As Good As It Gets

Karen Young  12 October 2010 08:05:39

"God didn't choose us based on affinity with us."

I love that statement. I came upon it while reading the Kaleidoscope newsletter, produced by Mosaix Global Network. The front page article seemed so "on point" that I thought I'd share it with you.

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Hospitality: You’re Welcome Here!

Karen Young  12 August 2010 13:55:01

Notes: I have been immersed in a book called Cross-Cultural Servanthood: Serving the World in Christlike Humility, by Duane Elmer (IVP, 2006), partly in preparation for a workshop our department staff led at this summer’s CBLI, but partly because his work speaks to the heart of what we do.  So, I’ll be sharing some ideas from my reading in the next few blogs.

You’re Welcome Here!




In Cross-Cultural Servanthood, Elmer equates hospitality to that of a hospital.  Here’s what he says:  

“Hospitality is rooted in the word hospital, which comes from two Greek words meaning “loving the stranger.” It evolved to mean “house for strangers” and later came to be known as a place of healing. Eventually, hospitality meant connecting with strangers in such a way that healing took place.”

We all know when we’ve experienced hospitality, when we have been received “openly, warmly, freely, without any need to prove ourselves.”

My most vivid recollection of hospitality occurred several years ago at an interfaith retreat and conference center in a small town in Minnesota along the Mississippi River. It was in the heart of winter, I’d hit a “rough patch” in my life, and I’d been “gifted” with a retreat.

My route took me on a winding road along the river which was the blue of a clear and unclouded sky. It was a six hour drive to the center and I took my time. Upon my arrival, I pulled open the door of the center and my hosts, a group of Ursuline sisters, stood to greet me. One sister came down a stairway and said “Karen, we have been waiting for you.”

Those words were like balm to me. I was a stranger and they welcomed me in. I will never forget how that felt.

I think of the many people who come through our doors: our offices, our community centers, our rehab facilities, or our corps buildings Do we offer them hospitality? Are they welcomed into places of healing? What would it take?

Elmer talks about how “unnatural” hospitality is, how difficult it is to place others first, how we are more prone to serve those we know than those we don’t, how it takes courage and a willingness to risk, and how “cultural differences tend to interfere with staying open and offering hospitality to others.”

Stephen Rhodes says “The most important virtue any church can embody is the virtue of hospitality. Because God welcomed us, we are called to welcome others—and not because it is the nice and polite thing to do, but because it is the holy and just thing to do. And “some have entertained angels without knowing it” (Heb 13:2).


** Strengthening Multicultural Ministries in the Central Territory  …

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Going Back to the Future

Karen Young  15 June 2010 08:30:03

^{A Strategic Prirority: Strengthening Multicultural Ministries
3}Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. ⁴Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. (Philippians 2:3-4, NIV)



I came across a series of e-mails the other day -- a conversation really -- about a picture, a “story,” and diversity in the Army over a century ago. I felt like I was “eavesdropping” as I read what the two writers had to say. One of the e-mails included an attachment for the May issue of the “Flint Sparks” newsletter from the Flint (Michigan) Citadel.  It was there I found the “picture” that would tell a “story.”

The picture (above) consisted of three men -- one Uncle Solomon; Staff Captain Walsh, the Minstrel; and Indian Doctor Logan -- who together held camp meetings in Peer’s Grove. The Flint Citadel corps historian, Duane Spicer, had researched this particular photo, and noted that it had been taken around 1893.

1893. The “story” that this picture seemed to be telling was that diversity and inclusion were not new in the Salvation Army even as far back as one hundred years ago! The strategic priority of strengthening multicultural ministries speaks to who we’ve been and are. With this priority, we are, as one of the writers stated, “going back to the future.”

As the conversation continued, however, it was noted that something happened to thwart this movement of ethnic growth and inclusion. For some reason, we lost our way. Major Phil Aho, Assistant Territorial Secretary for Program - Urban Missions, offered these comments:

“There appears to be evidence that the late 19^th century Army in the USA spoke on behalf of racial inclusion; talk of reconciliation then would have likely been considered as weird as men from Mars. I have now seen enough photos spanning the 1890s to the mid 20^th century to notice the appearance of people of color, and then their disappearance to a large degree beginning about 1920. I suspect to our shame that the spirit of nativism, isolationism, and racial prejudice (the KKK’s rise) may have influenced us.”  

