Church stories
Feb. 20th, 2019 07:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kayreIrene is one of those incredibly faithful church ladies. She's nearly 80, overflowing with energy, and throws herself wholeheartedly into everything at church. She's also intense and passionate to the point of making others uncomfortable. That passion is, sadly, probably why she has not been a deacon or elder in this church (where nearly every long-term member has served in one or the other role).
The pastor, admin and I are all women, and the three of us plus Irene have had running jokes about being the staff of Dibley (of the BBC show Vicar of Dibley). Irene claimed the role of Verger. Some time ago, Laura and I made her a crafty little pin with the crossed keys that denote the Verger in some denominations (also, amusingly enough, the Pope). Irene wears it constantly.
This year, to her amazement and delight, Irene was nominated for Elder, and accepted. I noticed on Sunday morning, she was wearing her Verger pin... but sometime after the moment of her ordination, she took it off. I think that pin has been giving her lots of comfort-- and I'm glad she doesn't feel the need for it any more.
*****
A small group from the church went to hear Rev. William Barber speak; and last night we had a followup discussion. For a bunch of privileged white folk, I think it went pretty well, but there was one jaw-dropping moment. One person mentioned some dismay that we had recently shown a slide of a clearly white Jesus with all white little children during church (I didn't see it, rarely see any of the slides). Another woman said that she didn't think that's a problem since our children are "pretty much white." I think she's wrong, first of all. But second-- I did the children's story last week. There were only 3 children (it's winter break); and only one of them was white-- her son. The other two are Indian and Asian; I think especially she thinks of the Asian girl as being white.
The pastor, admin and I are all women, and the three of us plus Irene have had running jokes about being the staff of Dibley (of the BBC show Vicar of Dibley). Irene claimed the role of Verger. Some time ago, Laura and I made her a crafty little pin with the crossed keys that denote the Verger in some denominations (also, amusingly enough, the Pope). Irene wears it constantly.
This year, to her amazement and delight, Irene was nominated for Elder, and accepted. I noticed on Sunday morning, she was wearing her Verger pin... but sometime after the moment of her ordination, she took it off. I think that pin has been giving her lots of comfort-- and I'm glad she doesn't feel the need for it any more.
*****
A small group from the church went to hear Rev. William Barber speak; and last night we had a followup discussion. For a bunch of privileged white folk, I think it went pretty well, but there was one jaw-dropping moment. One person mentioned some dismay that we had recently shown a slide of a clearly white Jesus with all white little children during church (I didn't see it, rarely see any of the slides). Another woman said that she didn't think that's a problem since our children are "pretty much white." I think she's wrong, first of all. But second-- I did the children's story last week. There were only 3 children (it's winter break); and only one of them was white-- her son. The other two are Indian and Asian; I think especially she thinks of the Asian girl as being white.
no subject
Date: 2019-02-21 01:59 am (UTC)I'm so glad that the pin made Irene feel appreciated and ennobled, and gladder that she is now an elder.
And yeah, Asians do often get that kibosh. :/
And I am so utterly, totally with you on the ethnicity and the children's word issue. White children in the US are much better off being decentered a bit, a very White Jesus or Mary is just historically unlikely in a major way, and Oh Lord that ethnicity count. :(
no subject
Date: 2019-02-21 02:31 am (UTC)Oh, man, that's great. I'm so glad for her.
(And yeah, even if she's right that y'all are "pretty much white," it's a self-fulfilling prophecy. It's like organizations that say, "Oh, we don't have to worry about modifying *too* much for disabled people, we don't get a lot of them." Well, no... you sure don't, and will continue not to, with *that* attitude.)