Indonesia 6 - I Want a Piece of Pie!

Today we had a number of speakers – again. I’ll offer a bit of a reflection on their contributions further down. I am still very tired and not adjusted to the changes. I did manage to sleep during the afternoon presentation. Don’t freak out and think that I stayed in my hotel room and skipped part of the conference – I was there in the big room with everyone else, I was listening for about ten minutes, and then I was asleep. Probably writing a blog post at 3:45am does not help.

We took our group picture today. I hate group pictures. We had to get in a circle and smile. I hate smiling for group pictures. Here is the mental picture for you: almost 300 Christians trying to make a perfect circle, using protractors and a compass, smiling and laughing, and one grumpy Baptist shouting again and again, “just take the stikin’ picture!”

Well maybe is wasn’t exactly like that. I did crack a smile once, for Jesus’ sake.

Here are my reflections on the speakers this morning:

What is it that is keeping churches and denominations divided? Some say it is theology. Others say it is structure. After being here for four days, I think I would say that it is pride and hubris.

One of the ongoing themes that I have heard again and again is that the Pentecostal church is growing in leaps and bounds. This is shared in a way that suggests that they must be doing something right. Then we are told that churches in the West are not growing and therefore they must be doing something wrong.

But what is a Pentecostal church?

One speaker, Dr. Opoku Onyinah, said that a Pentecostal church is one that, “emphasize the working of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.” I am pretty sure that I do not serve in a Pentecostal church, but at the same time I am pretty sure that I am part of a church that emphasizes the working of the gifts of the Holy Spirit (which are wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, working of miracles, prophecy, the discernment of spirits, speaking in tongues, and interpretation of tongues.)

I am told that a Pentecostal or charismatic is one who is “baptized by the Spirit.” I’m pretty sure I am not a Pentecostal or charismatic, but I know that when I accepted Christ as my savior I was baptized by the Spirit. I have seen others who would not be described as Pentecostal or charismatic baptized by the Spirit.

I am told that my church and I need to have a Pentecostal experience and a charismatic experience even though by their standards I already have had one. If I argue this I am told that I am wrong and they are right.

This is where unity breaks down and is lost. When a position and experience is shared as a superior to another’s position and experience people are put on the defensive and unity is lost. When someone claims, with an air of superiority, that they are right and that others are wrong unity is lost.

I think people should be steadfast in their tradition, experience, faith, and positions. I think that should express how their tradition offers such depth in faith and should freely share the gifts and wonders of those traditions. Yet when placed in a way of absolute truth and superiority unity is lost. So we all should go to the local diner and order up a big ole’ slice of humble pie.

While we’re there we should also get some strawberry-rhubarb pie, some key-lime pie, some apple pie, some blueberry pie, some pumpkin pie…

Indonesia 5 - The Code Word Will Be...

It’s 2:30 am, or 2:30 pm depending on what part of the world you are in. For all of my peeps back home in the States, it is in the pm. For me, it is 2:30 am, although my body seems resolute in denying this reality.

Yesterday, after my wonderful lesson in how to be an arrogant d**k (from a Canadian of all people!), we heard a number of presenters speaking about the many changes in global Christianity. Many of the changes described were ones that I (and many others) were already aware of. Christianity is growing in leaps and bounds in the South and East. Pentecostals and Evangelicals are leading the charge in with great growth. This is nothing new, but still significant and important to name and claim. However, the theme for the day seemed to be unity.

The first speaker was Dr. Dana Robert from Boston University. She suggested that church unity could be found within the four traditional “marks” of the church:

One

Holy

Catholic

Apostolic

She made some very interesting arguments about the basic platforms of each mark and how all Christians could find some common ground with each. Within all this she argued that mission is integral and perhaps the key and center to unity. Remember this for later.

The second speaker, Dr. Sang-Bok David Kim, spoke about changes and trends in world Christianity. Again, it was nothing new. He did speak about two things that caught my attention. First was all he almost bragged about all of the Muslims that were being converted and how great that was. Second, he did brag about the evangelical effort to reach out to “nominal” Christians. Nominal Christians are Christians in name only who really do not have a personal relationship with Christ and aren’t fully with the spirit. In other words, Americans and Europeans (although he didn’t say it that specifically – it was coded language). He also spoke about the importance of mission.

