PRAYERS FOR THE REUNION 2005

In the quiet and beauty of this spring morning, our souls rejoice and delight in your love, O God.

Your love is new every morning, unfolding ... offering us blessings of wholeness.
Your grace has guided us along the way. Your wisdom has won our allegiance ... has inspired us ... leading us to endeavours which are beyond our imagination as we prepare for our reunion.
We give you thanks and praise!

We thank you for our leaders and for all of our former classmates who have responded positively to the idea of holding a reunion.
We especially praise you for all our former teachers.
We are honoured by their kind concern and willingness to join us in our reunion.

Continue to walk with us on our journey.
Protect those who will travel from far places.
Enable those who will come and share their time and skills during our medical mission.
Give health to all.
Grant joy, meaning and purpose to our celebration.

May everything that we do give glory to your holy name.
In the name of Jesus, our Lord, we pray.
Amen.

The way you have blessed us, O God, has just been amazing.

The idea of a reunion that was planted in Echie's mind,
the way the 11 of us responded and supported the idea;
the initiatives, labours, cooperation and commitment that were shared
to make sure that the idea would come to fruition, especially by Evie, Gerry and Flora;
the goodness, generosity and hospitality of Jack and Nimfa;
the inspiring leadership of Edgar;
the energy, time and skills with computer with which Rolly has been gifted;
the excitement, fun, laughter and giggles that the
presence of Sunny, Del and Gerry brings to the group;
Marlita and Cora, their quiet but engaging personalities delight us ...
all along, you have been there, O God.
These are all thrilling to the soul,
inspiring to the spirit, they warm the heart.
We thank you, God!

Lord, continue to guide us as we reach out and locate our former classmates,
pursuing the idea of a grand reunion in the Philippines next year.

As we work together, grant us honesty, respect and support for one another.
Give us patience, sense of humour and willingness to stick together,
always remembering that "we are here together for a worthy cause."

You will lead us, we will follow. Protect and uphold us with your Spirit
as "we come home at 40!"

O God, "whisper words of wisdom to us ... let it be, let it be. Amen"

Only Christ Can Change the Soul
Christmas message written by our Reverend Gani Lazaro
for a local newspaper in Canada.

The account of the birth of Jesus is probably the best known story in the world. This time of year, we talk about angels, shepherds, manger, star, kings, Mary, Joseph --- all of them associated to this great story.

A story that might have ranked second in popularity to Jesus' birth during Christmas is "A Christmas Carol," written by Charles Dickens in the fall of 1843. It was a story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a cold-hearted, penny-pinching, dark- mean-spirited man who experienced a change of heart on Christmas Eve.

Many of us would remember the story, particularly the part where Scrooge was visited by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future and the conversation and scenes that ensued. Scrooge was deeply affected that he began to shout, "No, Spirit! Oh, no,no, no!". Then, he cried, "Spirit! Hear me! ... assure me that I yet may change these shadows you have shown me, by an altered life! .... I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all year. I will live in the Past, the Present and the Future. The Spirits of all three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach." Scrooge was a changed man!

That was the story. And there is a lot of truth to it. Like Scrooge, we are all miserable sinners but the message of Christmas has the power to change us. Because of Christmas, we can be giving, caring, decent souls. During Christmas, the potential of changed lives is always present.

The story, however, is flawed. There is something that is not right in it --- the person of Jesus Christ is strangely absent. Ebenezer Scrooge had a change of heart --- but not by Christ! He was changed by sentiments not by the Holy Spirit. There is a lesson here that I hope we will not miss: "A Christmas Carol" warms the heart, but only Christ can change the soul. We need not just sentiments, we need redemption, transformation that only our Saviour Jesus Christ can give. Allow Jesus' gift of redemption and transformation to visit you this Christmas. Welcome and embrace it, invite it to stay, not only during Christmas but in our daily living!

As I wish you a blessed and joyous Christmas, I ask you to remember that only Jesus can change our souls this Christmas. Yes, Jesus alone can bless us every one!

WORDS OF WISDOM: A COLLECTION
by our Reverend Gani Lazaro

I am not sure why ... what I know is it is happening. I am feeling kind of nostalgic. With longing, I am thinking of the time and experience that we shared in New York in July. It was full of delight, extraordinary in many ways! I remember the time when we lifted our cups in joy and in honour of the occasion, celebrating the blessings of the moment. The laughter was not only loud, it was full --- vibrating with almost juvenile hilarity! We did not plan it, it just happened; we were together in body and in spirit --- we were a community!

These past few days, I would usually find myself in deep contemplation. In between appointments and when I was alone, relaxing after the day's work was done; I would think of the sadness, the disappoinment, the anger, the doubt, the exasperation, the questions that somehow shook the foundation of that community that was created when we were in New York... vicissitudes have visited the group ... What do we say? What do we do? How do we deal with the situation? I don't know! It is not easy ...

I remember a book that I read many, many years ago, "Can You Drink the Cup?". It was written by Henri J. M. Nouwen, a Roman Catholic priest who had written many books on Spirituality. In that book, Nouwen shared these insights: "... as we lift up our cup, proclaming that we will support each other in our common journey, we create community. Nothing is sweet or easy about community. Community is a fellowship of people who do not hide their joys and sorrows but make them visible to each other in a gesture of hope. In community we say: 'Life is full of gains and losses, joys and sorrows, ups and downs --- but we do not have to live it alone. We want to drink our cup together and thus together the truth that the wounds of our individual lives, which seem intolerable when lived alone, become sources of healing when we live them as part of a fellowship of mutual care.' Community is like a large mosaic. Each little piece seems so insignificant. One piece is bright red, another cold blue or dull green, another warm purple, another sharp yellow, another shining gold. Some look precious, others ordinary. Some look valuable, others worthless. Some look gaudy, others delicate. As individual stones, we can do little with them except compare them and judge
their beauty and value. When, however, all these little stones are brought together in one big mosaic, who would ever question the importance of any of them? If one of them, even the least spectacular, is missing, the mosaic is incomplete. Together in the one mosaic, each little stone is indispensable and makes a unique contribution to the glory of God. That's community, a fellowship of little people who together make God visible in the world... the important question is, 'Do we have a circle of trustworthy friends where we feel safe enough to be intimately known and called to an always greater maturity?'"

I am thinking of you and am hoping for more meaningful and joyful experiences together as a group!