HERE'S MY HEART

The ministry of worship.
Firstly, I must confess that in the last several months, my mind was all set on many things until a number of issues God had been wanting me to see and face began to arise. And so, over the last few weeks, I have spent time in prayer and the Word with GCF Ortigas Exalting Ministry in mind. In the process, I realized the Spirit kept directing me back to four important passages of Scripture.

While I recognize that each church is in varying circumstances and stages in their experience of worship, but the passages I cite are crucial to every Worship Ministry (Leaders and Members alike) to consider among other scripture texts when it wants to help the community of faith to be drawn in a deeper life of worship.

1. A NEW THING.

In my visits to other churches, I have reason to believe that GCF is very much at pace with the current trends in Evangelical worship. We are even more updated in terms of music materials than the churches I visited. But in my visits, I also realized how we fall behind in terms of capturing the essense- the spirit of evangelical expressive worship which is reflected in the way the congregation responds to our facilitation of worship. Don't you sometimes feel like going down from the stage and shake up people in our congregation who just won't participate during praise and worship? I do!

As I read ISAIAH 43:19 where God says,

Technically, the verse talks of the redemptive work of God when He freed Israel from bondage in Egypt and causing water and food to miraculously appear in the wilderness, and that He is able to do that again for Israel. But, in relation to GCF worship life, I could't help but ask, "What is that new thing God is doing?"

Recently, we had a guest music minister who led the choir and congregation to a more expressive worship style that drove our people to believing that such an experience of worship is what they need- a more Spirit-controlled, Bible-defined free and expressive kind of worship. I have reason to believe that, compared to other Baptist churches, our worship is more expressive! But since our community feels led to a deeper life of worship, and there's clamor for styles that facilitate such. People wanting a deeper and expressive life of worship is a new thing- the wave the Spirit is causing to rise! I believe we need to be prepared to ride the surf.

2. HIS RENOWN, OUR DESIRE.

When I arrived at GCF and started leading worship, I realized as a 23-year-old Bible college intern that I had just joined performance/entertainment-oriented church! With the many artists and musicians in the congregation that were and are part of the Ministry of Worship, the church is presdisposed to such a culture. I was in denial for a time-- I would not admit that I was in an entertainment-oriented church where people expect to be pleased by the people on stage Sunday after Sunday- since I drew that out of an observation on my part. Until I heard one person said, "The people liked our performance a lot. It's good they were amused!" I never talked about this observation and conclusion I made to any of the Worship staff - present and past.

Praise God that in the last few years that orientation has slowly changed. Worship leaders and pastors wish for their teams to become like Hillsong, Abundant Life, Prestonwood, etc.- and there is nothing essentially wrong about that, but I pray that at GCF, people, particularly the leaders and the team- will be known for their heart for the Lord's renown! Isaiah 26:8 , Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts. (NIV) will be the cry of our hearts as we srtive for godly excellence!

Should the Lord take GCF Worship Ministry to a higher level of influence it will solely be for His renown, not ours. I was telling some Worship Team members of our Singles Ministry that my prayer for them is to be an excellent team that even other churches will desire to invite to lead and facilitate a genuine worship experience because they live and breathe God's renown.


3. HIS NEARNESS IS OUR GOOD.

I envision a Worship Ministry whose members cannot live a day without having had a genuine and heartfelt quiet time with the Lord. I pray for Ministry members who will love the Lord with all their hearts more than their skills and crafts-- more than pianos and guitars, above their earthly/numan relationships. People who are so committed to the ministry that they will not exchange being in a worship event over work, play and fun!

My heart wishes to see the day when all our volunteers, and the entire church desire growth in their walk with Christ, and would live exemplary lives before God and men, and get others to walk with Christ with them.

4. LIFE-CHANGING WORSHIP EXPERIENCES.

Corporate worship is part of that idea of being joined together. Individual praise to the Lord is richer when it is given in the harmony of fellowship with others. Together, our love for God and our sense of being His children becomes much more powerful and real to us than when we are alone. Of course this means each of us must be walking with Him in truth, living our Christian lives with integrity. Fellowship is marred when even one member of the Body of Christ has unconfessed sin in her life. I can do little about the person next to me, but am responsible for keeping my own life clean and my sins confessed.

I pray and envision a GCF worship service where all-- not just a majority, but all people worshipping God expressively, pouring their hearts out in praise, and there's genuine repentance whether singing an old hymn or a new song, and the manifest presence of God is discernible by all, even by those who come for the first time just as Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 14, 24 But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in...he will be convinced...he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, "God is really among you!"


Here's my heart.

FATHER'S DAY THOUGHTS

Today is Father's Day!

