A while back I posted an essay on Haiti, Voodou and the House of Blues, which was prompted by my planned trip to the Dominican Republic with a medical mission team from my church. The trip has since evolved from a spring break trip to the DR and will most probably become a December trip to Africa. I’m glad that the DR trip was a part of my story though because it the impetus for me to begin writing about syncretism. Many of you have read my essay on “Haiti, Voodoo, and the House of Blues,” and I hope you read Megan’s comment to it as well. Megan challenged me consider the syncretism in greater depth, and I’d like to share a bit of that we you now.

I agree with Megan that a history of slavery, oppression, colonialism, and dictatorship are at the root of Haiti’s historical social struggles, but I do not believe that is to the exclusion of its spiritual history. The spiritual estate of the people cannot take undue precedence, as I may have inadvertently implied, but it also cannot be completely removed from the list of factors perpetuating Haiti’s social difficulties. The spiritual influence on culture is not unique to Haiti, but is present throughout the world. My choice in speaking about Haiti and its syncretism was not intended to be racist, but was an attempt to speak to a more widespread and potentially growing worldwide phenomenon. The trust which is foundational to civil society is directly undermined by syncretism’s attempts to reconcile diametrically oppositional spiritual truths. When and where Truth is broken down and manipulated, strife and violence are in guaranteed pursuit.

The idea of trust as a foundation for civil society isn’t new, but I hope you will find my articulation helpful. Healthy governments are designed to protect citizens from external and internal forces that would harm its citizens. External threats are generally thwarted by the establishment of proper armies and borders. Internal threats are controlled through effective policing and judiciary enforcement of social contracts. Only when people can trust their own safety can they thrive in relationships with others.

When I question whether I’m oversimplifying to think that society is built on trust, it helps me to remember that culture is what naturally happens when mature people gather together over an extended period of time. What is essential for individual development must also in some way be vital for corporate development. I believe that trust and the ability to determine who and what is trustworthy is one of the foundational variables for healthy interpersonal development.

Erikson says that the first crisis in human development is wrestling with through the tension between trust and mistrust. He argues that the extent of our trust tends to limit the development of our autonomy, initiative, industry, identity, and intimacy. Yet, if our development is built upon a foundation of mistrust, we are more likely to develop shame, guilt, inferiority, role confusion, and isolation – each attributes which I think most will agree are less desirable than the positive characteristics the trust precedes.

I hope you don’t mind that my response to Megan’s socio-historical concerns is still strongly socio-philosophical in nature. I know it would be ignorant for me to look past how Haiti’s history is marked by patterns of slavery, colonialism, and dictatorship, but these too can be linked to a nation’s inability to development societal trust. Masters don’t trust their slaves; slaves don’t trust their masters. Colonizers don’t trust their colonies to do business fairly; colonists don’t trust their colonizers. Dictators don’t trust the anyone (for good reason), and the people don’t trust their dictators (for good reason). Each of these socio-historic phenomena leads to mistrust. Still, they do not stand alone. As responsible as I am to point out the social mistrust bred by these social atrocities, I believe it would be just as irresponsible for me to suppress the role that syncretism has played in the process.

The danger in syncretism pervades not in its reconciling of truth, but rather in its reconciling of spiritually oppositional truths. I contend that syncretism within particular strains of one religion (ie perhaps a poor definition of ecumenism) can be healthy to the extent that it brings to the surface essential beliefs of the particular faith. It is like distinguishing shades of gray. On the contrary, a mixing of different religions often disrespects the foundational spiritual truths at each constituent faith’s core. It is like saying black is white, or white is black. The world we live in may not be black and white, but we will get nowhere in our ability to discern and live within reality if we try to say that black is white. Isn’t it clear how a threatening of Truth would also threaten our sense of trust?

Megan described Haitian Vodou as creative combining of oppressed people. But I am concerned this creativity only masked rather than addressed the underlying problems. Their creative renaming of their iwa to the names of saints may have simplified the equation but it did not the make finding a (re)solution any easier. I believe the colonial oppression of the Haitian people, particularly that pain and suffering caused by priests in the name of the Church is a gross misrepresentation of the name, power, and person of Jesus Christ. The Haitians were oppressed by people in the name of Christ, and regardless of what you call it, religious oppression is still religious oppression. What many people miss seeing is that the Catholic priests practiced a detrimental syncretism of their own.

