I wish I had more time. 2 weeks is too long to be away from my wife and daughter, and I am very glad to be home with them again, but also 2 weeks is only long enough for a taste, a small sampling of the culture, learning about Icelandic parish ecclesiology, the experience of the folk church, seeing first-hand the social contract that permeates the community, looking down from the tower at Hallgrimskirkja, touring a tiny bit of the breathtaking scenery this oasis in the north Atlantic has to offer, breathing the clean air, tasting the pure water...
This list could go on forever, as could the time I would love to spend in Iceland. It has only been one week since I've returned home, and I feel only a bit closer to having complete, thoughtful reflection on the experience. Having only a crash-course in the culture, structure and practice of the Icelandic church, I will offer a few (certainly incomplete) observations and reflections on a variety of topics and places we encountered.
How the church is structured and how it functions is different in Iceland. It is a parish model of church, one that is not very present in my experience of church in the United States. It has been popular in the churches that I have worshiped with here in the States to talk about "engaging the community" and being "neighbor" to the houses on the block. Rarely have I actually seen this happen. I've never seen a pastor "walk the beat" around the block, knocking on doors and talking to folks about their lives. As a youth director, I have ran several different events for the community around the churches I've been involved in, but rarely has this transitioned into functions by and for the adults in the community. What I see instead is the church serving the social, worship and communal needs of its members, as expected, and that is a wonderful thing. Things like bridge clubs and women's groups, etc., are all wonderful, community building groups, but what I have learned from Iceland and what I want to do as a pastor is to consider all members of the church's neighborhood to be under my care. If somebody requires a service that another church or agency does particularly well, I will point them in that direction. However, I will not ask a person if they are a member of my church before I offer them direct help or assistance.
The public-church relationship was fascinating to learn about. After a couple days in Iceland, we ventured to Haldora's home and had fantastic food (oh my gosh that lobster and horse was to die for!) and wonderful conversation about the role of the church in helping in national tragedy and disaster. I wish we had had an opportunity to meet with the same group at Haldora's a little bit later in the trip, as I was still very tired from the travel and thus was not as engaged in the conversation as I could have been. Anyways, the conversation was invaluable learning about the relationship between the national church, the government and municipal disaster response, and most importantly, how the church takes care of people. A ministry of presence is essential. Being there with somebody, whether your speak or not, whether the person you are present with speaks or not, simply being with somebody is presence, relationship, the sum of the Gospel. In the Lutheran church in the States, we have Lutheran Disaster Relief, a joint agency between the ELCA and the LCMS to respond to natural disasters and give aid and relief to people affected by them. Mission and service trips are also common in the States, notably in the response to Hurricane Katrina and again with the tornado in Joplin, Missouri. I have been fortunate in my experiences in the States with Katrina to spend time not only serving with my hands and feet, but also with my body and spirit in simply being present.
This leads me to probably my most basic, foundational and yet profound reflection. Gospel is presence. When meeting with a few of the pastors for special ministry near the end of the trip, Pastor
Guðný Hallgrímsdóttir shared an emotionally stirring story of her ministry to people with disabilities. She spoke about presence and the power of simply being with somebody. She spoke about the healing-, comfort-, and life-giving power of touch. This is a ministry of presence. We as Christians proclaim the God who is always present, the God of Love who holds an immeasurable, infinite well of grace and peace for all people. We proclaim the God of relationship, who seeks to restore the broken relationship that we have with God and creation through the sending of God's son Jesus. God became like us in ultimate relationship, even unto death. This is presence. As we proclaim a Trinitarian God in perfect relationship with God's self, so God calls us to be in relationship with one another. Presence is one foundational aspect shared by all of creation. It does not matter what language two people speak; they can always be present with one another. In the story that Pastor Guðný shared, it does not matter if one person is paralyzed, blind and deaf, one can still share presence and touch with that person and in so doing, bear God to that person.
This I am convinced is the heart of the Gospel. The Gospel is God's love for all, love experienced in relationship with God and with creation, and relationship means presence. It does not matter if the model of church is parish or congregational, if one speaks Icelandic to a person who only speaks English, if a family is separated by an ocean and only sees each other on Skype, our presence with one another bears God to each other. Presence, I feel, is the ultimate translation of Gospel and it's language and dialectic knows no boundaries in creation.
Thank you so much, Pastor Gunnar and our hosts and new friends, for showing me this translation in action. I absolutely can not wait to visit once again, family in tow, to share more life with you and maybe hike a glacier (or two!)
Love you all!
Gracious and loving God, I thank you so much for my time spent with my new friends in Iceland. I thank you for an expression of church that is beautiful, and the sharing and immersion that I was able to experience. Help us all to reflect on our time together and learn from each other. Strengthen our relationships, keep us in touch, and hold us together for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
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