Rev. Joniel Howard H. Gico delivered a sermon during the 118th Foundation Day celebration held at the University Church.
INTRODUCTION
As part of my preparation for giving a message today, I borrowed a small booklet from my sister Josette, entitled, “Some Leaders are Born Women.” From the compilation of quotations of women leaders put together by Lifebooks, one of the quotations that caught my attention was from Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady of former US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who said: “A woman is like a tea bag – you can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.”
Reflecting on the theme for this 118th Foundation Anniversary Celebration, “Central Spirit: Honoring the Generations of Empowered Centralian Women”, I would like to highlight two women personalities in the Bible, namely Ruth and Esther. They have gone through the “hot water” experiences but were called by God to rise to the challenge and made a significant impact during their generation. As one Bible commentator said: Ruth was a Gentile who married a Jew; Esther was a Jew who married a Gentile; but God used both of them to save the nation and the succeeding generations.
Let me share three important observations as far as empowered women are concerned.
DISCUSSION
A. First, Empowered Women are Called from Different Contexts and Situations
Ruth: [The events in the Book of Ruth probably took place during the period of the Judges (1375-1050 B.C.) and the story was likely written after 1000 B.C.]
The story tells us that there was a famine in the land (of Israel) and that the family of Elimelech and Naomi with their two sons, Mahlon and Kilion [(Ephrathites from Bethlehem – tribe of Judah)] have to move to the country of Moab (around 30 miles which is a little more than 48kms) for food.
[The famine must have been a very serious one, and not only have extended over the whole of the land of Israel, but have lasted several years, since it compelled Elimelech to immigrate into the land of the Moabites, Keil & Delitcszh].
Israelites [Descendants of Jacob renamed Israel (Genesis 32:28) was the son of Isaac and brother of Esau] and Moabites [Descendants of Moab was the son of Lot by incestuous union with his eldest daughter (Genesis 9:37)] were cousins but rivals in Ancient Israel.
Within the span of ten years in Moab, their two sons got married to two peasant Moabite women – Mahlon to Ruth and Kilion to Orpah. Although there were traditions that connect Ruth with Orpah as sisters and daughters of King Eglon of Moab, however these were not conclusive and have no scriptural support.
Unfortunately, during their stay in Moab Elimelech died as well as their two sons Mahlon and Kilion, thus, leaving the three women as widows. To be a widow means you have no one to provide for your daily needs and no one to defend you in times of trouble. In the OT, God is described as the “defender of widows” (Psalm 68:5) as well as the “provider for widows” (Deuteronomy 24:19). So God knows their situations.
When Naomi heard from Moab that the Lord had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them (v. 6), she prepared to return home with her daughters-in-law. They left the place where they had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah (v. 7).
However, Naomi, sensing that the prospect of her daughters-in-law for re-marriage in Israel would be slight urged them to stay in Moab (v. 8). She even asked God to give them a place of rest with a husband. Three times she insisted that they return to Moab. Then, Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye, but Ruth clung to her (v. 14).
And here, in this cross-road experience between Moab and Bethlehem of Judah, we hear one of the most beautiful expressions of commitment from a peasant Moabite daughter-in-law to her Jewish mother-in-law:
“Don’t force me to leave you; don’t make me go home. Where you go, I go; and where you live, I’ll live. Your people are my people, your God is my god; where you die, I’ll die, and that’s where I’ll be buried, so help me God — not even death itself is going to come between us!” (Ruth 1:16-17) [THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson.]
Hadassah/Esther: (Esther became queen around 479 B.C. and the book was probably written between 460-350 B.C.)
The family of Hadassah/Esther came from the tribe of Benjamin that was taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar (586 BC). She was an orphan early in life. According to the Midrash (a commentary by which the oral tradition interprets and elaborate scriptural text), her father died during her mother’s pregnancy, the latter (her mother) died during childbirth. She was taken in by Mordecai, her cousin, as his own daughter when her father and mother died (Esther 2:7).
Being an exile in a foreign land is to live like a refugee. But worse than that, is to be treated as a slave in a foreign land. Your rights are curtailed and you will be forced to accept beliefs and practices contrary to your religious orientation.
Psalm 137 expresses the pain felt by the Israelites during their exile in Babylon. The “cream of the crop” were taken as captives like the singers in the temple. They were forced to entertain the Babylonians with their songs.
Verses 1-3 speak about this:
“By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. There on the poplars we hung our harps, for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy, they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”
How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land? If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill, May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy.”
Your situation, how difficult and challenging it may be, will not be a hindrance to realize God’s purpose in your life for He will always find a way.
As the lyrics of a song declare:
“God will make a way, Where there seems to be no way;
He works in ways we cannot see, He will make a way for me.”
The book Scientia Et Fides: The Story of Central Philippine University, Vol I, written by Nelson and Herradura, pp. 57-58, records the establishment and the early history of the Baptist Missionary Training School.
