March 2009 Edition

March 2009, Silliman Ministry Magazine • 1

SILLIMAN MINISTRYM A G A Z I N E

A Publication of The Divinity School of Silliman University Issue No.82

Serving Protestant Ministry in the Philippines March 2009

Editor: Rev. Reuel Norman O. Marigza ISSN 00037-5276

In this Issue:E-Files ........................................................................................................................................ 2

The Dean’s Desk, Prof. Muriel Orevillo-Montenegro, Ph.D. ................................................... 3

Asian Churches’ Mission

In A Changing Asian Society, Rev Robinson Radjagukguk, Ph.D. ................................ 10

Revisiting Providence, Rev. Everett Mendoza, D. Theol. ...................................................... 24

The Way to Peace…, Rev. Reuel Norman O. Marigza, M. Theol. ......................................... 26

Embodying God’s Alternative Order, Rev. Dennis T. Solon, STM .......................................... 31

Book Review: “Constants in Context: A Theology of

Mission for Today”, Prof. Victor Aguilan, D.Theol. .......................................................... 34

Robinson beside the sea, Rev. Magnolia N.V. Mendoza & RNO Marigza ............................ 36

Worship Designs on Creation, Jean Cuanan-Nalam, MM ..................................................... 38

A Reflection On The Ds Koinonia Retreat, Scherlen B. Españo, BTh Senior ...................... 41

DS Koinonia News ................................................................................................................... 43

SUDS Junior students strike a pose during one of theirretreats this school year. Second from left is their adviser,Rev. Magnolia NovaMendoza.

2 • March 2009, Silliman Ministry Magazine

E-File:Reuel Norman O. Marigza

Editor-in-Chief

We bring the last issue for the school year 2008-2009. Doing the

lead article is Dr. Robinson Radjagukguk, who has served the

Divinity School for 6 years since 2003. He is finishing his sec-

ond term this school year and will soon go back to Indonesia. We had been

blest by the presence of Robinson with us. We will always treasure his friend-

ship and the times we spent with him here at the Divinity School. We wish him

Godspeed as he returns home.

Our Dean, Dr. Muriel Montenegro, challenges the church on its responsi-

bility regarding theological education.

Next year, there will be changes with SMM. SMM will just come out once

a year in time for the Church Workers Convocation. There will be a more

frequent newsletter throughout the year which can be sent through e-mails

and snail mail.

Also on the drawing board is an annual journal, which will be drawn out of

the Lecture Series that will be conducted by the Faculty and guests of the

Divinity School.

Congratulations to Batch 2009. We pray for a long and fruitful ministry

ahead of you. And to the Conferences, we pray that your annual sessions be

a meaningful time for study, reflection and for grappling with the issues and

concerns faced by our churches and the society at large. God bless! SMM


regards theological education. Within

the United Church of Christ in the Phil-

ippines, there are people who want to put

up bible schools or theological schools.

The reason that is usually given was that

Silliman University Divinity School is

very expensive. My position on this

comment is this: the church must really

invest in a good theological education –

or education in any field for that matter.

While people-in-the-pew are ready to

spend for their children to take up de-

grees in nursing, engineering and other

fields, they tend to think that theologi-

cal education should be free. It is like

keeping the best part of the bread, and

giving to God the crumbs. Instead of

sending to seminary the best students,

churches seem to settle to send those

who have attitudinal and academic is-

sues. Churches do not even support these

students spiritually, morally and finan-

cially. And yet they expect so much from

the Divinity School to turn out good

graduates out of students whom they

hardly have nurtured and prepared for

seminary studies. The church should

From the Dean’s DeskMuriel Orevillo-Montenegro, Ph.D.

Theological Education and the Continuing

Challenges in the Midst of Crisis

Are we Moving towards Full Integra-

tion with the University?

One of the pressing questions stu-

dents asked this semester con-

cerns the benefit of moving to-

wards full integration with the univer-

sity. It is about the benefit of half-tu-

ition fees subsidy if the parties involved

comply with the conditionalities stipu-

lated in the covenant. One must note

however, that there are requirements for

students to qualify for the subsidy and

this includes the ability to attain a cer-

tain level of academic performance

marked by grades beyond the average.

The Divinity School made preparations

towards the compliance of the agreed re-

quirements for the full integration that

will ultimately benefit the students.

Silliman University, through the presi-

dent, had also expressed the intention to

implement the agreement this year.

However, as one party does not seem

ready to comply with the conditions, the

full integration may not come to its frui-

tion soonest.

This led me to ask how the church


understand that the seminary is not a

rehabilitation program. It is a place

where the potentials are drawn out and

skills are honed. The rest depends on the

capacity of the students to take on the

discipline to learn the tools they can use

in their work in the field.

So once again I ask these ques-

tions: How does the church really look

at theological education? Does it truly

value theological education? Why is it

that the church does not seem to take

seriously the task of theological educa-

tion and its entire ramifications? Let me

go back to the question of the purpose

of theological education and who is re-

sponsible for it.

Theological Education: A Primary

Responsibility of the Church

When asked for definition of the-

ology, theologians refer to Anselm of

Canterbury’s definition: it is fides

quaerens intellectum - “faith seeking

understanding.” It is about a believer’s

efforts to reflect what it means to be-

lieve in God, what and who this God is,

and what God wants the believer to be

and do in a specific time and space.

Doing theology is making sense of this

God-talk, a timely reflection on the gos-

pel in particular contexts. By mention-

ing the “the gospel,” I mean the good

news about the work of Jesus of

Nazareth, who is regarded by his believ-

ers as Christ. The notion that Jesus re-

veals God means understanding that the

life, work and teachings of Jesus point

to the presence and work of God in this

world. Jesus of Nazareth is like a finger

pointing to God. Each one has to make

sense of one’s faith and articulate that

in intelligible manner in our contempo-

rary world. Doing theology is walking

with God, a constant challenge as time

change because it behooves upon the

believers – lay people, pastors or the

clergy – “to equip the saints for the work

of ministry, for building up the body of

Christ, until all of us come to the unity

of the faith and of the knowledge of the

Son of God, to maturity, to the measure

of the full stature of Christ.” (Eph. 4:12-

13)

As a young student in Christian

Education class, I learned about the in-

tertwining task of the church: to build

up the fellowship of believers (koinonia)

so that such fellowship will be able to

carry out its teaching ministry (didache),

to enable the people to do the ministry

of service (diakonia), and the ministry

of mission and witness (marturia). All

these works are gathered up in the work

of the people through worship

(leitourgia). All this is done on the ba-

sis of sound theology.

From the letter to the Ephesians,

we gather that theological education is

a responsibility of the church – both the

informal and the formal. For now, it

seems that the church is contented with

the informal – those that happen outside

the academia, and have relegated the


formal theological education and the

training of pastors to the seminaries.

Historically, local churches and confer-

ences had been expecting a dole-out kind

of theological education. They expect

the seminary not only to teach the stu-

dents, but also give shelter, clothing and

food for the student. If the Philippine

government put education as its least

priority, the church seems to follow suit

and puts theological education as its

least priority. The intolerant attitudes

and narrow theological views of the

many church people are signs of the lack

of theological education in the church.

Many Christians hold on to theological

notions that are stuck in the medieval

view of the world and are incapable of

understanding the vastness of God’s love

for all peoples of various shapes, color,

gender orientation, race and ethnicity.

Many church people could not even un-

derstand biblical witness of God’s bias

for the poor.

The United Church of Christ in

the Philippines is strong in some aspects

of the ministry, but holds a fragile posi-

tion about theological education. It did

not streamline its resources; instead, it

allowed the setting up of too many semi-

naries that it cannot support. For more

than a decade now, UCCP has not given

the General Assembly scholarship for

students in the seminaries. It could not

respond to the need of the Divinity

School for personnel who can serve as

spiritual formator in the seminary. Re-

cently, through its National Council, it

has acted to make official the suspen-

sion of the GA scholarship that actually

has been suspended for about a decade

already. In effect, it has abandoned the

ministry of theological education and

expected the university to sustain it.

Theological Education: Quo Vadis?

My conversation with a member

of the faculty reminds me of programs

offered by Union Theological Seminary

in New York City where I got my post-

graduate degrees. An interdenomina-

tional, interfaith institution, Union of-

fers a program for students who aimed

to go into parish ministry, and a program

for lay people who aim to enrich their

practice of their profession by taking

courses in the seminary. Thus, human

resource development officers of com-

panies, doctors and lawyers, musicians,

and educators among others take courses

under the programs that are not neces-

sarily girded towards the ordination

track. Similarly, programs offered by

seminaries attached to some Ivy League

schools in the north offer possibilities

of theological education both for those

who want to be ordained and for those

who do not. In the present system,

people think that graduates of the Di-

vinity School must become a pastor, and

do not consider the other dimensions of

ministry other than parish ministry. In

the present system, people look at the

non-ordained graduates as second class


citizens, and this is reinforced by some

provisions in the constitution and by-

laws of the church.

This could be a possible model

for Silliman University’s Divinity

School. On the one hand, it can offer

master of divinity programs for those

who want to become pastors and are sent

by their respective churches. Because

they are sent by the church, then the

church must take responsibility for pro-

viding the students moral, spiritual and

financial support.

On the other hand, the Divinity

School can offer Master of Arts in the-

ology, biblical studies, and other fields

for lay people who want to become

teachers of theology, bible and other

Old Paradigm New Paradigm

• Training for ordained ministry • training for leaders-enablers in

Christian ministry, ordained and

unordained

• male dominated • inclusive, male-female balance

• standardized, fixed curriculum • flexible, module system curriculum

• campus and classroom based • local church and community based

• top-down teaching process • group teaching-learning process

• academic, intellectual and scientific • academic excellence which

orientation incorporates the dynamic praxis of

doing theology

• content, knowledge approach • methodological, skill approach

• most courses required • most courses are elective

• doctrinal, confessional oriented • ecumenical, interdenominational

orientation

• encourage submission and loyalty to • encourage critical acceptance of

the doctrines and the traditions of the teaching of the church, existential

the church reflection

• biblical-historically oriented • biblical-contextually oriented

• metaphysical-ontological orientation • existential-phenomenological

orientation

• biblical-textual critical analyses • socio-anthropological analyses


fields. This could be offered to workers

who want to have some knowledge in

religious studies to help them in the

work with the people in communities.

This could be made available to people

who simply want to enrich their under-

standing about these fields. At Union /

Columbia University and in Harvard

Divinity School, a combine degree in

M.Div/MS Social Work or, MA Reli-

gion/MS Social work is offered. More-

over, students coming from other church

denominations and other faiths would

feel welcome. The university can offer

them scholarships just like any other stu-

dent of the university. The Divinity

School could raise scholarship funds for

this program.

A New Paradigm of Theological Edu-

cation

In the early 1990s, I got hold of

a monograph of the lectures of Judo

Poerwowidagdo, then executive secre-

tary of the Ecumenical Theological Edu-

cation of the World Council of Churches.

I used this material in teaching Chris-

tian Education. The title of such mono-

graph was Towards the 21st Century:

challenges and Opportunities for Theo-

logical Education. What

Poerwowidagdo offered through this

material is still very relevant for theo-

logical education today. Take for ex-

ample his comparison of the old and a

possible new paradigm1 (see table on the

previous page).

I think the seminaries and

churches should take this up. Certainly,

this is not an exhaustive list, as

Poerwowidagdo warned. Today, we need

to wear the feminist and postcolonial

lenses in reading the biblical materials

in order to recognize the colonizing and

enslaving texts that make us grounded

and stuck in doctrines and traditions that

are enslaving and detrimental to the

well-being of human beings and of the

earth.

I can only hope for the better.

The Spirit works in mysterious ways.

In this light, the faculty has de-

cided to put this concern as the theme

for the next church workers’ convoca-

tion in August 2009, with the general

theme “Theological Education in the

Midst of Crisis”. The subsequent years

will have these themes: “Nurturing and

Strengthening Partnership for Theologi-

cal Education”, “Church and Seminary

Partnership: Broadening the Horizon of

Theological Education,” and “Towards

a Transformed and Transforming Theo-

logical Education in Doing God’s Mis-

sion in these Times.”

Revised Program Offerings

I have announced that the revised

curriculum for the existing programs

have been approved on April 17, 2008

by the Curriculum Committee and the

Academic Council of Silliman Univer-

sity. We have submitted these again to

the said committees to show the inte-


gration of the suggestions. Among the

features of the revision is giving aca-

demic credits to summer exposure (6

units) and the 10-month internship pro-

gram (15 units). This revised curricu-

lum will be implemented in June 2009.

