I am 23 years old. I am student. I may or may not be single. I am a free youth director/ youth Sunday school teacher (see previous identities that make it clear that I would be perfect for the job).
That is what churches see when I walk through the door every Sunday. The only questionable part for the church is my relationship status, when changes in their eyes dependent on if I am with only one guy (who I am obviously in a relationship with and planning a wedding because it is only the two of us at church together… right), or if I am with two guys (obviously we are only friends) or alone (that poor girl…).
What don’t they see??
I am looking for a home away from home. I desperately want to find a group of young adults, similar to me, to hang out with away from my friends at school. I would love to stick around longer than one or two weeks and maybe even get involved in a Sunday School class (PLEASE not youth.. just because I am young doesn’t mean I want to work with youth. Been there, done that… I want adult time now), and if you are lucky/ unlucky (depending on how you think I sound) I might join the choir. I would love to come to a dinner WITH some food to offer rather than just coming empty handed. I want to be part of a bible study that doesn’t exegete every little thing they read. If you ask, I will even be liturgist every now and then. And oh yea… I am serious about this church thing, to the point that I am in seminary.
I have to admit- I was spoiled rotten when I was in college. I was part of an incredible campus ministry and that led me to an incredible church. Granted, I only went so that I could hear my campus minister preach one Sunday but they quickly found a place for me- The next week, I was down in the high school room teaching Sunday school (which I loved at the time because I had only been doing youth work for a year or two). Even though I came to worship alone most of the time, the members of the congregation were eager to talk to me and learn more about me. As the young adult group began to grow, I got sucked in and loved every second of it. That is how I met some of my favorite people and the guy that really helped me through some hard times and decisions about seminary. So, after that experience that gave me a home away from home, I have been brainwashed and think that I can find that here in Richmond.
Don’t get me wrong- I know there has to be a church like that somewhere up here, but I haven’t found it yet. What have I found?
Churches with websites that are hard to navigate or not up-to-date. These websites also include info about every age group EXCEPT young adults. (For a good example of a site that includes young adults, check these out- http://starmountpres.org/young-adult/ and http://www.stpauls.net/?page_id=61 ). Simple, but easy to find and it shows that if you go, there might be someone that you can relate to that isn’t celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary.
My relationship status really does matter to them. I wasn’t terribly shocked in Ghana when one of the first questions they asked was “are you married?” because quite frankly, as a single girl who doesn’t mind going to church alone, I encounter that every Sunday. Churches want young people who are attached. Why? Because it is free labor. That is something I will battle in ministry as well as long as I am not married. I don’t know how many times this has been proven true- I go to church alone and get ignored (unless the minister says, in the pulpit, “Please make sure to welcome our guests”). In fact, just a few weeks ago I visited a church alone and because there was no one else sitting there yet, a lady behind me threw her coat on my pew. 10 minutes before the service started. What if I had friends coming?? Now, if I go to church with a group or two guys they talk to us, but aren’t nearly as excited as when I go with just one guy. We can sit a mile apart, use our own hymnals, and not even talk a whole lot (to the outside world this means we aren’t together) but the church members are like vultures because obviously here is a young couple that they can get to do all sorts of stuff so the church members don’t have to.
Everyone seems to think that I am just dying to work with their wonderful kids. Now, I am sure they are wonderful because everyone’s kids are perfect angels… especially at church (do you sense the sarcasm there???). However, I have done my time for now. I am not saying that I won’t work with kids again because I know I will and I look forward to it, however I have counseled camps, directed camps, and taught Sunday school since I was in high school. I have only been “retired” for a year… I still need time to recover! I would love to help on occasion, but let me first decide if I want to stick around and then ONLY ON OCCASION.
The fact that I am in seminary draws a crowd. I am so tired of hearing “Oh, Johnny! You have to meet Jordan- she is in seminary!” Whoopdeedoo! Yes. I am in seminary. However, this doesn’t make me any different from any other visitor. It is not an honor that I picked your church today (which I have heard). Please do not call all of your friends over to oo and ah over me. I would rather be ignored if you are going to take it this far. And yes, I have recently stopped mentioning it at all when they ask what I do. I am simply in grad school.
