loving god and neighbor

Sunday and Monday in Jabalpur

2011-08-15T02:41:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-15T02:33:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-12T00:46:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-08T03:11:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-07T01:12:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-05T22:33:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-04T04:48:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-04T03:51:00.000-07:00

August 4, 2011

Sorry that my posts have not been regular. Maintaining internet service is more difficult than we thought. Mostly though I’ve not posted because the last three days have been terrible. I can now say that I’m a world statistic. I am among the 20-50% of travelers who get sick in the first week of travel. Sathi and Prema warned us about what you could eat and what you couldn’t eat. I thought I’d paid close attention but apparently something slipped by and boy have I been sick! I was bedridden two days ago and am again today. The fever increased dramatically last night and so through the graciousness of Bishop George I was taken to the local clinic today (the clinic is supported by the dioceses) and reexamined by a doctor who’d just returned from a medical conference in San Diego. He add a few meds to ones I’d received in Kerala. My diet has been reduced to rice, yogurt, and peeled apples. Okay, enough about my gastronomic adventure.

Once again, I have to say how humbled I am by the hospitality we continue to receive.

Yesterday we visited Malankara Syrian Orthodox Seminary. The Syrian Orthodox Church is one of the oldest Christian Churches. Tradition tells us that St. Thomas founded it in 52 C.E. We also visited St Mary’s Pilgrimage Centre and St Gregarious Cathedral where a relic of St. Thomas is maintained.

At the seminary we received an audience with the Catholicos (similar to a bishop), one of whom oversees all the Syrian Christians throughout the world (I never fully understood if he would be considered the head bishop or if he had a different title). He answers to the Syrian Orthodox Patriarch in Antioch. We gathered in their chapel and had a Q&A session. One student asked whether we believed integration of the Christian faith could happen. It became an interesting point of discussion. Part of the issue is what is meant by “integration?” A question posed by one of the Wesley delegation was, “What do you believe the Syrian Orthodox Church can teach us?” one student immediately responded, “the importance of liturgy.” The Syrian Orthodox Church maintains the oldest living liturgy, the liturgy of St. James. Understandably in the Syrian church there is great emphasis on liturgy. They sing their liturgies and prayers, one of which was easily 10 minutes long, beautiful, and very meaningful. I have no idea what the words were but the singing conveyed all that needed to be known.

It has been a great treat to talk with many of the priests. One I’ve become more familiar with is Father Nebo, a young Syrian priest and also the secretary to Bishop. He serves a small church outside of Thiruvalla. They describe their parishes by family not members. At St. Gregarious Cathedral Bishop George said that it had 1000 families. To accommodate all the people, they’ve added open air pavilions on either side of the sanctuary and installed flat-screen TVs and speakers.

One last point to share, the Syrian Orthodox Church traditionally has not focused on social justice issues, but that appears to be changing. Bishop George is passionate about mission to those in need. The day-trip everyone is on, but me—sick in bed, is to a Theerum, a mission project for differently-abled children and adults. A new generation of bishops may lead the Syrian Orthodox Church into becoming more focused on the needs of the poor and oppressed in Indian society. I pray it be so.

Blessings everyone,

Perry

We Arrived in Kerala

2011-08-04T03:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, August 1,

we arrived in Kerala and drove to our hotel in Fort Cochin. It was scheduled as a partial travel day/down day, rest a little and see a few historic sites, which we did. We visited the oldest Jewish synagogue in the Common Wealth of Nations. It was first established in 1568 by the Jewish Cochin community in, what was then, the Kingdom of Cochin. Sadly, a few days before we arrived one of the ten remaining members of the synagogue died. His picture was everywhere celebrating his life. Unfortunately this Jewish community can no longer hold regular services in the synagogue. They have been without ten men to maintain a quorum for prayer. They do still have services if and when enough men and their families or tour groups who have moved away return to visit.

We also visited St. Francis Church, the oldest European church in India, established in 1503. After his death in Kochi in 1524, Vasco De Gama, the Portuguese explorer was buried there. Later his remains were removed to Lisbon.

