Christians in the Sukkah
15 Nov 2010 Leave a Comment
in Cross-Cultural Ministry, Interfaith Dialogue, Religion and Society, Seminary Tags: Cross-Cultural, Interfaith, personal space, Sukkah, Sukkot
Have you ever heard the expression, “You’re in my personal space?” As Americans, we love our space. During the frontier days, barb wire delineated my space from your space. Today, elongated “privacy” bush hedges and white picket fences take their place. We drive spacious SUV’s and have luxuriously wide hi-way lanes. We live in storied houses, and play in our own backyards. This coveting of space can be detected in our physical interaction with other humans as well. Judith Orloff, MD., says that “most Americans need an arms-length [of personal space] around them,” and that an invasion of that personal space “causes our stress hormones to skyrocket and can affect our physical and mental health. Blood pressure, heart rate, and muscle tension are all affected.”
In my travels and subsequent period of expatriation in Latin America, I found that in order to truly experience the culture that was up until that time foreign, I would have to lower my arm’s length of personal space. I could not bring my hedges with me and I certainly could not drive a 7-passenger SUV. In my two years residing in Mexico City, I, like most of the 30 million residents, would pile into a metro station every morning and lose all concept of my socially constructed “personal space” all over again. This entailed a time of sustained vulnerability; a living as other and with other. I was a gringo en la casa (An American in the house). However, in Latin America, I was never reprimanded with “you’re in my personal space,” but rather as the saying goes, “Mi casa es su casa.” And soon I too became uncomfortable with wide open spaces, and like those in the communal culture about me, I longed for the closeness of my neighbor – I needed my neighbor.
I am currently in a Master’s of Divinity program at Andover Newton Theological School (ANTS), a now interdenominational Christian seminary (and soon to be an as-yet-undefined “Interfaith university”) in Newton, MA. ANTS shares a campus with Hebrew College (HC), which has a transdenominational Rabbinical school. Two months ago, at the start of the academic year and during the Jewish festival of Sukkot, my peers from ANTS and I were invited into the freshly erected Sukkah. After we were served delectable kosher food, we entered the festive song and joy of the Sukkah. It was packed full of people: Jews, Christians, Unitarian Universalists, agnostics, and I’m quite certain that others who self-identify with other traditions or philosophies were also there. Again, there were so many people – and so little space. I felt like I was back on the metro in el DF (Mexico City). It was in this experience that I felt the similarities that an immersion-style interfaith experience has with an immersion-style cross-cultural experience. Once again, the hedges are to be left at the entrance of the Sukkah. Anything that impeded me from relating was to be left outside. Like Moses, taking off his sandals to commune with the Holy Other, we discarded parts of our constructed selves, in this case our “personal space,” to commune with others.
During the sacred time, I saw no flustered American with blood pressure rising, trying to demarcate his or her own personal space. Though I’m sure some thresholds were crossed, especially if being in such close proximity with the “religious other” was not normative for some, but it was in this action of tabernacling together, in the confines of being and relating in the presence of the other that our personal spaces, and I suspect in some instances, even our preconceptions of the other were to some extent deconstructed.
In my experience, it is in the art of relinquishing certainty and security, when one dares to be truly vulnerable, that one begins to more fully relate with others. I think this principle is no different in an interfaith exchange. Here on “the Hill” (our institutions share a campus on a hill just outside Boston, MA) we express this concept with the phrase, “sacred hospitality.” In participating in the Interfaith movement and in claiming a role in a common commitment for the bettering of the world, I have experienced “sacred hospitality” as a wonderful starting place; a practicing of being intimately present, radically serving/being served, and deeply listening to and mutually cherishing narratives. I believe this is essential for a genuine dialectic encounter. This is why joining State of Formation is important to me. I want to be a part of the bettering of the world; I want to be able to co-experience sacred texts; I want to co-participate in meaning-making dialogue; I want to co-construct communities; I want to be able to enter Sukkahs and I want to be able to say “mi casa es su casa también (My house is your house too),” because we indeed do need each other for the proliferation of Creation. I am far from advocating a universal syncretism of religions, but rather a conscious particularism; a maintaining of religious identities, coexisting in a pluralistic world. How all this is playing out in my own experience as a Christian and how my own story affects this process will be the focus of future posts. Also I look forward to blogging about the happenings on the Hill here and in the Boston area.