The new program in Master of

Divinity (with majors; thesis track) will

also start in June 2009, along with the

Master of Theology in Mission studies.

Those who come for the Master of The-

ology in Mission Studies are mostly re-

cipients of scholarships from UEM. We

are also identifying scholarships for

those who are in the thesis track pro-

gram. Scholarships will now be based

on the attitudes and academic perfor-

mance of students, in response to the

challenge to turn out quality graduates.

Unlike in the past years, students now

must apply for scholarships as these are

no longer treated as entitlement. A grade

of 3.0 per subject is required for the new

M. Div. programs. In return, recipients

of scholarships are required to render

some number of hours of services to the

school or university. These scholarships

cover tuition and other academic fees

only.

In order to respond to the chal-

lenges of the times, the Divinity School

will also be offering doctoral degree pro-

grams following the existing program of

the South East Asia Graduate School of

Theology (SEAGST).

The Admission forms and other

information could be downloaded from

the Website of Silliman University.

Copies of such forms were also sent to

the offices of the Conference Ministers

and Bishops to be made accessible to the

prospective students. The application

letter and other required forms for ad-

mission must be submitted to the of-

fice of the Dean of the Divinity School

on or before January 30.

The Graduates of 2009

There are 15 candidates for

graduation this year: 5 Master of Di-

vinity and 10 Bachelor of Theology. The

Divinity School is sending those who

will graduate back to the churches that

endorsed them. In recent years, the

members of the faculty are saddened by

news about sexual misconducts, finan-

cial opportunism, corruption and other

forms of abuse of power committed by

the graduates of the Divinity School.

The faculty can only do so much to help

Late Breaking Good News!!!!

The Silliman University Board

of Trustees, upon the recommenda-

tion and active support of President

Ben S. Malayang III, has concretized

its support and contribution to theo-

logical education by providing 50%

tuition fee discount to qualified stu-

dents starting June 2009.


the students prepare for the task they will

carry out in the church or wherever God

calls them with integrity. It is our ardent

hope and prayer that this batch of gradu-

ates will not abuse their power. We bid

the graduates to be the best they can be

as witnesses and instruments of God’s

righteousness, love, justice and peace.

We wish them well, and pray that they

are able wrestle against their own de-

mons.

Once again, let me quote again and

again one of my favorite verses – one

from the great commandment: “Love

your God with all your heart, with all

your soul, and with all your mind”

(Matt. 22:36). To the graduates, this

moment is only the beginning of the ul-

timate test. This text challenges you not

to yield to sloth, mediocrity and arro-

gance. Follow the way that Jesus wants

you to tread, embody God’s truth, and

live a life of integrity in the work God

has given you.

Please Contact us at:

(35) 422-6002 local 540-541

[email protected]

1 Judo Poerwowidagdo, Towards the 21st Century: chal-

lenges and Opportunities for Theological Education

(Geneva: World Council of Churches, 1993), 61-62.


ASIAN CHURCHES’ MISSIONIN A CHANGING ASIAN SOCIETY

By Rev Robinson Radjagukguk, STM., ThM, Ph.D.

1. The Context. Let me begin by defining Asia where the Asian churches are

serving. Asia is the largest continent and the most densely populated portion of the

globe. Some of the largest cities in the world are found in this region. Asia contains a

wide variety of cultures, religions and traditions. Asian people today have been shaped

by different experiences of colonialism and post- colonialism. Christian people in Asia

live in the midst of other faiths and religions.

Monica J. Melanchthon rightly points out, “Asia is also the home of world reli-

gions and the challenge of religious plurality and religious fundamentalism is most felt

by the churches in this region. Patriarchy still manages to suppress the voices of

women and hinder their struggle for liberation. Our environment is endangered lead-

ing to more than just an ecological crisis. Marginalized communities, who depend on

the land for survival and are integrally related to the environment, particularly the

indigenous peoples . . . are further victimized.

Asia has also become a continent with a very high incidence of violence where

life has become dispensable. . .

Christian churches have been accused of catering to the needs of the rich and

powerful within the church rather than approximate the values of the Kingdom. Thus,

we are called to participate in God’s mission in a context where the majority are so-


cially oppressed, economically marginalized, politically rendered powerless and spiri-

tually pauperized.”1 Asia is home to some of the richest people of the world and is a

region where the majority of the people are living in poverty.

It would be ironic and callous for the Churches of Asia to do mission without

addressing the issue of poverty, economy and economic justice. Despite the news of

the Asia Tiger nations and the rapid growth of China, the fact remains that people in

Asia continue to die of malnutrition and even starvation. Seldom is it reported in the

news that food insecurity, the oldest of humanity’s concerns, remains one of the great-

est contemporary problems in Asia.

Yet, the idea of “food security first” still has to gain political attention and

intention in many countries in Asia, not only as a moral principle, but as a matter of

interest to all. Only when people don’t have to fear for tomorrow’s food, can they

meaningfully conceive of development and of establishing justice, peace, human rights,

and care for creation. The world produces enough to meet the needs of all people. But,

as Mahatma Gandhi has aptly pointed out decades ago, “there is sufficiency in the

world for men’s need [Humans’ need], but not for men’s [humans’] greed.” It is true,

as many experts and activists have pointed out, that in many cases immediate self-

interest (I prefer to call it “self-fear”) has often played decisive role in creating and

accentuating food insecurity, and thus undermining people’s capacity to ensure sus-

tainable food security in the long run. This reality call for the political will of all stake-

holders to seek a more just system on food distribution and the Churches in Asia, in

particular, have a strategic role to play in voicing out this imminent problem, and even

to influence governments to make a visionary goal, that in the year (so and so), all

people in Asia should have enough to eat. This diverse and complex reality creates a

challenge for our understanding of mission (Missio Dei).2

2. Many Christians (in Asia) still understand the mission of the church as limited

“to inviting persons to become Christians and preparing them for baptism.” Dr. Hope

S. Antone, Joint Executive Secretary for Faith, Mission and Unity of the Christian

Conference of Asia (FMU-CCA) expresses her concern about the narrow understand-

ing of mission orientation which is “so entrenched in the minds of Asian Christians”

when she writes to the participants of the Consultation-Dialogue on “Holistic Mission

in the Context of Asian Plurality,” held March 24-29 March 2008 in Manila, Philip-

pines:

This mission orientation is clearly manifested in the zealous efforts of Asian

Christians to follow the so-called great Commission mandate ‘to go into the

world to share the gospel’ – which is simply equated with Christianizing other

Asians. This is really proselytism – which is often wrongly confused with

conversion, which has become a bad word in Asia, especially for Asians of


other faiths. Although often attributed to the mandate to share the good news

(evangelism), upon closer analysis, proselytism springs from a desire for self-

propagation, usually of a particular church or denomination and church plant-

ing. There are also new congregations, usually with funding from outside,

that avidly promote this type of mission. It is ironic that the Asian Christians

who inherited this 19th century (or even older) mission orientation are now the

zealous promoters of this old, traditional concept and practice of mission while

many of the former foreign mission bodies have already done a re-thinking of

their mission understanding and practices.3

The stories shared by different participants from different member churches of

CCA during the Dialogue-Consultation revealed clearly that this narrow understand-

ing of mission orientation is still strongly believed by many Christians in Asia.4

3. This narrow understanding of mission is no longer adequate in the present Asian

context.5 The Biblical warrant for mission is no longer the so-called Great Commis-

sion (Mt 28: 18-20). The church is called to be co-worker with God in God’s mission

(the Missio Dei), proclaiming and living out God’s love (Lk 4:16-21; cf., Mt 25: 31-

46). As David Bosch writes, “God’s self-revelation as the One who loves the world,

God’s involvement in and with the world, the nature and activity of God, which em-

braces both the church and the world, and in which the church is privileged to partici-

pate.”6

The Vatican Council documents and more recent statements like Evangelii

Nuntiandi express the concept of evangelization in broader terms: “Christians should

work to bring about a change in ‘personal and collective consciences of people, their

activities and ways of life, and the milieux in which they live.’”7 “Beneficiaries of the

Church’s service are not exclusively, or even primarily, Church members. The Church

serves all who need to hear and experience the Good News of the Kingdom of God.”8

The letter from the LWF global consultation on “Prophetic Diakonia: For the

Healing of the World,” (2002) highlights the fact that

diakonia is a core component of the gospel itself, and is thus central to what it

means to be the church. Diakonia is not merely an option but an essential part

of discipleship. All Christians are called through baptism to live out diakonia

through what they do and how they live in the world. It begins as uncondi-

tional service to the neighbor in need and leads inevitably to social change and

transformation.9

4. Luke 4:16-21 known as “an inaugural episode of Jesus’ ministry,”10 emphasizes

the proclamation of the gospel as “the good news” and proclamation of the gospel is a


definition of mission that occurs very often in the New Testament (Mk 16:15; 13:10;

14:9; Rom 1:1; 1:16; 1 Cor 1:17, etc).11 After reading from the book of Isaiah, Jesus

says, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Lk 4:21).12 Luke strongly

stresses “the immediate action of the Kingdom in contrast to future apocalyptic fire-

works.”13 What was announced to the exiles returning to Jerusalem has now been

turned by Luke into fulfillment in the person, words, and deed of Jesus of Nazareth.

God’s salvific act was fulfilled or realized.14 Luke stresses the universality of salva-

tion. The gospel (“the good news”) is for all people: the poor, the outcast, the least, the

sick, the blind, the captive, etc.15 No one is excluded. The theme of forgiveness is

constant throughout the gospel of Luke and its climax is Lk 24:47, “and that repen-

tance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning

from Jerusalem.” Culpepper clearly states

God’s grace is never subject to the limitations and boundaries of any nation,

church, group, or race. Those who would exclude others thereby exclude

themselves. Human beings may be instruments of God’s grace for others, but

we are never free to set limits on who may receive that grace. Throughout

history, the gospel has always been more radically inclusive than any group,

denomination, or church, so we continually struggle for a breadth of love and

acceptance that more nearly approximates the breadth of God’s love. The para-

dox of the gospel, therefore, is that the unlimited grace that it offers so scan-

dalizes us that we are unable to receive it.16

5. The Latin American Bishops Conference at Puebla (1979) and the World Mis-

sionary Conference at Melbourne (1980) “regarded the missionary preferential option

for the poor as central.”17 Jesus in his life and ministry is to seek a just, sustainable and

participatory society – a social order that attempts to be inclusive – and pays particular

attention to those whom the world regards as the “lest of these” (Mt 25: 40; cf. Lk

7:22-23; Mt 11:5-6). Michael Amaladoss writes, “He [Jesus] sought to free people

from oppressive social and personal situations. In a world in conflict, he chose the side

of the poor, the powerless, the sinners, and the marginalized of his day, promising

them liberation through deed and word (Luke 4:18-21).

Following Jesus, our mission is to opt for the poor, and seek to transform the

world, thereby ushering in God’s reign.”18 M. R. Spindler also writes, “Proclamation

in word is closely linked with concrete deeds of liberation breaking through the struc-

tures of oppression and injustice that force the poor into their situation of poverty and

hold them there by violence. Mission thus aims to restructure society as a whole on a

global scale. It aims, that is, at the kingdom of God. It is an ambitious program, and

it breaks out of the traditional separation of church and the world, church and state, and

spiritual and political power.”19


6. The issue of poverty was also one of the very important topics discussed at the

plenary of the 9th General Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Porto Alegre,

Brazil. It has even issued a very important document, entitled, “AGAPE: A call to

love and action.” The council emphasized that a world without poverty is not only

possible, but is in keeping with the grace of God.20 This document expresses the

reality of the suffering, poverty and injustice facing many people of the world today,

and I think it is also very true in Asia that many people are suffering the consequences

of economic globalization; women, abused children who are denied their rights, those

laboring under exploitative conditions, people who live at the margins of society pain-

fully hit by poverty. And, it is important for us to know (and I hope to be committed

to…) that in a form of prayer the document says, “…We call each other to respond to

your love (ed. God’s love) for all people and for the earth in our own actions and in

the witness and service of our churches; to work for the eradication of poverty and the

unconditional cancellation of debts; to care for land, water, air – the entire web of

life…” The AGAPE call invites us all to act together for transformation of economic

injustice and to continue analyzing and reflecting on challenges of economic global-

ization and link between wealth and poverty.