The Rev. Thomas Perez-Las (Chen Ah Fu)
Minister, Father, Friend

I thank God for my dad.
He chose to stand on his faith as his traditional and deeply religiously entrenched family persecuted him. He chose to be a minister and serve God rather than pursue a business he worked so hard to establish. He raised five children-- his eldest having gone ahead in glory 21 years ago, his second daughter married a minister and is a mother of two beautiful daughters, his third is living successfully in the West and a mother of three bright young adults, his son is a business and uniformed man with two young boys, his youngest a pastor. He survived his wife of 38 years.

There are many things in which my dad and I don't agree. We've had some pretty sharp disagreements and he tells me that I am the most independent-minded of all his kids. Yet, I'm the only who followed his footsteps to pursue the vocational ministry.


I remember when I was three, when, for some reason I burst out into a tantrum in the middle of a worship service in a church where he was associate minister. The missionary pastor motioned for him to take me out. He took me from my mom's lap and carried me out of the chapel and into a Sunday school room. He sat on the piano stool, placed me on his lap and he started to play "Jesus Loves me this I know." He asked me to sing with him, and we stayed in that room until after the service ended. I believe that was the time I started loving music and singing- something I have not stopped doing!


He remains to this day to be a source of wisdom and encouragement. My dad!

EGALITARIAN VS. COMPLEMENTARIAN (my thoughts on women ministers)

At around 6 last night, after walking Joy to megamall where she and Lennie were to watch a movie, I rushed to Ayala's Trinoma Mall up north for a scheduled dinner with three of my closest female friends! I had a fun time eating out with them, something I've not done in a very long time.

I met them way back in Bible College 8 years ago! After Bible college and some time in hands-on involvement in their local churches, all three of them decided to go to seminary, something they've always wanted to do. One wishes to teach in a seminary, one wants to continue leading her church's youth department [and so claims/dreams to be a preacher's wife!], and one already works actively in her denomination's leadership team as somewhat of a bishop/superintendent for a region.

Like any other group of Christian workers gathered around a cramped dinner table in a noisy Chinese restaurant, we talked about the current state of our faith walk, our ministries, struggles, hopes and vision! Being the only man in the group I felt as though my role should be somewhat of a booster/comforter/big brother to my sisters swamped with overwhelming issues in the ministry, and at the same time be the life of the party- cracking some jokes here and there, making them laugh and all that! One of them admitted, "I have not laughed this much in days! Let me rephrase that, I have not laughed in days!" At that instant, I realized that the struggles that these women ministers are way more serious than I imagined. They are facing things I wish they never have to. No, their not facing gender issues, they are facing life and ministry issues that men normally face, or at least given to men to face!

I seriously thought how these women in their 20s came to grips with a sense of call from God to the ministry. Most women their age spend more time climbing the corporate ladder, making themselves more attractive, getting swooned and falling in love! These resilient, strong-willed but gentle and delicate women are in the same way called to the ministry as I am, and many others.

There are women ministers everywhere, and in many evangelical churches, they have been boxed in ministry to children, among other "minor" positions.

The first woman ever in recorded history to be ordained is Antoinnette Brown by the Congregational Church in 1853. She later joined the Unitarian Church. Eventually, egalitarianism rose from among the ranks of Protestants. Now, no one would deny its potent symbolism as a measure of gender equality and feminine achievement--today about half of all American denominations ordain women, and about 30% of all seminary students (and in some seminaries over half) are female. Egalitarianism holds that all people should be treated as equals from birth, and anything a man can do, so can a woman.

But I am a complementarian. I am a firm believer in the complementarian understanding of manhood and womanhood. In short, I believe that while being absolutely equal in personhood and dignity, man and woman are distinct in regards to roles in the home and church. This position is to be distinguished with both ancient patriarchal culture which often neglects the equality of the sexes and egalitarianism which neglects the clear Scriptural role distinctions of genders. Man and woman are equal, but there are commanded role distinctions in the Bible. Scriptures teach that we each have proper roles in the home and church.

In our church, we don't have ordained women pastors, but we do have women ministers! Women who love God and have sensed God's call in their lives to serve Him full time! As a pastor, am I equal with them in standing before God? Yes. But like I said, I, as any other man, have a different role.

There has been genuine, respectful dialog between complementarian and egalitarian scholars. But more often than not, the emotions that are brought into the dialog caused some disrespect for both parties by both parties. The body of Christ is meant to fight the enemy together but when some turn their weapons inward in order to fight their brothers and sisters in Christ because of a secondary issue of faith, this certainly brings not only shame upon our Lord Jesus, but harm to some precious members of the body of Christ.

