Cellular Wisdom: Our Way of Life

Let us take a closer look and a deeper examination of this overnight retreat dealing with the BCBP Way of Life. By way of review, be reminded of the 3C’s of the life-changing processes as we have chosen and decided to follow Christ, bringing Him to and winning for Him our respective marketplaces through the Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals (BCBP). 

The first C is conversion to a life of righteousness with and for Christ. This we did starting with our interactive participation in the Christian life program which did not end there because our conversion is a dynamic process.  Conversion is a lifelong and continuous undertaking which could be a “struggle” to some but part of life and living to those who “survive” after all the trials.  The Brotherhood Christian Marriage Retreat (BCMR) was another significant activity in our brotherhood bringing us closer to our respective families ultimately establishing an intimate personal relationship with Jesus Christ. 

The second C is commitment which we are presently dealing with, while the third is commissioning presented/discussed last May 4, 2012 during our Chapter’s monthly teaching.  The BCBP Way of Life Retreat is a program designed for your commitment leading you to freely sign with conviction your commitment card.

Let us point out keywords that will guide and provide us focus or concentration in this retreat. Yes, we have way and life. Jesus Christ says, “I AM the way, the truth and the life” (Jn 14:6). We are assured of His presence and being alive all the way through in our BCBP way of life and living.

By way of practical application in our daily life and living, allow me to borrow and present the context or perspective of cellular wisdom by Dr. Joan C. King in her book, Cellular Wisdom: Decoding the Body’s Secret Language.   Let us pray that we maybe gifted with the vision to look at our life with fresh insights and wonders when we connect and bridge seemingly separate fields or disciplines: between biology and theology or between the scientific and the spiritual. 

In a nutshell and directly related to our present undertaking is the “interaction between the different systems in our body” comparable with the systems in our society. It is our aim to improve human relationships fostering more harmonious communities.  Examining an individual human body, we find trillion of cells that make up tissues, organs and systems (ex. nervous, circulatory, digestive, etc.).  In society, we have individual beings, groups of persons as in the family, in workplaces and in organizations like the BCBP.  We look at BCBP as an organization in the large universal body, the Church where Jesus Christ is the Head.

Like the community in our body that includes the cells, tissues, organs and systems designed to work cooperatively to keep us safe, healthy and growing, the diverse groups in society (our respective homes, schools, churches, places of business and organizations whether private or public) must work together for the benefit of all.  Again, we look at the human body as “a complex and interconnected weave of specialized, cooperative and integrated cellular system” that we would like to project in society specifically with our Community, the BCBP.  It is along this line of thinking that we actively and cooperatively engage ourselves in the BCBP Way of Life Retreat that consists of 2 major parts.

The first part includes 7 teachings to be handled by 7 physically able, open-minded and spiritually high brothers and a sister in our Chapter. The topics with the corresponding facilitators are:

1. Honoring the Lord by Kuya Lando Grape,    Formation Director

2.   Giving to the Lord and His Work by Kuya Marvin Soco, Unit Leader

3.    Brotherly and Sisterly Care by Ate Girlie Ang, wife of the past Chapter Head

4.  Living our BCBP Way of Life by Kuya Magno Garcia, Programs/Service Director

5.   Community, Family and Church by Kuya Wilbert  Ang, past Chapter Head

6.   Love for Country by Kuya Nestor Gloria, Mission Director

7.  Where Do We Go from Here by Kuya Benson Tompong, Chapter Head

In each topic, session guides are prepared.  All activities are participatory.  Everyone is encouraged to actively participate in the brainstorming and group discussions.  We pray for the Holy Spirit to guide, enlighten and empower all of us who are directly and indirectly involved. 

The significant, meaningful and fruitful output of this overnight retreat will be your decision to freely sign with conviction your respective commitment cards which will be the second and final part of this special weekend program.

        

Do you agree that “it is hard or tough to live a focused life”?  Every now and then from every direction, someone or something distract our attention.  This is the case with our lukewarm and less active brothers and sisters who are headed down another detour.  Let us pray to focus our attention to our commitment to know, love and serve the Lord through the BCBP.

