Group pic

This is a photo of our entire group! Just thought you'd like to see who's been writing... This is taken outside the administration building at United Theological College, Bangalore.

Welcome

It has been an interesting week. That is right, a week. Well technically a week very early tomorrow morning, but still that makes it seem more amazing. We have done and seen so much. Yesterday we experienced worship at one of the CSI (Church of South India) congregations. We heard the bishop preach and got to experience the liturgical life of the congregation. The bishop was present because it was confirmation Sunday as well. It turned out to be a slightly longer service then I am used to because of the confirmation. After the service we were graciously invited to the party of one of the students confirmed. That was just one example of how I have experienced people here being more welcoming then we are back in the US. It would be very strange for you to invite complete strangers to your party, but we were invited. This sort of hospitality keeps happening all over the place, as we are invited in and given tours of places that in the US we would not be permitted into. This culture is so welcoming it is surprising sometimes. Well I came out to an Internet place in the city to post this so I think I'm going to go hop an auto back now. (See how much we've grown in a week, I can go out on my own - well Rodney helped) More posts to follow

Steve

Alexis Baba...

So, there's been an interesting development on the trip... I've become referred to by some of our group as "Alexis Baba: goddess of children!"

"WHAT?! Why?" You might be asking...

Well, as it turns out, 6ft tall, blonde American women happen to be something out of the ordinary around here. Go figure! ;) In fact, a large group of mostly white Americans draws lots of attention, but I seem to be getting quite a lot of it. When I walk by people smile and take long looks. Small children wave and shout, young people giggle, and-- most interestingly-- random families or groups ask to have their picture taken with me. (I'm not the only one, but I must say, I've been in a lot of strange pictures since arriving. Our day trip to Mysore was where this really came to a head. At one point, walking out of one of the Hindu temples, a swarm of school-aged kids flocked around me, asking me questions and so on. It was really something.

I'm not really used to this kind of attention. But, it's fun. I suppose that if I'm going to be taking pictures of all the people I see here, it only makes sense for people to take my picture. :)

The whole thing is definitely making me pay closer attention to the power and privilege I carry as a white American woman. No doubt about that.

~Alexis

Top L: The swarm of kids and their teacher outside a temple Middle R: Me with a random girl whose parents made her take a picture with me. Can you say "awkward"?? Bottom L: Rachel showing a pic to a group of Hindu devotees who wanted photos of us like we wanted of them. A true cultural exchange! :)

Tea time

This has been quite the experience so far. I have been amazed at the beauty of God's creation half a world away from home in Alburtis, PA. Time here seems to be moving so fast, with trips around the area, study in lectures and library. Even daily Tea overlaps other endeavors. As a pastor in a small Pennsylvania rural congregation, Bangalore is an extremely different setting. I am in information and sensory overload, so I shall not belabor the post. I must say that study in the library, which I am attempting now, is pretty much the same worldwide. I find here even the same books. With that, I sign off until later.

On Liturgy in India

So today is Thursday, and I am tired already and we have only been here for 3 days? or is it 4....they all seem to congeal together. We have had many very interesting lectures and have gone on a few adventures off campus as well. Latter this afternoon we will be heading out to do some more sightseeing and I am looking forward to that.

I know we all have been experiencing and thinking about a lot. I have decided to write my paper when we get back on liturgy in India, both Christian and Hindu. Today was a good lecture day for me because we heard a lecture on the Inculturation of liturgy presented by Dr. Santhosh Kumar. He spoke a lot about how in the past people who came to south India to proclaim the gospel did not just bring in the gospel but they also important a good deal of their own cultural worship as well. What this means, he said, was that in most places that we would go to worship the worship would seem very western. Only now is there a movement with in the Church of South India to bring in more Indian culture into the worship. This leads me to question what exactly is necessary symbolism and practice to be a Christan? What should be important and what can be retained and kept from previously existing culture? I know in the intro to Liturgy class at LTSP we talked about the importance of the care of the central symbols. However, that care is important because it is through those symbols that we experience things of God that we cannot explain or experience in any other way. What is it that we can do when the things we talk about don't make sense in a particular culture? (see previous post by Alexis) It must be possible to present the gospel in other ways. I am so interested in what this new movement within the CSI will come up with in their inculturation effort. I find it exciting and think that as an American I can learn from this idea of inculturaltion. I in general just love liturgy and the way that the love of Gos is expressed through it. I am also excited to start looking at Hindu worship structure and to see how that worship portrays love to those present as well.

I know that was a lot of stuff but I am just really excited and am asking so many questions of myself right now. I felt the need to share. We are off shortly to experience another new thing. I am sure that someone will post about it later. Thanks for reading and peace to you as always.

Steve

Adventure!

Hello friends! I've slacked so far on a blog post, so I figured I better get my act together. I've taken 374 pictures so far on the trip. I'll share two with you in this post.

There is so much to share, but I'll try to share a few stories that have been unique to my own experience so far. I've been fortunate enough to have several little adventures, while small, packed full of excitement. On the first day here, a few of us took a small car to Commercial Street. My first experiences of Bangalore in the daylight were sitting in the hatchback of the car because there was no room in the front. To experience the crowded streets of Bangalore from that position was very exciting! Commercial Street

itself was also an adventure. I'll show you:

Yesterday, we took a group trip back to Commercial Street. On that trip there was an incident in which someone needed to get their money back from a purchase, so I and one of our gracious guides stayed behind from the group to argue for the money back. I listened to a whirlwind of arguing in Hindi, but finally we were able to get the money back. Then, we took an auto-rickshaw that was under the payroll of a store. He offered a trip for only 10 rupees back to the seminary but then stopped halfway to take us to the store. We ended up finding a different auto, but the whole thing was very exciting. Just zipping around the city in the auto is fun.

This afternoon we went on a little adventure for soda. The train station across the street has a little shop that sells it. Once we got back to the seminary, I set up my own shop to re-sell the soda for 2x the rupees! (of course I'm kidding)

On several occasions we have had beggars approaching us on the street. The poverty is heart breaking but perhaps most heart breaking is the children.

I'm very glad I've had opportunities to get out and about. So far, everything has been wonderful here, and a whole ton of fun. Everyone we meet is very friendly and welcoming.

Dr. Sebastian promised me monkeys tonight, so stay tuned!

Meat-eaters in a Vegetarian World...

Today during a lecture by Dr. P.T. George (professor of missiology here at UTC), he shared some of the practical challenges for Christian mission in India. Some of these challenges had to do with interfacing with the legacies of [ancient] Syrian Christians, Catholic and Protestant missionaries throughout India's history, "competing" with active Hindu, Muslim, and Buddhist missions, and being culturally sensitive while doing contextual ministry. One comment that he said struck me...

He used the example of Christian missionaries introducing the Eucharist, among other things, to the native, mostly Hindu (and therefore vegetarian) peoples. He said, imagine you're being given education and health care and being told about a loving God, and then you hear that you are supposed to eat the flesh and drink the blood of Jesus... How offensive for a vegetarian, who seeks to preserve all life! He said that Gandhi once said, 'I don't want your salvation if it comes at the cost of the life of another!' Wow! Talk about a vivid example, one that had never occured to me, of how important it is to be aware of our local ministry contexts!

Can't wait to see what other ways this trip will open me up to new thoughts, ideas, and ways of seeing the world...

~Alexis