Harvest Party

I am so fired up about the Harvest Party in Homewood tonight. Over 600 people from the community have signed up to attend, and over 200 volunteers from North Way are planning to participate in the fun. It is really an inspiring thing to see such a tangible expression of service on the part of the student ministries and kidz teams at North Way, as they have taken a major step to become more externally focused. God is so good for opening the door to such a cross-cultural event, and I know God will be glorified tonight no matter the outcome.

I also have that interesting feeling that you only get before a special event. Anxiety tries to creep in, and nervousness or stress want to take over. But... the excitement brings the adrenaline of possibility, or that the risk could pay off! People will be stretched from their comfort zones, and breakthroughs in relationships will occur. People will be blessed by both giving and receiving. I believe that God shows up in these types of scenarios, when we as Christians take steps of faith.

So, if you're in the Pittsburgh area tonight, come on out to the Faison Primary School in Homewood from 7-9pm. It's going to be a great time! If you can't make it, please cover the evening activities in prayer.

A Great Day in Homewood

I'm recovered from being sick, and I had a great day today. This morning I had coffee with a good friend who I've been meeting with just about every week for the past couple of years. It's great to have a buddy in my life who I can talk to about anything, and who I know is shoulder to shoulder with me in the battle. After my time with him I went to read to kids at Faison Primary as part of "celebrity" reader day at the school. I read a funny dinosaur book to Kyra's first grade class, and I was reminded once again how fun it is to hang out with kids. I feel so welcomed at the school, and they have open arms for any kind of positive contributions to the kids in the school.

I had lunch with friend from my men's group who has taken an interest in my life, and he came to Homewood to check out what I'm into. He's a guy I really respect a lot who has been discipling me as part of the group, and it was so nice of him to just enter my world for a couple hours. I love showing people around Homewood and sharing about how God is moving. Later in the day I got to mentor some kids at Faison Intermediate, and then I finished the afternoon off at a fun after school program with Julie and the girls at Faison Primary. There are so many interesting things to do in Homewood, and also interesting people to connect with.

This evening I had a good walk with Julie, and some really fun time with Kyra and Sierra before they went to bed. I am so blessed with the family that God has given me! I love my girls! I can't wait to see what God has in store for our urban adventure tomorrow!

Choices

Julie and I are starting to settle in here in Homewood, and now we are in a unique stage in our journey where we need to make little decisions about things that will impact day to day living. For instance, what grocery store are we going to shop at? There are lots of options within just a few minutes of where we live, but we want to shop at places as close to Homewood as possible to support the local economy. However, Homewood does not have a grocery store. Also, where are we going to work out? There are many fine options in neighborhoods like Shadyside, Squirrel Hill, or Penn Hills, but we decided to get a family membership at the local YMCA in Homewood. We love it!

While these choices seem small, they do have a broader meaning for us. Are we going to choose to really LIVE in Homewood? I know putting our daughter in Faison was a big step for us in that area, but are we committed to that concept in everything we do as a family? If we are going to be good neighbors, we need to actually get to know our neighbors. There are some other areas that we still have some reservations. For instance, when we go for a walk, we always walk in the direction of Point Breeze. I have noticed that the only time I really intentionally go for a walk in Homewood is when I am either studying something or showing somebody around while talking about LAMP. Why is that? Is it fear? Is it rational?

The point is... the choices we make have consequences not only on ourselves but on the people around us. Are we willing to let God stretch our comfort zones by taking risks and trying new things, or are we arranging for our own comforts in our choices. Do you consider how your day to day choices impact others?

Tongues of Fire

Tongues of Fire: The Explosion of Protestantism in Latin America
by David Martin
Blackwell Publisher (1990)

Protestantism is exploding in many parts of Latin America. This book documents many aspects of that movement in a region that is largely know for its Roman Catholic heritage. The growth of Protestantism is especially popular amongst people groups who are underprivileged. Although the author attempts to write simply, the book brings to light many profound concepts that are quite useful in understanding how God is moving throughout the globe in complex contexts. He focuses on the relationships between Hispanics and Anglo-Americans, successful ministry models which were transplanted from England to the United States, the religious spread of the gospel throughout the Latin American world, the advance of conservatism, the transformation of culture, and unique perspectives in the final chapters about the potential spread of the gospel around the world.

