Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

Noel Santiago

The Kiss of Betrayal

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By Noel Santiago

Mark 14:43-45:  And immediately, even as Jesus said this, Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a crowd of men armed with swords and clubs. They had been sent by the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders.  The traitor, Judas, had given them a prearranged signal: “You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss. Then you can take him away under guard.” As soon as they arrived, Judas walked up to Jesus. “Rabbi!” he exclaimed and gave him the kiss (NLT). 

Can you recall any hurtful moments in your life? Have any of those moments included a betrayal? Jesus can identify with you. 

Photo by Francesco Alberti on Unsplash

In this text we see a close friend, disciple, and follower of Jesus betraying him. Earlier that day they shared a meal together and Jesus broke bread with Judas. Now Judas goes out and implements the plan he had already put in place and would receive payment for, prior to breaking bread with Jesus. This was no accident! 

This plan for betrayal called for a special signal to be used to identify the one who is to be arrested. What is the signal? A kiss. Judas had earlier informed the soldiers and temple police, “You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss. Then you can take him away under guard.”  

The kiss was not just a greeting of friendship, but a symbol of deep love, affection, obligation, covenant, and relationship. Giving this kind of kiss was a powerful symbol to everyone who saw it. Strangers would never greet each other with a kiss, for it was a greeting reserved only for the most special of relationships. 

It was this kiss, however, that was used as a signal to let the troops know they needed to move quickly to make their arrest. It would be the kiss that initiated the process leading to Jesus’ death. 

Betrayal is not first about what happens to us, it’s first about what’s in us! Betrayal causes hurt, pain, and anger.  Our first response tends to be centered around these feelings. This is not necessarily bad – it’s human.   

Photo by Stacey Franco on Unsplash

One reason for this is that we have expectations of ourselves and others. We somehow see these expectations as a sort of “contract” that has been made with life and others. When those expectations are not met or are even opposed, we suffer. What’s even more difficult is the realization that our imagination of God’s protection rarely includes the notion of suffering, pain, or anguish, let alone betrayal. It’s our response to these expectations that is the greater matter. 

The more love and hope we have invested in others, the deeper the pain of betrayal is.  If it happens at a personal level, we wonder if we will ever trust again. Our heart does “break.” It is at those crossroad moments when the breaking can forever close us down, or—sometimes just the opposite—it can open us up to an enlargement of heart and soul.  

Jesus chose this second path through which he overcame death and the grave and brought forth a renewed invitation to all humanity to be reconciled with God and others. It’s a daring journey that invites us to be healed and to help heal; to be renewed and to renew what is broken in our beautiful world. It’s in the very act of a deep betrayal by a loved one that God in Christ transforms what was meant for death into new life! 

What can be “good” about Good Friday? It’s when God’s life-giving purposes in Christ were set into motion. What good can come from the pain and hurt we experience from others? If we open ourselves to forgive and allow God to transform our pain and hurt into greater Christlikeness, then we too may experience the renewing life-giving resurrection power of Jesus in our lives.

Noel Santiago

Noel Santiago is the Leadership Minister for Missional Transformation for Mosaic Conference.

Yet Even Now

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By Noel Santiago 

As Mosaic Conference, we have affirmed what has become known as the Pathway Document. The first action step listed in this document states: “We believe that we are called by God in this time: To share in the practice of continued prayer and fasting so that we may discern, yield, and listen to the Spirit among us.” 

In John 11, two sisters are concerned about their brother Lazarus. He’s not doing well and could die. They send word to their close, personal friend Jesus, asking him to come. Their hope is that he would heal him, and all would be well. 

As we know, Lazarus dies, and the sisters are in deep mourning and distress. All seems lost. What do they make of this close friend who could have done something about it but didn’t? 

Jesus finally arrives. He is informed of how things could have been different had he arrived sooner, but it’s too late. Lazarus has been dead now four days.  

However, in John 11:22, even though her brother is dead, Martha knows something: “Yet even now I know that whatever You ask from God, God will give You” (HCSB). 

