Random Thoughts
I almost combusted a thousand neurons just to come up with what to write for my last column. Words don’t really come into my mind as I want them to. I can hardly organize my thoughts. Maybe because I haven’t been writing for quite some time. Or maybe, everything had already been written in the past issues of this newsletter. Nothing more interesting than the deafening silence. Peace, no?
As I am mesmerized by the thought that there are only two more days before the NYC, am also welcoming another year in my life. Time flies and we all hear the voice that whispers how many years have we been in the ministry.
Yes, yes. We are not getting any younger anymore. I mean we are becoming quite old. Okay, old! As we look around, we realize that we are now sitting with younger batch of leaders whom God has chosen to carry on the mission. Ahead lies greater responsibilities for self and others. Yet there is a ministry that needs to be continued and sustained.
Better yet, we have once again proven the faithfulness of God through the years. Through our ministry. Through our personal lives.
Many of us have graduated from high school or college while some have just got a new job. Alongside these, we remain in the ministry for the young people. Despite busy schedules and other priorities we have in hand, we spared couple of days to gather for the NYC. (We’re glad to see you again friends. One biennium was not really long!)
There’s a lot to thank God about. We were blessed with committed leaders in the past years who have been willing to sacrifice their time, talent and treasures. Some of them even resigned from work just to give much time for the ministry. Their unseen efforts are manifested through the successes of every program. So many years in the UMYFP leadership… NYC will surely be memorable for them as they leave the doorstep of the fellowship but not actually the ministry. Kudos ates and kuyas (and welcome to UMYAF!hehe).
New set of leaders. Different challenges. Yet the same God!
The joy of serving
It is always a privilege to serve God. Though it may sometimes entail sacrifices, it will never be enough to equate them with His blessings. What and who we are now are fruits of the faith that we have developed while in the ministry. My heart is even rejoicing that we are given the chance to serve such a big God. Even in our own little ways. From the day we started with the fellowship, we should always be grateful that we remain steadfast until this time that another biennium is drawing near, for it’s more than worth-it to serve our Creator!
Words of gratitude
As this maybe my last column in Pananaw, I wish to extend sincerest gratitude to Kuya Myts who always shares his vision for the young people through his writings and to Earlie (my half-soul but not my girlfriend) for helping to conceptualize every issue of this newsletter inspired with her journalistic and layouting skills.
To Kuya Lenmark who always seeks for a better layout, Joejit who had nothing to edit if there were no articles from the staffs and to all the members who remained until the last issue. To the dear readers whose appreciations, critiques and comments were rarely or never heard at all. To God be the glory!
A Vision of Greatness
(Isang Malayong Tanaw sa Pananaw)
Puyat at bumabagsak pa rin ang talukap ng aking mga mata. Wala pa kasi akong sapat na tulog mula sa halos magdamagang pagtatagpi ng mga pahinang iyong binabasa ngayon. At hanggang dito sa opisina ay pagsusulat pa rin ang ginagawa ko sa kagustuhang maihabol ito sa takdang panahon. Ako na lang kasi ang wala pang kolum!haha. Naubos ang maraming oras sa paghahanap ng mga paksang pupuno sa mga dahon ng pahayagang ito. Mahirap lalo na kapag tila nakalilimot na ang iba nating mga kasamahan. Hmmm… Mabuti na lang at maraming mga ate at kuyang pwedeng kulitin, at may ilang mga kabataang nag-ambag din. Agyamanak apo!
Napakabilis ng dalawang taon. In few months time, my term as Editor of Pananaw will come to its end. I really enjoyed those glorious days of serving through the newsletter that was revived from many years of extinction. There is still a great challenge for many of us–how to sustain and continue its advocacy. Let me just point out some issues on hand.
For one, we need committed writers and staffs. We should give not only our talents but also and even more importantly, our t-i-m-e. I remember those days that I had to leave for Manila (I was coming from Zambales) just to work on the newsletter. It was actually one of the reasons why I decided to work here. And I must say that it’s worth all the sacrifices. I also got involved in the programs of the National UMYF and learned more of its life! Now, I see so many tasks ahead of me.
