Prayer and Reflection

I notice that a lot of the attendees of mass are elderly. As I was praying, a word that came to mind was "respect." I ought to show a lot of respect for Gordon. He's 85 years old. I think that he chooses to believe that I am seriously thinking about converting to Catholicism while I continue to mention that I am observing for class; however, an interest in the doctrines of Catholicism has been sparked in my mind. There is a part of me that feels that I should be thinking about the fun of the weekend and not thinking about differences between Catholics and Protestants. This is what most young people are thinking about. That's why you won't see them at mass. It seems like the older you get, the more inclined you are to "get religion" as the possibility of death becomes greater. Maybe this is why mainly old folks are at mass. Hopefully visiting the Catholic church will help me to clarify my beliefs while I talk to mentors and teachers at Biola to gain a clear understanding of different church doctrines. I pray that this is wise and not vain.

There is a sense of reverence in the Catholic church. I pray that I treat my walk with Christ with a greater sense of reverence and place my focus on him, not on rituals. I am actually going to visit again soon, not for class. I pray that God would give me prudence as I further investigate Catholic beliefs. I also pray that God will continue to show me ways in which other people perceive him so that I can gain a greater understanding, and hopefully a truthful understanding of Him.

St. Paul of the Cross Revisited

My friend Gordon from St. Paul of the Cross invited me back to mass to visit. In my last blog about St. Paul of the Cross, I did not mention that I visited Gordon's house after mass. We stopped by so Gordon could get me some Catholic literature, which I posted on my last blog. His house seemed distinctly Catholic. He had pictures of Mary, saints, and Popes on his walls. He receives a lot of Catholic literature in the mail from different organizations. Catholicism seems to be part of his lens through which he perceives the world. Gordon seems pretty set on converting me to Catholicism. While I don't feel convicted to convert, I do feel as though I should learn more about Catholicism. In doing so, I will discover more about church history as well as doctrine on which Catholics and Protestants disagree.

This mass had more attendees than the last mass I visited. It was Fat Tuesday. The congregation seemed a bit more diverse this time too. Half, if not more, of the congregation was Latino. The woman with the powerful voice leading the hymns was African American. The head pastor gave the sermon this time. He was Filipino. I attended the Fat Tuesday Lasagna dinner that night and the demographics seemed to be about the same. The pastor was very casually dressed, which actually made him seem a lot friendlier to me. Everyone I met was friendly. Gordon told them that I was looking into the Catholic faith. Then I would tell them that I had come for a class requirement and Gordon had been entertaining any curiosities I had about Catholicism. I tried to ask Gordon questions about Catholicism that puzzled me, but he didn't seem to answer my questions with information I didn't already know. I'll have to talk to the pastor sometime. Gordon did give me an article written by a convert to Catholicism. I have posted it below. Click on the pages to enlarge them. This article raises more questions in my mind about Catholic doctrine. The most puzzling thing to me is their belief that the Eucharist is the actual body and blood of Christ, not a symbol. These visits to mass have made more curious about how the church formed and how different churches formed different beliefs.

Frank Hermann Article Pages 1-3

Frank Hermann Article Pages 4-8

Oraciones y Reflexiones

Visiting Semillia de Mostaza makes me remember the times I have visited Mexico. All the times I have been in Mexico I have been on mission trips and I have been around Mexican Christians. When I've been in Mexico, I have felt closest to God. There is more of a simplicity about the Christian walk in Mexico. There is also a greater reliance on God. Semillia de Mostaza was a small dose of Mexico for me.

Right now, there is a complication in my walk with Christ. I find myself getting hung up on little issues that cause doubts. When I am struggling with such issues, I tend to forget about the work of the Spirit. Somehow I can ignore the closeness with God I have experienced when my faith is challenged. What can I do about this? One option is moving to Mexico. Jose invited me to go with him if he moves there. This will require more prayer. Another option is to be in constant remembrance of God’s work in my life. I can continue to struggle answering difficult questions while being affirmed by the work that the Spirit has already done in me. Another thing I need to do is continue to rely on God. I have just about everything I need to survive comfortably at this point in my life. Giving something up might be a way to focus on how much I need God to sustain me.