Finding a good church is hard. Like I said, I got very lucky when I was in college. However I think I would rather go out and try to find a great guy at a bar (which if you know me, you know that I am opposed to this) than deal with some of the stuff I have seen in the last 8 months. I still go to church every Sunday and thoroughly enjoy the services for the most part. However, just like when you are dating, the relationship goes beyond dinner and a movie. What happens between? If you don’t talk, or if you feel like you are being stalked you don’t want to stick around- get to know me but please take a hint if I don’t come back or don’t ask questions about you.
Yes, it has been frustrating trying to find a church here. However, I have learned a whole lot. My own experience combined with those of my friends and others that I have talked to have definitely given me some insight to what I would like to make sure happens when I get to a church:
An up-to-date website that welcomes people of all ages.
Welcoming to everyone (visitors should be welcomed like members… don’t draw attention to them but don’t ignore them).
Don’t assume that people are perfect for a job just because of their age.
Make opportunities available for everyone (this doesn’t mean church wide studies or dinners- have a few specific things available for the different groups! We have classes for older generations, men, women, children… include college, young adult, young families…).
Be excited for the visitors and be interested, but don’t elevate any one over the other.
I could keep going, but I need to start working on papers.
This isn’t a post that says “I hate church” because obviously that isn’t how I feel. However, it is frustrating when churches say they welcome all but don’t. I know that it can be hard, especially when people don’t stick around. But maybe they don’t stick around because they don’t feel welcome! Start small- go to lunch after church or host a cook-out. Make it clear who you are reaching out to. Find out what they want from the church and what they want to do for the church. Studies show that those of us in grad school or working will add something else to the schedule if it appeals.
Just something to think about… because even if you aren’t standing in the pulpit on Sunday, you are still a minister and make a huge impression on visitors. Make it a good one so that “maybe I’ll see you next week” as they rush out the door becomes an “absolutely… I can’t wait!” as they stand around and keep talking.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Monday, March 5, 2012
"Dear God, Thankyou."
“Thank you” and “I love you”
All through high school my band director drilled those two phrases into our heads, telling us they are the two and three most important words in the English language. Every day we were reminded to thank our parents and tell them we love them, thank our fruit customers, thank our teachers, etc. And as much as I really wanted argue with him (he was one of those teachers you loved and hated all at once), I knew this was one point where he was 100% correct (I would realize that about everything else he said once I started teaching).
I’ve been thinking about this point a lot lately. Trying to figure out why I insist on telling my friends I love them (this really gets to the boys who refuse to show emotion lol), making sure I have sent out any thank you notes that need to be done… What can I say? That old man got to me and between he and my parents there was no hope :).
Last night before I went to sleep, I started to pray like I always do. However I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what to say. The last week has completely overwhelmed me in good and some bad ways, but when it all boils down to it everything in my life is finally going right all at once. So my prayer went like this- “Dear God, Thank you. I love you.” Nothing elaborate. Some people might even say it is a cop out. However, I think it got the point across.
Like JR says, these are the two and three most important words in the English language. For that reason, I think it is fitting that they be used when you don’t know what else to say. Prayer doesn’t have to be elaborate. God knows what is on your heart. Prayer just has to be there and be honest. And hey, something this short leaves plenty of time to just sit and listen :).
All through high school my band director drilled those two phrases into our heads, telling us they are the two and three most important words in the English language. Every day we were reminded to thank our parents and tell them we love them, thank our fruit customers, thank our teachers, etc. And as much as I really wanted argue with him (he was one of those teachers you loved and hated all at once), I knew this was one point where he was 100% correct (I would realize that about everything else he said once I started teaching).
I’ve been thinking about this point a lot lately. Trying to figure out why I insist on telling my friends I love them (this really gets to the boys who refuse to show emotion lol), making sure I have sent out any thank you notes that need to be done… What can I say? That old man got to me and between he and my parents there was no hope :).
Last night before I went to sleep, I started to pray like I always do. However I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what to say. The last week has completely overwhelmed me in good and some bad ways, but when it all boils down to it everything in my life is finally going right all at once. So my prayer went like this- “Dear God, Thank you. I love you.” Nothing elaborate. Some people might even say it is a cop out. However, I think it got the point across.
Like JR says, these are the two and three most important words in the English language. For that reason, I think it is fitting that they be used when you don’t know what else to say. Prayer doesn’t have to be elaborate. God knows what is on your heart. Prayer just has to be there and be honest. And hey, something this short leaves plenty of time to just sit and listen :).