The Catholic priests who “converted” the Haitian people used a form of syncretism to justify their own political ambitions. They allowed their hunger for imperialist power to tarnish their faith in Christ. When I look at the actions of Christ himself, I see a man who refused to use violence and power to take up an earthly kingdom, yet far too many “Christians” have attempted to establish their earthly rule in His Name. This is more than tragic – it is blasphemous. I see the mixing of national politics with Christianity as the first form of syncretism that contributed to Haiti’s national struggle.

Sadly, it seems that syncretism and idolatry are notorious for breeding more syncretism and idolatry. Why? Because mistrust and uncertainty breed more mistrust and uncertainty. Like Frida or VanGough, I believe that some of the best creative work comes forth from some of the deepest pain, and as an admirer of culture I see a certain beauty in Vodou. There is beauty in the rhythms of the Hounto, the fluidity of the dances, and even the complete submission to the lao, but to claim this worship of Bondye became worship of Yahweh is misdirected. Beneath the thin aesthetic beauty of Vodou lives the lie that monotheistic religions worship the same God.

Bondye and Yahweh cannot be the same God, because their characters and values are drastically different. To my limited but increasing understanding, Bondye is seen as distant and uninvolved in the everyday world. This is the main reason why practicers of Vodou spend more time focussed on pleasing the “loa” or “iwa” than they concerned about Bondye. In contrast, Yahweh is seen as very involved in the everyday world; he’s so involved that He came as a man to live among us, die for us, and raise us to new life. Bondye is seen as impersonal, while Yahweh in Christ is very personal.

Secondly, Bondye and Yahweh cannot be the same God, because they desire different forms of sacrifice. While Bondye is appeased by the frequent sacrifice of chickens and other animals, Yahweh’s propitiation came through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. For Christians, the life and sacrifice of one man, Jesus Christ, for all people is sufficient to cover the sin of one man, Adam, that infected all people. Yahweh desired such a personal relationship with us that he sacrificed for it.

Finally, Bondye and Yahweh cannot be the same God, because they have different spirits. Vodouisants are encouraged to worship their ancestors’ spirits, but Christians are called to serve only the Holy Spirit of Christ. Whereas each Vodou spirit represents a different destiny, the Christian people are of one Spirit, one Body, and one Destiny in Jesus.

Syncretism is not the only or necessary the dominant cause for Haiti’s social struggles and national struggle with social trust, but it certainly has been a factor. To say that Bondye and Yahweh are the same God, as Haitian Vodou implies, is an insult to both Christianity and to Vodou’s African roots. While Haitian Vodou is not baseless or completely void of creative value, I find that as a syncretic divergence from both faiths it is more likely to cause confusion and mistrust, struggle and despair than a faith with one clear theological and historical derivation. Faith need not be blind, but should be supported by history and reason. Syncretism inherently undermines one or the other, and most often it undermines both.

I was with some friends the other night, and had the chance to talk to them about getting out and meeting new people. One of my biggest hopes here on SexyReligion is to help people outside the church understand people inside the church and vice-versa. This is often easier said than done, but I hope this blog post truly resonates with that goal.

I’ve been in Vegas for about 8 months now, and I’ve visited and/or heard about quite a few churches that have scheduled times/programs/services/gatherings for young adults. These groups aren’t all too extra-ordinary — there are thousands of groups like them that meet throughout the United States — but here in Vegas they’ve inadvertently created a funny dynamic: the most well known groups in the valley each meet on different nights of the week. Each and every night of the week, men and women between the ages of 18-30 have the opportunity to study the Bible and fellowship at a different church than the night before.

I’m sure this seems a bit strange to most people who aren’t immersed in church culture, so I thought I’d share with you the perspective of someone who is…

Meet Rommel. He’s Canadian by citizenship, Filipino by background, lives with family in Vegas and studies at UNLV. He is passionate about music, and you can find his MySpace link on the right-hand side-bar of this blog. He’s crazy about Hill-Songs Australia, but you’ll also find a cover of Wonderwall in his MySpace recording list.