The Dutch Palace was most interesting to me and it's murals depicting the Indian cosmos and mythology. The palace was built by the Portuguese and first presented to Veera Kerala Varma, Raja of Kochi, in 1555. The Dutch renovated the palace in 1663 and it has since been identified as the Dutch Place.

I cannot begin to do justice to the beauty, complexity, and intricacy of the two murals. Prema, who grew up in Kerala and works with the World Bank is the wife of Sathi Clark—Professor of Theology at Wesley Seminary and our organizer for this trip. A comment she had made earlier in the day poetically and accurately described the murals, “India,” she said, “is a land of paradox and contradictions.” The murals were exactly that, paradoxical and contradictive.

Here’s what I mean. In the Western mindset we want our theology to be systematic, coherent, and complete. Hindu cosmology does not approach the divine in that manner. Depicted in the murals are the gods Ganesh, Vishnu, and Shiva. While looking at the mural I realized the god Ganesh is holding a plate with the Star of David on it. I went to examine the other mural and there it was again. I pointed this out to the guide. He said the artist(s) may have not been Hindu and because the Star of David is represented in more than one mural they suspect a strong Jewish influence. It seemed unusual to me for a mural depicting the Hindu cosmos that claims thousands of gods would also contain a symbol of a monotheistic religion. But then again, where I see contradiction they see none. That is one of the great strengths of the Hindu cosmology, its ability to absorb a local expression of faith into its own story.

But as religiously pluralistic as Hinduism is, being here has shown me where their fundamentalism lies, in the Caste system. Christianity as a religion is accepted. What is not accepted is the Christian mandate to free the oppressed in society. You can do almost anything within the religious realm and be accepted. But if you try to bring social justice to the Caste system you will find violent resistance.

That is the dilemma of the Dalti Christian community. The Churches of South India in Chennai are doing very important social justice ministries for the most vulnerable in India, but because they challenge the Caste system they are held suspect. How do you begin to change a system that is religiously, economically, socially, and politically tied to the Caste system but does not officially recognize the Caste system?

Blessings,

Perry

Jesus is in the house!

2011-07-31T03:30:00.000-07:00

Hello to all,

There is so much to tell you but words cannot convey what I've experienced in these last 48 hours. Now I know why so many wonderful poets and mystics come from this area of the world.

We have had a whirlwind tour of the Church of South India in Chennai and I have seen God's kingdom at work. Bishop Deva's diocese is a witness to the Holy Spirit's ability to do miracles when people are willing to walk in faith. Bishop Deva said, "The Holy Spirit is like smoke, it rises from the bottom up." The majority of the people in the ministries and churches are Dalits--the untouchables of Hindu society. But this societal and class prejudice has not held them back. Their work is astonishing.

Here is a small list of the diocese's ministries we visited yesterday, July 29: a young boy's hostel and a young girl's hostel housing approximately 100 each--Bishop Deva gave witness that his education and his faith began and was nurtured in the Young Boy's Hostel; we visited a hospital annex site established for the poor so they would not have to travel long distances to receive excellent and affordable medical care; a school for more than 1,000 older students; and due to the growth of the local churches, new ones are being established and we participated in the consecration of a new church, "Church of the Holy Redeemer."

For I moment I will digress. The consecration of a new church is a momentous event in the life of every congregation. But I have never experienced anything like I experienced at the Church of the holy Redeemer, it was like stepping into a Bollywood movie. We arrived in the small town and stopped, completely blocking traffic on the main road that passes right through the middle of it. Cars, trucks, taxis, all the vehicles behind us became a parking lot. We all exited the vehicle, and it seemed like the whole town came out for the celebration. A dozen or so pastors, leaders in the church, local people, and even Hindus came forward for Bishop Deva to offer a blessing. Then all of us from of the Wesley delegation became honored guests, we received garlands of flowers and necklaces. The band struck up a march and we all began walking toward the church. Remember, the traffic jam behind us is still there. After about 10 minutes we finally got off the main road and under an awning where we were greeted by dancers and a vocal group. The marching band stopped and the dancers and singers began. After their performance we actually arrived at a point where we could see the front of the new church. Once up on the church's steps a traditional Indian band started. Finally the moment of prayer and consecration of the church arrived, the ribbons were cut, the plaques revealed and we started into the new church to the music from inside the church from another band.

