Sharing at Lancaster Mennonite High School
Visit Date: Tuesday, September 24, 2019
LMH
September 24, 2019
“When We Gather”
Click here for the PowerPoint Presentation
[slide #1]
Good morning! Thank you for Jeremiah (Denlinger) inviting me back to speak with you all once again. Thanks Dr. A (Jim Amstutz) for providing an awesome introduction for me and being generally awesome, … and thank you Alarie (LMH student) for reading scripture.
My story for you today is about how I turned around a bad day. Have any of you had a day where you thought things were going pretty well and then suddenly, boom, a change happened and your life has to take a different direction?
This is a story like that one. It’s not very serious… in this story no one died. What died was a dream. I had a dream that my ministry would be in one place - but God had an idea for it to be in another. This shift was so painful for me. It was a death of something I loved. I was working hard in seminary and focused on setting a foundation for God’s work employed at my church in youth ministry. What I didn’t realize was that other people and institutions are involved in my dream. They did have the same dream that I did. They did not want the same things that I did. When the institution of my church began a new direction, the leadership model changed and my employment position with them was eliminated. It was recommended that I take time away to let the new model take root.
Plunging into the reality of change, I was intentional in learning from it. I knew God would be with me. I looked for a resource and read Thomas Moore’s book: Dark Night of the Soul. I began to discover a lot about myself. I found out I have a passion for worship. I recognized how I became energized by the singing, felt closer to God through prayer, am stirred in my spirit by the interpretation of scripture. Interacting with all of the folks that make up my church family is a bonus! Conversations at coffee time and in the parking lot have changed my life.
Being new to the Mennonite faith, (only 20 years) I’ve had lots to learn about the Mennonite game - where everyone knows someone you know or are related to them in some way - find my way through the maze of unspoken rules - like being on time means showing up 10 minutes before the actual time you're supposed to be there - but I slowly fell in love with my congregation and call them my family.
Away from my church family, from where I grew up, spiritually. Ouch… What would I do, where would I go? Where could God be possibly directing me?
This church visit hasn’t been the only one. You see, I’ve embarked on an adventure to visit all 32 of the Atlantic Coast Conference churches in one year. An ACC church tour.
How did I get here? I was discerning my liminal space in a conversation during a long drive with friends. Jeremiah’s parents, John and Deb Denlinger. I shared my deep passion for faith-based community worship, they said, “If I had a year off, I would visit all of the ACC churches. Take a tour to visit the many congregations within the conference.” I thought, “Wow! That sounded like a pretty great adventure!” With their blessing I borrowed their idea. I brought my thoughts to God through prayer. Then I talked with my husband and we carefully drafted a plan. I felt God’s affirmation to discover more about my passion, and embraced my new personal, spiritual adventure.
ACC?
How many of you have heard of the Atlantic Coast Conference of the Mennonite Church? Can anyone here tell me what is the purpose of the Atlantic Coast Conference?
To be honest, I actually wasn’t quite sure myself. I had to do my research.
[s
[slide #2 Structure of MCUSA]
What is ACC exactly?
Generally speaking, the congregation is at the center - where the cross is. To the top is the Mennonite Church USA. Kind of like an umbrella that covers and keeps all these things organized. Then to the left are the area conferences. A conference typically encompanses a geographic region. Acc is along the atlantic coast and one of 18. Within ACC there are 32 congregations located in Southeastern Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New York and Maryland. ACC congregations minister in urban, suburban, and rural contexts with their commitment to Anabaptist Christianity.
To the right are the agencies that work directly with each congregation and individuals to help navigate different life stages. At the bottom is the Executive Board that serves as a guide to develop and nurture these many missional mennonite congregations. It’s a vast network, full of valuable resources, laid out in an organized manner. This structure is a result of a faithful people being good stewards of God’s gifts.
Research - connecting - Writing about it:
I wondered how many people if you are not mennonite, really know about the Atlantic Coast Conference churches or what their ministries are. So I began a blog to write about my church tour experiences and create awareness. I named it “Guess who’s coming to church”.
