Vol. 2 2014

www.ats.ph

INTOUCHThe Official Newsletter of the Asian Theological Seminary

ATS VisionTo become the leading

evangelical seminary in Asia that produces outstanding servant

leaders.

ATS MissionTo glorify God by providing quality theological education for Christian leaders to effect biblical transformation in the

Church and society in Asia and beyond.

PresidentRev. Timoteo D. Gener, PhD

Editorial StaffElla Abigail Santos,

Marizol Duran,Junette B. Galagala-Nacion,

Marc Vincent Peralta

ContributorsDr. Charles Ringma, Leoncito Silva,

Dr. Nora G. Lucero, Dr. Ado Gorospe,Eun Hi Kwag, Ariel Siagan,

Mission Ministries Philippines,Dr. Annabel Manalo, Prof. Noli Mendoza

Photo Credits: Dr. Annabel Manalo,Eun Hi Kwag, InTouch

Layout Artist: Faye Castillo

INTOUCH STAFF

Transformation and Theology

03Dr. Charles Ringma

ATS Internship: Equipping God’s Workers for His Calling08 Dr. Adonis Gorospe

Bringing Hope to the Hopeless

06Dr. Nora G. Lucero

Diyos at Bayan(God and Country)

04Leoncito Silva

CONTENTReflection on My ChristianEducationInternship

09Eun Hi Kwag

Solidarity andAccompaniment

10Ariel Siagan

Jesus Loves theLittle Children

11Mission Ministries Philippines

In Solidarity with Survivors of Supertyphoon Yolanda

15Dr. Annabel Manalo

ATS Throwback20

The Song of Mary and the God of Transformation

23Prof. Noli Mendoza

DR. TIM GENER

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Letter from the PresidentThe year is drawing to a close and we look back with thankfulness for the Lord’s never-ending mercies. It is God who has worked in our lives, satisfying the curiosity of our minds and bringing healing to our hearts. As we encounter God and find deep satisfaction in His love, we are also challenged in turn to make a difference among those who have yet to know Him. It is God who touches our hearts to confront the challenging realities around us—the sorrows of poverty, injustice, corruption, and environmental negligence.

As the Christmas season approaches, we celebrate the God who came to save the entire creation from sin. There is personal salvation just as there is redemption for the entire created order. Clothing Himself in the vulnerabilities of humanity, God in Christ knows our own suffering and toil. Through the Incarnation, God has identified Himself with us in the person of Jesus Christ—one of us, God with us, Emmanuel.

It is the same God who produces lasting change among those we serve. This issue of InTouch focuses on how God causes the ATS community to bring the torch of change into the various arenas of ministry–from making Scriptures available to being salt and light among the government and urban poor. We pray that you will be refreshed with these stories and be inspired in continuing to make change in your own communities.

May your Christmas be filled with renewed gratitude for the Lord’s boundless love and be refreshed as we celebrate His coming to earth. May we experience God’s goodness afresh and be filled with new hope to face the New Year.

Merry Christmas!

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The core vision of ATs to form transformative leaders for both the church and the world, is a theme that runs through all the courses at the school. education at ATs is for becoming servants of the kingdom of God. it is a grand vision based on the work of christ to see all of life impacted by the good news of the Gospel. one course, Transformation Theology, seeks to provide the big picture f ramework for this vision. it is a course required for all students at ATs. it seeks to lay oT and nT foundations for

understanding God’s work in the world through his people. it looks at the way various theological traditions, such as the Anabaptists, the Wesleyans, the reformed, the Pentecostals, and the evangelicals have sought to outwork the vision of mission and social transformation. it then goes on to help students understand social change theory and strategies. And it ends with looking at christians, such as Bonhoeffer, romero, Tutu, and Martin Luther King Jr., who have sought to be change agents in their time. The course involves not only lectures and reading but also field work where students are tasked to look at church and christian efforts that seek to bring God’s shalom, human flourishing, and the work of justice into the public sphere. This is a pioneering course of which ATs can be proud. it has been a cornerstone subject since the late 1980s and has been picked up by other institutions around the world as a subject that seeks to empower students to have a vision not only for building up the faith community but to see our societies more fully impacted by the love and justice that christ has won for the world.

