When we read the Gospel, we read an account of what seems to be a perfectly normal (though perfectly righteous) man's life. He lived out His days in the typical cycle of sleep and waking and regular meals, traveling to different places, then back again, visiting friends, returning home. He worked. He rested. He spoke and laughed with His loved ones. He wept for the lost and for those who lost their loved ones. He rejoiced in prayer. He agonized in prayer. (Very much like one of us, a fellowman.) Of course, woven into the pattern of His 'normal' activities were marvelous miracles of healing, very public lectures of unique unworldly wisdom, the astounding claim that Salvation and Eternal Life are attained only through Him. (Not typical after all, not in the least like you or me.)

And rather than just an account of the life and death of a man, we have the one and only True Story—in humankind's entire history—of the life, and death and life again (and never again death) of God become man.

We do well to remember this before, during, and long after Holy Week. That Jesus Christ died, once, for our sins, in our place. That Jesus Christ rose from the dead, once for all time, so that we who love and follow Him though we might die once will never die again. And, of course, we also remember that Jesus Christ will come again, once for all eternity.

Actually, we Christians do well to remind ourselves of these central truths every minute of every day of our lives. Holy Week for us then is simply a special yearly opportunity to help others become aware also of these truths and how these truths can apply to them.

A 'typical' Holy Week for Diliman Campus Bible Church is a very small mirror of a very short version of the Gospel. Thursday morning, we conduct a medical mission in a UP community, giving free checkups with the help of volunteer doctors and volunteer staff and giving away medicines sourced through donations. Thursday evening, we hold for free an evangelistic film screening in the same or another UP community.

On Good Friday, we hold a special afternoon worship service and remember what our Lord and Savior sacrificed for us, once for all time, on this same day thousands of years before. (On Saturday, we prepare for Easter Sunday. This would include a next-to-final rehearsal of our Easter morning musical offering, usually a cantata. There are also preparations for what has become a DCBC Easter tradition—breakfast for one and all who attend.) On Easter Sunday, we celebrate the fact that on this same morning those thousands of years ago, our Lord Jesus Christ triumphed over death for us who trust in Him, once and for always.

Healing the Sick (Holy Thursday AM Medical Mission)
The DCBC medical mission team arrived early at Krus na Ligas on April 13, 2006 (having secured through Vic Mandalupe the use of the barangay hall for the whole Thursday morning). They quickly set up clinic in the covered basketball court, with tables and chairs lent by members of the Tagalog service congregation.

By 7:30AM, there were a few people lining up at the registration table, ready to take a number. Sixteen-year-old twins Joy and May Pecaña logged the first doctor's appointments for the morning. Early registrants took what seating there was in the impromptu waiting room, the basketball court. Things began slowly and quietly.

By 9:30AM (the time specified on the flyers distributed the day before), the line in front of registration had lost definition and turned into a throng of the ailing. Jojee Nogra, Carlomer Camannong, and Nellie Reyes took over from the young twins. (Somewhere along the way, the number of patients went beyond the prepared 120 number stubs, but the logging of new entries gamely continued. At this point, Brother Vic left off calling out numbers, and began announcing the names of those whose turn it was for checkup. The total came to around 160 people seen in that one morning by the four volunteer doctors.)

As the clock ticked toward the 12 noon deadline, the heat with no electric fans grew almost unbearable even under a roof. The residents, including the sick ones, infant or aged, seemed to be used to it, but the volunteer medical mission team was suffering. Extra grace was called for in this situation, also in dealing with some people who demanded out of turn to be seen by a doctor. The volunteer doctors, DCBC Senior Pastor Dr. Bel Magalit, Elder Dr. Ken Villanueva, Dr. Les Quiwa, and visiting Dr. Pete Bañas, formerly of MAP (Medical Ambassadors Philippines), persevered. They were ably aided by de facto physician's assistants and crowd-control support Elder Mon Rocha, Elder Jess Espina, Anj Backstrom, Deacon Butch Pang, (future Dr.) Ai Ai Rocha, Jan Barrera, and Salve Escanela. Manning the pharmacy were Nam and Santi Ugaddan, and Grace Rocha.

Finally, at 11:45AM, the registration book was closed to more names, and only those left on the list were seen by the doctors before pack-up and departure. (The registration book is useful in the spiritual follow up of all medical mission beneficiaries.)

The scope of the medical attention offered was a free general checkup, and free symptom-treating medicines for ailments such as the common cold, cough, and flu. Also, health advice was dispensed by Alice Bañas (a veteran nurse, MAP executive vice president, and wife to Dr. Pete), and by Anabel Par (also a nurse with MAP). Not offered due to lack of resources were dental checkups or lab tests. Happily, there were no obvious cases of leprosy, issue of blood, dropsy, or crippled limbs. And happily, there were more than enough medicines for all minor ailments treated.