Let me share with you a scenario, an American setting that shows us commitment.  “A Chicago youth pastor came up with a clever way to keep his group on tract.  Aware of the balmy beaches of Florida and the possibility of distraction from their main purpose of evangelization, he fashioned a cross from 2 lumbers showing it to the group before climbing the bus.  He told them, ‘..remember that the main purpose of out trip is to glorify the Name of Christ, to lift up the Cross, the message of the Cross, the emphasis of the Cross, the Christ of the Cross,…so we’re going to take this cross wherever we go.’  The teenagers looked at each other unsure of what was the plan.  Anyway, they agreed to bring the cross wherever they went which was embarrassing at first but later became a point of identification.  The cross was a constant, silent reminder of who they were and why they had come.  Eventually, they regarded carrying it as an honor and privilege.  

   

The night before they returned home, the youth leader handed out 2 nails to each of the kids.  He told them that if they wanted to commit themselves to what the cross stood for, they could hammer one nail into it and keep the other one with them.  One by one, the teens drove their nail into the cross.

Years later, one fellow now a businessman called the youth leader.  He told him that he still keeps the other nail in his desk drawer.  Whenever he loses his sense of focus, he looks at the nail and remembers the cross in Florida.  It reminds him of what is the core of his life – his commitment to Jesus Christ (C. Swindoll’s Favorite Stories and Illustrations. p. 97).

Comparable to the nail kept in the drawer, I have my old and dilapidated commitment card kept in my wallet for safe-keeping and constant reminder of my unfading commitment to know, love and serve the Lord.  I carry it “head-up” with the healthy pride as my identity that I am a committed and active member of the BCBP being drafted into God’s army for the Great Commission.    nmg

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[1] Introduction/orientation of the BCBP Way of Life Retreat for the BCBP Consolacion associate members held at the Sto. Niňo Spirituality Center, Tolotolo, Consolacion, Cebu on May 5-6, 2012.

Love for Country

The short story entitled Circle of Love (by Jeannie S. Williams compiled by Cheryl Kirking in Ripples of Joy, Stories of Hope and Encouragement to Share From. pp. 28-29) is inspiring, touching and rippling as a starting point for our topic, Love for Country.

[When Joey was 5 years old, his kindergarten teacher told the class to draw a picture of something they loved.  He drew stick images of his family then encircled with a red crayon. With his desire to label his drawing, he approached his teacher and asked, “Teacher, how do you spell…?” He was scolded not to disturb the class even before he could finish his question.

Excitedly arriving home, he approached his mother in the kitchen to show his drawing and asked the same question, “Mom, how do you spell…?” “Don’t you see, I’m busy. Why don’t you play outside and don’t slam the door!”  He folded his drawing and stuck it to his pocket.

Later in the evening, he unfolded and smoothen it being ready with his pencil, showed it to his father and asked, “Dad, how do you spell…?” “Joey, I’m reading right now and I don’t want to be disturbed.  Go, play outside and don’t slam the door.”

In the morning during laundry, his mother threw his folded drawing without opening it together with pieces of other materials in his pocket gathered while playing.

When Joey was 28 years old, his 5 yrs. old daughter, Annie presented a stick drawing of their family, circled with red crayon. Ready with her pencil to label her drawing, she asked, “Dad, how do you spell love?” “Love is spelled T-I-M-E!”, he told her.]

Equally amazing associated with this episode is the following enlightening quotation:

“We need to think of the home as the cradle into which the future is born, and the family as the nursery in which the new social order is being reared. The family is a covenant with posterity” (Sidney Goldstein).

Basically, love for country is equated or associated with stewardship in our respective family, workplaces and our Community, the BCBP and the society at large.

Love for country is basically founded on the greatest and double commandment of love: love of God and love of neighbor.  This is the greatest commandment, “. . . you shall love the Lord, your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. And after this comes another one: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these two “ (Mk 12:30-31).

Therefore, love for country begins in our heart with our virtues and values that radiate from inside-out.  As BCBP members, let us look and evaluate our individual selves dealing with our characters as stewards, how we learn and practice good stewardship at home, at work and in our Community, the BCBP and in our society.  We have 3 areas or schools of learning and application as far as stewardship is concerned: family, workplace and BCBP.

A steward is someone who is in control.  He can also be referred to as director, manager, custodian or caretaker. Etymologically, the word steward comes from the old English sty and ward that refers to a person employed in a large household or estate to manage domestic concerns like the supervision of servants, collection of rentals and keeping of accounts.

A steward is a person to whom the possessions of another have been entrusted.  He is authorized to manage these possessions.  The welfare of the owner and others who have a stake in the venture is entrusted to the steward.  His position is always a position of trust calling for trustworthiness.

St. Peter is made the steward of the Kingdom of God when Jesus said, “I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven” (Mt 16:19).  The keys symbolize stewardship.

