Hear it From Carl - Round 4

The next two rounds are from Carl's experience in Fresno with his Cross Cultural Encounter Course.

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January 15, 2008 – Tuesday

One by One – It seems odd to me that this organization was able to trace many of the problems in the community to reading levels and truancy but did not extend their analysis to systemic issues which create barriers to addressing those issues. So while it is impressive that they have supported and created a variety of organizations that are working at transforming communities and that they have also drawn churches and leaders into serving their communities, it is troubling that they did not speak of any advocacy or lobbying of political and educational institutions to provide adequate resources for the schools to accomplish their purposes.

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St. James Anglican (seceded from US Episcopal Church) – The bishop’s presentation was one which resonated in many ways for me. As a former pastor, I instantly understood his emphasis on how hearing God’s voice can ground you in a way that allows you to face the inevitable storms of ministry. I felt that the bishop had too easily moved to a polarizing of positions in the difficult process of the church dealing with the question of homosexuality in the church. While I admire the certitude with which he outlined their diocese’s position, I found it troubling to hear him characterize the “liberal” position as being unrecognizable as Christianity. Though I may agree with the interpretation he espoused, I would also suggest that the “liberal” position is consistent with an alternative interpretive grid. They too, are trying to be faithful.

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I loved the image which the dean, Carlos, shared about bringing light into the darkness. It is so true that we often curse the darkness or try to drive it out when all that it really takes is for us to let the light of Christ shine through us.

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New Creation / Sexual Addictions Ministry – As with many people ministering in a particular area to which they feel called and are passionately invested in, it seemed that Russell was convinced of the centrality of this issue in being faithful to the gospel. And it is central, as are poverty, gender issues, racial reconciliation, marital fidelity, etc… While he seemed to be genuine and open in his discussion with us, I also felt that his certainty about the causes and treatments of sexual brokenness narrowed his vision in allowing for a deeper complexity of causality. As we have heard previously, it is true that the church has not adequately addressed the issue of healthy sexuality but that is natural not only because people don’t want to be accountable but also because it is so intimately connected to their sense of self. To speak openly about sexuality requires a remarkable vulnerability which many of our churches are nowhere near being able to live out.

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January 16, 2008 – Wednesday

Temple Beth Israel – This presentation was completely different than I had expected. The faith that was described by the presenter looked very little like the relational understanding of God that we have in Christianity. That much I expected, but what really surprised me was her belief that God should not be understood as an “entity” but more like a “force” that does nice things for you when you ask for it. On the other hand she said that God was not active in history as had been true in the days of the Israelites – then what is the point of prayer? What is the point of worship? Her answer was that it is merely for our own benefit – to remind us of our place in the grand scheme of things – to reorder our thoughts and priorities….. Well, yes, but no…. Do we not praise God because He is worthy of praise? Does God not “dwell in the praise of His people”? The faith she described ended up sounding like a Deist humanism in which humanity is responsible for its own future. I left with a sinking heart and a loss of much of the respect that I had held for Reformed Judaism. If anything, I respect the Orthodox Jews more now than I had before. At least they are trying hard to live by what is actually written rather than a culturally derived interpretation of a suggested set of codes to live by.

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Evangel Home / Women’s Shelter – The biblical mandate to care for the “widows” and “oppressed” is well met here. I really appreciated the emphasis in this ministry to try to help the women that came to them learn how to stop running. This sort of long-term mentoring, training and counseling is bound to have far better outcomes in the long run than just providing beds for them to sleep on for a while. Often in pastoral ministry it feels like I have acted as an enabler to support people in times of crisis so that they can then continue on in the very patterns which have led them to that crisis point and will do so again and again. I think that often our pastoral ministries need to be more deliberate in developing strategies which focus on helping people change the patterns they are in rather than just bridging gaps.

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January 17, 2008 – Thursday

Fresno International Refugee Mission – Once again I was struck by the realization of what one individual committed to a community for the long haul can accomplish. Merely by recognizing needs within a community and moving out of compassion to meet those needs results in lives that are changed and community dynamics that are changed. None of this happens in isolation but rather in partnership and intensive investment of resources and energy. I loved having the opportunity to sit with the students in the English class and interact with them over a lesson. Once again a reminder that refugees are “people” just like the poor are “people” and the homeless are “people” and rich Americans are “people”. The barriers and definitions which we use to separate ourselves from others serve only to dehumanize.

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The little lesson on OT passages was a welcome reminder of how the scriptures can speak to the universal human experience. Whereas my own connection to the Word is centered more upon elements of transformative experience and God’s powerful intervention in my life, the idea that the story of deliverance from Egypt is resonant for South-East Asian refugees was enlightening. This is definitely something which I will need to use more in my preaching and teaching.