What if we could chart declines -- or disappearances -- in our recent history as being the result of our inability or unwillingness to stand as partners and allies with brothers and sisters during times of crisis?  Maybe it’s because we see the issues they face as just that -- their issues. They indirectly affect us -- or don’t affect us at all. Or maybe to stand with them would be too costly, even incur criticism from those closest to us.
But, what if a decision not to stand with the other is a betrayal of their trust in us?  

Patty Lane, in her book A Beginner’s Guide to Crossing Culture provides a helpful illustration:

An Anglo church was sharing its building with a Middle Eastern congregation during 9/11. When the terrorists’ attacks occurred, the Anglo church chose to remove the sign that indicated that the Middle Eastern Church met there. Their decision was a result of their fear that this visible sign of their association with the Middle Eastern church might make them targets of graffiti, vandalism or even more serious hate crimes -- responding to the attacks as the general public and a fear of being retaliated against for allowing this church to meet in their building.

For the Middle Eastern church, the Anglo church’s decision was one of denying them as their brothers and sisters in Christ. The Middle Eastern congregation who faced retaliation and harm each day for proclaiming their faith in Jesus Christ were surprised that their sisters and brother in Christ would quickly hide their relationship. Both churches believed they were one body in Christ. Yet removing the sign in a time of crisis reflected the Anglo churches decision to go with their culture rather than their theology. Both of these congregations learned lessons about the “blind spots” culture can create and the need for other eyes to point these out as we journey together in Christ.

What if we could go back to the future? How might we do things differently? And how might the results be different? That could determine how we proceed forward.

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Stopping the Monkey Business

Karen Young  23 March 2010 07:52:59

“Stop that monkey business!” As children, when our father said those words, we knew we needed to “settle down.” Our playing was getting too rough and could result in a broken vase or lamp or some injury to one of us. It was time to stop the “monkey business.” Now, we meant no harm to each other. Our intentions were good. We were just having fun. But, the unintended was a real possibility.

Sometimes, “monkey business” gets in the way of effective cross-cultural ministry. In his book, Cross-Cultural Servanthood, Duane Elmer tells this story:

A typhoon had temporarily stranded a monkey on an island. In a secure, protected place on the shore, while waiting for the raging waters to recede, he spotted a fish swimming against the current. It seemed obvious to the monkey that the fish was struggling and in need of assistance. Being of kind heart, the monkey resolved to help the fish.

A tree precariously dangled over the very spot where the fish seemed to be struggling. At considerable risk to himself, the monkey moved far out on a limb, reached down and snatched the fish from the threatening waters. Immediately scurrying back to the safety of his shelter, he carefully laid the fish on dry ground. For a few moments the fish showed excitement, but soon settled into a peaceful rest. Joy and satisfaction swelled inside the monkey. He had successfully helped another creature.

CULTURE IS EVERYTHING ... ALMOST

From the time we are born, we’re taught by our parents and community to see behaviors in a certain way. We develop a set of “cultural lenses.” And they become intuitive and automatic.

Looking at the world through these lenses can be a great “shortcut” to interpreting what’s happening in our surroundings, making decisions, knowing how to act, decoding the behaviors of others, etc. But, those lenses can be a challenge -- even a liability -- when we’re operating in a cultural environment other than our own -- an environment that requires a different set of lenses.

“Unless we connect deeply [with those we are trying to serve], we will neither see nor interpret their situation accurately: their pain, their values, their structures, their social limitations, their dreams, their ethos and pathos.  Until we can interpret their situation accurately, we will be like the monkey and the fish,” says Elmer.

3-Ls OF LEARNING

Elmer goes on to suggest an approach to navigating a complex cross-cultural landscape. The key is to be a learner, and the importance of learning about, learning from, and learning with others.

LEARNING ABOUT

When we learn about, we frequently learn from an objective source. This may include a book or movie, a country profile or cultural center, a festival or a conversation. We test and adjust our expectations against reality and allow our preconceptions to bump against the realities in front of us. Learning about provides a place to become oriented.

LEARNING FROM

Learning from provides an opportunity to learn directly about the culture from someone who is a part of the culture.  Patty Lane in “A Beginner’s Guide to Crossing Culture” calls these individuals “culture coaches.”  When we learn from another person, it says “I value what you have to teach me.” Questions that come from conversations can fuel future conversations. Learning from can build understanding and trust.

