A movie starring Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock starred in a movie called the Proposal where Canadian played by Bullock begged Reynolds character to marry her so she can stay in this country. While the only antagonist in the movie was the INS worker who investigated against this false union. All the while in their personal lives Sandra Bullock was going through a divorce with husband Jesse James and Reynolds was also midst of divorce with Scarlett Johansen. Now I'm not saying that they planned their divorces at a strategic moment but that movie grossed over $300 million dollars worldwide. Society has accepted this and not only is this tolerable it's now marketable. (Side note: Great movie though)

BOTTOM LINE: We as Christians have become lazy and only choosing what we want to defend instead of defending the entire cause. We have relegated our core beliefs as a buffet by choosing want we want and ignoring the rest. And I do not give the government the right to choose who I am going to be happy with. That's none of their business and neither is it yours.

I pray that we accept each other and do what Christ has commanded us to do which is by loving each other. Not judging each other.

Into Thy Hands... I lift him up - Goodbye Dr. De Lara

Into thy hands I lift him up 

by: Francis Thomas B. Serrano

He was my teacher

Educated me in compassion

Encouraged me in achieving

Empowered me to never give up

He was my friend

Stood up for me when no one else would

Prayed for me, when times looked at its bleakest

Talked to me when I need to listen

and listened to me when I needed to be heard

He IS my friend

For he showed me what a real Christian Man is

And loved me like a son when I was just a stranger

and now he prepares a place for me

for when we see each other again.

Goodbye Dr. Greg De Lara, thanks for believing...

The Necessity of Suffering

Suffering has always been a part of life.  We have all accepted this and have come up with cliche such as Pain is nothing more than to remind us that we are alive, or suffering allows us to appreciate life.

I agree with those statements, but why would a loving God include suffering to be a part of our lives to begin with?

Suffering has been at the bedrock of time itself.  It has been said that suffering is a direct result of man's disobedience to God, but going with that logic that means that suffering was not there before original sin occurred.  I argue that suffering has been present even before original sin but did not manifest itself until the sin has occurred.  In Genesis 3:3, "But from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'"  This was a warning to Adam and Eve that if they ate from the tree which God commanded them not to eat then they will unleash death.  Which can be used as some form of suffering. Since God used death in the context of consequence to an action.  Secondly when Job was asking God as to why he is suffering God's response was, "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the Earth?" (Job 38:4 NASB) God is pointing out to Job that to understand why suffering exist you must understand how God created the world.

But suffering is also God's way of communicating to to us.  Through trials and tribulation we learn what God wants from us by refining us and tempering us to be stronger and more capable of handling heavier loads.  Psalm 66:10 beautifully brings this up as David compared it to silver's refining process.

In the end suffering is a necessary element so that God's people would be needing a rescuer.  Which He does by sending Jesus to be the ultimate being to carry the ultimate suffering.  And because of this God shows us how much he is willing to suffer for his Children.

I Belong to You

I Belong To You

By: Francis Thomas B. Serrano

I am a foreigner in my own country

A stranger in my own home

An orphan to the world

I belong to you

An Enemy with no allies

I fight by myself

the Enemy surrounds me

the Shadows creep in

I cling to the sword of truth

that

I belong to you

The waves are crashing

the boat is sinking

the sail is torn

all  hope is gone

I am lost

My compass points towards the 

North Star

Reminding me that

I belong to you

And when I had breathed my last breath

When I have seen my last sunset

When my race is over

and have loved

I belong to you

A Short Story written by Me.

Underestimated

By: Francis Thomas B. Serrano

Frankie a husky teenager whose perfectly content in just slipping under the radar. Attention was something that frightened Frankie and if he could live the rest of his life without anyone noticing him he would be content. On the other side of the spectrum was Tommy his older brother. A jock and a star pupil. Attending college on a full athletic scholarship and has made the deans list every semester he’s attended. Everyone loved Tommy and everyone wanted to be with him and he was actually a good guy. Everyone except to Frankie. Tommy thinks that it is his job to push Frankie, belittle him and push him around. There was not a day that Tommy did not take it upon himself to push Frankie around. And because Tommy justified this under the banner of trying to motivate Frankie into something a lot of people including their parents went along with it. But instead of pushing Frankie into doing something they considered positive with his life it just pushed him deeper into depression. And today was no different. For just like any day Tommy is doing his best to make Frankie a tough time. The kitchen the typical hub of any family you see Tommy laying it into Frankie. As Frankie continue to play on his game console Tommy is laying on him about how he’s not making anything of his life. Only when Frankie was in tears already that Frankie looks to their mother in hopes that she would end this torture, did Frankie’s heart break even further. When his own mother condones Tommy’s actions and tells Frankie it was for his own good.

Until one day, while walking home from school another bully decides to pick on Frankie. Unfortunately bullies like to seek out the weak and they do not get any weaker than Frankie. As the bully kept pushing and pushing him it just drew Frankie deeper into himself and as his older brother walks by for the first time he needed Tommy. He thought that no matter what they were still brothers and that blood was always thicker than water. But that day, it was not the bully that hurt Frankie but Tommy as he looked at what was happening and joined the fray.

As he was walking home, bruised and crying. He decided that this was the straw that broke the camels back. As each step towards home was as painful emotionally as it was physically, Frankie could not help but feel helpless and hopeless. Until a billboard catches his attention. “DON’T GET MADD, GET EVEN...” Those five words resinated with Frankie like no other five words in the world has ever done. It was like something inside him woke the sleeping dragon and all of a sudden everything make sense.

Two nights later, dressed in a dark hooded sweatshirt and masked armed with a toy shotgun walked into a liquor store. Pointed the gun at the attendant and demanded all the money be put in the bag. Afterwards asked for a bottle of Scotch. The attendant refused due to the fact that the thief did not look 21 years old. Frankie insisted that he was and yet the attendant did not believe him. Until Frankie pulled out his wallet showed the ID and was finally given the bottle of scotch. Two hours later the police pulls up to Frankie’s house. The police officers knocks on their door and his mother answered, “What can I do for you officers?” Then the police looks at her asking, “Ma’am were here looking for Tommy.”