Hello all. I don't think I will be posting to this blog any more, or at least for a long while. My summer in the Czech is over. I've had all of the experiences, and my next step is process them and practice them. With a full course load in my second year in seminary and my first real job staring me in the face, I'll have a lot more thinking and wondering over the next year. If you would like to follow me in my next big adventure, you can tune into my new blog:
http://taxcollectorsandsinners.blogspot.com/
There's also a link on my profile page.
Thank you all for your support and thoughts this summer. I have enjoyed reading your comments and have been encouraged to know that my second family was keeping up with me across the pond :)
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Another question from an Atheist
My atheist friend from college sent me this message on facebook:
AF: i had this question last night. Do you find it hard being a christian and an american? What I mean by that is your particular brand of christianity, as opposed say [legalistic christians], seems to be about piety, being humble and putting everyone on a level playing field. Now Americans are not that way with resource use. We use a lot of stuff and dump our nasty trash in other countries? so does that bother you, or make it hard? This is not meant to be a douche question.
I've included this for two reasons:
1. This is a genuine, honest question from someone who is not a Christian. Even though he is asking kindly, he's asking what should be a tough question. Have you ever thought about this issue? Do you know what you would say if a non-Christian asked you? Is your opinion on this knee-jerk or partisan? Since Jesus is our reason for believing, how does he tie in?
2. My reply is really long and pretty rambling and summarizes my thoughts for the summer. What my friend unwittingly did was give me a way to spit out all of the thoughts that I've been having, wrapped around the central theme of consumption. This facebook exchange is my informal, disorganized capstone for the summer specifically as it applies to the life I'm returning to in the States:
ME: This is a really interesting question, particularly since you specified if it's American consumerism (AC) that gets in the way of being Christian.
This is a long response. You asked something that hit on things that have been going through my mind a lot this summer. Here's everything I'm thinking, with headings. Feel free to look at what you think is useful.
Discussion of why I AC bothers me:
Before this summer, I would say Yes, it totally does get in the way of being Christian. Sometimes, when I see the possessions that Christians have, I think 'can you look Jesus in the face and justify that purchase?' My pastoral voice says we're missing something by buying so many things (and the greek word for sin actually means 'miss the mark').
And now that I'm almost done with my assignment...AC has been on my mind a lot. CZ is doing very well financially (which a church in TX obviously didn't know when they sent 500 toothbrushes. They apparently thought Central Europe looks like this: http://www.restromania.ro/images/people/wm_mari/Olt_Radomiresti_Floarea.jpg), but they are still in a totally different place than us. For instance, most people wear the same outfit a couple days in a row, because clothes are too expensive to have lots. My hosts in Slovakia have no dishwasher or dryer and take the bus whenever they can, even thought they have a car. I felt really conspicuous when I mentioned anything that alluded to my wealth, like private college or studying abroad. And yes, I felt uncomfortable as a Christian, like something is wrong here.
I glanced at a book that Shane, one of my hosts, just bought about Christian responsibility in the world. There was a short story about the author returning from a long stay in Sudan and being completely disgusted with the amount of time, money and chemicals that his neighbor spent to make his teeny urban front yard look perfect, when that grass would never contribute anything other than aesthetics to offset its consumption. And now that I look around...Central Europeans really love growing roses, but generally, all available yard space is for growing food, not even luxury food, but staples, like potatoes and cabbage. People rent off-site gardens that they have to make a trip to get to, so that they can grow food. And my yard at home...has lots and lots of grass, with just two raised veggie beds in the back. We have a compost pile we never use, because it's annoying to bury smelly stuff. And meanwhile, foodbanks will accept fresh donations, my friend in TX has a nonprofit distributing garden supplies so that people can feed themselves, and my church is determined to put out processed donuts at every opportunity...yeah, there are some big things wrong here. It's like learning that most american kids are malnourished, because they don't consume any vitamins. We've got all this crap in America and none of it is from God.
