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
[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.
No comments:
Post a Comment