Generation Dynamics in Immigrant Churches/Dinámicas Generacionales dentro de Iglesias Inmigrantes

By Deacon Jonathan Kindberg

I remember an English Sunday school class I was leading with Hispanic high-school students, while their parents were in a Spanish service. We were just beginning the book of Mark and were going in turns with each person in the circle reading several verses of a chapter. One student began to read: “The beginning of the good news about Heysoos the Messiah…” pronouncing Jesus’ name as “Heysoos” the anglicized version of the Spanish Jesús. This was both shocking and eye opening to me. Why did he pronounce it that way? First, I realized that this was probably this kids’ first time reading the Bible in English. Although he had grown up going to church, it was all in Spanish (his parent’s language) and so he really hadn’t heard in English (his preferred language) much about Jesus. Second I realized that in many Hispanic families, boys are given the name “Jesús.” Living in the U.S. in an environment dominated by English and English speakers who can’t pronounce names in Spanish very well, Jesús ends up getting pronounced “Hay-soos.” It’s Jesus in Espanglish. This experience awoke me to the tensions and dynamics of the second generation experience.

Daniel Rodriguez, citing the Pew Hispanic Center states, surprisingly, that 62% of all Hispanics/Latinos in the U.S. are native born and that of these only 4% are Spanish dominant.

First generation Hispanics are Hispanics that have immigrated to the United States from another country and prefer their native language and culture. However, when these immigrants have children (second generation Hispanics) they, by the fact of growing up in an English dominant school system and culture prefer English, though they are usually bilingual. By the time the second generation has kids, their kids (third generation Hispanics) are fully integrated into American culture and usually don’t speak Spanish at all. It is not uncommon to find third-generation grandchildren who are unable to speak to their first generation grandparents. This happens across the board and is not unique to Hispanic immigrants. Think of all the Americans who are descended from Swedish, German, and Italian immigrants…how many of them still speak Swedish, German or Italian?

As we think of the future of the Latino church and of the Anglican Church in US in general, reaching second generation Hispanics and doing church in a way that ministers to their unique needs is must. At this year’s Caminemos Juntos gathering in Fresno, CA, we will be talking about how to reach this unique population. We will also have a special session for 2nd generation Hispanic youth and encourage all leaders who are coming to bring with them a youth representative from their church.

Resumen:
Me acuerdo de un estudio bíblico en ingles que yo estaba dirigiendo con un grupo de adolecentes hispanos mientras sus papás estaban en un servicio en español. Estábamos recién empezando a leer juntos el evangelio de San Marcos y me di cuenta de que la mayoría de estos estudiantes, aunque habían estado en la iglesia casi toda sus vidas, no conocían mucho de Jesús y mucho menos habían escuchado de él en ingles. El problema era que ellos habían pertenecido a una iglesia de habla hispana por casi todas sus vidas que hacía todo en español aunque su idioma preferido es el inglés. Estos jóvenes no habían sido discipulados y estaban a punto de desaparecer de la iglesia. Este es el reto generacional en la cual se encuentra la iglesia inmigrante en Norte América. Los hispanos de segunda generación, nacidos en Estados Unidos, prefieren el inglés y muchas veces no pueden leer o entender bien el español. Los cultos y servicios que han sido planeados para sus padres y abuelos (los de primera generación) no son relevantes para ellos. Cuando la segunda generación tiene hijos (tercera generación) estos Hispanos ya no hablan español.

En una encuesta a nivel nacional por el Pew Hispanic Center, se descubrió que 62% de Hispanos en USA son nacidos aquí y de ellos solo 4% prefiere el español. 

Es tiempo que la iglesia latina empiece a darse cuenta de estos cambios. En la conferencia de Caminemos Juntos de este año estaremos hablando de cómo alcanzar la segunda generación de Hispanos que son el futuro de la iglesia. Tendremos también una sesión diseñada especialmente para los jóvenes de segunda generación y animamos a todos los que vienen que traigan a un joven de su iglesia también.