The swelling and pride for this Christian community to have a new church was something to behold. The service that followed was quite spectacular also, children danced, youth danced and sang, and gifts were exchanged and given to those without whom this church could not be built. Afterwards the fellowship dinner ensued. I've never seen a larger pot of rice in my life and everyone was fed physically and spiritually.

Okay, now I return to the other ministries of Bishop Deva's diocese.

Looking back on these places and events and as memorable as each ministry was and is, it was the people's hospitality that touched my heart most deeply.

I felt as though I had fallen into the story of Abraham and Sarah at the tree of Mamre. But in that story, the strangers who showed up at Abraham and Sarah's tent and received such grace filled hospitality had an important message to deliver. In our story we are the strangers but I feel like I'm not only the one receiving the hospitality but I'm the one also receiving the important message from God: here's what the good news looks like and sounds like, pay attention!

And the whirlwind started again this morning.

Today, July 30, we worshipped with English Wesley Church, a Tamil congregation. Oh, and by the way, I've learned an important lesson about church, people arrive late regardless of where you are in the world! Of course, when the service is about 2.5 hours long you can arrive late and still get in a substantial time of worship.

The worship itself was great and, like the day before's service in the consecration service, the music ranged from the standard Methodist hymns, to contemporary music, to traditional Indian music. After worship we went to visit one of their significant ministries to the community. It is a center for the housing and development of children with mental disabilities. They receive children from the ages of 2 to 18 years old. They teach the children literally everything from basic hygiene when they are very young to vocational skills once they can begin working toward self-sufficiency. Some are learning how to assemble motorcycle parts, others work with flower vendors, and and so on. But most important about this school is it takes each child and believes that the child has a gift to give, something special to offer and works to help the child find it. Rather than seeing what the child cannot do they look for what the child can do and build on it. One of the children's favorite activities is to dance and they dance very well.

I will close by sharing this with you. The scripture from Luke 4:18-19 has kept coming back to me throughout these last two days.

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

Like Bishop Deva said, the Holy Spirit is like smoke rising from the bottom to the top. It is definitely so here. The Spirit of the Lord is upon these people and they are anointed and spreading the good news wherever they are and I'm trying to pay attention.

Blessings,

Perry

Wonderful hospitality

2011-07-29T13:19:00.000-07:00

Just arrived in India,

Whew, long trip but great. Uneventful except for the duration (17 hours in the air). Sathi instructed Nathan to meet Amy and I at the airport in Chennai with a gift of beads, water, and 800 rupees just so we could tip the help. Yay Sathi, thanks so much. You are the man!

A special note of interest, driving in Chennai is not that different than in DC; the traffic laws are really just suggestions. The big difference I saw tonight is you don't use your turn signal to tell other people where you're going, you honk the horn, loudly and repeatedly, whether you are running a red light (or several red lights) or moving into their lane. It was great!

Tomorrow Sathi, me, and David McAlester-Wilson (others may come also but not sure right now) are off to a rural Dalit community with Bishop Deva to participate in consecrating a church and speak to a host of lay ministers. Well, it's 2:00 am and we start early tomorrow so I'm going to bed.

Blessings,

Perry

Grateful

2011-07-28T03:59:00.000-07:00

This is the first post in a very long time but I've been encouraged to share my journey to India, so I'll give it another try.

This morning I woke up very early and anxious, thinking about all the to-dos left undone at church. Then I remembered all the wonderful people at UUMC who first wish me well on this trip and have immediately stepped up and are helping take up the slack.

At times my anxiety can swamp my gratitude, but I am immensely grateful for all of you at UUMC, my wonderful wife Amy, and my family and my amazing life. For whatever reason, today feels like a time to reflect and give thanks. So I guess I'm beginning my trip to India by saying thank you to all of you.

