An Inside/Outside View

Last Thursday I was honored to be able to sit in on the Synod meeting of the Reformed Church in Hungary. The Synod is the most important policy-making body of the RCH. Yet again I found myself in an interesting position (I'm beginning to notice a trend). On one hand, I have been preparing for this Synod essentially since I arrived. I knew the proposal documents and schedule, inside and out, because I worked with my teammates to translate them into English. I suppose it's as easy as that, I am a member of the Ecumenical Office team. The RCH is my employer, my home away from home, yet foreign to me at the same time. And that's the flip-side, I had an inside view of everything but I was also experiencing it for the first time - as an outsider.

Yes, I see the irony.

It's a nerve-racking position, I won't lie. Everything was new. I saw everything with fresh eyes and was in awe of the tradition and meaning that went into the Synod meeting. However, I had to keep all of this to myself because in the eyes of our international delegates, I belonged there and it was all business as usual. Or perhaps it was just me that felt that way...

Either way, the Synod was a wonderful experience. Myself and the other members of the Ecumenical Office were hosts and tour guides, of sorts, for the international delegates from partner churches of the RCH. I was extremely lucky to meet 11 representatives from all over the world. I took notes at the final delegate meeting, which was focused on their reflection of the Synod, and I felt so blessed to simply listen to the conversation. The caring and compassion they showed, the interest, the honesty, are testaments to the community of Christ's church. I was hanging on to every story or experience. The partners showed a passion for the work being done in Hungary, a connection for the shared struggles and a genuine interest to work together.

Sightseeing with the delegates plus Kriszti and Dóri

Of course I am taking the photo...

It's not an easy thing to be the outsider, especially in a circumstance steeped in such substance and significance. It's an even stranger experience to be an internal outsider. However, I can honestly say that I took pride in the Synod, even though I only participated in a small part of it. This fall meeting of the Synod followed a theme of reflection and revision. There were several proposals concerning the role of the church in an ever-changing Hungary, and ever-changing Europe and an ever-changing world. The questions and challenges of the Reformed Church in Hungary are the same ones churches are facing in the United States and around the world - global issues for a global church. How do you attract today's youth? How do you involve them in the congregation, so that they have ownership and accountability in their community? In a world where people move at the drop of a hat, how do we sustain healthy congregations? The list is seemingly endless. The Church Revision Committee of the RCH is creating a dialogue between Reformed congregations about these issues. It is examining, through sociological research, the structures and traditions of the church and questioning their aim, purpose and relevance. And while I think it will be a long journey for the RCH, I believe it is a strong step forward. The world is a wonderfully diverse place, a moving target of experience, belief and faith, and today's church must be introspective to determine if it is growing too, or remaining still and stagnant.

Kobus Gerber, the General Secretary of the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa, told me something while he was in Budapest that may very well be the best advice I have every received. He said, "Let the water flow." I think this is a powerful image that applies to many circumstances, and I believe it is apt advice for the church as well. The church is defined by its parishioners,  its people. It is much more difficult to remain still and struggle to hold the water at bay, than it is to release it. The church must let the water flow and allow itself to flow along with it as equal parts. Only then will we know true community and true communion together.

Below My Feet

Where am I?

Cyberspace.

You know what's great about the Internet? Interconnectivity. I am truly thankful that I can log on to my email and receive messages from my friends and family back home. I am beyond excited that I can stay up to date on those Fighting Tigers of LSU, with scores and recaps of each game. I love sharing my culture with coworkers - showing Youtube videos of classic American music, funny pranks or new music I can't get out of my head. I love being able to connect with new friends in Hungary via Facebook. I love that I have this blog, and I can attempt to express the myriad of emotions I am trying to handle.

I love it, but...

I love it, but I wonder if it keeps me from fully embracing my new life in Budapest. Does this blessing of communication continue to trap me in a comfort zone I established for myself thousands of miles away? It is so easy to remain entrenched in American entertainment, American issues and the American lifestyle. Am I unwittingly forcing my culture onto those around me when I should be doing everything in my power to absorb theirs? I've moved away physically, but have I moved away emotionally?

Is the Internet a blessing or a curse?

I honestly don't know. There are pros and cons to every issue. To tell you the truth, I think it has been a blessing and a curse since it's inception. The real question lies within me, the user. How am I using the Internet? Is it a detriment to my time here in Hungary, an electronic buffer zone keeping others at bay, or  a means to share, learn and communicate?

I know one thing, it's going to be a challenge. It's so easy for me, a member of the technologically savvy generation, to open up my laptop and get lost in cyberspace. What will it take to keep me grounded?

What a great question. It's one that does not have an easy answer, and I take great comfort in knowing that my fellow humans struggle with the same issue. The advent of a virtual community and virtual world has only made our self-centered natures more public, and somehow more encouraged.

Recently, I have been listening to the new album by Mumford and Sons. By far, my favorite song is "Below My Feet." The lyrics to the chorus are:

Keep the earth below my feet

For all my sweat, my blood runs weak

Let me learn from where I have been

Keep my eyes to serve, my hands to learn

Keep my eyes to serve, my hands to learn

This imagery really spoke to me as I wrote this post. Now, I promise I had full intentions of writing a well formed and entertaining entry without mentioning Mumford and Sons, but I couldn't decide how to properly end it. The conclusion I had written was empty - an open question where definition was necessary. So, I left the post to fester as a draft. I've come back to it several times and each time I came back to an illformed and lackluster ending. But today, something changed and this chorus jumped to mind.

Don't forget where you are or where you come from. Remember you were put on this earth to learn and to serve, and that your definition of the two may be backward. It is a blessing that we are able to learn from one another and teach each other at the same time. Keep the earth below your feet and you'll always be grounded.

Becoming a Student Again

I feel like I have been so busy. Like I've done everything and nothing all at the same time. I really am starting to get into a groove over here. School - work - homework. It's been a strange thing going back to school. My mind has been groomed for the past 16 years on how to be a student. I've slipped back into this role as if I had never left. And I really am enjoying learning this language, even though I'm still embarrassed to try it outside of the classroom!

Strangely enough, I feel like a student at work as well. I have been reading a lot. I am not only learning about what the Reformed Church in Hungary (RCH) is doing at this time but also trying to discover more about the belief foundation that shaped the Reformed Church of today. And I want to challenge all of you to learn more about it too! Become a student again. The RCH has recently launched its English website (www.reformatus.hu/english/), and we have put up several new articles from leaders of the Reformed Church in Hungary. Please, take some time to learn about the folks I will be sharing my time with for the next year! You might be surprised at what you find.

Ministry is something to be shared, not hidden away. The difficulties churches face in the U.S. are the same struggles in Hungary. The joys of community, love and understanding must be global goals. After all, who are we really without our brothers and sisters in Christ? The journey to relationship starts with connection.

Ephesians 2: 19-22
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.