REV. JERIC C. CORTADO: CALL TO WORSHIP (Psalm 66:1-12):
CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: In the name of God our Parent, Jesus our Christ and Redeemer, and of the Holy Spirit our comforter. All: Ame...
Monday, October 7, 2019
CALL TO WORSHIP (Psalm 66:1-12)
CALL TO WORSHIP
Leader: In
the name of God our Parent, Jesus our Christ and Redeemer, and of the Holy
Spirit our comforter.
All: Amen.
Leader: Shout with joy to God, all the
earth!
People: Sing the glory of the name of
God! Sing praises to God’s name!
Leader: Come and see what God has done.
God rules forever and watch over God’s nation.
People: Come, let us rejoice in God!
Leader: God preserved our lives, refined
us like sliver and brought us to a place of abundance.
All: Let us praise the God, O peoples!
(Adapted
from Psalm 66:1-12, Rev. Jeric C. Cortado, October 8, 2019)
Thursday, December 20, 2018
THE CELEBRATION OF JESUS’ BIRTH
THE CELEBRATION OF JESUS’ BIRTH[1]
PRAISE
AND PRAYER
GATHERING
PROCLAMATION OF THE LIGHTS
Candle
of Love
We
light the Candle of Love which expresses our commitment to manifest the love of
Christ who was born in the manger for all. Thus, we can therefore build a
community not linked by blood ties but by bonds of commitment to Christ and to
his community.
The Tibetan bowl will be beaten thrice. The Candle of Love will be lit.
Candle
of Joy
We
light the Candle of Joy which expresses our commitment to the knowledge we have
received from God who journeyed with the poor, oppressed, marginalized,
exploited and deprived but rejoicing because of the amazing thing that God has
done to them, like with Mary. A young woman who deeply moved by the amazing
reality in her life that was carrying the Liberator and Redeemer. Although she
was little scared but was filled with great joy. A joy that overtakes our
sorrows and washes away pains and paves the way to the fullness of life.
The Tibetan bowl will be beaten thrice. The Candle of Joy will be lit.
Candle
of Peace
We
light the Candle of Peace which expresses our faith to peace-building
initiative as Christ born in the manger. This candle reminds us to Christ’s
peace that we received by faith, a pure gift to those who accept it and
committed to peace building initiatives.
The Tibetan bowl will be beaten thrice. The Candle of Peace will be lit.
Candle
of Patience
We
light the Candle of Patience which expresses our commitment to possess the
virtue of consistency and endurance in journeying towards life in its fullness.
This also reminds us that the God we believe is the God who offered us healing
and salvation.
The Tibetan bowl will be beaten thrice. The Candle of Patience will be lit.
Candle
of Kindness
We
light the Candle of Kindness which expresses our commitment to make our life a
manifestation of God’s miracles leading us to repentance and being redeemed to
the purpose of our existence (Romans 2:4). Kindness is Caring, Helping, Redeeming, Inspiring, Serving, and Trusting someone that he/she can do
what is good for them, for their love ones, and for the world with passion and
compassion.
The Tibetan bowl will be beaten thrice. The Candle of Kindness will be lit.
Candle
of Goodness
We
light the Candle of Goodness which expresses our commitment to proclaim the
Gospel in word and in deed. Living a life with Compassion, doing Holy
and Redeeming things, fully Immersed to the purpose of our
existence as created in the image of God, Sharing
life with one another that Transforms
life towards its fullness.
The Tibetan bowl will be beaten thrice. The Candle of Goodness will be lit.
Candle
of Faithfulness
We
light the Candle of Faithfulness which expresses our commitment to discernment
and live faithfully a life that is Christic
(Liberating), Healed, Redeemed, Inter-cultural competent for Social
Transformation. A life that sees the
realities of life through the eyes of Christ, speaks with the voice of Christ,
heals with the hands of Christ, and breathed with the Spirit of Christ.
The Tibetan bowl will be beaten thrice. The Candle of Faithfulness will be lit.
Candle
of Gentleness
We
light the Candle of Gentleness, which expresses our commitment to live a life
that Cares, like a mother caring her
little children (1 Thess 2:7) prompted by love; a way of life that gives Hope; a life that Redeems and Inspires
people; a life that passionately Sharing
wisdom with one another; a life that that corrects and Teaches others. In a gentle heart born a life that is CHRIST
(Galatians 6:1; 2 Timothy 2:25; 1 Peter 3:15).