Blessings,

Perry

For Zach

2010-05-07T07:05:00.000-07:00

Do you have music that finds its way to the painful places in you that are hidden from the world? I wish I understood the power of music. I wish I knew how it cuts through the dross and finds the me that needs to grieve and cry and mourn.

I was doing fine this morning and then a song by the Avett brothers found its way to my grief. You see, two days from now is the anniversary of my oldest son's death. Zach took his life in 1999. I miss him. When I see him in my mind, I see him smiling. It was just a few weeks before he took his life and I see him smiling. He had a great smile. Zach was like the weather, when he was happy he seemed to shine like the sun and when he was upset and angry he was like a thunderstorm that never let loose, just boiling inside, dark and foreboding but never releasing its energy.

Ya know, I didn't get up this morning expecting to come to Starbucks and find myself listening to the Avett Brothers and crying while preparing for this coming Sunday. I didn't know I would write about this in my blog, of all places. Here I sit, crying and writing. People are all around going about their daily business, getting coffee, meeting and enjoying their day. I guess that is as it should be. Makes me wonder about all the other people in this world who cry through their days and I never take notice. Kinda humbling.

Zach had a great voice. I remember first hearing him sing. I don't remember how old he was, really young, and I heard him singing the Righteous Brothers and thinking that it was the radio. I miss him.

It's a mystery to me how certain notes and tones and rhythms that we call music conspire to open in me the doors I didn't realize were shut. Out comes the pain. Out come the questions. Out come the feelings I don't know how to name or how to deal with. Those wiser than me say that one grieves alone and mourns in community.

I don't know, is there any difference? I suppose there is. But whether I share my grief with others and call it mourning or not, I still find that the pain does not diminish. Its sharpness never wanes. But, I suppose it is no longer my enemy. It’s not a friend. It’s just a part of me.

Zach loved music. Music is so amazing. I guess music opens me up so I can grieve; it opens me up so my mourning helps me to see those around me, who, like me, have doors holding back their pain. Some say that God sung creation into being. I like that. I like to think that Zach and God are singing other universes into being.

I wish I was hearing Zach sing this Avert Brother's tune.

For Zach. I miss you.

To Do No Harm

2009-10-04T15:07:00.000-07:00

Several times over the last few weeks, I’ve heard people ask, “How, in this world, can you do no harm?” They’ve also asked, “Okay I don’t want to do harm, but what do I do when I’m being harmed, do I do nothing?” I will be preaching on this subject over the next few weeks, but I hope to help unpack these thoughts a bit more today.

When we ponder the above questions, it does seem unimaginable to actually live a life where you/I do no harm. I suppose one could escape to the woods, but then the question of how we impact our local environment would come into play and what would that do to our loved ones? So, today, I will not go down that road. Too, most of us know the steps we need to take to limit our harm to the local environment, etc. As important as the question, “how do I do no harm to our world” is, the introductory questions arise primarily out of personal relationships. It is to how we harm or do not harm in our relationships that I now turn.

“Okay I don’t want to do harm, but what do I do when I’m being harmed, do I do nothing?”

Way too often this is where we find ourselves, in a situation where we feel harmed but not sure of how to respond. Before speaking of what doing no harm is, let’s look at what it is not. This is not a comprehensive list but you’ll get the idea.

It is not being nice—in that sickly sweet, “just make everything ok” falsehood.

It is not being silent—in that “don’t make waves” mentality.

It is not allowing yourself to be abused in anyway shape or form.

It is not telling white lies so as to massage one another’s egos.

It is not just letting your mouth run amuck without serious reflection and discernment.

It is not protecting someone from the truth for fear that it might upset or hurt them.

It is also not being passive. It is quite the opposite. Retired Bishop Job of the United Methodist Church tells us that to “do no harm is a proactive response to all that is evil—all that is damaging and destructive to humankind and God’s good creation” which thereby is destructive to us (Three Simple Rules: A Wesleyan Way of Living, Nashville, Abingdon, 2007, p. 30). He goes on to say that to do no harm is a life that is active but restrained.