7. In line with the above issue of poverty, the Christian Conference of Asia has in

the past few years had a very important theme in its deliberations, discussions, semi-

nars and celebrations, and that is fullness of life for all. Fullness of life for all has a

deep theological meaning and calls for political will of the people in Asia to seriously

respond to the reality of our world, not only for the sake of humanity, but also for the

sake of God’s creation. All people, regardless of their religion, ethnicity, nationality,

culture and ideology have the right for the fullness of life, and that the people ought to

live in harmony with nature. Thus, the Churches in Asia are called to seriously address

the destruction of environment, the deforestation and illegal logging, the extinction of

some species of creatures because of human greed, the pollution of water, air and

earth, and to work hard to find the so called, “eco-solution.”

8. “We need to develop new ways of speaking about mission that name and reject

the wrongs of the past, embrace what is good, and respond in new ways to the chal-

lenges facing the Asian churches and the modern world . . . It is felt that any under-

standing or definition of mission that divides the community into saved/unsaved,

reached/unreached and seeks to convert people into a particular understanding of the

Christian faith or separated Christian and no-Christian into disparate human commu-

nities is inconsistent with the gospel message,” says Monica J. Melanchthon.21 The

church is engaged in the Missio Dei, “not because it claims to know and have all the

truth, but because we as the Church are part of the body of Christ, and mission is part


of who we are.”22

The 1988 LWF Mission Document describes participation of the church in God’s

mission and this theological understanding and conviction is developed further at the

8th and 9th LWF Assemblies in Curitiba (1990) and Hong Kong (1997). The LWF

10th Assembly in Winnipeg (2003), strongly emphasized this theological understand-

ing; in its message it states, “Our participation in the mission of the Triune God

involves the three interrelated dimensions, diakonia, proclamation and dialogue, which

are integral parts of the mission of the church.” 23 Further the 2004 LWF document

Mission in Context states, “The reason for the being of the church, as Jesus indicates,

is to participate in God’s mission: ‘As the Father has sent me, I am sending you’ (John

17:21). . . Thus, mission is of the very being of the church. To be in mission is not

optional for the church. Mission is constitutive of its being as the ‘one, holy, catholic,

and apostolic’ church (Nicene creed).”24

The participation of the church in God’s mission must be “comprehensive and

holistic.” “Mission is holistic and contextual with regard to its aim, practice, and

location. Its aim encompasses the whole of creation (ecological concerns), the whole

of life (social, political, economic, and cultural), and the whole human being (i.e., all

people and the whole person – spiritual, mental, relational, physical, and environmen-

tal need). Its practice calls for the participation of the whole church, women and men,

young and old.”25 In the church of Christ the rich and poor alike are to gather on the

same basis, without distinction and certainly without favor — slaves and free, Jews

and Gentiles, men and women, black, red, white, or yellow, it is to make no differ-

ence. As St. Paul says in Gal 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither

slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus”

(see also, 1 Cor 12:13; cf. Col 3:11). This is not the way the church has always been,

but this is the way the church ought to be. The church crosses all the boundaries that

men and women erect and all natural distinctions and gathers all kinds of people,

without exception, into one body.

9. In Asia, the Christian communities are small minorities, living and operating

within multi-cultural and multi-religious societies. The only exceptions are the Philip-

pines and East Timor. Many people of Asia understand Asian churches as being a

“foreign import”, as “something alien.”26 This foreignness is the result, on the one

hand, from the fact that the Asian churches are a product of missionary activity origi-

nating from Europe or the United States. The missionary enterprise was at its height

during the colonial and imperialistic expansion of Western powers in several Asian

countries during the 19th century. Some of these missionaries were rather close or even

in connivance with the colonial powers. Until today churches in some Asian countries

are burdened with this colonial mortgage. Dr Sungkook Park, Joint Executive Secre-


tary, Faith, Mission and Unity of Christian Conference of Asia (FMU-CCA) and as

Contact Person of The Sixth Congress of Asian Theologians (CATS VI) that will be

held on 8th - 14th February 2008 at Central Philippines University (CPU) in Iloilo City,

Philippines, clearly expresses the history and his understanding of the churches in

Asia: “Knowing that many of the churches in Asia are children of the Western mis-

sionary movement, and many of these children are now ardent promoters of mission

not only within the region but also outside Asia, the forthcoming congress will be a

wide platform for Asian theologians to reflect on our understandings and practices of

mission. Although Christianity was born in Asia, the church in Asia is usually seen as

a ‘product’ of Western mission. Intensive missionary enterprises throughout the 16th

up to the 19th century with a European brand are seen as coming via the Western route

and alongside with colonialism and colonial powers . . . The attitudes of moral supe-

riority, exclusive righteousness, monopoly of the truth, and the mere association of

Christian missionary work with aggressive imperialism have rendered mission work

in Asia suspect among many Asian peoples.” 27

10. Asian churches are challenged to shed their image of being “foreign implants”

and to become communities which feel at home, and which are accepted by the other

communities in the country as full-fledged and respected members. Asian Christians,

therefore, have a special responsibility to develop new forms of living together with

sisters and brothers of other religious traditions. The churches in Asia must to be

humble and are being called “to prolong, to make visible, to put flesh unto this mis-

sion of Jesus in the contemporary realities in Asia.”28 Meaning, the churches in Asia

are not to serve as a substitute for the mission of God. There is “no one Asia” because

Asia “is not a uniform reality” and “not only in nostalgic fashion.” As Tagle writes,

“When we talk of the worlds of Asia and the cultures of Asia, it is not just a nostalgic

view of culture, the church must confront the fast-changing, dynamically changing

cultures that define the worlds of Asia today. Today’s Asia must be taken into consid-

eration. In and through contemporary Asian realities the saving mission of Jesus will

become more alive in Asia. This means attentiveness to the worlds of Asia”29 The

question is: How can we celebrate the Asian aspect of the Christian faith.

11. We do not intend to live in isolation in Asia. Asia is part of the universal, the

globalized world. We need and have to maintain the two dimensions. If we are

looking for new models or changing structure of Mission in a Globalized context, we

must ask ourselves what leadership the simple folks of our churches exercise in the

affairs of churches in Asia. To whom do we listen? This means that the churches in

Asia must be an embodiment of the Asian vision and values of life, and the many

issues facing the Churches in Asia are not to be treated as separate topics but as


aspects of an integrated approach to the Churches’ mission of love and service. The

5th Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops Conferences (FABC) in

1990 envisioned a “new way of being church.” This new way of being Church in-

volves a deepening of communion at all levels. “The Church in Asia will have to be a

communion of communities where laity, Religious and clergy recognize and accept

each other as sisters and brothers.”30 “It is a participatory Church where the gifts

that the Holy Spirit gives to all the faithful – lay Religious, and cleric alike – are

recognized and activated, so that the Church may be built up and its mission real-

ized.”31 The 2004 LWF document states, “Sharing in joint/ecumenical mission ven-

tures in different parts of the world strengthens the communion of churches. Partner-

ship in mission expressed in commitment with one another and in the sharing of

mission resources-be they spiritual, human, material, or financial- removes any sense

of superiority, isolation, opportunism, and suspicion. Churches that do mission to-

gether are apt to maintain the spirit of unity, mutuality, learning, and sharing from one

another and to experience the blessing of life in communion.”32 Sam Kobia, the Gen-

eral Secretary of WCC, convincingly affirms that “Life-centered vision will inevita-

bly be a key component of ecumenism in the twenty-first century.”33 He refers to

Konrad Raiser who had already anticipated it, “It has become ever clearer that the

perspective on ‘the whole inhabited earth’, based on a traditional human-centered

view of the world and of history, is still too limited. One major challenge facing the

ecumenical movement is thus the need to develop a life-centered understanding of the

oikoumene which embraces all of God’s creation.”34 In response to religious and

ideological pluralism, Asian theologians are called to make their own contributions to

a theology of religions and interreligious dialogue, by raising new questions, and

finding new answers from their lived experience of religious pluralism, and their

intimate knowledge of the other traditions. D. Preman Niles insists on the need to

explore a new paradigm and theological basis for mission and proposes the paradigm

“people of God in the midst of God’s people,” as a new way of thinking Christian

mission.35 In other words, as Muriel Orevillo-Montenegro writes, “Christians do not

have the monopoly of God and God’s truth. Christians in the third millennium must

face this’ new missionary situation.’ This new situation demands that a new paradigm

and theological basis for mission should be explored in order to redirect the course of

church history and the story of mission.”36

12. In the past and still today, the Christian faith has been spread in only one

culturally and historically limited form of Western Christianity. The challenge for the

Asian churches is to develop a distinctive form of Asian Christian living of the gospel

and of being church. This will be a wonderful contribution towards a true universality

of the Christian faith in a communion of churches, living different forms of Christian


life in “unity in diversity.” So the churches in Asia must preserve and celebrate the

differences among their members as part of the richness of their inheritance. Markus

Barth states clearly, “No one among the saints can say he[she] is not equipped or has

nothing to contribute, for everyone is given a gift and an appointment.”37 Further he

writes, “The church cannot be one except when it attests to its God-given oneness by

proving unity in diversity, and when it ventures to respect diversity in unity. Unifor-

mity would be the alternative – a form of death which is recommended neither by 1

Cor 12, nor by Eph 4, nor by any other of the ecclesiastic passages of the NT.”38 The

2004 LWF document states, ”The whole church (i.e., every member) participates in

mission, for mission is not the prerogative of a few professionals or a few wealthy

congregations and churches . . . Mission is also the calling of the whole church, not

only individuals, and thus is the responsibility of the whole household of God, the

communion of the sent.”39 The complexity of the changing challenges in mission in

the 21st century calls churches in the North and the South to promote partnership in

mission by sharing their resources with one another; but “equal participation and

sharing of responsibility” must be the basis of the partnership.40

13. The understanding of partnership in mission is strongly emphasized by the

United Evangelical Mission (UEM), a Communion of churches in three continents

(Europe, Africa, and Asia). The member churches of the UEM share money, and

power and take decisions together, and follow a holistic and inclusive approach to

mission. “The aim of the member churches of the UEM is to work together as equal

partners between North-South, to strengthen and support each other in their

programmes, to share responsibility and experiences with each other, to help people

in situations of emergency and conflict and, thereby, to act together in bearing wit-

ness to the word of reconciliation in Jesus Christ.”41 I teach New Testament at Silliman

University Divinity School in the Philippines as a UEM Co-worker, in the framework

of the UEM South to South relationship. From my own personal experience, this

partnership is challenging but really enriching both sides: HKBP as the sending church

and the UCCP as the receiving church. This kind of partnership should be done

(continued) or developed in different levels with variety of programs between the

Asian Churches and the Western Churches, sharing different resources to strengthen

the church in participating in and carrying out God’s mission. “Care must be taken,

however, that calling cross-cultural witnesses as missionaries, co-workers, or advis-

ers does not divide the communion into ‘sender’ and ‘receiver’ churches.”42

14. We live in a changing world but the Word is always the same. Mission can no

longer be defined in one universal formula, but must be addressed in context. It is the

urgent need for and responsibility of Christians to make their response to the Gospel


or the Word of God as concrete and lively as possible. Our context influences our

understanding of God and the expression of our faith. We can only speak about a

theology that makes sense at a certain place and in a certain time. Therefore, the call

for the Churches in Asia is to undertake serious analysis of their mission contexts,

practices, and theology.43 The churches in Asia are called to stand with the victims of

injustice and violence and thus expose and denounce evil powers and situations that

distort and disrupt creation and dehumanize life in society. The churches (in the

context of our conference: The Lutheran churches) in Asia are challenged to develop

new goals and see new visions of opportunities for mission in Asia and should:

(a) Revisit and reflect on (our common) vision and understanding of doing mis-

sion in Asia today. Does it embrace or address the challenges from our con-

textual realities?

(b) Appraise and assess our understandings and appropriations of our common

vision, especially in view of the challenges and realities of today’s context.

What are the obstacles to our vision? How do we deal with them or over-

come them?

(c) Initiate ways of entering into intra and inter-faith dialogues within the re-

gion. What is the relationship between interreligious dialogue and mission?

How do we view the problem of conversion—so sensitive in many Asian

countries—from a theological perspective, in multi-religious Asia?