The Tibetan bowl will be beaten thrice. The Candle of Gentleness will be lit.
Candle
of Self-Control
We
light the Candle of Self-Control which expresses our commitment to a life with
discipline; developing the capacity to subdue our impulses and desires, and our
own will to let the will of God reign in our heart. In this season, we commit
to direct our attention to Christ born in the manger who taught us to love our
neighbor as we love ourselves.
The Tibetan bowl will be beaten thrice. The Candle of Self-Control will be lit.
Candle
of Christ
We
light this candle of Jesus Christ – the Light of the World. The Son of Mary –
the poor, oppressed, marginalized, exploited, deprived but struggling people
who risked everything to nurture Jesus. As we light this candle, we express our
commitment to manifest God’s presence with our neighbors, love ones and of the
whole world. We express our willingness to immerse in the way of the LORD. In
Liberating the people, in Ordering the life of the people, in Redeeming the
people from any form of evils and sins, and in Developing principled leaders
for the transformation of the world.
The Tibetan bowl will be beaten thrice. The Candle of Christ will be lit.
SERVICE OF INCENSING
A stick of incense
will be lighted. During this time the following will be read by a designated
member of the community.
As we
light the incense, O God, we recognize your presence who revealed to us
regardless of our colors, cultures, sexual orientations, and convictions. This
reminds us to one of the wise persons visited at the birth of Jesus offered an
incense – a symbol of worshiping the newly born Jesus, the Messiah, Prophet,
and Savior (Matthew 2:11). This is also expresses our prayer to God, to be
heard and incline God’s ear to us and granting us peace. Let our prayer be
counted as incense before God. And the lifting up of our hearts as our
thanksgiving and praise to God, our Parent.
CALL TO CELEBRATION
Pastor: Come, let us celebrate!
People: Let us celebrate the birth of
Jesus (Isa, for Islam), the Messiah (Isa Al-Masih, in the Islam), the Son of
Mary (Ibu Mariam, in Islam).
Pastor: Come, let us celebrate.
People: For everyone who believed in
Jesus, born through the womb of the poor, oppressed, marginalized, exploited,
deprived but struggling people will have eternal life.
All: Let us celebrate the birth of
Isa Al-Masih or Jesus the Messiah, the Word of God, the Prophet or Al-Nabi, and
our Saviour!
+SINGING OF CHRISTMAS CAROLS
READING THE ACCOUNT OF THE BIRTH
OF JESUS
REFLECTION ON THE BIRTH OF JESUS
CANTICLE OF MARY (UMC 199)
Response:
THE GLORY OF THE LORD SHALL BE
REVEALED; ALL FLESH SHALL SEE IT TOGETHER.
Voice 1: My soul proclaims the greatness
of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, who has looked with favour
on me, lowly servant. R.
Voice 2: From this day all generations
shall call me blessed. The almighty has done great things for me and holy is
the name of the Lord, whose mercy in on those who fear God from generation to
generation. R.
Voice 3: The arm of the Lord is strong,
and he scattered the proud in their conceit. God has cast down the mighty from
their thrones and lifted up the lowly. R.
Voice 4: God has filled the hungry with
good things and sent the rich empty away. God has come to the aid of Israel,
the chosen servant, remembering the promise of mercy, the promised made to our
forebears, to Abraham and his children forever. R.
PRAISE,
COMMUNION AND BLESSING
AGAPE MEAL
+FINAL BLESSING
Pastor: May the serenity of heavenly
grace descend upon you, and may the birth of Jesus Christ, enlighten us now and
forever.
All: Amen.
Pastor: Go now in peace.
All: Thanks be to God.
+FINAL SONG “Emmanuel, Emmanuel” UMH 204
EMMANUEL,
EMMANUEL, CHRIST NAME IS CALLED EMMANUEL.
GOD
WITH US, REVEALED IN US, CHRIST NAME IS CALLED EMMANUEL.
+GOING FORTH
[1]Prepared
by Rev. Jeric C. Cortado, Chaplain and Associate Professor of the Southern
Philippines Methodist Colleges, Inc., Mt. Apo Village, Poblacion, Kidapawan
City, Philippines 9400. December 14, 2018.
