Saturday, October 31, 2020

Junto a TODOS los Santos

 


"Iglesia de Todos los Santos" o "Iglesia Castillo" en Wittenberg, 
donde Lutero expuso sus controversiales tesis.

En medio de las celebraciones del Día de la Reforma (31 de Octubre), de Todos los Santos (1 de Noviembre), y de otras festividades como Halloween y el día de los Muertos, nos ha tocado vivir un tiempo bastante inusual. El distanciamiento y la polarización parecen azuzar luchas y hostilidades, porque esta vez, la llegada de las elecciones presidenciales, nos han conducido a uno de los momentos más polarizantes de la historia contemporánea de los Estados Unidos. 

 

Creo que como cristianos, somos responsables de ejercer nuestros derechos de libre expresión, y de votar de un modo que refleje nuestro compromiso con los demás. Pero también de amar a nuestro prójimo como a nosotros mismos. Es por eso que les quiero compartir algunas formas prácticas que podemos hacerlo: 

 

1) Considerar las opiniones que son diferentes a las propias: Si bien es cierto, nuestra exposición a medios afines consolidan nuestras ideas, creo que es necesario exponernos a fuentes noticiosas diferentes, a fin de entender a quienes tienen diferentes perspectivas. 

Esto nos va a llevar a tener conversaciones abiertas; acercamientos que nos conducen más allá del grupo de "amigos" o "seguidores" en nuestras redes sociales. 

 

2) Cultivar la oración: Porque es un momento adecuado para prestar atención a las palabras del Apóstol Pablo, instando al Pastor Timoteo, a dirigir a su congregación con "rogativas, oraciones, peticiones y acciones de gracias, por TODOS los hombres (y mujeres); “ por los reyes y por todos los que están en eminencia, para que vivamos quieta y reposadamente en toda piedad y honestidad". (1 Timoteo 2:1-3) 

 

3) Enfatizar la reconciliación que tenemos en Cristo: Porque esto va más allá de nuestras preferencias partidarias y de los resultados de los comicios electorales. Sugiero podamos tener símbolos como una cruz, una vasija con agua o una copa, a fin de que éstos elementos nos puedan servir como recordatorios vívidos de lo que realmente nos une. Recordar que somos llamados a guardar “la unidad del Espíritu en el vínculo de la paz" (Efesios 4:3), la cual trasciende incluso la muerte misma. 

 

4) Ejercer la moderación: Porque pensar sólo en términos de ganadores y perdedores, no nos ayuda a darnos cuenta de lo que perdemos si la brecha de sospecha y amargura entre nosotros sigue ensanchándose. Ya sea que estemos entre los que están lamentándose o celebrando, seamos conscientes y comprensivos para con nuestros hermanos y hermanas que pueden estar experimentando reacciones emocionales diferentes a las nuestras. 

 

Que tanto el “Día de la Reforma” como el “Día de Todos los Santos”, nos ayuden a apreciar cómo la fidelidad de Dios ha sostenido a la Iglesia a través de períodos de gran turbulencia. Y al reflexionar en que nuestro compromiso cristiano no depende de las circunstancias actuales, hacer el esfuerzo como Cuerpo de Cristo, a fin de caminar y trabajar más allá de la pandemia y de los resultados de éstas elecciones.

Friday, July 03, 2020

    Curso virtual del 5 de Julio al 9 de agosto, 2020





Julio 6- Nuestra Familia en La Fe: Cristiana, Reformada, Presbiteriana
Temas: 
-Raíces profundas.
-Importancia y Significado de la membresía. 

Julio 13- Adoración Reformada: La audiencia que importa. 
Temas: 
-Reuniones de Culto: Recordando la historia de la salvación.
-La palabra y los sacramentos 
-Mas que simbolos. 
-Después del domingo: Gratitud y Carácter. 

Julio 20- Teologia Reformada (“Por que”)
Temas: 
-Principales Creencias.
-Las Confesiones

Julio 27- Gobierno Presbiteriano. (“Como”)
            Temas:
-Oficiales de la iglesia: Ancianos/as gobernantes y docentes. 
-El consistorio y otros cuerpos gobernantes
-El Libro de Orden 

Agosto 3- Servicio y Misión: (“Para que”)
Temas:
-El sacerdocio universal y mayordomia
-Los oficiales de la iglesia 2: diaconos/nizas
-Desafíos y Oportunidades actuales.


Agosto 10- Examen y proyecto final.

Para mayor informacion, escriba a nuevavidaiglesiapresbiteriana@gmail.com 

Saturday, June 11, 2016

Jonás ante el "Clemente y Misericordioso" Dios



El relato de Jonás  es un claro contraste entre su disposición, en representación de la de Israel y la de Dios con relación a Nínive, la violenta e idólatra capital del gran imperio asirio.  Se trata de una representación vívida de las implicaciones universales de la fe de Israel.

Aunque Jonás originalmente se rehúsa a responder al llamado de Dios (Capítulos 1 y 2) Dios le ofrece una segunda oportunidad. La “palabra de Jehová” (1:1, 3:1) viene nuevamente a él. Antes “se levantó para huir de la presencia de Jehová a Tarsis” (1:3) pero luego “se levantó Jonás, y fue a Nínive conforme a la palabra de Jehová” (3:3, énfasis añadido)

Es también posible notar un paralelo con el relato del patriarca Abraham en relación a las ciudad de Sodoma (Génesis 18:22-33). Ambas presentan el dilema de patriarcas ante el juicio de Dios contra del pecado. Abraham intercede a favor de la ciudad mientras Jonás intenta huir lo mas lejos posible de ella.  Abraham descubre que Dios es mas misericordioso de lo que él había anticipado (18:32) pero Jonás, en su enojo, expresa que su intención de escapar se debía a que anticipaba que Dios pudiese demostrarles su misericordia (4:2). 

En el desenlace de la narrativa se puede vislumbrar una tendencia al tribalismo que conlleva actitudes etnocéntricas y de simple preservación propia en lugar de aprecio y servicio a los otros.  Esta propensión humana se yuxtapone con el corazón compasivo y misericordioso de Dios. En su oración, Jonás describe acertadamente a Dios como “clemente y piadoso”, tardo en enojarse y “de grande misericordia” (4: 2). Esa descripción de Dios se remonta a la revelación de sí mismo a Moisés en el Monte Sinaí (Éxodo 33 y 34). Los hijos de Israel habían pecado adorando al becerro de oro que habían forjado. Moisés intercede por ellos y pide ver la gloria de Dios (Ex 33:18). En respuesta , Dios pone a Moisés en una cueva y pasa “por delante de él" proclamando acerca de sí mismo los atributos que Jonás repetiría en medio de su frustración.


La descripción de Dios como compasivo y misericordioso no solo es preponderante en el Antiguo Testamento (2 Crónicas 30:9; Nehemías 9:17; 31; Salmo 103:8; 111:4; 145:8; Joel 2:13) sino que siglos después influenciaría la compresión islámica de Dios.  La palabra “misericordioso” en hebreo  (רַחוּם) se pronuncia de manera muy similar en árabe (رحي ) y es usada para describir a Dios en 113 de los 114 capítulos (Suras)  del Corán. Tanto Jonás como Abraham y Moisés son profetas venerados por los musulmanes.

Friday, January 29, 2016

FROM JOINERS TO TRANSFORMERS


Image result for apce logo presbyterianEmpowering unusually diverse 
new members for missional leadership


A workshop at the 

gathering of the 
Association of Presbyterian Christian Educators


Tuesday, July 28, 2015

WHAT DO I LOVE WHEN I LOVE MY GOD?


"What do I love, when I love Thee? not beauty of bodies, nor the fair harmony of time, nor the brightness of the light, so gladsome to our eyes, nor sweet melodies of varied songs, nor the fragrant smell of flowers, and ointments, and spices, not manna and honey, not limbs acceptable to embracements of flesh. None of these I love, when I love my God; and yet I love a kind of light, and melody, and fragrance, and meat, and embracement when I love my God, the light, melody, fragrance, meat, embracement of my inner man: where there shineth unto my soul what space cannot contain, and there soundeth what time beareth not away, and there smelleth what breathing disperseth not, and there tasteth what eating diminisheth not, and there clingeth what satiety divorceth not. This is it which I love when I love my God".


THE CONFESSIONS OF ST. AUGUSTINE, Book 10, Chapter 6

Saturday, April 11, 2015

Parshall on the Historical Roots of so much Anger

Phil Parshall was among my most influential professors while attending Fuller Seminary. While in Brazil  I had enjoyed two of his books on contextualization but being able to interact directly was even better than reading them. The deep love for people of the people of the Muslim faith with whom he served had for long years came across everyone of his lectures. Two decades later I am pleased to have come across some audio that presents some of the historical development of tense relationships between many expressions of Islam and Western societies. I hope you enjoy it!
(the lecture starts 15 minutes into the podcast)

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Knowing and Caring

In his biography of Apple's founder Steve Jobs, author Walter Isaach tells that when Jobs was thirteen a Jobs  and confronted the church’s pastor by asking him. “If I raise my finger, will God know which one I’m going to raise even before I do it?”
The pastor answered, “Yes, God knows everything.”
Jobs then pulled out the July 1968 Life magazine published with a shocking cover showing a pair of starving children in Biafra and asked, “Well, does God know about this and what’s going to happen to those children?”
“Steve, I know you don’t understand, but yes, God knows about that".
Jobs announced that he didn’t want to have anything to do with worshiping such a God, and he never went back to church.
Answer to those questions are never easy. May we dare to say and show that God not only knows but that God profoundly cares

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Hispanic Churches Adopt More English To Appeal To U.S.-Born Latinos

"As the nation's Hispanic population has grown to 50 million, so too has the Spanish-language church, one of the largest segments of U.S. Christianity. But compared to previous decades, when the growth in the Hispanic population came from immigration, and when many of the nation's biggest Spanish-speaking congregations blossomed, the growth of Hispanics in the last decade has been led by second-generation and third-generation Hispanics... The latest national census showed that native-born Hispanics, who tend to prefer English, now account for nearly two-thirds of the group"
Click here to read the entire report




Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Our Multi-Ethnic Savior


"The biblical world of Jesus thus spans Africa, Asia, and Europe, which means that Jesus walked the earth as a multi-ethnic human being, not as Black or White. None of these ancestors dominated his identity, unlike the days of slavery in the United States when a person who was even one-eighth Black (which amounted to a teaspoon of Black blood) was classified as Black. If this race rule were applied to Jesus, he would have been considered Black. But race rules don’t apply in scripture or in the kingdom of God. Jesus both transcends and dismantles race. The fact that he was multi-ethnic as a human being is significant.
When Jesus was hanging on the cross and the blood was dripping from his head, hands, and feet, that was multi-ethnic blood. When we say that Jesus died for all of our sins, that is true both figuratively and literally because all humanity was pumping through him and pouring out of him. He was the sacrificial lamb of all of sinful humanity and therefore embodies all of humanity in both the carrying and shedding of this precious blood. This truly is in this sense a substitutionary death. That is why the multi-ethnic and missional church must find identity in the multi-ethnic Jesus who is the Son of man and the Son of God. Through the Holy Spirit, this multi-ethnic Jesus lives in us. In him is new life and new identity" Efren Smith in “The Post-Black, Post-White Church: Becoming the Beloved Community in a Multi-Ethnic World” (Jossey-Bass)

Thursday, August 02, 2012

Leadership and Yearning...

If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.
—Antoine de Saint-Exupery  “The Wisdom of the Sands”

Saturday, June 23, 2012

The "Browning" of US Denominations


Ed Setzer shares some interesting trends within denominations in the US...

Church of the Nazarene
1980 - 94.6% Anglo
1990 - 90.7% Anglo
2000 - 85.7% Anglo
2010 - 79.5% Anglo

Assemblies of God
2010 - 60% Anglo
• Since 1991, the number of predominantly black churches in the Assemblies of God has expanded by 176 percent
• More than 20% of weekly attendees are Hispanic

Foursquare Church
• 1 in 6 churches is Hispanic
• Approximately 20-25% of churches in the US are distinctly ethnic
• Ethnic church planting is among the fastest growing segments in the denomination

Southern Baptist Convention
1990 - 95% Anglo
2000 - 85% Anglo
2010 - 80% Anglo

To read the report click here

Friday, June 08, 2012


GOBIERNO DE LA IGLESIA
Programa de Adiestramiento para Lideres
Pasadena Presbyterian Church, 9 de Junio del 2012

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Nouwen on Traveling

“Traveling – seeing new sights, hearing new music, and meeting new people – is exciting and exhilarating. But when we have no home to return to where someone will ask us, “How was your trip?” we might be less eager to go. Traveling is joyful when we travel with the eyes and ears of those who love us, who want to see our slides and hear our stories. This is what life is about. It is being sent on a trip by a loving God, who is waiting at home for our return and is eager to watch the slides we took and hear about the friends we made. When we travel with the eyes and ears of the God who sent us, we will see wonderful sights, hear wonderful sounds, meet wonderful people … and be happy to return home.” -Henri Nouwen

Saturday, March 17, 2012

From a prayer attributed to St. Patrick


I arise today Through the strength of heaven: Light of sun, Radiance of moon, Splendor of fire, Speed of lightning, Swiftness of wind, Depth of sea, Stability of earth, Firmness of rock.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Latinos to be 74% of the Growth in the US Labor Force till 2020


According to the Pew Center the share of the labor force that is Hispanic is projected to increase from 14.8% in 2010 to 18.6% in 2020. That is partly due to the relative youth and higher growth rate of the Hispanic population and partly due to the aging of the non-Hispanic white population and projected decline in its labor force.

From 2010 to 2020, Hispanics are expected to add 7.7 million workers to the labor force while the number of non-Hispanic whites in the labor force is projected to decrease by 1.6 million.

Consequently, Hispanics will account for the vast majority—74%—of the 10.5 million workers added to the labor force from 2010 to 2020.

Press here for the Pew Report

Sunday, February 12, 2012

MLK Jr About the Future of the Church

"If the church of today does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authentic ring, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the twentieth century"
1963, Letter from Birmingham City Jail

Saturday, January 21, 2012

A Prayer by Desmond Tutu

Disturb us, O Lord

when we are too well-pleased with ourselves
when our dreams have come true because we dreamed too little, because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, O Lord

when with the abundance of things we possess,
we have lost our thirst for the water of life
when, having fallen in love with time,
we have ceased to dream of eternity
and in our efforts to build a new earth,
we have allowed our vision of Heaven to grow dim.

Stir us, O Lord

to dare more boldly, to venture into wider seas
where storms show Thy mastery,
where losing sight of land, we shall find the stars.

In the name of Him who pushed back the horizons of our hopes
and invited the brave to follow.

Amen.
(From Church Then and Now by Kurt)