(d) Initiate the cultural renewal that provides the space, opportunity, and respect

for the entry of women into increasingly significant roles in the life of the

church and God’s mission. The emergence of strong groups of feminist theo-

logians is challenging the hierarchical Church to allot them room to contrib-

ute to new forms of being Church, where women have their rightful places

and roles.

(e) Initiate a study on the impact of modern technology and the problems of

poverty and aging and their impact on mission and evangelism. How do we

respond to the revolution in the communication media of radio, TV and espe-

cially of the Internet, which brings about far-reaching changes in social life,

in the life of families, in the political, ideological, cultural, and religious

fields?

(f) Come up with action plans to incorporate and mainstream our common vi-

sion on mission in our life and work as Lutheran churches in Asia.

15. We need to seek a possible paradigm in developing partnership in doing mis-

sion in order we may have concrete initiatives at the grassroots level. We may adopt

some of the thoughts that have been developed by the UEM in its partnership pro-

gram, “…We are one in Christ…We are members of the one body of Christ ( 1 Cor.


12). We demonstrate this unity by our faith and our lives…”44 We should grow

together in worship, learning and serving; share gifts and insights, bear witness to the

Kingdom of God in striving for justice, peace and fullness of life for all.

END NOTES

1Dr. Monica J. Melanchthon, a Lutheran Old Testament scholar from Gurukul Lutheran Theological

College and Research Institute, Chennai, India in her paper, “Mission in the Asian Context in the

Third Millenium: Issues, Questions and Needs,” presented at Seminar on Mission, October 25-30,

2000, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia (unpublished), 3. She refers to George Matthew Nalunnakal,

“Mission and Unity in the Context of Contemporary Challenges,” in Quest for Justice: Perspectives

on Mission & Unity, 60. Further Melanchthon writes, “In the postmodern world of today, plurality

has come to stay and plurality when studied from a social-political perspective will reveal that plu-

rality is a characteristic feature of Asia. Without it, Asia has no future. . . The church needs to be in

favor of plurality and should not fall victim to any monolithic conception and practice of unity in its

practice of Christian mission. Promotion of plurality should become an integral part of mission and

by doing so; the Christian church will become a sign of hope for the minority peoples of Asia.

Embracing plurality thereby becomes an issue of justice” (4-5). See also James H. Kroeger, Asia-

Church in Mission, Exploring Ad Gentes Mission Initiatives of the Local Churches in Asia in the

Vatican II Era (Quezon City, Philippines: Claretian Publications, 1999), 21, 74-75, 113-114.

2David J. Bosch, Transforming Mission, Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission, American Society

of Missiology Series, No 16 (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1991), 10, distinguishes between mission

(singular) and missions (plural), Mission is Missio Dei and missions (missiones ecclesiae: the mis-

sionary ventures of the church), refer to particular forms, related to specific times, places, or need, of

participation in the missio Dei. Missio Dei is God’s “yes” to the world; God’s love and attention to

the whole world. But missio dei is also God’s “no” to the world. What Bosh writes makes it clear as

what Philip L. Wickeri, “Dialogue and Resistance: Mission in the Context of globalization,” in

Celebrating Life in Asia: Selected papers from, the Second Congress of Asian Theologians, CTC

Bulletin, Vol. XVI, No. 1, November 1999, p. 46, states that missio dei is concerned with “the

dynamic relationship between God and the world, a relationship which anticipates the kingdom of

God, and therefore a relationship within a human community in a world which is created, redeemed

and sanctified by God.”

3See also, Hope S. Antone, “Editorial,” CTC Bulletin, Bulletin of the Progaram Area on Faith, Mis-

sion and Unity [Theological Concerns] Christian Conference of Asia, Vol xxiv, Nos 1-2, April-

August 2008 (Chiangmai, Thailand: Wanida Press) i-ii.

4The Lutheran world Federation is strongly against this narrow and wrong understanding as clearly

stated in the 2004 LWF document, Mission in Context: Transformation, Reconciliation, Empower-

ment. An LWF Contribution to the Understanding and Practice of Mission, edited by Peri

Rasolondraibe, as Editing Coordinator (Geneva: The Lutheran world Federation, 2004). The pur-

pose of diaconal work of the church “is not to proselytize (to attract other Christians to one’s own

denomination). In emergencies especially, the church does not use people’s vulnerability as an

occasion to impose its Christians beliefs. . . .The church and individual Christians proclaim the

gospel by word and bear witness to it by the way they live in every situation in their own context. .

. .Proclaiming and witnessing through diakonia are inseparable as participation in God’s transform-

ing, reconciling, and empowering mission in the world. Word without deed can be abstract and

powerless, and deed without word can be mute and open for any interpretation.” (38).


5 F. J. Verstraelen, General Editor, Missiology: An Ecumenical Introduction (Grand Rapids, Michi-

gan: Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1995), 4.

6David Bosch, Transforming Mission,10.

7Tom Michel, “The Challenge on Interfaith Dialogue,” paper presented at the Second Congress of

Asian Theologians (Bungalore, India, 8-15 August 1999.

8Jeffrey G. L. Chang, S.J, Communion and Spiritual Leadership in Asia, Documenta Missionalia -

33 (Roma: Editrice Pontificia Universita Greforiana, 2008), 102.

9Mission in Context, 37.

10Sharon H. Ronge, Luke, Westminster Bible Companion (Louisville, Ky.: Westminster John Knox

Press, 1995) 67.

11There is no one model explains everything about the church’s understanding and practice of

mission. The 2004 LWF document Mission in Context, 7-8 has Luke 24:13-49 “as the model that

speaks for and enlightens a hermeneutical spiral approach to mission, an approach that is reflective

of interaction between contexts, theology, and practice. It is also considered to be the best model at

this time, to convey the understanding of mission as accompaniment.”

12The word “today” (Greek: semeron) is an important word for Luke. In Lk 2:11, the angel says to

the shepherds, “to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.”

In Lk 5:26 when Jesus heals a paralytic, the people were amazed and they glorified God and were

filled with awe, saying, “We have seen strange things today.” To those who want to follow Jesus,

Luke adds to his source the word “daily’: “If any want to become my followers, let them deny

themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me” (Lk 9:23). To Zacchaeus, Jesus says,

“Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today” (Lk 19:5). Later when

Zacchaeus said to Jesus that half of his possessions he will give to the poor; and if he has defrauded

anyone of anything, he will pay back four times as much, then Jesus says to Zacchaeus, “Today

salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to

seek out and to save the lost” (Lk 19:9-10). Finally to one of the criminals who were hanged with

Jesus who said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom,” Jesus replies, “Truly I

tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise” (Lk 23:43).

13Frederick W. Danker, Jesus and the New Age. A Commentary on St. Luke’s Gospel, Completely

Revised and Expanded (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1988), 107.

14Joseph A. Fitzmyer, S.J., The Gospel According to Luke (I-IX), Introduction, Translation, and

Notes (Garden City, NY.: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1986), 529.

15In Luke, the proclamation of the gospel gives a strong emphasis upon the poor: In the Magnificat,

Mary praises the Lord for he has lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and

sent the rich away empty (Lk 1:52-53). In Lk 6:20 Jesus says, “Blessed are you who are poor, for

yours is the kingdom of God.” In Lk 7:22, to John’s disciples Jesus says, “Go and tell John what

you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the

deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them” (see also Lk 14:13, 21;

16:20, 22; 18:22; 21:3). There is no reason to doubt the word poor (Greek: ptochos) means “the

financially poor; but it will certainly include poverty of other kinds.”

16R. Alan Culpepper, “Luke” in The New Interpreter’s Bible, Vol IX (Nashville: Abingdon Pres,

1995), 108.

17M. R. Spindler, “The Biblical Grounding and Orientation of Mission,” in F. J. Verstraelen, Ed.,


Missiology: An Ecumenical Introduction (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans Publishing Com-

pany, 1995), 130.

18Michael Amaladoss, SJ, “Mission,” in Dictionary of Third World Theologies, edited by Virginia

Fabella & R. S. Sugirtharajah (Meryknoll, New York: Orbis Books, 2000), 145.

19Spindler, “The Biblical Grounding,” 130.

20“God, in Your Grace.” Official report of the Ninth Assembly of the World Council of Churches.

Ed: Luis N. Rivera-Pagan (WCC Publications, Geneva), 208-223.

21Melanchthon, “Mission in the Asian Context”, 2; see also The 2004 LWF document, Mission in

Context, 31 states, “Competition and the idea of ‘conquest,’ as well as proselytism (attracting other

Christians to one’s own denomination), jeopardize and undermine God’s mission.”

22Ibid., 1; cf. Bp. Erme R. Camba, “Athens 2005: Mission as Healing and Reconciliation,” (Unpub-

lished), 3 writes, “It is about time for us to understand that mission is not ours. For the church

actually does not have it[s] own mission apart from the mission of God. Mission, rightly under-

stood, is missio Dei, the mission of God . . . Missio Dei is larger than the Church.” The LWF Tenth

Assembly also states in its message, “God’s mission is wider than the bounds of the church” (Mis-

sion in Context, 40).

23Ibid., 6.

24Ibid., 28.

25Ibid., 36.

26Ibid., 22, “From the sixteenth century, due to historical circumstances, mission became attached to

conquest, colonialism, cultural and religious imperialism and the implantation of western Christian-

ity across the globe.”

27See also,George Evers, “Challenges to the Churches in Asia Today,” in eapi.admu.edu.ph/eapr006/

georgevers.htm writes, “Asian theologians are called to respond for the good of the universal Church,

namely, witnessing to the mystery of God by developing new forms of a negative theology, thereby

reacting and correcting a Western theology, which seems to be too confident that dogmatic concepts

are capable of explaining the mystery of God. In Asia we find a widespread strong sense for the

mystery and an awareness of the limitations of human language and philosophical concepts, to

express the deepest reality of God-world-human person.”

28Ibid.

29Luis Antonino Tagle, “The Challenges of Mission in Asia,” in James H. Kroeger, Asia-Church in

Mission (Quezon City, Phil.:Claretian Publications, 1999), 86.

30Jeffrey G. L. Chang, Communion and Spiritual Leadership in Asia, 105.

31Ibid.


33Sam Kobia, “New Vision and Challenges to Ecumenism in the Twenty-fist Century,” in Windows

into Ecumenism, Essays in Honour of Ahn Jae Woong, introduced by D. Preman Niles (Hong Kong:

Christian conference of Asia, 2005), 28.

34Ibid.


35D. Preman Niles, From East and West: Rethinking Christian Mission (St. Louis Mo.: Chalice Press,

2004).

36Muriel Orevillo-Montenegro in her review of Preman Niles’s book, From East and west: Rethink-

ing Christian Mission, in Silliman Ministry Magazine. No. 81, December 2008: 19.

37Markus Barth, Ephesians, The Anchor Bible, vol 34A (New York, Double Day, 1974), 452.

38Ibid., 466. In Indonesia we have our official national slogan or motto, “Bhinneka Tunggal Ika”

which is Old Javanese and is often loosely translated as ‘Unity in Diversity’ but literally it means

“(Although) in pieces, yet One”. It is stated in the national symbol, Garuda Pancasila (as written on

the scroll gripped by Garuda’s leg), and in the principal national constitution of Indonesia, Undang-

Undang Dasar Negara Republik Indonesia Tahun 1945. “Bhinneka Tunggal Ika” (en.wikipedia.org/

wiki/Bhinneka_Tunggal_Ika). Indonesia consists of thousand of islands, hundred of ethnic groups,

many local languages, and several different religions. But we are united to become one Indonesian

country (Negara Indonesia), we have one national language (Bahasa Indonesia), and one nation

that is Bangsa Indonesia. We are one in our diversity or plurality. Unity in diversity and diversity in

unity.

39Mission in Context, 44. Earlier the document states, “Led by the Spirit and endowed with diverse

gifts, the whole church is charismatic. . . A charismatic church church ues all the gifts of the spirit

for mission: proclamation of the gospel, deliverance from evil powers, prayer for healing, commu-

nity building service, and advocacy” (32).

40 Muriel Orevillo-Montenegro, in Silliman Ministry Magazine. No. 81, December 2008: 22, even

argues that with the new paradigm in mission we need to develop “partnership with the non-human

and with the Earth as a whole.”