Final Ghana Reflection
Below, you will find my final reflection about Ghana. I meant to post this a while back but life got crazy! If you haven't already and have some time you want to waste... check out my Ghana pics at wwww.photobucket.com/ghana2012
The Ghana travel seminar was an incredible experience for me from the very start. While the trip itself was incredible, I am convinced that it would not have been nearly the same without the readings and discussions that took place prior to our departure. While I found all of the readings informative and helpful in understanding the culture I was about to enter, the most interesting to me where those relating directly to religion (most specifically Christianity) rather than politics, imports/ exports, geography, etc. as my main interest in the seminar itself was learning more about Christian practices around the world today. In that light, I found it very interesting that Ghanaian theologian John S. Pobee is quoted as saying “in Ghana, to be is to be religious” as 93.8% of the population in 2000 claimed some form of religious adherence (Christian, Muslim, or Traditional).
The first thing that stood out to me in our readings was the influence of Western culture on Ghanaian religious practices. In my music studies, western influence was always a key point of discussion so it only made since that it would be present (if not more heavily) in regards to religious practices. With the arrival of Europeans and Portuguese came many new political practices, products, and most importantly in my mind, Christian practices. Paul Gifford even writes that “Ghana’s ethos is recognizably Christian” .
Catholicism, according to “The History of Ghana” was the most widely spread religious practice when the Portuguese arrived in Elmina, baptizing more than 1300. After the massacre of the Augustinian friars in the late 16th century, these Christian practices were confined to forts and castles where missionaries resided, commonly with slaves. We saw evidence of this during our visit to the Dutch run Elmina Slave Castle, where the church sat directly above the cells where slaves were held captive and scriptures were engraved on plaques in the Governor’s dining hall. One thing that I surprisingly did not see much of however was the Catholic Church, something I am still curious about.
Gocking further discusses the spread of education through Christian missionaries who had realized “that there was a close correlation between their success in converting Africans to Christianity and providing Western education” . Education was key to maneuvering the trade economy, which in turn was key to survival and led those that were working in the trade business back to Christianity. Driving through Ghana and noticing the names of schools, it is impossible to deny that there is any connection between the church and education today. According to Rev. Azormu, the General Manager of the EP Church Schools, formal education is a primary focus of the church since the arrival of missionaries in Peki in 1847. The EP Church has 761 schools in Ghana and a handful of private schools started by congregations and run by the local ministers. Even with the vast presence of the Christian church in formal education, both the PCG and EPC admit the difficulty in keeping their hand in the official workings of schools as the government continues to push them further out of the picture. The complications that come from the growing lack of oversight by the church are combated by the overwhelming presence of teacher-pastors who not only teach in the schools but oversee up to four congregations at the same time.
Another key aspect of Christianity, and more specifically Presbyterianism, in Ghana is the influence of the Pentecostal church. I found it very interesting that a religion that I previously thought to be a more Western religion even though its roots are in the Middle East, is described as being renewed as a non-Western religion in Ghana . The most prominent aspect of this influence (in my mind) is the incorporation of the “deliverance” theology in the Presbyterian Church, a very foreign concept to me. Paul Gifford writes that this incorporation is probably due to the faith gospel not achieving all it promised because it was being blocked by demonic influence. Prior to our experience in both the PCG and EPC deliverance services, I was very uncomfortable with this idea and did not think that there was any way this was ok. I saw these “demonic influences” as a cop-out for owning up to your own short comings and correcting them yourself. It is because of my ideas that I found our discussion with Aboa Ofei and our two experiences with deliverance services very profound. In my journal I write, “The main thing that I am learning is basically what I learned in Mexico and Scotland- we all worship in very different ways and no one way is right or wrong as long as our focus is right. I may find some things (ex. Deliverance) unnerving, but I appreciate their understanding and desire for connection with their culture when the rest has been so heavily westernized.” This appreciation stems from the discussion with Aboa Ofei when he immediately established the difference between Presbyterian-Pentecostals and Pentecostals/ Charismatic’s as being “We pray with them, not for them”. He further demolished my preconceived views of deliverance being the same as exorcism by explaining that deliverance can be from oppression, regression, etc and can even be called εκβαλλω (casting out). Further, exorcism rids the body of a demon, but deliverance uses the Holy Spirit. One thing that I found very interesting and would love to look further into one day was the very different response to deliverance in the PCG (falling, shaking, screaming, rolling, etc.) compared to the EPC (the occasional weakness causing them to need to sit).