Nelson and Herradura wrote:
“In September, 1903, Miss Anna V. Johnson and Miss Celia Sanz arrived, the first women missionaries of the Woman’s American Baptist Foreign Mission Society. The society had begun a program of sending out women for evangelistic and educational work among women and children under the slogan “Women, the Key.” Miss Johnson settled in Jaro and began an informal school in her own home to teach Bible and evangelism to women. Miss Sanz was assigned to Capiz to begin work with women and children in that city.
In 1905 Miss Johnson found increasing numbers of young women and girls wanting to study. With the help of an able Filipina, Semprosa Sobremesana, she began to plan for a better organized school. In 1907 the Baptist Missionary Training School was formally opened in Jaro in a building near the east side of the Jaro plaza. Twenty girls enrolled to become the first Filipina misioneras, or Bible women. All twenty completed four years of training and, in 1911, were graduated and immediately placed as workers in the churches. The Woman’s American Baptist Foreign Mission Society formally recognized the school in June, 1908, as one the projects for them to support.
Eventually, the school year 1938-1939 saw the finalization of the merger and the enrollment of women in the School of Theology with Miss Dorothy Dowell as dean of the Women’s Division. Graduates of the course were awarded the Bachelor of Science in Religious Education degree.
The merger however was not as complete as some persons envisioned it because BMTS continued to be operated in many ways as a separate administrative unit under Miss Dowell, parallel with the College of Theology.
Towards the end of WWII, Miss Dowell perished with the other missionaries at Hopevale and all the records of money, assets or liabilities of the Women’s Division were lost. Miss Coggins, acting dean of the College of Theology in the post-war period, decided to integrate the administration as well as the budget and the treasury of the women’s division with those of the College of Theology. Since then there has been one budget for the whole college.
Many, if not the majority of those women who completed the BMTS program came from the poor and financially challenged families. However God’s call is extended to everyone, even to those whose contexts and situations maybe difficult and lowly. Many of them were instrumental in opening new frontiers in the ministry to places where they were assigned.
(Allow me to be biased in this particular instance). My mother, Mrs. Pacita Huelar Gico, was a graduate of BMTS in 1950. She has served as misionera at Hinigaran Evangelical Church and through the Church’s Kindergarten School they have reached out and shared God’s love to the community. Later, she pursued her education training and reached the Master Teacher II Level in the public school. She was instrumental in opening a Kindergarten Class in a public elementary school integrating the Christian education values in her teaching.
I am sure the other BMTS graduates have their own story to tell.
But let me mention some: Mrs. Febe Dagohoy, Director of Antique Christian Center who is the mother of Dr. Ernest Howard Dagohoy. She became a pioneer (in offering kindergarten training) and the school had been very instrumental (in that area) and had such a big influence in training children inculcating the very Christian education she herself had embraced. Likewise Mrs. Lolita Dais, Mrs. Ligaya Romarate, the mother of Dr. Esther Rose Romarate, Mrs. Rebecca de Leon, were BMTS graduates. Manay Bec de Leon and Mrs. Patricia Lopez were also part of BMTS graduates. There are still many…God had used women in many different ways to open frontiers and avenues of service to reach out for others.
So, in God’s sovereign plan, He calls ordinary people (like these women) and empowers them to do extra-ordinary commitments to fulfill His purpose and will.
B. Secondly, Empowered Women are Results/Products of Significant Influences
Ruth gradually developed into a faithful and committed woman through the life and testimony of her mother-in-law, Naomi. Silently, in a span of ten years such influence of Naomi gradually challenged the depth of Ruth’s commitment in a relationship. Her daily encounter and dealings with Naomi gave her a new and different understanding of what an Israelite is. Her exposure to the religious life and practices of Naomi allowed her to differentiate between her beliefs and practices.
No wonder, her irreversible decision was guided by such an influence. In other words, Ruth’s boldness and decisiveness to follow the steps of Naomi did not just happen at the spur-of-the-moment. It was a result of the gradual process of carefully nurturing the relationship between the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law. And seldom could you see such meaningful relationship that exists between in-laws coming from different cultures.
Esther/Hadassah became an orphan early in life. Her father [Abihail, uncle of Mordecai (Est. 2:15; 9:29)] died during her mother’s pregnancy and her mother died during childbirth. She was adopted by Mordecai, her cousin, and was raised as his own daughter when her father and mother died. She was described as “beautiful, lovely and young.” [Esther 2:7 (The Living Bible)]. When taken in to the King’s palace as part of the harem for the king to choose from as the replacement of Queen Vashti, she was obedient enough to heed the advice of Mordecai not to reveal her nationality and family background (Esther 2:10).
Even after having been chosen as Queen, she “…kept secret her family background and nationality just as Mordecai had told her to do, she continued to follow Mordecai’s instructions as she had done when he was bringing her up” (Esther 2:20).
Esther maintained an open communication with Mordecai which greatly helped in discovering the plot to assassinate King Xerxes and capturing the conspirators (Esther 2:22).
Mordecai’s influence on Esther for having the openness to listen, the willingness to obey and the decisiveness to face the risks prepared her to the challenge of her lifetime.
Retracing our journey and experiences as Centralians, such influences may come in many different ways.
Let me share an excerpt from the Abstract of Dr. Felnor Giron Importante’s unpublished dissertation entitled “Central Spirit: A Case In Point for Alumni Relations.”