41http://www.vemission.org


43As the 2004 LWF document on Mission in Context, clearly states, “ . . .the good news can only be

communicated effectively to people within their own context through language and actions which

are an integral part of that context . . . Such contextual theology, in turn, promotes and feeds on the

praxes of mission that interact with and transform the context. Thus, the church is challenged to

embark ever anew on the journey of reexamining its changing context in light of its theology and

praxes, deepening the contextualization of its theology and refocusing its praxes. As in the example

of the Emmaus road, the church carries out its mission as accompaniment to people in the complex-

ity of their contexts” (Ibid., 8).

44“Partnership Work,” http://www.vemission.org/en/what-we-do/partnerships


The fundamental task of Christian theology is to give an orderly, consistent,

comprehensible and credible account of the Christian faith according to

God’s revelation in Jesus Christ as attested by the Scriptures. One of the

most contentious theological teachings with complex pastoral implications is about

divine providence. In traditional Christian doctrine, it refers to God’s sovereign

rule over all things by which God sustains and directs creation as it moves to-

wards its final consummation according to a pre-ordained divine plan. It also

means that God causes every single thing to happen in life and in the world. In its

basic biblical sense, however, it is about God’s unfailing care for the well-being of

every creature.

In its historical development, the weight of interpretation has tilted more

heavily on the side of God’s governance than on God’s care. The text from the

Gospel of Matthew may serve as a corrective to this historical development and

restore the original (biblical) and simple meaning of the teaching about divine

providence.

The Text’s Pastoral ThrustA first reading of the text easily shows its pastoral intent. It is addressed to

hearers or readers who are constantly worried about daily survival: “Do not worry

about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear”

(6:25a). It reveals a particular kind of audience – those who are materially de-

prived and marginalized in society. It was not for the rich, who would not find the

message of any value to their existence. For the poor, believing in God naturally

involves material security and the assurance of the constancy of God’s concern

for their material well-being. This is not a message for everybody but intended

for those who worry about physical survival on a daily basis.

The message is misunderstood and misused when it is appropriated by the

exploiting segment of society to soothe the discontent of the exploited poor about

their situation. The admonition not to worry is not the same as not to be angry.

The more appropriate response to involuntary or enforced poverty is to feel dis-

contented and indignant. Mere worrying or being anxious about the situation is a

generalized passive reaction to an objective external threat. It makes people

helpless, if not paralyzed from making positive action. Jesus’ counsel is that

instead of withdrawing into passivity and helplessness, they should actively seek

God’s justice – “But seek [God’s] kingdom and his righteousness!” (6:33a); for in

God’s reign of justice, “all these things will be given to you.” (6:33b).

God’s pastoral concern involves not only giving comfort to the troubled

“Revisiting Providence”Matt. 6:25-34 • by Rev. Everett Mendoza, D. Theol.


ones but also encouraging them to actively find solutions to their problems. Re-

lief from misery, in particular the lack of life’s basic necessities, is not going to

come to them delivered on a silver platter but has to be vigorously pursued.

Mendicancy is incompatible with the message of God’s coming reign of justice.

The poor are mistaken if they think that mere survival through alms given them by

the rich is enough to be human. On the contrary, Jesus promised them abundant

life. But the promise is also a challenge to obtain it by actively seeking the

realization of God’s kingdom of justice.

God Cares for the NeedyInstead of living the day in anxiety over what to eat or wear, the people

should live daily in the assurance that their daily needs are matters of great

concern to God. They have learned from religion that those whom God favors he

showers them with power and wealth. The priests say that those who are sorely

lacking in life are like that because they exist outside God’s favored circle. God

owns all the riches and powers of the world and distributes them to his favored

ones. All their life they have been told that the poor don’t deserve God’s atten-

tion.

Jesus spoke of a God who is different from what religions say. He said that

God even feeds the birds and clothes the grass (vv. 26-30). And they are more

than birds and grass. They are persons created in God’s image. God is very

much concerned that people have food and clothes and access to what make a

decent human life. That is to say, their daily struggle for food and clothing is not

outside of faith but, on the contrary, is God’s very own work in the world. Despite

what religions say, the struggle of the poor for a decent life is not less than

worship in the temple in the eyes of God. Seeking justice in order to enjoy the

necessities of life is also doing the will of God. God is there with people in their

daily struggle for life, even closer than those who are worshipping in the temple.

Divine Providence and the PoorThe notion of divine providence that attributes the distribution of wealth

and power in society to God’s will is an invention of the dominant and exploiting

classes. They justify their despotic rule as resembling God’s sovereign will. Having

great wealth understood as divine reward to the so-called Elect is a Calvinistic

nonsense derived from the Reformation’s historical alliance with revolting feudal

princes and an emerging bourgeoisie. This understanding ascribes to God the

very characteristic of the property-owning and privileged classes of the time. It is

a reading of the gospel by the wrong social classes.

God’s governance over the whole creation should be seen as a function of

God’s care for the needy rather than a justification for the existing order of things.

God rules in order to ensure the triumph of God’s reign wherein the hunger for

food and justice is fully satisfied. Divine providence means that God will see

through the triumph of the cause of justice and freedom for the poor and op-

pressed. •


The Way to Peace…A Reflection by Rev. Reuel Norman O. Marigza

Text: Micah 4:1-5, Psalm 34:12-17

Note: This is a reflection I shared with the students, faculty and staff of the Japan

Biblical and Theological Seminary, a sister seminary of the Divinity School, when

we there summer last year (2008). At the anniversary of the Hiroshima Bombing, I

shared the same with the students, faculty and staff of the Divinity School in a slightly

edited form.

Last Thursday, May 22, we left for

Hiroshima. As I understand it, this

was not part of the usual itinerary in

the past, but was included upon the recom-

mendation given by the last team that

visited here. And for that we are grateful.

We first proceeded to Kyoseian-House

for Symbiosis in the countryside town of

Miwa, an hour ride by train from

Hiroshima City. The place was founded by

Juntaro Arakawa and wife, Natsue, as a

way of providing a “recovery room” as it

were, for people in need of healing and

peace for their stressed minds, burnt-out

hearts and tired bodies. Under the pro-

gram, “Learning Together as Global

Citizens,” the Arakawas provide workshops

which combined study and reflection with

farming and inter-acting with nature. Most

of the food is provided by the organic

farm, water from clear mountain spring,

much of the electricity by solar panels, heat

from homemade charcoal and food (pizza

and bread) freshly baked in a homemade

oven using the homemade charcoal.

It was like a self-sufficient paradise.

In that serene, quiet abode on a hillside, it

was very easy to forget the cares of the

world and the pressures of the urban

jungle. And for a time, we were like little

kids picking and eating strawberry directly

from the plant. This “recovery place” will

surely have an impact on whoever would

go there.

It is a way of doing mission in the

concrete. Already, it has made a bridge to

others, like the bringing together of some

Israeli youth, Palestinian youth and Japa-

nese youth together – and for them to

breakdown in the process the stereotypes

and their fears as they began to live, work

and eat together. That definitely is a way

to peace.

Arakawa-san said, “We have been

working with the hope that this house

would serve as a shelter for people shutting

themselves in their rooms, being unable to

attend schools for psychological reasons,

for victims of domestic violence, for

migrant workers, even for pastors suffering

from burn-out and in need of spiritual care.

These kinds of people are gradually in-

creasing.”

That night, we had a very peaceful and


restful sleep, and I dreamt of a world in

peace.

The next day we had to leave the

“Eden side” of Hiroshima and move into

the “valley of the shadow of death” –

Hiroshima City itself.

The morning was quite alright, we

visited the Hiroshima Castle, reconstructed

from its being destroyed during the bomb-

ing of Hiroshima. The grandeur of the

castle hid the fact that many had been

forced by the feudal lords to labor to make

this tower and its surrounding moat. It also

overshadows the fact that the place became

the Imperial General Headquarters of the

Japanese military starting at the time of the

Sino-Japanese war of 1894 – 1845. A

monument that does not lead to the way of

peace.

After lunch, Betty took us to re-live the

horrors of war. We went first by way of

the remains of the Hiroshima Prefectural

Exhibit Hall, the building that remains as a

stark reminder to what happened there that

day of August 6, 1945. As a way of

reflecting, I wrote some lines (free verse,

or sometimes ‘free prose’, as I call it) to

describe what was going on through me

that time.

At the Grounds of Hiroshima

I stood at the grounds of Hiroshima

And then I knelt and wept:

Enough of cruelty. . .

Enough of hostility. . .

Enough of savagery. . .

that we inflict on each other

Though people of different colors,

Red blood runs through our veins

Beyond beliefs and creeds and ideology,

We share a common earth

and a common humanity.

Why nations must learn the science of war

and foist violence on each other,

is beyond us who long for peace.

Why can we not just walk

the path of harmony?

Why can we not just learn

the art of peace

and study war no more?

In the name of the innocents

who have died

And for the sake of generations

yet to come,

We must make a pledge and a promise:

Never again

must we curse the earth…

with war!

Let us listen to the children

Who will soon inherit the world

Heed them from the ground

once made barren:

“This is our cry,

This is our prayer -

Peace in the world!”1

Yes, I knelt and wept

at the grounds of Hiroshima,

and then stood up

to take a stand,

to walk

the way

of peace!

What particularly moved me was the

brief story of Sadako Sasaki, that I read on

the train on the way back to Hiroshima

City from the Kyoseian House. Just a one


short paragraph in the brochure of the

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. It

read:

Sadako Sasaki was exposed to the

A-bomb when she was two years

old. Ten years later, she entered the

Red Cross hospital with radiation-

related leukemia. Despite the pain

from her disease, she faithfully

folded paper cranes in hope of a

cure. Despite the valiant effort, her

brief life ended after an eight-month

struggle.

Seeing the school children praying for

peace and offering cranes at the monument,

as well as looking at the cranes Sadako

herself made displayed in the Peace Mu-

seum, gripped me with a sense of both

despair and hope: despair that so many

innocent ones have died because the

powers-that-be decide that war become

their policy and course of action; yet with

hope that as many are exposed to the

brutality of war, we are moved to take a

positive action to walk the way of peace.

And so I wrote

Haiku for Sadako

Sadako Sasaki

Folding paper cranes

Cries for peace

Paper folded cranes

Take wings and soar to heaven

Prayers for peace

Prayers for peace

Must be acted out and lived

For peace to blossom

Peace flourishes and blooms

Dispelling earthly glooms

Goodwill to all

Paper folded cranes

People working for peace

Sadako smiles in heaven

For some, like Sadako, the way to

peace may just have meant folding paper

cranes. It didn’t probably amount to much

that time, but a movement for peace has

arisen out of that effort. She may not have

completed the thousand cranes. It is said

that she finished only 664, but others

picked it up from there. Peace is elusive

but we must seek and pursue it. (Psalm

34:14)

This leads us to where we started,

when we came to Japan. There were two

lectures given to us by the Rev. Iijima and

Prof. George W. Gish (he emphatically

said, “Not Bush”) about Japan and the

Second World War. Rev. Iijima spoke of a

personal account of how a friendship with

a Filipino could not be fully expressed as

he was not just Iijima-san, but that behind

his persona was a State called Japan, which

ravaged several Asian nation in WW II. As

you know, there are still so many unre-

solved issues concerning Japan’s participa-

tion and conduct in the war. In the Philip-

pines, the so-called “comfort women” (who

were actually sex slaves of the Japanese

Imperial Army) remain unheard inspite of

their cries for justice. This situation

particularly colors and impacts on interna-

tional relations and goodwill as there is yet

to be an official apology from the govern-

ment of Japan for the atrocities committed

in the name of the Emperor.

Prof. George W. Gish shared to us


the Statement “Confession of Responsibil-

ity During World War II,” issued on March

26, 1967, by the Moderator at that time,

SUZUKI Masahisa, and approved by the

Kyodan Executive Committee. It was a

powerful and stirring statement for its

clarity, and we were so moved by the sense

of contriteness that our Japanese sisters and

brothers felt over the acts of their govern-

ment and State.

I pondered long and hard at that.

We can no longer change the past but we

can surely shape how the future should be.

The Bible speaks of an eschatological

hope, when the plowshares are no longer

turned into swords and pruning hooks into

spears (Joel 3:10) but that all swords are

turned into plowshares and all spears into

pruning hooks (Mic. 4:3; Isa. 2:4). That

can happen when we, through the Spirit

empowering, can get our acts together.