The Lord Jesus is best served when we treat our fellow believers in Christ with respect even when that respect is not afforded to us. Yet we do not give up sharing truth and doing so in love. The winning side will be the one who fights for the truth of scripture while passionately debating the issues in love. (C.Schatz)

Thought for today:
"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present." - Master Oogway, Kung Fu Panda

THE WESLEYAN CHURCH...AMONG OTHERS

While the 7600 Southern Baptists meet for their Convention in Indianapolis, another denominational meeting was taking place at the 11th General Conference of The Wesleyan Church in Orlando, Florida.

The Wesleyan Church is an evangelical, Protestant denomination that emphasizes a holy life empowered for witness and service. With headquarters in Indiana, The Wesleyan Church has nearly 5,000 churches and missions in 80 countries of the world. Formed in 1968 resulting from the mergers of several like-minded groups, dating back as far as 1843, The Wesleyan Church has its roots in John Wesley's Methodism.

The Wesleyan General Conference didn't make much news because of its size (119,000 in the US, and 411,000 all over the world). Perhaps the media thinks the 1400 delegates discussing issues within their ranks won't even make a dent on the American and global religious landscape, unlike Baptists who comprise 20% of the American population, and numbers 110 million throughout the world [bwa stats].

At the Wesleyan General Conference, the 1400 delegates elected its first woman General Superintendent, Dr. Jo Annw Lyon, CEO of church-affilliated World Hope, a compassion ministry organization. If Southern Baptists elect a woman president, that would make news that could ring out loud as long as a decade and could outrage the most silent traditionalists and ultra-conservatives! Part of the reason why the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship was formed was because some Southern Baptists proposed ordination of women, and the rest of the denomination won't! The Baptist General Convention of Texas last year elected their first female president, Joy Fenner.

A General Superintendent of the Church of the Nazarene, Dr. Nina Gunter, also a woman, commended the election of Dr. Lyon saying, "The election of Jo Anne Lyons is a powerful testimonial of the heritage and Biblical, theological persuasions of the Wesleyan Church....the Church is commended for this forward step into the future."

Dr. Lyon, in her speech after having been elected said that her father trained her to serve the church. She quotes her father who said: "I trained my girl to be a good churchman!" Talk about lack of gender-sensitivity! In Dr. Lyon's acceptance speech she said, "I believe the Lord is positioning the Wesleyan Church to have a voice in the 21st century like never before!"
Like some of my blog readers know, I may have been Baptist all my life (and almost a Presbyterian), and my masteral studies were done (being done) in a non-denominational but quite Baptistic seminary, but my Bachelor of Theology degree I received from a Wesleyan-rooted college. My half of my professors in Bible college found their way into that school from the Wesleyan Church. Bill Oden, former president of Faith Bible College is an ordained Wesleyan minister. In a retreat at Caliraya, he once admitted to me upon discovery that I am Baptist that his influences are Baptists- Billy Graham, Jack Hyles, Jerry Falwell and WA Criswell. After that conversation, he asked me to sing in a program he was planning!

Bible College adjunct professor of Johannine Writings and Pastoral Counseling, the Rev. Jack Carlson was my first real, true-blue Wesleyan exposure. I remember the Rev. Carlson saying:
- "We embraced the doctrine of holiness so much that we have become so self-centered-- concerned solely with our individual growth, holiness and prayer life. We become too judgmental towards people who have a different view of holiness. We forget about missions and church growth!

- "We declare to live in holiness! But that's fancy talk for most of us! I hope that when we say we live in holiness, we will quit judging people who we 'feel' aren't walking in it."
- "Our number is dwindling! The only real growth being recorded in my denominations annals are fruits of the Philippine branch of the Wesleyan Church." "

Once over dinner with his wife Carole, he said, "I'm guessing, if my denomination remains the way it is, we're seeing the last remaining numbers of the Wesleyan Church in North America!"
I have not heard from the Rev. Carlson, but I believe his dream of seeing his denomination grow, reach the young people and step up once again is coming to a reality.

In the Presbyterian Church (USA) thirty years ago there were nearly two thousand missionaries on the mission field worldwide. Then we got some folks in leadership positions entrenched in those positions in the headquarters -- who began to question the need for missionaries around the world and who began to discourage missions and who actually began to pull missionaries off the field to the point where just a few years ago our missionary force had dwindled down to about between four and five hundred.

During the same thirty year period of time the membership of the PCUSA went from near four million down to about 2.6 million where it is today. Do you think there is any connection there, folks? Now praise God things are turning around. there are some new leadership in the denomination. There is a rebirthing of a worldwide missions vision in the PCUSA for which we should be grateful.