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A Kingdom Abrazo: My Ordination into the Sacred Order of Deacons

By Deacon Jonathan Kindberg

I live a somewhat bipolar existence. About half of my week I am “ministro Jónatan" - I preach in Spanish, play pickup soccer, eat tacos at La Rosita, live in “people time” where the scheduled time for events is flexible, and, except for my lily white skin, I feel Hispanic. The other half of my week I am "Mr. Kindberg,” the Swedish American: I eat mac and cheese, listen to Jazz, and am, as the Germans say überpünktlich or over punctual, often arriving not only on time but early to many of my meetings.

This last Tuesday, May 1st, I was ordained a transitional deacon by the laying on of hands of Archbishop Robert Duncan in a carefully crafted bilingual and bicultural service and my two, usually disconnected, halves came together in what was a rare Kingdom abrazo or embrace. Both my Hispanic parishioners and my white friends and Anglican coworkers were for the first time all in the same room at the same time worshipping the Lord together. It was a beautiful taste of heaven. “Fue Una misa muy bonita,” as many of the Hispanics said afterwards in their usual understated way. “Today heaven and earth meet,” is how Archbishop Bob Duncan put it after pronouncing several parts of the service in Spanish, to the delight of all.

In addition to the multi-cultural and multi-lingual milieu, it was also a multi-congregational event, an ordination into the regional church or “net.” This was displayed visually during communion with clergy and catechists from Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nigeria and nearly all the congregations of the net behind the altar raising their hands in worship. Different aspects of the service were led by different leaders from the net.

To top it all off, the reception was a real fiesta. There were cheese and crackers, muffins and huge vats of pozole (a hominy and chicken soup made on special occasions), which some of my parishioners had stayed up late into the night cooking, with a dessert of arroz con leche (rice pudding) to ease and facilitate conversation between people who would usually not encounter each other.

Click here for more photos.

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Cristo no es Victima si no Vencedor

By Jonathan Kindberg

Si cierras tus ojos y te imaginas a Cristo, ¿cómo se ve? Yo pienso que la mayoría de las personas visualizan a Cristo crucificado o al Cristo de la película La Pasión de Cristo: un Cristo ensangrentado y sufriendo. Visualizan al Cristo víctima. En el mundo Católico Hispano la mayoría de la imágenes que vemos reflejan este Cristo.

Cristo sí sufrió y sí murió, pero no fue víctima. Nadie le quitó su vida, sino que él la dio libremente. Cuando Pedro trató de defenderlo con violencia, lo paró, y sanó a su enemigo. Fácilmente hubiera podido llamar a diez mil ángeles a defenderle, pero no lo hizo. Morir era su misión, su propósito por la cual vino a este mundo. En Juan 10:18 Jesús dice: «Nadie me quita la vida, sino que yo la doy por mi propia voluntad. Tengo el derecho de darla y de volver a recibirla. Esto es lo que me ordenó mi Padre.» Una víctima es alguien quien sufre impotentemente a causa de otra persona. Es débil y no puede defenderse. Pero Jesús no fue una víctima:  él dio su vida libremente.  Nadie se la quitó.

Pero aun más, Jesús no quedó muerto: ¡Resucitó! Venció al enemigo más potente de este mundo: la muerte. Le robó a Satanás su arma más fuerte y lo dejó impotente. Regresó a la vida para darnos a nosotros vida.

Mucha gente no conoce a este Cristo. Muchos, especialmente en la comunidad Hispana, que tanto conoce el sufrimiento y la opresión, no conocen el poder y la victoria del Cristo vivo, del Cristo que resucitó. Los que conocen al Cristo vivo, el vencedor, él que no fue víctima, no se dejan ser victimizados tampoco. Los que conocen al Cristo vivo empiezan a vivir vidas de victoria también. Aunque se enfrentan a dificultades, con el poder de Cristo se los enfrentan con confianza y valentía....y los sobrepasan. Ya no tienen miedo. Y como dijo tan famosamente Cesar Chávez: «A los que ya no temen no se les puede oprimir.»

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Caminando con Cristo on Good Friday

By Jonathan Kindberg

This last week I had a post-holy week debrief with my leadership team from Iglesia de la Resurrección and Santa Cruz. As we went around the circle, each individual told their most memorable moment of Holy Week. To my surprise, almost every leader mentioned our Good Friday procession.

One of my leaders told how this procession helped them enter into to the reality of Jesus' suffering. One leader mentioned how it brought her back to her childhood days of walking in procession during Holy Week with her grandmother in Mexico.