And so I wrote

Bearers of Past Burdens,

Bringers of Future Hopes

It was a past we wish unremembered

As it was difficult for us

And now we know

Was also difficult for you -

A past we had no control of

But we carry on our shoulders

The pain and the burden

The agony and the weight

Left behind by a generation past

Left behind yet continues on

Left behind for us to bear

and to endure.

We are caught in a web

Cast on us by the past

Ensnaring us in its grip,

Even as we try to shake loose

It just would not let us.

We are creatures of the past,

Descendants of time gone.

But how long will we bear

How long shall we endure,

How long shall we be gripped

By the tentacles of guilt

By the chains of bitterness

By the manacles of remorse?

You are not your forebears:

You have renounced their ways

You have made a resolve

Never to be silent again

Never to be cowed into

submission

to support the gods of war.

You have taken the responsibility

As well as the accountability

In behalf of your State

And apologized for the barbarity

of the war.

That you have done so

required courage


required honesty


required integrity

You could have washed your hands

like Pilate

And say it was not your problem

And that you are not accountable

For the sins of others

For the sins of your nation

But that you did so

when your government chose not,

has moved us and touched us

to the depths of our being,


reminding us that

there are people in your land,

as there are people in our land

who long to stop the barbarity,

who denounce State policy

of aggression and war

You have taken a bold step

to accept the responsibility

and ask for forgiveness –

Can we, in turn, withhold pardon?

Should we, in turn, continue to wallow

in bitterness and rage?

The way of our common Lord and

Master

- Jesus, the Prince of Peace,

tells us we could not

and we .should not

Even when wronged,

we were taught to forgive

Even when persecuted, we were taught

to pray for our persecutors

Even when trampled upon,

we were taught to walk the second

mile.

And so as in behalf of your people

you have accepted the responsibility

So, we, too, in behalf of our people,

accept your sincere apology

and remorse for what happened.

We accept with one condition:

That today we enter into a covenant

That henceforth –

yes, from this day forward,

together and in solidarity -

you in your land

and we in ours -

Live and act

Work and struggle

Walk and pray

for a just and lasting peace!

1 The prayer inscribed at the Children’s Peace Monument

(a memorial inspired by Sadako’s story) at the Hiroshima

Peace Memorial Museum grounds

Paper cranes offered for peace


ungrateful prospective guests and burn

their city. He then changes his plan. He

now invites those who are not among his

circle of friends—those who are stand-

ing by the streets. Luke even makes it

more explicit. The new prospective

guests are the poor, the crippled, the

blind, and the lame (14:21). Again, in

view of social scientific studies, they are

the expendables—those who cannot af-

ford to build a house, the unemployed,

and those who are merely waiting for

their death. These are people below the

scale of power and privilege.

This reminds me of the stories of

a heroic soldier, John Rambo, played by

Sylvester Stallone. One episode of the

series is set in the jungles of Thailand.

In the middle of his journey, a local

counterpart asks him, “Why are you do-

ing this (that is, embarking on a risky

rescue operation)? Tell me.” After a brief

moment of contemplation Rambo re-

plies, “I’m expendable.” “What do you

mean,” the lady asks again. He says, “It

is like there’s a party and you’re invited.

Whether you come or not, it doesn’t

matter.”

“Embodying God’s Alternative Order”1 Cor 11:17-22; Matt 22:1-13 • By Rev. Dennis T. Solon

Our Scriptural texts appear fitting

for a fire-and-brimstone “ala

Great Awakening” sermon, like

those that we oftentimes see on TV—

sermons that frighten listeners about the

dreadful images of hell, such as the eter-

nal furnace, darkness or lake of fire, and,

as our text says, “weeping and gnashing

of teeth.”

Since parables are supposed to

tease our imaginations for reflection and

action, let us take a closer look at the

text. A king prepares a wedding banquet

for his son, and invited many. Social

scientific studies inform us that kings

normally invite their equals,

cronies, patrons or clients. Thus, likely

candidates for the invitation would be

the aristocrats, the landed

nobilities, leaders of the temple-state,

the republicans and the military. These

are people of considerable power and

privilege. When everything is ready the

king sends slaves to call those invited.

But they are not coming. Some send

their alibis, and, worse, some harass the

king’s slaves and killed them. Enraged,

the king sends troops to destroy those


I see one gospel truth that is posed

before us today. It is the truth about em-

bracing the undeserving. The image of

a king, or queen for that matter, who

brings up people from the periphery and

dine with them in a lavish, elegant ban-

quet signifies a dismantling of social and

economic boundaries. In Matthew’s

proclamation the kingdom of heaven is

where power, privilege, wealth, and

honor are not the criteria for inclusion;

nor are physical misfortunes, nothing-

ness, and shame grounds for exclusion.

The banquet celebrates the Lord’s grace

and justice, not the guests’ character and

distinction.

This truth can be troublesome in

an academic setting. Here (at Silliman)

we usually operate on the basis of merit,

performance, and accomplishments.

This seems how it is to live a little bit

far from the kingdom.

Today, we join the rest of Chris-

tian congregations around the world in

celebrating World Communion Sunday.

This is a positive manifestation of em-

bodying God’s kingdom where everyone

enjoys a place in the celebration of God’s

grace and justice. By everyone, I am re-

ferring to all without qualification. This

is the “one body” that Paul is talking

about in his letter to the Corinthian

Christians, which they, as our text

says, miss to undertake. They seem not

serious about living as an alternative

community in an empire (the Roman

Empire) that is marked by exploitation

and marginalization. Paul seems to be

Deuteronomistic when he says to the

Corinthians in view of their unlikely be-

havior, “For this reason many of you are

weak and ill, and some have died” (v.

30).

In this World Communion Sunday

we all confess our being an alternative

community. Paul and the gospels attest

that in celebrating Supper, we proclaim

the Lord’s death until he comes. Since

the death of Jesus brings life through his

resurrection to those who trust in him,

it therefore overcomes death and all of

its forces. This further makes our cel-

ebration of the world communion Sun-

day a political one. We, as one, proclaim

the power of God that opposes the forces

of death. We oppose any established or-

der that renders peoples and communi-

ties on earth poor and destitute. We deny

them of their claim of power and author-

ity. We register our refusal to partici-

pate in any undertakings that

marginalize other races, cultures, iden-

tities and orientations. We manifest our

willingness to identify with each other’s

concerns and hope.

If I were to imagine a Christian

community on a larger, global scale that

will include today’s many Christian de-

nominations, groups, institutions and

nations that profess to be Christians, I


would see a community that Paul would

not fully commend yet. Paul would have

probably seen in such a global Christian

community some individuals or groups

going ahead with their supper, some

going hungry and some becoming very

full.

A celebrated NT professor at

Princeton Seminary, the late Bruce

Metzger, who two years ago, shared

some Latin texts which happened to be

commentaries on some Matthean pas-

sages. These were known as belonging

to the Agraphon or forged texts. It in-

cluded a portion in which Jesus talks

about the darkness as the place for weep-

ing and gnashing or grinding of teeth.

In this text, one of the disciples quickly

asks Jesus about its implication for those

who happen to be toothless. Indeed, how

can people grind their teeth if they are

toothless? In this text Jesus answers,

“teeth will be provided.” Such additions

seem to clarify that those who are in

this outer darkness will fully experience

their fate. It is the place for those who

refuse to accept God’s invitation, for

those who would not want to be a part

of God’s reign. It is also for those who

just do their own thing without minding

the others. It is also for those who at-

tack and eliminate those who are work-

ing for God’s reign.

But since the Lord’s death comes

with God’s offer of forgiveness, Chris-

tians in celebrating World Communion

Sunday proclaim the possibility of for-

giveness and reconciliation in a world

so shattered by unrighteousness, and

healing for the wounded earth. That even

the worst and most atrocious human be-

ing like Osama Bin Laden (God has

probably regretted for creating him) can

still be forgiven. In celebrating the

Lord’s Supper today, we lead the world

en route to God’s kingdom and share our

vision of sharing, unity, forgiveness and

reconciliation. This was perhaps the

same vision of the PCUSA when it first

celebrated World Communion Sunday

some 70 years ago.

The task then remains before us—

that of upholding and sharing and em-

bodying such a vision of God’s kingdom

in this world and the world to come.

Amen. •


Title:

“Constants in Context: A

Theology of Mission for

Today ”By Stephen B. Bevans

and Roger P. SchroederMaryknoll, NY: Orbis, 2004, 488 pp.

Reviewed by : Dr. Victor Aguilan

Constants in Context is a schol-

arly work whose aim is to pro-

vide “a contemporary theology

of mission in light of the faithful but al-

ways contextual growth of the Christian

movement”. The authors present a rea-

soned and thoughtful approach to mis-

sion for the twenty-first century. Con-

stants in Context is divided into three

major sections: (I) Biblical and Theologi-

cal Foundations; (II) Historical Models

of Mission; (III) a Theology of Mission

for Today.

Part I begins with biblical data in

the Books of Acts which the authors di-

vide into seven missionary stages start-

ing with the time before Pentecost and

ending with explicit mission to the Gen-

tiles. Mission is prior to the Church. “The

church only becomes the church as it re-

sponds to God’s call to mission, and to

be in mission means to change continu-

ally as the gospel encounters new and

diverse contexts.” This, according to the

authors, is the ongoing motif that char-

acterizes Christian history of mission.

However, such change is not ar-

bitrary. Mission has theological founda-

tions. These are introduced in the form

of six constants and three theology types.

The six constants are best understood as

questions to which there are diverse re-

sponses according to changing contexts

: (1) Christological – Who is Jesus

Christ? (2) Ecclesiological – What is the

church? (3) Eschatological – How do we

approach the eschatological future? (4)

Soteriological – What is the meaning of

salvation? (5) Anthropological: How is

the human person understood? (6) Cul-

tural: What is the role of culture?

Building on the work of Dorothee

Sölle and Justo L. González, the authors

develop a description of three types of

theology which they label, Type A iden-

tified with Tertullian (Carthage, law, Ro-

man culture), Type B with Origen (Al-

exandria, truth, Hellenistic culture) and

Type C with Irenaeus (Antioch, history,

near-Eastern culture) respectively. In

missionary terms, Type A is concerned

with saving souls and extending the

church, Type B focuses on the discovery

of truth, and Type C highlights commit-

ment to liberation and transformation.

According to the authors, each histori-

cal epoch emphasizes one type over an-

other but there are examples of all types

in all epochs.

Part II provides six historical snap-

shots of missionary endeavor arranged chro-

nologically: early church (100-301); monas-

Book Reviews


tic movement (313-907); mendicant move-

ment (1000-1453); age of discovery (1492-

1773); age of progress (1792-1914); twenti-

eth century (1919-1991). For the historical

non-specialist there is a wealth of little-known

information on missionary approaches, es-

pecially in Africa and the East (such as Ethio-

pia, Syria, Asian Minor, India, Egypt, Per-

sia, China, Japan, Korea and Russia) that

makes engaging reading. Each chapter pro-

vides a socio-political, religious and institu-

tional context of time and culture. This is in-

tentional to emphasize the contextual and his-

torical nature of mission. The authors show

that Churches in various epochs and contexts

have diverse approaches in doing mission.

Part III the authors propose a

model for mission which is relevant to-

day. Relying mainly on twentieth cen-

tury documents from Vantican II, WCC,

Orthodox, Reform, Evangelical and Pen-

tecostal churches, the authors mentioned

three models or theological strains

namely: Missio Dei which understands

Church’s mission as the overflowing

communion of the Trinitarian God. The

second understands mission as liberat-

ing service to the Reign of God among

human beings and creation. Finally, the

third strain focuses on the centrality of

Christ and sees mission in terms of an

explicit proclamation of Jesus Christ as

the universal Savior and unique Media-

tor. The authors believe that these three

strains can be brought together in a syn-

thesis under the heading mission as par-

ticipation in the “prophetic dialogue”.

The prophetic dialogue model takes up

the challenge of reflecting on what it

means to proclaim the Universal Lord-

ship of Jesus Christ in a pluralistic world

with its new sensitivity towards the reli-

gious ‘other’. This model emphasizes the

following: witness and proclamation; lit-

urgy, prayer and contemplation; justice,

peace and the integrity of creation; in-

terreligious dialogue; inculturation; and

reconciliation. For today, the 21st cen-

tury, the authors preferred the model of

mission as “prophetic dialogue”. Al-

though the authors do not presume to

judge the adequacy of one strain or model

over another since all three are valid.