It was very interesting to read about how Christianity spread differently in different Latin American countries. For instance, why did Protestantism make such a huge impact in countries like Brazil but less so in other areas? David Martin wrote that “The depth of Protestant penetration and its variable incidence can be roundly demonstrated. The deepest penetrations have occurred in Brazil and Chile, in Nicaragua and Guatemala, and (outside strictly Latin America) Haiti, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. In Brazil, up to 20 percent of the population of 150 million is Protestant.” (50) The book goes into detail about the rapid growth of Protestantism in Brazil and also the Pentecostal movement in Latin America in general. Mercy and justice were themes found in the chapters on Brazil and Pentecostalism, characterized by the concept that “Pentecostals are people imbued with hope and with what they discern as ‘power,’ but they have little hope of power through politics.” (66)

Many people in Homewood are searching for hope. Sometimes hope comes in the form of small breakthroughs, and sometimes it comes in the form of major, systemic breakthroughs. These could also be described as movements. Several movements have been at the forefront of the Homewood community for the past few years since I have been working with the people here. The new school is helping to improve the education of the children in Homewood. Test scores have been improving, and the community has been experiencing transformation delivered by the district with all of the resources filtered into Homewood. The city government last year unveiled a project that is intended to reduce crime in the city by 80 percent. This year a children’s zone has been introduced into the community, engineered in the same fashion as a similar program in Harlem that achieved major results. The Pittsburgh Promise is a scholarship program that gives kids from Pittsburgh $40,000 for college, with the intention of transforming communities and keeping families in the city. All of these ideas are innovative and interesting, but there is no substitute for a movement of God! I believe God is moving in Homewood.

A Violent Evangelism

A Violent Evangelism: The Political and Religious Conquest of the Americas
by Luis N. Rivera
Westminster/John Knox Press (1992)

This book gives a history of the Spanish conquest of the Americas based around the common goals of God, gold, and glory. The first part of the book describes the military conquest of the Americas, which were often legitimized by religious reasoning and imagery. The second section addresses the issues of slavery and general loss of freedom of the natives. Thirdly, the book criticizes the conquest of the Americas from a theological perspective. The life of Bartoleme de las Casas is outlined throughout the narratives of the book, with his life serving as a prophetic thorn in the side of political and religious authorities of the sixteenth centuries. The perspectives of his many adversaries, such as Gines de Sepulveda, are also presented at length.

I felt that the author presented a balanced view of the life of las Casas. He consistently confronted powerful people for the sake of the poor and oppressed. He viewed the natives as human beings, and he lamented their poor treatment. Sepulveda, an Aristotelian humanist scholar, believed that “the Indians lacked humanitas… that quality of mind and spirit that makes a specific people competent to attain civilization.” (134) The author brings in many different perspectives on the violent evangelism that took place in the Americas. Often the perspectives, in light of history and our modern context, bring about the validity of las Casas’ arguments (even though his utopian view was often rejected by the intellectual, political and religious powers of his day).

Several themes from this book are applicable to my ministry context in Pittsburgh. Bartoleme de las Casas was an amazing activist who assumed a type of prophetic role in the midst of great political and religious persecution. I would like to model my life after him, in terms of standing up for what is right even despite the negative consequences. Rivera wrote that “Las Casas was fully imbued with the prophetic biblical and evangelical traditions favoring the poor and denouncing oppressive power.” (240) As I work in Homewood, will my life be known as one that favored the poor and denounced oppressive power? I need to be a student of history. In reading this book, I noticed many themes involving the powerful and powerless that parallel issues in the United States. We still have oppressed people living in America. Rivera said, “The oppressed poor are unprotected in the face of the violence of the powerful. Their vulnerability and precariousness are a threat to their very lives, not just to their liberty and happiness.” (175) Some of the African-American residents in Homewood have endured suffering due to generations of oppression from the mainstream culture in the United States. I will not be effective as an urban ministry leader in Homewood without seeking to understand the context of the oppressed poor. Also, I should pay attention to language, because seemingly minor distinctions in language can lead to great injustices. In the case of the Spanish conquest of the Americas, a cycle of slavery and oppression was perpetuated for centuries based on language technicalities found in legislation released by the Spanish crown and the Catholic Church. Language is not neutral. James 3:5 says “Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.” In reference to the tongue, we have great power to do great harm or great good.

Religion in Latin America

Religion in Latin America: A Documentary History
by Lee M. Penyak and Walter J. Petry
Orbis Books (2006)

Often the voices of marginalized people are cancelled out of historical accounts compiled by people in positions of power within a given society. Thankfully, this historical Latin American anthology provides a platform for many voices that have in the past been pushed aside in favor of content that more closely aligns with the historical accounts of mainstream powerful society. The anthology grapples “with the realities of imperialism, racism, poverty, and injustice.” (xix) Many original documents are given that force readers and students to reflect for themselves on the concepts outlined by the authors. As an example, a letter from Christopher Columbus lies right beside a letter from Bartoleme de las Casas who often prophetically spoke out against the tactics Columbus implemented in the New World.