LEARNING WITH

When we truly learn with, we create spaces of mutuality. Learning with assumes that the “best learning happens in relationships; in mutuality; in partnership where neither side is above or beneath. Each person is, at the same time, both teacher and learner.”

TALKING IS A GOOD BEGINNING, TOO

At a committee meeting, a focus group was trying to figure out how to respond to the different cross-cultural issues that had been expressed by churches in a survey.  One of the group members stated “We’re so concerned about programs, and programs are good, but can’t we just sit down sometime and talk to each other?”

Compelling words and fundamental to strengthening cross-cultural ministries.  Maybe, sitting down to talk to each other is a good start to stopping some of the … well… monkey business.

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Little Corps or Megachurch: It Doesn’t Really Matter

Karen Young  10 February 2010 11:41:11

I was reading an article, Can Megachurches Bridge the Racial Divide?, about Willow Creek Community Church at Time.com(http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,1950943,00.html#). Although the article,  was written about a 23,400 member congregation, Willow Creek's transformation from mono-cultural to multicultural is instructive--whether a church of 40 or 40,000.  And two of the keys to that transformation seemed to be (1) a change of heart and (2) intentionality.  Both, I think, are essential to strengthening multicultural ministries.  

 A Change of Heart:  Willow Creek’s transformation began about ten years ago when Bill Hybels was given a book, Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America (Emerson and Smith)as “vacation” reading. It radically challenged Bill’s perspective of racial injustice in America and the evangelical church’s response to it--which did more to discourage minority involvement than promote unity. He recognized that there was a huge problem in the world and made a commitment to becoming a part of solving it.

Intentionality:  Despite census figures that show that our communities are more culturally and ethnically diverse than ever before, churches, by in large, don't become multicultural by default. In the case of Willow Creek, Bill Hybels, following his heart change, met head on America’s racial history.  He spoke about it from the pulpit. The church developed small groups to discuss it. They created the Justice Journey-- trips to civil rights pilgrimage sites--to experience it. He added black, Asian and Hispanic individuals to the music and worship teams and introduced a Spanish language service for Latinos coming into the area. He stated up front that “racial outreach” was a part of Willow Creek’s new identity.  It’s “part of who we are.” And as of 2009, Willow Creek had a 20% minority representation, which is considered an “integrated” church.

 Thinking and doing things differently:  Some might argue that a church the size of--and affluent as--Willow Creek can do anything. And that may be true. But, Willow Creek’s approaches to the challenge were not unique. They were "particular" to Willow Creek, but not unique.

A fundamental question that any church must ask when faced with changing cultural realities is "do we value people enough to care about the things they care about: their struggles, concerns, hopes, hurts?" If the heart says "yes!", there are some practical things that can be done to create an environment of inclusion. Let’s test this with a little brainstorming.

 Strengthening multicultural ministries:

= Consider the public spaces in our corps, for example. How do they say “Welcome”? Do our waiting areas for social services or food pantry clients have signs that reflect the diversity in our corps, clients, or community? If English is a second language for those we serve, are the signs bi-lingual?  

 ~ Do you see signs of a growing refugee or immigrant population in your community? Not sure? Walk around. Check out the names of the restaurants, the grocery stories, the names on the places of worship. Bring in a guest speaker to help build cultural sensitivity and awareness of that particular group. That group may become your most significant outreach.

= Are people wondering if the bible has anything to say about ethnic diversity in the church? Lead a bible study on “God’s Heart for the Multi-ethnic Church.”

~ And those “hot button” topics? A good movie or a small group book study (with study guide) can be a catalyst for thoughtful, prayerful discussion.

 = How about using sermon illustrations that include the voices and the stories of those from different cultural backgrounds—the bible is filled with them!-- and being careful to use videos that reflect the ethnic diversity in your corps. This can build awareness in your congregation and result in feelings of inclusion for those from different ethnic backgrounds in that congregation.

~ Visits to a cultural museum, festival, or concert are great ways to promote understanding of the traditions, values, and history of different people groups.  

When Willow Creek realized that 80% of its Hispanic attendees were undocumented, they invited a speaker to give a talk on “God’s heart on immigrants.”  This topic easily evokes strong opinions on either side of the issue among Christians. Yes. At times, the steps we take can be challenging. And taking a different route may not be easy. At other times, a simple step can propell us forward. And the results can be exciting.

