Church in the Streets

In my life as a Street Pastor, there may be nothing more gratifying than the silent puzzling looks of teenagers when I tell them that I am not getting paid to wander around parks, shops, and housing estates, talking to anyone who happens to be out. Perhaps we have approached them looking for conversation, or they have approached us looking for the sweets we carry in our official Street Pastors knapsacks, but the line of questioning is almost invariable for those who have never encountered a Street Pastor.

What’s a Street Pastor? What do you do? Do you get paid? Then why do you do it? Are you like the police?

Last weekend I was out with a Street Pastors team in a large housing estate in Newtownabbey, having a conversation that followed almost exactly this template. We explained that we represent the churches in the area, and that we are there to care, listen, and help (the Street Pastors tagline). These particular kids were very young, not quite teenagers. As we spoke to them they sat shivering on a park bench, striving absurdly to defeat their boredom. Elsewhere in the park some older teens were enjoying a bonfire in the woods. We joked around with the kids, learned their names, and calmly counselled them not to push each other off the back of the bench. We urged them to have a good night and left the park.

As we walked along, I noticed a warning issued in spray-paint on the low wall marking the edge of the park: “PSNI stay out.” I would not say that I understand the dynamic between the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the loyalist-Protestant communities of Northern Ireland, but evidently a police officer is persona non grata in that particular park. It is safe to assume that some loyalist paramilitary had made claims on that territory.

But there were no restrictions on Street Pastors. In fact, Street Pastors have generally very little appreciation for boundaries and divisions. We do not identify as Protestants or Catholics, always defying the probing questions of the people we meet. We identify as Christian, and with no particular agenda we go anywhere and talk to anyone. We collaborate with PSNI but we work independently. Accordingly we don’t call them in every time we encounter underage drinking or smell marijuana. Street Pastors listen but don’t judge, offer help when appropriate, and to the best of our ability communicate the love of God to everyone they encounter.

We moved on from the park to a large open space in the midst of the rows of houses. In the center was a wide circular structure built mostly of tires, shipping palettes, and old furniture. On the evening of July 11, the residents of this overwhelmingly Protestant housing estate will set a light to the structure in celebration of their heritage, as they have for many years. I have of course never witnessed this celebration, but I know that attitudes towards the twelfth are very diverse. From enthusiasm to discomfort to terror, all I can say for sure is that the merriment is sometimes, sadly, mingled with sectarian aggression.

A bonfire site for the Twelfth of July. The bonfire is constructed months in advance.

 

So with interest I approached the tower, and the youths who were charged with guarding it until the men took over at midnight. From what I have heard, residents in some places post a 24-hour sentinel at their bonfire site, to avoid premature ignition; for the young guards it is a tremendous honor to be tasked with the protection of the bonfire. They occupied themselves with a broken TV and a small fire they put together in a shopping cart. As I spoke to them, and recalled what I had seen on the wall earlier, it occurred to me that Street Pastors has got it right. This is where the church belongs, on the interface. We move between the police and the paramilitaries. Between Protestants and Catholics. Between old residents and new citizens and immigrants. Even between the Church institution and the folks who feel disenchanted with or rejected by religion. The Church is never a spectator in conflict, but stands in its midst, inviting everyone into relationship, but also unafraid to be an advocate for those who are treated unjustly. On one occasion I literally stood between a police vehicle and a group of teens who felt threatened by the police presence. I will have only a few more outings as a Street Pastor, but this valuable ministry continues, stepping boldly across boundaries, the Church in the streets. Ultimately, we hope, the boundaries will be erased altogether.

Forgiveness Challenge: Completed

A while ago actually. I hope you can forgive me for the delay. Consistent, perhaps, with my expectations, the challenge did not offer much spiritual transformation for me personally, but I suppose I didn’t sign up because I had a lot of unforgiven memories to deal with. I signed up more for academic and spiritual curiosity. It was a way to equip myself for future ministry and for future forgiving. In that sense the challenge was successful.

Desmond and Mpho Tutu laid out a four-step scheme for forgiveness that can be applied to forgiveness of others and forgiveness of self.

1.       Telling the Story: The forgiveness process begins, in theory at least, by acknowledging the facts of an event that resulted in hurt.

