ECP Virtual Bible Study

Join us on Sunday, July 12, at 7:00PM (Philippine Standard Time) online via Zoom. All welcome!

The Rev. Mr. Jeremiah C. Kwok is a deacon in the Episcopal Diocese of Central Philippines, currently serving at St. Stephen's Parish in the City of Manila, primarily involved in youth ministry and overseeing the parish's nurture and discipleship strategy. He had previously served as a Lay Minister in the parish, as well as being a Vestry member and chairman of its Church Missions and Evangelism committee. Deacon Jeremiah is a graduate of the parish's St. Stephen's High School, IGSL International Graduate School of Leadership and Ateneo de Manila University.

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Click to join ECP Virtual Bible Study live:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82496522075?pwd=JS8QgkabtpaLKPHkzuCGG4HObnfru0.1

Meeting ID: 824 9652 2075
Passcode: 624951

Find comfort and strength in today’s Scripture.

"Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." - Matthew 24:35

Episcopal Diocese of North Central Philippines (EDNCP)

Bible verse of the day!

Philippians 2:4
"Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." (ESV)

MEMORY VERSE FOR SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2026
"Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me." (Matthew 10:40)

In all honesty, I have not been a practicing Christian for over ten years. Even after growing up in a deeply Roman Catholic family and attending a very Calvinist Christian school, then attending Evangelical churches here and there, I reached a place in my life where I felt that I couldn’t truly believe anymore. I even feel myself wince when someone invites me to a Bible study or to their church for a mass or service. But I’m not bitter. I’m not one of those people who has become cruel and vicious towards people who still practice the faith they left. The truth is that I still find myself tearing up when I hear Ethel Cain singing, “What I wouldn't give to be in Church this Sunday, listening to the choir, so heartfelt, all singing” - even when the song is about something else entirely. What I missed, and perhaps what I never felt in all the different churches and practices I participated in, was a sense of community.

I remember the feeling of singing my heart out to God or feeling at home playing the bass or guitar in the church band, but the sense of community ended when the service ended. Maybe I was too ashamed to ask for help - financially, mentally, or otherwise - but when I did, I was met with apologies and pleas for understanding. If I needed mental or spiritual help, the advice given to me was always a little off the mark - as if they were waiting to answer rather than listening to understand. So, when one of my closest friends decided to enter Saint Andrew's Theological Seminary I felt an ache in my heart, anticipating that another person close to me would one day become distant, knowing that I would never again feel comfortable practicing the Christian faith.

Fast forward a few years and it became his time to be ordained a deacon in the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Luzon. I didn’t quite know what to expect. At the start, I was happy just to be there for him and to watch everything happen as an outsider. It was after the vigil, on the night before his ordination, that I saw a community of believers being one in heart with each other. It was as if I was seeing a scene from the book of Acts where the believers ate and laughed and held things in common with each other. It was one of the most beautiful things I had seen in a long time. After the ordination my heart felt glad. When the people spoke to me it was not to police what branch of Christianity I came from or the beliefs I held. I was simply there, being welcomed, and invited to get another plate of food or cup of coffee surrounded by smiles and warm handshakes. Whatever anxiety I had simply washed away.

I find it funny that "Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me" (Matthew 10:40) is the verse Deacon Anfernee Sawad invited me to reflect upon. When I arrived at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Tabuk City for his ordination I was afraid that I might feel unwelcome, but my worries were unfounded. I have a long way to go before I can ever believe again, but if ever I do, I would seek a church where the community stands true in love and faith - like the one I experienced during my time in Tabuk.

A reflection on Matthew 10:40-42 by Mr. Noel Mozart B. Diaz (on behalf of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Luzon)

Image: Mr. Noel Mozart B. Diaz with The Rev. Mr. Anfernee Sawad at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Tabuk City, Kalinga (June 24, 2026)

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