I would like to begin by saying that there will be a great deal of comparisons in my church posts. This should not be surprising, because we all compare any new experience to what we are used to or consider as normal. But I will also attempt to compare churches with each other, not as judgment, but in order to understand. I will compare ideas and ideals, imagination and realities, principles I learned in class with concepts I have seen played out in a local church. And so, on with the story.
Evergreen Baptist Church, Rosemead
March 23, 2014
This church is a bit of a legend in several of my circles. First, it was the church a dear friend of mine loved and served when Jesus began to transform her life several years ago. It was the church she was married in. It was the church where she found a small group to support her in her new life. It was the church that invited her to teach a children’s Sunday School class and the reason I met her at Fuller at a point in my life that I desperately needed someone to hear my story and pray with me. I think the church would be glad to be known first for being part of Sylvia Htwe Fulton’s remarkable journey.
The second reason this church is legendary is because of its pastor, Ken Fong. His is a name that continually comes up in both Asian American circles and Fuller circles, as well as other random places that continually surprise me. While Basileia was very strongly team driven, EBC is definitely personality driven. This is not a criticism, but a compliment. Both styles work when done well, and my initial impression of Pastor Fong is that he provides strong leadership and direction in a way that is not dictatorial, but rather empowering to the congregation members.
The worship went as smoothly as I’ve ever seen, with a blend of styles and a guest leader, one of their worship pastor candidates. After the music, a member of the congregation was invited to share about a health fair being hosted for the community. I got the sense that this was not organized by the pastors or as part of some grand strategic plan, but by health care professionals within the congregation. Also, although this was organized by skilled medical workers, there was a place for anyone who wanted to serve; those with no medical background could help with registration, directions, refreshments, etc. When asked what the congregation could pray for, rather than asking for money or volunteers (it seems the congregation has already stepped up and both have been amply provided), and rather than asking that the event would go smoothly (they have put in a great deal of planning and are trusting that God will work), they simply asked the congregation to pray for the community, that they would come and receive whatever help they might need. This felt very inclusive, very focused on loving people and representing Jesus well, rather than a strategy to grow a church. In a world where everything the church does is scrutinized, this type of initiative is a gift.
Finally Pastor Fong preached. I’ve wanted to hear him speak for quite some time and was blessed far more than I had expected. Sylvia asked me what the sermon was about. My answer? Lent. Jesus. Not being perfect. Not pretending. We don’t have to be perfect, because Jesus was, and our attempts to be perfect undermines our need for a Savior. He told a story that stuck with me, partly because I’ve been there. He was leading a Bible study with prison inmates about the prodigal son when one of the men asked how many times the father came running, because he felt he had run out of chances and God would no longer forgive him and run to meet him. Christians spend so much time wearing masks, pretending to be perfect, even lying to the world who desperately needs a God who loves in the face of imperfection. The man who asked this question had none of that pretense left in him.
Pastor Fong continually placed himself with us, alongside the congregation. That blew me away more than anything else about the service. I have never seen a pastor do anything like this. I’ve seen a few try. I’ve seen others simply preach the gospel and teach us who God is. I’m not criticizing this, because it is one of the primary tasks of any pastor–to make the gospel known. What Pastor Fong did was a gift to his congregation, and something I have never seen done so well in my entire life. Instead of preaching at us, or even to us, he preached with us. He spoke in such a way that we knew we were all standing together, not under judgment but under grace, and he was in no privileged position but in the exact same place as all of the rest of us. And because he could stand in front of us and take off the mask, it felt possible for the rest of us to stop pretending and stand before God, knowing that while we are intimately known, we are also immeasurably loved.
The service ended with leaders stationed around the sanctuary available to pray with people while the worship band sang David Crowder’s Deliver Me. It was a time to rest in God’s presence, to ask for him to help us stop pretending, and to know that no matter how many times we might fail, he would always be there with his arms open wide. We sang Come Thou Fount, inviting God into our need and brokenness, then we celebrated together.
This week Esther was unable to join me, but my friend David came instead. It was enlightening talking with him and hearing the questions he asked about the church, since his context thus far has been Korean church. The congregation was primarily Asian, specifically Chinese I think, however the service was definitely American style, with many missional elements. I feel incredibly blessed to have a variety of cultural church experiences to compare. Different cultures value different expressions of faith, but we don’t realize what our own tradition may have missed until we experience another. Likewise, we often forget what our tradition values until we leave it for another cultural tradition. I hope I can encourage others to journey beyond their own personal comfort zones and seek the truth that can only be found on the other side.
Sara's Songs 