Dr. Importante (a Centralian herself) writes:
The findings of the present investigation were as follows—CPU student, faculty, staff, school official, and alumni informants considered “Central spirit” as a bond, a feeling of belongingness with fellow Centralians; loyalty to and love of school; the indwelling Spirit of God that unites the hearts of people; a kindness to fellow Centralians; the accumulated experiences of students in the campus; and indescribable for some but surely exists. The symbols that evoke the “Central spirit” among Centralians were apparently the school hymns and the school logo called “The Gold and Blue”. A Centralian’s so-called “Rites of Passage” which mark a change in status from one life stage to another were apparently through the mentoring on Christian life brought about by the institutionalized CEW convocations, bible study groups, prayer rallies, Religion & Ethics classes, and the Christian living and values education classes in the elementary and secondary years, respectively.”
And I may add, that these influences may also come through: friendships among classmates, involvement in different organizations, church involvement and dormitory experiences.
Similar to the experiences and the journey of faith of Ruth and Esther, the significant influences we have gained from CPU through Exemplary Christian Education for Life have also prepared us to face the challenges ahead of us.
C. And finally, Empowered Women are Committed to Make a Difference
From the standpoint of Ruth, making a difference is pursuing a life of commitment to walk side-by-side, through “thick and thin”, with her mother-in-law, Naomi. She was willing to face the challenge of life against all odds. Unknowingly, such a decision of Ruth also paved the way to a future with new meaning and purpose for an embittered mother-in-law Naomi. This was later realized when Ruth met Boaz, the kinsman-redeemer, who eventually became her husband. They had a son named Obed who was the father of Jessie, who was the father of King David. The genealogy of our Lord Jesus Christ recorded in the Gospel according to Matthew chapter one records that he was in the lineage of “…Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David…” (Matthew 1:5-6a).
As to Esther, the succeeding events that happened in her life seem to be an impossible dream, from an exile, an orphan, an adopted daughter and now the Queen of Persia. However, from God’s sovereign plan, nothing happens by chance but by purpose.
Her being a queen was not an end in itself. It was just a means to accomplish a greater purpose – that is, to save her people, the Jews, from total annihilation from the hands of those who hated them.
The words of Mordecai to Esther (in chapter 4:13-14) remind us that whatever position we are holding now must be viewed from the perspective of God’s plan and purpose.
“Do not think that because you are in the king’s house, you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?”
It was not only the beauty of Esther that put her in such a position as queen. God was working behind the scene and everything was under His control. It is only when we allow God to use us as instrument of His purpose and will that we could truly make a significant difference.
The defining moment came when the truth sank in Esther’s heart that God has a greater purpose for her than just being a queen – she is God’s instrument for the deliverance and preservation of her people. Thus, with great resolve and readiness to face the risks before the King, Queen Esther declared, “And if I perish, I perish.”
It was a decision of a lifetime that was celebrated by the Jews for generations – Purim or the Feast of Lots (A joyous Jewish festival commemorating the survival of the Jews who, in the 5th Century BC, were marked for death by their Persian rulers).
As we follow God’s direction in our life, we will never know that in God’s sovereign plan such decision could impact a generation.
Some of us were just mere students (at CPU) but we committed our lives to the Lord. And there you are, like our chairman of the Board, we never knew that somewhere along, in the lineage of Mrs. Ruth Corvera will come out Peter Irving Corvera, the present Chairman of the Board of Trustees.
The Lord knows the heart of people who have committed themselves to Him. One of these days, from your own lineage, leaders will come forth, empowered women will come to be used by the Lord for His purpose.
CONCLUSION
As we reflect on our theme, “Central Spirit: Honoring the Generations of Empowered Centralian Women” let us remember Ruth and Esther.
To them, empowerment is not an overnight thing. Ruth and Esther had gone through difficult and necessary experiences. And these involved facing the challenges of their respective contexts and situations, living under the influence and guidance of their mentors, and committed to make a difference to the lives of people around them.
Let me close this reflection by this story.
In his 93-page book entitled “The Pursuit of Excellence,” Ted W. Engstrom, former President of World Vision International, shares a story:
“Several years ago I was browsing through the shelves of a large Christian bookstore in Los Angeles when a young man came up to me and asked if he could be of assistance. For a moment I didn’t even hear his question because my eyes were fixed on the large red button he wore on his shirt collar. There was no slogan, no political message – only these letters: PBPGINFWMY.
Since I’ve never been accused of being overly shy, I asked him what on earth those letters meant. And with a smile that told me he was glad I’d asked, he said, “It means, ‘Please be patient, God is not finished with me yet.” Unquote.
What a marvelous reminder for all of us – to be patient with ourselves and with others as we all move through this long, often tedious process called life.
And this is very much true with EMPOWERMENT! It does not happen overnight. It is a process. Some of us learn the ropes quickly, while many of us invariably cross the stream at the widest point. But no one at any time has it made. No one has yet learned the answers to all the questions.
So, if your progress seems slow, while it appears that those around you are engaged in remarkable successes, just remember: Please be patient, God is not finished with you yet!
Amen.