Covenant Orientation Weekend

Three months after our CLP graduation, I won’t be so bold as to say I’ve become an angel – nope, I haven’t sprouted wings nor grown a halo. I don’t think I’ve changed that much – change after all does not happen overnight and with the narrow path strewn with obstacles that we must (and should) take to follow Christ, everyday is a challenge.

In all honesty, there are times when I feel I have a mild case of schizophrenia (baliw lang daw ang peg!). During Worships, Prayer Assemblies and Household meetings – I listen intently to the teachings, get goosebumps and turn emotional whilst singing and finding a deeper meaning in the lyrics of worship songs and readings, then I go out and try very hard to imbibe, put into heart and practice all that I have taken from these activities but sometimes it’s just so darn hard (because sometimes I just really really want to strangle my boss!) and this is when I find it difficult to weave being an SFC member into the life I knew and had before being part of the community.

Spread over two Fridays with seven talks, the Covenant Orientation came as a culmination of our CLP journey and our induction as full pledged members into the Singles For Christ Community.

The first day of the COW covered 4 topics:

Talk 1: Our Covenant and the Mission and Vision of SFC presented by Bro Roel Baltazar, aims to re-affirm and confirm our commitment of Loving, Honouring and Serving God by way of integrating all that we have learned and experienced during all activities and teachings into our daily lives.

By putting God in the center of our lives and the core of our being, we become living witnesses and proof of the power of his love, words and promises thus enabling us to fulfil the SFC mission of having Every single man and woman all over the world experience Christ.

Talk 2: Strengthening Family Life presented by Tita Ross Ireneo was probably the most sensitive and poignant topic of the COW as it hits home literally and figuratively. The discussion focuses on the basic unit of society – the Family. It reminded us of our parents and siblings and the immense role and responsibility that we have as instruments of their evangelization by being advocates of love, peace, openness and Christian living within the family. 

After the discussion was a mini activity on family dynamics and it was where it got really intense. We were divided into groups and were encouraged to say what was in our hearts to each member of our family as represented by one group member. I for one could not help but be emotional as I pondered in retrospect a heartbreaking incident in my family a few years back that left me with regrets, unspoken words and unanswered questions. 

I don’t really talk and share my feelings about this particular incident – I consider them very private, almost sacred. I dreaded the moment my turn to share would come and yet I could not help but pour my heart out when it did.

Talk 3: Our Christian Culture in SFC by the very lively and animated Sis Cheryl Pederera reminds us of our social responsibilities in an out of the community. By exemplifying the core values of SFC, we become beacons of true Christian living.

Talk 4 by Bro Melvin Lepesigue is about the importance of Prayer, Scripture and Sacraments in our spiritual growth. We were all taught to pray since childhood and though we know the words, we never really fully understood the power of personal prayer times and its significance in building our intimate personal relationship with God.

I shamefully admit in finding it hard to put my heart in a position of prayer when I am in a bad mood and the discussion helped me realize that these ill feelings should not hinder me from prayer but rather push me more into communing with God. 

Reading the scriptures is also one thing I admit to having difficulty getting into. Reading the Bible does not come naturally like, say, reading the Harry Potter book series but by starting with Scripture based daily prayer guides we can slowly build up our understanding and appreciation of the Scriptures.

Closing the first day of course was the anticipated sharing part. I normally try and shrink in my seat to not call attention to myself but I was busy listening to my seatmate’s story which was related to the topic at hand that I forgot to try and be a chameleon. I was caught off guard when Bro Eduard Racoma called me to share. I was hesitant at first because the immediate thing that came to mind was the emotional family dynamic activity. The things that I have shared with my group were very personal - it is not often that I talk about it really and to share it again to a room full of people was daunting. 

I don’t really remember what I said or if I even made sense at all, I just remember feeling relieved as I walked back toward my seat, not because I was done sharing but because deep inside I felt comforted, I felt that somehow I said what I was supposed to say and my message was received by those meant to hear it.

The next weekend’s topics were:

Talk 5: Being Christian in the Workplace by Sis Len Robles which was also a very essential topic. I personally sometimes feel burned out with temper flaring by work related stress and the discussion reminded us that by giving value to our jobs as gifts from God and performing our duties with positivity and a Christian attitude we can and will survive the challenges of our daily grind.  

Talk 6 on Financial Stewardship by Sis Dianne Santiago proved to be an eye opener. I am sure I am not only one who thinks that all the money I’ve earned is mine -mine to spend however and whichever way I please.

“pinaghirapan ko ito” I would argue “so it’s okay to pamper and give myself a treat”. We would even justify keeping a tight fist on our money and defend our selfishness at times by saying we’ve worked very hard for it.

How wrong am I to think that all these are MINE, MINE, MINE! When all these blessings bestowed upon us are not ours to keep but to manage wisely and if possible enrich, so we would be in a better position to give back all the graces and glory to God.

Most of us think that by giving alms we’ve done our part in helping the poor, sometimes we even say “ang laki laki ng katawa, hinde magtrabaho” while begrudgingly fishing out small change from our pockets to give. Talk 7: Loving and Serving the Poor by Tito Eugene reminded us that loving and serving the poor wholeheartedly is an essential part in being Christian and carrying out our mission of Building the Church of the Poor.

After the COW, I still haven’t sprouted wings, I still don’t have a halo but I can say that now I learned more on how to integrate the teachings into my daily life. 

Becoming an SFC member does not mean just wearing the SFC ID, it does not stop when you go out of the SFC Centre, it does not end when you say ‘Amen’ – it is not a fad, it is not a phase, it is THE way of life.

Slowly I’m learning, slowly I’m (I fervently pray) changing for the better, slowly I’m walking the path to being the person God wants me to be and for that may God be praised!!!