So that's been my thoughts. And with the examples you gave...I forget that our consumerism actually making the world a worse place through climate change and resource depletion. You make a good point in bringing that up. It's something I need to think about more. Part of it relates to what I was upset about above--if we consume less, we aren't stealing from other, poor nations. But it's hard to see where something like the BP spill overlaps, because that can't really be blamed on careless consumers. It's a voting issue, which is certainly very important for Christians to care about, but that's another issue from how much processed corn you eat, you know?
Either way, AC is a problem for the Church, because it 1. distracts us from the beautiful gifts that God has given to us (like apples from a tree, no a mcdonalds minimum wage pie) and 2. is actively hurting people (if corn subsidy were a person, i'd punch them in the face. do you know how many problems that subsidy causes? you probably do, ben 'n jerries hippy)
So above is why AC bothers me. But is it harder for me personally to be Christian?
Because of where I am in school/life, it's really hard to think of my faith in isolation. I'm in the Church and it's made of people like me...we're all in it together, even if we can't get along. When I think of faults I have, I think of how those faults are encouraged/supported by the Christian establishment (like gluttony...that is a highly permissible sin, particularly in Baptist life, definitely in Southern Baptist Life) or alternately, how I would do better to be more involved in the Church, because I would have support to be better.
So when I think about AC, I think about how the whole church would be closer to God's plan if we spent less and used less. Like Roma camp this week...we didn't have official VBS supplies and the kids still had a great time. But since Christians really are dependent on each other, even if they don't realize it, that means that we are all dragging each other down by focusing on newer buildings instead of helping people.
But I'm still speaking in generalities, not for me personally. You know AF, I'll have to see when I go back. I really want to leverage my time here to get my church pumped about broadening its horizons. If there is absolutely no interest in learning from the Christians here...I'll be very disappointed and say yes, it's hard to be Christian and American, because we have old habits. The Christians in CZ are all adult converts, so they have decide on things issue by issue, and they can't be choosy about who they let in. Things are more informal, because they don't have a lot of church professionals, but things are also much more deliberate and serious, because people are taking a status blow to be Christian, so they aren't doing it flippantly. I really, really, really want to be able to convey the urgent love I have felt here, because we could use it in America.
BUT ON THE OTHER HAND:
It's easier for me to be Christian in the US, because I don't have to fight for a place to belong. The support for women in ministry is strong and keeps growing. Even Catholics are for it. I wouldn't have the support to be a pastor here, for instance.
And I'm really excited about working with MCC (Metropolitan Community Church) and very aware that I am not a trailblazer in this ministry--I'm inheriting a lot of other people's hard work. Most places with emerging Christianity (CZ is a small example, it's still overwhelmingly atheist, but Africa, for instance) are conservative, which I don't reject out of hand, but it does limit the inclusive options.
And from what I've seen here...there is something that American style efficiency can contribute.
So it's not all bad being Christian in America. It has its own limitations and challenges, like anywhere. Unfortunately, we don't seem to be very aware that these limitations actually exist and are holding us back. I hope I can help change that.
And sorry again for spewing two pages at you. This is what I think about most of the time, so I have a lot of thoughts about it, and I obviously threw a lot of them at you.
Kendall
AF: i had this question last night. Do you find it hard being a christian and an american? What I mean by that is your particular brand of christianity, as opposed say [legalistic christians], seems to be about piety, being humble and putting everyone on a level playing field. Now Americans are not that way with resource use. We use a lot of stuff and dump our nasty trash in other countries? so does that bother you, or make it hard? This is not meant to be a douche question.
I've included this for two reasons:
1. This is a genuine, honest question from someone who is not a Christian. Even though he is asking kindly, he's asking what should be a tough question. Have you ever thought about this issue? Do you know what you would say if a non-Christian asked you? Is your opinion on this knee-jerk or partisan? Since Jesus is our reason for believing, how does he tie in?
2. My reply is really long and pretty rambling and summarizes my thoughts for the summer. What my friend unwittingly did was give me a way to spit out all of the thoughts that I've been having, wrapped around the central theme of consumption. This facebook exchange is my informal, disorganized capstone for the summer specifically as it applies to the life I'm returning to in the States:
ME: This is a really interesting question, particularly since you specified if it's American consumerism (AC) that gets in the way of being Christian.