Semilla de Mostaza

Last Sunday I visited Semilla de Mostaza. In English this means "faith of a mustard seed." Semilla de Mostaza is a Spanish-speaking, Foursquare church that congregates after the English-speaking service I regularly attend. Jose and Arlene Coronado pastor Semilla de Mostaza. They started the church three and a half years ago with only two other members. Now the membership has grown to about seventy-five. Jose believes that God wants to use them to plant churches, so their family may move to Mexico to plant another church within the next year. Jose is from Guadalajara. He told me that the best and fastest way to learn Spanish is to get a Mexican girlfriend. I supposed I wouldn't be opposed to this method of learning, but as I observed the service I realized that my Spanish comprehension has greatly increased in the past year due to the classes I have taken. I was easily able to pick up the main points of Jose's sermon. The gentleman in front of me, Victor, was nice enough to translate the service for me by writing the sermon notes in English. Here's the program the Semilla de Mostaza provides with the notes Victor wrote.

Victor says that he prefers to worship in English, but Semilla de Mostaza is the best church for his family.

I was the only Anglo looking person at the service, but I wasn't bothered by it. I had met several of the church members after the service I usually attend. One of the most culturally different things about Semilla de Mostaza is the music. Some people clap on beats 1 and 3. Other people clap on beats 2 and 4. People bring tambourines and even dance a bit. There is a lot of applause and shouting between songs. Here's a video of a worship song.



During the time in the service to meet and greet one another, people seemed to be quite friendly. They greeted each other, "Dios te bendiga." People kissed one another on the cheek and the time of greeting lasted longer than it does in services I usually attend.

During this service was the first time I had seen someone "slain in the Spirit." It was really a bit strange to me. Jose called people to the front. People began speaking in tongues and praying over a particular woman. Jose touched her head and she fell on the ground prostrate, weeping. I hadn't experienced something like this in the past. I'm not quite sure how I feel about it. My confusion was only heightened because people were speaking in Spanish and in tongues. This week I encountered things that were culturally different and spiritually different. What will I experience in the weeks to come?

Pray and Reflections on Step Off

I knew going to Step Off that I would be uncomfortable. I didn't know anyone there and I knew that the people I met were going to be different from me. Knowing that Step Off was a church definitely made me more comfortable because I knew that someone would feel obligated to say "hi" to me. I don't have much in common with Asian gangsters. As I prayed about Step Off I thought about Sam's sermon. He said to find out why something is important to others that is not important to you. Not only do I feel uncomfortable around Asian gangsters, but I feel uncomfortable around a lot of people. I felt convicted by Sam's message because I'm not sure if I really care about what is important to others whether they are Asian gangsters, someone from a different back ground, or just someone with whom I've never been able to hold a conversation. I feel like God is telling me to talk to people I am not naturally inclined to talk to and find out what is important to them and why. I've never been good at starting conversations. I don't know how I am going to do this yet, but I will continue to pray about it.

Police Raid Targerts Suspected Rialto Gang Members

The source material for this blog post is a July 3, 2008 article in the LA Times written by Francisco Vara-Orta. Click here to view the article. According to this article, 120 officers were involved in sweeping San Bernardino County to remove members of the South Side Rialto gang from the streets. Lt. Joe Cirilo of the Rialto Police Department said, “These gang members have been involved in homicides, assaults with a deadly weapon, shootings and other violent crime.” He added, "They are without a doubt destroying the quality of life here.” Police arrested at least 15 gang members, 13 of whom were on probation or parole. Officers confiscated 25 fire arms and gang paraphernalia. Eighteen of the guns were found in the home of Rialto rapper, "Cam-Capone." I found Cam-Capone on Youtube. His rhymes are potent and profane. Take a look.





