Sunday and Monday in Jabalpur

Sunday, August 14,

Yesterday was a repeat of Friday with little new to report, expect that the virus I’ve been battling since Thiruvalla has gotten worse.

Today Amy preached at the Christ Church Cathedral and I preached at the English Methodist Church. Several of the students and professors attend both churches. At the English Methodist church several of Leonard’s students make of the large portion of their praise band. It surprised me that I knew all their songs.

The influence of the West on India continues to make me feel uneasy. I suppose it shouldn’t but it does. I find myself wondering which has had the greater effect on India, England’s imperialism of the USA’s economic imperialism.

Of course it was missionaries from the west who first began these churches and colleges. The English Methodist Church I attended was established in 1887. My surprise at the west’s influence is that it still feels so pervasive and has such a strong influence on their music. Every song the praise band sang I have in my collection of music. I realize my disappointment is in not hearing Christian songs they had written or that other contemporary Indian writers had written.

One other custom that Indian and American churches share is the after worship coffee hour, except here it is tea. It’s quite a formal in that in every church I’ve attended they have provided a cooked snack of some kind. Sometimes is equivalent to a full meal. In every congregation there seem to be designated men and women whose job it is to continually fill up your plate and bring you tea. Even the advice given me at the first of the trip, “to never fully clean your plate so they think you’re not finished,” doesn’t work. I’m not complaining. Their desire to welcome and host us is always from the heart.

Monday, August 15, 2011

India Independence Day

Today has been a special day. To be able to share in their Independence Day festivals helps to see the deep pride this community has in their homeland. Students decorated the area around the flag pole with streamers and flags. At 8:00 throughout all of India a siren is sounded and the flag is raised to the national anthem. Here Revd, Rodgers led the student body and faculty in prayer. People came dressed in their native cultural clothes, all of which are beautiful and colorful. Their children were equally adorned.

We adjourned to the chapel for worship. What a worship it was. I was impressed by the indigenous service on Friday but it was a pale shadow of our worship today. A full mixture of standard hymns, classical Indian music and dance, readings from leaders across the religious philosophical spectrum: Sikh, Buddhist, Hindu, and Christian. Again there was a Ranghi drawn on the floor along with flags of India. It was a uplifting celebration.

Later tonight there is another Cultural program planned by the students. The students will represent all the different areas and tribes from which they come and their native dishes.

Tomorrow we leave early for Bangalore and our last few days in India.

Blessings,

Perry

Thursday and Friday in Jabalpur

Wow, the time we’ve spent in Jabalpur has been amazing and exhausting. Upon our arrival Thursday we immediately joined the Leonard Theological College in its chapel service. Afterwards we met with a few students for coffee, took a tour of the facility (26 acres) and then joined the students for lunch. The rest of the afternoon and evening was given over to meeting with the faculty and staff and the first of the Bishop and Mrs. Parmar Lectures series.

Our second day, Friday, August 12, began early. Each day there is a chapel service. Friday I brought the message. Much to my surprise when I arrived in the chapel all the pews were moved to make room for carpets that covered the floor. The Leonard’s student worship team had prepared the sanctuary for an indigenous worship. Everyone was seated on the floor. A brass oil lamp and two pottery oil lamps were in the front of the sanctuary. A beautifully colored Ranghi (I have to check the spelling) was chalked on the floor, colors of red, yellow, orange, green, purple, were all used to create three petals. The lamps were placed in front (toward the dais and on either side). The worship service included traditional Western Christian liturgy as well as Indian prayers and songs. The service began with classical Indian music. Rather than me preaching from the pulpit, on the dais a small raised seat was placed in the middle immediately in front of the altar table with an equally small platform from which I could read my sermon or scripture. Seated on either side of me were three persons who participated in the service at different times.

After the opening classical Indian music each person on the dais helped light the wicks in the oil lamps with me going last. Indian songs followed, then prayers from the Atharva Veda and Rig-Veda, and a liturgy for an Indian context. To give you a taste of the service, after the lighting of the candles the opening invocation began with these words:

Saranam, Saranam, Jagadisvara (God of the Universe)

Saranam, Saranam, Hridayevari (Mother God of the heart)

Saranam, Saranam, Anandapura (Fullness of Joy)

Saranam, Saranam, Kalyana-Kari (Maker of Good)

Saranam, Saranam, Jivesvara (God of Life)

Saranam, Saranam, Sarvesvari (Mother God of all being)

Saranam, Saranam, Pramata-pita (Wise Father)

Saranam, Saranam, Karuna-mata (Compassionate Mother)

It was a wonderful service. Though I must say, it is quite different to preach sitting down rather than standing, good but different.