I found his presentation to have a level of surety and bravado in suggesting that part of our “mission” is to convert people from other religions (rather than just reaching out to those who are lost and not in any belief system), and that someone can name who and who is not a “nominal” Christian. I guess I would fall into that category of being a “nominal” Christian, and I can’t wait for someone to come and bring me to Christ.

The words being used in this conference are powerful. Yesterday someone asked me if my home church (an American Baptist congregation) is Evangelical (I assume he meant it with the upper case). I was caught off guard with this question. He was asking a loaded question and I did not know the shibboleth to answer that question. I did not know how to answer in the way he wanted to hear. Evangelical is a loaded term.

People speak of the importance of mission but are not clear if it is strictly converting people or strictly offering services and working for peace, etc. We speak of holiness but in what sense. Someone even said that all Christians might be moving towards a greater sense of Catholicity, but what does that mean?

To a degree I think such terms need to be vague in order for everyone to find a space. Yet if they can be used as a litmus test to discern if you are a true Christian or a nominal Christian, then these words need to be unpacked and maybe even deconstructed. This is not an easy thing for me to write because I have been running from Derrida and his gang of French Deconstructionists for a long time. They hurt. They hurt a lot. They hurt a lot and then leave you with nothing. That is deconstruction and in this instance I think my weak understanding of it (lacking of nuance) would be very helpful.

Perhaps today (when everyone else wakes up), I will work to deconstruct the terms with charity and gentleness. After all, how can I even begin to have a conversation with someone if I do not know what they mean?

Anyway, I have been more reluctant to share in groups and a little more withdrawn. I will own some of that as my own issue, but also wonder again how safe is the space and I am sure I am not the only one who questions the level of safety.

Now I will go into the hotel lobby at 2:45 in the morning so I can post this on my blog (there is no internet in the rooms). I’ll let you know how many drunk/wasted folks are milling about in the lobby trying to decide what to do next because the bar just closed. Maybe I can label them as “nominal” Christians and try to bring them to a “real” relationship with Christ.

Postscript - no one in the lobby. I guess this is a very holy group. Here is a picture for you:

Indonesia 4 - Silenced!

Today, this morning, I was told to stay silent during discussions. It was in the midst of a Bible study with 15 of us and we were looking at Peter’s decision to include the Gentiles via the movement of the Holy Spirit. I was trying to listen and made a comment trying to expand on a point that someone else made. It was right after I mentioned it that someone else quickly dismissed my comment in a fairly rude way. He described my example as an “extremist American situation.” I was more than a little pissed.

I did approach the gentleman after the Bible study to express my resentment at the way he dismissed my comments and he (a Canadian) said that in his experience Americans tend to dominate “these kind” of discussions leaving out those from other countries. He wanted to make sure that I, an American, did not dominate the conversation. I made it clear that I was offended by his method and that I would have appreciated him making that statement in a different way. We left sharing gentle pleasantries about the leaves in New England this time of year.

On the whole I vehemently disagree with his view. If this was a gathering organized by the World Council of Churches, or another Western leaning organization I could see some of his point. Yet this is supposed to be a safe space where everyone can share and the assumption is that everyone’s experience is valid and important. Yet I was told that an American’s experience is not as valid (I also think he was saying that a young person’s experience is not as valid because he played the “old, wise experience card”). Now, because of his actions, I do not feel safe or very welcomed. I understand that he is not speaking for everyone in my group, but the experience is still very real.

I’m holding back from drafting a list of expletives but won’t hold back from my newly embraced skepticism and cynicism.

What is the point and purpose of this gathering? So far it seems to be a space where we can say, “gee, isn’t it great that everyone from so many different places can get together? Aren’t we just awesome?” and then to go no farther. There still seems to be a very real reluctance to discuss major differences. Even now I am listening to one of the speakers saying with great passion that we are one in Christ. That is nice, but do we need to have a conference to make such statements. Theological pleasantries should not be that expensive that one would have to travel halfway across the world to hear.

As to my continued active participation in discussion groups, I’m not sure what I will do. I will go to the small and large group gatherings, but right now I do not want to share at all. Again, I do not feel as if it is a safe space. Perhaps the Holy Spirit will lead me otherwise.