Character qualities of a good steward

   1.  He has the mind of the owner.  As BCBP members, we must have the mind of God who owns our lives.

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 2. Trustworthiness that flows from integrity and competence.  Competence in whatever we do is crucial that need to be paired with integrity, transparency and honesty.

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   3.  Balanced courage and concern.  A steward dedicated to the enhancement of the master’s business in line with his intentions exemplifies a steward with a balanced courage and concern.  An overly courageous steward may get everything done his way disregarding the concern for others being unjust to those he works with.  On the other hand, if he is all concern and lacks courage, he may not get the master’s business done.

.  4. There are 2 basic domains of putting good stewardship and love of country into practice:

a.    Circle of influence – includes all those things we can influence, change or have control or impact for the better.  Starting from within, the most important area is our character and behavior.  Consistent improvement of our character for the better makes us grow and become emotionally and spiritually mature for a greater impact, making a difference in the family, professional/business, BCBP or public life. 

b.    Circle of concern – includes all those things which we can really do nothing. Negligence of our own behavior (circle of influence) and focus on our concerns, result to being unable to make a difference. (For details, read: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Dr. Stephen R. Covey. pp. 81-88).

Stewardship schools of learning

The family, the workplace, BCBP and our society at large are the 4 areas or schools of stewardship that give us the opportunity to act and serve as good stewards.

The family being the basic unit of society is the most fundamental school for stewardship. As parents and children, we must be united to learn to put ourselves in a constant position of service for the welfare of each other.  This calls for trustworthiness with a balanced courage and genuine concern for one another.

We raise our children to be responsible citizens by giving them stewardship opportunities according to their age and set up a system of accountability.  Perhaps assign them in household chores, cleaning their own room and asking for an accounting of their allowance.  Demand their respect for household helpers.  When they graduated and are earning, but still living with the family, they are urged to contribute financially to teach them financial responsibility.  We use every opportunity to teach respect, honor and integrity until good characteristic traits become a habit.  They are also trained to sacrifice when necessary especially in moments of inadequacy not providing them what is beyond our means.  We should avoid the military parlance, “Follow what I say, do not follow what I do” because the most effective stewardship training is modeling.  We should be the best models for our children.  Mothers have the important role in shaping up our children because they are “moral compass” of the home.

In our respective workplaces, we ought to develop a win-win attitude in dealing with our employers/employees, peers, clients/customers, suppliers and all stakeholders to gain and win. “Win-win means that agreement or solutions are mutually beneficial and mutually satisfying.  We see life as a cooperative and not a competitive arena.” (Read: Covey, S.R. 2004. Think win/win. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. pp. 204-234).

A good steward works towards increased profitability being committed, cooperative and open-minded who freely communicate with all involved in the business.  He takes a major concern for the safety and just compensation for all employees.  He also makes sure of the world-class quality of the products and services.

The characters of a good steward in workplaces include integrity, competence, efficiency, courage and concern.

The BCBP is a school of learning for good stewardship and eventually becoming good citizens to measure love for country.  It leads us to a deeper conversion to the Lord and helps us to grow as men and women of God because we have the mind of God.

The Christian life program is a basic formation that strengthens our relationship with God. Improved relationship at home is realized through the marriage retreat (BCMR).  During the business retreat (BCBR), serving God as good stewards is spelled out. Through our action group meetings, we are trained to open our hearts to others beyond our immediate family giving us concrete ways to care and love our brothers and sisters.

Basic concepts of love for country

.  1.  Building strong families result to responsible citizenship.  Faithful spouses raise responsible children of God that eventually build a strong republic.

   2.  Putting our time, talent and resources at the service of the Lord for others in the BCBP is an expression of our love for our country.

  3. In the marketplace, our love for country is expressed through our integrity, courage and concern for all working for justice, honesty and fairness.

Special contributions

1.   Electing public officials with the track record of integrity and competence.

2.  Promoting our BCBP advocacy for honesty, the “Be honest” campaign.

3.    Following traffic rules.

4.    Not littering our garbage in the streets through proper disposal.

5.    Paying our taxes correctly, accurately and in time.

6.    Promoting our local goods over the imported ones.

Love for country basically emanates from the greatest double commandment of love: love of God and love of neighbor.  Time, talents and treasures are the instruments or avenues of this great love.  Love in our opening short story is spelled T-I-M-E. Love can also be spelled T-R-E-A-S-U-R-E or T-A-L-E-N-T.