** There’s a new magazine out called UNITY IN CHRIST. Take a look at http://unityinchristmagazine.com/.

 

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Reconciliation Got Dropped

Karen Young  21 January 2010 11:52:55

Albert Einstein says “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness.”  So, how do we solve the problem of “reconciliation?”

“Reconciliation”  got dropped.  

Cultural Awareness Week normally concludes with Reconciliation Sunday.  But, this year, "Reconciliation Sunday" got changed to “Cultural Awareness Sunday.”  Reconciliation Sunday is no more.

This is a question “post” the action: Does it matter that "reconciliation" got dropped?  Does it make a difference in how cultural awareness is recognized, understood, or celebrated throughout our territory? This might be some of the thinking:

Reconciliation has lost it’s potency. It’s nebulous. It’s more associated with old images of racial division and the racial tensions of the civil rights era. We’ve grown beyond that, perhaps even approaching a post-racial society.

Others suggest that dropping the word is a milestone towards our efforts at celebrating diversity, including all race-ethnic groups, and succeeding at building cross-cultural understanding within the Army. Isn’t that what we’ve been moving towards?

Like a soda pop with the cap off too long, reconciliation has lost it’s fizz.  It’s for another time.  It is, in a word, irrelevant.

Let’s not go that far. To say that reconciliation is no longer relevant would reflect a problem with our theology. It just isn’t true. Where there is division, there is a need for reconciliation. We may not presently be in the large-scale trauma of war, or the violence of  brutal racism, but we don’t have to look too far to see the brokenness in our homes, churches, workplaces, communities, personal relationships, and in our world. And while some would contest that reconciliation with God is most important, the result of that reconciliation should be seen in our relationships with each other. That’s where, according to Chris Rice, the “hard and holy work” begins. Still, reconciliation provides us with a conundrum.  What shall we do with it?  

In a speech given at a Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) gathering last fall, Chris Rice, co-director of The Center for Reconciliation at Duke Divinity School and coauthor of Reconciling all Things said reconciliation has become “both increasingly popular and contested, and as such potentially unhelpful.” He goes on to identify two dominant paradigms for reconciliation -- integration and diversity.  But, then he says [these] “do not express God's purpose for reconciliation deeply enough [my emphasis]. What we need is a fresh paradigm that declares our new culture in Christ.”  Rice continues by saying “Christians need fresh language regarding our mission and identity in a divided world (http://reconcilers.wordpress.com/2009/10/, Integration and Diversity are Insufficient).

“So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come. And all this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation…” (2 Cor. 5:15-18)

A fresh paradigm...  A new way of looking at reconciliation… Rice suggests that God’s ultimate goal of reconciliation for us is to become God’s “new creation.”

What would "strengthening multicultural ministries" look like if our aim was “to become God’s new creation?”  Could we proclaim a Cultural Awareness Week and “New Creation Sunday?”

The reconciliation that occurred in Christ on our behalf was not the stuff of tissue paper. And evoking Chris Rice words again, it is “a difficult and a holy work.” We can't expect reconciliation to be easy. The word got dropped, but I pray we don’t drop our efforts towards it.

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Immigration

Karen Young  15 December 2009 08:11:59

Immigration

It’s their first date.  Hitch (Will Smith) and Sara (Eva Mendes) visit Ellis Island in the 2005 romantic comedy, HITCH.  Hitch has arranged for his security guard buddy to give a personal tour of the place where over 12 million immigrants -- primarily from Europe between 1892 and 1954 -- entered the United States to become US citizens.  During the tour, they “happen” upon a book where those immigrants signed their names. Sara spots the name of Juan Mendes.  She catches her breath. It’s hard to believe.  She’s actually seeing the signature of her great-great grandfather, a person she’s only heard stories about. A bit of history rushes to life. She is visibly moved by this encounter. She begins to cry.  (To see the scene follow the link to  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_zDeHhJox8)

This scene raised questions for me: What’s it like to be a part of an immigrant family who has left everything to begin life in an entirely new and different place? What are the dreams that compel such a move? What are the hardships immigrants face?  What would make it necessary for someone to go to another country for their family’s safety? We are a nation of immigrants. And those stories are all around us.