In my case (Baptist), the denomination has fought for doctrinal purity in the 70s through the 90s, and the conservatives won! But Fighting is still going on over minor things!

I read the book of 3 John this morning about Diotrephes and Demetrius.
This Diotrephes is a pretty sorry person isn't he? He emerges out of this text as an arrogant, egotistical, self-centered, control freak. His motto is Just Say No. His theme song is Sinatra's I Did It My Way. He is not the kind of guy you want in a leadership position in a church and yet he's there, not just back there in the first century; he is still around in a variety of churches across this globe.

Good Christian leader need to put our lives up against this text, up against this contrast between Diotrephes and Demetrius. Good spiritual leaders are first of all good followers, followers of Christ. Good spiritual leaders are folks that don't cut down other people's ministries but come alongside and encourage other ministries and work hard for the advancement of the kingdom even if they are not going to get any credit for it. Good spiritual leaders have a missions vision. Good spiritual leaders are involved in raising people up into ministry not running people off. Good spiritual leaders are willing to hear the truth about themselves.

A church advances no further than its leadership does. That's why in the body of Christ we need to hold the leadership to the highest standards according to the Word of God.

THIS YEAR AT THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION

As a Baptist-- a Southern Baptist by heart, I always look forward to the yearly meeting of the Southern Baptists.

Since I was in college (or perhaps earlier, around the close of the Conservative Resurgence), I've always wanted to attend the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting that takes place in the summer, usually the second week of June, which normally hits my birthdate! When Covenant Presbyterian Church in West Lafayette, Indiana issued an invitation for me to be their visiting Worship Pastor, I got so stoked about the fact that the SBC Annual Meeting is slated to take place in Indianapolis, just an hour or so away from Lafayette. Since I'm not in Indiana, I join the Southern Baptist Convention taking place this week via webcast on 316Networks, an entity in partnership with the North American Mission Board of the Convention.

The Broadus Gavel. James Draper, President of the Executive Committee opened the 151st Session by handing the Broadus Gavel to Convention President, Frank Page. The gavel has been in continued use in annual meetings since 1872. It was presented by John Albert Broadus to then Convention president, James Pettigru Boyce at the opening of the 1872 Meeting. The gavel- it's handle is made of balsam wood from a tree that grows along the Jordan River where Jesus was baptized, it's head is made of olive wood taken from the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem where Jesus ascended to heaven. Significantly, the gavel represents the beginning and the end of the Jesus' public work on earth.

John Albert Broadus and James Pettigru Boyce

Billy Kim Recognized. A highlight in the Executive Committee Report was the recognition of Korean Baptist leader, the Rev. Billy Kim as Distinguished Baptist Statesman Award for his lifelong service in global evangelism and leadership among Baptists. Kim, Pastor Emeritus of 15,000-member Suwon Central Baptist Church is now president of Far East Broadcasting Company. Billy Kim noted a time when he was a young minister visiting the United States with limited knowledge of the English language. He was introduced as a "Model Preacher." He didn't know the meaning of the word "Model" so he checked his Korean dictionary and it read "A small object that represents a larger object." The person introducing him went on and said, "Billy Kim is a warm preacher." He didn't know what warm meant so he again checked his dictionary and found out that warm means "moderately hot"!

Election of Johnny Hunt. Senior Pastor of the 17,000-member First Baptist Church of Woodstock, GA was elected President of the Convention garnering more than 50% of the votes over five other candidates.

Johnny Hunt, and the worship center of FBC Woodstock

On the surface level, members of the Southern Baptist Convention – the largest Protestant denomination in the country – may pat each other on the back for all the good works they’re doing, but outgoing SBC president Frank Page urged them to see themselves as they really are, even though it may hurt. “I wonder … will we as Southern Baptists recognize the signs of what is happening among us?” Page told thousands of attendants Tuesday.

In his nominating speech of Hunt, Ted Traylor, pastor of Olive Baptist in Pensacola, FL. said he was nominating Hunt because of his "heart for the nations" and his "heart for the next generation." Hunt will unite the convention and "forge a hopeful future" focused on the Gospel and connected to local churches, Traylor said.

Johnny Hunt, who has led his church to grow from a medium-size congregation into a bustling 17000-member community that meets in a multi-acre campus, now faces the challenge of getting the SBC back on track again and prepare for growth. The alarming decline of the denomination's membership has to be overturned and churches need to again focus on missions and not denominational politics. While baptism numbers are down, giving is up, but money is not as good as baptisms!

There's one more day of meeting tomorrow...actually, today. I'll just have to wait 'til it's uploaded!

And I await the coverage of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) next week.