 Yet even now I know that whatever You ask from God, God will give You.

John 11:22 (HCSB)

Three little words make a huge difference: “Yet even now.” 

As Mosaic Conference, we have affirmed the Pathway Document which calls us to prayer and fasting. Might these three little words, “yet even now,” still hold possibilities for us? 

  • Yet even now, though we are unsure of what the future holds. 
  • Yet even now, when we wonder how things will work out? 
  • Yet even now, when we ask what the relationship will be between Mosaic and Mennonite Church USA? 
  • Yet even now, when we wonder will Mosaic thrive, survive, or struggle? 

Yet even now … what is it that Jesus knows? 

The beauty we find in the midst of a painful situation is that Jesus was getting ready to show a new side of himself no one had seen before, the side of being the resurrection and the life. 

Could “yet even now” lead to newness of life, to renewed energy, commitment, and lasting life? As we pray, fast, and yield to Holy Spirit, may we experience God’s renewing life!

The beauty we find in the midst of a painful situation is that Jesus was getting ready to show a new side of himself no one had seen before, the side of being the resurrection and the life. 

Noel Santiago

Noel Santiago is the Leadership Minister for Missional Transformation for Mosaic Conference.

Yet This I Call To Mind

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We read in Ecclesiastes 3:1, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” (ASV).  The text continues by explaining that positive events are paralleled with negative ones to reflect reality. The author reflects on human mortality, and states that because we are creatures of time and occasion, we must live in harmony with the ebb and flow of life. 

No matter how we frame something, there are times we simply must acknowledge that life hurts. While acknowledging this, we also recognize that Jesus knows us more intimately and personally than anyone else.  

In God’s love and mercy, we are also given the Book of Lamentations in the Bible. We may not turn to it daily, but it offers us companionship in the human struggle 

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven”

(Ecclesiastes 3:1 ASV)

To lament is to bring our experiences of disappointment, pain, hurt, anger, and dismay to God—to acknowledge that things are not as they ought to be. Lamentation can be a powerful and meaningful form of worship because it places our love for God above even the worst circumstances in our lives.  

“Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him”

(Job 13:15a, KJV)

We see this in the story of Job, when he said, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him” (Job 13:15a, KJV). Job stood fast, turning his suffering into worship. He took everything he feared, total disaster, loss of everything, and false accusations, and still praised the Lord. 

Declarations like Job’s don’t change the realities of what has happened in our lives. However, they help us to keep looking to God above our circumstances and situations. We still may feel pain and hurt, but we do not need to let this pain form, shape, and guide our lives. Instead, through the Holy Spirit, we will let Jesus continue to shape and guide our lives until … Christ is formed in you! (Gal. 4:19). We will continue to receive the love, grace and truth of God and the comfort and strength of the Holy Spirit. 

Lamentation does not deny the existence of pain or hurt. It calls us to worship God even in midst of it! It recognizes that God stands in the moment with us. Therefore, we are truly not alone. 

We also recognize that in this process, we may find ourselves at different places of healing on this path. That is okay. Each of us will process our realities in different ways and at different paces. So, might we extend grace and understanding to each other? 

I invite you to an exercise. On a sheet of paper create two columns, one column entitled, “Though” and the other, “Yet.” In the “Though” column, write things that have brought sadness or hurt to you in regard to your current situation. In the “Yet” column, write memories of God’s faithfulness in the past, that you can draw on now, to move forward. 

For example: Though – “I feel deeply hurt because….” Yet – “I will cast all my anxieties on him for I know he cares for me.” 

Present yourself and this list before the Lord. Listen for what God wants you to know as you remain open to His presence moving forward. Receive that which He offers you.  

May your faith remain strong, even if it has been shaken. May you not lose hope, for it is like a bridge that connects our present to our future.  May you, being rooted and grounded in love, know the love of God that surpasses all understanding and guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. 

New Showroom Dedicated to the Glory of God

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On December 7, Ron Bergey, Robert Bergey, and Dale Bergey, owners of Bergey’s Electric (Hatfield, PA), a family-run business, were asked the question, “Do you commit this day to dedicate this showroom for the glory of God on earth as it is in heaven?” All three owners responded, “We do.”