2.       Naming the hurt: the story is incomplete if we cannot recognize what feelings emerged as a result of somebody’s actions. Disappointment, anger, loss, betrayal, whatever the damage, it is important to understand where the pain comes from.

3.       Granting forgiveness: The key to this step is a recognition of shared humanity. We are all human, which means we are relational creatures. We seek people with whom to share love and experience life. But it also means that we occasionally act out of our brokenness. When we are hurt by the actions of another, we must remember that the other should not be reduced to that one action, just as we should not be reduced to that one moment of pain. Forgiveness means recognizing the humanity of an offender, remembering that they also have pain in their past, and our own past mistakes are rooted in the same brokenness.

4.       Renewing or releasing the relationship: Forgiveness paves the way for a renewed relationship. While acknowledging the hurt, we can still love the other. Their sinfulness never entirely obscures their humanity, and ideally we can reestablish bonds of affection with somebody who has hurt us. Relationship and community are essential parts of the world that God created, and we should not abandon them thoughtlessly. Desmond and Mpho recognize, however, that releasing the relationship must be an option to follow forgiveness in cases of abuse.

This structure is consistent (or at least claims to be) with psychological research and the experiences of victims. The course emphasizes that forgiveness is a healthy thing for the victim. People often believe that refusing to forgive is a way of punishing an offender, but in fact the victim continues to suffer from the bitterness that needs to be dealt with.

Looking beyond the individual, forgiveness is an essential precondition for the peaceable world imagined in the gospels. The kingdom of God, revealed in the person of Jesus, is a world reconciled to itself and to God. In the Kingdom, we treat people as people. We forgive the fruits of our brokenness, and glorify God in our renewed relationships.

Desmond Tutu’s forgiveness project makes no theological claims, inviting people from all traditions to learn and experience forgiveness. But I can say with confidence that if you ask the Archbishop, he would say that the Kingdom of God is the central vision of his project.

The violent history of Northern Ireland has produced many moving case studies for the study of forgiveness. The forgiveness project has recorded hundreds of stories of forgiveness from participants, and there is a way to filter by country. A couple weeks ago I spent a good chunk of my afternoon reading the remarkable stories of forgiveness that have emerged from this tiny country. I have included the link below. I encourage you to read through a couple and see how forgiveness has the potential to transform individuals and communities in Northern Ireland. In every place for that matter. It is worth learning and worth teaching to our youth, pupils, and children.

http://theforgivenessproject.com/country/northern-ireland/

Easter Stories

On Easter Sunday I sat down for a dinner of fish, potatoes, creamed spinach, and pavlova with one of the very gracious families from Whitehouse Presbyterian. I enjoyed my meal, accepted a chocolate Easter egg to take home, and helped them celebrate a birthday, before returning home. Then I finally climbed into bed, setting an alarm for the start of the Cubs’ opener at Wrigley Field.

And now I have sat down to reflect on my experience of Holy Week in Belfast, a week of diverse excitements and down-to-the-wire preparations. Whitehouse gave me something to think about for every day of the week, and on a couple of occasions I had the chance to provoke some thoughts, hopefully.

Palm Sunday: Jesus has entered Jerusalem with glory and Hosannas and striking humility. The Whitehouse youth made preparations for leading the Thursday evening worship service. Then we played games.

Monday: The theme of the evening service was “Perfumes,” in reference to the woman, named in at least one gospel as Mary, who anointed Jesus with expensive perfume. When challenged, Jesus affirmed her actions, suggesting that it is appropriate to anoint the body of a man that is soon to die. Several people from Whitehouse Presbyterian Women spoke about the perfumes they use, with names like “Poison” and “eternity.” I don’t wear perfume, and at the start I found it hard to relate to their reflections. But it occurred to me that I have always had difficulty relating to the story. Judas’ objection is somewhat convincing. Should we not banish luxuries from our lives in a world with such desperate poverty? Hearing the women on Monday night challenged me think of perfumes as a way to affirm the value of self, and as a way to honor others. It becomes more meaningful and valuable than just a nice smell.

Tuesday: The Rwanda team presented on the theme of “Pigeons.” Jesus cleared the temple, including the pigeons, and lamented that his Father’s house had become a den of thieves and robbers. The team explored dramatically the disciples’ responses to Jesus’ alarming actions. Uncertain and fearful, some of them wonder if perhaps Jesus has gone too far this time, a reminder to all of us that following Jesus might mean getting in trouble, and it always means thinking critically about the status quo and the structures that dominate our lives.