I asked Rommel to write about his experience with young adults happening around the valley, and for him to share about the phenomena of having a different group every night a week…

This is what Rommel wrote:

As a Christian and a follower of Christ, I have sought after various fellowship, worship and church service activities around the valley of Las Vegas. It may seem at times that I take on to much responsibilities in these activities and exhaust myself to the brim — not the worst of offenses. I have found that keeping myself busy allows me to focus on the positive aspects of life with Christ, because the alternative could be sin if I were not so pre-occupied. So for this specific topic I would like to talk about the different activities going around the Las Vegas valley, with a short background of each event.

Mondays: Valley Bible Fellowship

Usually my Mondays consist of numerous amounts of chores that I neglect to do, but towards the end of the day I make a long, but fulfilling drive to Valley Bible Fellowship. Every Monday night at 7p.m. Christians meet-up at a facility on Durango and have a time of prayer, worship, the preaching of the Word of God. I definitely encourage anyone who is seeking for a good basis of how the Word is preached. The preaching is unquestionably biblical, and not watered down, like various churches around the valley. My only opinion would have to be, at times it seems very structured which gives the feel of an actual service (which probably it already is) compared to a college group. NOTE: Any age can join; you don’t have to be in college in order to hear the word of God. The only stipulation is that you are awake, walking-and-talking, and most importantly alive and willing to travel to get there.

Valley Bible Fellowship
3965 S Durango Dr
#105
Las Vegas, NV 89147
702 254 2251
www.vbflv.org

Tuesdays: Intentional Gatherings (Aaron & Morgan’s House)

Tuesdays have got to be the best days ever! This day is when I jump out of bed, take off my jimmies, run to the bathroom, brush my teeth, wash my face, and do everything imaginable before I step out into the heat of Las Vegas, only to forget my sunnies inside my house. In all actuality, Tuesdays are quite the opposite of every other day of the week, it’s the day I really relax and just focus hard on the aspect of worship before “Intentional Gatherings.”

Intentional Gatherings is a form of community where people build relationships and intentionally live the Christian faith with one another; keeping them accountable in exhortation. The basis of this group is to stray away from mainstream Christianity, and to live biblically in the sight of others, for the simple purposes of the Great Commission. There are about three I.G. houses within the Las Vegas valley, but the house I currently attend is across the UNLV campus at Aaron and Morgan’s house. Just a brief background about these two amazing soldiers of God. Aaron and Morgan have opened their house, food and fellowship to see a great vision God has instilled in their hearts to do, which is to place I.G. houses around the valley, but before this can happen, certain factors need to be realized. For example: Discipleship, Leadership, and Patience (which probably can go under the qualities of a leader, but you get my point). Overall the house and fellowship with amazing people and personalities are welcome to anyone who is willing to come.

Intentional Gatherings (Aaron & Morgans House): Cross-streets are: Maryland Parkway and Dorothy (across from Capriottis)

NOTE: IF YOU GET LOST AND ONLY IF:

text me at 702-927-3862 (text only, I don’t answer calls, and on your texts, direction only please. I will not be texting back if your questions are “what are you doing tonight” and I don’t know you)

Hope Baptist Church (Veritas)

Hope Baptists conducts fellowships at their building every Tuesday nights at 7 p.m. as well. I do not normally attend this function because of my responsibilities at Intentional Gatherings, but everyone is welcomed and encouraged to seek after Christ.

http://www.hopebaptistchurch.com

Wednesday: Charismatic Ecumenical Ministry International (C.E.M.I.)

CEMI and I have a history together, the embodiment of people within this congregation is the reason you are looking at a change man, and for the more significant reason, a Christian. CEMI was a small Christian “filipino” church that is non-denominational, the majority of people that congregate in the building are mostly filipinos; although today, the church has began its early stages to becoming interracial. Every Wednesday night at about 7p.m. CEMI conducts service, the preaching of the Word here is definitely not watered down, and the people are friendly and are willing to get to know you. The church mirrors that of a family, so if your not ready to share your dirty secrets then I suggest you keep to yourself. Generally CEMI is a great church is not one of the best church that is led by the spirit and convicted with the Word of God. My only critique would have to be the lack of planned programs and articulation within the preaching and teachings of the pastors. Given that those reasons are not as important as the main intent of the body of Christ — you should allow yourself to be moved through the Word of God and not through articulation, [programs and articulation] do not make Christians, but again [my critique] is only an opinion.