Transformation and TheologyBy Dr. Charles Ringma

Dr. Charles R . Ringma is research professor and adjunct faculty of ATS. He teaches Participator y Action Research, Transformational Theolog y, Ethics, and Hermeneutics and Theological Reflection.

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i hAve ALWAys considered myself nationalistic ever since my student activism days at the University of the Philippines.When i became a christian, i found it hard at first to reconcile my newly-found faith with my nationalistic aspirations. At the heart of my nationalism is my love and concern for my countrymen, many of whom are oppressed and victimized by sinful structures in society. As my mind was expanded by christian discipleship and academic training, i have come to

Diyos at Bayan

my God is to love my country and people. After finishing my first program at ATs, i focused on ministering to the urban poor with a newly-formed organization. it was there that i saw more clearly the havoc that personal and structural sins cause on the majority of our people. Later, the Lord called me to be involved with the Fellowship of christians in Government, inc. (FociG), a ministry that seeks to reach out and engage a major power player in our country ’s situation and direction – our government. My training at ATs, which was transformational in approach, spurred me on to seek ways of relevant engagement with the Philippine government towards God’s agenda. First, to engage the powers in government, prayer is indispensable. God is looking for intercessors for the land as his anger burns against the oppression and injustice being done to the helpless, but he is often f rustrated

By Leoncito SilvaMaster of Christian Leadership, 1989;MA Pastoral Counseling, 2011

“I have come to realize that one of the best ways to

love my country and people is to love my God, and one of the best ways to

demonstrate my love for my God is to love my country

and people.”

(God and Country)

realize that one of the best ways to love my country and people is to love my God, and one of the best ways to demonstrate my love for

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government to do away with compartmentalizing their faith in order to make a difference in their workplaces and truly serve as salt and light therein. Third, we should live as responsible and law-abiding citizens. We have no right to criticize our government if we ourselves violate the same call for honesty, involvement, and respect for the law. Whether in paying taxes, voting in elections, and compliance with laws that promote peace and order, we should always retain our moral ascendancy and credibility by being above reproach. We are the only nation that has a Bible verse in our paper currency, “Pinagpala ang bayan na ang Diyos ay ang Panginoon” (Psalm 33:12). May we all be blessed through our submission and obedience to the lordship of God over the Philippines and its government.

(ezekiel 22:29-30). if we want peace and righteousness in our land, God urges us to pray for our leaders (1 Timothy 2:1,2). Too often, our personal and corporate prayers have been selfish and parochial. second, we must be actively involved in the affairs of our nation. The opposite of loving one’s country is not hating it (no one would admit to that) but being indifferent towards its situation. “For evil to triumph, it only takes good men to do nothing” (edmund Burke).“Governance is too important to be left to government alone” (remy rikken of Asia Pacific Women in Politics). We should appreciate our democratic blessings by speaking out and calling the government to account for its divine mandate to promote good and to restrain evil. it ’s not enough to criticize but we should present righteous alternatives through writing to government officials or making our voice heard through mass media and public forums. A welcome development in our government is its openness to values transformation training as a response to the corruption perception issue raised against it. FociG has been maximizing its engagement through this means and has seen top military, police, and civilian government officials becoming righteous leaders, going against the tide of entrenched corruption in their offices.We should encourage believers in

Mr. Leoncito Silva is an ATS alumnus (Master of Christian Leadership, 1989; MA Pastoral Counseling , 2011) and is the training consultant of the Fellowship of Christians in Government.

