A New Blog Post from Chris!

Alienation and Embrace
by Christopher Elwood

Shortly after 7:30 in the evening the service began. Our students, stationed in the rear balcony to facilitate a simultaneous translation into English, had seen their group leaders go off a few moments earlier to meet with members of the church staff. They were surprised to see them reappear, wearing the same white robes as the rest of the church’s pastoral team, processing into the chancel, unexpectedly enlisted as worship leaders.

The Presbyterian Cathedral in downtown Rio de Janeiro is a neo-Gothic structure built in the early twentieth century. It is home to one of Brazil’s largest (and oldest) Presbyterian congregations in the largest of the country’s several Presbyterian denominations, the Presbyterian Church of Brazil (IPB). We visited this impressive building on the second day of our visit to Rio, planning to return for worship on Sunday.

The edifice and its many symbols attest to the aspirations of Presbyterians in Brazil—part of a small Protestant minority—to claim a place of influence in this predominantly Catholic culture. With the recent explosion of Neo-Pentecostalism, Catholic dominance is challenged, though certainly not overturned. The mainline Protestant churches that continue to maintain a demographically significant presence tend to be those whose theology leans strongly in a conservative direction. The IPB is one of these. The Presbyterian conservatism of this denomination came to be expressed in recent decades in efforts to remove the IPB from its historic ecumenical alliances, both global Christian and Reformed. The Presbyterian Church (USA) was viewed as tainted by liberalism and rejected as an ecumenical partner, and progressives within the Brazilian church—those few who had survived a conservative backlash against “leftists” during the two decades of military rule (1964-1984)—were forced out.
Several days after this worship experience we would hear moving stories told by a number of those purged by the conservatives in the early years of the military dictatorship—Brazilian Presbyterian leaders with strong ecumenical commitments and a passion for social justice. Many of the exiled pastors and congregations banded together in the 1970s to form the United Presbyterian Church of Brazil (IPU), a small denomination with close ties to the PCUSA. Their testimonies helped us appreciate just how fresh are the memories of unjust, inquisitorial mistreatment on the part of the larger Presbyterian denomination.

Officially, then, the IPB and the PC(USA) are estranged churches, separated by a wide theological gulf. But the symbolism of the worship service on this Sunday evening, albeit impromptu symbolism, testified to hopes for healing a broken relationship. Pastors of the IPB entered the sanctuary together with two pastors of the PC(USA). The opening prayer of adoration was offered by my colleague Cláudio Carvalhaes. Our group was warmly welcomed and our visit to Brazil celebrated. The closing benediction was given by two pastors, standing arm in arm—an American (that would be me) in English and a Brazilian (the senior pastor, Rev. Guilhermino Cunha) in Portuguese.

I confess to a degree of surprise over the invitation to participate and to occupy a place of symbolic importance in this time of worship. But Rev. Guilhermino helped to place this event in context when Cláudio and I, and a number of members of our group, met with him for a church staff devotion the following morning. He spoke to us of his perception that the move of the IPB away from the PC(USA) was a tragedy, his conviction that the historical ties between us—analogous to the relationship of parent and child—were ultimately indissoluble, and his hope that the PC(USA) would receive the message that its presence and witness were not rejected by Brazilian Presbyterians.

At least one pastor from the conservative and less ecumenically open IPB testified to hopes for healing. But one may wonder whether our divisions can be healed given the dynamics of contemporary church politics and the starkly different ecclesiological and missiological ideals of Presbyterian conservatives and progressives. Rev. Cunha’s voice may be regarded as an influential one, given the pulpit he occupies. But can his perspective and his hopes be regarded as representative of the broader feeling within his denomination? And even if his vision might be shared by others, does this vision include an openness to restoring relations with a PC(USA) that might be moving ever more in the direction of greater diversity and inclusion, within a Reformed context?

