PCUSA Mission

…BRIDGES… Number 6, 2007: “We Need Each Other”
prepared by Joyce Michael for the ECCB’s American Working Group & PC(USA)’s Czech Mission Network

So that these up-dates can easily be printed out and displayed on church bulletin boards or shared with friends, every BRIDGES that you have received so far has been a self-contained, one-page item. To meet this parameter, I sometimes have had to revise the text many times and/or format the page in unusual ways, with small type and tiny margins. However, try as I might, I have been unable to make my hand-written text on this year’s Synod fit on a single page. Thus, although BRIDGES 5 ends with what may sound like a “proper” conclusion, I have decided to continue and complete my reflections on this May’s Synod in this up-date. Thus, I may be able to expand on the Dutch representative’s declaration that “we need you” in a pertinent way.

When I asked our guest from Britain for the exact wording of his comment about God’s merciful guidance, he admitted that he could not reconstruct his remarks. “In Britain, our views of marriage and the family are rather different,” he added, without identifying the specifics of that incongruity. I suspect that as you readers think of your own experiences with the fragility of human relationships, some of you will have an intuitional sense of the nature of those differences. Thus, instead of speculating about this matter, I will supplement my previous considerations of this year’s Synod by following our Dutch friend’s lead and declaring “we need each other.”
This sense had begun to grow within me as the Synod proceeded, and was further confirmed by the content of the opera that we “internationals” attended together on Saturday evening. As the fragmented relationships that permeate the story of Samson and Delilah appeared before us as so many shadows on the stage, I was amused by the fact that our consideration of marriage and divorce was ending with that particular drama. However, I soon realized that the opera served as a tangible example of the reality that some members of the Synod had expressed the preceding evening; i.e., that human relationships are inherently complex.
Thus, I would venture to say that we partners in international dialogue need each other when we are considering relational matters. We need the Korean vision, which calls us to devote serious attention to the “conserve-ation” of marriage. Yet, we also need the British awareness that guidelines regarding this sacred institution ought to be modeled on God’s gracious care. And we need the middle way of Czech Christians who hold that we must not give in to the tendency to treat relationships with a consumerist mentality that views people as interchange-able commodities, but who are equally aware that God’s merciful ways are especially salient in the midst of human brokenness. We need each other so that we can thoughtfully consider whether and how the personal trauma that divorce tends to precipitate can itself serve as a context in which God’s grace may be made manifest through healing care.
The power and possibility of grace within brokenness took a different, but related, turn when one of our guests presented the President of the Synod with a candle that contained the logo and emblem of his denomination. The President received the candle graciously and placed it in the center of the table, where it eventually was lit by a member of the Synod’s Presidium. Nothing about those acts appeared to be remarkable, but I had a sense that this was an extraordinary act, insofar as candles lit in churches are a part of a Catholic tradition that remains rather alien to Protestants here.
When I saw the candle burning brightly on the communion table the next morning at the Synod’s concluding worship service, I thought that I had misinterpreted the significance of the candle. However, the President of the Synod openly acknowledged that it had been difficult to agree to use the candle in the worship setting. Yet, together we were able to step beyond conventional practice and let the light of God’s presence shine in our midst. If grace can break through centuries of tradition that have grown out of brokenness, can it not also remold the fragmentation that is dramatically symbolized by divorce, but may persist in more familial and social settings than we tend to imagine? That is the hopeful question that the Synod posed for me….

