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OPINION/REFLECTIONS
Thirty two years and 8 days ago (to be exact) I was one of
the people sitting there in cassocks. Our commencement
speaker was the Very Rev. Robert Hibbs who was graduating
his term as dean that year too. For about 1 hours and 15
minutes more or less, and with a deep, slow and heavy accent,
He spoke of nothing but THE PEOPLE THE PEOPLE THE
PEOPLE.
Before I proceed, I would like to thank the people at
the Dean’s office, of course our beloved Dean and President
Patrick Tancuanco and Ms. Ada who relayed to me the
invitation, the people of the faculty, The Board of Trustees
people, the 18 graduating people class of 2012, AILM
graduates. To all the people of God who are gathered here
to witness this Commencement. I bring you greetings from
the people of the Episcopal diocese of Santiago. It is indeed
a pleasure and privilege to be here to speak to the graduating
class.
no theological speech.
Let me, warn you dear members of the graduating class,
that while I speak, you will not be able to hear Exciting
Theological Expositions, discourses and quotable quotes. I
am not a theologian but just a student of the same.
just what i have seen and heard
Let me however assure you (borrowing from ACTS 4:20), I
would speak of what I have seen and heard for the past 32
years and 8 days. I would speak of true to life people and
non-people alike, true to life situations, nothing invented.
I will speak of parables and the real lamentations of the
people of God as I have heard it myself.
commencement
Commencement exercises, is simply a ritualistic exercise to
formally release you, before you go out into the world of
people and non-people alike and start with the real encounter
as you participate in His ministry. Out in the real world,
you’ll no longer be under the protective custody of your
parents and sponsors as well as your masters and professors,
most often you will have to fend for yourselves. You have
been here for the last four years trained, taught and molded
by your masters and professors. I am aware that you are not
yet a master, but you have the fundamentals, the basics, the
insights, the ready references to be able to face real people
and non-people alike and real situations out in the world as
you participate in His Mission.
Bishop Alexander
Wandag of the
Episcopal Diocese
of Santiago is
Commencement
speaker during
St Andrew’s
T h e o l o g i c a l
S e m i n a r y
graduation rites,
March 30, 2012
Yes, this is what I have first heard, and seen and let me
emphasize that, it is His Mission; God’s Mission, Missio
Dei. That is what we have been called and trained for. The
Gensec of NCCP said “We do a lot of missions tentatively
at the expense of The Mission”. Yes, indeed, the churches
must continuously examine their missions if it is accord
with Missio Dei. It is not always true that the missions being
undertaken by the church is The Missio Dei.
parable of the palay grain
Palay which is the staple food of the Filipinos has something
to teach us about us ministers. From the rice granary of the
north, Isabela, so I have seen and heard from the farmers
that the palay stalks which bends as if in humble adoration
towards the ground are full and heavy of the precious and
fully developed grains while the palay stalks which trust
their heads to the skies, as if in triumphal praises to the god
above, have undeveloped or insect infested grains. Ipah
parable the promising seminarians
So I have seen and heard Seminarians of St. Andrew’s
Theological Seminary, during interviews with the
Commission on Ministry would promise to go where ever
the Lord and the Bishop would send them, would devote
their whole life to the service of his people even if it would
mean the cross of Christ, but after graduation is another
annoying story.
parable of the root crops and fruits
So I have seen and heard graduates of St. Andrews who
are invisible during the weekdays and incomprehensible
on weekends which to the People in Mountain Trail
gardening communities would compare them as “Kaman
din mangamkamoti” or “Kaman din Mangaygayyabas” as if
looking for sweet potatoes or searching for ripe Guavas in
their sermons and or homilies.
parable of the decorated ministers with ranks
So I heard graduates of St. Andrew’s Theological seminary,
ministers, sporting ranks similar to the Police officers ranks
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