Participants were invited to offer prayers and light electric candles at the dedication service. Photo by Noel Santiago.

“Upon your words of affirmation, in the company of these people, we dedicate Bergey’s Electric Showroom to the glory of God!” was then heard throughout the showroom.

The new showroom, recently opened by Bergey’s Electric, is visibly located along the heavily traveled Route 309 corridor in Hatfield, PA. As a result, new folks are discovering who Bergey’s Electric is. Ron Bergey, CEO and one of the owners, requested that pastors and prayer team members of Mosaic Conference lead the business in a dedication of the showroom.

Standing amidst washers and dryers, freezers and chest freezers, microwaves, wall ovens, cooktops, and other smart appliances, approximately 35 people, including the extended Bergey family, friends, and associates from the community, gathered for the dedication.

Bergey’s Electric invited Mosaic pastors and prayer team members to dedicate their new showroom to God’s glory on December 7. Photo by Noel Santiago.

Bergey’s Electric began in 1936 by founder Willard Bergey, grandfather of Ron, Robert, and Dale. Willard was the neighborhood “go-to” man for electric service needs when he first started the business. Willard was always ready to help families with their electrical needs. As his list of customers grew, he realized that this could be a viable business.

At the dedication, stories were shared about God’s faithfulness over the decades and especially how God’s provision would appear “just-in-time” during difficult economic times.

Pastor Randy Heacock left) and Pastor Scott Roth right) interact with family and friends at the dedication. Photo by Noel Santiago.

Pastor Randy Heacock, of Doylestown (PA) Mennonite Church, offered words of encouragement and challenge, noting that with new visibility will come new opportunities.

The main focal point of the dedication was not the appliances, but a prayer centerpiece that Sandy Landes, Prayer Minister at Doylestown (PA) Mennonite Church, and Jeannette Phillips, Mosaic Conference Intercessor, created together. The climax of the dedication happened around this prayer centerpiece. Those present could offer prayers, symbolized by small electric tea lamps that each person placed at the centerpiece.

The Bergey owners’ symbol was a 1000-watt Metal Halide lamp that was put together as a special piece. This lamp represented their ongoing trust in God for their business as well as their commitment to using their business for God’s glory.

Pastor Scott Roth, of Line Lexington (PA) Mennonite Church, offered the closing, dedicatory prayer. The prayer focused on God’s presence increasingly becoming real to all those who interact with Bergey’s Electric.

The Metal Halide Lamp was lit by the owners of Bergey’s Electric, representing their ongoing trust in God for the business. Photo by Noel Santiago.
Pastor Scott Roth leads in a dedicatory prayer of the new showroom. Photo by Randy Heacock.

Who Then is This?

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“Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”  

Mark 4:41, ESV

The disciples had just experienced a terrifying storm as they crossed the sea of Galilee. Jesus had directed them to cross over to the other side. As they began their journey, Jesus fell asleep.

A terrifying storm arose to such an extent that the disciples screamed: “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” (Matt. 8:25, NASB)

Jesus “rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” (Mark 4:39, ESV).

It’s in this context that the disciples wondered in amazement and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?” (Matt. 8:27, NASB)

The Jewish people of Jesus’ day were waiting for a messiah; but the Messiah they were waiting for was a military leader, not necessarily a divine figure. In their history, they had experienced a time of freedom after the Maccabean revolt and had recently been brought under Roman rule and occupation.

When the disciples ask this question, “Who then is this?” they are doing so in the context of creation’s obedience. When Jesus raised the dead, healed the sick, or even fed 5000, the disciples never reacted this way. Why? Other prophets had raised the dead, healed the sick, miraculously fed people, but had anyone other than God, ever calmed a storm? 

In the Psalms we read that God: “… calm[s] the raging seas and their roaring waves”, “… rule[s] the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them” and “… made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed.” (Ps. 65:7, 89:9, 107:29, ESV). The disciples begin to realize that Jesus had done something that in all of Scripture is attributed only to God. The question, “…who then is this…?” seemed appropriate.