Location: Cross-streets are Pecos-McCloud and Desert Inn (inside the Mcdonalds complex)

First Wednesdays at Central Christian Church

Every first Wednesday of the month, Central Christian Church conducts special worship programs for their members. By far, I would have to say that Central has been gifted with a great worship team and if what you’re looking for is worship and the spirit moving through music, then definitely Central is the way to go. As for the Word, I cannot necessarily vouch for them because of my bias opinion towards their preaching [style], that perhaps I cannot be counted to deliver a good critique towards the [substance of their] preaching. Given Central is one of the third largest churches in the United States, its members range by the thousands, then I would understand their having to preach the way they do. So with that said, all are welcome once again.

http://www.centralchristian.com

NOTE: Central Christian Church have regular Wednesday services from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Thursday: Jacob’s Well at South Hills Community Church

Are you tired of driving miles and miles away from home to reach a church of believers to fellowship with? Well look no further, if you live in Henderson it may be five to ten miles away (for everyone else in Vegas, TOUGH LUCK!). The college group Jacob’s Well occurs every Thursday at 7p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Come join the fun, the kid-like personalities, the friendly [comfortable] atmosphere and the people are nice too.

Friday: Charismatic Ecumenical Ministry International (C.E.M.I.)

Cross Encounter

Cross Encounter is another youth group held by CEMI church in Pecos and Desert Inn. This small but growing group of Christians believers have a great head on their shoulders and are growing constantly. It has an extremely fun atmosphere with fun people.

Saturday: Brother’s Keepers

Brother’s Keepers is again affiliated CEMI, although the ministry is its own separate entity. This ministry is another form of Christians gathering intentionally for the purpose of living the Bible. Unfortunately this ministry travels from house to house of the congregation, so I cannot provide you with a specific location. So please feel free to call [txt] me.

Midnight Bike Rides

For the times that I do not want to fellowship because I need my time with God alone, I go riding by myself (of course everyone else is welcome, just call me), allowing the wind to take me. My Saturday, are usually for myself and God, but I do welcome anyone who would like to bike ride with me.

Sunday: Church

The celebration of Christ and fellowship with His believers is a crucial part of the Christian life. Everything we do, is established through the Word and our out-pour and cry is done everyday; but what a great time to do it with everyone!!! GO TO CHURCH!!!

This list most certainly isn’t complete, but I think you get the idea… What do y’all think about this? What are some of the advantages and disadvantages to having church every single night? For those who aren’t as familiar with church culture, what do you think about this? Feel free to drop me a note in the comments…

I hadn’t post for a while until tonight because of personal travel out-of-town and then out-of-town visitors when I got back.

Things are finally starting to settle down, so you’re likely to see a few more things pop up throughout the next week.  I considered posting all of it at the same time, but I figured I better keep you in suspense (and/or not overwhelm you)…

It’s been difficult for me to recap my experience at UYWI for a couple reasons… The first is logistical, I haven’t taken the proper time to sit down and write about it. By the end of the weekend, I was tired and ready to sleep in my own bed. This post was started at one of the first times I was able to sit down and feel rested since coming back.

The second issue at play is my life vision and the difficulty I have integrating youth work into it. Many of the people I went with and met there have been working with urban youth much longer and more frequently than I have. It has only been in the last month that I started volunteering for after school tutoring at Club Christ. I still have trouble wrapping even part of my identity around that role, where for many of the people at UYWI helping urban youth is their passion. My life pursuits make it a bit more difficult to connect with teens. If all teens were like Dwayne from “Little Miss Sunshine” then I’d have a shot, but those kids come few and far between. For the most part, kids don’t develop an appreciation for Nietzsche, Freud, Postman, McLuhan, and Erikson until college or later, if ever at all. I hope you don’t get me wrong, people don’t have to speak about these authors or with language of critical theory to connect with me — more often than not I can find a common ground for conversation with just about anyone. Still, it doesn’t take long for people to see that my interest and relationship with philosophy, critical theory, and a few of life’s most nagging questions make me seem a bit eccentric.

