Associate Pastor’s Spiritual Reflection

You Are Called: How do we strengthen the body of Christ?

By Rev. Job Pangilinan

We Are Called

It is an honor to serve at Blaine Memorial United Methodist Church in my first appointment as its associate pastor and as a newly commissioned provisional member of The Pacific Northwest Conference.

I’d like to share with you a reflection I originally wrote for The National Association of Filipino American United Methodists (NAFAUM). It explores what it means to be called — not just to a role in the Church, but to a life shaped by Christ’s mission in the world.

For the sake of clarity, let me outline what I hope to share. First, I want to name the reality of our current moment — in our communities, our nation, and our world. Second, I’ll reflect on our missional calling from a Biblical and contextual lens. Finally, I invite you to join me in wrestling with what it means to live out this mission — to embody the prayer of Jesus: that God’s kingdom may come on earth as it is in heaven.

Our Situation

We are still living through the echoes of the pandemic’s devastation. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2020 the actual global death toll likely exceeded 3 million — 1.2 million more than officially reported. So much pain, so much loss — unseen, unacknowledged, unresolved. And now, our world feels like it’s unraveling into war. What some once called an “age of turbulence” has shifted into something far more violent. According to Al Jazeera, by 2023 there were nearly 60 active armed conflicts around the globe — more than ever before. Civilian deaths spiked by over 30% in just one year, driven by escalating violence in the Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe. 

And right before our eyes, we witness a hardening of policies against migrants — people fleeing that very violence and oppression — while nationalist ideologies masquerade as patriotism. These are the times we live in. This is the world we are called to love.

Our Missional Goal

Even as churches split and communities polarize, we are united by a common mission — one that Jesus made clear. We are called to love: to love God, to love our neighbors, to love even our enemies. Christ doesn’t call us to an abstract ideal. He calls us to a radical practice — a lived love that feeds the hungry, quenches the thirsty, welcomes the stranger, cares for the sick, and visits the imprisoned. Christ is present in the least of these. (Matthew 25:35,36)

That mission has never changed. What has changed is how we define it — whether we widen the circle or shrink it, whether we include or exclude, whether we let our dogma dictate our compassion. Let’s be honest — how we define love has fractured the Church throughout history. As Methodists, our own story is filled with splinters and schisms. The body of Christ has been broken — not just in bread, but in relationship.

Living the Mission

So how do we keep strengthening the body of Christ when we keep drifting apart?

I find hope in the partnership of Peter and Paul. They were different in so many ways — Peter, called to the Jews; Paul, sent to the Gentiles. And yet, they recognized the urgency of the Gospel and the power of unity. Their shared mission didn’t erase their differences — it made space for them.

These hits close to home. I was raised a conservative Christian. I struggled deeply with non-traditional practices and progressive theology — especially when it felt like it deviated from the teachings I had grown up with. LGBTQ inclusion? Same-sex marriage? Divorce? Interfaith relationships? Islamic faith? You name it — I wrestled with it.

But by the grace of God, I can see more clearly now. I now worship with the LGBTQ community. I do church collaboration with those in same-sex marriages. I am a divorcee myself. And I pray with people from other faiths – who have a true heart for one God. 

My understanding didn’t flip from one extreme to the other. What changed was my vision — a broader lens shaped by the love of Christ working across the entire spectrum. I now stand fully in support of the Reconciling Church movement in The United Methodist Church, not because I abandoned my convictions, but because I saw God’s love and grace at work in people I once struggled to understand.

At Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, I was taught something simple but profound: If you can’t see Christ from where you are standing in the church, move closer. James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God, and God will draw near to you.” That’s the church I believe in — the body of Christ, where Christ is the head (Ephesians 1:22-23) and we are the hands, feet, and heart of his mission in the world.

Conclusion

And so, even in the face of all this — war, division, personal hesitation, and theological tension — we are called. Not because we are already ready, or worthy, or wise, but because we are willing. Willing to wrestle with the questions. Willing to draw near when the way is unclear. Willing to love beyond our boundaries and listen beyond our biases.

The call of Christ hasn’t changed — to love God, to love neighbor, to embody mercy and justice in a hurting world. What changes is how we choose to live it.