By Dr. Nora G. Lucero

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WiThin six hoUrs last november 8, 2013, Typhoon yolanda (haiyan) ravaged the provinces of Leyte, samar, Antique, iloilo, and cebu. it left thousands either dead or wounded and millions of pesos worth of damage to properties. Following the devastation that wiped out villages, tore apart families, and left a nation in a state of shock, material help f rom all over the world began to pour in. everyone, f rom young school children and senior citizens to government agencies and international relief organizations, pitched in to help rebuild the affected areas. The Philippine Bible society (PBs), through the help of the United Bible societies, launched the God is our shelter Program. immediately, it provided beneficiaries nourishment for the body and spirit as grocery items and scripture materials formed part of the relief goods that were distributed. chairs that were badly needed by the local churches were also given for f ree. Marvin cortez, a church planter in Tacloban city, received an initial 20 copies of the Bible during the scripture distribution in December 2013. “The storm washed away the church we had started, including all our Bibles. But God is good and he hears the prayers of his people. he used PBs to provide f ree Bibles for us and other churches here in Tacloban,” he shared.

Bringing

to the HopelessHope

MBA in Christian Stewardship and Management, 2007

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By God’s grace, Pastor Marvin was able to nurture his fledgling church. now, their numbers continue to grow and the church has raised a more stable and comfortable ministry facility where they regularly meet. in the scripture distributions f rom December 2013 to July 2014, the Bible society also gave out copies of the hope Booklet, a scriptural material especially printed for victims of calamities. This is our way of giving hope to those who have lost much. i also led one beneficiary community in reading a portion of the hope booklet.

A year after yolanda, much still needs to be done. slowly, houses, churches, and establishments are being rebuilt and businesses are being restored. We may not see it yet, but i am certain that God’s Word will continue to lead them as they move on with their lives, empower them as they rebuild their homes and communities, and enlighten them as they establish normalcy in their lives. The typhoon only made them aware of their deep hunger for God’s Word. it ’s now up to us, the body of christ, to work together so that they are fed not just physically, but more importantly, spiritually.

Dr. Nora Lucero is the General Secretar y of Philippine Bible Society. She finished her MBA in Christian Stewardship and Management at ATS in 2007.

“Truly, God’s Word is a fountain of hope for all,

especially to people who are tired, hungry,

and have lost loved ones and property in

one fell swoop.”

Truly, God’s Word is a fountain of hope for all, especially to people who are tired, hungry, and have lost loved ones and property in one fell swoop. you can see in their eyes and hear in their voices the longing, the hunger for hope to start over, to continue with life after yolanda. We praise God for the privilege of meeting that need by reconnecting them to his Word.

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The Mission oF Asian Theological seminary is to glorify God by providing quality theological education to prepare leaders who will effect Biblical transformation in the church and societies in Asia and beyond. The church exists as an exhibit of God’s grace and for the purpose of extending his transforming kingly reign to every aspect of life and society. The mission of the church has been committed to the whole people of God, to whom the spirit gives gifts for ministry. The risen christ gives to his church men and women who are especially gifted for equipping others to use their spiritual gifts. in order to help these gifted men and women fulfill the individual vocations to which they are being called to accomplish, it is our task as a seminary to equip these equippers, who then will train God’s people and lead them in the ministry of biblical transformation. ATs exists to help these people grow, to develop their God-given gifts, to expand their horizons, to acquire new cognitive and ministry skills, and to sharpen old ones. But the end of our

training is always Christlikeness. For this purpose, the internship Program of ATS provides the mentoring environment that will holistically enable these gifted men and women to learn both under a faculty mentor that will help facilitate theological reflection on their ministry experiences in the light of the Word of God and a practitioner mentor that will disciple them in the practical skills necessary to effectively do the work of the ministry. Above all else, both mentors will model for God’s workers the christlikeness that is the goal of theological training at ATs.

ATS Internship: Equipping God’s Workers for His CallingBy Dr. Adonis GorospeAcademic Dean/Associate ProfessorMaster of Divinity, 1988

Dr. Adonis Abelard Gorospe is the Academic Dean/Vice-president for Academic Affairs. He is professor of theolog y and usually teaches Historical Theolog y and Theolog y 3 (Ecclesiolog y and Eschatolog y).