What is it that guides our restraint?

First, we are not restrained by coercion. We are invited to live an abundant life want to be faithful to our best selves. That best self is found in following Christ. To follow in our gift of freedom, we restrain ourselves out of a desire to love God, neighbor, and self and to become more fully the love of God in the world. Our faith story which comes to us through scripture and tradition guides us. Central to that story is the Great Commandment taught by Jesus Christ: love God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength; and you must love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:30). From this we get the rules of 1) do no harm, 2) do good, and 3) stay in love with God. These rules come from the General Rule of the United Methodist Church. So, we can see that from scripture and our faith tradition that doing no harm is central to our identity and has been as a people for millennia.

But the question asks, “What do I do?” What does it look like to put this into practice? One central truth of doing no harm is that its foundation must come from love that sacrifices. Its power comes from a love that wants to lay down and disarm the weapons of power and coercion, the weapons of shame and guilt, the weapons of one-upmanship and bullying, the weapons of deception and manipulation. None of these weapons can guide us to a life of doing no harm. Only when we desire to love our enemy as we are loved by God can we embody compassion, kindness, humility, and forgiveness.

Many scriptures guide us toward this kind of love. From Colossians 3:12 we are told to clothe ourselves in compassion, in kindness, in humility, and in forgiveness, and from Ephesians 4:29 we hear these words, “Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear.”

Doing no harm requires us to ask ourselves, “are the words I am about to say intended to build up the person or tear them down? Are they meant to place me in a position of one-upmanship or a place of humility and kindness?”

Doing no harm asks us to want the best for the person we are fearful of, who we are in opposition to, and who may want to discount us in every way.

Doing no harm requires us to ask, “What is important for me to say so as to protect myself from harm but at the same time not with the intent to demean or shame the other?”

In each of these examples there is a proactive restrained response.

I’ve said a whole lot and so I invite you to respond. What do you think about this life guided by unconditional love, compassion, kindness, humility, and forgiveness that is embodied through proactive but restrained engagement?

The three simple rules: the Christian way of life

2009-09-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

This Sunday (Sept 20) our church begins its conversation with the book the Three Simple Rules: A Wesleyan Way of Living. But in this blog I want to address the issue of our experience with rules. I will begin addressing the content of the book: do no harm, do good, and stay in love with God, in later blogs.

I believe we all have, to some degree, a rebellious response to rules. I do not know anyone who has not cursed a rule or two, especially when it limits their freedom of choice. I, too, struggle with rules and it began in my life quite early. The word it self, "rule," has mostly meant to me that someone else is trying to control my life. A colleague of mine said her issue was that the word rule suggests there isn't room for self-expression or negotiation. Kind of like, "if your not like me then something's wrong with you" or "it's my way or the highway" so to speak. Now that I think about it, I suppose this is a very accurate description of why I don't like it either.

But we all live with and make rules that protect us and are important for our safety and the safety of others. We live with rules in our homes, our occupation, our highway system, our airways, and so on. Even though I may not follow all the traffic laws all the time, I want them there because they bring order to what would otherwise be chaos (okay, well..., maybe not the DC beltway). But, I definitely want the air traffic control system and its rules to be followed. I feel far more vulnerable and at the mercy of others when I'm in an airplane than I do when I'm in my car. I'm not about to get in a plane if I believe the rules for our air traffic system are not being followed.

The other thing about rules is that they are about maintaining our social contract with one another. The rules that govern our individual freedoms are there to protect us from one another. My freedom to pursue happiness is limited. I cannot go into your home and take your TV in the pursuit of my happiness with out breaking the rule against theft. In doing so, there is also a rule that says I must pay a consequence for my actions. These rules we accept and appreciate because they help us maintain healthy boundaries.

So, it seems to me that the rules we really don't like are the ones that impinge on our lives when we think we should be in control, we believe they constrict instead of expanding our life. Unfortunately when the topic is religion there always seems to be a lot of emotional energy attached to the like or dislike of rules. Often the rules of a religion can feel like something is being subtracted from our life rather than being added to our life. I've had many very honest conversations with youth who said they didn't want to become Christian because they were afraid of all the rules. They hadn't lived long enough, they said, and didn't want to limit their fun. It's an terribly unfortunate misunderstanding of Christianity when a person has been taught that when you begin to follow Christ you can no longer have fun.