Later that day we participated in sessions with students presenting papers two papers on theological education and ministerial formation. Priti Shinde presented her paper and addressed the issues that confront women who are pursuing theological education to become ordained. Matsung Longkumer addressed the issues of ministerial formation that specifically addresses the tribal issues in Northeast India, his home area.

Women as pastors is still a controversial issue in much of India. As in the USA, some areas are more accepting than others. The cultural prejudice against women pastors may be reflected in Leonard’s student population; out of 96 students three are women. Patriarchy is still very powerful in India. Another indication of this is the Women’s School. Shortly after the founding of Leonard Theological College a Women’s School was introduced for the training of pastor’s spouses. In 1872 the Methodist missionaries to India did not anticipate women becoming pastors but they did think that pastor’s wives needed to be equipped to serve beside their husbands in ministry. That tradition is still strong in India and the Women’s School is an example. This year the school has 9 students and its course work includes English, biblical studies, home science, health and hygiene, computer and the history of Christianity.

Here’s a tidbit statistic: there are 2200 Methodist ordained clergy in India, 10 of which are women!

I’m fascinated by the openness in India’s culture of female god language and yet the close mindedness of women as clergy. This is a common phenomenon through much of the 2/3rds world. In contrast, we in the West have struggled to be more inclusive of female and non-gender specific names for God believing, at least in part, that language is powerful and is one of the social components that forms our understanding and perceptions of the world and ourselves, especially ritualized religious language. We’ve experiences limited success in promoting inclusive language for God but we’ve been far more successful at normalizing women as clergy.

Later Friday afternoon I met with the students to discuss several topics of interest to them: struggles of the churches in America, ministerial formation, theological education in America, and the youth in the American church. It was a rich discussion. I think they were somewhat surprised to hear that the same issues they struggle with are the same issues the American churches struggle with.

Pentecostalism is growing rapidly in India and brings many challenges to the existing churches. A pattern has begun that is causing strife and tension. People will attend the Pentecostal church for the worship service because of its lively music and message. But when the family needs a funeral or wedding or baptism they go back to their traditional church. Unfortunately it is the Pentecostal church that is receiving their tithe. You can see where this leads.

Amy’s second lecture was very well received and the theology of Christian hospitality continues to spark lively discussion. We finished the day with Revd, Rodgers the Principle of Leonard (we would identify him as the President) and his wife Sunita. They, like everyone here at Leonard and every place we have visited, are very gracious and their hospitality is humbling. I’ve never had to eat and/or turn down so much food and tea.

Blessings,

Perry

August 12, in Jabalpur

Sorry not to have posted for awhile. Access and time to do so has become more and more limited.

Amy and I are now in Jabalpur, India. We flew in from Delhi yesterday morning. We are working at Leonard Theological College. Amy is doing a lecture series on Christian Hospitality and I am working with their department on the practice of mission and ministry. I'll have to share more later. I've got a afternoon session with the students I need to prepare for.

Blessings all.

Perry

Sunday's worship at Centenary Methodist Church

Sunday, August 7,

This morning we all attended Centenary Methodist Church, English Congregation. I was surprised at how comforting it was to enter a church and find a person meeting me at the door with a United Methodist Hymnal and a bulletin. I will also confess that I smiled in solidarity with the pastor as he read the announcements and the energy of the worship lagged. Ah, church announcements, the bane of a worship service!

The service is not unlike our own. Although the Methodist church in India is not in the United Methodist Church, at least Centenary used the United Methodist Hymnal and its order of worship, prayers, psalter, etc. A big difference in the worship service yesterday and the two worship services in Chennai at Holy Redeemer and Wesley Church, both of the Church of South India, was that the pastor did it all. At the Holy Redeemer and Wesley Church laity and clergy shared leadership. An even more dramatic difference between the Wesley Church, CSI and Centenary Methodist Church is how communion was offered.