There is also a need to sit down for planning and brainstorming in every issue of the newsletter. Mas maganda kasi kapag collective ang idea, ‘di ba? Then evaluation should follow after the publication to identify points that need improvement. Kung hindi man kaya in a regular setting dahil sa magkakalayo ang staffs, at least they can share their insights over the internet, keep in-touch with the activities and meet the deadlines of submission. After all, maraming paraan para magpakita ng suporta! Admittedly, there were things we could have done but we did not due to some constraints.
How about the circulation? Honestly, we do not have enough finances for the production. It is only through God’s grace that Pananaw survives. It does not have its own fund thus it relies on the general funds of the fellowship and some sponsorships. Internet was also a big help. We have made every issue available to our members and friends even those who are abroad. I think we can also explore on how we can share copies to more UMC bodies and other youth organizations so they will know of our concerns as young people. Mabuti
na lang at may risography that affords us the printing and circulation of the newsletter to the grassroots. We give at least one copy per local church (hanggang doon pa lang ang kaya natin sa dami ng local churches sa buong Pilipinas). Problem is, may mga ilang leaders (I know some of them) na pinagkatiwalaan pero hindi ito naibibigay sa dapat na pagbigyan. Natutulog lang tuloy na parang walang buhay ang pinagkagastusan at pinaghirapang papel. Tsk, tsk, tsk!
Another is how to get feedbacks from our readers. Writing contests? We have done so many and are still doing more. This is important to let them share their views on certain issues and to also know their reactions on the articles being published. Katulad ngayon, hindi ko alam kung ano ang naiisip mo habang binabasa ito. Dear readers, your comments and feedbacks are important and most welcome. We would surely appreciate hearing from you!
“Aim high…” That’s a famous line I always notice every time I pass by Olongapo City. Why don’t we aim high for Pananaw? Organize its editorial staffs. Formulate editorial policies. Conduct writing seminars and contests. Or simply do writing workshops to help annual conferences put up their own newsletter. I think this is supposed to be a thrust of the Education Department that can be adopted by ACs. Eventually, we can organize Pananaw as a formal ministry program and have all other newsletters accredited. With this, we can train more young writers that can contribute in developing modules and other resource materials for the sustenance of the fellowship.
However, we will never realize all these things unless we know the real meaning of commitment. Among other things, human resource matters a lot to carry out all our plans for the fellowship. Thus, we need people who are good enough to commit!
(Vol. IV No. 3) 3 in 1
Chances
Para sa ating mga ate at kuya sa UMYF, ilang taon na lamang at magiging mga kabataang-may-sapat-na-gulang (UMYAF) na kayo!hehe. Pero ayos lang yan, just enjoy your remaining years with the young people. Pero sabi nga ng awit “tatanda at lilipas din (ooops)…tayo”. Doon naman talaga patungo ang lahat. Gamitin natin ang pagkakataon ng ating kabataan na makapaglingkod katulad ng sinasabi sa Mangagaral 12:1 “Alalahanin mo ang lumikha sa’yo sa panahon ng iyong kabataan.” Isa itong pagkakataon na hindi dapat palampasin. Nasa atin ang lahat ng lakas at talino para sa gawain ng Panginoon, gamitin natin ito sa mabuti.
Let me just take this chance to commend the new set of district and local officers who have responded to God’s call of leading the young people. Sa mga national at annual officers, nakakaisang taon na tayo!
Changes
Ang panahon ng mga kabataan ngayon ay sinasabing malayo ang kaibahan sa panahon ng ating mga magulang, totoo naman di ba? The latest technologies have become our language. Even the churches were forced to strip off the skin of conservatism in order to adjust with the demands of the present time. The UMC and the UMYF in particular had to implement new programs that would catch the young people’s attention especially in the local levels.
Many previous articles in this publication have demonstrated the different changes about the young people’s music, expressions and interests. These allowed us to create new activities to meet their taste. I didn’t intend to mention them again because you for one know a lot about them. More importantly, I wanted you to look into their effects and challenge you to reflect:
We become activity-oriented and miss its purpose. We always get into something new for the young people and we look much on the activity itself rather than the purpose. We tend to pay more time in designing its presentation and process that we tend to forget its relevance and impact to the young people…“so the theme must be catchy and the activity is not corny.” Kasi kung hindi bago, lalangawin lang. Because of this, many young people just enjoy the activities without even realizing their purpose. Maraming kabataan din ang nabubuhay lang kapag masaya ang gawain lalo na sa district at local. Ito rin tuloy ang nagiging sukatan kung ang kabataan ay “active” o hindi.