   "These traditions are a part of our heritage, but when we come to this country they are lost. No one does processions here." For many it was the first time in years that they had been a part of one.

What exactly was this procession? On Good Friday, Iglesia de la Resurrección joined with our new church plant, Santa Cruz, to do an outdoor stations of the cross through neighborhood streets in Glen Ellyn. We sang and walked, pausing at various points for readings and prayers, marking each step of Jesus' journey towards Golgotha. Our journey began with a prayer: "Lord, allow us to walk with you in remembrance of these sacred mysteries" and between each stations we sang "I will walk in the presence of the Lord."

At the stripping of Jesus' clothes we prayed for the homeless and the naked. When Jesus' cross was taken by Simon of Cyrene, we prayed for immigrants and a just immigration policy. When his hands and side were pierced we prayed for all those suffering from violence in Mexico and Latin America.

The response from those we passed by was mixed. As we went by the first house, the windows which were partly open were quickly shuttered closed. Some passersby exchanged bewildered looks and hurried on their way. At another house, as we paused to do the readings for one of the stations, a man reverently knelt down at his window in prayer.

For all of us it was a vivid reminder of the public and scandalous nature of Jesus' crucifixion and death and of Jesus' invitation to walk every day and everywhere in the light of his presence. It brought all the more close to home our parish's mission statement:

"Walking with Christ, Transformed by him, Transforming the world.
Caminando Con Cristo, Cambiados por él, Cambiando al mundo."

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Hospitality and Space Sharing

By Jonathan Kindberg

Let all guests who arrive be received like Christ, for he is going to say, “I came as a guest, and you received me.” - Rule of St. Benedict

“After 30 days a guest becomes family.” - Arab proverb

Over the next 3 years the Mission On Our Doorsteps movement, which I help lead, is focusing on 4 key initiatives in which we hope to spark transformation: immigration, human trafficking, generational issues in immigrant churches and host and hosted church relationships. At the last conference I was privileged to help facilitate the host and hosted church relationship track and to listen in on what became a fascinating and engaging time of honest dialog between immigrant church leaders and predominantly Anglo church leaders who are hosting immigrant churches in their buildings.

The reality of multiple churches, including immigrant churches, sharing the same church building is increasingly becoming the norm around the country-especially in urban areas. In a study done of 617 congregations in Boston, Cambridge and Brookline, Massachussets 32% share worship space with at least one other congregation. These space sharing scenarios are pregnant with kingdom potential but also with the potential for kingdom conflict.

The theme of hospitality was one of the topics which arose in the midst of the conversations conversation between leaders at Mission On Our Doorsteps.

In the West we Anglos have generally lost the virtue of hospitality, a virtue highly valued and deeply practiced in much of the rest of the cultures of the world. Eating together in someone else’s home or simply drinking together an evening cup of coffee, a daily experience in the Global South, is becoming a rare thing in the dominant culture in North America. When hospitality is practiced, we have watered it down and made it “soft sweet kindness, tea parties, bland conversations and a general atmosphere of coziness” to those who are like us, as Henri Nouwen says in his book “Reaching Out.” We have forgotten the risky, costly nature of hospitality as a welcoming in of the stranger and hospitality to the other as a two way exchange in which the guest is receiving the gifts of the host and the host is giving room for the expression and reception of the gifts of the guests. Hospitality as mutual exchange and enrichment.

Christine Pohl in her work “Making Room: Recovering Hospitality as a Christian Tradition” states: “I believe that hospitality…means to give of yourself…(in) other types of services you can give of your talents or…skills or…resources…The tasks aren’t what hospitality is about, hospitality is giving of yourself. If hospitality involves sharing your life and sharing in the lives of others, guests/strangers are not first defined by their need. Lives and resources are much more complexly intertwined, and roles are much less predictable” (p. 72).

What would it look like if this kind of radical hospitality were to permeate the church today? How would our buildings be used differently? What if we all, Anglo and minority church leaders, began to see the “other” as a blessing to be received rather than a danger to be avoided? How would our relationships look with those whom we shared building space with? What if we began to see “the guest as a guest of God,” as a middle-eastern proverb states? I think this would radically change the nature of host and hosted church relationships and the face of the church today.

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