Serving In God's Vineyard

Mike and I have been serving quite a while as full time pastoral workers. I started in 2000 while Mike started in '98. After all these years, people start to notice some white streaks of hair and our horizontal physical growth (yes, we're getting fatter). Yet, with all these external changes, one thing remains the same: The passion to serve God through music. Mike's staying most of the time in Davao, while I'm based in Manila. But every time he comes to visit there's an instant connection, and most of the time we come up with a new song.

Seving with Mike, I come to realize these four postures in serving in God's vineyard. First, we have to be thankful to God for the people that serve together with us. They are our co-workers in the vineyard. They are one of the "few laborers" that God has called to the "great harvest." He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field (Luke 10:2). Second, we thank God of the talents He has given us to serve in His "vineyard." We are gifted by God to contribute to the work. We are not given the same gifts so we may complement each other and work as a community. Third, is that we have to honor the friendships that we have built while serving in the "vineyard." It would be sad to start off as friends and co-workers, only to end up being bitter to another. Friendships are God's gifts to us. Friendships are what makes us rich, for there is abundant love. Fourth, we have to be God's instruments in bringing in more laborers for the harvest. Using our friendships and our talents, we come to attract others towards Christ by witnessing to the love of God in our lives.

May we all continue serving Him as faithful co-workers in God's great vineyard. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ--everything in heaven and on earth (Ephisians 1:10).