The entries in this anthology are fascinating. Specifically, the voices speaking into issues that have shaped so much of modern culture are often prophetic, often off target, but almost always interesting. I am intrigued at the concept of bringing unheard voices “to the table,” although I am still uneasy about my role in the facets of contemporary society that continue to perpetuate differences between races and classes of people. To that end, I would turn to las Casas’ essay that presents a prophetic perspective on the nature of human relations. Most of his brief letter to the royalty in Spain focuses on negative oppressive behavior of the people sent to settle New Spain, but he does mention one hopeful comment. “One thing they did was brought knowledge: they asked permission to have the sons of some caciques (few of them to be sure), perhaps four, and taught them to read and write and I suppose their good example taught Christian doctrine, for they were good and lived virtuously.” (21) This concept jumped out at me because I lead many Christian adults to mentor young people in LAMP. I am hoping that the ministry makes a huge transformational impact. My fear is always that we will be ineffective and perpetuate a cycle of negative stereotypes between races, classes, and Christians and the unsaved.

There are so many themes from this book that I could apply to my ministry context in Homewood. Because I live and work in a predominantly African-American community, I was particularly drawn to an entry by Carolina Maria de Jesus, who was a poor great-grandchild of slaves in Brazil living in the early to mid-1900s. She taught herself how to read and write, and she wrote, “… in the United States they don’t want Negroes in the schools. I kept thinking: North Americans are considered the most civilized. And they have not yet realized that discriminating against the blacks is like trying to discriminate against the sun. Man cannot fight against the products of Nature. God made all the races at the same time. If he had created Negroes after the whites, the whites should have done nothing about it then.” (211) Her diary was published in the early 1960s, but her observations still hold true today. When I first started working in Homewood four years ago, I was astounded that in our culture there are still parts of town that are “white” and parts of town that are “black.” It was not until I began studying cities at Bakke Graduate University that I discovered that systematic racism and oppression at powerful levels led to much of the intentional divisiveness that exists in many American cities today.

Justice, Mercy and Humility

Justice, Mercy and Humility: Integral Mission and the Poor
by Tim Chester
Paternoster Press (2002)

Integral mission has been an important aspect of the Overture II experience in Latin America, and this book pulls together many different angles on that topic. The book starts out with a general introduction of the meaning of integral mission, which is “the proclamation and demonstration of the gospel.” (2) The essays focus on three broad categories that are relevant to the modern context of integral mission. They are: globalization, the poor and the church of the poor, and advocacy. Context is provided to the discussion by introducing historical features and timelines of integral mission, including an overview of a document called Transformation: The Church in Response to Human Need, which Rene Padilla describes as “the strongest evangelical affirmation of commitment to integral mission in the last quarter of the twentieth century.” (55) The principles of integral mission have changed the face of global missions over the course of the past several decades.

I agree that a bottom-up approach to missions, characterized by the concept of “with” and not “for,” is needed for the complex and pluralistic environment of the human condition in our modern world. Saul and Pilar Cruz noted that the old missionary model of the 1950s “became the detachment of thought and compassion, of eyes and hearts and of hearts and hands.” (92) The shift to integral mission should be welcomed by the world with open arms. On the other hand, Gary A. Haugen made a rather strong statement by saying, “The church’s response to the call to advocacy is threatened by two opposite hindrances to obedience – paralyzing ignorance and paralyzing sophistication.” (188) I would push back on this statement because most of the Christians I know who are paralyzed with inaction in missional activity do so because they are too busy and distracted. Many have the heart to serve, but they are held back by the physical restraints of time and resources. I am not saying that I believe that these are acceptable excuses for failing to act when God calls. I am simply pointing out that Haugen’s generalization of the church has many more layers of people stuck in a cycle of activity not related to integral mission.

Since reading this book, and seeing how these concepts were modeled for us in Latin America, I have worked hard to continue to generate an integral lens for LAMP and the other local outreach efforts that I am involved in leading in Pittsburgh. The general overarching approach that I have been using involves the question, “Is our church doing this project with the people in need or for the people in need?” I have also been energized to keep up the work of mobilizing our often busy church community into relationships with those who live in some of the darkest and most violent places of our city. Peter Kuzmic wrote, “People need a message of hope and life for situations of despair and death. We have learned that there is no authentic mission from a safe distance. Mission with integrity does not take place in antiseptic conditions." (157) I honestly believe that God has uniquely placed me in this position at this church so that I can help the people at North Way Christian Community to bring the message of hope and life to people living in situations of despair and death in the city of Pittsburgh.