This is a long response. You asked something that hit on things that have been going through my mind a lot this summer. Here's everything I'm thinking, with headings. Feel free to look at what you think is useful.
Discussion of why I AC bothers me:
Before this summer, I would say Yes, it totally does get in the way of being Christian. Sometimes, when I see the possessions that Christians have, I think 'can you look Jesus in the face and justify that purchase?' My pastoral voice says we're missing something by buying so many things (and the greek word for sin actually means 'miss the mark').
And now that I'm almost done with my assignment...AC has been on my mind a lot. CZ is doing very well financially (which a church in TX obviously didn't know when they sent 500 toothbrushes. They apparently thought Central Europe looks like this: http://www.restromania.ro/images/people/wm_mari/Olt_Radomiresti_Floarea.jpg), but they are still in a totally different place than us. For instance, most people wear the same outfit a couple days in a row, because clothes are too expensive to have lots. My hosts in Slovakia have no dishwasher or dryer and take the bus whenever they can, even thought they have a car. I felt really conspicuous when I mentioned anything that alluded to my wealth, like private college or studying abroad. And yes, I felt uncomfortable as a Christian, like something is wrong here.
I glanced at a book that Shane, one of my hosts, just bought about Christian responsibility in the world. There was a short story about the author returning from a long stay in Sudan and being completely disgusted with the amount of time, money and chemicals that his neighbor spent to make his teeny urban front yard look perfect, when that grass would never contribute anything other than aesthetics to offset its consumption. And now that I look around...Central Europeans really love growing roses, but generally, all available yard space is for growing food, not even luxury food, but staples, like potatoes and cabbage. People rent off-site gardens that they have to make a trip to get to, so that they can grow food. And my yard at home...has lots and lots of grass, with just two raised veggie beds in the back. We have a compost pile we never use, because it's annoying to bury smelly stuff. And meanwhile, foodbanks will accept fresh donations, my friend in TX has a nonprofit distributing garden supplies so that people can feed themselves, and my church is determined to put out processed donuts at every opportunity...yeah, there are some big things wrong here. It's like learning that most american kids are malnourished, because they don't consume any vitamins. We've got all this crap in America and none of it is from God.
So that's been my thoughts. And with the examples you gave...I forget that our consumerism actually making the world a worse place through climate change and resource depletion. You make a good point in bringing that up. It's something I need to think about more. Part of it relates to what I was upset about above--if we consume less, we aren't stealing from other, poor nations. But it's hard to see where something like the BP spill overlaps, because that can't really be blamed on careless consumers. It's a voting issue, which is certainly very important for Christians to care about, but that's another issue from how much processed corn you eat, you know?
Either way, AC is a problem for the Church, because it 1. distracts us from the beautiful gifts that God has given to us (like apples from a tree, no a mcdonalds minimum wage pie) and 2. is actively hurting people (if corn subsidy were a person, i'd punch them in the face. do you know how many problems that subsidy causes? you probably do, ben 'n jerries hippy)
So above is why AC bothers me. But is it harder for me personally to be Christian?
Because of where I am in school/life, it's really hard to think of my faith in isolation. I'm in the Church and it's made of people like me...we're all in it together, even if we can't get along. When I think of faults I have, I think of how those faults are encouraged/supported by the Christian establishment (like gluttony...that is a highly permissible sin, particularly in Baptist life, definitely in Southern Baptist Life) or alternately, how I would do better to be more involved in the Church, because I would have support to be better.
So when I think about AC, I think about how the whole church would be closer to God's plan if we spent less and used less. Like Roma camp this week...we didn't have official VBS supplies and the kids still had a great time. But since Christians really are dependent on each other, even if they don't realize it, that means that we are all dragging each other down by focusing on newer buildings instead of helping people.
But I'm still speaking in generalities, not for me personally. You know AF, I'll have to see when I go back. I really want to leverage my time here to get my church pumped about broadening its horizons. If there is absolutely no interest in learning from the Christians here...I'll be very disappointed and say yes, it's hard to be Christian and American, because we have old habits. The Christians in CZ are all adult converts, so they have decide on things issue by issue, and they can't be choosy about who they let in. Things are more informal, because they don't have a lot of church professionals, but things are also much more deliberate and serious, because people are taking a status blow to be Christian, so they aren't doing it flippantly. I really, really, really want to be able to convey the urgent love I have felt here, because we could use it in America.