Wednesday: I was not raised to have any special appreciation for Billy Graham, but he seems to have earned tremendous respect among British Christians. He produced a short film exploring the meaning of the cross that we screened in Whitehouse and, I think, many other churches did the same. I must say it was well done. Even more compelling than the words of Billy Graham were the testimonies of two young Americans who spoke to the power of the cross to transform a heart. They spoke movingly about liberation, breaking the bonds of sin. They demonstrated that death is always part of the Easter story. Something must die before we can rise again, forgiven and free.

Thursday: The Whitehouse youth group elected to host a Passover dinner for the congregation and so we gave it our very best shot. It didn’t all taste great, but thankfully some of it isn’t supposed to. We explicated each component of the meal, hoping to illumine the story of Jesus’ Passover dinner with his disciples. Appropriately, a lot of the symbolism of the Passover has to do with acknowledging sin in our lives, breaking the bonds that constrain us, and committing ourselves to being better people. I also had an opportunity to portray the disciple John, in conversation with Simon Peter. With prayers and jokes, we reflected on the drama of the past week, wondered at Jesus’ frightening predictions, his reckless actions in the temple, and his tender moments with disciples.

Friday: In the morning I accompanied several folks from Whitehouse to a church up the road, where we met up with other local congregations for the annual community prayer walk. We passed through Protestant, Catholic, and commercial areas, offering prayers for peace and healing at each stop. We appeared at about 9 churches overall, from my memory. In between I had a delightful conversation about sweets with a few of the youth. In the evening was the Tenebrae service, a service of shadows. As we watched a film depiction of the account in the gospel of John, the lights grew dimmer in the church as Jesus approached the cross. Hope seemed to grow dim as well, as we watched God’s blameless son dying because it is a crime to speak the truth, to challenge oppression, to seek peace. And if that is the way of the world then what hope is there?

Saturday: I do not know when the tradition started, but on Easter Saturday the Whitehouse youth stumble through the front doors of the church and unload sleeping bags, pillows, extra clothes and salty snacks. The WhY-F lock-in. It was a great time. We ordered Chinese; we had balloons wars, we attempted gluten-free cupcakes and failed spectacularly. My favorite part was the karaoke, which didn’t get underway until about 1 a.m. At 6:30 a.m. the youth joined the rest of the congregation for the sunrise (Son-rise?) service at hazelbank park. Miraculously, 16 teenagers were awake and singing their praises, celebrating the real miracle of Easter. They were rewarded with breakfast back at the church. We all slept an hour or two before bravely rising for the 11 a.m. service, more singing and more Easter blessings. Joy mingled with exhaustion, and then they all returned home to meditate on the resurrection mystery in their dreams.

 

School is Confusing

I’ve been puzzling recently over one of the most substantial cultural differences between Northern Ireland and the U.S. An experience from a couple weeks ago serves as an illustrative anecdote. At one of my programs a leader asked the children to recite the Lord’s Prayer together. After stumbling through the 2000-year-old words, a boy raised his hand and complained, “I don’t even know the Lord’s Prayer!” The leader, somewhat surprised, responded, “What? Didn’t you learn it in school?”

A Northern Irish reader will find nothing unusual in that question, but an American reader will likely understand my bewilderment. Public schools in the U.S. are for learning about biology and reading books. But a lesson about the Lord ’s Prayer would be a manifest violation of the separation between church and state. I’ve read news stories about children being suspended from school for accidentally saying “Amen” at the end of a minute of silence. That takes the issue to an extreme, but it’s true that I would never expect to be taught any prayers or bible lessons in school. That’s why I went to Sunday school. Older children could perhaps have a class on historical and global religions, but that is very distinct from the Christian education programs at churches.

In Northern Ireland, Christian education for young people seems to be a collaboration between churches and schools. Local pastors often come as guests to schools to speak at assembly. School boards would often include a pastor from the community. As Easter approaches, Whitehouse Presbyterian is preparing to host groups of schoolchildren for an interactive tour of the Stations of the Cross. At assembly the children may watch their principal stand up and say that Easter demonstrates how much God loves each of them. High school children learn and discuss Christian ethics in the classroom.