Sometimes, we also do activities for the sake of maintenance alone. Ito ‘yung mga activities na hindi pwedeng mawala like praise and worship or prayer meeting. We focus more on the responsibility and not to the heart of worship who is Jesus Christ himself. Minsan ginagawa na lang natin ito kasi kailangan at para masabing mayroon tayong gawain para sa mga kabataan.
We got many programs and sustain a few. We plan to conduct as many activities as we can yet we have a hard time implementing them. Kung hindi manpower ang problema, malamang finances. Marami sa atin ang very idealistic din sa pagpaplano pero pagdating sa paggawa ay hindi masyadong maasahan. Kung hindi busy, malamang nagtampo! I remember many stories in our church where we launched several programs for young people. Came a few weeks or months, they started to become passive and eventually cease. Maintenance always becomes an issue because of many reasons!
Challenges
I’m no against the innovations in the activities of the young people because they are our ways to win more souls for Christ. The challenge is just to empower our leadership and maintain Christ as the center of everything we do.
It is true that we need to change our old styles and innovate in order to capture our young people’s attention but we should not forget the purpose of the ministry we are called for; that is, to make disciples of all nations. Time requires evolution of new ministerial approaches but the ministry itself does not change. Charles Keysor himself said in his book Our Methodist Heritage, that “True Methodism is outreach. It is marked by restless creativity which does not rest content with old ways of evangelizing, but under holy guidance, thrusts ever out to where people are, offering them Jesus Christ.” We can always introduce God to the present generation because God works even in the modern world where technology and strong idealism thrive.
Marami pang pagbabago ang magaganap. Ilang taon pa ay lilipas na din tayo lahat sa buhay kabataan. What impact have we caused so far? Let us continue the leadership and train more young leaders to be our partners for God’s ministry.
Being a youth leader is a chance of taking the challenge to be an instrument of positive change!
(Vol. IV No. 3) GANO’N SILA DOON, GANITO TAYO DITO…
“At this time that we are living at incredibly crucial period, we have to stand out more than ever and prove that we really are a strong community of faith that strains toward an empowered nation just as we spend more time with the empowering spirit of the Lord who has chosen us…”
Are you familiar with these lines? If yes, malamang eh nabasa mo ang column ko sa previous issue ng Pananaw. It’s interesting to reflect once more on this thought lalo na’t maraming hamon ang hinaharap ng bansa ngayon. Sige, pag-usapan natin ang pulitika!
Oooppss…bakit kapag narinig mo ang salitang “pulitika” ay nagngingitngit ka agad? Marahil ay naiisip mo ang mukha ng pangulo, ng congressmen (tinatawag ding congressmen ang mga senators pero hindi pwedeng tawaging senador ang isang representative), ni gov, ni mayor, kapitan at ng kanilang mga konsehal (‘wag na nating isama ang mga brgy. tanod dahil wala silang kinalaman dito! hehe). Marahil ay ito din ang mga unang salitang pumapasok sa isip mo kapag narinig mo ang pulitika: marumi, magulo, mabaho, bulok at kung anu-ano pa. In short, k-a-n-a-l! Sige, subukan mong balikan ang mga sinabi ko…..Oh diba, pareho sila ng descriptions?
Pero teka lang, sadya bang marumi ang pulitika o ang mga pulitiko? Looking back, may politics na rin noon. For your better comprehension, let’s take this definition from my friend Webster: “politics is the science or art of government”. There we have it! Ang kaibahan lang, hindi pa uso noon ang corruption dahil wala pa silang pera. Naimagine mo ba si Andres Bonifacio kung paano n’ya pinatakbo ang Katipunan at ang iba’t ibang sangguniang panlalawigan na binuo niya? Masaya na siguro silang magsanduguan kaysa magtalu-talo sa usaping kaperahan! (hehe). Sa ngayon, may pulitika rin sa iba’t-ibang institusyon kasama na ang church at maging sa UMYF, considering that we also have principles of governance. Tingnan natin kung paano sila nagkakapareho at nagkakaiba sa maraming bagay.