“Truth is to be found in unhindered dialogue.” –Jürgen Moltmann
“Faith is not a question of the existence or non-existence of God. It is believing that love without reward is valuable.” — Emmanuel Levinas
–mlw
Good-Bye Tlalpan
29 Jun 2009 1 Comment
in Church - Theologizing, Cross-Cultural Ministry, Mexico, Tlalpan Church Plant Tags: Christian Churches, Church of Christ, church planting, Disciples of Christ, Mexico City, Missionaries, Missions, Tlalpan
What started out for Yuli and I as a grueling search for a church home that began in 2007 ended in warm communion. It’s been an immense pleasure to work with the Brednich family, the Henderson family, the Ortega family, the Calderón family, as well as the rest of the bunch this past year. This post is a celebration post. As a chapter comes to a close for us and the time draws nearer to when we part, I want to recognize this great group out of Tlalpan, Mexico City and the work that is in progress there. This past year the group has welcomed new faces, two marriages and is currently expecting two babies! It was truly an honor to marry my good friends Cesár and Nancy. I implore God to continue blessing them and the whole group and that the church plant might continue to be salt and light in the Tlalpan area, freeing those captive in their midst and being life for those that only see death.
El Conocer tiene un efecto muy grande en el hacer. . .
~mlw
Tlalpan Update
06 May 2009 Leave a Comment
in Church - Theologizing, Cross-Cultural Ministry, Mexico, Tlalpan Church Plant Tags: Mexico City, Missions, Tlalpan
Greetings from Mexico City,
This is a follow up letter to my Feb. 9th blog post on the happenings in Mexico City and the church plant in Tlalpan, Mexico especially for the congregation La Casita in Searcy, AR and the congregation in Swift Current, Canada that so generously helped my wife and I with monetary contributions last year. It serves as an update to what has been transpiring here in the naval of the ancient Aztec Empire.
We had the retreat in Michoacan, Mexico in March as was planned. It was a stupendous success with a little over 30 people in total. It was a great time of fellowship (tamales, hotdogs, smores- the works!) and a wonderful way to deepen the intimacy of the group as a whole. We had a dynamic lesson on the concept of holiness (focusing on inner integrity- the pure heart; as well as actions- clean hands). Benjy and Jorge also led us in a highly interactive group discussion on finding our individual dreams, passions, and gifts. This was very insightful for the whole group and served as a springboard for finding our corporal gift and passion as a church in order to serve in the context of the community. Right now we are in the process of discerning a social ministry. The group wants to begin using their gifts, as a church to touch and transform some sector of the community. The extent of the exact nature of the ministry and specialized population has yet to be determined. Though the dialogue is extremely rich and I forsee a lot of service to the Kingdom and Creation being produced from the type of conversation that has been taking place among the group recently. Needless to say it is very exciting.
Since the last post I have concluded my course on The Exodus, Oppression, and the Problem of Holiness and we have begun a series on the Gospel of Luke- a joint teaching venture by all that are willing to participate. As well, we are addressing the issue of the formation of the canon one Sunday per month. This especially addresses the new members that aren’t so acquainted with the Bible and its tradition as the others that have been with the plant for a longer time. I am continuing my study of the prophets for didactic and pastoral purposes with Jorge- though recently it has been more sporadic since Holy week (Easter) as vacation, more work for him, and then finally the swine flu scare has made meeting more difficult.
Yes, the swine flu. Lately, we’ve been under attack from the (A)H1N1 influenza virus (aka swine flu). The city has been shutdown since April 30th and was masked with fright (no pun intended). It just began to open some of its government offices and venues today, though work for me will not begin again until Monday the 11th. This has put a damper on us as a group, since we have been banned from meeting for the past 2 weeks. Thankfully we can report that no family members or members of the church have been affected by this health threat. It appears that the Mexican government reacted with adequate response and precision.
As far as the members: We have a couple Nancy & Cesar that will be getting married June 12th. Hayley & Ivan’s pregnancy (baby boy!) is coming along just fine. And we found out that Carolyn Brednich is now an expecting mother! This has been a truly exciting time for us as a church. And to top it all off, in the midst of an earthquake (5.7, 40 sec. duration- no damage) and the flu scare, we now have back in our midst James and his family. Which we are all extremely happy to welcome them back home.