After I do my research about each church’s history, I contact the pastor to let them know I’m coming. Then I move forward to explore three things with each congregation. First from the perspective of a lay member, I ask: what does it mean for your church to be a member of the ACC? Secondly, ask if I could talk with their youth and learn more about their programming. And lastly, learn about what makes their congregation unique in its context. What are their ministries. And to conclude my visit, I ask the pastor to take a selfie with me and post on my blog.
What I’ve learned about the 12 church congregations I’ve visited so far, is as vastly different as their congregations and ministries may be, they all have a similar order of worship. In scripture Paul talks to the corinthians about the reason behind the order of worship.
1 Corinthians 14:26 (NRSV)
26 What should be done then, my friends? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.
Organized worship is much like a back bone, vital to framing a centered focus on Christ. If there were too much chaos, no one could focus meaningfully or intentionally on God. When we come together in the church, we come together to encourage one another, become instructed from the word, grow in our understanding of God’s word, to be equipped to go out and serve the lord. It’s not about us, it’s about God. Worship isn’t to make you FEEL better…. Worship is to make you BE better. It’s like a workout, to develop strength in your faith, hope and trust. We remember the Lord is in charge, He is good and able. Once that framework is laid out within a group of people, God’s spirit begins to move. Each person is stirred on the inside and responds on the outside. Congregations begin to produce ministry. Ministries that branch out like arms and legs that move and interact with the community and world around them.
Ministries that come from within
Each church has its own character and personality. One example is from Landisville Mennonite church and their 9-hole mini-golf course.
Here are a few highlights from my tour so far.
[slide #3, #4, #5, #6]
Someone had a passion for golf. Another person had a need to fill the food pantry. When they come together in worship, the spirit is on the move. Through conversations a ministry is born.
This is the sanctuary at Landisville, a selfie with Pastor Ron Adams, and a hymn that spoke to me that Sunday.
Lord I give you every road / guide my steps and take control / till this journey leads me home / Lord I give you every road / Lord I give you every storm / When my spirit's weak and worn / Give me grace to trust you more / Lord I give you every storm / Lord I give you all I am / all my dreams and all my plans / now I place them in your hands / Lord I give you all I am.
[slide #7 hymn]
At James Street the ministries come to them. This is their sanctuary during Children’s story time. The church owns and operates out of a very large building in Lancaster City. One of the many ways they choose ministry is by renting out part of their facility to non-profit organizations and often collaborate ministries with them to the people of lancaster city.
[Slide #8 & #9 James Street]
The pastor at James Street is Stan Shantz. Here he is with my husband Tim, my son Isaac and me.
[slide #10 NHMC sanctuary]
Here is the sanctuary at New Holland Mennonite - One of their ministries supported by the congregation as a whole is a community garden.
[slide #11 selfie/ NHMC garden blessing]
Not just a couple of rows of tomatoes, an acre of plowed land with vegetables, and small fruit trees. They are a small congregation with about 80 members - and one pastor. They serve their community by teaching gardening skills. Some of the food that is harvested goes to the on site learning center. Some of it goes to needy families, all the while growing relationships which brings in belonging to the not-so-included neighbors in their town. With me in the photo on the left is Jenn Espenshade, lay person extraordinaire, serving in many ways while Pastor Dawn Ranck-Hower was on sabbatical.
[slide #12 Pilgrims sanctuary]
Pilgrims church meets in the MCC Welcoming Place in Akron PA. They choose to be rentors in their church building. Also, they make it a point to meet in congregants homes on the fifth Sunday of each month. They live out their mission to be a priesthood of believers focused not on leadership and owning things, but the active work of God within each individual and community. I especially enjoyed the lunch after the worship service in their home. Our casual conversation connected us in body and spirit. Plus, the food prepared by Erika was AMAZING!
[slide #13 pilgrims selfie]
In this selfie is Pastor Barry Kreider, his wife Erika and a couple that were worship leaders and joined us for lunch at the Kreider’s home.