The Virtual Prayer Team of Mosaic Conference has been keeping three questions before us, thanks to Leadership Minister Jeff Wright:

  • Who is Jesus? 
  • What does Jesus want us to do? 
  • How does Jesus want us to do it? 

These questions require an unfolding, ongoing conversation, and discernment in a time of cultural and societal changes. Yet, is there more to be known about who Jesus is?

Jude 1:5 (ESV) reads: “Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.”

The ESV states that Jesus saved a people out of the land of Egypt. Wait a minute, wasn’t that God who did that? What is Jesus doing there? Isn’t it God who calms storms in the Psalms? What is Jesus doing at Galilee?

After his resurrection, Jesus appears to his disciples and says, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled” (Luke 24:44, ESV). Note here that he includes the Psalms in what was written about him.

Is there a sense in which we should keep inquiring to know the Jesus that both Old and New Testaments talk about? Hmmm… who then is this?

Calling Down Fire from Heaven?

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In I Kings, the prophet Elijah had called for a gathering at Mount Carmel. The single agenda item was to discern which God was the true God: Yahweh or Baal.

“Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God” (I Kings 19:38-39, ESV).

As the fire fell, so did the people; as God responded to the prayer of the prophet, the people fell on their faces.

There were several things that led to this gathering, but a key factor was that the Lord’s prophets had been being killed off. This might seem like religious persecution to us; however, it’s important to understand the context.

“The polytheism of the ancient world was an open system—there was always room for more gods … No question arose in ancient Near Eastern theology of whether a certain god was a ‘true god’ or not, though there were discussions of some gods being stronger than others.

Prophets in the ancient world often served in the hire of the king and, more than anything else, served as mouthpiece for the gods to support the legitimacy and programs of the king. The prophets of Yahweh, therefore, would not likely offer support for the legitimacy of Ahab and Jezebel’s rule, and this made them enemies of the state.”

Keener & Walton, NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible: Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture

This background helps us understand the role of prophets within politics and culture. However, might it also be possible that the confrontation playing out on Mount Carmel was not only between the prophets, but also between Baal and Yahweh themselves? To be sure, there was and is no god that can compare to Yahweh. In this regard, there really was no threat to the most high God.

How might this relate to our world today? Is there more going on in the unseen realm that is happening in the world today than we as God’s people realize?

Paul tells us, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12, ESV).

While this is true, we still need to deal with flesh and blood. Rather than killing all the prophets of Baal today, we look to Jesus who shows us how to deal with those working against the unfolding reign of God.

In Luke 9:54, Jesus rebuked two of his disciples for wanting to call down fire from heaven, similar to Elijah, on the Samaritans who had not received Jesus. On Mount Carmel, fire fell on the sacrifice prepared by Elijah.

What or who tends to make us angry? Do we, like the disciples, wish we could call fire down from heaven? What if we would act, instead, to the contrary, as Paul writes, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head. 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:20-21, ESV).

How might we engage in releasing more of God’s consuming love in the world? Is there someone you need to do good to instead of calling down fire from heaven?

Prepared by God for Missional Work

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By Jennifer Svetlik, Salford congregation

“I love questions,” shares Noel Santiago, Leadership Minister for Missional Transformation. In his work accompanying pastors and church leaders, Noel seeks to ask the kind of questions that invite exploration. “This can be challenging,” he continues, “because we each have our agenda. Through questions I invite church leaders to view things from another angle, pause, and potentially take a different approach to what they are already doing.”

Noel currently works with about ten congregations as a leadership minister, and he is the staff point person for missional transformation, one of the conference’s three priorities. At the center of Noel’s work is raising questions with pastors such as: “Who is our neighbor? Who is God working with in our communities? How can we participate in that work?”

The most rewarding part of Noel’s work is “when people have some kind of encounter with God—feeling strengthened, encouraged, a sense of a load being lightened, or seeing from another perspective.” Noel also finds ordinations and installations of pastors to be very meaningful. “Holiness means to be set apart, and these are sacred moments where someone is being set apart,” he reflects.

