I’m back on the rez and today was an amazing first full day back.
I arrived yesterday to my home for the next three weeks. I drove here from Minneapolis and before I arrived at my final destination I stopped in Allen to visit with Barry and Shelly Bentley, who are the pastors at the Pass Creek Church of God. It was amazing to sit and visit with them for a couple of hours.
I will be working for World Vision as a liaison between mission teams and the organization Wings As Eagles. As my dear friend Heather said it is like a 3 week paid vacation for me.
Where I am located it is surrounded on almost all sides by nothing by the prairie and the badlands. I walked around the property yesterday when I arrived and I thought that it was a shame that I had to be in such a beautiful place for the next three weeks. The worst part is always looking down for snakes.
This morning on the drive to Wounded Knee Church of God I saw a Lakota teenage boy riding his horse bareback while texting. It was a beautiful clash of cultures and time periods. It reminded me of how much I love the quirkiness of this place.
I arrived to church this morning to discover there was not actually church. But that did not matter at all. When I knocked on the home of the pastor Stanley Hollow Horn his wife answered the door and was thrilled to visit with me. Even though there wasn’t church, I still felt the power of the spirit when I spoke with Sylvia.
So instead of turning around to come back to the Dream Center, I headed into Pine Ridge and like the old days of GreaterWorks when there wasn’t church in Wounded Knee I would go to the Gospel Fellowship. I was able to take part in a beautiful service lead by the Matthews family. I was also reminded of the impact of Father’s Day on the Lakota community. Alta came up to take prayer requests and he spoke to the history of fathers on Pine Ridge. When the government moved the Lakota people to the reservation it removed the need for men because the government started providing protection, food, and shelter. Men no longer knew how to be men or fathers. Alta said Lakota men need to step up and care for their families. It was a difficult reminder that out here you cannot escape the way the government has oppressed people.
After church I stopped at Big Bats to get gas and I went to Taco Johns for lunch. Then I drove to Manderson, my old home. I stopped in to say hi to the YouthWorks staff at Pine Ridge 1. I am their prayer partner and it was amazing to be able to encourage their Site Director and just let them know who I am and that they are in my constant prayers.
After visiting the YouthWorks staff I went to Pinkys Store. I was able to sit and visit with my dear friend Pinky and talk to her about what is happening in Manderson. Also I was able to hold her newly acquired Siamese kitten for about an hour. I met a woman who is a chaplain at the hospital in Rapid City. On the weekend she lives in a Yurt off of White Horse Creek Road.
Coming back I am reminded how much this place means to me and how much I love it. I love connecting with old friends and meeting new friends. I am excited to see what the next 3 weeks will bring.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Monday, June 6, 2011
More than a Free Indian Taco
I just finished "Love Wins" by Rob Bell and here is my reflection.
One of the more horrific experiences of my life, related to my experience of the Church, took place last summer while I was living and working of the Pine Ridge Reservation. A little about the community before I tell you the story, because I believe context will help you understand. Manderson, where I lived, is 15 miles from the closest gas pump; it has a school k-8, a college center, a tribal office, a tiny store where a gallon of milk costs $5, a post office, and a day care center. About 600 people live in the community. Pine Ridge has 80-90% unemployment, an average yearly income of about $3,500, and a life expectancy for men of 46 and women 52. There is one small Catholic Church in the community of Manderson and it does not have regular services. I can rattle off other stats but you get the point, life there is hard and if anyone needs to be shown the love of God it is the Lakota people.
While I was there working for YouthWorks hosting youth mission trips, my team and I worked to shoe the people in the community that we came because we loved them, another church group came for a week long mission trip. This group, who denomination will remain nameless, invited the entire community and the 70+ YouthWorks participants to a free Indian Taco meal. An Indian Taco, which is not a racist term trust me, is the best food in the world. My mouth waters just thinking it about them. Anyway I gave my permission for my group to be a part of this activity because a meal is a great way to engage with people and interact with them on an even level. The pastor planning this event plastered the community with signs inviting them to a free meal. No cost, nothing you have to give or do to be a part of it, just come and eat.
About 400 hungry people crammed into the tiny gym Wounded Knee District expecting a meal and were given instead a worship service. Hymns were sung from the stage while the White Christians attempted to engage the native people sitting at the tables across from them. Then came the message, it was at this point that I entered the gym, totally unaware of what was happening my community. I felt terrible. Here was this pastor speaking from the stage to a room full of hungry people telling them how if they only accepted Jesus into their hearts as their savior everything would be better. They wouldn't go to hell when they died. Even thinking about it makes me cringe; this pastor knew nothing about the pain that people lived with daily. The people who filled that gym expecting a meal lived in a daily hell. Hell was all around them, hell is not being able to feed their children, hell is be a child who is raped by his or her drunk uncle, hell is a 6 year old riding her bike for 2 days straight because she does not have place to sleep.
While I was sitting there cringing at the disgrace that the pastor was preaching in the name of Jesus he pulled out the classic, turn or burn moment. I am sure that some of you have experienced it.
He said, "Now everyone close your eyes," something no one did, "Now raise your hand if you don't want to spend eternity burning in hell."
I heard several people around me yell, "we are hungry and want to eat, just raise your hand."
The pastor, "We are not going to eat until someone comes to Jesus and steps away from Hell."