Posted by Bev at 2:09 PM | Permalink

…BRIDGES… Number 5, 2007: “We Need You!”
prepared by Joyce Michael for the ECCB’s American Working Group & PC(USA)’s Czech Mission Network

Have you ever seen a worshipper taking notes on the pastor’s sermon? I must admit that the few times I noticed this happening, I was quite surprised! You see, I assume that people come to worship to speak with God, to experience community, to wrestle with life, or to celebrate wonder, rather than to record fragile words and fleeting insights. Yet, it now appears to me that I participated in this year’s Synod of the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren (ECCB) almost as if I were attending worship. Although there were many interesting remarks, thoughtful debates, and important decisions, I wanted to be totally immersed in the experience of that annual event. Thus, I made very few notes, and the factual details of the weekend have largely vanished from memory. This means that I must leave “official” summaries of the business transacted by the Synod to more reliable sources. However, it does not mean that I have nothing to report; indeed, it seems to me that the rich cross-cultural exchanges that characterized this year’s Synod ought not go unnoted.

It is not surprising that representatives from Great Britain and Holland responded positively to the invitation to the Synod that was extended to English-speaking guests. However, the ECCB was also delighted when church leaders from Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Italy, and Korea arrived in Prague. This diverse group shared fascinating discussions together and extended unusually thoughtful greetings to the Synod. For instance, the guest from Hungary emphasized that since Reformed churches in post-communist countries – like Hungary and the Czech Republic – face similar socio-cultural issues, they may be uniquely equipped to explore theological questions together. Likewise, the guest from Poland spoke of shared Protestant roots and common experiences that may enable rich collaboration with the ECCB. And, an especially significant affirmation was ventured when the representative from Holland concluded his description of his denomination’s efforts to “move beyond pessimism to the hope of the Gospel” by paying tribute to Czech insights with the words: “We need you!”

Virtually all of the international guests concurred that the Synod’s focus on the pitfalls that are presently threatening marriage and the family was compelling for them. However, it soon became evident that cultural differences engender a variety of approaches to this issue. For instance, as our Korean friends spoke of the impact that their country’s highly-patriarchal social structure has on the way church members view divorce, it was clear that in their land, conservatism still holds sway in the area of marriage and family life. Yet, as we internationals sat around a table at the Church of Jacob’s Ladder in the Kobylisy section of Prague, the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Korea (PCK) thoughtfully reflected on the forces of social change that are bringing the reality of divorce to the very doorsteps of some Korean Presbyterian churches.
In the Czech Republic, marriage and the family also remain a highly-valued norm. Thus, the ECCB stands somewhere between the PCK and some western European denominations in its views of marriage and divorce. Some individuals in the ECCB place great emphasis on the responsibility that pastors have to model good marriages within the church and society, and a pastor who describes himself as “rather liberal” ruefully concluded that there needs to be more discipline among pastors when it comes to caring for their own marriages and those of their parishioners. Yet, the rather strict-sounding guidelines regarding pastors’ marriages that were placed before the Synod appear to have a gracious substratum, when heard in terms of the entire document prepared by the committee responsible for dealing with this topic. Thus, I can imagine that the integrity of the divorced ECCB pastor who shared his story with our group would be recognized by the denomination.
That person initially thought that the failure of his marriage meant that he was not “fit” to serve a congregation. However, his special skills and considerable talent were eventually sought by a congregation who felt that he was uniquely equipped to serve them. Perceiving this to be a confirmation of God’s gracious acceptance of our humanness, that pastor humbly returned to congregational service with a strong sense of having been the recipient of God’s forgiving mercies. Thus, when the representative from Great Britain concluded his words of greeting with an invitation for the ECCB to let God’s merciful spirit guide their considerations of the proposed guidelines, he was affirming a reality that is already well and within the ECCB. May all of such deliberations be informed by grace.

Posted by Bev at 2:05 PM | Permalink

POINTERS ON CULTURAL SENSITIVITY, presented by John and Joyce Michael at a Retreat of the Czech Mission Network held in Erlanger Kentucky in September, 2006

A) Representative misperceptions that some Czechs and Slovaks have regarding Americans
1) All Americans are rich, just like the people on Beverly Hills 90210 are.
2) Americans must be just like Germans. (All people from western nations are similar.)
3) All Americans are hyper-friendly.
4) Americans must know everyone who lives in the United States, including my aunt in Milwaukee.
5) All Americans always eat hamburgers and hot dogs.