Tuesday, November 20, 2018
The Church is in the PITS, thus needs a TIPS
The
Church is in the PITS, thus needs a TIPS
Rev. Jeric C. Cortado, July 9, 2019, Sarum College, Salisbury, England
Methodism
is a movement of renewal, a renewing force within the Church of England,
committed to prove in experience what the church professed in doctrine. John Wesley tried to renew the Church to its original
purposes of existence passionately lives out the transformative apostolic traditions and the great commission of
Jesus Christ, thus incarnate the love
of God, made practical the professed
doctrines and mission of the Church, in solidarity
with the poor, oppressed, marginalized, exploited, deprived but struggling
people towards the fullness of life. The Church should be freed from privatized leadership and program
components, wherein the leadership and administrative responsibilities in all
the aspects of the Church confined only to the ordained and the lay people are
merely spectators. Preserving the fixed rules and hierarchy of authority and
forget the distinctive being and calling of the Church. It should be freed from
individualism and institutional, that
being a Christian is an individual matter and is not essentially bound
to life with others, and imitating the organizational structures and management
of profitable corporations confined in the bureaucratic pressures. Thus, the
Church consciously or unconsciously hides the hunger of the people for
companionship and community, overlooked the status of the body and the spirit
of the people, and narrowed with the fixed rules and hierarchy of authority. The Church should be freed from being traditional, in a sense that the Church
lost from its purpose of existence and from its understanding of the tradition.
The apostolic tradition and ministry passed on to the Church is to be contextual
in doing the ministry. What the Church inherited from our fore-parents of faith
was how to become proactive of the realities of the times, and how to live out
faith in our context. Moreover, the Church should be redeemed from being separated from the people by having a
big gap between the lay people and the clergy. Though, the authority to preside
the sacraments is only for the clergy but to become sacramental is for
everybody’s calling either clergy or lay. In our understanding, sacraments are
collective celebration of clergy and lay making the grace of God visible to
them, through them, and with them in the unity of the Spirit of God poured out
upon them that made them empowered to preach good news to the poor,
enlightenment, freedom and liberation, provide sanctuary, and the realization
of the fullness of life. The Church should be sacrament of God’s grace and
God’s liberating acts.
As
pointed out by Rev. Dr. Paul W. Chilcote[1]
about John Wesley’s assessments, that the Church is in the PITS (P.I.T.S) or in
the depths of despair. So, the Church needs to be renewed in the Spirit of God,
thus, needs TIPS (T.I.P.S) or reminders, guidance or instructions for renewal
living in the power of God’s love for a transformed and transforming
spirituality. And in the emergence and the development of the Methodist
Societies, the TIPS made Methodism a phenomenal faith community throughout the
world, that claimed by John Wesley as his parish.
[1] Rev. Dr. Paul W. Chilcote is the Director of the United Methodist
Studies and Professor of the Asbury Theological Seminary, USA.
Monday, November 19, 2018
Blessing of the Street Lights
The Blessing of the SPMCI Patti
Agustin – Paul Smith Street Light (PAPSS)
By Rev. Jeric C. Cortado, July 28, 2018
Pastor: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Pastor: We gather together along the
newly installed Patti Agustin – Paul Smith Street Light or PAPSS. We are
thankful to Rev. Patria Agustin – Smith and Mr. Paul Smith for their generosity
that made the Enhancement of Campus Lighting in SPMCI realized. The fourteen lamp
posts that light the road from the gate to the dormitories for the gents and
ladies symbolizes the completeness and the pure intention of SPMCI to have a brighter
campus during night time for better protections of the student-residents.
Then the pastor
will raise hands and then palms down for the Final Blessing.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on this newly
installed Patti Agustin – Paul Smith Street Light or PAPS. Let your light
shines upon us through the PAPSS and that we may be reminded of the generosity
of our sponsors, supporters, and partners whom by their simple and humble
living they are be able to extend help for the programs and ministry of the
SPMCI. They are ordinary people from abroad and from around the SPMCI who did
extraordinary things because of their love to you, O God our Parent, expressed
in loving their neighbour. Amen.
The Blessing of the SPMCI Spirituality Garden
The Blessing of the SPMCI Spirituality Garden
Prepared by Rev. Jeric C. Cortado, July 26, 2018
The presiding
pastor will stand at the centre of the Spirituality Garden. The Tibetan bowl will be beaten thrice.
Introductory Words
Pastor: The peace of God be with you.
People: And also with you.
Pastor: As we gather together on this
particular place of the SPMCI, we are thankful for the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Voice 1: The Word of Wisdom that helps us
recognized the significance of each other and the importance of the centrality
of God in our life.