These are questions I certainly cannot answer. Brazilian Presbyterians remain alienated from one another—through a series of historical schisms and purges—and the tensions we have witnessed, the bitter memories we’ve heard recited, suggest that healing these and other divisions will require either an enormous effort or a great deal of time, and perhaps both of these.

reflections on our tour of morro de providencia July 13

one man dead, 17 bullet holes, cuts all over

no longer innocent until proven guilty

is this whole neighborhood guilty?

of: poverty? unemployment? rage?

or perhaps guilty of:

beauty in the midst of horror

of strength during tragedy

of hope when all else fails

a little girl squeezes past gringos

smiling and curious, determined

she needs a new book

her old one is many times read

the community center with the art on the walls

this is the place for riches like

books, mentors, art, reading

the boy walking by comes for a hug

to remind the photographer of his ideas

grand schemes for children in the morro

knowing, searching, planning for the future

kites flying high overhead,

attached to earth only by thin string held by boys of all ages

a toddler's embrace

a baby's smiles

the Spirit all around

here in hostility, misery, poverty, terror

here in joy, hope, strength, community, love, laughter

here in pride of samba's birth

here in art as resistance

subtle un-spoken stance

declaring no more oppression, corruption, abduction

demanding yes to memorializing three boys killed,

to rebuilding the future,

to living free and in peace

Orixas, domestic workers, and black people were the highlights of the day.
It was very interesting to learn from the "mother of the saints" (leader of the worshiping house we were visiting) what are the beliefs of the candomble religion and then have her read the beads for us in individual sessions. She was dressed so beautiful and she projected so much love and peace. The room was surrounded by paintings of the different orixas, the divinities worshiped in candomble, each portraying the particularities of the orixa.
Moving to another aspect of the black culture of Bahia, we heard about the struggles of the domestic workers, most of them black women, who have organized themselves in a union to fight for their rights as workers. Individual stories gave a special touch that made real the cause and triggered all kinds of feelings in us. Some of the current practices in the way employers treat domestic workers are a perpetuation of old patterns of slavery, like sexual abuse resulting in children that are further rejected or the kinds of tasks assigned to the workers in accordance to their gender, females inside the house, males outside of the house. While the struggle is tough they have accomplished good things and have no intention of giving up.
The Cultural Foundation of Palmares is not going to give up either. Their main task is to preserve the afro culture and to boost the self esteem of black communities. They also advocate for the establishments of laws that promote race equality and seeking certification of the quilombos (communities established by escaped slaves) in order for the communities to keep their land and make their sustenaince out of it.
A similar mission have "osnegoes", mission that they accomplish by teaching how to manufacture and play drums, how to dance to their rythm, african culture history, basic skills, and self-esteem workshops for teenagers in a struggle to keep them safe from the drug bussiness. Their music and dances are beautiful expressions of the black history and cultre in Brasil while promote the creativity of the new generations.
We are looking forward to learn from the women´s program at ITEBA, the theological education institution hosting us tomorrow. For now, some time with our hosts families before we go to bed to have some rest.

a day of churches

Today, since it was Sunday, we spent the day at various church events, as you might expect since we are, after all, in seminary. We started out at Igreja Universal, which is a Pentecostal church. The building was huge; it made me feel like I was at a rock concert. The sound system was also really loud, so it sounded like I was at a rock concert. Poor Claudio strained his voice translating for us all the whole time. To my very structured self, it seemed like not a lot actually happened in the service. There were lots of different times where people came down front for various kinds of healings, there were a few times that they handed out things to prepare for next week, there was lots of praying, and there was a sermon of some sort. And music, of course. But it all ran together and made it seem like not a lot was going on. Sonja pointed out, however, that it is a Holy Spirit centered church, and that the way it is structured allows for the spirit to move them.

After lunch at an outdoor event that reminded me of the county fair, we went to see the Christ the Redeemer statue. The road leading up to the top are wicked! You wind and weave back and forth like crazy! The statue was cool to see up close once, but I think it's one of those places that is actually probably better from far away. It's still fairly high above you when you are actually there, and so it is hard to see well, and you can't get far enough away from it to really be able to enjoy its grandeur. We had fun trying to get some group pictures, along with Jesus, but I think we were successful.

As a side note, if there are any students reading this blog, I would just encourage you to take as many travel seminars as possible. Besides the benefits of experiencing a new culture, you also get to interact with your professors outside of the classroom. It's really very interesting to see a different side of them. It's definitely an added bonus to these trips!