B) Tips designed to enable Americans visiting the Czech church to minimize cultural dissonances
1) Language
a) We sometimes expect English-speaking Czechs to be familiar with idiomatic phrases like “a piggy-back question” or “a bolt out of the blue.” It is best to try to avoid such figures of speech when conversing with non-native speakers.
b) If a phrase spoken by a non-native speaker seems to be inappropriately negative, consider the possibility that the speaker has a different sense of the phrase than we customarily have. (For example, the phrase “you must not answer the phone” sounds prohibitive to us, but may actually be a literal rendering of the Czech expression which means “you do not need to answer the phone.”)

2) Habits, Customs, and Traditions
a) You may need to exercise care when admiring your Czech host’s possessions. Many hosts may feel that an appreciated object must be given to the international guest.
b) When dining out, take care to refrain from evaluating food, service, and method of payment according to American practices.
c) Also, do not try to manifest your generosity by over-tipping. Rounding the cost of the meal up to the next multiple of ten is typically considered to be sufficient. For example, payment for a meal costing 114 crowns would become 120 crowns with the tip added.
d) When possible, do not leave large amounts of uneaten food on your plate, and remember to remove your shoes beside of the door when you enter a home.
e) It is considered to be in good taste to take a small gift of chocolates, flowers, or similar token of appreciation when you visit a private home.

3) Cultural Insensitivity – Two painful examples:
a) A group whose younger members chose not to reciprocate the hospitality – nor take advantage of the insight – offered by a church leader who had been asked to take them on a tour of reformation sites because they ‘had already been to the Old Town Square the night before.’
b) A sermon preached by a pastor from America who assumed that Czech Christians have a tradition of covered dish dinners like we have in the United States, and who then used an illustration about “grey mouse soup” being served in a neighborhood café during a blizzard. This Eucharistic “legend,” which was designed to symbolize the unifying and sustaining power of the Lord’s Supper, would have been difficult for an American congregation to grasp and was virtually incomprehensible to the Czech congregation. Check out your presentation with your translator or some other Czech person if you have doubts about its appropriateness.

4) Do not assume that American customs are known and understood. Two examples:
a) An American host, who wanted to know about Czech funeral customs, phrased her
questions in terms of American practices, which were unknown to the Czech visitor. Thus, the Czech person was hard-pressed to respond.
b) One Sunday morning, a young Czech friend was in tears, so I (Joyce) reached out to put my arm around her shoulder, as I might have done with a parishioner in the USA. As she drew back, I sensed that I had initiated a type of contact that would have been understood in the United States, but was inappropriate in this context.

6) Be aware that organizations, which appear to be similar, do not always have the same structures or serve the same purposes in the Czech Republic. Two examples:
a) In the United States, we tend to think of the YMCA in terms of physical exercise, special interest groups, short-term educational or recreational activities, and self-improvement workshops, while in the Czech Republic, the YMCA has a long history of having an “academic” component. Thus, it has tended to provide a forum for wrestling with difficult socio-political issues.
b) Church youth groups in the Czech Republic share some characteristics with comparable groups in the United States. However, they also have some features that are unique to the cultural and social milieu in which they have arisen. The same is true of other local church structures and groups. (It may be worth noting that although women are quite involved in ECCB congregations, an organization similar to Presbyterian Women does not exit in our partner denomination.)

7) Refrain from describing their Church to Czech people without listening to their own self-
descriptions. Two examples:
a) Sometimes, Americans who have heard about the secular nature of Czech society seek to console Czech Christians by saying things like: “I am sorry that the church is dead here. That must be very difficult for you.” Such statements surprise Czech church-people who are part of vital congregations.
b) Sometimes, Americans assume that we know what the Czech Church should be and do, without taking its long heritage and present forms into account. It may be instructive to consider the response of one church leader to such an approach: “Thank you for your advice about how to reach people outside of the church, but we must find ways of outreach that fit our culture and traditions.”