Reflection on my Christian Education Internship

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i hAve Been serving Manila Disciple Presbyterian church as the head of the sunday school and youth department since 2009. Thus, i applied my field education internship to the same church. My christian education internship gave me the chance to have learning opportunities based on “Learning by Doing” through the practice of teaching under the supervisors in the church setting. The internship course in field education helped me gain practical knowledge that applies educational principles and methods through experiences. it also equipped me to have an effective ministry that reflects skill competence and theological integration. i had a great time discovering and examining my strengths and weaknesses in my personal

By Eun Hi Kwag, MDiv Christian Education student

Eun Hi Kwag ( front row, second from right) with students and co-teachers at her home church, Manila Disciple Presbyterian Church in November 2014. She is a senior Christian Education student.

growth and ministry through self-assessment and feedbacks f rom my supervisor. Above all, i appreciate our head pastor, who is my supervisor. he gave me lots of opportunities in teaching various age groups (sunday school children, youth, and women’s Bible study) as well as his advice, encouragement by prayer, and evaluation. even though i have devoted myself to the enormous responsibility of raising a godly generation through christian education, i need to learn more f rom Jesus, who is the Master of all teachers.

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Solidarity and AccompanimentBy Ariel Siagan, MA Transformational Urban Leadership, 2014

sociAL TrAnsForMATion is such a huge word. it is not a special package wrapped in fancy paper that one just opens then passes on to people. nor it is a default program f rom “somewhere above” that one can implement in the community. But bit by bit, in our own ways, we can contribute to change in society. i minister to an urban poor congregation in our community in Malabon. i preach every sunday and hold Bible study sessions among women, men, and youth in the community. Together with the congregation’s leadership,

we design and implement liturgy every sunday to facilitate transformational worship gathering. We are now implementing language classes among the urban poor women in our community. We also hold english classes every weekend and the first batch will graduate by February 2015. The class is open even for non-members of the church. i am their teacher. What does language-teaching have to do with social transformation? it may be a far-fetched connection but it is

“I learned at ATS that every avenue in our church should be transformational,

even in our liturgy and sermon. ”

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apparent that these women need to have a job. sadly, there are not many employment opportunities for these urban poor women and they see hope in getting employed in call centers. We hope that these women

Getting income has been a primary concern among women in the urban poor areas. employment, based on traditional gender roles, used to be the burden of men. But because of the declining opportunities for employment and the increasing cost

Ariel Siagan graduated MA Transformational Urban Leadership in March 2014. A side from pastoring , he is also serving with the Christian Unity and Ecumenical Relations of the National Council of Churches of the Philippines.

will not only learn the english language but they will also gain life skills, especially in the areas of bargaining and communication.

of living, women need to have a source of income too in order to provide for the their families. i learned at ATs that every avenue in our church should be transformational, even in our liturgy and sermon. My action research project then was about transformational liturgy in urban poor congregations. What i learned f rom my hermeneutics class, i am applying in our Bible study sessions. What i learned f rom my action research class—the constant will to improve—i am applying in all areas of my ministry.

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Jesus Loves the Little ChildrenMission Ministries Philippines, as told to InTouch

curious, playful, and full of promise. in any society, children represent its future and hope for survival. At the same time, their potential is matched by their vulnerability. The first five years are crucial for physical and mental development. And for the past thirty years, Mission Ministries Philippines (MMP) has focused on enabling pre-school children f rom poor communities to have access to quality education. MMP’s early childhood education ministry empowers communities to open their own pre-schools by training teachers and administrators; providing curriculum that readies children to enter first grade; helping develop appropriate books and materials; and ultimately enabling the schools to become self-sufficient. Former ATs president Dr. stewart De Boer, with fellow retired army chaplain rev. John Lindvall, pioneered MMP as they saw the plight of poor children and believed in the value of education. They partnered with First congregational church of Anaheim (cA) and formed a missions committee that later grew into MMP. Dr. corrie Acorda (now De Boer), an ATs alumna, joined in 1986. she introduced the strategy of creating “grassroots social movements in partnership with local churches in the slums to educate poor children.” Beginning with one school in 1984, they have facilitated the opening of more than 700 pre-schools. some of these schools now have their own elementary and high schools. MMP has trained pre-school teachers and

Children from partner schools performed during Mission Ministries Philippines 24th Anniversary in 2008.