I’ve interrogated students and teachers, hoping to understand the logic of the Northern Ireland structure for religious education. Primarily I wonder about the growing non-Christian population in Northern Ireland. Are those children alienated from their school experience when Christian values and beliefs are normative? The people with whom I have spoken assure me that the classes are tolerant and inclusive, presenting Christian beliefs without being forceful. Curricula for older students includes global religions. Some kids have even expressed frustration that they are learning about non-Christian religion when they still have so many questions about their own tradition, a valid thought although it confused me.

The differences are occasionally confusing, but also instructive. I recognize that the separation of church and state education in the U.S. is not complete. Our cultural value system always informs the way we educate our children. In Oklahoma, a wild debate rages about how the AP curriculum presents American history. Some conservatives maintain that the history we teach children should emphasize the positives, like our innovative democracy and our scientific imagination. Similarly, it seems to me that “American” values, as taught in schools, are implicitly “American Christian” values. The confusion of Christian devotion and patriotism is unquestionably widespread.

I suppose my point is, a truly objective education system is a fantasy. Schools and churches educate according to their system of values. In Northern Ireland, schools are unafraid to present Christian narratives to children. In the U.S. schools teach without any explicit mention of religion. It’s not my purpose to say which is better; that’s not even a helpful question. But I do think it is helpful to recognize the system of values that underscores our beliefs about religion and education. How else can we be better teachers, pastors, and youth leaders?

Those of you who work in education may have more coherent thoughts, which I would love to hear!

Come back soon for a brief account of my holiday with the Masseys.

A Lenten Challenge

 





 

I'm giving up chocolate.

Just kidding, I would never do that.

 

I'm doing something a little more active. A little while ago Desmond Tutu, global champion of peace and reconciliation, launched a 30-day forgiveness challenge alongside his daughter Mpho. Years ago I saw Archbishop Tutu speak at James Madison University in Virginia. I have always had tremendous respect for what he has done with his life. I also recognize that his words and actions in the midst of apartheid and its aftermath have enormous relevance for everyone working towards reconciliation in Northern Ireland. That includes me, for at least a few more months.

 

So I'm going to take the forgiveness challenge. It includes stories, journaling, and reflection, at least that is my impression. It is only day 1. I expect to learn about the theory of forgiveness and why it is so important as a Christian and as a human. I expect to be challenged to be a better forgiver. And I expect to be more thoughtful about seeking forgiveness.

A preview of the challenge:

 





It's a 30 day challenge, and Lent is a little longer than that, so maybe I will take weekends off. Either way I am committed to trying the challenge. Lent is a time to focus on following Jesus as he makes his way toward the cross, and that path includes Jesus' radical forgiveness.
A link in case you would like to try the challenge yourself: https://www.forgivenesschallenge.com/
Expect an update sometime before Easter.



"Concerns?" Really?

Whitehouse Presbyterian is still recovering from last week’s drama surrounding the election for moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. My supervisor/friend/role model, the Rev. Liz Hughes was nominated and lost for the second year in a row. PCI has never elected a female moderator. The good people of Whitehouse sympathized but also sighed their relief that they would not have to surrender Liz for the year. That could have been the end of it, but the next day several prominent Presbyterian clergy expressed their "concerns" about having women in any ordained leadership position in the church. The sound bites and clamorous radio discussions demonstrated clearly the divisions, identity politics, and belligerency within the church.

I will make my comments personal rather than theological. I have heard that about 6% of teaching elders in PCI are women. Imagine being brave enough to respond to a call to pastoral ministry, to endure years of training and coursework when half of your instructors sincerely believe that you don’t measure up to the boys. Then, after decades of working with congregations, building relationships, serving the community, and performing pastoral duties faithfully, a colleague speaks up to say that women should not be ordained? For women ministers it must feel that their identity and history is under attack. I imagine it might really hurt.

I think also of the young women I work with at Whitehouse. They are all thoughtful and friendly, and I can imagine that some may by discerning a call to ministry in a few years.  I would hate for them to be discouraged by a man’s thoughtless comments. When the church fails to affirm the gifts of a young person, it should be no surprise when his or her engagement with the church community diminishes. The events of last week challenged me to recommit to making church a place where all young people can cultivate their mental and spiritual gifts without discrimination or judgment.