After seeing the Christ statue, we briefly joined a procession for a Catholic church celebrating their anniversary (I think). The horrible part of that, however, were the hundreds of helium balloons that they released. (I popped mine and threw it out.) I was always taught the if helium balloons make it to the ocean, animals will swallow them and die. If that's true, then I'm sure that church just killed a bunch, b/c we are quite close to the ocean! Anyways, not all of our group walked with the procession, but a few of us did for a couple blocks b/f heading back to the hostel.

We then attended the 7:00 service at the Presbyterian Cathedral of Rio. We were taken up to the balcony by a native Ohioan who was to act as our interpreter for the service. When the pastors walked out, we were surprised to see that Chris and Claudio were among them! The church did not know that we were coming, but when Chris and Claudio went to talk to him when we arrived, I guess he asked them to participate. They also welcomed us in the service and had Claudio introduce the purpose of the trip.

I was hoping that since it was a Presbyterian service, I would recognize some of the hymns, but alas, no, it was a contemporary service. Our interpreter called it a mission service. The service was long, 2 hours long! The music wasn't too bad, even though I am not a huge fan of contemporary worship music. The church was obviously conservative, with very masculine language, which I did pretty much expect everywhere.

One thing that bothered me about both of the actual church services the complete lack of anything from the Hebrew Bible. I know, I know, that could be said about a lot of churches in the US, or anywhere, but it always bothers me. the Igreja Universal also used a lot of Jewish symbols, like mezuzahs and kippahs, yet no OT. What is with that?

We finished the night at Bip Bip, a literal hole-in-the-wall, which has great live samba music. Local musicians sit around a couple of tables in the "bar" and play and sing and everyone else crowds around outside and listens and dances. They sell only beer and water. It was fantastic and a perfect way to end the day. The music was fun and well done and the whole experience was one I wouldn't have wanted to miss!

A post from Chris!

Continuities/Contrasts

Wednesday, June 30.

Our group (nearly all of us) have managed to gather ourselves in Rio de Janeiro. For all of the student participants, this is the first time to travel to this country, and the first opportunity to struggle to make themselves understood to speakers of Portuguese.

My partner, Claudio Carvalhaes, is familiar with Brazil and has very helpful contacts in this city, even though he is from the culturally distinct metropolis to the southwest, Sao Paulo. He is steering us expertly, tending to all sorts of challnges that confront a group seeking to negotiate a new environment.

For me, this travel experience is like renewing an acquaintance with a dear and long remembered friend. Rio has grown enormously since I last lived here, as the small child of an American diplomat, for four years in the 1960s. A great many things have changed in more than 40 years. But some things remain constant. Rio is still a city of enormous passion and relaxed, friendly energy. It is still a city of startling, and stark, contrasts. It is still the urban bustle of hard work and hard play backed up against enormous towers of rock and mountain and extensive stretches of rainforest. The mountain of Corcovado is still crowned by the statue of Cristo Redentor, with outstretched arms blessing the people and their undertakings of work and leisure. The familiar peaks of the Two Brothers (Morro Dois Irmaos) still greet those who walk and play on the beach of Ipanema. The impossibly large rock called Sugar Loaf (Pao de Acucar) still overlooks the neighborhoods of the city's southern zone. This city's conspicuous affluence still abides in surprisingly close proximity to the most desperate poverty. As something like evidence of this continuity, our group can cite several recent experiences. The ride to our accommodations from the airport exposed them, at least in an initial, visual way, with the cramped favelas or slums that perch on Rio's hills, or morros, and to the separation between the more depressing and industrial northern zone and the gentrified southern zone. Our experience this afternoon touring the Igreja Crista de Ipanema, a non-denominational Protestant church with Presbyterian history and ties and a focus on social justice supplied a closer look at the contrast of rich and poor. Nestled in one of Rio's most well-off neighborhoods, the church runs a preschool that started by tending to the malnourished children of the slums that are really only a few blocks away. The church manages to harness the energy of faith, the resources of some of the socially conscious elite, as well as governmental assistance, to try to make some difference in the lives of particular children, and to bear witness to an alternative way for a society whose dominant classes have typically proved all too comfortable with disparities of wealth and the material conditions of life.