Finally after the acceptable number of people raised their hands, we were able to eat. The next day, an ice cream social was offered to the community and before they could get their ice cream they had to listen to the same message. Then the Christian's left, they did their good service to the poor Indians, and then went home.
I was left saddened and frankly amazed at how the love of God got boiled down to a way to get a free Indian taco or a free ice cream Sunday. I had invested a year of my life in that community showing people that being a Christian was about love and being able to see the love that God has for them. I did not see the point to warn people about hell, when it was all around them. What they need to see is heaven here and now. If you are going to describe a revolutionary concept to people speak of peace and love enduring and conquering all.
I read "Love Wins" with this story plastered to the front of my mind. When I read "Love Wins" I was looking for a reason to provide hope to a community that has none. Bell writes on page 179, "Life has never been about just 'getting in.' It's about thriving in God's good world. It's stillness, peace, and that feeling of your soul being at rest, while at the same time, it's about asking thing, learning things, creating things, and sharing it all with others who are fining the same kind of joy in the same good world."
"Love Wins," reminded me is so many beautiful ways that there is a place for everyone at the table of God, everyone from every nation. It reminded me that fear from going to hell or getting the ticket to go to heaven are not ways to minister to people or to show them the love of God. The good news is about more than getting a free Indian Taco. It is about creating a place for people to experience the love that God has to offer. For as Rob Bell would say, love wins.
One of the more horrific experiences of my life, related to my experience of the Church, took place last summer while I was living and working of the Pine Ridge Reservation. A little about the community before I tell you the story, because I believe context will help you understand. Manderson, where I lived, is 15 miles from the closest gas pump; it has a school k-8, a college center, a tribal office, a tiny store where a gallon of milk costs $5, a post office, and a day care center. About 600 people live in the community. Pine Ridge has 80-90% unemployment, an average yearly income of about $3,500, and a life expectancy for men of 46 and women 52. There is one small Catholic Church in the community of Manderson and it does not have regular services. I can rattle off other stats but you get the point, life there is hard and if anyone needs to be shown the love of God it is the Lakota people.
While I was there working for YouthWorks hosting youth mission trips, my team and I worked to shoe the people in the community that we came because we loved them, another church group came for a week long mission trip. This group, who denomination will remain nameless, invited the entire community and the 70+ YouthWorks participants to a free Indian Taco meal. An Indian Taco, which is not a racist term trust me, is the best food in the world. My mouth waters just thinking it about them. Anyway I gave my permission for my group to be a part of this activity because a meal is a great way to engage with people and interact with them on an even level. The pastor planning this event plastered the community with signs inviting them to a free meal. No cost, nothing you have to give or do to be a part of it, just come and eat.
About 400 hungry people crammed into the tiny gym Wounded Knee District expecting a meal and were given instead a worship service. Hymns were sung from the stage while the White Christians attempted to engage the native people sitting at the tables across from them. Then came the message, it was at this point that I entered the gym, totally unaware of what was happening my community. I felt terrible. Here was this pastor speaking from the stage to a room full of hungry people telling them how if they only accepted Jesus into their hearts as their savior everything would be better. They wouldn't go to hell when they died. Even thinking about it makes me cringe; this pastor knew nothing about the pain that people lived with daily. The people who filled that gym expecting a meal lived in a daily hell. Hell was all around them, hell is not being able to feed their children, hell is be a child who is raped by his or her drunk uncle, hell is a 6 year old riding her bike for 2 days straight because she does not have place to sleep.
While I was sitting there cringing at the disgrace that the pastor was preaching in the name of Jesus he pulled out the classic, turn or burn moment. I am sure that some of you have experienced it.
He said, "Now everyone close your eyes," something no one did, "Now raise your hand if you don't want to spend eternity burning in hell."
I heard several people around me yell, "we are hungry and want to eat, just raise your hand."
The pastor, "We are not going to eat until someone comes to Jesus and steps away from Hell."
Finally after the acceptable number of people raised their hands, we were able to eat. The next day, an ice cream social was offered to the community and before they could get their ice cream they had to listen to the same message. Then the Christian's left, they did their good service to the poor Indians, and then went home.
I was left saddened and frankly amazed at how the love of God got boiled down to a way to get a free Indian taco or a free ice cream Sunday. I had invested a year of my life in that community showing people that being a Christian was about love and being able to see the love that God has for them. I did not see the point to warn people about hell, when it was all around them. What they need to see is heaven here and now. If you are going to describe a revolutionary concept to people speak of peace and love enduring and conquering all.
I read "Love Wins" with this story plastered to the front of my mind. When I read "Love Wins" I was looking for a reason to provide hope to a community that has none. Bell writes on page 179, "Life has never been about just 'getting in.' It's about thriving in God's good world. It's stillness, peace, and that feeling of your soul being at rest, while at the same time, it's about asking thing, learning things, creating things, and sharing it all with others who are fining the same kind of joy in the same good world."
"Love Wins," reminded me is so many beautiful ways that there is a place for everyone at the table of God, everyone from every nation. It reminded me that fear from going to hell or getting the ticket to go to heaven are not ways to minister to people or to show them the love of God. The good news is about more than getting a free Indian Taco. It is about creating a place for people to experience the love that God has to offer. For as Rob Bell would say, love wins.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)