BUT ON THE OTHER HAND:
It's easier for me to be Christian in the US, because I don't have to fight for a place to belong. The support for women in ministry is strong and keeps growing. Even Catholics are for it. I wouldn't have the support to be a pastor here, for instance.
And I'm really excited about working with MCC (Metropolitan Community Church) and very aware that I am not a trailblazer in this ministry--I'm inheriting a lot of other people's hard work. Most places with emerging Christianity (CZ is a small example, it's still overwhelmingly atheist, but Africa, for instance) are conservative, which I don't reject out of hand, but it does limit the inclusive options.
And from what I've seen here...there is something that American style efficiency can contribute.
So it's not all bad being Christian in America. It has its own limitations and challenges, like anywhere. Unfortunately, we don't seem to be very aware that these limitations actually exist and are holding us back. I hope I can help change that.
And sorry again for spewing two pages at you. This is what I think about most of the time, so I have a lot of thoughts about it, and I obviously threw a lot of them at you.
Kendall
Saturday, July 17, 2010
What They Asked Me
I read the beginning but didn't think that it made sense, woman being taken from the man's rib and the world being made in only six days...Can I be a Christian and believe in the Big Bang?
What about dinosaurs?
What do you think about homosexuality?
[If forgiveness is given to everyone] ...how is that fair if one person has only lied but another has killed?
How is it right to forgive someone who is not sorry, because then they will never regret what they have done?
[In the story of Sodom and Gomorrah] Why is Lot's wife turned into salt just for looking back? And it says that she was turned into salt, but a few verses later she is back, which made me stop reading because it didn't make sense.
I didn't understand why God would tell Abraham to kill Isaac.
Does loving God give you less to love other people? Doesn't the Bible say not to marry a non-believer?
Can you be Christian and use alternative medicine?
Do you know what you think about these things? Do you know what the Bible says about them?
And if you were asked, would you be willing set aside all of your biblical knowledge and respond with love first and most?
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Kendall is excited about the Bible!
This week Bethel has hosted a day camp for Roma children and afternoon conversational classes. Today was the second class that I was able to read the Bible to my students. I am beyond wordsesly excited. On Monday I read the story of Jesus being anointed by a sinful woman and the corresponding version in Luke where she washes his feet with her hair. We discussed the differences and what they mean.
Today the group was discussing forgiveness. I told the story behind "Dead Man Walking", how one of the killers who had inspired it repented the night before he was executed. When one class member said that the situation wasn't fair, because this man could go to heaven after believing for only one day, I mentioned that Jesus told a story about this same situation. After asking if they would like to hear the story, I read the parable of the workers in the vineyard.
Thank you for your prayers. Please pray for tomorrow, our last day of camp. 36 Roma children have been playing and learning Bible stories at camp this week, and 20 teens and adults have been in English lessons. Tomorrow we will make Bibles available to people who are interested. We have them in English and Czech, because the English ability levels are quite varied. And thank God for the "Faith Comes By Hearing" ministry, because we will be giving out English AND CZECH audio of the New Testament!!! Of course, this will only work if the students want them, so please pray for insatiable curiosity to draw these students to listening to God's Word!!!!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Woman's Search for Meaning
I don't have time to make a long post, but this happened last night and I really wanted to share.
I've been wondering why I am in the Czech Republic, as in was I supposed to come here at this time, or would any place have done? I've been having a great time, been learning, growing, and feeling pretty useful, but if you have a good attitude, that would happen anywhere, so did I have to come to Lito specifically?
Last night Angie and I were cleaning the kitchen after out third day of cooking for fifty people. We were laughing about something...Angie speaks English well, but creatively, and I always get a kick out of what she says, and Angie gets a kick out of my understanding her English (after a really creative statement, she usually throws up her hands and says "Oh my English!" It's very cute). It's usually lots of fun. Anyway, as we were laughing and cleaning, she told me that she had been praying for a long time that she would be friends with the American who came for the summer, and she thinks that prayer was answered. I think so too. Which means that when I was frantically trying to plan where I should go, what I should do with my summer, someone who had never met me was praying for me and the role that I would fulfill.