A positive welcome at the doors of Whitehouse Presbyterian

New Year, New Blog Post

We are 15 days into 2015, and I really hope those 15 days have been splendid for you. The weeks around Christmas and New Year’s were a substantial departure from my regular schedule. Four Christmas dinners, my first ever Boxing Day, a new city, abundant chocolates, and some heating difficulties in our house (now resolved). It was busy and exciting, so I thought I would highlight just a couple experiences from my holidays in Northern Ireland.

17 December- Before I enjoyed a Christmas dinner with the Peace Players staff, we facilitated an event called “Diversity through Sport Day,” presented by the Antrim Borough Council. Several schools from Antrim, a town about 20 miles from Belfast, sent students to participate in the program. We split the kids into integrated (Catholic and Protestant) teams; and I chaperoned one of these teams through a rotation of five activities. The first session was a community relations activity led by the Peace Players staff, which demonstrated how valuable it is to get to know people who are different from you, rather than relying on stereotypes. The other four activities were coaching sessions in various sports. The first sport the kids learned was Gaelic Football. Gaelic is a popular sport in the Irish Catholic community, and although I know very little about it, I think it is pretty fun to watch. The second sport was hockey (field hockey for American readers), which is primarily a Protestant sport. The last time I watched field hockey was at my prep school in Virginia. Soccer was next, and every kid there had more skills than me. And lastly, we had a basketball session. Passing, dribbling, shooting. When the kids had left we grabbed a basketball and played a casual and refreshing pick-up game.

24 December- The youth of Whitehouse Presbyterian presented a Christmas drama that was 50% swashbuckling and 50% heartwarming-true-meaning-of-Christmas story. Husband and wife welcome a rugged, khaki-clad band of treasure hunters into their Bed & Breakfast as Christmas approaches. The treasure hunters have decoded ancient manuscripts, following the clues to a treasure buried somewhere in Belfast. The husband B&B owner becomes so immersed in the adventure story that he neglects a young mother and her kids in desperate need of a place to stay. Has he forgotten what Christmas is really about? Thankfully the wife B&B owner has compassion, and finds beds for the despairing family. When the treasure hunters depart breathlessly, hot on the trail of the treasure, they leave behind one manuscript. The misguided husband reads the manuscript and his eyes are opened to an astonishing truth. The REAL treasure promised by the ancient texts (Matthew and Isaiah mostly) is in fact a baby, Jesus! He has a Grinch-like change of heart, and then everyone sings Silent Night.

An excerpt:

Mrs. Boyle: what’s all this? (picks up a scroll)

Davison: Please do not TOUCH that. It is an ancient manuscript, these are copies but the originals are more than 2500 years old. (Grabs it out of her hand). Thank you.

Mrs. Boyle: Well what does it all say?

Professor: Well, hidden in the texts is a code that points the way to an enormous treasure.

Rhodes: This treasure is everything. I’ve invested all I have in the search, and once I find it I’ll never have to worry about anything, ever again.

Professor: This, uh, particular manuscript reads,

“A voices cries out: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Jonny: What does it mean?
Davison: It’s a map, over mountains and valleys, a guide to the “glory of the Lord,” the immense treasure that is a reward for the one wise enough to follow the clues. The professor here has worked through hundreds of texts, and now we know everything, except where to begin digging.

Mrs. Boyle: (picking up another scroll) Ooh this one looks reeeaaallly old!

Writing credit shared between me and Jonny Newell, with plenty of input from our brilliant youth.

 30 December- I departed for Glasgow! All five Belfast YAVs set off for a Scottish adventure. We toured the Hunterian museum and art collection, admired Glasgow Cathedral, and walked around in the rain. A friend of mine welcomed us into her home with her family, and served us haggis, vegetarian haggis, Irn Bru, Doritos, and other authentic items. And we got to see Scotland on New Year’s Eve, which is so important to them that they have a special name for it. Hogmanay. I don’t know what it means, but I know that Robert Burns wrote “Auld Lang Syne;” and Scots love Robbie Burns.

I took in this view from the Glasgow Necropolis, which I explored
alone because the other YAVs are boring.

 

I'm hoping to be back with another post soon. Less summary, more introspection. Bye!