This expression of love radiates from inside-out, from the family to our Community, the BCBP, to our respective workplaces and then to the society at large.  Love for country boils down from being a good steward in all areas of our life and living by putting God in our minds.  A good steward has the mind of God.

Take note that we have 3 instruments (3 Ts: time, treasure & talent) of expressing love among the 3 identities (God, neighbors and self) that are fundamental to love for country.  In closing, we find the following worth remembering:

              Everywhere I look, I see

              Fact or fiction, life or play

              Still the little game of three,

              B and C in love with A.

            (Jeannie Hendricks. A Woman for all Seasons. In:        

            Favorite Stories and Illustrations by Charles Swindol.    

            p. 355). nmg

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[1] Talk No. 6 comprising the BCBP Way of Life Retreat for the BCBP Consolation associate members held at the Sto. Niňo Spirituality Center, Tolotolo, Consolacion, Cebu on May 5-6, 2012. 

The Great Commission

From the book, This Is My Story. 31 Lives. Stories. Miracles. (Cityland Foundation, Inc. and OMF Lit. Inc. pp. 195-201), may I introduce to you Mr. Enrique Sarthou, Vice President and Senior Agency Director of Financial Services Group of Manulife Philippines and Lay Area Pastor of Christ’s Commission Fellowship.  His life story entitled, “Trading the good life for the best” is inspiring and worth emulating or something we may simply follow.  He reveals that together with his wife, their hearts’ desire is the Great Commission (Mt 28:18-20), the commission of Christ to spread His Gospel. He states, “Our desire and our prayer is to see our people in the discipleship groups multiply themselves, make their own contribution to the fulfillment of the Great Commission.”

The New Roget’s Thesaurus presents a good number of synonyms for the term, commission: authorization, warrant, charge, instruction, authority, mandate, trust, brevet, permit, certificate, diploma, delegation, consignment, task, errand, office, assignment, proxy, power of attorney, deputation, legation, mission, embassy, agency.  However, the most appropriate, fitted and directly related to our evangelization program series is the Great Commission (Session No. 2).

Let us review Session 1.  It was about Evangelization facilitated by Kuya Wilbert Ang. We learn that the Catholic Church is evangelistic and we are called to be evangelizers as members of this Church.  We evangelize by proclaiming the Good News of our salvation to all.  As BCBP members, we are commanded by Jesus Christ to bring Him and win for Him our respective marketplaces. To be effective evangelizers, we are authorized or commissioned.  This is the significance of the Great Commission, a requisite of Evangelization. 

Personally, during my tender years I was attracted to be a commissioned officer of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) that I enrolled in the basic and advanced courses of the Reserved Officers Training Corps (ROTC).  That was the first time how to “be commissioned” came into my mind.  Now, with the BCBP, commissioning is the third C in the 3C’s of the life changing processes that start with conversion (first C) then with commitment (second C).

Before we deal with the underlying and associated circumstances that lead us to the Great Commission, let us be fully aware of the call of Jesus to make disciples of all men; to recognize the need to teach and reform our society at large and our commitment as active BCBP members to evangelize our respective areas of responsibility.

Looking back from the Old Testament, satan tempted and led man to disobedience.  Our fore parents, Adam and Eve lost their privilege as children of God.  They were driven away from the Garden of Eden (Gen 3:16-19).  The world becomes satan’s kingdom where chaos and sin reign.

God’s love and mercy do not allow man to be lost forever so that He promised a Redeemer. The plan calls for His Son, Jesus Christ to redeem mankind by becoming one with us and offering Himself as a sacrifice for our sin.

Before Jesus ascended to heaven, He commanded and commissioned His disciples and it applies to all of us when He said, “I have been given all authority of heaven and earth.  Go, therefore, and make disciples from all nations.  Baptize them in the Name of the Father and of the Son of the Holy Spirit, and teach them all that I have commanded you.  I am with you always until the end of the world” (Mt 28:18-20).

Let us take note that all baptized Christians whether religious or laymen comprise the Church. I say all Christians in order to distinguish Mahatma Gandhi who claimed he was a follower of Christ but could not be a Christian because he was a Hindu.  We are united in the Great Commission though there is diversity of functions. As laymen and as active BCBP members, we are commissioned and ordered by Jesus for the greatest offensive in the battlefield liberating mankind from satan’s influence.  Being drafted into God’s army we are guided by the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans (Rom 10:14-15) to believe, to know and to preach about Christ who is sending us.  As soldiers of God and as active BCBP members, we have the unique role to teach and proclaim the Good News of salvation to all specifically in our respective marketplaces and in the practice of our professions.