8) Avoid interpreting Czech people’s descriptions of church practices or political situations in
terms of your own local church’s traditions or our nation’s issues.
a) In strange surroundings, it is natural to look for something familiar. However, we
should guard against saying (either to ourselves or aloud), “that’s just the way it is
back home.” Quickly drawing that conclusion short-circuits the listening process and
prevents us from hearing how things really are with our hosts.
b) On other occasions, visitors expand on a perceived parallel between Czech and
American societies in ways which divert the conversation away from the Czech situation and focus it on how things are in United States. Of course, there is a place for cross-cultural analyses, but the Czech host should never be made to feel as if he is on the outside, listening in on a discussion of American issues.

9) Finally, try to curb the tendency to assume that American practices are superior,
educationally, spiritually, in terms of life-style, and so forth. Two examples:
a) One visiting couple asked their host: “Is there a Marks and Spencer store here? And what about a place where we can get some crystal and jewelry? We want to buy a lot of things to help the Czech economy.” In exasperation, the Czech host replied: “If you really want to help our economy, maybe you can buy a tractor.”
b) The Czech university system is very different from the American one, but the
professors in the Czech Republic are every bit as engaged in research, writing, publishing, and seeking to engage their students as professors in the United States are. Thus, inquiries about sending American professors to the Czech Republic should be complemented by invitations for Czech professors to teach in this country.

Posted by Bev at 2:03 PM | Permalink

…BRIDGES… Number 4, 2007: Easter Transformations
on behalf of the ECCB’s American Working Group and PC(USA)’s Czech Mission Network by Joyce Michael

As I write this up-date on Easter Sunday afternoon, a glance at the clock tells me that in a little while, churches in the United States will be resounding with joyful cadences of “Christ the Lord is Risen Today.” Here, in Prague, we have already sung our “alleluias” to traditional Czech tunes and have already pondered the affirmation of God’s power that is extended by the mystery of the resurrection. Moreover, the contrast between the reflective re-enactment of the Last Supper that took place on Good Friday evening and the Eucharist that we celebrated today was demonstrated in a striking way by a young woman with Down’s Syndrome who is part of the congregation that we attend.

As she stood in the circle of communicants, that special person opened her little yellow songbook so that she could participate in singing the communion hymn. Then, she received the elements seriously and devoutly, as she always does. However, after the words of dismissal, a smile crossed her face, and she walked toward the pastors, rather than heading back to her seat with her co-worshippers. As she shook Pastor Abigail’s hand and greeted Pastor Petr, both of those devoted folks responded with gentle smiles. Then, the young woman bent down to take a close look at the pastry Easter lamb that had been placed on the worship table. She lingered for only a few seconds before shaking Pastor Petr’s hand again and moving on. Yet, a joyful wonder shone from her face, and a certain ease of movement graced her step. Thus, it was clear to me that she had experienced and enacted an Easter encounter for all of us. In his Easter sermon, Pastor Petr had stressed that the resurrection invites – and calls – us to step beyond the sense of resignation that sometimes holds us fast, and our young friend had shown us what it means to embrace a buoyant hope that is already “eternal” in its grace.

Reflecting on this Easter encounter, I looked at the Easter lamb again. This twelve-inch long and six- inch high pastry is a charming tradition here, although this year, I have also seen pastry roosters and other spring-time critters for sale. Many of the Easter lambs are pre-packaged, commercial products, but others – like the one on the communion table – are carefully made at home. I had noticed that the Easter lamb was in its usual place when I entered the worship area, but I had not focused on it until our young friend stopped before it. The purple ribbon around its neck called to mind Jesus’ passion and death, but my eyes were quickly drawn to the lamb’s face, which seemed to reflect a winsome blend of wisdom and mercy. “It is just a pastry lamb,” I objected, but no – it was a lively symbol of the Easter assurance – that once the season of suffering and betrayal has run its course, the wonder of God’s love and Christ’s presence will prevail. Our young friend had seen that, and thanks to her vision, I was also able to perceive that the joy and hope of “eternal” life are actually present here and now. Pavel Smetana’s second poem from Easter 2004 teased at my mind, and I was convinced that…