So this conversation about rules for life, a Christian life, can stretch us all. Really that's what I am doing. Inviting people to be in conversation and stretch themselves.

I have a couple of questions for you, what is your relationship to rules, rules of all kinds? Which ones do you like, don't like and why? Second, have there been any rules that you've applied to your life that have made it better and the lives of those around you better? What are they and how did they help?

Blessings,

the all consuming love

2009-08-27T09:01:00.000-07:00

I’ve been thinking about the poetry from the Song of Solomon and the image it portrays of God as lover. I’m reminded of Rumi and some of the Christian mystics who also write of our relationship to God as that of lover. The author of the Song of Solomon creates this wonderful image of a lover standing just beyond a lattice work, enticing their beloved to come and celebrate the bounty of spring. It is a poem of love and passion, and I think, a poem of ecstasy. Many have claimed it to be a poem celebrating the gift of human sexuality and the richness of its passion. Some claim it is a poem that is a metaphor for God’s love for us and the invitation we receive from God to live love to its fullest, to its most passionate. I believe it is both. Below I provide the NRSV translation of the verses I’ve been reading.

Song of Solomon 2:8-13

2:8 The voice of my beloved! Look, he comes, leaping upon the mountains, bounding over the hills.

2:9 My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Look, there he stands behind our wall, gazing in at the windows, looking through the lattice.

2:10 My beloved speaks and says to me: "Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away;

2:11 for now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone.

2:12 The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.

2:13 The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.

God has been leaping and bounding upon the mountains and over the hills, in celebration and God’s own ecstasy. Then God the lover stands at the wall, looking through the lattice work. I imagine seeing just a glimpse of God’s cheek and eye, and everything in God’s eye speaks to me of rapturous love and grace, inviting me out. Come out, come out and know life, know love!

I am both deeply moved by this poem and at the same time equally fearful. It is too intimate, to revealing, too too much. It feels dangerous to have God as lover. I need my space, thank you very much. It is so much easier and comfortable to keep God at arm’s length. But I wonder if this is not the God that Jesus came to know and become overwhelmed by? I wonder if it is not God the lover that enticed and drew the Old Testament prophets to their vocation? There is a much quoted verse from the prophet Jeremiah. He is tired of the problems and rejection that his vocation as prophet has heaped upon him. He began his ministry as prophet in joy and expectation and now he has felt the arrows of rejection and persecution for his trouble. His words are strong indeed, “You have seduced me, and I have let myself be seduced.” Abraham J. Heschel says in his classic The Prophets that the first part of that verse implies seduction, but the last implies rape. Is it too much to say that God the lover is so all consuming that Jeremiah find himself lost, used and even abused? Like I said earlier, such a relationship with God feels very dangerous.

Have I even known this kind of love? I wonder. Maybe that is why the radical call of God feels so frightening. Is it that somewhere inside of me I know that if I come out of my locked room and run with God and love so deeply that I will lose all control? I find myself hearing “My beloved speaks and says to me: "Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away; 2:11 for now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone and I realize that I am far more comfortable with a God of rules and regulations, commandments and sacrifices than this passionate God of love.

And yet…

What this is all about

2009-08-25T13:38:00.000-07:00

Why am I writing a blog? The simple answer is to invite conversation with my worshiping community. I am the pastor of University United Methodist Church in College Park, MD, and I have found the oneway communication of sermon very frustrating. No doubt, they may too! So, although I am quite nervous about blogging, my desire for a larger venue of conversation compels me to embark on this journey.

My hope and my prayer is that we find new ways of sharing what is important to us. John Wesley, the primary founder of Methodism, spoke of holy conversation, conversation where our deepest longings are shared. Maybe it is a bit too much to see that occurring in a blog, but who knows!

Let the adventure begin.