Now, kids who are eccentric generally aren’t “cool”, they’re “geeks.” Eclectic kids can be “cool”, but kids who refuse to assimilate are “dorks”. Here’s a bit of my conflict… I think that in the eyes of the contemporary American majority, Christians are eccentric. Anybody with faith in the unseen must be a little off-kilter — they have some explaining to do. Added on top of this is the exclusivity of christocentricism. People who take Christ at his word must stand against syncretism and pluralism. Christ followers take note of the definite articles when Jesus says: “I am the Way, the Truth, the Life.”

Coming out and asking about life’s hardest questions isn’t a popular thing to do. I get a sense, and correct me if I’m wrong, that youth believe and as adults we reinforce that defining a personal philosophy occurs in college — that’s when and where we define identity and worldview. We ask the tough questions while we are surrounded by a bunch of academic professionals, we listen to their answers, we choose the ones that make the most sense, and we give up the search. Because many Americans dedicate 2-4 years of their life young adult lives to pursuing these questions in the university, we give teenagers a break from wrestling with life itself.

TV, MySpace, Facebook, movies, music, and other forms of entertainment can distract kids from asking life questions, but maybe as adults we are as much to blame. As Christian adults, we’ve tried to make faith “cool”. Often, we associate belief in the things unseen with unrelated sensory experiences to make Jesus more palatable. We offer stimulating games, music and videos assuming kids will get the message instead of the medium. Then we ignorantly fail to delve deeper into what the message says about who we are and who Christ is. Have we become more concerned about music and atmosphere that we have lost sight of the fundamental truth that we as his Body are the Holy Spirit’s favored medium?

I hope my struggle is not misunderstood – I am not against pointing out how Christ is relevant in today’s world. I read Paul’s monologue to the people of Mars Hill, and his reference to contemporary poetry is genius: “In Him we move, breathe, and have our being.” It’s like if someone took the quintessential Vertical Horizon and they put in scripture: “He’s everything you want, He’s everything need, He’s everything inside of you that you wish you could be. He says all the right things at exactly the right time, but He means nothing to you and you don’t know why.” Telling the story of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection in ways that people understand is the foundation of relevance, but my concern is whether we are intertwining our relevant message with the medium of unconditional relationship.

I’m concerned, and perhaps wrongfully so, that entertainment culture (ie entertainment for the sake of amusement) causes relational deforestation. It’s as if we cut down the pillars of relational strength in our lives to plant the next cash crop, hoping we will strike it rich quick and be happy for a while. We long for the next big thing (iPhone, HDTV, Xbox 360…) or event (Jonas Brothers Concert, Lakers Game, High School Musical…), and we find it rewarding – for a moment. Then tragedy kicks in a couple weeks, days, or hours later when we realize that we are walking with nothing truly gained. Sure, we’ve had fun, but we aren’t any more fulfilled as people than we were before we experienced the next big thing or event. In the end, we are amused to find that what we sought after has slipped through our fingers like a clenched handful of sand. We create our own relational desert.

If you’re having difficulty relating the entertainment culture with relational deforestation, check this out. In 2005, the state of Nevada had the 2^nd highest suicide rate in all of the United States. That’s more than suicides than in the relationally frozen desert of Alaska. Could Nevada be just as difficult a place to foster meaningful relationships as Alaska? Or even Montana and Wyoming? Could the Mecca of entertainment culture be a place that’s as difficult to foster relationship as a place that has no people at all?

Obviously, this struggle is not with UYWI itself, but is more one regarding the role that technology plays in our misseology. My one concern with UYWI was how the answer to some of these questions seemed assumed. When asked, “Should we embrace the forms of culture to engage youth with the gospel?” the definitive answer was yes. Sadly, I don’t feel as though there was a vocal contingent asking the question, “Is the Gospel trivialized and the story of Christ merely entertaining when it is communicated through the same technologies and marketing techniques that promote JT, Britney, 50Cent, DMX, Eminem?”