Centenary and Wesley used the communion wafer (sometimes sarcastically referred to as communion cardboard). Centenary, however, used the small individual cups to distribute the juice, whereas Wesley used watered wine and it was distributed through the common cup, in the Catholic tradition.

I mention this to point out how important a message of inclusiveness it suggests. The Church of South India has for over one hundred years been in ministry to and activism for the Dalit--the untouchables--community. So much so that if a person wanted to become baptized into the CSI then they had to renounce the Caste system and receive a common meal prepared by a Dalit. Wesley Church's method of serving communion reinforced that message by using the common cup. That Sunday I and David McCalester-Wilson and Dremma McCalester-Wilson helped offer the common cup to over 600 people, the poorest of the poor and the wealthy alike drank from the common cup. (For those of you who may not know what the common cup refers to, it means the officiant, in this case, me, presents the cup to each person and he or she takes a sip of the wine. I would then wipe the rim with a small clothe turn rotate the cup slightly and offer the next person the cup.)

It was a very holy moment for us all. But I'd not understood just how radical a message of the good news it declared until I received communion at Centenary. There is something isolating when I receive communion with a wafer and my own little cup. Obviously its more sanitary. But I'd not realized what was lost until now.

One cannot assume all the Methodist churches of India operate the same way but it was interesting to find the laity as the greeters and ushers but when it came to leading worship and communion only clergy were involved. Most often in our church we receive by Intinction, which means you receive a piece of bread and then dip it in the common cup. I'm not saying one is more holy than the other. But it was very different and the message of the common cup at Wesley undoubtably said to every Dalit there, we are all equal brother and sisters all in Christ. You are not untouchable.

Another big difference is where and when to remove one's shoes. At Holy Redeemer you removed your shoes at the front door of the church. At Centenary and Wesley you removed your shoes before walking up on the dais and its steps. Similarly, when we entered the Temple of Shiva and the Deli Sikh Gurdwara we had to remove our shoes. In the Gurdwara we all were required to cover our heads. The message is clear whether you are in a Christian church or a Hindu or Sikh temple you are entering a holy place and your first act of worship is submission by altering your appearance or comfort. In fact, in the Temple the entry door lintel was only about five feet high so to enter you had to bow.

I do not want to romanticize these acts of removing shoes, using head coverings, bowing or the sharing of the common cup. But imagine what each of these acts teaches. When you enter the holy place you become equal to everyone else and must change your posture, clothing, etc. What does it teach a child of a Dalit who sleeps on the street and must beg for food that when she goes to the church the important and wealthy doctor drinks from the same cup of Christ as she. He must remove his shoes too. What does it teach the child of the doctor who goes to school and wears good clothes and doesn't have to work for the family, etc that in the message at church, in communion, is that before God we are all one, equal, no one better no one worse. If we are equal before God in church the surely God would want it the same in the world? This just reminds me that everything we do in our church, our worship, our classes, our organization, everything is teaching about who we are and who we understand God to be.

Well, I can feel sermonizing coming on so I'd better stop. As you can see. It's caused a great deal of reflection for me. I hope you might take time and do a little reflecting too.

Blessings,

Perry

August 6--In Deli

August 7, 2011

First a note of correction: in a previous post I told you that the Patriarch of the Syrian Orthodox Church in Kerala was located in Antioch. That is incorrect. There is a Syrian Orthodox Patriarch in Antioch but he is not in communion with the Syrian Orthodox Church in Kerala. Church in Kerala claims to predate the in Antioch and their Patriarch is in Damascus.

Yesterday we visited the office of NCDHR (National Campaign On Dalit Human Rights) and saw first hand the hard work they are doing on behalf of the Dalit people. The NCDHR work in the economic, political, and social areas that affect the Dalit people. The Indian Parliament has over the decades and years passed laws that provided an allotment of funds to the needs of Dalits. However, the money is siphoned off through bureaucratic corruption. Tracing back the budgetary allotment to see whether the funs were ever distributed and then raising these issues with the parliament and in court is just one of the many ways NCDHR is working systemically to support the Dalits. They also do training on women's rights, help in the protection and rescue of minors, help promote education, and do intervention work when the Dalits have no support from the police or local government bodies.