But, issues surrounding immigration today are even more complex. Immigration may very well be one of the most complicated, “hot button” issues of our time.  Feelings are strong and opinions about what should be done are often highly charged.  You’ve heard the conversations: Who are these undocumented immigrants, anyway? Why don’t immigrants just wait their turn in line? Aren’t undocumented immigrants a drain on the economy? How does the bible inform the way we think about this issue? Why don’t these people come the legal way, the way that my ancestors did?

So, how do we sort it all out? Do we respond with compassion when “giving a cup of cold water”  can result in being arrested and convicted?  Read the article at : http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/12/04/national/main5896895.shtml

On Monday, January 11, which begins Cultural Awareness Week 2010, special guest, Matthew Soerens of World Relief will be addressing these questions in a presentation on  immigration.  Matthew is the author of  “Welcoming the Stranger”  and he is an accredited immigration and citizenship counselor at World Relief DuPage in Wheaton, IL.  

Obviously, he can’t address everything that’s involved with the topic of immigration. But, we’ll have the opportunity to begin the conversation, to ask questions, and to gain an understanding of how immigration affects us, our neighbors, our communities, our families, and our churches. At the very least, we can pray, wrestle with the realities, and seek God for guidance in how to respond.

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Wandering around Multicultural Ministry

Karen Young  20 October 2009 11:10:46

Wandering around Multicultural Ministry

Beatles Discography

The entire collection of Beatles’ music was released September 9, 2009. All their works--their 12-plus albums and their hit singles-–are now available in two boxed sets. The cost averages $225. But for fans, the collection is priceless. Of the Beatles, one contributor to Wikipedia states, “their clothes, style and statements made them trend-setters, while their growing social awareness saw their influence extend into the social and cultural revolutions of the 1960s.” Of this new collection, one reviewer calls it “full and fresh.”

I cut my pop music teeth on the sounds of Motown. The Jackson Five, Diana Ross and the Supremes, The Temptations -- those were the 45's that crackled on my turntable, those were the lyrics circled repeatedly through my head. But, almost by default, the Beatles’ music did too. Who could escape those lyrics, the movies, and the pandemonium that surged through American youth culture? Their influence was pervasive.  

Our Cultural Landscape

There's no escaping our cultural landscape.  Cultural diversity is pervasive. It touches every area of our society. And it requires our attention. Consider what David Boyd has to say in his forward to You Don’t have to Cross the Ocean to Reach the World.

"The percentage of people of color has more than doubled to 31 percent since 1960. And the acceleration of multiculturalism is expected to continue. The African American population grew by 30 percent in the last 20 years (1980-2000), the Latin community has grown by 142 percent and the Asian American population by 185 percent.... for the church to ignore the demographic changes in the western world would be sin at worst and total ignorance at best. For a church not to actively pursue multicultural diversity in a diverse community would be dishonoring to scripture and dishonoring to God. Unfortunately, Dr. Martin Luther King is right that 11:00 Sunday morning is still the most segregated hour in America, and it is probably true in most of the western world.”

A Strategic Priority

Multicultural Ministry is a strategic priority. It has been identified as an important part of the Army's present and future ministries. It affects every area of the Army's work. So, there’s been quite a bit of discussion about it lately. And with the discussion, a number of questions have surfaced.

How do we define Multicultural Ministry? What are the challenges to this ministry? Where are its 'best practices' around the territory? How can being intentional about multicultural ministry affect the Army in years to come?

These are all good and fundamental questions. But, the answers are still surfacing.  

Debbe Kennedy, in Putting Our Differences to Work, says this of Joel Barker, futurist, and best selling author known for his work with paradigm shifts: [He] "presents a compelling business case that societies and organizations that most creatively incorporate diversity will reap the rewards of innovation, growth, wealth, and progress. Having diversity initiatives is important and great organizations have them in place today, but the integrated approach his discoveries suggest -- with direct links to innovation and growth -- reaches way beyond the best traditional diversity programs."  

Having read this, I wondered how we can take hold of the limitless potential of an already diverse Army in order to solve problems, start new ministries, develop soldiers and meet the many other challenges of the future. What will we need to do in order to raise up an Army of boundary-crossers, barrier-breakers, and bridge-builders?

Perhaps, our “clothes, style and statements," like the Beatles, have made us "trend-setters" of a sort. But, in what ways will our growing cultural and social awareness help us create “full and fresh" approaches to the world's needs?  I guess we'll just have to wait and see.  

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