One final aspect of Ghanaian Christianity that I was very interested in was the role of the Woman in the church. As a female seminarian who has already had a few heated discussions as to whether a woman belongs in the pulpit or not and with this trip being on the heels of the Mexican Presbyterian Church cutting ties with PC(USA), an action brought on mostly by 10-A but partially fueled by other disagreements such as ordination of women, I was very curious as to how the Ghanaian churches deal with the issue. I was left hanging after our readings as some alluded to women having a voice and being supported while others went the other direction and addressed the fact that all is really not well with women in the church . In our discussion with church leaders in both the PCG and EPC, I was comforted to learn that not only are women ordained, but the President of the PCG even acknowledged that the women of the church are the most active and dedicated members. PCG requires that at least 1/3 of sessions and the General Assembly be women and they are even able to say that one of their female ministers is a key influence on the decision for Malawi to ordain females.
In addition to the knowledge I gained from these readings prior to the trip, I also had many expectations based on my western life and experiences. I expected worship services to be much longer than they were, to see people dancing all over while listening to traditional African drumming, and to hear the members of the congregation yelling out during the service while the preacher pounded on the Bible. My experience at the Presbyterian Church of Ghana in Atonsu and Trinity Church was definitely a learning experience in preconceived ideas. While one service I attended (PCG in Atonsu) was fairly long compared to our services (2 ½ hours), the way it was broken up with Bible study before the service made it very similar to how we do Sunday School followed by church. Dancing was limited to a few occasions of praise music which was only accompanied by traditional drumming once. The biggest surprise for me though was the silence found in the congregation during the sermon, only calling out “Amen” when prompted by the minister who was calmly preaching. The experience at Trinity was very similar with the exception of it being a much shorter service because it was the first service of the day.
Since our return from Ghana, I have had a lot of time to reflect on our experiences. I think the largest portion of my reflection came when I went to church for the first time back in the States. Even though this service was joyful, the people were friendly, and coincidentally there was African drumming, this service lacked something for me. I am still not sure of what that “something” specifically is, but I think it goes back to the fact that our “joyful” is because we are happy and like the sermon and music, and disappears the minute we step out of the sanctuary. The “joyful” in Ghana is full of excitement, love, and the Spirit. Prior to our trip to Ghana I would have laughed at myself for commenting on the presence of the Spirit because I thought we just experienced it in a calmer way. While that is still the case, there is something to be said about being so moved by a worship service that it leaves you smiling, dancing, singing, and praising beyond the worship service. I think about Mama Lucy from Kumasi and the love that radiated from her, even in her mourning the loss of her brother. I don’t know that I can think of anyone here at home who radiates God’s love and action in their life in such a prevalent way that truly makes you want to ask what has happened that they are so happy. Since meeting Lucy, as well as the many other people that hosted us, I have made it my goal to radiate that same love and action in such a way that not only makes someone wonder, but makes them feel the same love. I more readily recognize that there is much more to worship than a few songs, prayers, and a sermon and just like the Ghanaians, I am trying to make sure that my whole life is a worship service rather than just a few hours on Sunday and Wednesday.
This travel seminar had a huge impact on my life, personally and professionally. Thanks to our many hours on the bus, I was able to sort out a few things going on back home and get my mind in the right place to handle them once I got back home. My life is more balanced and focused now and I seem to have a better grasp on many different things in my personal life. In regards to my professional/ ministerial development, I am even surer that I am on the right path for me (made most prevalent to me during my experience of leading devotion in Ho). While I know that I want to be in a smaller church, I am still trying to discern this pull to be involved on an international level. I am even more curious about Christian practices around the world, and while theoretically I could travel around the world studying for the rest of my life, I don’t see that actually happening. That being said, I am now trying to discern just where international Christian studies can fit into my ministry in the future.