The Wesley delegation visited three Dalit communities, one of which I will describe to you. The Dalit community is best described as a shanty town but they still have created an infrastructure to support basic needs: access to shelter, electrical lines, toilets, water, and security. The location of this Dalit community was a Cricket field width away from a very upscale residential area. One evening the police established a barrier around their community and would not let them return to their homes that evening. The reason given was that an official was coming to speak to them about human rights. So they had to stay outside all night and could not get to the belongings, etc. The next day the government and police bulldozed the homes, electric lines, plumbing, and all their possessions. Everything the had was gone. Many lost jobs because they had to take time off to try and restore some kind of shelter and belongings for themselves and their children. This is just one of many examples how Dalits suffer in Deli. There is still such a strong social and cultural stigma attached to the Dalit people that pro-Dalit legislation has had little effect. Another area of great prejudice and often violence against the Dalits is when there is a cross-Caste marriage or intent to marry.

I find a strong parallel between what the Dalit endures in social, economic, political, and religious oppression and the suffering of African Americans and other people of color and ethnicity in America’s past and present.

At times it feels like what we are doing here is so little as to be harmful rather than helpful. But we have been told many times that just our presence and our prayers of hope for the Dalits and those working with and for them is a great boon. It says that they matter and that there are those who care and want to find ways of supporting and proclaiming the good news of Christ to all Dalits, the Dalit Hindu, the Dalit Muslim, and the Dalit Christians.

It is also important that our presence not be misconstrued as meant to convert non-Christian Dalits to Christianity. Rather, our work here is an act of discipleship--living out our faith and commandment to love God and neighbor by lifting up those in need. To do so immediately differentiates us from many other Christian groups whose sole purpose is to achieve converts. Religions that seek converts are held suspect in India. This suspicion is so strong that legislation has been passed to make it illegal to evangelize in India. Hinduism is not a proselytizing religion. Christianity and Islam are. Nationalist Hindus fear that the conversion of Hindus to Christianity or Islam will eventually destroy India’s identity by deconstructing the Caste system, India will no longer be India. We hear similar nationalist rhetoric in America to foment similar fear: "what will happen when those groups now in the minority become the majority, etc?"

Would a larger percentage of Christians change India so dramatically that India will no longer be India? I don't know. If you change the Caste system, I guess you will change India. When America finally made slavery and Jim Crow laws illegal, America changed and for the better. Maybe India needs to change? But all the “what ifs” and “buts” cannot be answered. What we do know is that we are called to do what we can and God has opened this door for us to be faithful. We’ve walked through the door and are walking in faith that God will proved a way for the good news to be known.

Pray for us that our work is truly bringing good news to and bearing fruit that lasts for the people of India, all of India's people.

Blessings,

Perry

Arrived in Deli

We have a team meeting in a few minutes so I don't have too much time. We arrived in Deli late last evening. I believe I'm finally getting on the other side of the stomach infection, actually ate a little toast and had coffee! My energy seems to be coming back, keep us all in your prayers.

Today we will work with Paul Divakar (Convener, National Campaign of Dalit Human Rights) and Annie Namala (director, Centre for Social Equity and Inclusion) and their staff. Part of this work will be in the Deli Dalit slums.

Blessings,

Perry

The Good News in the Jungles of India

In my last post I shared with you Bishop George’s passion for mission, which is somewhat out of step with his own Syrian Orthodox Church tradition. Today, August 4, is the four year anniversary of a Dalit community that established itself on a rubber tree plantation, miles away from any town or village, literally in the middle of the jungle. It began with a small group of Dalit families who squatted on the land. Slowly the community has grown to now include 2000 families, around 10000 people. The circumference of the community is about 6 miles. They’ve organized the community for safety and protection and services, they’ve chosen leaders and so on. A great celebration ensued when Bishop George came with the Wesley Delegation today. When everyone else was against them, Bishop George supported them.

In my previous posts I’ve shared that religious pluralism is a hallmark of Hinduism but that it is not accepting of anything that challenges the caste system. In that Hinduism is not alone. The Christian community is also as reticent and at times as violent in rejecting lifting up the Dalits to be on the same plane as the Castes.

Bishop George has supported this Dalit community even in the face of the anger and rejection of his own church. Cultural prejudice runs very deep in India as it does in most countries, USA not excluded. It is a sign of hope that the good news of freedom and sacred worth found in Jesus Christ is being lived out and proclaimed in the jungles of India.

Blessings,

Perry