This brings me to the announcement of change of plans concerning my wife and I. As was stated in the previous post, due to the economic crisis, work was next to non-existent from December to Feburary- for me as a teacher and my wife as a therapist. My wife and I are so very grateful to the contributions made by both of your congregations. It was truly a life-saver: it kept me from leaving my wife and working in California and allowed me to work with the church in a fuller capacity. Yet again, we have received a hard blow economically. Most of my students took a 2 week vacation for Easter to get away from it all and I have lost another 2 weeks of work due to the most recent health crisis here in the city. So, that’s the loss of another month’s income. My wife will be completing here Master’s program in June and her thesis shortly thereafter and with her completion of the program we will see the end of her scholarship and grant. All of these factors coupled with the peso’s devaluation of nearly 50% next to the dollar have lead us to the decision of me starting my Master’s of Divinity program in Boston a semester earlier than planned, in January of 2010. However, in order to have to live on and make the big move in January, I will be taking a job in California in September 2009, after 2 years of working in Mexico City.
This past year of congregating and working with the church plant in Tlalpan has been an uncomparable experience with much reward for both my wife and I. We cannot express enough our gratitude for helping us in our time of need, and allowing us to stay here at our home and work and commune with those that we have grown to love.
Again we thank you and we ask God to abundantly bless you wherever you are.
-Marvin Lance Wiser
P.S. Congratulations Josie and Aaron Allen on the birth of their beautiful baby boy Noah and their upcoming move to New York City! All are celebrating in Mexico!
–
“But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads in every place the fragrance that comes from knowing him.” - 2 Corinthians 2:14 (NRSV)
~mlw
Church Happenings in Tlalpan, Mexico City
09 Feb 2009 1 Comment
in Biblical Ethics, Church - Theologizing, Cross-Cultural Ministry, Devotional Thoughts & Bible Studies, Mexico, Tlalpan Church Plant Tags: Church, Missions, Tlalpan
Thus far into 2009 we can’t complain too much. Though work is still slow, we’re as busy as ever. My wife, Yuli, is now in her last semester of her master’s and will become increasingly preoccupied as she continues writing her thesis. And as soon as I finish this post I am going to start refreshing myself on APA style, as I have been dubbed the style man. I hope it’s not going to be too straining going from Chicago-Turabian back to APA. Since English classes have been scarce (since December!), I have been able to put a lot of energy into preparing church material in Spanish. As well, we were blessed this past week to have met with some friends from college that we haven’t seen in some time. I’m also looking forward to going to places in Mexico this year that I have never been to, and cannot wait to share those experiences with Yuli. As far as being back in the States, we have a trip tentatively planned for August. We hope we can make it- it will be 13 months this time without returning.
As far as church work is going, we had one of the biggest turn outs (since my wife and I have been working there) yesterday. Two house churches converged, ours and one from the State of Mexico to the north, for a time of visiting, sharing of ideas, stirring of each other on to good works, and mutual edification (and the food was unfathomable- so I’m not going to bother describing it, one word should suffice: Carnitas). We also had a visitor from Guadalajara that is now entering his 5th year of working with the church there that shared some remarkable news. Some of the house churches there are banding together to initiate Mexico’s first fund for children with diabetes. They are approaching the UN as a source of funding sometime in the near future. It’s very encouraging to see the interest and activity here. Our visitors of December-January seem to have officially joined the bandwagon in full communion. We’re so blessed to have met Benjy and Carolyn, they’re great and have done so much work here along with James and his family, of which we’re all exited about their return in April. As well, I have begun to meet one member, Jorge on an individual basis once a week in attempt to enhance our knowledge of the text and how to extrapolate and transmute that which the text is trying to convey. And we have a couple in their mid-twenties that has announced that they will be getting married in June, and another married couple has announced that they are now expecting. So all of that, coupled with the superbowl, soccer games, an impending retreat in March, the return of James and his family in April, and let’s not forget the formidable economy, there is an incredible amount of excitement brewing in Tlalpan, Mexico.