God the Father sent Jesus, His Son.  Jesus did the same to His disciples when He said, “Peace be with you.  As the Father has sent Me, so I send you” (Jn 20:21).  Being active BCBP members, we are commissioned to spread the Good News and bring the light to those who live in darkness.  The Father gave Jesus a mission and Jesus commissioned us to continue to carry on the same mission.  Today, the world is faced with the most challenging situations that mankind ever experience.  We are in an age of chaos and disorder when there is potential for good yet evil flourishes.  This is one great challenge we have in the BCBP to positively and responsibly respond.

From the Old Testament referring to the Book of Exodus, God called Moses, “The cry of the sons of Israel has reached Me and I have seen how the Egyptians oppress them. Go now!  I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt” (Ex 3:9-10). As we follow verses 11-22 of the same chapter 3 in the Book of Exodus until chapter 4 verses 1-17, we discover how Moses responded to the call.  He was afraid of the responsibility and shrunk with such tremendous undertaking.    He had lots of excuses but God assured him.                       

                                  

Like Moses, we are afraid of the responsibilities associated with the mission entrusted to us.  However, God assures us that there is nothing to fear for He is always with us.

The Great Commission is a command, a call and an invitation to teach, witness, baptize and make disciples of all nations. In our case as BCBP members we are called to evangelize our marketplaces to proclaim the Good News of our salvation. God the Father commissioned Jesus and Jesus is commissioning us, “Go, therefore…”..“I am with you always..” by and through the power of the Holy Spirit.  The basic elements of the mission are: it is a command, we need to know the target and the message under the authority of God with the assurance of God’s presence and the power of the Holy Spirit.

Being commanded or drafted into God’s Mission, we need to be trained.  It started with our active participation in the Christian life program, our Baptism in the Holy Spirit, active involvement in the marriage retreat (BCMR), the businessmen’s retreat (BCBR) and regular attendance to our monthly teachings/seminars/retreats, etc.

We must grow in the Word of God through the Holy Bible with the Holy Spirit who empowers and instructs us in everything we are supposed to do in relation to the Great Commission. We practice this when we committed 15 minutes prayer time and 15 minutes Bible reading. 

Moreover and most importantly, we need to grow in holiness through the Sacraments.  Sacraments are “powers that come forth” from the Body of Christ, which is ever-living and life-giving.  They are actions of the Holy Spirit at work in His Body, the Church.  They are “masterworks of God” in the new and everlasting covenant (CCC 1116).

The mission of the BCBP is to create a body of Christians specifically among businessmen and professionals who are properly trained so that our individual as well as our collective action results in the following:

Our conversion to a personal and intimate relationship with Jesus Christ, a 180 degrees turn-around from bad to good and from good to better living.  Every time we meditate on the Holy Rosary specifically on the Mysteries of Light, it is the third mystery, “The proclamation of the Kingdom of God with the call of Jesus for our daily conversion”;

Our commitment to the values espoused by Jesus Christ such as justice, mercy and genuine service and finally,Commissioning to spread the values of Jesus Christ to others in the conduct of our business and professions.

Do you know that there are only 2 areas of the world left that do no succumb to the culture of death? (death = divorce, euthanasia, abortion, termination of birth and homosexuality).  They are the Vatican City and the Philippines.  The Philippines is a Christian nation yet human rights violations, crimes of passion, corruption, kidnapping and many more criminalities abound in great magnitude and astounding proportion.

Together with all other Christian organizations and communities, we in the Brotherhood (BCBP) are called to be active and cooperative participants in the Great Commission as one member of the Big Body, the Catholic Church where Christ is the head.  We are called to bring about transformation in our society according to the Christian values espoused by Jesus Christ.  This transformation must start basically within our respective areas of responsibility or in our circles of influence.

It has been our practice in the BCBP to share the “story of the Lord” in our respective lives.  Our game plan is witnessing not preaching.  As individuals (in separate men’s and ladies’ breakfast fellowships) or as couple sharers (in joint breakfast fellowships), we are commissioned to proclaim, evangelize and spread the Good News of our salvation to all who are in attendance.  Naturally and basically, the work of God must have emanated from our respective areas or jurisdictions in the way we conduct our business and practice our professions. nmg