One part of me (and my wife and probably a good number of other people) thinks I shouldn't write this post. Being Asian I'm very good at conflict avoidance and not rocking the boat. But some things really need to change.To be honest, in Australia I never had problems with the ordination services of friends I attended. But since being in Thailand and thinking long and hard about church and church models, I saw the photos above on facebook of a friend's ordination and was quite dismayed at some aspects of church tradition still being practiced today.
Why do bishops need special hats, staff, medallions, fancy robes and candles? Why do we need a procession with incense (?) burning, long stick with a cross, a picture of Jesus? What does that say to the person in the pews? Perhaps it is justifiable in the Roman Catholic tradition where the priesthood of all believers denied, but this was a protestant denomination ordination.
I'm sure my friend who was ordained would have been happy to be ordained without the garb. Unfortunately, it is go along with the tradition and be ordained or protest and be unable to be a minster in that denomination.
It may not be so much of a problem in Australia to just go along with tradition, even if you disagree with it, because what does it matter anyway. But in Thailand, traditions like this get incorporated into church life and causes great problems. In Thailand, ministers are set apart from the ordinary Christian and very much exalted above the laity. At an all church worship meeting I went to in our region, all the minister were ushered to the front 3 rows of the church. After the meeting, they went into a special room at the back of the church to have lunch together while everyone else had lunch outside.
With ministers holding such exalted positions it is very difficult to convince ordinary Christians that they can actually read and interpret the bible for themselves and apply it to their lives. It leads to the thinking so prevalent in Thailand that without a full time paid minister and a church building that you cannot be a real church. It leads to Christians leaving everything to the minister and doing nothing for themselves.
When will the day come when enough people will stop towing the line and say enough is enough. This is wrong. We need to change it. Or as some commentators foresee, will the traditional denominations in the West continue their slow decline and in some distant future the problem will solve itself.
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5 comments:
OK, very brave post.
You're absolutely right of course, let your voice be heard!
A very thought provoking post. I got a big surprise though because those photos are of my brother and having come across your blog in a very round about way, I didn't know you knew him!
Dear Amy, I know your brother from way back. We went to youth group together and were in the same biblestudy. Also we studied together at SMBC. Knowing him, it was so surprising to see his photo. I never would have imagined him going into to a traditional Rector's role. I hope you realise that the post was not about him or a statement against him. More a statement about the denomination and church tradition. As I wrote, I don't think he had much choice if he wanted to work in that denomination. Rich
็Hi Rich,
The Anglican church hasn't made much of a break from Rome in some ways, particularly all the special clothes and "smells & bells" as some call them. At my ordination (Presybterian), we had a service in a simple church building (rented in an industrial complex), no adornments on the walls (except for a cross), and most everyone had on normal kind of church going clothes. I wore a suit and the pastors had on plain black or grey robes (no hats). No pictures of Jesus, candles, incense, etc. Harkening back to many of the Protestant Reformers, the goal was simplicity in the outward trappings, without lots of pictures, smells, and things to distract from the worship of God and paying attention to His Word. I think that a stripped down (but not dumpy looking) worship hall & service is very helpful in focusing attention in the right place - on God. And in the Thai context, a simple worship place is a plus because many small churches won't be able to afford the bells and whistles anyway. And maybe the initial simplicity will make way for the Thai themselves to think up some appropriate Thai bells and whistles rather than the Western ones.
However, what I really wanted to commment on was the Thai pastors at the all church meeting sitting apart and eating apart. I suspect that this is influence from Thai culture rather than Western church. Here's why: When I taught at Rajabhat Institute in Phitsanulok, I found again and again that whenever I wanted to eat with students, any Thai teachers who were with me would direct me to the "teacher's dining room". I rarely saw any teachers eating with the students. It always bugged me how I got special treatment (snacks, special chair, etc.) just because I was a teacher. Can't I just be friendly with the students for a change? Why do I have to have a special dining room? Is the regular canteen not good enough for an exalted teacher like me? This is Thai school culture and I suspect that a lot of these ideas about the teachers needing special separate everything have been unthinkingly shifted over into the church. Coming from a Western country where we are trained to think democratically and emphasize equality and be egalitarian, the Thai feelings about hierarchy and honor can come as quite a shock. But sometimes the best thing to do is to go along with how the Thai want to honor you because if you don't it can cause lots of awkwardness and deny the Thai the chance to honor you in a way that is appropriate in their culture. At the same time, the teacher or pastor needs to maintain a humble posture and push the envelope of social expectations in doing what is right and loving even if some people think that it is below your position. Like Jesus washing the disciples feet.
Hi Karl,
Thanks for your cultural insight. I agree that pastors sitting apart has to do with Thai culture. I agree that with some issues we need to go along with it for the sake of Thai culture.
However, I'm not sure in this case the best thing is to go along with it because it is so contrary to what Jesus teaches.
In Matthew 23:5-12, isn't Jesus rebuking this kind of behaviour in the Pharisees?
Jesus teaches so strongly and repeated on this issue because it is such a problem and temptation for Church leaders.
I think for the clergy to be separate is a big problem, sending all the wrong messages to the congregation.
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