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school administrative staff both locally and internationally. over 100,000 children have been given opportunities for integrated christian learning. one of MMP’s partners is Precious Lamb christian Learning center (PLcLc) f rom Madella, Quezon. Teacher ida Melchor f rom PLcLc shares that in 2009, one parent wanted to enroll his only son—although he was only two years and seven months at the time. Although the school did not yet have a toddler program, it allowed him to join and placed him in the nursery program. six years later, the boy is still with the school and is doing well in Third Grade.

Teacher ida said, “he became a God fearing, active, and responsible person. he and his two sisters attend our regular sunday school class. Because many saw this young boy’s good performance in school and in the community, many parents were encouraged to enroll their children in our school. They are thankful for MMP’s technical support and programs.” MMP also expands the meaning of the gospel through its holistic church Planting initiatives, wherein church planters would start ministries aimed at needs such as health, nutrition, livelihood and scholarship. it recommends teachers and administrators for training under

the MMP Pre-school Department and also links unemployed youth to a job-providing business venture (MMP Manpower services). With the leadership of the church planting teams, MMP has officially formed a religious community (companion with the Poor) with f raternal ties to MMP. As with any organization, MMP has its own set of challenges. MMP continues to educate its partners regarding development strategies so they would be empowered to sustain their preschool program through the resources of their community and church. it also seeks to mobilize resources f rom their

Mission Ministries Philippines staff and missionaries

14local products and services, and f rom participation fees. Many partners working among the poorest sectors have also feared that their schools would close because of the recently implemented K-12 program of the Department of education. MMP now seeks to apply for proper permits (f rom Deped and also the social welfare department), set up tutorial programs and also limit their programs to nursery and Kindergarten levels. For early childhood Program Director chonabelle

and communities will come a long way in building our nation. in their mission to bring the whole gospel to the marginalized, MMP is introducing them to the Giver of true empowerment, our Lord Jesus, who loves little children.

You may visit the MMP websites (missionchildcare.org | mmpece.org) and reach them through mmpece@gmail.com or at 928 5110/ 9285409. The MMP off ice is located inside the ATS Campus in Scout Madriñan, where most of their seminars are also held.

Domingo, MMP is the Lord’s answer to her desire to become a pastor—among children, their families, and partner teachers. “since training parents is part of our program, it is truly a joy how the Lord is empowering me in creatively and unobtrusively integrating the gospel in my seminar presentations. every time i witness how parents are accepting Jesus in their heart after every seminar (with tears in their eyes!) i am truly overflowing with joy!” she says. These investments in the lives of the young and their families

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By Annabel Manzanilla-Manalo, Ph.D.,Master of Christian Leadership, 1986

In Solidarity with Survivors of Supertyphoon Yolanda:The Asian Theological Seminary’s Disaster Response

iT hAs Been a year since supertyphoon yolanda (haiyan) hit different regions of the country and wrought widespread devastation and immense human suffering to millions of people. it claimed more than 7,000 lives (with 1,779 still missing), injured 28,626, disrupted community support structures and livelihood sources in 44 provinces, and left more than four million still homeless until this time. Let us now look back on how ATs participated in enabling some of the affected communities cope with the psychosocial impact of the event and rebuild their lives.

Immediate Response: Community Outreach

Within weeks after the disaster, ATs immediately responded by mobilizing, training, and deploying volunteer counselors in Tacloban city, ormoc, Dulag, Aklan, capiz, carigara, and Basey. ATs was able to deploy 10 teams in seven batches consisting of 66 volunteers f rom the faculty, staff, students, and alumni f rom november (two weeks

One of the ships that damaged houses and claimed lives in Tacloban city.