Christians at the Border

Christians at the Border
by M. Daniel Carroll R.
Baker Academic (2008)

The immigration debate is a heated and polarizing issue in the United States. M. Daniel Carroll R. wrote this book to bring a fresh perspective on the debate from a Christian viewpoint, specifically related to developing a new starting point that could bring refreshing wisdom and a truly biblical lens to a complicated issue. He starts with an overview of the history of the massive migration of people from Hispanic countries in Latin America to the United States, pointing out along the way the Hispanic churches that are growing at as fast of a rate as the migration is occurring. He then gives a biblical foundation for how Christians are required to act toward immigrants, by pointing out that “Christians must think about and act on Hispanic immigration as Christians.” (20)

Christians at the Border is full of rich resources that are applicable to the most recent hot topics regarding the immigration debate. The author dissected many of the fragile and stereotyped arguments that mainstream cultural Christians in America have perpetuated in this modern era. I agreed with the author’s conclusion that “An appropriate response to the complicated situation in society will not come from detached, objective analysis, cost-benefit calculations, efficiency quotients, and cultural arguments. The decisions that are made and courses of action that are recommended should be commensurate with the life of Jesus – his actions, his teaching, his cross.” (139) That is a strong statement about the call of Christ to overcome the world in relation to the immigration debate. In other words, first and foremost we are all called to be followers of Christ before we think about judging others based on differences.

Although this book focused mostly on the immigration debate, I found that it had many implications regarding my work in Homewood. There are many aspects of cross-cultural communication in the Hispanic immigration debate in America that serve to capture the complexities of the cross-cultural relationship between African-American and Caucasian Americans. The author suggests that “the American identity has never been a static entity. It has meant different things at diverse times, as millions from all over the world have come to this country and have added their part. African-Americans were forcefully kept from the cultural mainstream for the longest time, first as slaves and later as a despised minority. The Civil War and civil rights legislation were not enough to guarantee that those Americans could become part of, let alone participate in defining, the national identity.” (48) We live in a time when America has an African-American president. Many people assume that racism and oppression has ended. However, the people living in Homewood still experience the true realities of being racially and economically outside of mainstream society on a consistent basis. Christians living in the mainstream of any society have a moral calling from God to engage people living in the margins of society. The story of the Good Samaritan, which is outlined in the book, is a profound analogy of that counter-cultural calling in the words of Jesus. Christians are called to be different than the world.

The Politics of the Spirit

The Politics of the Spirit: The Political Implications of Pentecostalized Religion in Costa Rica and Guatemala
by Timothy Steigenga
Lexington Books (2001)

“Latin America is currently experiencing a massive religious transformation.” (1) That is how the author starts out this book, and in the following chapters he outlines the data and several stories behind the movement from Catholicism to Protestantism in a region that had been extremely adverse to such a shift in the past four centuries. The reason that this is such an important shift is that the influence of Protestantism has also facilitated a renewed interest in Latin America around the ideas of democracy and capitalism. Strong components of both democracy and capitalism are important features of many countries seeking to move up in the new twenty-first century era most commonly characterized by the forces of globalization. The author notes that “Protestantism is particularly important because it is a movement primarily of the poor in a region plagued by poverty.” (3) The issues explored are the tension between Catholicism and Protestantism, the differences in data between religious subgroups in Latin America, religion and politics in both Guatemala and Costa Rica, and religion and gender relations in both countries.

The data showed that “religious affiliation is a good predictor of attitudes toward the morality of potentially conflictual political acts.” (56) I was amazed at how much religion tied in to politics as I read through the content of this book. I know from experience in talking with people that the two are interconnected, but this research shed some amazing light on the subject. I agreed with the author’s findings that “Religion often serves to motivate social and political changes that are difficult to discern and interpret because they are not immediately recognizable at the level of national politics.” (154) That concept holds true for Latin America, and it is also profoundly true for the United States.

I come from a religious background that is very politically conservative. The church I attend tends to be politically conservative, thus the idea that politically conservative ideas are religiously normal. On the other hand, I live in the community of Homewood that tends to be very politically liberal and religiously liberal. The main entrance to the public school where I work and my daughter attends school has a life size picture of Barack Obama in the entrance to the building. I am close friends with several Christians from Homewood who voted enthusiastically for Barack Obama. My point, and that of the book, is that often politics and religion are combined. As in the case of Guatemala and Costa Rica, or the suburbs of Pittsburgh and Homewood, these interactions can be very different. The majority of my job at North Way Christian Community involves mobilizing politically conservatively people to be involved in meaningful relationships with politically liberal people. That is a dilemma I have truly grown to love so much because relationships tend to blur the lines between what people think they know for sure and what they do not know about the world.