These videos make me feel a few different things. My first reaction is laughter. These videos are poorly made a kind of lame. They reminds me of being in seven grade and making ridiculous videos with my brothers and friends. We would run around with toy guns and whatnot, but the guns in Cam-Capone's videos are real. So I also feel a little bit of pain and sorrow when I watch these videos because these men are real and dangerous...but still goofy.

Step Off Ministries

Last Sunday Night I attended a service at Step Off Ministries. Step Off is a ministry targeted at Asian gangsters. So I felt a little out of place when I first walked in. A group of people were smoking out front. The entrance was a big garage door that opened up into what looked like a small warehouse with graffiti on the walls. A table was set up with refreshments on it. A few sofas were facing a flat screen TV. A weight bench and punching bag occupied one corner and a basketball hoop was stationed on the other side of the room. White lawn chairs facing a stage took up most of the room. I was greeted by Mark, a staff member of Step Off. He told me a little bit about the ministry and gave me the information that I have posted below. Click on the documents to make them larger.

I think it is interesting that the pastor refers to gangsters as knuckle heads in this greeting.

A Christian music label, studio, and radio station seem ambitious to me, but God has allowed the ministry to be very effective and I don't doubt that these goals will be blessed. This video gives a good feel for what Step Off is all about.

Step Off records all of their sermons and posts them on their website. Check out photos of Step Off here.

The service began with very loud worship music. The room they meet in is not designed to soak up any sound. I was familiar with the songs they played, they were just a lot louder than usual. After the songs ended, the sermon began. Sam, the head pastor, spoke about resolving conflict without creating more conflict by fighting. The way that Sam presented the message seemed very accessible to gangsters. He even used mild language as he preached. He challenged the young congregation to find out why something is important to others that is not important to one's self. The word that would sum up this sermon is, "listen." He preached from Proverbs 18:13 and Proverbs 20:5. Sam must do a lot of listening to find out what is important to gangsters. He's got to listen to have an effective ministry. I talked to Sam after the service. He told me that you know you've messed your life up if you are attending Step Off. The members at step off are very honest about having messed up their lives in the past, but they truly desire to know God and walk on the path of Righteousness.

Time Log: Feb. 15, 2009. 7pm-8pm.

Faith in Film

As I mentioned in my description of Southlands, the church had a “Faith in Film” series. I found an archived commentary on Christianity Today’s website concerning the “Faith in Film” topic. The archived material I found is from 7/13/2005. It is a debate between two filmmakers: Rik Swartzwelder and Angela Harvey. They attempt to answer the question, “Should Films be Faith-Explicit?” And more specifically, “Should films be used as a recruiting tool by Christians?” Different people will answer these questions differently. That’s why this commentary is in the form of a debate. Both filmmakers agree that there is a balance between leaving religious content out of films and using a film to preach. You can access their debate by clicking here. I have included several quotes that represent the greatest points of each filmmaker.

“I can think of only one reason why Christians would want religious content completely cut out of a film, and that's fear. They fear personal rejection and embarrassment, or they fear the film will be poorly executed, resulting in a further demeaning of themselves, the gospel and the Church.”
-Angela Harvey

“Hiding our faith isn't the answer, but at the same time, I don't think it's necessarily appropriate to scream that we are Christians from the tops of our lungs. There's a balance.”
-Angela Harvey

“People in Western society have firmly rooted belief patterns and stereotypes in mind when it comes to Christianity. When they're presented with something that is obviously "Christian" or labeled as such, they don't come to the table open-minded. They're bringing a lifetime of baggage with them. We don't have the luxury of putting our faith on display for casual observation. We have to be more creative than ever. I'm not suggesting that we should hide the four spiritual laws in every script and hope that people try to weed them out like some form of Where's Waldo. Embracing faith is a process, not an event. Films woven with scripture and the idea of personal salvation can help people along in that process.”
-Angela Harvey

“This isn't about creating commercials for Christianity or servicing a niche market; it's about telling truthful stories and creating distinct works of art.”
-Rik Swartzwelder