[slide #14 Ridgeview]
This is the sanctuary at Ridgeview Mennonite Church
[slide #15 Ridgeview]
This is a selfie with Pastor Audrey Kanagy. She and her husband are a co-pastor team. Their ministries are both local and farther away.
One that is interesting to me is the Oyate Concern organization who work to serve the Lakota people of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in south-west South Dakota. One of the members of the church has a son who is involved in work there.
[slide #16 FH]
This is Forest Hills sanctuary. They also have many ministries, but what stands out to me is that they are gifted in social media. Their web site is current, colorful and easy to navigate. Their sermons are video recorded and posted to their church facebook page almost immediately after the worship service. You can follow them on instagram and twitter.
[slide #17 FH]
Here’s a selfie with Pastor Jon Carlson, and his wife Lynne who also works here as a teacher.
[slide #18 Pastor Sam Selfie] SAM
One of the most fun churches so far was the African Community Church of lancaster. During worship pastor Sam shown here, was shuffling his feet in dance down the aisle to the pulpit to share his message and the worship leader invited us all to dance along with him.
[slide #19 Hymnals]
The service was half in swahili and half in english. One hymn was written in both languages. I sang in my native tongue, and they in theirs. It was an amazing experience. After the service, I pulled Pastor Sam aside for the selfie... he turned to me and said: “But you are so white!” to which I replied: “And you are so dark… this is going to be beautiful!” ** (see end of post for comment)
We are all beautiful people in Christ. We have all been excited like a new puppy to find something new that we weren’t able to do or know before. Through worship, the Holy Spirit is stirred within us. Focus this energy within your congregation to grow a ministry of your own.
Their chosen ministry is to support a refugee family from the Congo with 10 children! Here are seven members of that family contributing their gifts of singing for their Sunday morning worship service.
[slide #20 video of family singing]
I ask you: how do you see faith-based worship? What comes through as meaningful to you? How does God stir your heart to use your gifts to build up one another?
I’m excited as I move through my personal journey of the ACC church tour. I’m looking forward to meeting the 13 other congregations. I intentionally turned around a bad day and learned so much from it. Along the journey, I know I will find unfamiliar languages, but I will open my heart to feel the spirit. I know I will find unfamiliar sanctuaries, but I will learn to respect their ways of worship. I hope to live out Christs love in such a way that strangers find a sister in Christ in me. May it be so for all of us.
**
After sharing this presentation, I received a call from a mentor/friend Jim Amstutz with honest feedback from conversation he had with a few of the youth. He delicately presented me with a possible accusation that I could have been seen as being "racist". His comment stung a bit. What I learned from him was that when I responded to Pastor Sam's comment with a "color word - dark" I showed support of an embedded system of racism.
By saying something imbedded in that system like “racism is taught” or “I don’t care if you’re pink, green, or polka dotted” (in my case “you’re so white/dark”) I was perceived by some, that I was sending the message that I was not willing to engage in a conversation about race. I was supporting the system. By simply using words that allow people of color to know I'm willing to engage in conversation about race, I contribute to breaking up the system.
Another thing I learned is hearing Pastor Sam's comment spoken in Swahili has a different meaning altogether. Even though neither Sam nor I intended to be racist toward one another ( see my following comment: "this is going to be beautiful! We are beautiful people together in Christ.") it may have been perceived that way by those sensitive to micro aggression (a statement, action, or incident regarded as an instance of indirect, subtle, or unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalized group such as a racial or ethnic minority).
By viewing this video (more than once) it was helpful for me to understand racism as a system of unequal power rather than an individual act. It’s loaded with information. I will need to view it yet again... but what I’m beginning to see is that racism is group power backed by a system in place. I also have begun reading Debby Irving's book. These are first steps in understanding how these youth are working to improve our social structures. I'm gaining a better understand of my audience too. I'm blessed to have a trusted relationship with a mentor where the honesty between us is healthy enough to talk about tough stuff. Educating one another about the spaces in which we live and work builds each other up to be better people. In this way, we equip one another to continue God's work empowered and not divided.
** Waking Up White by Debbie Irving
Youtube by Robin DiAngelo "Deconstructing White Privilege"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwIx3KQer54