What I love most about travel seminars is that while the more focused learning happens just before and during the trip, the learning never stops. I find myself looking back to my experiences to add to class discussions and asking our Ghanaian students more questions. As far as I am concerned, this seminar will never actually end as it will always play some role in my life. At this point, I look forward to seeing just how that happens and where I go from here!
The Ghana travel seminar was an incredible experience for me from the very start. While the trip itself was incredible, I am convinced that it would not have been nearly the same without the readings and discussions that took place prior to our departure. While I found all of the readings informative and helpful in understanding the culture I was about to enter, the most interesting to me where those relating directly to religion (most specifically Christianity) rather than politics, imports/ exports, geography, etc. as my main interest in the seminar itself was learning more about Christian practices around the world today. In that light, I found it very interesting that Ghanaian theologian John S. Pobee is quoted as saying “in Ghana, to be is to be religious” as 93.8% of the population in 2000 claimed some form of religious adherence (Christian, Muslim, or Traditional).
The first thing that stood out to me in our readings was the influence of Western culture on Ghanaian religious practices. In my music studies, western influence was always a key point of discussion so it only made since that it would be present (if not more heavily) in regards to religious practices. With the arrival of Europeans and Portuguese came many new political practices, products, and most importantly in my mind, Christian practices. Paul Gifford even writes that “Ghana’s ethos is recognizably Christian” .
Catholicism, according to “The History of Ghana” was the most widely spread religious practice when the Portuguese arrived in Elmina, baptizing more than 1300. After the massacre of the Augustinian friars in the late 16th century, these Christian practices were confined to forts and castles where missionaries resided, commonly with slaves. We saw evidence of this during our visit to the Dutch run Elmina Slave Castle, where the church sat directly above the cells where slaves were held captive and scriptures were engraved on plaques in the Governor’s dining hall. One thing that I surprisingly did not see much of however was the Catholic Church, something I am still curious about.
Gocking further discusses the spread of education through Christian missionaries who had realized “that there was a close correlation between their success in converting Africans to Christianity and providing Western education” . Education was key to maneuvering the trade economy, which in turn was key to survival and led those that were working in the trade business back to Christianity. Driving through Ghana and noticing the names of schools, it is impossible to deny that there is any connection between the church and education today. According to Rev. Azormu, the General Manager of the EP Church Schools, formal education is a primary focus of the church since the arrival of missionaries in Peki in 1847. The EP Church has 761 schools in Ghana and a handful of private schools started by congregations and run by the local ministers. Even with the vast presence of the Christian church in formal education, both the PCG and EPC admit the difficulty in keeping their hand in the official workings of schools as the government continues to push them further out of the picture. The complications that come from the growing lack of oversight by the church are combated by the overwhelming presence of teacher-pastors who not only teach in the schools but oversee up to four congregations at the same time.
Another key aspect of Christianity, and more specifically Presbyterianism, in Ghana is the influence of the Pentecostal church. I found it very interesting that a religion that I previously thought to be a more Western religion even though its roots are in the Middle East, is described as being renewed as a non-Western religion in Ghana . The most prominent aspect of this influence (in my mind) is the incorporation of the “deliverance” theology in the Presbyterian Church, a very foreign concept to me. Paul Gifford writes that this incorporation is probably due to the faith gospel not achieving all it promised because it was being blocked by demonic influence. Prior to our experience in both the PCG and EPC deliverance services, I was very uncomfortable with this idea and did not think that there was any way this was ok. I saw these “demonic influences” as a cop-out for owning up to your own short comings and correcting them yourself. It is because of my ideas that I found our discussion with Aboa Ofei and our two experiences with deliverance services very profound. In my journal I write, “The main thing that I am learning is basically what I learned in Mexico and Scotland- we all worship in very different ways and no one way is right or wrong as long as our focus is right. I may find some things (ex. Deliverance) unnerving, but I appreciate their understanding and desire for connection with their culture when the rest has been so heavily westernized.” This appreciation stems from the discussion with Aboa Ofei when he immediately established the difference between Presbyterian-Pentecostals and Pentecostals/ Charismatic’s as being “We pray with them, not for them”. He further demolished my preconceived views of deliverance being the same as exorcism by explaining that deliverance can be from oppression, regression, etc and can even be called εκβαλλω (casting out). Further, exorcism rids the body of a demon, but deliverance uses the Holy Spirit. One thing that I found very interesting and would love to look further into one day was the very different response to deliverance in the PCG (falling, shaking, screaming, rolling, etc.) compared to the EPC (the occasional weakness causing them to need to sit).
