Preaching in the Dominican Republic

by Sarah Saxe

At San Isidro with the bishop
(Sarah Saxe on the far left)

Preaching is different in the Dominican Republic. My first experience of it was the day after our arrival at the Tuesday morning service. Padre Servio Moscoso gave his sermon to a packed congregation of ‘street people’ as Karen dubbed them, who come every Tuesday for mass, breakfast and a bag of groceries. Padre Servio’s sermon was an uncomplicated message delivered in an interactive manner. He walked the congregation through that day’s Gospel reading by asking questions, to which individuals were free to call out an answer or raise their hand to be called upon. It was a very relaxed and inviting way to engage the people in the Bible story and lead them to Padre Servio’s message, which was delivered in the same way – by asking questions that invited reflection and response. I was intrigued. It reminded me of Godly Play without the ‘props.’

Later that week, I headed out with my field ed priest, Adolfo Moronta, to the first of his three congregations. I noticed that he used the same method. Watching the involvement of the people, their ability to quote from the Biblical text they had just heard, the attentive way in which they listened and responded, I fell in love – not just with these people but with this homiletic method. Afterward, while Adolfo and I talked about it, he encouraged me to try to use this method when I preached in two weeks. Because of my limited Spanish, I would need to figure out how to ask questions in such a way that prompted answers I could understand!

The congregation in Guerra

Furthermore, I was reminded that the message must be very simple. Perhaps there are congregations in the Dominican Republic that would appreciate quotes from famous theologians. Perhaps there are some who want lengthy sermons. Perhaps there are people with an advanced education who are coming to hear a scholarly lecture more than a sermon. That is not the case at San Lucas y San Pablo in San Isidro; Iglesia Episcopal de La Gracia in La Caleta; or Divina Providencia in Guerra, where many of the older members cannot read and most of the other members have received a very basic free education.

Since I would only be with each church twice before writing a sermon, I tried to get to know them better by incessantly (and I hope not annoyingly) asking Adolfo questions about them – their worship, ministry, personal struggles, etc. The number one theme that emerged from all three congregations was the need to empower the laity. That was the issue I would take to the text in prayer as I read, reflected and exegeted.

Iglesia Episcopal de la Gracia in La Caleta, Boca Chica

Another small request, from the Bishop, was that we take any opportunity we had with the young members of our congregations to encourage their consideration of ordained ministry, as priests are desperately needed in this diocese. (Note to all you seminarians approaching graduation.)

So I went into my room, closed the door and had a lengthy meeting with the Bible, the Trinity and these prayers. Below is what emerged. Josh encouraged me to post it on his blog; Adolfo insisted; I have reluctantly obliged. 

En Español:

La semana pasada, Padre Moronta les dijo acerca del tiempo cuando Jesús hizo su primer milagro en la boda. ¿Recuerdan algunas de las personas que estaban en esa historia?

(Jesús … Maria … los sirvientes … el hombre a cargo del banquete)

¿Cada uno de ellos jugó una parte importante en la historia, verdad?

¿Me pregunto: si los sirvientes no hubieron estado en la historia, cómo Jesús habria hecho el milagro? ¿Si Maria no hubiera estado en la historia quién habría sido el primer discípulo de Jesús? ¿Si el hombre a cargo del banquete no hubiera estado en la historia, cómo sabríamos nosotros el poder del milagro de Jesús? ¿Y por supuesto, si Jesús no hubiera estado en la historia, bien, habría realmente ningún historia allí?

Entonces sabemos que cada persona en la historia de la boda es importante aunque cada uno juegue una parte diferente.

En la lectura de hoy de Corintios, San Pablo también habla de diferentes papeles. ¿El no habla de papeles diferentes en una historia de la boda, verdad? San Pablo habla de las partes diferentes del cuerpo humano. ¿De qué partes habla él?

(El pie … la mano … la oreja … el ojo … la cabeza)

¿Estas partes son todo lo mismo? (No.) ¿Funcionan en el cuerpo de la misma manera? (¡Claro que no!) San Pablo dice que es una cosa buena tener todas estas partes diferentes. Por ejemplo, si todas fueramos manos podriamos functionar como un cuerpo? (No!)

¿Pero Pablo no habla realmente de un cuerpo humano, verdad? (Si) ¡Habla del cuerpo de Cristo en la tierra! ¡Habla de la Iglesia! Como en la historia de la boda, cada parte de una iglesia, cada persona en una iglesia es diferente. Cada uno tiene personalidades diferentes y talentos diferentes; por lo tanto cada uno participa en ministerios diferentes y tiene responsabilidades diferentes en la iglesia. Aunque nosotros no seamos el mismo, Pablo dice que la iglesia necesita cada y cada uno de nosotros. Somos todos importantes, no importa cuaL sean nuestro papel en la iglesia.

Aún la parte del cuerpo que parece ser más débil es necesaria. Me pregunto: ¿Entonces que sucede con las personas que no vienen a la iglesia a menudo porque están enfermas? ¡Si, las necesitamos! O quizás que sucede con los niños? ¿Los niños son más débiles, no? Bien los necesitamos también. Tienen una papel que jugar en la iglesia.

Algunas partes parecen poco atractivas o poco importantes. Me pregunto: ¿Parece un papel poco importante porque nadie le ve para ser hecho? Como, por ejemplo, la persona que lava los paños del altar o el alba del sacerdote. ¿Qué dice San Pablo acerca de tales personas?

Dice que estas personas deben ser tratadas con el cuidado aún más grande porque su parte no consigue mucha atencion. Trabajan para la gloria de Dios como hacen el resto de las partes.