Indonesia 3 - Stop, Look, And Listen, Pay Close Attention, This Is Something That I Got To Mention...

I slept for a solid six hours, woke up at a normal time in the morning and said to myself, “boy, you got this time change thing licked!” Then, about 1:00 this afternoon I started to feel very, very sleepy. I had a difficult time staying awake and didn’t realize what was happening until someone reminded me that back home it was 1:00am. So…. I guess I don’t have the time change licked yet. Maybe I’ll have time to run out to the local CVS and get a 5 Hour Energy Drink. Oh wait, they don’t have 5 Hour Energy Drinks here. Oh wait, they don’t have CVS here.

The day started with worship in an Indonesian Reformed Church. The same band that blasted music last night blasted music in the morning. A great way to wake up and experience the presence of God in the spirit of worship.

Once again we had traditional dancers who sang and danced to open worship. It was nice until I looked at the words they were singing:

Our respect to the brothers and sisters

We convey respect at this time

God in heaven, look at us…

Look at us who ask Thy blessing… oh God

Today, is a great and happy day to all of us.

Let us always unite to follow the right way

How beautiful if we are living in harmony and peace

If there is a problem to be resolved

God in heaven look at us…

Which already there this time.

That was when the dancing and singing went from nice to powerful and moving. It is reassuring to see the way a local culture/tradition can be brought into worship.

The rest of the day was listening. Listening to people talk about the history of the GCF (Global Christian Forum). Listening to people talk about their hopes for the GCF. Listening to people share their faith stories. That last bit of listening was done in small groups of 25, making it much more intimate and personal.

I have been thinking about my crybaby rant yesterday. I am still finding a reticence in many to share, but it is not as strong. What I think is part of it is not just the reticence to share but a fear of sharing. There are people here who would never consider talking to another Christian group. A Syrian Baptist said that he might have to work with the local Catholic priest in order to reach out to Muslims. Yet he admitted that it was a very difficult and scary notion for him and he had not yet brought himself to that place.

There are walls between people, denominational walls that are much higher and stronger than I realized. If this is the case, then the idea of actually sharing with others is a dangerous idea for others. It is a question of trust and vulnerability.

Tomorrow I will try to start to ask people about the particularities of their faith tradition, i.e. what makes them different than others. I will also ask why they are a part of that tradition. These questions are more driving, more personal, but I believe will get more to the point of this event.

The people I met:

A Syrian Baptist

An Indonesian Salvation Army Major

An Indonesian Roman Catholic Priest

A Syrian Orthodox priest from Malaysia

An Independent Christian from South Africa

An Assembly of God (Pentecostal) from Kenya

An Independent Christian from Kenya

A Swedish Pentecostal

A Palestinian Lutheran

A South Korean Methodist

A Burmese Christian

40 More Countries and I get to go to the bonus level!

Indonesia 2 - Dude, You're Harshing My Mellow

I just returned from the Governor’s “home.” A motor cascade led us and the whole time I stuck my head out of the bus window yelling, “woooooo, woooooo!” Now I have a big bruise on my face from a wayward palm tree.

Boy did I feel important – an Indonesia concert band was playing, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” as we entered, and then a dance troupe performed for us followed by a choir, followed by a speaker, another choir, another speaker, another speaker, another choir, and another speaker, and finally the governor. There were only three awake at that time and I was not one of them. Sorry the pictures aren't great, but you get the idea.

The governor spoke eloquently about the love of God and Christ and how that is reflected in this gathering. I am always uplifted to hear a politician speak earnestly and honestly about their faith. You usually can tell when they are doing in – the shibboleth is not only in the words but in the way those words are said. It was and is a moment of vulnerability and honesty.

So on this trip I met:

An Anglican from Hong Kong

A Tazie Monk from France

Someone from New Zealand (I didn’t understand who he was with)

An Anglican (who was first a Baptist and then a Pentecostal) from Australia

An African Episcopal Methodist Bishop from Florida

A Lutheran from Brazil

Here is something that I have been noticing – we are a bunch of introverts! Well, not me, but everyone else. It is like pulling teeth to get people to open up and talk to me and I’m sure it isn’t the way I look. I removed my plastic fangs and fake extra-long fingernail just to be sure. It could be the big palm branch welt on my face.