One final aspect of Ghanaian Christianity that I was very interested in was the role of the Woman in the church. As a female seminarian who has already had a few heated discussions as to whether a woman belongs in the pulpit or not and with this trip being on the heels of the Mexican Presbyterian Church cutting ties with PC(USA), an action brought on mostly by 10-A but partially fueled by other disagreements such as ordination of women, I was very curious as to how the Ghanaian churches deal with the issue. I was left hanging after our readings as some alluded to women having a voice and being supported while others went the other direction and addressed the fact that all is really not well with women in the church . In our discussion with church leaders in both the PCG and EPC, I was comforted to learn that not only are women ordained, but the President of the PCG even acknowledged that the women of the church are the most active and dedicated members. PCG requires that at least 1/3 of sessions and the General Assembly be women and they are even able to say that one of their female ministers is a key influence on the decision for Malawi to ordain females.
In addition to the knowledge I gained from these readings prior to the trip, I also had many expectations based on my western life and experiences. I expected worship services to be much longer than they were, to see people dancing all over while listening to traditional African drumming, and to hear the members of the congregation yelling out during the service while the preacher pounded on the Bible. My experience at the Presbyterian Church of Ghana in Atonsu and Trinity Church was definitely a learning experience in preconceived ideas. While one service I attended (PCG in Atonsu) was fairly long compared to our services (2 ½ hours), the way it was broken up with Bible study before the service made it very similar to how we do Sunday School followed by church. Dancing was limited to a few occasions of praise music which was only accompanied by traditional drumming once. The biggest surprise for me though was the silence found in the congregation during the sermon, only calling out “Amen” when prompted by the minister who was calmly preaching. The experience at Trinity was very similar with the exception of it being a much shorter service because it was the first service of the day.
Since our return from Ghana, I have had a lot of time to reflect on our experiences. I think the largest portion of my reflection came when I went to church for the first time back in the States. Even though this service was joyful, the people were friendly, and coincidentally there was African drumming, this service lacked something for me. I am still not sure of what that “something” specifically is, but I think it goes back to the fact that our “joyful” is because we are happy and like the sermon and music, and disappears the minute we step out of the sanctuary. The “joyful” in Ghana is full of excitement, love, and the Spirit. Prior to our trip to Ghana I would have laughed at myself for commenting on the presence of the Spirit because I thought we just experienced it in a calmer way. While that is still the case, there is something to be said about being so moved by a worship service that it leaves you smiling, dancing, singing, and praising beyond the worship service. I think about Mama Lucy from Kumasi and the love that radiated from her, even in her mourning the loss of her brother. I don’t know that I can think of anyone here at home who radiates God’s love and action in their life in such a prevalent way that truly makes you want to ask what has happened that they are so happy. Since meeting Lucy, as well as the many other people that hosted us, I have made it my goal to radiate that same love and action in such a way that not only makes someone wonder, but makes them feel the same love. I more readily recognize that there is much more to worship than a few songs, prayers, and a sermon and just like the Ghanaians, I am trying to make sure that my whole life is a worship service rather than just a few hours on Sunday and Wednesday.
This travel seminar had a huge impact on my life, personally and professionally. Thanks to our many hours on the bus, I was able to sort out a few things going on back home and get my mind in the right place to handle them once I got back home. My life is more balanced and focused now and I seem to have a better grasp on many different things in my personal life. In regards to my professional/ ministerial development, I am even surer that I am on the right path for me (made most prevalent to me during my experience of leading devotion in Ho). While I know that I want to be in a smaller church, I am still trying to discern this pull to be involved on an international level. I am even more curious about Christian practices around the world, and while theoretically I could travel around the world studying for the rest of my life, I don’t see that actually happening. That being said, I am now trying to discern just where international Christian studies can fit into my ministry in the future.
What I love most about travel seminars is that while the more focused learning happens just before and during the trip, the learning never stops. I find myself looking back to my experiences to add to class discussions and asking our Ghanaian students more questions. As far as I am concerned, this seminar will never actually end as it will always play some role in my life. At this point, I look forward to seeing just how that happens and where I go from here!
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