(Next year's Holy Week medical mission though will strive to solicit more donations of multi-vitamins for children, the one item for which demand overtook supply in Krus na Ligas last Holy Thursday. Brother Vic also hopes to bring our volunteer doctors next year to Barangay Pechayan, a depressed UP community as yet not served by our medical mission.)

While the medical checkups were being conducted in the makeshift clinic, volunteers Kuya Caloy Novisteros (pastor of DCBC Sunset service), Nanay Edy Yuson, Ebet Nacion, Derf Sibal, and Chris Canuto (pastor of DCBC Tagalog service) were busy 'Physician's assistants' of a different kind. They held evangelistic bible studies in the makeshift doctor's office waiting room that was the basketball court. They sought to minister to the spiritual needs of any and all who while waiting for their turn with the doctor were willing to hear the Gospel.

('Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."' Luke 5:31-32)

Showing the Gospel (Holy Thursday PM Film Screening)
Another convenient basketball court in Krus na Ligas was chosen for DCBC's free evangelistic film screening the evening of Holy Thursday (again the permit secured by Vic Mandalupe).

After only a quick setup, Mel Gibson's 'The Passion of the Christ', subtitled in Pilipino, started at 7PM. Deacon Butch Pang and Ebet Nacion, 'physician's assistants' just that morning, reappeared this time as projectionist and assistant projectionist. (While the technical concern during the day was the heat, at night it was the absence of a source of electrical power as the Sitio Lambak basketball court has no electrical outlets or light fixtures. The Lord's provision for DCBC was a resident couple, fellow Christians from JIL (Jesus Is Lord). They graciously allowed DCBC to run an extension cord from their sari sari store nearby to power the film projector. Brother Vic felt moved to give the gracious couple an out-of-pocket two hundred pesos in gratitude.)

The audience filled only around half of the basketball court, but there was also some form of private balcony section—the houses at the edges. Resident families blessed with a view could watch from their windows in relative comfort. (It was clear by this time that the leaflet distribution at 2PM announcing the evening's evangelistic treat was a promotional success. However, the success of the film screening itself would show in how the audience responded to the message.)

Brother Vic was pleased to recall that everybody stayed in their seats during the first half of the movie. What he found truly meaningful was that during 'half-time', when Pastor Caloy Novisteros made his persuasive appeal for salvation in Jesus Christ, still everybody stayed to hear him out, then finished the movie. (In past years, with a different production on the life of our Lord and Savior, people would leave when the 'sermon' began, then only maybe return when screening resumed.)

The Sitio Lambak audience was visibly moved by the film. People, even children and youths who can be oh so cruelly irreverent, watched quietly and solemnly. Then there were those with tears in their eyes, and tears streaming down their faces, at the portions showing how the Lord suffered. (All this could be seen in the reflected light from the movie screen.) At least one woman in the audience confessed to Brother Vic that it was very hard for her to watch how our Lord Jesus was tortured as shown in the film.

The final proof for Brother Vic of the film's effect on the audience was that at the end of the screening, people stayed to take the response forms handed out by volunteer ushers Elder Mon Rocha and wife Grace and others. (Again, from the medical mission, were Nanay Edy Yuson, Derf Sibal, Pastor Chris Canuto, the twins Joy and May Pecaña, and Brother Vic, this time joined by Nancy Elumba. Also around to help out were Rommel Ocampo, DCBC Student Center house parent, and 'house kids' Junette Galagala, Joy Jarillo, Malyn Regalia, and Kristine Tinio. DCBC Senior Pastor Dr. Bel Magalit, an avowed film buff, rested from his grueling morning labors and enjoyed observer status in the nighttime audience.)

Not only did the Sitio Lambak audience take the response forms, they filled these up then and there and turned these in right away. (The total forms in Brother Vic's possession representing souls for follow up in Sitio Lambak number fifty-three. Two unrelated people from the list whom Brother Vic approached at random both expressed their willingness to receive him in their homes to lead a bible study.)

While the lack of lighting was desirable during the screening, it remained a basic inconvenience the audience willingly put up with. To fill up the response forms, people simply moved from the darkened basketball court to the edges lit by the surrounding houses. Perhaps this could be seen as metaphoric of their spiritual need and eager response to the Gospel.