I have been asking questions, lots of questions. That is how you get to know someone and find something to talk about, by asking lots of questions about that person. It usually makes that person feel pretty good about themselves as well to have all that attention. What I have been finding is that people have not been asking me lots of questions. I ask a question, get a one word answer, and that is it. It is like talking to a room of teenagers. I understand that a lot of it may be the language, but that excuse can only go so far. Some of it is that many of these people already know each other, have relationships from past events, and I can understand the reticence. Why share when you already have friends.

 I don’t have any friends 

---pause---AWWWW---pause---

so for the sake of survival I need to talk to people. But pity-party aside, we are here to break down walls between churches, especially between Pentecostals, Evangelicals, and the more traditional (boring) churches. Everyone will need to work, and that work will be hard for such walls to be broken. Yet once again the sin of complacency becomes a downfall for God’s work.

Ok, that was a little harsh so I’ll soften it up a bit. Until we are all willing to take chances as individuals and as denominations we will continue to spiral in our navel-gazing despair ignoring the movement of the Holy Spirit. Was that softer?

Indonesia 1 - What! No Icebreakers!

Here is part one for real. It counts this time because I finally made it to Indonesia, and I actually talked to other people from other countries and other churches. Let’s see if I can remember everyone I talked to:

The Lutheran(s) from Sweden

The Presbyterian from India

The Salvation Army person from London

The Dominican Nun from Chicago (that’s a foreign country, right?)

The Para-church Evangelical from North Carolina

The Methodist from Connecticut who works in NYC and (no big surprise), knows the Reverend Dr. Donald Anderson.

I also talked to a man in a purple shirt, which I guess means he is a bishop, and two other men dressed all in black. I’m told they are also bishops. All three are from the Middle East (one from Egypt) – I’ll make it a point to get to know them a little better in the week.

Tonight, very soon, we all are going to the Governor of Sulawesi’s home for dinner. It will just be a cozy dinner of the Governor, his family, and about 300 of us. I’ll say “hi” to him from all you Rhode Island fans of Sulawesi.

So far the conversation is fairly superficial, which is to be expected when people are just meeting. Maybe I’ll just start doing what I do and pushing ideas, queries, and wonderings. If you see me running from a bunch of angry bishops, Salvation Army chaps, Lutherans, and others on the news tomorrow night, you’ll know why.

I only got to take a couple of pictures on the ride to the convention center and the hotel. The area reminded me of La Romana in the Dominican Republic – clearly not overwhelmed with riches. Poverty is everywhere, and looks very similar everywhere you see it. The convention center looks nothing like the neighborhood.

I’ll try take more and more pictures, but I don’t want people to freak out and think I am a stalker… at least not yet anyway.

Christians of the World, Start Talking About Uniting and Stuff!

Next week I am going to be in Manado, Indonesia attending the Global Christian Forum. It goes without saying that I am very excited to be going to Indonesia for the first time. For some reason I missed the sixth grade bus trip to Jakarta and have never been able to go to the country made up mostly of islands (over 17,500 of them).

Not only am I excited to be going to Indonesia I’m also excited to participate in this conference. The purpose of this conference is to bring together Pentecostals, Evangelicals, and boring Christians like me and to talk about Christian unity. I have to be honest, for some time I thought the conversation about Christian unity had gotten pretty predictable, tepid, and banal. In my estimation, such efforts consisted of talking about the wonderful diversity we have at the table, how we are all concerned for the least of the world, and ho we can put aside our differences to help out the needy. Usually we end by sing some Phil Collins rip-off praise song, holding hands and looking off to the horizon with a glint in our eyes – isn’t it just great to be a Christian?

Well, apparently there is more to unity than this. Some people don’t like Phil Collins rip-off praise songs (gasp!) and prefer U2 rip-off praise songs. Some people don’t want to focus so much on feeding the least but instead of saving their souls (don’t get me started on the issue of the soul – I don’t want to get into the Hellenistic influence on Christianity leading to a dualistic view of reality, i.e. body vs. spirit thus showing that Tertullian was right – don’t get me started). Us boring Christians would like to respond to the soul-savers and say, “sure, we think that is important, but not on an empty stomach.” The reality is that we really do not do much towards that type of ministry which looks to gain conversions for Christ (and for bragging rights).