“As filmmakers of faith, our highest calling is to be truthful to what we know and believe and share that with others—not to play spin doctor for the Almighty, as if God would even need such a thing. And, to me, "well-rounded Christian characters" means characters that are just as flawed as the rest of humanity—just like in the Bible. I, for one, am rather grateful that God gave us the whole story and not just an advertisement.”
-Rik Swartzwelder

“How many people have truly committed their lives to Christ primarily because of watching a movie, or hearing a song, or studying a piece of art? Films can plant seeds, possibly give a nudge toward God, but, it's by interacting with real people in the real world that most people are drawn to the Kingdom.”
-Rik Swartzwelder

Prayer and Reflections on Southlands

As I spent time praying about Southlands, I realized that Southlands and the church I currently attend are very different. I consider Southlands a big church. The church I attend has about 25 people on Sunday mornings. Southlands is filled with young people. At my church I am the only college aged person who attends. The worship music at Southlands is driving and exciting. The music at my church isn't as exciting. Southlands is building a new campus. The church I attend struggles to pay the bills every month. A church like Southlands might have a lot more to offer me, but going to church is not just about one's self. God is helping me to realize that I am really needed by the small congregation of which I am a part. I can serve at my church much more than I think I could at a larger church. Though the church I attend does not have as much initial appeal as Southlands, I believe it is very important to me to serve my church in the way that I have and even find new ways to be of use.

Southlands Church International

Last Sunday night I attended Southlands Church International. I figured this church would be a great church to investigate for this class because of the focus they place on media. Last semester Southlands showed some Biola Student Films for a “Faith and Film” series. Here is one of the films they showed called “My Suburban Tea.”



They used this video to discuss how to get out of one's comfort zone. Southlands seems pretty hip on the media scene. Their website looks great and they keep an archive of their sermons. You can access them by clicking here.

When I visited last Sunday, I came with four friends from Biola, two of whom actually created "My Suburban Tea." As college students, we seemed to fit in with the other 250 members attending that night. The Sunday night crowd was primarily young--college age, young couples and young parents. I only saw two couples who looked like they were over 60. Everyone seemed to dress pretty hip too. People were not in their "Sunday best," but everyone seemed to have a sense of fashion. Ethnically, the crowd was primarily white, but several other ethnicities were represented. Southlands actually has translation into Spanish and Mandarin available for anyone in need of such services. The pastor and much of the church's staff come from South Africa.

The building they are meeting in used to be a manufacturing facility for prosthetics. Everything is being re-done, so the service was held in a large room with unpainted dry wall, uncovered pipes and utility lines, and a concrete floor. It was decorated with cool lamps and green and blue LED lights that shined on the unpainted walls. Everyone was super friendly and welcoming in a sincere way. Just walking in the church felt good. Southlands is a church I would bring a friend who is a non-believer in hopes of removing preconceived notions about church from their mind.

Worship was done skillfully. Drums, a key board, two guitars, a bass and two singers led the congregation in very driving songs that I am familiar with through leading worship in high school and college services. People raised their hands, hooted and hollered, and even danced a little. There was an open mic during worship for anyone who had a word to share during a musical break.

The sermon seemed kind of out of place. Right now Southlands is doing a series on Song of Solomon called "Wonderland Lovers." The sermon seemed like something that would have been shared at a conference for high school and college students. The bulk of the message was really about not pushing the physical limits with your significant other. During this series is probably not the best time to visit to get a sense of what Southlands is all about. The service lasted two hours total and ended with more worship and communion. I would like to go back and visit again.

Prayer and Reflection

As I was praying about visiting St. Paul of the Cross, the words that came to mind were "Trust and Obey." Often my relationship with the Lord depends on how I am feeling that day. Often my disciplines go lax. I might use a catch phrase such as, "this doesn't feel authentic and organic" to somehow justify not reading the Bible when I don't feel like it. I often her the phrase, "Christianity is a relationship, not a religion." While Catholicism seems more religious and more mechanical, God wants us to serve him religiously. I don't plan on becoming a member of the Catholic church, but I know that God wants me to focus on him in a more disciplined manner and express my love and gratitude for Him even when I don't feel like it. This means making time with Him more ritualistic (not robotic) while keeping my heart directed toward his purposes.