A Miracle has happened

On a quiet cottage pathway
in the rays of spring sunshine
a miracle has happened.
The armour of ice has cracked and has
Flowed into streams
Whose thirst is assuaged.
There, where winter had looked down
On morning in a mirror of ice, a tiny daisy
Has now cautiously raised its head.
And in my heart, I have heard these words:
“Spring has now arrived
And has taken command.”
In the struggle
Of winter with spring,
Of death with resurrection,
And of the cross with the empty tomb,
Life has been victorious!

SO IT HAS!

Posted by Bev at 10:33 AM | Permalink

…BRIDGES… Number 3, 2007: Revisiting Holy Week
on behalf of the ECCB’s American Working Group and PC(USA)’s Czech Mission Network by Joyce Michael

As I write these words, Holy Week has just begun, and appropriately enough, I am immersed in ways that the Christian tradition has interpreted the significance of Christ’s death across the centuries. As I continue to translate Jakub Trojan’s analysis of this matter, I am becoming aware of deeply-engrained assumptions that informed my approach to the themes of Holy Week when I was a parish pastor. Dr. Trojan’s articulation of some of the incongruous implications of such presuppositions suggests that my attempts to wrestle with the shadows of Holy Week may have unwittingly made it appear as if God himself became “an accomplice in a crime” when “he sacrificed the one whom…he declared to be his beloved Son at the baptism in the Jordan” (Jesus’ Story, 149). Suffice it to say that thanks to Professor Trojan’s insightful reflections, I am living close to the paradox of the cross these days.

Therefore, I was recently drawn to take a new look at two poems which Moderator Emeritus, Pavel Smetana, asked me to translate for Easter, 2004. I considered that request to be an honor because working with Rev. Smetana’s Christmas poems had become a meaningful experience for me. Yet, although I eagerly tried to complete that project, I never sent the “finished product” to Rev. Smetana. I simply did not think that I had adequately captured the sense of the more pensive of the two poems. Yet, the time seems to have come for me to attempt this task again. I have a feeling that my work with Dr. Trojan’s book will enable me to arrive at a more appropriate rendering of the poem that is entitled

Remember, Lord
by Pavel Smetana
My Lord,
remember your mercy;
although I have immersed my sins
in a sea of oblivion.

Remember your suffering,
not the pain
which I have caused my neighbors.

Lord, remember your desolation,
and yet, forget
that I did not find time for the desolate.

Remember your sacrifice of love,
and forgive the destitute heart,
which refuses to love its neighbor.

Remember, Lord, the sinner
who is crying out to you
and by your mercy, open to him
the gate of eternal salvation.

As I typed this, it occurred to me that poets often have a profound sense of the themes of Holy Week. Thus, I want to conclude this BRIDGES with a poem by a Czechoslovak pastor. Some of you found this verse to be quite meaningful when John and I shared it during our itineration in 2006.

Beyond Myself
by Milan Jurčo
We believe,
Within the limits of reason,
We pray,
Within the limits of our will,
We love,
Within the limits of our pain,
We submit,
Within the limits of opinion,
We use our talents,
Within the limits of assured position,
We forgive,
Within the limits of our patience,
We want the gifts of the Holy Spirit
Within the limits of our own standards.

For ages,
We have set limits;
For ages, given orders
As to the way the faithful should go.

O Lord,
Help me go beyond my limitations
And live in Your space,
The space of Your will,
The space of freedom from one’s self;
The space of happiness for the soul.
The space
Of a different measure of worth:
The space of the cross of Golgotha.

Posted by Bev at 10:26 AM | Permalink