Congregation Life

La Gente de Congregación de San Timoteo

Porque donde hay dos o tres reunidos en mi Nombre, yo estoy presente en medio de ellos. 

Mateo 18.20

For where two or three gather in my name, I am there among them. Matthew 18.20

I cannot recall exactly when I learned this bible verse; like much of my bible knowledge, it is something unconsciously stored in my mind. Being raised in a church has given me lessons of scripture that I often do not realize I have learned; much different than the memorization of the books of the bible (thank you 6th grade Sunday school teacher Michele Bobo!).

However, there is a difference between knowing and understanding. This is one of those verses that I really had not much given much thought to except when thinking about one-on-one discussions of spirituality that I have had with friends. Yet, as I have been welcomed and accepted into the community of San Timoteo, my understanding of this verse has deepen.

Some background: in the United States, I belong to Epiphany Lutheran Church of Toledo, Ohio which is a part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA). During the 1950s, the ELCA sent missionaries to Argentina and Uruguay to share their faith perspective and establish churches and schools. They formed the Iglesia Evangelica Luterana Unida (IELU) and now there are over 30 congregations throughout the two countries.

I have been fortunate to have visited many different ELCA congregations in the U.S. from big to small, young to old, diverse to homogeneous. I was told before arriving that the IELU had much fewer members than I was used to; I was surprised to actually see how few.

Most of the congregations in the IELU have around 15 members. When I first arrived, Iván, the pastor of San Timoteo, told me that typically they have maybe 9 or 10 people for worship and sometimes during poor weather it can be 4 or 5. La Plata is a city known for its universities so we also have a young adult group of about 10 that has their own meetings and events.

Such a difference than what I am accustomed to! In the U.S., my home congregation has about 50 people for each of their three services. That does not take into account the Wednesday worship, bible studies, youth events or the various community organizations who use our building.

During my time with San Timoteo I have witnessed the closeness that grows between a few. In general, I have found Argentines are more familiar with each other. For example, when greeting each other we press our right check to the other's and make an air kiss/smoochy sound; sometimes you may get a real kiss on the cheek, usually by a child or an elderly person. Nothing remotely romantic or sexual; this is simply how you greet every person, whether you have previously met them or not. I like the closeness it brings and that it eliminates the American dilemma of handshake, wave, or hug.

The people of San Timoteo are not close because they are Argentine but because they choose to form a community. They choose to attend worship, bible studies, and other events knowing that only a few people may be participating; actually, this may encourage them to participate more, I'm not sure. They get to know one another on a deeper level that big groups simply cannot obtain.

The size of the church also gives the members a different sense of responsibility than I am used to experiencing. The only person who is financial supported by the church is Iván the pastor yet everyone contributes their time, energy, and money to supporting the building and the people. I have seen Marta clean the floors and pick up trash from the outside of the building. Carlos will answer emails and update the church Facebook page. Nico is musician for worship and if he is unable to attend, Iván plays guitar and leads us in song. From a monetary perspective, I do not know much but I do know that it is up to the people to provide for each other. If we run out of coffee, someone buys some for the next time. If we are having some sort of meeting during lunch time, there is not a set aside budget but we all contribute some money.

I think of the attitudes the U.S. over the fear of shrinking congregations. Part worried about sustaining and part reminiscent of the past, organizations focus on numbers of bodies in the seats. By the standards of U.S. congregations, this congregation would be considered 'dead' a long time ago. Yet how can that be said when they keep returning for knowledge of the Word and nourishment for their souls? Why do we look at numbers before looking at the strength and bonds of a community? Why do we look at numbers at all when concepts of faith and hope are immeasurable?

I am inspired to rethink the standard in my head of what a successful organization looks like; it is clearly not based on size or money. The words mission, dedication, and hope come to mind. What do you think of?

Peace, Love, &
Joy

Example an Argentine greeting via Google

Transformed the worship space for an ecumenical Taize service

Lutero y Cerveza con los jovenes
Luther and Beer with the young adult group

First month in La Plata

el limonero de las estaciones

Saludos desde Argentina!