And so we begin our explorations into the complications of urban life, the culture, and the religion of this place--in so many ways distant to the North American experience that is the formative context for the majority of our group. Each of us brings her own particular questions, his own distinctive experience, and seeks to work out a deeper understanding, with others, both of Brazilian religion and culture and of the tasks of faith and ministry in our own time and place.

CE

World Cup!

Okay, I know that my first official post of the actual Brazil Travel Seminar should be something with some deep theological meaning, but part of going to any new country is to experience the culture. This morning we did just that. For those of you Americans who might not be aware, football, or what we call soccer, is a very popular sport in many countries...just not so much in ours. There is World Cup fever in Brazil! When Brazil is playing a game, businesses close, the city basically stops. Everyone gathers in bars, houses, etc. to watch the game.

Rio was chosen to be one of the official FIFA fan fest locations throughout the world where people can gather to watch World Cup games on a giant TV screen. In Rio, it is on Copacobana Beach. We wanted to experience being in the crowd for the game, so our van dropped us off at the beach around 8:30 in the morning. The game started at 11, but we were not by any means the first people there. It was awesome! The energy was catching. I love crowds. I wanted to get as close as possible, to be in the mix where people are standing right on top of each other to see the game, like sardines, so Rebecca and I weaved our way closer. By the end of the game, we ended up only being about 15 people in from the front.

Watching the game with the crowd on the beach was an experience I'll never forget: the exuberant cheering when Brazil scored, the clapping for good plays, the booing when the Netherlands scored, the yelling at bad calls and poor kicks and sloppy play. As someone who played soccer growing up in an area that didn't care much about the game, being in a large crowd of people who care passionately about the game...well, it is hard to explain, but it was almost like coming home. Those of you who follow the World Cup know that Brazil lost, which was unfortunate, but for me, it was still an amazing experience.

I promise that next time my post will not be about soccer...

going to church in Belem

Below is a post from my own personal blog: http://megontheroad.blogspot.com I am sharing it here b/c I thought others might be interested in hearing about our first experience at a church in Brazil. Brandie and I went to church with a new friend we met in Belem named Lorena. She is a friend of one of our guides here in Belem whom we met earlier today.

Tonight we had a lovely evening with Lorena and her boyfriend, whose name I believe was something close to Alan. They took us to their church, the New Wine Church. She described it as a community church, not affiliated with any particular denomination. When we got there, she introduced us to a few different people who also spoke English, including the pastor and some members of his family. His one daughter, Sara, also introduced us to her husband and three children. Everyone was very nice and welcoming. Brandie and I sat sandwiched between Lorena and Sara, so between the two, we had a pretty good idea of what was going on.

When I first walked in the church, I thought that there was no way that we were getting out in under three hours. The service started with 30 minutes or more of praise music. Now, those of you who know me know that I am not a fan of praise music, but it wasn't too bad. Sara and Lorena translated the songs, so I at least got the general idea. The leaders of the praise band stand with their backs to the congregation. Sara said this was b/c they were there to worship G-d, not to perform. I really liked that. The room was also very bare. It was maybe the size of a small gymnasium, with stadium seating, but the from wall was bare white. There was a small glass stand for the pastor to use and a big table in the center that looked like the stump of a huge tree. Sara said that the church started out being about the people, but then they became too interested in the beauty of the church. Now they are trying to get back to being about the people.

After the music, the pastor started praying and talking to the people. He talked to the church and how many people didn't bring a friend today, so he was worried about the growth of the church. He talked to those people that came back to church after a long time and was thankful that they were back. He apologized if the reason why they didn't come for so long was b/c the church did not reach out to them when they needed help, etc. He also welcomed people there for the first time and apologized if the reason they hadn't come b/f is b/c of the way many preachers act, wanting only money. This church only had one offering, and it goes to support the church and the orphan children they take care of. Lorena said that they have 10 or so orphaned children that live in the pastor's compound that the church supports.