('The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.' Matthew 4:16)

As with any special DCBC worship service, there was a coming together of the English, Tagalog, and Sunset service congregations. However, the numbers of the faithful were much reduced with many out of town for the Holy Week. About thirty to fifty worshippers gathered to recall those Truly Crucial events that began in That Garden on That Friday thousands of years before. (This thirty to fifty included some guests from Diliman Bible Church and Higher Rock.)

Deacon Edwin Ortega was worship leader, and Elder Jess Espina gave the Good Friday message to the small but appreciative audience. It was actually his latest revision of his gripping account of our Lord's ordeal from Gethsemane to Calvary first developed for last year's Discovery Meetings. (He presented it again at this year's session with the same topic 'Jesus—His Death'). There are those who would say this presentation should be called Jess Espina's 'The Passion of the Christ'. Kuya Jess proves himself both as a scholar and as a showman, matching careful research on the Lord Jesus Christ's critical final hours with a dramatic choice of slides showing what took place between Gethsemane and Calvary.

Pastor Bel Magalit (sitting this one out for a change) was moved to say the message was "masterful" as presented. This was high praise, truly, coming from His under shepherd (and an under shepherd as respected as Pastor Bel among the thinking faithful).

Fittingly, and with special meaning, the Lord's Supper is served during our Good Friday worship service, and last Good Friday saw this tradition unbroken. Worshippers partook of the one loaf of bread in small pieces and grape juice in thimblefuls as they remembered our Lord Jesus Christ and the beautiful thing He did for us. He gave up His blood and body in place of ours on the cross, once for all time.

('After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, "Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."
And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." ' Luke 22:17-18)

Springing Fresh from the Word (Easter Sunday Worship and Breakfast)
The Easter Sunrise Service (the only sunrise worship service in the year for Diliman Campus Bible Church) saw the joint English-Tagalog-Sunset service congregation return to Bonsai Garden. This time however many families were back from out of town, so the numbers—about two hundred worshippers, including children and guests—reflected the size of DCBC better.

The worship service was scheduled, as it is every year, for 5:30AM. Call time though for the choir to final rehearsal was (as is also usual) a wee 4AM. (One could tell the choir members apart from other worshippers this year by their yellow shirts or blouses paired with black pants or skirts as people straggled onto the garden path before light of day. Good thing, too, the Bonsai Garden was well-lit in the pre-dawn darkness. Otherwise there might have been cases of mistaken identity as on that first Easter—when someone thought He was the gardener.)

Among the households for which Easter began really early was that of Deacon Armin Alforque, Easter Sunday worship leader. His wife had been tasked to help arrange the breakfast for two hundred, and their small daughter was part of the Easter program opening number, so the house lights for this DCBC couple were kept on almost till daybreak. (This was true for many DCBC members who helped make Easter Sunday a well-organized well-provisioned affair).

Morning has broken… like the first mo-o-orning… Morning had already broken some minutes before this Easter ditty was breathed and yawned rather than sung by Raffy Ugaddan, 8 years old, Mickey Alforque, 6 years old, and Jeiel Edillon, 5 years old, sounding—and in choir yellow looking—like Easter chicks. (There should have been more of the DCBC very young breathing, and yawning, this opening number. But many were still out of town with their families, and those who had returned in time for Easter were too late for rehearsals.)

…Praise for the singing, praise for the mo-o-orning, praise for them springing fresh from the Word… And the singing last Easter Sunday was 'praiseworthy praise to Him who alone is worthy' (despite the fact there had not been time to prepare a full cantata). After the tiny trio's breathy first number, a music-making ensemble (ten members of the Sunset service and Teens' Fellowship together) fully waked the drowsy audience with a rousing 'mini cantata'. Sunset service choir director Butch Pang and Malyn Regalia sent their voices winging upwards with "Ating Purihin", "Forever", "Rejoice the Lord is King", "I Stand in Awe", and "Dakilang Katapatan". Shiilah Arcilla and Sam Simon on keyboards, Josh Simon and Monci Rocha on acoustic and bass guitar, Junette Galagala on bongos, Paul Balite on rainmaker, Monique Rocha on shakers, and Jen Jen Sumocol on cajon completed the joyful flight of sound (…like the first bird…).

After the congregational prayer led by Elder Ken Villanueva, English service choir director Ervin Lumauag and Richie Tanoy did a worshipful duet with "I Have Seen Jesus".

The DCBC English service choir-after tithes and offerings and just before the Easter message—then regaled the audience with a moving array of Easter anthems. "Christ the Lord is Risen Today", was followed by "And Can It Be", then by the medley "He Is Alive!" Despite the marked absence of choir organizer Belle Villanueva (one of those still out of town) and its other regular members, and despite no cantata, the choir was surprisingly 'cantata-sized' and 'cantata-sounding'. The fourteen members were Rose and Dan Edillon (at whose house, in lieu of Belle's, rehearsals had been held), Corinne and Dave Simon, Grace Rocha, Sharon Piza, Richie Tanoy, Leah Girao, Ai Ai Rocha, Janah Cangrio, Gio Amantillo, Alan Piza, Mark Sentinar, and, of course, Ervin Lumauag.