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after the typhoon struck) to January. We reached out to 4,280 survivors (2,264 adults and 2,016 children) with psychological first aid/psychospiritual support and provided psychoeducation on disaster mental health to 470 church/community workers. even in humanitarian emergency situations, we abided by certain ethical guidelines as provided by United nations inter-agency standing committee (Un-iAsc), such as employing culturally sensitive psychosocial response, ensuring adequate preparations for effective service delivery, avoiding harmful effects on people, and respecting existing structures/efforts in the community. Thus, the counseling Department facilitated preparatory trainings on disaster mental health, psychological first

aid, psychosocial processing for children and adults, and, theological perspective on suffering (with the Theology and Biblical studies Departments). We also provided field supervision to ensure that our approach is grounded on the realities of the survivors. To process the impact that the experience had on the volunteers we conducted post-deployment debriefing, reflection sessions, and retreats. This provided the space to surface out theological/faith issues, collectively struggle to make sense of these, and bring our lament before God. What is distinctive about the ATs approach is that it integrated psychological tools and spiritual resources and employed culturally sensitive processes. it drew out the survivors’ strengths and coping resources and built on the support

A child undergoes debriefing through drawing (Phase 1).

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networks in the community. it values attentive listening and providing space for people to share their stories and feelings at their most comfortable level. To prevent potential re-traumatization that may arise f rom reliving memories of the event, we were careful not to probe into the details of people’s experience. instead, we used artwork, liturgies, rituals, and other creative activities to draw out stories of survival and resilience. This required sensitivity and ability to highlight the spirituality dimension in people’s stories to enable them to look to the future with hope. Because ATs values partnership, we ensured proper coordination with local churches, nGos, local government units

and other groups knowledgeable in the community. This proved valuable in minimizing confusion, overlapping, wastage, competition and most of all, ensuring conducive psychological climate for our activities.

Capacity Building

For the second phase of our work, we did follow up visits and psychospiritual support in the most severely affected communities and served a total of 625 individuals. We conducted training on Psychological First Aid and community Mobilization with 23 community workers/Barangay service Point officers (in coordination with the Tacloban city Population office) and 30

Dr. Manalo led the ATS team in training Barangay Service Point officers in Tacloban City.

18pastors/church workers in ormoc city. This took place f rom April to June 2014. The counseling interns, who were mobilized to do the follow up, were provided a series of trainings in preparation for their deployment. in order to situate our work in a larger context, the interns received orientation on Disaster risk reduction Management by resource persons f rom center for Disaster Preparedness and University of the Philippines college of social Work and community Development. ATs also has provided seminars/trainings to other groups that have been preparing to respond to different disaster situations. These include a seminar on Grief recovery and resiliency Building for Disaster survivors and a series of trainings

on Disaster Preparedness and Psychospiritual support. We trained a total of 118 individuals f rom different churches/organizations who are already doing disaster response work or would later form into disaster response teams. To ensure that what we started will be sustained and to strengthen the survivors’ resolve to participate in community rehabilitation initiatives, we coordinated with local churches on possible training partnerships. Thus, our certificate training program with disaster response as context. Led by the counseling center, the program entitled “community-based Psychosocial support in Times of Disaster”, will run for 10 months (with a two-day module per month). it aims to develop psychosocial support skills and provide theological/

ATS provided two-day training on Psycho-spiritual Care and Support and Community Mobilization to pastors and church workers in Ormoc City.