October already! While many of you are planning your Halloween costumes and consuming everything pumpkin spice, we just had la primera semana de primavera, or the first week of spring. This is a season of new life and today as I walked through La Plata, the city I now call home, I noticed the fuller, greener trees that line the streets. There are new beginnings and fresh perspectives growing internally as well; I am delighted to have arrived during a season that fits so metaphorically well.

The first two weeks I spent in Argentina was in the capital city of Buenos Aires, housed in the retreat center and main office building of the Iglesia Evangelica Luterna Unida (IELU). Inside these walls we were warmly welcomed and showered with hospitality which made the transition easier. Myself and the six other volunteers from all over the United States were able to have our first experiences in this unknown country together. We practiced riding public transportation, shopping, and even asking people for directions (I did not understand the replies but their hand movements were very helpful). Furthermore, this was a time to bond as a group of volunteers, center ourselves spiritually, and learn some of the rich history and context for where we will serve. We left with tons of emotions but feeling connected to each other and a little more confident in ourselves for the year ahead.

A lot of that confidence seemed to disappear as I rode the 2 hour bus ride to La Plata, replaced by nervousness and uncertainty. However, as we all shared pizza together that first night, I realized I had nothing to fear from my housemates except the rapid speed of their conversations. I live in a student residence called a hogar which houses 5 other girls, 3 guys, 2 cats, and a dog named Mora or Pancha depending who you ask. I feel very lucky to be in this place where I can share meals, beer, and conversation with young people that are no longer just housemates but friends.

During the first night, I was having a conversation with my friend Nico in the spacious backyard of the hogar. Nico speaks English so we are able to have conversations that are more thorough than any I typically have (my Spanish level is improving daily but is still truly basic). He showed me a bush that is on the edge of the yard called a limonero de las cuatro estaciones which translates to a four seasons lemon tree. While the fruit, which is available all year, looks like a mandarin and smells like a mandarin, the taste is more sour than a lemon.

What a perfect metaphor for expectations, I thought. Because I may want to come into this place with absolutely no expectations but that is just not the reality. The human brain will see something and try to identify, classify and compare it to prior experiences and knowledge. No matter how open-minded we are, if we will see something that looks like an orange it will be called an orange until proven differently. There will be situations where I may think I understand but I will need to remember that I do not know what is under the surface or the contextual background. Perhaps it is instinctual to categorize and simplify but, at best, it dulls and subdues fine distinctions and, at worst, it is completely inaccurate and sour. Instead of a juicy orange you get the harsh bite of a lemon.

Yet as I have been settling into my life here, I realize that I should let go some expectations of myself as well. When preparing my suitcases for the year, I packed health magazines, running shoes, books of Spanish literature; all objects to assist me in my ambitious goals of transformation. I planned to exercise every day, eat only salads, and practice Spanish for 2 hours daily so by the end of the year I would be completely fluent.

Fantastic goals? Sí. Realistic? Not so much.

Somehow I believed that being in a new place would so completely change my personality; I could be that driven individual who wakes up at 5am for morning runs and study for hours on end. While I can adopt some of these habits with time and patience, I am still a person who chooses ice cream over exercise, siesta over studying, and late night conversation over sleep. I can try to adopt some healthy lifestyle changes but only gradually and with forgiveness, instead of negativity when I falter.

Because if I do not learn perfect Spanish this year, that does not mean I should only speak English; it means I keep speaking no matter how poor it sounds and keep listening when I do not understand. If I do not have the perfect body or eat the healthiest, that does not mean I should stay in my room in seclusion; it means trying to incorporate healthy choices without denying the sweet things in life, without any negative self talk.

I need to embrace the person who I am right now in order to actively live in the moment. Lose the expectations of myself for the future and even strip away strict images of my identity I hold close. Love the person who I am currently and set her free to love others. I need to not worry about my ideal self of the future but instead thrive right here, right now.

Abrazos y Besos,

Joy

The mates in Olivos, Buenos Aires

San Timoteo to the left and the hogar in the back right

The view from my window

Seriously watching the birds on the roof patio with Pilar's cat Charley
 (a week after this photo he killed one so maybe I should not have encouraged this behavior)