It was 7AM by the time DCBC Senior Pastor Dr. Bel Magalit began his Easter message titled "Christ is Our Life".

Pastor Bel, of course, chose to right away provoke us to thought. ("How do we know that Christ rose from the dead? That he is victor over sin, Satan, and death? That he has been declared with power to be the Son of God?")

In his message, Pastor Bel's premises at first went on 'to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee' as he cited point by point scholarly support for the Gospel. These premises seemed for a while to be 'crucified' held up to certain popular claims against the Gospel, then came back, 'resurrected', to the truth in Jesus Christ, who alone is our Life, and to the promise in the Scripture passage Pastor Bel had chosen for Easter. ('Since then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God… When Christ, who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.' Colossians 3:1-4.)

Thus the 2006 Easter Sunrise Service unfolded with power and joy at the feet of the towering trees on the main lawn (and shoulder to shoulder with the bonsai). Meanwhile, over at the covered veranda near the Bonsai Garden entrance a parallel more frantic activity took place... the setting up of Easter breakfast.

Since the breakfast buffet table was almost out of earshot and sight of the worship service, volunteers Mikay de Leon and Jing Ocampo (among others) gave up their privilege to sit back and watch Easter rise with the sun in prayer and song-they were too busy fixing chaos. Under their strong efficient fingers, the jumble of shopping bags and boxes and containers of food and drink pledged by donors (and plunked down upon the bare table on the hurried way to seated worship) was by 7:30AM a tidy queue of items from pan de sal to coffee.

It was a long and difficult process, as long as the worship service, and much less fun. While praise was spoken and sung to the Risen Lord in the middle distance, five dozen eggs (after tedious shelling) were sliced at one end of the buffet table, sixteen rolls of embutido (after tedious unwrapping) nearby, and two large chocolate cakes and kakanin further on down. At the other end of the long table stood Kuya Boy Bersales, the token man in the kitchen crew, gamely slicing the watermelon, cantaloupe, and mangos he himself had brought to the table. Juice in foil packs—lots and lots it seemed—had to be wrested from the cartons of ten each and into a pail of ice. But just in time, food was grouped on the fresh white tablecloth in a way that gave no hint of its former disorder or the frenzy of its fixing. Just in time…

After Pastor Bel's final blessing alighted on the audience and the place, the worshippers descended on the breakfast.

The need for sacrificial givers might begin with donating food, but never ends with the setting up at a DCBC buffet. With a long queue of the hungry, food must be portioned out to be properly distributed till the last one in line, and the last ones to eat are always the ones who serve (food). Those who postponed their own breakfast to wait on their brethren Easter morning were Mikay (again), Jing (again), Belen Ortega, Sharon Piza (fresh from choir duty), Ada Quiwa, Sharon Fangonon, Ebet Nacion, D-na Novisteros, Pinky (Corinne Simon's helper), and Mina and Josie (Rose Edillon's helpers).

Even with the valiant effort to spread the blessings as evenly as possible, some items—the corned beef, sandwiches, eggs, among others—did not stretch far enough. Good thing there was a lot of champorado and tuyo for those lining up again and again (also, let them eat bread and cake). Among the bearers of the Lord's blessings last Easter were Ate Flor Ignacio, Nanay Edy Yuson, Ate Aida Mojica, Ate Liddy Arcellana, the Quiwas, the Bersaleses, the Simons, the Ortegas, the Rochas, the Villanuevas, the Espinas, the Edillons, the Amantillos, the Alforques, the Ugaddans, the Danaos, the Ibañezes, the Pizas, Mark Zarco, Leah Girao, Richie Tanoy, Janah Cangrio… Our very own Pastor Bel and Ate Lety Magalit contributed various items, not the least of which was a very big cake marking their 40th wedding anniversary that very Sunday.

By 10AM, the sturdiest overstaying 'fellowshippers' had left for home (to rest, perchance to nap). The only thing that remained—the only thing that remains—is to spend the rest of the year till Easter 2007 (or till our Lord Jesus returns, whichever comes first) telling others of His wonderful sacrifice made and victory won for us, all undeserving sinners. And though His supreme sacrifice and final victory happened only once, for all time, we will tell of it again and again, year after year, before, during, and long after Holy Week '…even to the very end of the age'.