The Tibetan bowl will be beaten thrice. The Candle of Wisdom will be lit.
Voice 2: The Word of Knowledge - the
ability to think about and to explore God’s revelation, and recognizes the
mysteries of faith beyond our senses.
The Tibetan bowl will be beaten thrice. The Candle of Knowledge will be lit.
Voice
3: The Gift of Faith, seeking understanding and continue to grow to higher
level as we continue to draw near to God. The faith manifests in our daily
actions and in the service of the people of God.
The Tibetan bowl will be beaten thrice. The Candle of Faith will be lit.
Voice 4: The Gift of Healing underlies
the great mystery of God’s love offering balance, harmony, and wholeness of the
body, mind, spirit, and relationship. The gift that leads us all reconciled
with God.
The Tibetan bowl will be beaten thrice. The Candle of Healing will be lit.
Voice 5: The Workings of Miracles, reminds
us of the extraordinary nature of the ordinary world. The ordinary human being
created in the image of God has an extraordinary capacity to love and establish
empowering relationship. Thus, we are called for the transformation of the
world – called as miraculous stewards of God’s creation.
The Tibetan bowl will be beaten thrice. The Candle of Miracles will be lit.
Voice 6: The Gift of Prophecy, the gift
of speaking God’s Word clearly and passionately, and bold speak what needs to
be said. The Gift of Prophecy is the ability to proclaim God’s future by
revealing God’s perspective on our current reality.
The Tibetan bowl will be beaten thrice. The Candle of Prophecy will be lit.
Voice 7: The Gift of Discernment, the
ability to see the best way to follow, critically analyses the situation when
choices came confusing. The gift of allowing us to focus on what is the
priority and most important to consider, and guides us whom to listen and whom
to avoid.
The Tibetan bowl will be beaten thrice. The Candle of Discernment will be lit.
Voice 8: The Gift of Exhortation or speak
in tongues which is the ability to speak freely the tongues of the earth that
enlightened and empowers the people.
The Tibetan bowl will be beaten thrice. The Candle of Speaking in Tongues will be lit.
Voice 9: The Gift to Interpret Tongues is
the ability to interpret God’s word in a multi-cultural context and reality.
The Tibetan bowl will be beaten thrice. The Candle for the Gift to Interpret Tongues will be lit.
All: O God, we are thankful for the
Gifts of the Holy Spirits who empowers us.
Pastor: Indeed, we are thankful for the
Gifts of the Holy Spirit that empowers us to make the gifts in us, with us, and
through us bear fruits that builds, empowers and flourishes life to its
fullness.
Voice 10: We light the Candle of Love
which expresses our commitment to manifest the wisdom of God. It expresses our commitment
to manifests through our life time the love of God to all people, regardless of
colours, generations, sexual orientation and convictions. Thus, we can
therefore build a community not linked by blood ties but by bonds of commitment
to Christ and to his community.
The Tibetan bowl will be beaten thrice. The Candle of Love will be lit.
Voice 11: We light the Candle of Joy which
expresses our commitment to the knowledge we have received from God who
journeyed with the poor, oppressed, marginalized, exploited and deprived but
rejoicing because of the amazing thing that God has done to them. A joy that
overtakes our sorrows and washes away pains and paves the way to the fullness
of life.
The Tibetan bowl will be beaten thrice. The Candle of Joy will be lit.
Voice 12: We light the Candle of Peace
which expresses our faith to peace-building. This candle reminds us to Christ’s
peace that we received by faith, a pure gift to those who accept it and
committed to peace building initiatives.
The Tibetan bowl will be beaten thrice. The Candle of Peace will be lit.
Voice 13: We light the Candle of Patience
which expresses our commitment to possess the virtue of consistency and
endurance in journeying towards life in its fullness. This also reminds us that
the God we believe is the God who offered us healing and salvation.
The Tibetan bowl will be beaten thrice. The Candle of Patience will be lit.
Voice 14: We light the Candle of Kindness which
expresses our commitment to make our life a manifestation of God’s miracles leading
us to repentance and being redeemed to the purpose of our existence (Romans
2:4). Kindness is Caring, Helping, Redeeming, Inspiring, Serving, and Trusting someone that he/she can do what is good for them, for their
love ones, and for the world with passion and compassion.
