Hello Lovers,
Today is St. Valentine's Day and even though it is a Hallmark holiday, any day and every day is a great day to say "I love you" to our loved ones and our "not-so-much" loved ones. Don't miss the chance to say it! I LOVE YOU.
John 13:14
Monday, February 14, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Spanish Immersion, El Fin El Primero Semana
I am 10 days into my Cross Cultural Experience at New City Parish and South East Los Angeles. No, I am not in Watts or Compton. We started our Spanish immersion portion a week ago. I would like to say that I hadn't forgotten any of my university Spanish, but that wasn't true.
For the first 3 days, we lived with African American families in the Inglewood area and have over the past week experienced how Holy Trinity Lutheran Church expresses their faith within community (both the church and Inglewood). Then we transitioned to our Spanish immersion experience and moved in with our Spanish speaking family about 7 miles north of Inglewood. Every day I get up and my language class starts at 8:30 and continues to noon. Then we break for lunch and the afternoon is dedicated to the latino/a community and culture in Los Angeles. I then come home to do my "tarea". Today for example we spent the morning working on demonstrative and possessive pronouns, then ate lunch at St. Mark's LC with their
"between homes" folks, sang church music and liturgy in Spanish and then visited with the Esperanza community organization.
It is a very compelling experience to live with folks living between two cultures. In our home we have a mix of Mexican and Guatemalan culture along with 21st century U.S. culture. I have many more questions than I have answers, I am content to live in the tension. The hospitality and commitment of these communities with each other is amazing. I find myself asking, "Why do we insist on introducing complexity to our worship and lives? Do we really gain more than we lose? And focusing not on whose we are but rather who we are, who and "whose" have been lost?"
Hebrews 13:2 is circling in my head.
Hasta luego! Necessita completar mi tarea.
Gretchen
For the first 3 days, we lived with African American families in the Inglewood area and have over the past week experienced how Holy Trinity Lutheran Church expresses their faith within community (both the church and Inglewood). Then we transitioned to our Spanish immersion experience and moved in with our Spanish speaking family about 7 miles north of Inglewood. Every day I get up and my language class starts at 8:30 and continues to noon. Then we break for lunch and the afternoon is dedicated to the latino/a community and culture in Los Angeles. I then come home to do my "tarea". Today for example we spent the morning working on demonstrative and possessive pronouns, then ate lunch at St. Mark's LC with their
"between homes" folks, sang church music and liturgy in Spanish and then visited with the Esperanza community organization.
It is a very compelling experience to live with folks living between two cultures. In our home we have a mix of Mexican and Guatemalan culture along with 21st century U.S. culture. I have many more questions than I have answers, I am content to live in the tension. The hospitality and commitment of these communities with each other is amazing. I find myself asking, "Why do we insist on introducing complexity to our worship and lives? Do we really gain more than we lose? And focusing not on whose we are but rather who we are, who and "whose" have been lost?"
Hebrews 13:2 is circling in my head.
Hasta luego! Necessita completar mi tarea.
Gretchen
Friday, January 7, 2011
J-term Adventure
Hello from sunny Palm Springs!
At PLTS (and many seminaries, universities and college), January is set aside for the opportunity to either regain your bearings, partake of intensive classes or experience other educational and expansive programs. For me, this J-term, as they are called, will be spent in central Los Angeles. I and 14 other colleagues are embarking on our cross cultural experience by taking an intensive 3+ week class in Spanish and experiencing the New City Parish ministry. Lots of people have asked me what exactly it is that we are doing and my response (honestly) is "Well, this isn't a new program, I have a syllabus with books I have read and/or purchased and an address to which I am supposed to arrive at by 6 p.m. on Jan 7th...do I need to know more?" For some the answer would be "Yes, you need to know more." For me, the answer is "No." I tend to not want to many answers too early. If I have answers too early then I have more to wade through in reflection. But that is just me.
So, what is New City Parish? Well, it is a group of Lutheran churches who in the wake of the Rodney King riots decided that they needed to respond within their communities in a new way. I really recommend that you check out their website (which is below). Hopefully in the next 4 weeks I will have time to share some of my journal and experiences with you.
Pray for us. We will surely be thankful recipients of your thoughts and prayers as we are stretched beyond our growing edges.
Peace for all people,
Gretchen
www.newcityparish.org
At PLTS (and many seminaries, universities and college), January is set aside for the opportunity to either regain your bearings, partake of intensive classes or experience other educational and expansive programs. For me, this J-term, as they are called, will be spent in central Los Angeles. I and 14 other colleagues are embarking on our cross cultural experience by taking an intensive 3+ week class in Spanish and experiencing the New City Parish ministry. Lots of people have asked me what exactly it is that we are doing and my response (honestly) is "Well, this isn't a new program, I have a syllabus with books I have read and/or purchased and an address to which I am supposed to arrive at by 6 p.m. on Jan 7th...do I need to know more?" For some the answer would be "Yes, you need to know more." For me, the answer is "No." I tend to not want to many answers too early. If I have answers too early then I have more to wade through in reflection. But that is just me.
So, what is New City Parish? Well, it is a group of Lutheran churches who in the wake of the Rodney King riots decided that they needed to respond within their communities in a new way. I really recommend that you check out their website (which is below). Hopefully in the next 4 weeks I will have time to share some of my journal and experiences with you.
Pray for us. We will surely be thankful recipients of your thoughts and prayers as we are stretched beyond our growing edges.
Peace for all people,
Gretchen
www.newcityparish.org
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