We are called to unity, not uniformity; to grace, not gatekeeping; to presence, not perfection.

And maybe — just maybe — the very act of answering this call, even when we feel unqualified or unsure, is how we become more fully the body of Christ in the world today.

Pastor Job Pangilinan serves as the Associate Pastor of Blaine Memorial UMC in Seattle.

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Lee Activity Center 25th Anniversary

When: Sunday, November 16

Where: Blaine Memorial UMC, Lee Activity Center

You’re Invited! Celebrate Blaine Memorial UMC’s 25th anniversary of the Lee Activity Center (LAC) is on Sunday, November 16, 2025. We’ll have a worship service at 10:00AM with a cake reception after service in the LAC. Help us commemorate this milestone with your presence. Hope to see you there. Questions? Please email the Church Office at the church office (office@blaineonline.org) or call at 206-723-1536.

All Church Meeting (Charge Conference)

When: Sunday, December 7, 12pm

Where: Blaine Memorial UMC

This year’s All Church (Charge) Conference is scheduled for Sunday, December 7 at 12:00 PM. This gathering holds great significance for our faith community as we come together to celebrate our ministries in 2025. SeaTac District Superintendent, Rev. Ferdie Llenado, will preside over the meeting. Church Leaders, please turn in your annual reports by December 1, 2025 and please send them to Yuki Sofronas (office@blaineonline.org).

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Community Announcements

Blaine Memorial UMC responds to food insecurity

When: November Sundays, Tuesdays-Fridays 10:00a-4:00pm (Excluding Veterans Day)

Where: Blaine Memorial UMC Office, Social Hall

From Rev. Karen:

During this past Sunday’s (11/2) sermon message, I addressed the need for food at our local food banks. Across our nation, and increasingly within our Seattle-area, families are facing a deepening struggle to meet their most basic needs. Last Saturday, the federal freeze of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits placed millions of households in a dire position, impacting low-income families, working households, and federal employees living paycheck to paycheck. This is the first time in our nation’s history where SNAP benefits have lapsed. In many cases, these individuals and families are now experiencing food shortages and are faced with making impossible choices between food, utilities, and housing.

This growing food insecurity crisis is not confined to one community or state; it is unfolding across the state of Washington, and across the country. Rising costs of living have already stretched budgets to their limit. Local food banks and nonprofit partners are reporting a significant increase in need, and there is an opportunity for us to help our neighbors who are in need. 

Here’s a list of the most needed foods to help keep shelves stocked at Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS) and the Rainier Valley Food Bank. 

Please drop off your new, unopened containers/donations in the black trunk in the Narthex: 

• Seasonings
• Cooking Oil 
• Nuts
• Fish Sauce
• Soy Sauce 
• Gluten-free Foods
• Dried fruit
• Cold/Hot Cereals
• Dry Beans & Lentils
• Grains
• Instant Grains
• Flour
• Sugar
• Popcorn
• Herbs/Spices
• Infant Formula
• Dry Goods (Rice & Pasta) 
• Small Pasta Noodles
• Infant Formula 
• Canned Chicken, SPAM & Tuna
• Instant Mashed Potatoes
• Canned Fruit
• Canned Meals (Soups & Chili)
• Cream of Wheat, Oatmeal & Grits
• Nutrient Replacement Drinks
• Stuffing
• Apple Sauce
• Nut Butter
• Dog & Cat Food 
• Diapers 
• Toothbrushes & Toothpaste 
• Shaving Supplies 
• Feminine Hygiene Products 

If you’d like to give directly to the local organizations, please do so. They have the capacity to purchase food at discounted bulk rates. Please click on ACRS and/or Rainier Valley Food Bank. 

We will take this collection during November. Thank you again for making a difference. Thank you for coming together to create free food opportunities amid delays in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits due to the ongoing government shutdown. May you continue to be a blessing in the community as we work to provide basic necessities for everyone. 

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The Beacon is now available!

Our Story Continues

• Thanksgiving Meals, Giving Tree 2025!
• Senior Pastor Reflection: Harvesting, Giving Thanks, Being Generous
• Blaine Memorial UMC raises $12,700 for Walk for Rice!
• Spiritual Formation Center: What is Your Burning Bush?
  

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November 2025

To view the December calendar, click or tap here.

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