Right now I’m teaching on Sundays. I’ve designed an 8 week study in Spanish entitled: El Éxodo, La Opresión, y El Problema de La Santidad: Influenciando Nuestra Identidad y Misión. That is in English: The Exodus, Oppression, and the Problem of Holiness: Influencing Our Identity and Mission. I spent the majority of 2008 in a profound personal study of the book of Exodus, and am thrilled to be able to embark in a teaching engagement such as this. I’m drawing a lot from the works of Terence E. Fretheim, Walter Brueggemann, Jacob Milgrom, David L. Peterson, Abraham J. Heschel, John Howard Yoder, Stanley Hauerwas, Gustavo Gutiérrez, Bruce C. Birch, and John G. Gammie. Right now we are in week 3 and are 2 weeks away from launching into the social ethics and broader mission of the prophets, where the true excitement will commence. It’s been great for me, though naturally I’ve encountered some bumps along the way. Sometimes synthesizing and contextualizing some of the material presents a challenge- especially in a second language. But my wife has been eager in assisting me. You know, it’s truly amazing to see when something that comes out of your mouth resonates with an individual. The first week was, let’s be honest: so-so, but last week and this week were great. The types of questions that are being illicited and those that are being developed are the kind that lead to not only faith formation, but to full self-formation. I think it’s going in a good direction. This Sunday there was a lot of interaction and I have planned for the 6th class a time of real dynamic group involvement. We have, we are, or we will be touching on motifs such as the forces of life and death, the oppressed/marginals of society, Empire, creation-salvation, our response to salvation, community, ecology, social justice, holy nation/nation of priests, and the idea of holiness. It is my goal to say something during these 8 weeks that might fester and allow the beginnings of overcoming dichotomies that are so prevalent in our societies and communities. For example, the strict dichotomy of individual and communal salvation. And make ‘what we do with our hands’ sound just as loudly as ‘what is in our heart;’ to create a platform that will allow discipleship to enter another level.
Sadly, some church traditions derive their idea of holiness by focusing almost entirely in the social ethics of the prophets (Amos 5) and Jesus and leave little attention to the integrity and purity of the heart. While other traditions formulate their idea of holiness by focusing on wisdom passages that stress a pure and contrite heart (Ps. 51), the correct modes of worship as stressed by the Priests (Lev. 10), and emphasis that Jesus put upon the inward person (thoughts and not actions), and neglect the passionate ethics of the prophets. I believe that a healthy concept of holiness should consist of what each of these traditions have to offer, yet all the while not maintaing one above the other. So another goal that I feel that I should aspire to is to instill in the group, as it is evident that they are of the later tradition, a sense of practicing justice which is such an integral part to discipleship. This I feel is part of my mission where I am at now.
-MLW
but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am Yahweh who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares Yahweh.” -Jeremiah 9:24
Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;
cease to do evil,
learn to do good;
seek justice,
correct oppression;
bring justice to the fatherless,
plead the widow’s cause. -Isaiah 1:16-17
Rituals and Their Inherent Ethical Imports
17 Nov 2008 Leave a Comment
in Biblical Ethics, Cross-Cultural Ministry, Mexico, Religion and Society, Social Justice Tags: Catholicism, Ethics, John, Leviticus, Mexico, Mircea Eliade, Rituals
This weekend I had the privelage of attending a Catholic funeral service. It made me recall a monograph that I recently read by Mircea Eliade, The Sacred and the Profane: The Nature of Religion.
It’s amazing how the collective consciouness of our ancestors past influence us to the degree that it permeates our very being. There are many rites of passage that the anthropologist, sociologist, and historian of religions teach us about. Many cultures share striking similarities. Most deal with separation, regression to primordial chaos, creation, integration, and re-birth. Eliade’s classic does well to inform the modern man of their significance.
It is interesting to look at the burial rite. For many cultures a person is not considered dead until he/she has been buried. As well the significance of the earth- the fruitful, reproductive Mother Earth- captures ones attention. What affect does she have upon those that are buried? Some Native American as well as other cultures would bury their sick, so that they might regenerate anew. The J Source (The Yahwist) in Judeo-Christian material attests to the earth as being the origin of man. This falls in line with many epic-creation accounts world-wide.