This year, Noel has formed a missional priority team, which will be a more structured yet flexible way for church leaders to engage this conference priority. Additionally, Noel spends time teaching, preparing sermons, and preparing for events. Recently he was a part of three retreats with congregations. Praying for and with pastors, leaders, and groups is a large part of Noel’s work. “It’s not in my job description, but it’s a personal value I bring to my work,” reflects Noel. “I keep prayer front and center in all that I do.”

In 2019, Noel had a sabbatical from his conference role, and he focused on the larger framework of Jesus’ mission. “Jesus’ mission is about the world, and at its center is God’s image bearers, that is, humans,” shares Noel. “People don’t usually see themselves that way. So how do we encourage people to see themselves as in God’s image?”

Noel and his family moved to southeastern Pennsylvania from Indiana in 1996 to work for Franconia Conference.  He previously served as executive minister of the conference. He has been in his current role for about six years.

Noel was born in Puerto Rico and grew up in New Holland, PA. As a child, he went back to the island frequently and grew up speaking Spanish and English. He calls himself a “Puerto Rican Dutchman” who grew up with rice and beans and shoofly pie. “It’s one big case of indigestion,” he jokes, pointing to the fact that he grew up in between two cultures, learning to navigate being formed by both of them.

“As a kid I wondered, ‘Why is my family so weird?’ but later I realized that God has been preparing me for missional, intercultural ways of being.” Growing up, his home congregation was more conservative. But on Sunday evenings his family had a more Pentecostal worship experience in Lancaster. He refers to these intersections as “Mennocostal” (Mennonite-Pentecostal) or Anamatic (Anabaptist-Charismatic) and reflects that there is an opportunity to learn from how these streams are coming together and integrating.

In his free time, being with family is Noel’s priority. He enjoys going for walks, being in the park, and having BBQs with his family. He and his wife, Juanita, have four young adult children.

What I’m Reading: Seeing the Unseen

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by Noel Santiago

I’ve been reading and studying The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural World View of the Bible by Dr. Michael Heiser.  I have found Dr. Heiser’s work immensely helpful in providing a framework for understanding the supernatural worldview of the Bible.

Beginning with the idea of a divine council, as noted in Psalms 82:1 where God takes “his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment…,” and unpacking what he calls the “Deuteronomy 32 world view” (especially verses 8-9), Heiser brings forth this framework.

The basic idea is that God has a “divine council” comprised of children of God that help administer the work of God. This motif carries through the Old Testament and into the New Testament. After the ministry of Jesus and the coming of the Holy Spirit, humanity—as God’s image bearers—are invited back to a seat at his council.

Much of this framework resonates with my faith upbringing. From the time I can remember, I’ve always had a sense of a spirit realm that was active: one for God’s glory and purpose and the other for the purpose of darkness and corruption. Our church community  would pray, preach, and share with and for people’s salvation to see them come to Christ. We would also pray for the sick and demon-possessed and regularly see persons healed and delivered. Regularly we would take food to a family in need, collect offerings for those who were lacking, serve and practice hospitality. All of these things were part of how we understood and practiced faith.

When I began studying and working in a different culture and context, I had to learn that others practice their faith differently. While I have valued and integrated much of these other expressions and learnings, I often noticed that the realm of the supernatural was underrepresented. It’s not necessarily that others didn’t believe it, but perhaps they focused on it less. Others acknowledged this sphere when it was discussed, but did very little to engage with it. I didn’t always know what to make of this. 

When I discovered this book that highlights the ancient Hebrew and near-eastern worldview,  I found myself identifying deeply with it. For me, this topic accounts for an unseen realm that is at work in interactive ways with the seen realm. We might not always be aware of this interaction but it is more present than we might imagine. 

The challenge, of course, is not only seeking to know and/or understand this unseen realm and its interaction with what we see, touch, and engage; we also need to be transformed by the renewing of our mind, “that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2b).