Constants in Context is a work of

historical and theological scholarship. In

term of the style of writing, Bevans and

Schroeder have done a very good job.

Its readability is aided by the use of

Maps, charts and Tables that clarify mat-

ters of historical, geographical and theo-

logical complexity. My description of the

content of the book hopefully gives an

idea of the breadth of scholarship and

historical coverage but, at the same time,

the complexity and weakness of the

book. It often touches briefly on many

issues which leaves one wishing for more

detail. One example of this is that two

pages (pp. 220–21) summarize the sig-

nificance of the World Missionary con-

ference of Edinburgh. Bevans and

Schroeder do provide substantial refer-

ences. The book is a major contribution

to the understanding that the mission of

the Church is both historical and global.

Christianity is truly contextual and a glo-

bal faith, a global movement. I would

recommend that the book, Constants in

Context, be made as a required reading

to all senior students of theology. •


The breeze from the sea had a relaxing and refreshing effect

as Robinson Radjagukguk and we settled for an early lunch

one Friday morning. Robinson will soon leave the Divinity

School and we wanted to do an “exit interview” with him. All to-

gether, he has served here for six years, arriving in 2003 as part of

the South-to-South exchange program of the United Evangelical

Mission.

It was a free-wheeling conversation over sinigang, sugpo,

sinugba and sashimi. Over-all, he described his six year with us

as an “incomparable experience.” Even while there are many simi-

larities between the Philippine and Indonesian context, the differ-

ences made the experience unforgettable.

We compared notes on theological education here and in In-

donesia. He told us that in Indonesia the decision to go for theo-

logical education is largely a personal decision or through family

arrangement, unlike here where the church at the outset is involved

in the process through apprenticeship, endorsement and prom-

ised support. In Indonesia the financial support is borne by the

students and their families. About 200-300 candidates take en-

trance exams and only 50 to 60 students are admitted each year.

The students join the seminary after high school (six years are

spent in the elementary starting at age 6, then three years in sec-

ondary school and another three years in high school, 12 years in

all). At seminary, the students are guided to wherle they would

better excel – either in rural or urban ministry.

After graduation from seminary, it is then that the graduate

goes to the church to apply as church worker. He or she then

undertakes an Internship for two years under supervision of a se-

nior Pastor. After this internship, the intern takes a Church exami-

nation, which covers both academic/theoretical and practical as-

Robinsonbeside the sea


pects. The HKBP National Office then makes the assessment to

ordain or not, after which, settles the clergy to their place of as-

signment.

The Church implements a minimum standardized salary. If a

local church cannot fully cover the minimum salary, the National

Office will supplement the difference.

Another difference, he told us, is that in the HKBP Church

only the ordained can teach in seminary.

“How do you support theological education?,” we asked. He

replied that the churches in Indonesia have 2-3 offerings every

Sunday: one for the local church, another for the Conference and

the last for the National Office, which funds the theological educa-

tion.

What will he likely do after his stint here in the Philippines? He

says he like to go back to pastoring a church, though teaching is

another possibility. In any case, it will be the National Office which

will make the final determination after consultation with him.

What will he bring back to Indonesia after six years here in the

Philippines? He said he was particularly impressed with our com-

munity life specially our semestral retreats. He also appreciated

our willingness to explore new ways of worship and found the

weekly liturgies interesting because there was always a fresh ele-

ment in them. These things he will surely miss, but then again he

can always replicate these in Indonesia. [Magnolia Nova M.

Mendoza & Reuel Norman O. Marigza]


Worship Service 1

BARREN PLACES

AND THE LURE OF GOD

Setting: Chairs are placed in the worship

oval. At the center is a table full of plants.

Once the plants are removed, a pile of rock

and sand is revealed. At the entrance of

the chapel is a table with a basket and

small pieces of paper. People are invited

to write down difficult circumstances/

issues/ situations which require prayer.

This is read later in the service.

The sound of Chaos (as people begin

gathering to worship, instruments from

around the chapel will begin making

“chaotic sounds” slowly intensifying).

The sound of conch shell (budyong) being

blown (or a similar sound that can repre-

sent God) quietly breaks through the sound

of chaos.

Listening to the Word Genesis 1 (the

creation story is told with the use of sounds

only. A gong (or something similar) is

used to indicate each day (one Gong for

the first day, two for the second, etc.) and

then various sounds is used to develop that

which was created on the day (e.g. light

and dark, plants, animals, humankind, etc.)

1.Light (wind of God blowing and there

was light)

• Piano can play any piece that helps

the people imagine light

• Ends with single gong

2.Domes of water in the sky separated

from the water below – sound of

separation

• One melody/rhythm plays and then

another one begin with melodies

playing parallel.

• Ends with two gongs

3.Dry land and water separate and the

creation of vegetation (fruit trees,

seeds, etc.)

• Rising melodies (things growing)

• Seed sounds (shakers)

• Ends with three gongs

4.Lights in the dome of sky: stars, sun

and moon.

• Play with the sounds of

metallophones for this (cymbals,

triangles, rods, etc.)

• Ends with four gongs

5.Creatures

• Big and small sounds, scampering

sounds

• Frog instrument

• A few animals call (sounds of dog,

cow, goat, elephant, etc.)

Hymn of Praise

Suggestion: “How Great Thou Art”

WORSHIP DESIGNS

On Creation


Call to Worship

Sounds of Barrenness (Create a sound of

barrenness. Suggestion: Digeridoo or

cymbals or a muffled sound of a blowing

instrument.) Slowly plants are removed

from the centre, revealing the barren rocks.

Between the rocks are scripture passages

about barren places written in small strips

of paper. Before the worship, assign

people to read these passages. These

scripture passages will be called out from

around the chapel at this time.

Scripture Passages on Barren Places

Jeremiah 2:6; Exodus 3:18; Exodus 16:32;

Genesis 22:14; Mark 1:13; Mark 6:30-31

Song

Meditation 1

Song

Meditation 2

Prayer of Petition and Song (Concerns

are named interspersed with songs or short

choruses about hope)

Song

Benediction

======================

Worship Service 2

FIERCE TERRAIN AND

THE HOLY WILDNESS OF GOD

Setting: Chairs are arranged in a circle.

As the people enter, the following are

flashed on screen:

Geography is simply a visible form of

theology. – Jon Levenson

The emptiness of the desert makes it

possible to learn the almost impossible:

the joyful acceptance of our usefulness. –

Ivan Illich, forward to Carlo Carretto’s

Letters from the Desert

The Bible abounds in references to the

desert and the wilderness. Encounters with

God, both directly and through prophetic

voices, took place in scenes of desolation.

God spoke on an empty stage, knowing

how easily the sound of rivers diverted

human attention. – Yi Fu tuan

The desert is fertile. Dom Helder Camara

There may be more to learn by climbing

the same mountain a hundred times than by

climbing a hundred different mountains. –

Richard Nelson, The Island Within

When more people enter, the drumming

circle begins.

Drumming Circle Four drummers are

assigned at different places within the

circle. One begins by playing the basic

rhythm and beat while the three others join

in one at a time improvising the basic

drumming until the drumming sounds

become wild and festive.

Sounding of the Conch Shell or Budyong

(the sound of God’s voice breaks through

the drumming and subdues it)

Storm begins created by worshippers.

Storm can begin with rubbing one’s palm,

then snapping the fingers, then clapping,

then stomping of feet to make a bigger

sound of the storm.

Sounding of the Conch Shell (the storm

is subdued)

[Note: No words should be uttered until

this time]


Song

Call to Worship

Reading of Psalm 42

Song

Scripture Job 38:1-11; 25-30. (As the

Scripture is read, someone makes the

sound of a whirlwind using cymbals or

tamtams or gongs.)

Meditation

Sung Response

Prayer

Song

Benediction

======================

Worship Service 3

THE GROANING CREATION

AND OUR HOPE IN GOD

Setting . Chairs are arranged in a semi

circle. At the center of the floor are two

pieces of manila paper, a paintbrush, and

red, blue, white and yellow paints. In front

or on the side is a screen where the photos

and images can be flashed. On another

side is a big candle with a clay pot beside

it. On the platform is a white canvas

placed against a frame of the outline of the

cross. Below it are paintbrushes of differ-

ent sizes and multi-colored paint.

Sounds and images of brokenness.

Create a sound of brokenness by using

broken cymbals, broken strings, broken

drumsticks, etc. As this is being done and

heard, images about brokenness (example

mudslides caused by illegal logging, street

riots, bomb explosions, distorted faces,

denuded forests) will be flashed up the

screen.

Sounding of the Conch Shell (this sym-

bolizes the voice of God who is once again

calling us even when we alienate ourselves

from God). The shell is blown three times.

The candle will be lighted also at this

time.

Poetry reading and interpretation. Four

people are assigned to do an interpretive

reading of the poem “Reverse Creation”

(found in the Worship Resources, Hymnal

of a Faith Journey, 461). While the poem

is being read, the artist works on his/her

interpretation on the manila papers at the

center floor. (Give a copy of the poem to

an artist from your congregation a week

before)

Poem Reverse Creation

(After reading the poem, the artist would

have painted something that reflects the

message of the poem.)

A Lament Song about Creation

Prayer

Scripture Reading Romans 8: 18-25

Meditation

A time for silence

A repetitive song of confession is sung

many times as desired while doing the

following: Each one moves towards the

new painting and tears a piece of that

paper which symbolizes our contribution to

the suffering of God’s creation. After

which, each one goes to the lighted candle,

burns the paper and throws it in the clay


pot. Then they go back to their seats and

meditate in silence.

The congregation reads Romans 8:24-30

responsively.

Painting our hope. A song of hope for

creation is to be sung while worshipers

move towards the canvass and paint

symbols that will reflect their commitment

to take part in the restoration of God’s

creation. After everyone has done it, an

outline of the cross will appear in the

center.

Song

Prayer and Benediction

Note: All three worship services were designed by Jean

Cuanan-Nalam. Worship services 1 & 2 however, were

planned together with friends from the Canadian Menno-

nite University, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

A Reflection on theDS Koinonia Retreat

in Calo, San JoseBy Scherlen B. Españo, BTh – Senior

This will be the last time I will attend the DS Koinonia Retreat for this school

year,” I thought as we were going to the Calderon’s place in Calo, San Jose.

I felt a sense of excitement but also sadness at the thought. Sadness as it

will be the last retreat in my seminary life. But excited still, as the Koinonia

retreats had been one of the ways that helped me, molded me spiritually to grow

mature in my understanding of my being as part of God’s creation and as one

reflecting God’s image. It also taught me the kind of relationship I will be estab-

lishing with the people as part of my ministry.

Arriving at the Calderon’s place, I felt the warm welcome of the sun and the

spirits of the trees, the two rivers and the sea as well as the spirit of the Calderons.

It was so inviting and relaxing. It is a very conducive place for retreat and self-

reflection. In the morning we had a Shibashi in which I engaged myself with the

beauty of creation and thank God for it. Creation itself speaks of God’s power and

beauty and the mystery that is being revealed in its uniqueness and quality. It comes

out of God’s creativity and love. However, in the retreat, it was emphasized that

the creation is crying nowadays. It is because human beings treated it so badly


instead of taking good care of it. It is because of the misinterpretation of ruling,

subduing and living in it.

The retreat also emphasized that we human beings as part of God’s creation

are being slowly destroyed and becoming more prone to sickness and different

kinds of illnesses, that there are millions of people out there, especially in the

cities, who lack water and die because of it. In fact, we even experience the scar-

city of the water in Channon Hall. It leads to misunderstanding and trouble among

the dorm residents early in the morning. Yet the residents themselves do not know

how to conserve water. There is also wasting of food whereas there are children,

women and beggars in the streets asking for money to buy food because they do

not have any.

One of the activities that somehow made me express and relate with

others is in one activity. We were grouped according to our feelings at the

time: sad, happy, angry, and anxious. I joined those who felt angry that

time. We listened attentively in sharing our reasons why we are angry and

what we will do about it. Some said that it is the war in Gaza in which the

Israelis are trying to invade the territory of the Palestinians who were the

original settlers of the place. Someone shared about his anger of the unjust

killing of his brother that until now remains unsolved. Some shared about

their personal conflicts with other people who are stubborn.

Before the afternoon session of the retreat, we had some fun. Some wan-

dered around the place. Some played in the sea and took some pictures, while

others remained in the session hall singing love songs and old songs. There were

laughter, smiles and giggling all around.