Most of the ‘rites’ that are performed today are void, they have lost their ritual character. They have been devalued, de-mythologized, de-sacralized, devoid of a sacral meaning. They signify nothing more than what the eye can see.
Perhaps each rite of passage was man “coming into being.” Eliade states that ‘primitive’ man saw himself as not complete, only becoming so through symbolic death. Some remnants of this motif still resound throughout Judeo-Christian material, i.e. “Die to self,” “must be born again,” etc.
Almost all of the rites of passage or initiation still survive today (and I would contend that even some new ones have been conjured up), though grossly desacralized- more in some cultures than others. Animism and the sacredness of life still persist in many cultures. Nearly 500 years ago, the conquistadores created quite a syncretistic blend of religions with the introduction of their Holy Catholicism to the Americas. In many forms they still persist to this day.
What could modern man learn from ancient man? This is what excites me. Rituals are not rote, unless they have been robbed of all of their content, infact they carry a great ethical import: mediums for the expression of values that a society holds dear. I am against the continuance of rituals that are devoid of meaning. I too often see this- especially in the context of the church. All message is lost, actions are rote and meaningless, and people follow without a consciousness, never questioning, never learning. Rituals should teach us ethics. They should teach us ways of quality living.
This weekend I participated in a catholic mass. The only way I knew that it was post Vatican II was because the liturgy was conducted in the vernacular. The rituals were devoid of any true transmission of ethic. And the seperation of clergy and laity was- in my eyes- not upheld to prevent chaos, sick theology, mistakes, or disunity- but to keep oppressed those that are and to uphold the status quo: to use and abuse. Another system (the one in which I attended- not the Catholic church itself, which in recent decades has taken great strides to become more ecumenical, relational and give new meaning to its rituals) that once served for good, now its rituals devoid of ethics, is having a horrendous affect on God’s creation: Creating learned helplessness; breeding contentment; and delivering a message not of salvation, but one of a class society and of eternal oppression.
I actually heard a prayer begging for intercession addressed to the tower of Babel. Now, it has never been brought to my attention that the tower of Babel was in fact an actual entity that could intercede on our behalf. We must do something about this. There must be education and theologizing and a filling of rituals with the ethics that have been disposed of in order to uphold those in power. We cannot stand by, where ever we are while rituals are being emptied to serve a purpose opposite of their creation. The old must become new again.
I have used an example of prayer to demonstrate this. What of the sacrament of communion? In the tradition in which I come out of (a Protestant denomination), I never once heard a lection or sermon on how the symbolism of the Lord’s Supper also carries with it an ethical import of how all are welcomed at the table. How we all wage war throughout the week to provide for our own table- often times at the disadvantage of our neighbor- yet come communion all are at an advantage. Perhaps the reasoning for the overlooking of this ethical import is not to far from reasons of the above example.
We must always continue to ask questions if we are to be effective in the transmission of the Gospel in new contexts and new situations as well as in old and falmiliar ones. Let us always look at things with a critical eye.
If the offering to the LORD is a burnt offering of birds, he is to offer a dove or a young pigeon. -Leviticus 1:14
Why were birds permitted at the very end of the pericope on burnt offerings? What could it teach us about the burnt offering ritual? With Jesus’ help in John 2:16, we should discover that inherent in rituals are ethics and it would do us well to spend time extrapolating them, unlike those that were waging war only to provide for their own tables- the same tables that Jesus overturned (2:15).
Have a blessed day,
–MLW
Reflections on Mexican Culture
11 Oct 2008 2 Comments
in Cross-Cultural Ministry, Mexico Tags: Cross-Cultural, Cross-Cultural Ministry, Culture, Culture-shock, Exodus, Isaiah, John, Mexico, Missions, Revelation
This shall be a short post reflecting upon some intrinsic qualities in Mexican culture (at least in Chilango culture- Chilango is a term that is used for people that are native to Mexico City), as I the observer see it. [The views expressed within this post are from a biased American expatriate living in a culture other than his own. They may or may not represent the general consensus of the subject.]
¡Incluso Jesús vivio con su mamá hasta los 30!
Translates to: “Even Jesus lived with his mom until he was 30!”
I saw this message on a bumper sticker one day while driving on Viaducto in Mexico City. I thought to myself, “This sums up something that has been mulling over in my head for quite some time now.”