So these other Christians who like to jump and yell and get excited for Jesus go and save souls and their churches are growing like mushrooms under my kids’ slide after a rainy day. I’m not saying that numbers are everything, but maybe they are onto something?

I guess there is something more that needs to be said and I am excited to hear what that might be. I will do my best to avoid being boring (too late) and to contribute something to the conversation. I will also be excited to be in Indonesia. I am especially excited to be headed to Indonesia because right now I am sitting in a train headed to New Jersey.  

Keep an eye on this blog (keep the other on the podcast blog), and watch for updates. Maybe they will be interesting, maybe I will share a powerful revelation and epiphany that I have, or maybe I will spend the entire time in the hotel room curled up in a ball trying to recover from food poisoning/malaria/typhoid, or anything else. Regardless, it should make some great writing.

Postscript - The picture is me in the Singapore Airport after 26 hours of flight from Newark, New Jersey to LA, to Tokyo, Japan to Singapore. During that time I have read articles from the Atlantic, Harpers, Newsweek, and Christian Century. I have finished one book and I have watched 8 movies. I still have 5 more hours of waiting until I fly for 3 more hours and finally reach my destination. I haven't had a full night's sleep, I don't even know the difference between day and night. Don't I look like I'm ready to represent American Baptists? (Roy Medley, if you are reading this right now, aren't you wishing you asked someone else?)

A Nice and Comfortable Theology

I just read this interesting article from the World Council of Churches about harmful theology and helpful theology. It is a very good consideration of how destructive some theological ideas can be to those who are suffering. Read it, there will be a test! Just a thought - how does one turn or change theological assumptions of a community? It is like asking a community to change it's value systems, or basic conceptions of reality. I agree with the change in theological direction, yet wonder if it can be done. I think this is an important question because there are many churches and Christian communities here in the United States that practice their faith on what I would describe as harmful and destructive theological presuppositions. I know you want examples, but because this is an off the cuff post and initial reaction to an article, and I am feeling wussy right now I won't give in. Instead you can just think of the things you don't like and assume that is what I am talking about.

New Podcast Episode

For your listening enjoyment, episode 7 of Charley and my podcast is up, we focus on the difference between Sacraments and Ordinances, answer listener mail, and continue with "watcha reading." Check it out at 12enough.libsyn.com or on itunes at 12enough.

Now Everybody Hug and Pretend You Like Each Other

I have finally finished reading MacIntyre's After Virtue, and gosh darn it, I'm pretty proud of myself. I think I mentioned the book on the podcast and did not recommend it for the layperson, or even the unambitious undergraduate student. It is not an easy read. Actually, I am afraid that someone within those two categories will read it and find it very easy and I will feel stupid. So don't read it. It is too hard. It is beyond us all! Run in fear from the dreaded After Virtue.

For some information about MacIntyre's project, see my previous posts. There is to much going on for me to encapsulate in one snide blogpost, so I will pull out one aspect of the book that led me to think. As a community we need to be clear about our values, ideals, and identity.

Again, one of MacIntyre's major points of complaint is of individualism; the individual comes before the society. Thus there is not a sense of a common task or shared goals of a community, rather it is of individuals. "What is best for me?" comes before "What is best for the community?" This will lead to conflict within a community among individuals, or so claims MacIntyre. I tend to agree, because often what is best for me is that you not have that big piece of chocolate cake. Instead I should have it.

If only we had a sense of direction as a group of people, a community.

Might one suggest that the Church could have a sense of direction, a goal, a purpose? Maybe those writings in that Bible thingy and the ideas of that Jesus guy can give us a sense of direction and purpose. Maybe we can say, in light of our understanding of the Gospel as understood through Jesus Christ, what is best for our church community. Ah but it is not as easy as we would think for we in churches would have to actually talk to each other and come to some kind of agreement of our sense of identity and shared values in response to Christ. We would have to agree on things like baptism, mission, preaching, social witness, etc. Yes, we would have a sense of our identity as a community and might be better positioned to grapple with different issues. Yes, as a community we may have a sense of purpose, but what about my own personal, individual needs?