S’yempre, may eleksyon din sa UMYF. Hindi nga lang uso ang vote-selling at ang mga lumilipad na botante, bawal ‘yun! Sa totoong eleksyon, alam kung ilan ang total number of registered voters pero tayo hindi natin alam kung ilan na ang members ng UMYF sa Pilipinas. Hindi kailangan ng maraming application procedures para mahirang kang kandidato; konting screening lang tungkol sa visions mo sa UMYF at basic information about Methodism (kaya mahalaga ang confirmation class) ay pwede na! May konting kampanya rin: ‘yung tipong tatayo ka sa harapan, magpapakilala, uulitin mo ‘yung sinabi mo sa screening at sasabihing “kayo na po ang bahala kung iboboto n’yo ako o hindi, bahala na si Lord…” Marami na ring mga kabataan ang kasing tamis ng mga pulitiko magsalita pero kapag nakaupo na ay nakakalimot na sa tungkulin at hindi man lang umaatend ng council meetings at ng ibang activities.
Pangalawa, meron din tayong Constitution that serves as the legal basis of our organization (Trivia: sa Linao, Tuguegarao, Cagayan naganap ang huling ratification nito noong 1998). Kung merong Cha-Cha na pilit itinataguyod ng gobyerno, we also are calling for Con-Con na ilang beses nang napostponed. Kailangan kasi ng proposed amendments from the majority of ACs para makapag-amend tayo, pero mukhang walang nagsa-submit (‘yan ang problema ni Kuya Aldous at Eufer na nasa Con-Con Committee. Sige mga kapatid, kaya n’yo ‘yan!)
Grabe ang parliamentary procedures sa pulitika! Nakita n’yo naman kung paano nagbabangayan ang mga Kongresista sa isang maliit na bagay lamang. And speaking of parliamentary procedures, this has always been our inclination ‘ika nga. Sabi nga ni Ate Earlie, d’yan tayo magaling at sinasaluduhan tayo ng ibang churches. Ang problema, we got a lot to say but a little to do!
In the case of finances naman, meron din tayo n’yan. Hindi nga lang pwedeng ibulsa katulad ng ginagawa ng maraming pulitiko. Hindi pa tayo sustainable, the Youth Service Fund should have been our source of budget but more often than not, this is not realized. ‘Yung apportionments ang isa pa nating inaasahan. Dapat nagsisimula ito sa mga local churches para makapagbayad ang district sa ACs, ang ACs sa National. Pero syempre, we give due consideration sa iba na wala talagang sapat na kakayahan para makapagbayad. One good point: let’s train our Finance Officers even in local levels to prepare financial reports para naman malaman ng ibang members ang kanilang kalagayang pananalapi.
In real politics, may sweldo silang tinatanggap. Tayo wala but God pours out countless blessings to those who remain faithful in the service. Pangulo ang head of the state but we Christian-leaders recognize Christ as the head of the church and must be the sole authority. There are so many gaps in the real world of politics but we are united in spirit and in truth.
Oh ayan ha?! Gano’n sila doon, ganito tayo dito…pero ano pa man, tayo ay bahagi ng parehong realidad ng pulitika sa pamayanan at simbahan na ating ginagalawan. And to finally draw my point, hindi marumi ang pulitika! What makes politics dirty are the people who wait for the chance to grab power like a vulture that restlessly waits for a small prey to be its dinner.
Isa pang pahabol…Ayon sa statistics na nabasa ko, almost 50% ng registered voters noong 1998 Elections ay pawang mga kabataan. In short, we have the capacity to put a certain leader into office. With this, I enjoin everyone especially those who are registered to participate in the upcoming elections. This set of criteria for choosing candidates for public office released by the Philippine Bible Society, a group composed of Catholic and evangelical church leaders, is a very good guide: “Candidates should be God-fearing, industrious, righteous, generous, true to their word, impartial, have integrity, display generous concern and love for the country, have the ability to lead, and manage their own family” (Philippine Daily Inquirer, 20 January 2007, pp A1/A6).
Makiisa. Makisali. Makisangkot. Makialam. Kasama Tayo, Kabataan!
*For your reactions and comments, e-mail me at ismac23@yahoo.com.