People were given a chance to stand up and say something, to testify might be how we would put it. Then the pastor preached about how to be a Christian you have to believe. His preaching was interspersed with Biblical verses (all NT) and stories about his life. Then we sang another song and asked everyone to hug each other on the way out. I hugged Sara and thanked her profusely for her help, and I hugged Lorena. Outside, an elderly woman shook our hands and kissed Brandie and I each on both cheeks. Lorena said that she was blessing us.

All in all, I found it to be a very worthwhile experience. The people were extremely helpful and gracious. While the style of the church service is not what I am used to, nor what I prefer, the service was very joyful. I also appreciated the ways the church is trying to be more of the people and less about the show of a service. The fact that they didn't constantly ask for money, which I thought they might, was also an added bonus. I know that we will have more experiences of going to church in Brasil in the coming weeks, but this seemed to be a good first step.

In Brazil!

Brandie and I are in Brazil, in Belem! We will meet the rest of the group in Rio next week! Woot!

Our Tentative Schedule

I realized we hadn't posted here the schedule that we hope to follow. Here it is:

SCHEDULE

June 29 – Depart from Louisville, Kentucky

June 30 – Arrive in Rio de Janeiro

July 1-6 – Rio de Janeiro, visit:
Roman Catholic Cathedral
First Presbyterian Church
Church of the Kingdom of God
Leonardo Boff Bennet School of Theology
Nancy Pereira Cardoso Social Organizations
Sightseeing

July 7-12 – Salvador Bahia, visit:
Iteba – Institute of Theology of Bahia
Pelourinho
Church of the Black – Roman Catholic
Afro Brazilian religious comminities
Historical places
Sightseeing

July 12-14 – Rio de Janeiro
Sightseeing

ITEBA

While in Salvador this summer, we will be visiting The Institute for Theological Education of Bahia. Below is an excerpt about the seminary from their website, as well as a link to that website so that you can feel free to browse around!

"Located in northeastern Brazil in the city of Salvador, ITEBA is an accredited, four-year theological seminary dedicated to preparing young women and men to be pastors of local churches, religion teachers in secondary schools and a range of community activities. Nearly everyone who graduates from ITEBA will have some kind of extra job from which they will earn their livelihood while putting their theological education to work in part-time jobs or as volunteers. These activities include being pastors of congregations, teachers, labor organizers, advocates for the sem terra (peasants without land), Agentes Paastorais Negras (Black Pastoral Agents) or coordinators for the Catholic Christian Base Communities. ITEBA gives them the full range of theological studies from the basic courses in Hebrew and Greek through the Old and New Testaments, church history and systematic theology." http://iteba.hanover.edu/home.htm

A Taste of Brazilian Music

Chris sent our class some examples of some of his favorite Brazilian musical styles. We hope you enjoy this small taste of some Brazilian music!

1. João Gilberto: “Eu Vim da Bahía” (Gilberto Gil), http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WA_eG5Lliw. To begin, I would recommend a couple of songs that go back to the period when the style of music known as bossa nova was invented. Bossa nova, in the late 1950s-early 1960s, took the traditional form of music and dance known as samba and wedded it to jazz harmonies presented in a soft, cool, personal form. This, my first choice, is a performance by one of the inventors of Bossa Nova, João Gilberto. The title of the song means “I came from Bahia” (in other words, from Salvador and the region roundabout). It is a celebration of the beauty of Bahia. It also takes note of the fact that, although the people have nothing to eat, “they don’t die of hunger, because in Bahia they have Mãe Yemanja and, on the other side, Our Lord of the Good End, who help the Bahian to live, to sing, to samba, for real—to die of joy,” and so on. We will be discussing the orixá Mãe Yemanja (an object of Candomblé devotion) as well as Nosso Senhor do Bonfim (Our Lord of the Good End). Both are important to the religious orientation of many Brazilians, and certainly of many Bahians. The song is written by Gilberto Gil, in his own right a crucial figure in Brazilian music of the last fifty years. (The accompanying YouTube video is a bit incongruous: old black and white footage of Rio—rather than Bahia.)