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biblical perspectives necessary for enhancing their capacity to overcome vulnerabilities to disaster. Designed for pastors, church workers/lay leaders, community workers, and nGos, the program integrates the nurture of personal growth, spiritual formation, and practical knowledge on community preparedness. To date, we have five ongoing training programs in partnership with different ministerial associations. in yolanda-affected communities, our partners are ormoc city evangelical Ministerial Association, Tacloban

celebrate the many learning and opportunities that this engagement has given birth to. on the pedagogical side, the lessons gained f rom this experience could be systematized to inform specific areas of ATs programs - curriculum, ministry training, missiological engagement, and spiritual formation. needless to say, our community outreach, training program and planned longer term engagement are meant to concretize “loving thy neighbor” and witness to God’s loving, compassionate, and empowering presence in the midst of so much devastation and suffering.

Dr. Annabel M. Manalo is an A ssociate Professor at ATS. She chairs the ATS Counseling Center and leads its Psychosocial Support Training Program. For the past 20 years, she has been involved with NGOs providing psychosocial services to communities displaced by armed conflicts and natural disasters, survivors of torture and enforced disappearance, and street children/youth at risk . She is a licensed Psychologist and is PAP certified in Clinical , Counseling , and A ssessment Psycholog y.

“Needless to say, our

community outreach, training

program and planned longer

term engagement are meant

to concretize “loving thy

neighbor” and witness to God’s

loving, compassionate, and

empowering presence in the

midst of so much devastation

and suffering.”

evangelical Association of Ministers and churches and Marabut, samar evangelical Association. We are also implementing the same program with ABccoP Albay District in Legaspi and onesimo church-based Ministry. each training site has 40-50 trainees who are committed to apply their learning to their ministries. Looking back we can

#atsthrowback

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The early years of the ATS Sports Fest, circa mid-‘80s. ATS later invited other seminaries, creating the Inter-seminary Sports Fest (ISSF).

Join us in next year’s ISSF on January 17, 2015 (Saturday) at the IGSL grounds.

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ADMISSION TEST EXAM DATES

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Graduate Diploma

Biblical Languages | Christian Education | Intercultural and Urban Studies | Counseling | Advanced Pastoral Studies

Theological Studies | Transformational Urban Leadership

Master of Arts

Biblical Studies | Christian Education | Intercultural MinistriesPastoral Counseling | Theology | Transformational Urban Leadership

Master of Divinity

Biblical Studies | Christian EducationIntercultural and Urban Studies | Counseling | Pastoral Studies

Theology | Transformational Urban Leadership

CertificatesManaging Non-profit Organizations | Professional Christian Fundraising

Biblical Interpretation | Biblical Preaching | Lay CounselingTransformational Urban Leadership

January 12, 19 & 26; February 9, 16 & 23;March 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30; April 13, 20 & 27;

May 11, 18 & 25; June 8, 15, 22 & 29;July 13, 20 & 27; August 1 & 8; From 9:00am to 12:00nn

Strategic Leader Development CenterMaster of Ministries | MBA in Biblical Stewardship

and Christian Management

ANNOUNCEMENTS:We’ve shifted our Academic Calendar!

1st Semester 2015-16:August 24-December 12, 2015

2nd Semester 2015-16:January 25-May 21, 2016

Check out www.ats.ph for Transition Term Modules (April-August 2015)

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The Song of Mary and the God of TransformationLuke 1:46-55

Devotional

By Prof. Noli Mendoza, MDiv Biblical Studies, 2001

What is christmas without songs? Luke chapters 1-2 contain some of the most important christmas songs in history, and it is Mary’s song that sets the tune for the rest of the songs we see in the infancy narrative. This song, also known as the Magnificat (f rom the opening word of the vulgate text Magnificat anima mea, Dominum), is one of the most lovely yet revolutionary songs of the christian faith. it is so subversive that there was a time it was banned f rom being recited in some countries.

24 This song can be understood as a song of praise, as seen in its opening, and then followed by a series of reasons for the praise. in terms of its structure, the song can be divided into three strophes: vv. 46-50, 51-53, 54-55. strong verbs dominate each strophe, verbs that begin the clauses of the poem, focusing on God’s action. Generally, the song celebrates the transformation that God has introduced in the world, a divine transformative action that serves as a major focus of the whole Gospel of Luke. how is this God-initiated transformation described in the text?