Por otro lado, algunos papeles en la Iglesia quizás parezcan llamar la atención sobre sí mismos, lo que Pablo llama las hermosas partes. Me pregunto: ¿Significa el servidor del altar o acólito o sacerdote o el seminarista porque llevan ropa especial? ¿Significa quizás los músicos o personas con hermosas voces para cantar? ¡Sí! ¡Son necesitados también! Trabajan para la gloria de Dios, no para sí mismos como hacen el resto de las partes.

Pablo dice, “TODOS USTEDES SON EL CUERPO DE CRISTO Y CADA UNO FORMA PARTE DE ELLO.”

Ahora dice que también uno al otro. (“TODOS USTEDES SON EL CUERPO DE CRISTO Y CADA UNO FORMA PARTE DE ELLO.” )

¿Cual será la parte que usted juega en la iglesia?

La Caleta, Boca Chica:

 ¿Será quien anda por el vecindario y recuerda todos prepararse para el servicio a las 5:00?

¿Será quien organiza las sillas?

¿Será quien vota en convención?

¿Será quien limpia después?

¿Será quien lee las lecciones?

¿O ayuda con la comunión?

¿O llega a ser un sacerdote?

Todos ustedes hacen el cuerpo de Cristo y cada uno de ustedes forma parte de ello. ¿Cual será la parte que usted juega? AMEN!

San Isidro:

¿Será quien organiza las sillas?

¿Será quien vota en convención?

¿Será quien limpia después?

¿Será quien lee las lecciones?

¿O ayuda con la comunión?

¿O llega a ser un sacerdote?

Todos ustedes hacen el cuerpo de Cristo y cada uno de ustedes forma parte de ello. ¿ Cual será la parte que usted juega? AMEN!

Guerra:

¿Será uno de los servidores del altar?

¿Será quien trae las flores?

¿Será quien limpia después?

¿Será quien lee las lecciones?

 ¿O ayuda con la comunión?

¿O llega a ser un sacerdote?

Todos ustedes hacen el cuerpo de Cristo y cada uno de ustedes forma parte de ello. ¿ Cual será la parte que usted juega? AMEN!

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Rough English Translation:

Last week, Padre told you about the time when Jesus did his first miracle at the wedding. Can you remember who some of the characters were in that story?

(Jesus … Mary … the servants … the man in charge of the feast)   

Each of them played an important part in the story, no? I wonder: if the servants were not in the story how would Jesus have done the miracle?  If Mary were not in the story who would have been Jesus first disciple?If the man in charge of the feast were not in the story, how would we know the power of Jesus’ miracle? And of course, if Jesus were not in the story, well, there really would be no story at all would there?

So we know that each person in the wedding story is important even though each plays a different part. In today’s reading from Corinthians, Saint Paul also talks about different parts. He is not talking about different parts in a wedding story though, is he? (No.) He is talking about the different parts of the human body. What parts does he talk about?

(The foot … the hand … the ear … the eye … the head)     

Are all these parts the same? (No.) Do they function in the body in the same way? (Clearly not!)

Saint Paul says that it is a good thing to have all these different parts. He says that there would not be a body if it were made up of one type of part! But Paul is not really talking about a human body is he? (No!) He is talking about Christ’s body on earth! He is talking about the Church.

Just like in the wedding story, each part of a church, each person in a church is different. Each has different personalities and different talents; therefore each takes part in different ministries and has different responsibilities at church. Even though we are not the same, Paul says that the church needs each and every one of us. We are all important, no matter what our role is at church.

Even the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are needed. I wonder: Does he mean those people who don’t come to church often because they are sick? Well, we need them!

Or maybe he means children. Children are weaker, no? Well we need them too. They have a part to play at church.

Some parts appear unattractive or unimportant. I wonder: Does a role seem unimportant because no one sees it being done? Like, for example, the person who washes the altar cloth or the priest’s alb. What does Saint Paul say about such people? He says that these people should be treated with even greater care because their part doesn’t get much notice. They work for the glory of God as do the rest of the parts.

On the other hand, some roles at Church might appear to call attention to themselves, what Paul calls the beautiful parts. I wonder: Does he mean the altar server or acolyte or priest or seminarian because they wear special clothes? Does he mean perhaps the musicians or people with beautiful singing voices? Yes! They are needed too! They work for the glory of God, not for themselves as do the rest of the parts.

Paul says, “ALL OF YOU ARE CHRIST’S BODY AND EACH ONE IS PART OF IT.”

Now you say that too to each other. “ALL OF YOU ARE CHRIST’S BODY AND EACH ONE IS PART OF IT.”

What will be the part that you play in the church?

La Coletta, Boca Chica: (pointing to individuals who have done these things)

Will you be the one who walks through the neighborhood and reminds everyone to get ready for the 5:00 service?

Will you be the one who finds the altar cloth?

Will you be the one who sets up the chairs?

Will you be the one who votes at convention?

Will you be the one who cleans up afterward?

Will you be the one who reads the lessons?

Or helps with communion?

Or becomes a priest? (point to one of the young people)

All of you make up Christ’s body and each one of you is part of it. What will be the part that you play? AMEN!

San Isidro: (pointing to individuals who have done these things)

Will you be the one who sets up the chairs?

Will you be the one who votes at convention?

Will you be the one who cleans up afterward?

Will you be the one who reads the lessons?

Or helps with communion?

Or becomes a priest? (point to one of the young people)

All of you make up Christ’s body and each one of you is part of it. What will be the part that you play? AMEN!

Guerra: (pointing to individuals who have done these things)

Will you be one of the altar servers?

Will you be the one who brings the flowers?

Will you be the one who cleans up afterward?

Will you be the one who reads the lessons?

Or helps with communion?

Or becomes a priest? (point to one of the young people)

All of you make up Christ’s body and each one of you is part of it. What will be the part that you play? AMEN!