Could somebody help me out? Is this off track, or is this true? Please leave a comment if you have something to say.

I’m headed back to Washington DC for Memorial Day weekend. My parents are celebrating their 50th birthdays and their 30th wedding anniversary. They’ve done an incredible job of beating the odds, and I’m so proud of them.

For now though, I’m stuck in the airport because of bad weather along the west coast. My plane was grounded in Oakland, so I’m waiting in McCarran for an extra 2 hours. Thankfully, the rain didn’t stop in California — it rained today in Vegas! My entire department took a couple minutes to step outside and enjoy it while it lasted — all eight minutes of it.

Sometimes it seems that a marriage like my parents’ is as rare as a Vegas rain. To be in the presence of a couple who has withstood the test of time is like water to the relationally parched.

I started reading the book of Ruth while I’ve been waiting, and I’m struck by the level of commitment Ruth shows to her mother-in-law Naomi. In America, mother-in-law jokes will never go out of style, but Ruth’s words of loyalty are no laughing matter. She says:

Don’t urge me to leave you or turn my back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.

The only place where we hear words like this today is at a wedding, and even then we have begun to doubt their general credibility.

We have lost our sense of covenant, and as such we have lost our sense in the faithfulness of God. Without the faith that He is faithful to complete his promises and sustains all ties bound in His Spirit, there’s no wonder that the relational desert seems to be growing. Like the deforestation that plagues sub-Saharan Africa, we cut down our sense of relationship by focusing on the physical and experiential instead of allowing the spiritual and volitional to bind us together.

I drive down Desert Inn Road every now and then, where there’s the billboard for one of the more popular strip clubs in town. It shows the picture of a scantily clad woman laying out and she seems to be sweaty. Upon seeing it, I wondered, why is she sweaty, but now I just try to avoid looking at it while I drive by.

Covenant cannot find its roots in a culture that focuses on the next bigger and better experience. After her sons died, Naomi told her daughter-in-laws not to come with her. She told Ruth to go home and find another husband - to go rebuild a more enjoyable life. Yet instead of seeking her own pleasure, Ruth expressed a deep abiding love and care for Naomi. Ruth’s covenant with Naomi was sealed with the baptism of their tears. And with that, their names were changed.

There’s a verse in Ephessians that commends husbands to love their wives through baptizing them in water of the Word of God. This baptism is a sign of the marriage covenant.

I’ve seen glimpses and heard stories of how my parents have struggled through marriage and life. Still I’m convinced the success of their marriage can be attributed not to their own strength but to the strength of their conviction that God’s Word is true when it says the He will continue to sustain the good works that He has started. It’s their trust in His faithfulness that keeps them faithful and their marriage fresh.

I live in a desert, and at times I struggle with relational dehydration. I work myself to ragged, I don’t get enough rest, and my priorities get all out of whack. Still, on occasion, when I realize how foolish I am, I take time out to focus on what really matters. I take the time to rest, and refresh myself through Gods words expressed in the voices of scripture, like Ruth, Paul, Ezekiel, or Jesus himself. These words make me a bit less lonely and a great deal more at peace about my relational future. They give me hope that I will see the glory of the Lord in the land of the living. I’ve already seen a few glimpses of it today…

Hey everybody, I’m heading to California for the Urban Youth Workers Conference at Azusa Pacific. I’ll try to recap when I get back. Peace!

To all of the Mothers who frequent or come across my blog, I hope you are having a wonderful Mother’s Day.

Last night, I had the joy and privilege of hearing Luke Everett share at South-Hills Community Church about the faith and strength of his mother and father in the midst of trial after trial that threatened his family’s ministry to deaf-mute children in Ensenada, Mexico. Almost 40 years ago, his mother and father converted an old school bus into a makeshift RV and moved their six children south of the border all the way from North Carolina. They arrived without “official training” and within two weeks there were 12 Mexican deaf-mute children living with their Gringo family. Despite financial setbacks, a house that burned down, and the tragic deaths of multiple family members, the ministry of his family still lives on at the Rancho Sordo Mudo school for the deaf-mute.