The Tibetan bowl will be beaten thrice. The Candle of Kindness will be lit.
Voice 15: We light the Candle of Goodness
which expresses our commitment to proclaim the Gospel in word and in deed. Living
a life with Compassion, doing Holy and Redeeming things, fully Immersed
to the purpose of our existence as created in the image of God, Sharing life with one another that Transforms life towards its fullness.
The Tibetan bowl will be beaten thrice. The Candle of Goodness will be lit.
Voice 16: We light the Candle of
Faithfulness which expresses our commitment to discernment and live faithfully
a life that is Christic
(Liberating), Healed, Redeemed, Inter-cultural competent for Social
Transformation. A life that sees the
realities of life through the eyes of Christ, speaks with the voice of Christ,
heals with the hands of Christ, and breathed with the Spirit of Christ.
The Tibetan bowl will be beaten thrice. The Candle of Faithfulness will be lit.
Voice 17: We light the Candle of Gentleness,
which expresses our commitment to live a life that Cares, like a mother caring her little children (1 Thess 2:7)
prompted by love; a way of life that gives Hope;
a life that Redeems and Inspires people; a life that
passionately Sharing wisdom with one
another; a life that that corrects and Teaches
others. In a gentle heart born a life that is CHRIST (Galatians 6:1; 2 Timothy
2:25; 1 Peter 3:15).
The Tibetan bowl will be beaten thrice. The Candle of Gentleness will be lit.
Voice 18: We light the Candle of
Self-Control which expresses our commitment to a life with discipline;
developing the capacity to subdue our impulses and desires, and our own will to
let the will of God reign in our heart. Let our life a Gospel in a multi-cultural
context and realities.
The Tibetan bowl will be beaten thrice. The Candle of Self-Control will be lit.
All: O God, we are thankful for the
Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit who empowers us.
Pastor: Indeed, we are thankful for the
Gifts of the Holy Spirit that empowers us to make the gifts in us, with us, and
through us bear fruits that builds, empowers and flourishes life to its
fullness. We believe that the Holy Spirit is our companion and our guide.
The blessing for
the Spirituality Garden will be offered by the Pastor.
O
God, our Parent, pour out your blessing upon this Spirituality Garden
recognizing the Gifts of the Holy Spirit that you have entrusted to the SPMCI
and looking for the fruits of these Gifts of the Holy Spirit manifest in us,
with us, and through us as member of the SPMCI Community. Amen.
A hymn will be sung.
References
4. https://www.loyolapress.com/our-catholic-faith/scripture-and-tradition/catholic-basics/catholic-beliefs-and-practices/gifts-of-the-holy-spirit (Accessed, July
23, 2018)
5.
Heavne,
Betsey, (2012) Job Description and Leadership Training in the United Methodist
Church, 2013-2016. USA: Discipleship Resources – Philippines.
7.
Martensen, Jean (ed). (1998). SING
OUT NEW VISIONS: Prayers, Poems and Reflections by Women. USA: Augsburg
Fortress.
8.
(2002) THE UNITED METHODIST BOOK OF WORSHIP. USA: The United Methodist Publishing
House.
9.
(2000)THE UNITED METHODIST BOOK OF DISCIPLINE. USA: The United
Methodist Publishing House.
CALL TO WORSHIP IN CELEBRATING THE WORLD TEACHER'S DAY, October 2018
Rev. Jeric C. Cortado
Leader: In the name of God our Parent, Jesus our Christ and Redeemer, and of the Holy Spirit our comforter.
Leader: In the name of God our Parent, Jesus our Christ and Redeemer, and of the Holy Spirit our comforter.
All:
Amen.
Leader: We gather together today to
give thanks and praise to God, who called the teachers and instructors of the
world to nurture and nourish us with God’s wisdom and knowledge.
People: We gather together to
acknowledge our teachers that leads us to new understanding about the creation,
ourselves and our vocation.
Leader: We gather together to
recognized the significant contribution of our teachers who inspires us to give
ourselves for others may experience Compassion,
Healing, Redemption, Inspiration,
Solidarity, and Transformation. Our neighbour through us, in us, and with us may
experience CHRIST.
People: We gather together to give
praise and thanks our God, who sends teachers for us to grow, glow and go making
disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
Leader: Let us praise the Lord our God,
giver of knowledge and freedom, gifts and potency to build the world where
peace, justice, love, and hope reign in wisdom and in truth.
All: Hallelujah!
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