As an observation I have noticed, generally speaking, people here my age are still “having fun,” not concerned with “everyday responsibilities” as people my age are in my culture of origin. People generally do not get married until their mid-thirties to forties. People live within their nuclear family far longer than they do in more individualistic societies such as those in Europe or the States for example. It is not at all uncommon when a couple decides to marry; they continue living with either set of parents. From what I have seen, this might be due to economic hardships and/or dependency issues.
In most Latino contexts, blood relations are valued more than relations by law (i.e. nuclear family vs. spouse or spouse’s family). “Extended family” is a foreign, non-existent concept. On one given occasion I was told of a story of a Mexican male that was to marry a German woman. As part of the ceremony, the groom was asked to compose a work of writing for “the woman that he loved the most.” The day of the ceremony, he read a beautiful composition directed to non other: his mother. Needless to say the bride was furious, and this event has deeply affected their marriage. Culture clashes.
It is no secret that Mexico is a Matriarchal society. This informs a lot of the way one would view and interpret familial structures, (as well as the onset of Mariology in Catholicism).
Persons from communal societies find it very difficult to define themselves without including those closest to them. Without their blood family- they cease to exist in a very real sense. This is a concept that is hard to swallow for persons like myself who is from an individualistic society. We are taught to “learn to fend for yourself,” to go out and blaze a trail in the world. How our brother is doing, physically, spiritually, or financially tends to affect us less.
In stride with this concept is a saying: “Lo que dirán,” / “What they will say,” that is taken very seriously. As the community takes a prominent role in defining a Mexican, what that community says or thinks about them is crucial to their own self-concept and identity.
As a non-native, for me it is different. I grew up hearing, “Don’t worry about what little Johnny says,” or “You do what you believe in, it doesn’t matter what anyone else says about you,” hence the “individualisticness.”
Two different ways of seeing and living in the world. One way places more emphasis on certain values, the other the same. In the tradition of post-modernity (was that paradoxical?), neither is inherently right or wrong in essence, being itself. It is just different, (though both cultures permit certain sets of particular maladaptive behaviors that manifest themselves in its respected society, i.e. materialism in the States, and machismo in Mexico- machismo is a strong sense of masculine pride that gives way to an exaggerated or exhilarating sense of power or strength, often times resulting in abuse of the female).
It is of great importance to get to know the culture of those about you. Wars have started over cultural taboos or differences. If you want to minister or even interact cross-culturally, I highly urge you to inform yourself about the target culture so that you might be able to better understand why it is people do things the way they do. And more importantly, learn to appreciate it as it is. Learn to judge it by its own standards, not by the standards of your culture of origin (this is a continual process – but essential if one truly wants to relate to those within the target culture).
Communication is everything- it is how relationships start- and it is defined by culture. I am still learning better ways of communicating here in a foreign culture, with my wife, and in a different language. Thus far my experience of expatriation and mild, passing culture-shock (which was a late onset with me, I didn’t feel it until 8 months in the second culture) has taught me to revaluate why I do things the way I do, and has called attention to my inefficiencies to communicate, and thus relate, to those about me.
Let us work towards greater toleration of human differences. A step further: Let us work towards relating to those that are different to us, so that we too may see what John saw in Revelation 7:9-10, and be concerned with what Yahweh is concerned with as in Exodus 9:16; Isaiah 19:19-25; and John 3:16.
¡Qué tengan un buen dia!
Ya’ll have a good ‘un now!
Good day,
–MLW
The Office
06 Oct 2008 Leave a Comment
in Cross-Cultural Ministry, Life, Mexico Tags: Counseling, Cross-Cultural Ministry, Marriage and Family Therapy, Mexico, MFT
No, not the show- a counseling office. My wife, Yuliana now has a new counseling office! The floors are redone, the walls have been repainted, and we moved in the furnishings yesterday. I am so proud of her. It really seems as if things are coming together. In just a few short months she will be finished with her MFT and will be counseling there full-time. I know it is something that she is truly passionate about. We hope this office to be a wonderful medium of ministry while we are here in Mexico. To Yuli, and to change that will take place in so many peoples’ lives, happy reading and until tomorrow, have a great day!
Change
The Office
Dra. León-Wiser
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