In the afternoon, we had a class evaluation about our status and perfor-

mance in the academe as students and faculty. We also evaluated ourselves on our

level of maturity. The big group sharing was enjoyable. It showed the creativity

and the different talents of the Divinity School students, something I am very proud

of.

I hope the students in the lower years will take these retreats seriously

because through them, they will be really helped especially in knowing and dis-

covering themselves more. The activities that we had will be useful and could be

replicated in the ministry of the church.

Thank you! And more power to the Divinity School as formation house and

training ground for effective ministers in God’s vast vineyard. God bless us all! •


DS Koinonia NewsBy Noel Pajarillo, M.Div. Middler

Candidates for Graduation

UCCP welcomes new pastorsAfter four to seven years of burning eyebrows, UCCP welcomes her new pastors!!!

The candidates for graduation of Silliman University Divinity School are as follows:

Bachelor of Theology, Major in Pastoral Ministry

Agusan District Conference ..............................Lucy Talha

Bohol Conference Incorporated ........................Celestina L. Ampog

Scherlen B. Españo

Central Mindanao Area Conference ..................Reinhard Nueña

Central Negros Associate Conference ...............Bebelyn V. Andaya

Geraldine M. Bantangan

District Conference of Northern Mindanao ......Mark C. Sending

Northern Western Samar Conference ................Paquito Casiano, Jr.

South Bicol Conference .................................... Joy P. Tadeo

Bachelor of Theology, Major in Liturgy and Music

Lanao District Conference ................................Glenndale P. Sajorga

Masters of Divinity, Major in Pastoral Ministry

Central Mindanao Area Conference ..................Antonino N. Baconga

Central Negros Associate Conference ...............Arnie Q. Tejo

District Conference of Northern Zamboanga ....Beryl S. Sale

Lanao District Conference ................................Wilbert T. Autor

Southern Mindanao District Conference ...........Ruben Hernani, Jr

The Commissioning Rites is scheduled on Saturday afternoon, March 21, 2009 at the

Chapel of Evangel Fellowship. •

LATEBREAKING NEWS!

SMM has heard news that Padi Jennifer Jamias of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente,

on Faculty Development from Aglipay Center for Theological Studies (ACTS) in

Urdaneta City, Pangasinan has successfully finished her Master of Theology

(M.Theol) program here in Silliman University, in consortium with the South East Asia

Graduate School of Theology (SEAGST). Her area of concentration is in Biblical Stud-

ies. Her thesis is entitled, "The Power of the Powerless: Women in the Old Testament."

Padi Jamias will join the Silliman Graduation Rites on March 22. •


DS Koinonia News9 DS students bag academic honors

Nine (9) Divinity Students were recognized for academic excellence last February

13, 2008 when Silliman University held its Honor's Day.

COLLEGE HONORS

Zandy Casia, Junior District Conf. of Northern Mindanao

Wella L. Hoyle, Middler Bohol Conference Inc.

Ma. Sharona Romero, Junior Lower Cavite-South Manila Conf

CLASS HONORS

Celestina Ampog, Senior Bohol Conference Inc.

Helen L. Daguplo, Middler Bohol Conference Inc.

Nelsa B. Ecat, Middler Bohol Conference Inc.

Klariza Grace Q. Lugo, Middler Central Mindanao Area Conference

Cezar Chayzan Romero, Junior Lower Cavite-South Manila Conf

Nilda Saa, Junior Central Mindanao Area Conference

For such a small academic unit in the university having this many honorees, we

are truly grateful. The Divinity School Koinonia is proud of you!!!

Dr. Radjagukguk presents paperat Asian Lutheran gathering

REV. ROBINSON RADJAGUKGUK, Ph.D. of Silliman University Divinity School at-

tended and delivered a paper on "Church's Mission in Changing Societies," which

was one of the sub-themes of the 5th Asian Lutheran International Conference

(ALIC V) held at Hong Kong on February 5-10, 2009. Under the general theme

"Asian Churches in Changing Societies," 130 participants of Asian heritage and

friends, including the local participants and steward team, gathered as one people.

ALIC was 'birthed' by the Asian Lutheran community, nourished and sustained

by leaders who are committed to serving the Asian community, and encouraged by

people of good will. This year is special because it is the 10th anniversary of


DS Koinonia NewsALIC. It is the only forum which brings Asian Lutherans from Asia and Asians

from Evangelical Lutheran Churches in America (ELCA) together for a biennial

event. ALIC is a network that emerged out of the Association of Asians and Pa-

cific Islanders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (AAPI-ELCA).

Asian congregation and leaders in the United States and Asia have looked

for an opportunity to engage in theological and ministerial reflection rel-

evant to their cultural backgrounds and ministries. In 1997, many key lead-

ers of Asian and Pacific Islanders community helped to shape the proposal

for the first ALIC. The first planning team met in Berkeley, CA, in 1998.

They organized the first ALIC in Hong Kong in 1999. ALIC II-IV were sub-

sequently held in Bangkok. Since 2001, ALIC has been a self-supporting

with only small funding from the desk of Asian and Pacific Islander Minis-

tries, Multicultural Ministries, and the ELCA.

ALIC has created a forum for fellowship and networking that links Asians

in the ELCA to Asian Lutherans in Asia, serving as another bridge to con-

nect Asians together: to address common concerns faced by Asian Lutherans

by promoting dialogue and networking, providing venue to discuss, pray,

fellowship and find solutions together on common issues for example, church

growth, evangelism, leadership, theological education, discipleship, youth,

and women, and so on. In other words, ALIC is a forum for supporting theo-

logical reflection among Asian Lutherans with reference to specific cul-

tural issues and the development of resources in the areas of worship, Chris-

tian education and theological education for the benefit of Asian Lutheran

ministries. Moreover, ALIC is a forum to address the issues of leadership

development for Asian ministries and theological education by creating an

opportunity for interaction with leaders and theologians of Asian back-

ground.

ALIC V was hosted by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hong Kong led by

Bishop Nicolas Tai and coordinated by Rev. Pongsak Limthongviratn, PhD, of the

Multicultural Ministries, ELCA.

While in Hong Kong, Dr Radjagukguk had a chance to meet with the Rev Jeneath

Faller who is doing her Doctoral Program in Christian Education at the Lutheran

Theological Seminary.

ALIC VI will be held last week of January 2011 in South Korea.


Radjagukguk, Marigza, Jamias, Villarmea attends CATSThe Congress of Asian Theologians (CATS) held its Sixth Congress at the Central

Philippine University in Iloilo City on February 8-14, 2009. About 80 theolo-

gians all over Asia gathered under the theme, "Doing Mission from the Underside:

Challenge to the Understanding of Mission since 1910.

CATS chose the Philippines as venue so as to manifest their concern and soli-

darity with the Filipino people and churches on the issues of justice and peace as

there had been in recent years a spate of extra-judicial killings and disappearances

of church workers and peace and human rights workers.

Coming from Silliman University Divinity School were Dr. Robinson

Radjagukguk, Rev. Reuel Norman O. Marigza, and Padi Jennifer Jamias (an IFI

priest taking her M.Theol). Karl James Villarmea of the Religious Studies Pro-

gram also attended the Congress. Marigza was one of the four panelist in one

afternoon session.

Roman Catholic Bishop Luis Antonio Tagle of Imus gave the keynote ad-

dress of the Congress.

Marigza (right) stresses a point during a panel discussion at CATS VI


Started in 1997, the CATS is a movement that seeks to create a theological

community that would bring together various theological movements and associa-

tions of theological education, as well as individual theologians.

Following CATS I held in Suwon, Korea in 1997, CATS II was held in Bangalore,

India in 1999; CATS III in Yogyakarta, Indonesia in 2001; CATS IV in Chiang

Mai, Thailand in 2003; and CATS V in Hong Kong in 2007.

Bishop Fernando Capalla of the Archdiocese of Davao and chairperson of the Fed-

eration of Asian Bishops Conference (one of the sponsoring organiziations); and

Rev. Fr. Rex Reyes Jr., general secretary of the National Council of Churches in

the Philippines, are also participated in the Congress.

Valentine’s, Lectures, Recitals, atbp.The Divinity School’s diary was full-packed during the latter half of the 2nd

semester. Faculty members and students alike were all on the move, hardly a time

to be idling around – even occasional celebrations were treated as a chance to learn

something. What had been afoot? Of course the Koinonia did not miss celebrating

the Love Month. Thru the initiative of the officers of the Divinity School Stu-

dents’ Assembly (DSSA) the Koinonia gathered on the 13th of February at the

Rodriguez Hall for a pre-Valentine’s Fellowship. It was an evening of poetry read-

ings and singing love songs where each class’ creativity was once again displayed.

The evening’s highlight was a poignant “Testimony of Love” which was shared by

Dr. Noriel Capulong.

Chicago Seminary Professors Visit SillimanDr. Ted Jennings, professor of Biblical and Constructive Theol ogy at Chi-

cago Theological Seminary in the U.S.A., was designated as visiting professor of

Silliman University from Feb. 17-26, this year. Dr. Jennings delivered lectures on

various topics, manifesting a wide range of knowledge in philosophy, bible, and

theology. To religion students, he spoke on “Paul and Empire.” Drawing on the

works of non-Christian philosophers who find inspiration in Paul’s writings, such

as Taubes and Derrida, he argued that Paul’s letters challenge imperial frameworks

and point to a community of love and justice.

He also delivered provocative lectures on “Deconstructing Homophobia” and

“The Man Jesus Loved: Homoerotic Narratives from the New Testament.” The

latter was basically a treatment of the enigmatic character in the gospel of John—

the beloved disciple. Looking into various passages in the fourth gospel, he pre-


sented the possibility of homoerotic relationship between Jesus and the beloved

disciple.

At the Divinity School he delivered the “Theology of the Cross” where he

argued to the effect that a church that does not take seriously the political demands

of the cross deserves to die.

Dr. Jennings’s visit culminated with a university lecture on “The Messiah

and His Apprentices.”

His lectures received both appreciations as well negative yet critical reac-

tions. Commenting on the radicality of his insights especially on the “Theology of

the Cross,” Rev. Reuel Norman Marigza says, “the idea that God in Jesus Christ

acting to reconcile himself to the world is something new to me since the prevail-

ing understanding is that of an angry God who must be satisfied so that salvation

can take place.”

Another interesting lecture roused the DS, St. Joseph seminarians and stu-

dents from the University who attended Dr. Hans Van der Ven’s talk on “Human

Rights and Religion” on Tuesday, 24th Feb. 2009. This was held at the Chapel of

the Evangel. Dr. Ven authored 20 books and wrote about 250 peer-reviewed jour-

nal articles. Currently, he is chair of comparative empirical science of religion at

Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

The school year will not be complete without the most-awaited recital of the

Junior Church Music Class and the Liturgy and Music Majors. On Wednesday,

March 11, 2009, a sea of keyboards deployed at the center of the chapel was played

by the nervous fingers of the Juniors. The evening was generally musically fun-

filled and tension-filled especially for the Junior class who demonstrated their

skills in playing the keyboard and singing their favorite anthems. It was followed

by the Liturgy and Music Majors’ Recital through a Worship Celebration on Fri-

day, the 13th of March 2009. Beryl Sale (M.Div. Senior) preached. A surprise

tribute to Dr. Robinson Radjagukguk was also given that evening.



Silliman Ministry MagazineMailing Address:

Silliman University Divinity School

Dumaguete City, 6200 Negros Oriental

Phone/Fax: (035) 225-7541

(035) 422-6002 local 540-541

Divinity School E-mail address:

[email protected] and/or

[email protected]

The Silliman Ministry Magazine is a

publication of the Divinity School. It comes

out three times a year in the months of

August, December and March.

EDITORIAL BOARD

Magnolia Nova Mendoza

Reuel Norman O. Marigza

Dennis Solon

EditorReuel Norman O. Marigza

Managing Editor

Magnolia Nova Mendoza

Layout Artist

Callum R. Tabada

The SMM welcomes articles, contributions, and

feedback from readers. It will help us tremen-

dously if said items would be directly e-mailed

to us. Manuscript intended for publication must

be accompanied with a 2” x 2” or a passport

size picture of the author. SMM reserves the

right to edit materials that it prints.

Opinions and ideas expressed in this publica-

tion belong to the individual authors and do not

necessarily reflect the official position of the

Divinity School.

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