Angie has completed her Masters degree and soon will be leaving Bethel to work with visually impaired children. This will probably be her last experience with a foreign volunteer at Bethel. We have gotten along so well in that kitchen and had so many laughs.
I felt pervasive peace when I went to bed last night, because after praying for weeks for God to show me why I had to come to the Czech Republic specifically, my prayer was answered. I wasn't sent to Lito for me, for my own growth. I was sent to be a blessing for someone else.
I have the same feeling as if I has just seen the answer to a logic puzzle that I couldn't figure out, because the answer is very simple, but you have to get at it in a creative way (like the Italian architect who challenged other architects to make an egg stand up. No one could do it, but when he got the egg, he tapped the narrow end flat with a spoon, and behold, it stood up straight!) My reason for being here isn't me, that's why I couldn't figure it out. My reason for being here is other people.
And now I have to go help with breakfast, but this point is a great capstone to something I had struggled with in Spirituality about the inter-depenedence that we have on other Christians (even when they're trifling). Thank you for your prayers. I can say with positive certainty that they have been answered! :)
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Where Is God?
I've written a lot about my adventures here in Lito--the things I've done and people I've met. But I have not written overtly about God very much. I have so much to say and I don't know how to say it in a blog, because a format like this makes things feel cheesy and canned (who likes canned cheese? No one.)
I guess the quick run-down is: God plans well. I feel like I am in the right place. I am learning not only what I came here to learn, but I am also learning many things that I didn't know I needed to learn.
Since the Canadians have arrived, I have been praying with them and Angie multiple times a day. I am so glad that they treat prayer as a matter-of-fact occurrence that will unquestionably happen during the day, like water breaks. I need prayer to become second nature.
Today I prayed more than I have in a long time. I am glad that I wrote much of it down, because revelations during prayer can be like 'strokes of genius' that are inspired when they occur to you, but are completely forgotten later.
I don't need to catalogue my every revelation here. The important point is that God really is present, every moment, waiting to be let in. I wish I realized this more often.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
O Cananda!
Today I met my first real Canadians! And they ate their first real Yankee Salad!
Martin is busy with wedding preparations, so the responsibility fell to Angie and me to welcome Dean and Louise to Lito. This is their third trip to Litomerice, and this time they will see Martin get married!
I was very glad to make a meal for other people. It was an opportunity to pay back the hospitality that I have been receiving. I was not able to repay the people who had been feeding me; I could only be useful by feeding other people. I guess you could say that I've had to "pay it forward".
I was so happy to cook for the Canadians because I now understand how special it is to have someone prepare food for you. Even though I have a kitchen and plenty of money to buy food, for another person to prepare it and take me to their home and serve it is an experience that goes beyond food. When I ate with Martin and Petra last week, everything I ate tasted better and more filling, because not only my stomach was fed. This experience is gratifying and humbling. Now that I know the feeling of warmth and love that come from receiving hospitality, I have been thinking a lot about how I will show hospitality in the States, when I am in my home country.
But last Sunday I had an immediate chance to pass on the love I had received. I was so happy to spend the afternoon making dinner for Dean and Louise. As I worked and laughed with Angie I thought of every time that I had traveled and felt exhausted and the relief that filled me when someone met me at the airport or offered to carry my bags. I wanted to give them that feeling after their long flight from Canada.
Angie and I made a great team. I planned the meal and manned the stove. She prepped, organized, tasted and made everything look so pleasing to the eye. I mean, look at that platter of mushrooms. If I had been cooking alone that plate would have looked like a greyish pile of gooey blobs. Not very appetizing. But Angie is a great lover of French cuisine, and I think she did an impressive job Gauling it up with our limited resources.
We had a great 'getting to know you' meal. Angie and the Canadians caught up on mutual acquaintances and I heard about Martin at his first English camp. I knew it was going to be a good week.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