2. Miúcha (and Tom Jobim): “Samba do Avião” (Antonio Carlos Jobim), http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8a0-yEY9gs. “Samba of the Airplane” is another song from the Bossa Nova period. This one is by the most famous of modern Brazilian songwriters, Antonio Carlos (or Tom) Jobim. If my first recommendation celebrates Bahia, this is an equally enthusiastic encomium to the beauty of the city into which we will first be flying (“My soul sings, I can see Rio de Janeiro …”). In fact, we will arrive in an airport named after the composer of this song. The singer is Miúcha, wife of João Gilberto (not to mention sister of the great Chico Buarque and mother of Bebel Gilberto).

3. Chico Buarque: “Samba de Orly” (Chico Buarque de Hollanda, Toquinho, Vinícius de Moraes) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfpjEeK1Jeg; and “Apesar de Voce” (Chico Buarque de Hollanda) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7xRtSUunEY. Two from Chico Buarque. What can one say about him? Strongly influenced by Bossa Nova, Chico Buarque was one of the mainstays of the group of singer-songwriters who shaped what is known as Musica Popular Brasileira (MPB) in the 1960s. A musician, poet, dramatist, novelist. My two selections are from the political Chico. That is to say, the lyrics are not explicitly political, but they reflect the always cleverly subtle protest necessitated by the brutality of the military regime that ruled Brazil for about twenty years following the coup of 1964. “Samba of Orly” from 1970 (Orly was then the main Paris airport) speaks in the voice of one tearfully enduring exile, asking his friend, returning to Brazil, to “kiss my Rio de Janeiro.” “Apesar de Voce” (“In Spite of You,” 1978) is an equally clever statement of defiance of someone who is trying to suppress “our euphoria,” an effort the singer insists will finally be unsuccessful (“In spite of you, tomorrow will be another day.”) The YouTube video that accompanies this song undermines whatever subtlety there is in the lyrics. Both of these selections from Chico Buarque reflect the kind of samba (including instrumentation) one would hear in the streets during Carnaval.

4. Several by Jorge Ben: “Fio Maravilha,” “Mas Que Nada”, “Zazueira”, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_LbzxOWZqs; “ Xica da Silva,”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0P-85wYV-e8. Jorge Ben is an eclectic musician-songwriter who began in the 1960s writing in a Bossa Nova-Samba-Jazz idiom and gradually moved more in the direction of funk. Ben (who later changed his name to Ben Jor) influenced many who sought to wed Brazilian styles to the soul and funk of North American Black music. These videos represent his core output from the 1960s as well as new directions in the 1970s.

5. Marisa Monte: “Carinhoso” (Pixinguinha / João de Barro), http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Vp2y_Doe4w. To move now in a slightly different direction (and further back historically): This is a beautiful love song by Pixinguinha (the title means “Affectionate”) from the 1940s, sung by the popular contemporary singer (and songwriter) Marisa Monte, with accompaniment by Paulinho da Viola. This song has the feel of the choro (literally, “cry”), a traditional Brazilian song form.

6. Orlando Silva: “A Jardineira” (Benedito Lacerda-Humberto Porto), http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThS6JhclDg4&feature=related. Going back a little further, this is a Carnaval song from 1939, sung by one of the great singers of the 1930s, Orlando Silva. The song form is called a marchinha (not a samba)—a very distinctive and popular style for Carnaval street dancing. You can hear in it the distinctive marching-dancing beat (with an emphasis on the downbeat).

7. Aloysio Oliveira: “Aquarela do Brasil” (Ary Barroso) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mQHr8bAojU,; Grupo Aquattro: “Aquarela do Brasil”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAPIw7l07mY. Finally, one very popular Brazilian song, one that had broad international exposure beginning in the 1940s with the Disney treatment you see in the first video. (It also includes a beginning instruction in samba, along with a choro treatment of the classic by Zequinho de Abreu, “Tico-Tico no Fubá.”) The video is from the 1942 Disney short film, Saludos Amigos. Somewhat of a stereotype: one wouldn’t want one’s only exposure to Brazilian music to be this particular song, but it’s worth experiencing it. Choro (or chorinho) is a very important traditional style of music, one particularly associated with Rio. You can see some of the usual chorinho instruments in the second selection here, a live performance of “Aquarela do Brasil” (or “Watercolor of Brazil”) by the fabulous Grupo Aquattro.