My quick summary doesn’t do this justice. The story is amazing and Luke’s talk can be found on the South-Hills website. Once you’ve listened to the story, check out the trailer for a new video documentary about it…

I’m back from Chicago, but still in slight recovery from the emotional high. It brought incredible joy to see friends! The high was followed by a couple days of the feeling down, but the I think I’m finding equilibrium again.  I’ve been playing guitar, writing letters/cards, and reading — all of which are outlets that steal me away from my blog but provide a strong foundation for me to share.  Tomorrow is a busy day (per my usual Thursday), but I will strive to share something more by the weekend.  Peace!

I’m jumping on a plane to Chicago. I’ll be there for the weekend. I’m visiting roommates and friends. I’ll see Roy Joseph and well as friends from the Wheaton Simple Living Intentional Community Experiment — it’s a bit like Shane Claiborne’s “Simple Way“, but not quite as intense…

A couple Sundays ago (April 13th), I visited the International Church of Las Vegas. It’s one of the largest churches in the valley, and its building is strategically located near the 95 and Summerlin Parkway. In fact, I heard about it from friends, but I didn’t know where it met until I saw their sign from the highway. Many of the best known churches in the valley can be seen or at least are easily accessible from the highway (ie Central Christian, St. Thomas More, ICLV). Even up-and-coming churches like South-Hills Community are building new campuses that can be seen day after day by highway commuters. Anyway, I had some extra time and decided to hop on down the road to ICLV and check it out.

I pulled into a visitor spot about 30 mins before the 11AM service, and unknowingly entered through the side door on the south-side of the building. It seems that’s where the children’s program check-in desk is located. The 8:30 service hadn’t quite finished when I got there, so the foyer wasn’t busy or crowded, and I had time to step into the restroom before service. A few minutes later, the service ended, and people started filtering out. I walked through the sanctuary, to the main entrance so I could take a look around the bookstore and the welcome table. The church store was filled with books written or recommended by the pastoral staff, and many of the titles can also be purchased online. There are even books in languages other than English, such as French and Portuguese.

At the welcome table, the receptionists were busy talking to other guests, so I quickly glanced over fliers/pamphlets on the table, and grabbed one that looked interesting. The one I chose was an encouragement for kids to fast and pray during lunch at school one day a week. I’ve included a copy of the card here.

From the front entrance, I moseyed done the hall and found classrooms for their affiliate elementary and junior high school the International Christian Academy of Las Vegas.

About 10:45, I went back into the sanctuary and found a seat. These are something of the things I observed before and during the morning service:

• The sanctuary is large, with about a thousand seats spread out in 8 sections. The stage is easily visible from anywhere in the room, and there are large screens on each side of the stage. These screens run the ICLV logo between services, and during the service they are used for announcements, music lyrics, and providing a magnified view of the preacher for those in the back who have trouble seeing. I found out that a new friend works for ICLV’s media crew, and he told me they try to have something on the screen at all times.
• The people were kind, friendly, and multi-ethnic. I could see the care members had for one another as they looked around the room and saw small groups of people talking, laughing, and praying together. They were black, white, Hispanic, Asian, and many of the countries they would call home were represented with flags hanging on the ceiling. Front and center as the flag of Israel.
• The music at ICLV was incredible. There was a strong vibrant and spontaneous aura throughout the sanctuary. The music seemed less scripted and more improvised, but with 15 people singing it was still very acoustically rich. Looking around the room, it was obvious that the music was a participatory event where everybody joined in rather than a concert for spectators. Those who are familiar with Hillsongs have probably caught this vibe before.
• Pastor Denise Goulet preached a sermon on the covering of the Holy Spirit. Her husband Paul Goulet is the main pastor of ICLV, but he away preaching in Chicago at the church of a friend he knew from working with Benny Hinn. Both Paul and Denise travel a lot, and Denise enjoyed mixing in stories of her travels throughout the sermon. Many of the stories were either funny or spoke of spiritual experiences she had with the overwhelming presence of God. She also mentioned prophecies she had heard recently from prophets such as Rick Joyner who is a close colleague with Bob Jones. Benny, Rick, and Bob have each become controversial prophets and healers within the Christian community, but I won’t delve into that here. Information about these men can be found throughout the Net and Blogosphere through a simple Google search.