Go Serve, Remember your Baptism

As I am spending more time with the ILAG, more time hearing the stories of the Guatemalan people... I have been mulling over what I was taught in seminary.

Raising up leaders... is important. I will not question that, but coming in with our expectations of how this can be done... well I cannot see it working as we were taught... at least not the first steps. Many of the Guatemalan people don`t go to school beyond 2nd or 3rd grade, others make it through 6th but have few options beyond... especially in the countryside. Should education limit leadership? If a woman cannot read the bible, does that mean that she cannot teach it... no. But I think back to the reformation and some of Martin Luther`s empitus for writing the catechism... neither the people nor the clergy new the basics of the faith. Is it more important to get a leader to learn english so that they can go to the states and get a proper education (I do not deny that this is vital and wonderful) or to give the tools to articulate faith in their own locations? When the question of clean water, food, clothing and education dominate... the luxury of theological education is apparent and yet faith is interwoven into all the rest.

Evangelism here is different... to go door to door knocking will signify that you are a mormon or evangelical and in many eyes, in part due to the governments propaganda, are suspect, and considered fanatics. So how do you invite... relationship and therefore time, time, time, presence in the community, gaining respect, help with daily needs, listen.

Some of my seminary professors we of the opinion that if a church did not have 100 plus worshipping they should close their doors... what does that message say to the people who I have met who come week after week to the church has a hand full of active members and frankly have a hope that I don`t understand. By these professors standards, few churches here in Guatemala would open their doors. How about the church that has been meeting in the garage of a member since they lack the funds to put a roof of their church building... a building that is part way down a ravine so they have had to carry all the supplies in by hand?

Is being the church always looking at the growing out and down or is it living, trusting in the gospel, slaving when you don`t know what the outcome will be but knowing that people knocked on your door and asked for hope and you did your job and delivered Christ to them. Church happens when Christ is given out to the people... free and certain.

Being a pastor (and frankly being a Christian, priesthood of all believers) is being catecized day after day after day. Hearing the stories of torture, pain, death, disappearing and listening more-- not backing away from the truth, the reality. Naming the horror that waits in the heart of so many people. Rejoicing and being amazed at how Christ works in that harsh reality. Handing over Christ instead of keeping him for yourself. I keep remembering the stations of the cross at the Catholic Church in San Salvador being torture victims... because when we are tortured, when we suffer... it is Christ who suffers as well. Together...

Accompianment as the ELCA is adopting now... what is it really? 3 expressions of the church... relating national church to national church, synod to synod, congregation to congregation... or being face to face-- looking into the eyes of someone as they tell you about when they had to run with their three children from a helicopter firing on them and hoping they would not be shot, or into the face of the former guerilla as he tells you what it was like to have to shoot his officer so the officer wouldn`t be tortured or into the face of the man who was "selected" to be in the army and has dreams of the cries from the women he raped and babies he burned during government sponsored masacures... these people know the law. They know bondage in a way I hope I never know-- From the cross Christ said, "Forgive them father for they know not what they do." We know not what we do... and even when we do know, we do it anyway.

Hearing, thanking, praying... sometimes all I can do is sigh... knowing that the Holy Spirit does intercede with sighs too deep for words... and I offer my presence, my willingness to hear and I don`t know... trust that God in Christ Jesus creates hope out of nothing and brings new life even to lives as broken as these.

Back to raising up leaders... my first day at La Esmerelda one of the catecists preached on the Great Commission... he said that while they cannot go... they can baptize and make disciples.

Go Serve, Remember your Baptism