God Transforming the Life of Mary (1:46–49): God Regards the Humble Servant

in the first strophe, Mary expresses her praise to the Lord for his transformative blessings to her life. here, she sees God not only as the object of her worship but also as the basis of her great joy, as the phrase “in God my

savior,” can also be translated “on account of God my savior.” Mary declares the greatness of the Lord as she rejoices for the salvation she has received f rom her savior. Mary’s experience of salvation is further clarified in v. 48, as she explains the reason why she magnifies God. it is because God has looked graciously at the lowly state of his slave girl. it is important to note that Mary describes herself as lowly (tapeinos) and as a slave (doule). in a context where women were considered secondary, Mary considers herself a nobody—a marginalized, powerless, and voiceless woman who experienced the grace of God. The Messiah is to be born of a poor slave girl. This experience of God’s grace moved Mary to sing of God’s transformative greatness, a melodic outburst that echoes i sam 2, where hannah also praised God for his actions in behalf of the downtrodden. That ’s why many generations will call her blessed, not because she has done great things for

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here, the God who is portrayed as the one who scatters the proud, who brings down the powerful f rom their thrones, and sends the rich away empty-handed, is also the God who lifts up the lowly and fills the hungry with good things. Through these acts, God is described as one who has taken the cause of the lowly and has begun to f ree them f rom their powerful enemies. here, the lowly (tapeinos) stands in contrast with the powerful. But against the standard of the world where the powerful are always on top, God reverses it and brings down those in power and then enthrones the lowly. he provides deliverance to the poor and good things for the hungry. All these were very meaningful to God’s people of those times, majority of whom were poor and oppressed. The result of this action is therefore new life hence—transformation of the life of the poor, of the lowly, and of the hungry, who are

God, but because the mighty God has done great things for her (v.49). We see here a poignant contrast between the powerlessness of the woman and the might of God, a kind of might that was used to transform the life of the lowly. The mighty God is sensitive, attentive, and responsive to the plight of the weak. such a kind of God who takes notice of the lowly is indeed worthy of praise.

God Transforming the Life of His People (vv. 50-53): God Reverses the World’s Standard

starting in v. 50 Mary turns f rom what God has done for her to what God has done for his people. We see in this section a series of couplets portraying God as the one who causes a great transformative reversal showing his work against the powerful and his work for the lowly.

now filled with good things. indeed, God’s compassion is shown to the unfortunate and he takes care of the powerless and weak. in other words, we hear in this song a vision of God who upsets the status quo to offer a transformed life for his people.

Transformation as Fulfillment of His Promise (vv 1:54-55): God Remembers His People verses 54-55 serve as conclusion, declaring that all these happen because God is faithful to his promises. As in the story of exodus, God’s remembering leads to action (cf. ex 2:23-25). We have here a challenge for those who rely on God not to lose hope as God always remembers his promise. The Magnificat is a beautiful and powerful expression of joy because of the fulfillment of God’s promise to

26his people, a kind of divine remembering of his promise that sustains virtues of joy and vigilant hope in times of the darkness of distress, suffering, and dislocation.

Mary’s song celebrates a turning of the values of the world that can make persons uncomfortable. it inspires those who trust God but disturbs those who rely on their

“Mary’s song celebrates a turning of the values of the world that can make persons uncomfortable.

It inspires those who trust God but disturbs those who rely on their power,

wealth, and fame.”

power, wealth, and fame. This song is both encouraging and disturbing as it celebrates God’s advocacy for the marginalized. And this is the God of christmas that Mary celebrates in her song. hence, christmas is the beginning of God’s great act of transformative reversal. is this the way we celebrate christmas? has this transformation occurred in your life and mine? has this transformation begun to happen in us and through us?

Prof. Noli Mendoza is professor of Biblical Studies and usually teaches Bible Introduction, Hermeneutics, New Testament Exegesis, and Biblical Greek . He is on study leave as he is starting his doctorate at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland.