A rich life with less stuff | The Minimalists | TEDxWhitefish - YouTube

Powerful presentation. Enjoy it and share it. Incredible how they have found the Gospel's message on how to live without knowing the message of the Gospel. Can we, the ones who know the Gospel's powerful message, live out it's meaning like these folks are?



Life is certainly more than the things we have or want. Life is about relationships, health, community, learning and growing, and contributing to the world. Check this out and share it.



A rich life with less stuff | The Minimalists | TEDxWhitefish - YouTube

Preparing us for the future

Some years ago I mentioned in this blog that this is the time of the year (September 15-October 15) to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Indeed, this month has many reasons for us to be thankful about it. This month also give us many reasons to ponder on monumental events like Columbus Day – with all its implications for the human race (both positive and negative), United Nations Day – an achievement of the great possibilities humanity has by working together to solve problems, and Halloween – a reminder not to take things too seriously.

Yes, there are many things that we can write about. Last year I mentioned some statistics and facts about Latinos in the United States, how they have impacted our lives, our culture, and how we see ourselves. Clearly we are a different people than we were 50 or even 30 years ago. In the last 10 years we have seen how the Latino population in the U.S. has grown to become the largest ethnic minority in the country. In the next 30 years we will see even more changes as we experience how the so called racial/ethnic minority groups in the U.S. will become the largest segment of the population. By then we will also see that many of our sons and daughters-in-law might be from a country in Latin America, or some-other-place in the world. We might see that many of our grandchildren and great grandchildren might have as their surnames Rivera, Rodriguez, and Santos instead of Smith and Jones.

As a Puerto Rican pastor (“born and bread” on the island of Puerto Rico) working in English speaking churches, ministering to an American population so different from the reality I grew up in, I represent the reality of coming changes. Indeed, I am only the beginning of a trend that will continue to grow and alter the way we see ourselves and the world around us. This time we know what is coming, and it is not a bad thing, and we can prepare for it by opening our hearts, our church doors, and our communities. This time we can be prepared to make our churches and our communities more welcoming and more hospitable to the people God is sending to be in our midst.

Indeed, I truly believe that we are at the verge of one of the greatest opportunities for our church and for the nation. Certainly the demographic changes taking place now will impact our lives in the U.S. but also the lives of people all over the world. We are at the verge of a renewal of our values and our ideals as a people, especially as God’s people.

This is a time to be bold with our faith, this is a time to be courageous about our commitment to Christ and to the proclamation of the good news of the Kingdom of God about which Jesus preached: “The kingdom of God has come near to you” [is here] (Luke 10:9).

My brothers and sisters, when we announce that the Kingdom of God is at hand or near to us, it is not a figure of speech. You see, in Hebrew, the words "to come near" mean: "To be at." Many people are confused about what the Kingdom of God, or of Heaven really means because of the poor Greek and English translations of the Hebrew word “Karav.”

When Jesus says that “The Kingdom of God has come near you” we need to hear it in his Hebraic context. Instead we hear it in its Greek context with the use of the word “engiken,” which translated means “has come near.” If we turned this word back into Hebrew we get an entirely different meaning and understanding because the Hebrew will tell us that the Kingdom of God is here: with the arrival of Jesus the Kingdom of God has been inaugurated (John 1:14). God has pitched his tent with us, with the entire human race. We are not alone!

The Kingdom of Heaven or the Kingdom of God is always -- present tense -- it is now, according to the Hebrew usage and the understanding of the Jews at the time of Jesus and also within rabbinic usage even today. So the opportunities are before us to open our lives, our churches, our communities, and our nation to these great things that God is doing in our midst, to the people who have come to be in our midst. God is certainly presenting us with the opportunity to join him in making his Kingdom invitation a reality for all the people around us.  Come, let us join him!

Hispanic Heritage Month: A Month to Celebrate the Future

The month of October has plenty of things to celebrate or to observe: Columbus Day, World Communion Sunday, Protestant Heritage Sunday, Halloween, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Clergy Appreciation Month, Cookie Month, Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Lupus Awareness Month, National Diabetes Month, etc. But as we move forward in our ministry to the community, I
would like to highlight Hispanic Heritage Month, which as many of you know is a celebration that spans from September 15^th to October 15^th. 

You might probably be thinking, why is this something to talk about in this month's blog, others might be asking: What is this Hispanic Heritage Month? Why are we U.S. Citizens asked to celebrate Hispanic Heritage? These are very good questions, which I proposed to answer the best I can. You see Hispanic Heritage month was enacted by Congress by Public Law 100-402 in 1968, in order to honor the achievements of Hispanics/Latinos in America. This law has authorized and requested the President of the U.S. to annually issue a proclamation designating September 15 through October 15 as “National Hispanic Heritage Month.” What this means is that as a country we celebrate the culture and traditions of those who trace their roots to Spain, Mexico, and the Spanish-speaking nations of Central America, South America and the Caribbean. The days for the celebration were picked as a way to celebrate the anniversaries for independence of 5 Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El

Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on Sept. 16^th and Sept. 18th, respectively.
This population is not only in our midst, this population is an integral component of what it is to be American in the 21^st Century. This is also a growing population. As of April 2010 the Hispanic (Latino) population has reached 50.5 million, making this population the largest racial/ethnic
minority in the U.S. (surpassing the African America population). This is without counting the 3.7 million residents of Puerto Rico, which is a U.S. territory (and, of course, the place where your pastor comes from). This population is not only the largest racial-ethnic minority in the U.S.A. it is also the fastest growing racial-ethnic minority population in the country. The Hispanic population in the U.S.
constitutes the second largest in the world, and thus making Spanish the second language spoken in the U.S. We are already a bilingual country.
You can see, hear, and taste the contributions of this population in American culture. The influence of Spanish language, flavors, and cultures has already left its indelible mark in all of us. We cannot think of having a party without tortilla chips and Salsa, guacamole, burritos, tacos, pastels, etc. Even our language has benefited from the exchange. As it is, there are many words in the English language that we assume are simply English when they actually come from Spanish: Alligator (el lagarto, the lizard), Booby (bobo, silly or selfish, from the Latin for stammering, balbus), Bronco (for horses

that are wild or rough), Cafeteria (cafetería, a coffee shop), Cargo (cargar, to load), Cigar, Cigarette (cigarro), Comrade (camarada, old Spanish for barracks company or roommate), Guerrilla (a small raiding party or fighting force), Renegade (renegado, deserter or outlaw), Tornado (tornar, to turn, tronada, thunderstorm), and many more. There are other words from Spanish that have retained their meaning also in English such as: aficionado, armada, barracuda, mosquito, tobacco, and vanilla. Some of our States continue to reflect this heritage in their names: Colorado, Nevada, California, New Mexico, Texas, Florida, Arizona, and Montana. There are 20
cities with Spanish names and many other towns. 

The fact of the matter is that our country is becoming more multi-cultural and more diverse every year. Not only because of foods and languages but also because the number of people marrying across racial/ethnic lines has continued to grow: a record 14.6% of all new marriages in the United
States in 2008 were between spouses of a different race or ethnicity; 2008 showed a spike of interracial marriages (9% of white newlyweds, 16% of blacks, 26% of Hispanics and 31% of Asians married someone whose race or ethnicity was different from their own).

As a matter of fact Hispanics/Latinos are so much a part of this country that there are over 1.1 million Hispanic/Latinos who are veterans of the U.S. Armed forces, and millions more are currently serving. We have been so much a part of this country that we are part of the great American family, an integral part of this country’s landscape. This is a reality that some of us experience in our own families and inside our congregations; it is a reality in our communities; it is an inescapable reality that we are living. As it is, we are your sons and daughters in law, we are your children, we are your grand children, and your great grand children, we are your husbands and wives, and are also the grandparents.
Our last two Presidents have made clear the significance of celebrating Hispanic Heritage month. President George W. Bush stated in 2006: “Through hard work, faith in God, and a deep love of

family, Hispanic Americans have pursued their dreams and contributed to the strength and vitality of our Nation. They have enriched the American experience and excelled in business, law, politics, education, community service, the arts, science, and many other fields. […]We continue to benefit from a rich Hispanic culture and we are a stronger country because of the talent and creativity of the many Hispanic Americans who have shaped our society.” 

Thus, President Obama reminds us: “[f]rom those who trace their roots to America's earliest days to those who recently came to the United States carrying nothing but hope for a better life, Hispanics have always been integral to our national story. As an American family more than 300 million strong, we constitute one people, sharing sacrifice and prosperity because we know we rise and fall together” (from President Obama’s 2011 Proclamation). Certainly, America is a richer and more vibrant country because of the contributions of Hispanics/Latinos. This is also where the future of the United Methodist Church lies. 

We, Latinos, might not be the future of the protestant Church, but we are, indeed, the future that lies ahead for the the Christian church in America, as well as the future of our country. As Paul keeps reminding the church in Ephesus: “For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made [everyone] into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, so that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of [many], thus making peace, and might reconcile [everyone] to God in one body.” (Eph. 2:14-16). Indeed, we are one people, as the body of Christ, and as a country; whether people like it or not, whether people are willing to accept it or not.

A Month to Forgive: God's Generosity

During the month of July we have been talking about Living Generously, but we can only experience God’s generosity when we have experienced God’s forgiveness, and as we are forgiven God calls us to forgive others. This is perhaps one of most powerful examples of what it means to live a Generous Life, when we are willing to offer forgiveness to other just like God has extended forgiveness to all of us.

So, as we consider God’s forgiving generosity, I came across the interesting fact that August is consider to be Forgiveness Month. I do not understand where that came from or why do we need to have a forgiveness month but I can tell you that as I thought about it, it made sense that I should write something about one of the most central themes of the Christian tradition: FORGIVENESS.

Therefore, let us start at the beginning. From Genesis to Revelation we see in the biblical witness that God has been constantly seeking us out, God has been trying to bring us in to be in communion with him. So, God forgave Adam and Eve, God extended forgiveness to the human race again and again. God always seeking us out, always seeking to develop a relationship with us: the human race.

But you see, God is not the only example of forgiveness in the scriptures, as a matter of fact we find that many of the stories of forgiveness in the scripture are ways for us to learn that as God has been forgiving to us, so should we be with one another. The interesting thing is that those stories do not begin with the New Testament, as some people may think.

I’d like to talk about four stories of forgiveness. The first one is that of Jacob and Esau (Genesis 25, 27, 32, 33). In this story Jacob with the aid of his mother deceived his Father Isaac in order to be blessed by him (and, although we would not attempt a deception like his today, it is a great story).  Once the deception is complete and Jacob had Isaac’s blessing he flew out of town to live with his mother’s family (because, of course, mama was on the side of Jacob). There he went and lived for a long time always fearing his brother’s retaliation. But, lo and behold, the brothers finally met, Jacob was scared, and here comes Esau with a great number of people (Jacob knew he did not stand a chance to fight his brother’s men) but to Jacob’s surprise Esau came embraced him and showed him forgiveness. He was even surprised that Jacob was still thinking that he was upset for that episode so many years ago.

The second story is a well known story, the story of Joseph (Genesis 37-50). Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers (they really wanted to kill him) because they were jealous of him for being their father’s favorite. So he went off to Egypt becomes the Pharaoh’s second in command, and saved his brothers and families from starvation. Joseph showed forgiveness to his brothers and saved their lives.

The third story is that of the woman caught committing adultery (John 8). In this story Jesus challenges the audience, who were ready for a kill, to think about the many times that God has forgiven them in their own acts of defilement. Jesus is not justifying the woman’s act (nor the man’s act), he simply showed that there was a better way to restore people to wholeness than by killing them (even if that is what was prescribed in the law). Of course, we know that Jesus offered her his forgiveness, God forgave her, but many times we missed in this story that the people present also extended forgiveness to the woman they were about to kill as they were convicted of their own sins. Here is a powerful story of how Jesus brought restoration to the woman by restoring her back to her community who had pity on her and understood that the law is important but more important is mercy and love.

The last story is the story about the servant who after receiving forgiveness of his debt by his master was not willing to do the same for his co-servant (Matthew 18:21-35). This is one of the most difficult stories for us to grasp because it hits very close to home. God in his generosity has shown us mercy, has forgiven us. Yet, when it comes our turn to do the same for others we want to apply all the “weight” of the law, we seem to forget God’s generous act of forgiveness, we seem to forget what God has done in our lives, and what God wants to do for us.

Therefore, the crux of the matter is that we still need to be confronted with the reality of forgiveness, for in order for us to be forgiven we must also be willing to forgive those we believe have offended us, or have acted against us inappropriately. That is why the Lord taught us in the way he taught us to pray: “Our father in heaven,… forgive us our trespasses (debts) as we as we forgive those who trespassed (our debtors) against us…” Indeed, the gift of God’s grace, of God’s salvation has been given to us freely but not cheaply. When we ask for our sins to be forgiven we must be prepared to do likewise. For as John reminds us in his first letter:

Those who say, ‘I love God’, and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also. (1 John 4:20-21).

This, of course, includes everyone, yes even those people whom you know are evil and you believe are not worthy of forgiveness. Maybe because they are the adulterers of this world, they are the brothers of the “Joseph” of this world, maybe they are like the servant who had no mercy, or maybe they are those who crucified our Lord. Yet, even then God’s generosity for the Roman soldiers was extended; at the moment of Jesus’ greatest weakness, he prayed: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:24). God’s generous forgiveness, my brothers and sisters, is not just an event that takes place in the heart, it is a way of life, it is Jesus’ way, and it must be ours too.  

As John said to his community in Asia Minor centuries ago, I would like now to remind you: “I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven on account of his name” (1 John 2:12). Let us not forget that we have received God’s abundant grace not to hold it in but to impart it to the world.

Let us then open our hearts, and our lives, to welcome in our midst everyone whom God has placed in our communities. You never know, it might be a Puerto Rican family, it might be a Mexican family, it might be some immigrant family from somewhere in the world; who knows, it might even be your neighbor! Let us be open to God’s Spirit who is doing great things in our midst, and who showers us with his generous gifts every day. 

To the Saints in Rome | Thinking Faith

Great article from our brothers and sisters in the Jesuit community, on the letter to the Romans. A good read for those who will be preaching from the letter to the Romans in the coming weeks. Enjoy it and share with friends.

To the Saints in Rome | Thinking Faith

Cosmos Scrubs Religion's Positive Influence from the History of the Scientific Revolution - Evolution News & Views

I think that Evolution and News has it right, religion (Judaism and Christianity in particular) has contributed to the advance of science in Western Civilization. This article is not an apologia for Christianity or Judaism, or religion in general, it is simply a demonstration that in the history of ideas, specially scientific ideas, theology has played a very significant role. It saddens me that Scrubs tried to reduced the rich dialogue between religion and science to the simplistic cliche that one cannot sustain the other. I love the show and think it is a great tool to help people understand the world and the universe, but seeking to sacrifice the role played by religion in order to advance a pseudo-scientific cliche is certainly "not cool."  Hope you enjoy the article and share it.

<i>Cosmos</i> Scrubs Religion's Positive Influence from the History of the Scientific Revolution - Evolution News & Views

4 really important things you should know about the Hobby Lobby SCOTUS case - Salon.com

Of all the things I have read so far about the Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby, this one really tops the list. If the supreme court sides with Hobby Lobby it would give life to a new "human" entity called the corporation. Corporations that the courts have already granted "personal" status regarding their free speech, only need to be granted religious rights (as individuals), and viola (vuala) we have a "real person." But of course, only when it is in the interest of the corporation. May God have mercy on us. Read and share.



4 really important things you should know about the Hobby Lobby SCOTUS case - Salon.com

Atheists have their number: How the Christian right is hastening religion’s decline - Salon.com

I believe that the arguments presented in this article truly challenge us to think about how our faith is lived in the world. Are we relevant to the challenges posed by the reality of a social order that has co-opted our symbols and re-introduced them in the world void of their original meaning and re-imagined in order to provide support for our privileges in American society while keeping the vast masses of people in the world under sub-human conditions. I believe the following quote from the article will entice some of you to read on.

"With an increasingly majority of younger Americans accepting evolution as fact, Christianity for many under 35 is becoming a watered-down hybrid of eastern philosophy and biblical teachings. “The turn towards being ‘spiritual but not religious’ points at the decreasing observation of doctrine and strict rules and a broader relationship to sentiment and ‘Jesus and me’ on the one hand alongside the rise of yoga, Buddhism, Hinduism and a blend or smorgasbord of eastern practices with the idea of being loosely/broadly spiritual—yet not in any specific context or foundation of the Trinity, Seven Deadly Sins, Karma, Nirvana or any of the pillars or branches of belief,” writes Alan Miller, moderator of a “spiritual but not religious” event."

Enjoy the reading!

Atheists have their number: How the Christian right is hastening religion’s decline - Salon.com

Global Ministries Statement on Human Rights for All People - United Methodist Connections

This is a powerful statement that is worth reading and sharing. There can be no equal rights for all if a segment of the population is criminalized for being who they are. We must put an end to homophobic legislation, which diminishes the dignity and worth of the person who is homosexual; even if some people think it is a sin to be homosexual it does not warrant that they be diminished as human beings. Read and share.

Global Ministries Statement on Human Rights for All People - United Methodist Connections

The Work of Christmas Lies Ahead

As it should be, we have celebrated the birth of our Lord and savior, we sang songs to his name, we have praised God, and we have celebrated his coming into the world. We have at least two millennia of creating traditions that reminds us about the Christ that was born, lived and ministered in our midst, died, and was raised from the dead. Indeed, this month, the first of the year 2014, we are reminded that God has not only revealed God-self once, but we are reminded that God continues to reveal God-self to us still today.

During the Epiphany, we come to see how Jesus, the carpenter from Galilee, was revealed to the world among the people to whom he was sent out to reach, not the proud and powerful, not the rich and famous, but rather, the lowly and despised: “the blind…, the lame…, the lepers…, the deaf…,” and “the poor have good news brought to them” (Matthew 11:5).  Our Lord and savior was anointed for this reason: “‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.” Jesus understood that he was sent “to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour’” (Luke 4:18-19). Indeed, God’s purpose for the world was made clear through Jesus, especially on the day the Magi came to visit with him: Epiphany.

What God manifested in the visit of the Magi is the great mystery of God’s all inclusive Grace. God had intended for salvation to be for all the human race, and through God’s amazing Grace the mystery is now revealed. Through the faithfulness of Christ we have been made acceptable before God and made to be part of the family of God. This is a magnificent gift indeed. Now it is time for us to live into the grace of God: to live righteous and sanctified lives that glorify God, transforming lives, communities, and the world.

This reminds me of a poem (“The Mood of Christmas”) by the late Rev. Howard Thurman, which captures the sentiment of this message:

When the song of the angels is stilled,

When the star in the sky is gone,

When the kings and princes are home,

When the shepherds are back with their flock,

The work of Christmas begins:

To find the lost,

To heal the broken,

To feed the hungry,

To release the prisoner,

To rebuild the nations,

To bring peace among brothers,

To make music in the heart.

As we are starting 2014, and our Christmas celebrations have ended, we are being call to continue to manifest to the world God’s saving Grace: God’s radical hospitality. For in Christ the world has been turned up-side down, and what was valuable before is no longer valuable, what was important before is no longer relevant, for God is calling everyone regardless of status, position, power, gender, class, race, sexual orientation, or country of origin, to be part of the family. The family that God has created involves everyone on this planet, including creation itself. This is the great mystery which is revealed to us in the Epiphany (the manifestation of God to the world). Indeed, God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself (2 Co. 5:19), so that we might live the way God wants us to live: loving each other (1 John 3:11), doing justice (Micah 6:8), and working for peace (Matt. 5:9 and Jer. 29:7).

Let God’s manifestation through Jesus Christ continue to transform our minds, our hearts, our communities, and the world, for, indeed, the work of Christmas lies ahead. I wish you all a blessed New Year fill with God’s mercy and love.