I was asked to do a talk for the Corinthian Youth Movement's Praise Day on Sunday, July 3, about Community, while considering the fact that they just had their latest batch of new members! :) So I decided the topic should be Christian Community, not just any mere community. ;)
This is just a very simple, no-brainer kind of talk. I have just one aim - that the members, especially the fresh batch, will get to know ano ba itong pinasok nila. Simple answer - it's a Christian Community.
Like I said, a Christian community is not just like any community. Well, it's similar in the sense na it's also a group, an affiliation. But what sets us, a Christian community, apart from any other community out there is that we are CHRISTIAN. By Christian, we mean we are OF CHRIST... we gather FOR CHRIST.
[PERSONAL SHARING from someone who has experienced both ;)]
A Christian community has three basic elements. By basic, we mean these are MUSTS that need to be fulfilled para ang isang community ay matawag na Christian community. These elements are as follows:
1. Profiling or Spiritual Autobiography of the Members
Activity: Get a piece of paper and form it into any shape you want. Divide the group members into groups. Each group would look into the shapes their members have and form one big "anything" from those shapes. :)
Profiling works in a similar way. During the weekend, people of various "shapes" answer the call or invite to join. Of course, you need to get to know each other. Sino ba 'tong mga kasama ko? Anong pinagkakaabalahan nila? What do we have in common? Only then will you be able to get your acts together and determine how you will actually serve God.
Simple example:
Teatro Ebanghelyo's profile of members is, naturally, mga bihasa sa performing arts. So they serve God through the performing arts. 'Yung makikita nilang magaling kumanta, kakanta; 'yung magaling sumayaw, sasayaw; and then at some points, may overlapping kasi ganun ka-generous si Lord that He gives us more than one talent! They serve God through stage and street plays especially 'pag may malaking religious events like Christmas, Holy Week, etc.
If that's the case for Teatro, what will it be for Corinthians?
2. Listening
This is basic in all groups, more so if the group happens to be a Christian community. After profiling kasi, siyempre you need to determine how the group is going to last the tests of the changing times.
As we have learned during the weekend, our community has a motto. It's "Pass it on... God's love." This is not just a quote that's meant to impress. It's not just for inspiration. It should also serve as a basis, a gauge, a requirement in all the things we do for and with the community. We should always ask ourselves, when I say or do this, am I actually passing on God's love?
Thus, the importance of listening. Syempre, to what our fellow Corinthians have to say about it. But you know what, you don't necessarily need to be in a conversation to listen. There's also what we call listening to ourselves. And then syempre, there's listening to God.
3. Prayer
Syempre, the most important! What is a Christian community if the members were not praying? We know it's our communication with Christ. Therefore, importante siya, kasi 'di ba, kay Lord ang grupo natin, eh! So we can say prayer is not just a form of communication, it's also an acknowledgment that our group is for Christ.
Like I've said earlier, these three are just the BASIC elements. 'Yung iba pang elements, I should say, diskarte at time-tested principles na rin ng community. Here are some na na-glean ko from the Corinthians, which has actually been around for 30 years already:
- REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE CHOSEN. Gaya ng sinabi sa inyo nung weekend niyo, you were called to be part of the community... and then after that, God will choose who will do certain tasks at hand. Refrain from judging your fellow community members na parang hindi siya fit, parang dapat, hindi kanya ang task na 'yan, kasi in the first place, it's not you who decide, it's not the members who decide, it's not even the secretariat or the adult couple that decides, but it's God. How do I know? Eh 'di ba nga, we pray? We talk to God. You may not notice or you may not think it's evident, but we actually have a direct line to Him. Trust that you have a direct line to Him, because YOU ARE CHOSEN.
- DO NOT WORRY IF THE NUMBER OF YOUR PM ATTENDEES IS NOT HUGE. You don't determine that. It's the leader of the group who does! He picks who goes and who does not. Even then, we should not judge those who does not go, because it only means that God has a different plan for them. And it also doesn't mean that if God has a different plan for them, it means they are no longer Corinthians. Sinasabi sa atin during our weekend - ONCE A CORINTHIAN, ALWAYS A CORINTHIAN. Therefore, it only means that they (we, kasama ako, kasi hindi na rin ako regular attendee) are an extension of the community... kasi hindi naman tayo bonded by physical lang, eh... we're the spiritual kind - we're bonded by the spirit. So while you may be a small group physically, out there, you have tons in the spirit with you. But even then, we cannot make this an excuse to NOT attend prayer meetings, lalo kung ang reason ay tinatamad ka lang. We may laugh at this, but it's actually a subtle way of the Devil trying to sneak you out of the community. Pray that you will be shielded from this, and pray that your brothers and sisters in the community will be shielded, too.
- KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS GROUP IS GOD'S. We do not run it. You do not run it. He owns this group. He FOUNDED this group. He may not have physically founded the group, but He founded it through the Spirit, through the people who always come to Him in prayer - to the people he's always in a communication with. And, He will be the sole authority to decide whether this community is going to continue or will start ceasing operations. He always has reasons. The examples don't have to be profound... sabi nga ni Lord, 'di ba, we're just like Him? It's just like us when we're running our own business - syempre gagawin niyo lahat para hindi 'yan malugi o magsara. Trust, have faith, that God, our Founder, will always have that instinct, that SOP, in mind. Let go and let God all the time.
Finally, sana lahat kayo sa bagong batch, mag-active. Kasi if God can work such wonders in a community, chances are, He's also going to work wonders in your lives!
Right now, you are receiving the call of confirmation that God is choosing you to work for Him in this community. You may ask, paano? Mamaya, your community leaders will tell you how. :)
God bless and keep passing it on... God's love. :)