Former L.A. Priest is Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Sex Crime

I just read an LA Times article from January 31 written by Jack Leonard. You can access it online here. Last Friday former Los Angeles priest, George Miller, 70, was sentenced to three years in prison for molesting a boy in the 1980's. Miller also pleaded guilty to abusing three others.

Stories like this seem to be somewhat typical in the news these days. Men like Miller give a very poor testimony to the Catholic church. Child molestation has become a stereotype of the Catholic church and you can see it satirized in shows like "South Park" and "Family Guy." You can see a more dramatic representation of this issue in the recent film "Doubt" starring Philip Seymour Hoffman and Meryl Streep. Very few priests commit acts like George Miller but the few that do have marked Catholicism with a horrible stigma and warped our culture's perception of the entire faith.

St. Paul of the Cross Catholic Church

This is the front page of a monthly newsletter sent out by Scott Hahn. He is a Catholic who used to be protestant.

Most college students like to sleep in until the early afternoon on Saturdays. This past Saturday morning at 8:15, I attended Mass at St. Paul of the Cross Catholic Church in La Mirada, CA. I had been to Catholic Churches before, but they were in Germany and Austria and I did not understand what was being said. St. Paul of the Cross was far less grandiose compared to those I visited in Europe, but my mind was able to interpret the liturgy and sermon at this Mass. A life size crucifix was mounted at the front of the church and people acknowledge it with a slight bow as they entered. Kneeling before sitting in the pews also seemed to be the correct thing to do. Though this church was not as spectacular as the European cathedrals I had seen, it was much more decorated than all the protestant churches I have attended. Wooden carvings telling the story of Jesus' crucifixion lined the walls.

I took my seat in a pew. I looked around and saw about 25 mostly elderly faces. I met the gentleman infront of me. His name was Gordon. At age 85, Gordon unlocks the church every morning and attends Mass. Gordon was born and raised in Wisconsin as 1 of 14 kids. He told me that he is around because in the Catholic faith contreception is considered a sin. His parents were devout Catholics. I also leared that the communion they consume (Eucharist) is considered to be the actual flesh and blood of Jesus Christ. Gordon continued to tell me that the Catholic church is the only church started by God. He referred to Jesus instructing Peter to take care of his sheep. This information was new to me as was their higher regards for saints and the Virgin Mary.

The service began with a short hymn. It was over before I could find it in my hymnal. The rest of the service consised of much sitting and standing, chanting and repeating, and kneeling and praying. It felt similar to an Episcipal church I once visited. The main point of the sermon was this: Memory of God's great goodness is the basis of genuine faith. The priest recounted when Jesus and the disciples were at sea during a great storm. The disciples became afraid for their lives and forgot that they were on board with God incarnate. Their fear of physical things made the blind to the reality of Christs protection and provision. When the sermon ended, the members of the church took the Eucharist and closed with another short hymn.

I met the Priest, Father Mark, after the service. I asked him if there were any difference in the Catholic church across cultures. He told me that as far as liturgy goes, the church is the same from culture to culture, but he said that far less fellowship occurs in the American church. This is attributed to the fast paced society we live in where most people have the ability to provide for themselves and have places to be after mass.

With as many traditions as the Catholic church practices, it seems not to be reflective of American culture. Americans seem to want things fast and entertaining. This is not true of the Mass I attended. I have been to churches that are very entertaining and encorporate multiple forms of media, but at such services I must be mindful of focusing completly on God rather than the media. Though Catholic liturgy may appear to be mechanical, I think it focuses one's mind on Christ if approached with the correct heart and mindset.

This video is supposed to be blank. It is just an audio file of Scott Hahn speaking. Gordon loaned me a Scott Hahn CD.

http://www.stpaulofthecross.org/mass_schedules.html

Time log: 1 February 2009 8:15 am - 9:20 am.