Projects
Light Street Presbyterian & the Mission Church in Paraiso, Cuba
Written by JoAnn Ruther Friday, 28 March 2008 19:55
A brief and bumpy coche ("one-horse-power-car") ride away from the Presbyterian Church in Cabaiguán in North Central Cuba, there is another, very tiny little church. It is surrounded by a sandy garden, where gorgeous tropical flowers climb the broken stucco walls.
Located in a dusty, sun-baked barreo called Paraíso (Paradise), it was built in the days of Spanish rule and strong Catholic tradition with funds from Presbyterian benefactors in the U.S., and was supported as a member congregation of a presbytery in New Jersey. The little church served not only as a place of worship and Christian fellowship for the poor people of Paradise, but also as a refuge -- a place to learn, eat and be treated for their ills -- in a time and place where education, good food and medical care were reserved for the wealthy.
Beginning in 1959, the new revolutionary government in Cuba promised jobs and a share of food, education and medical care to all. But while no one was rich, most people were still poor. The government responded to outside politcal pressures and internal economic difficulties, becoming more radical and restrictive. Faith communities whose members disavowed government policies found they were no longer free to worship openly. Church schools were closed or nationalized , and church buildings stood empty... even in Paradise.
Today, church doors in Cuba are open again. Crumbling buildings are being restored, often with help from sister congregations abroad, including (despite a tightening economic embargo) in the U.S. An ecumenical Theological Seminary in Matanzas is flourishing, training pastors and educators to serve new and growing churches throughout the country. And congregations like the Presbyterian Church in Cabaiguan and its mission church in Paraíso are reaching out to neighbors in their communities, once again providing food for the spirit, and helping to bridge the gap between what people have and what they need.
In Paradise today, the faithful and their friends -- and a variety of children, seemingly from out of nowhere -- gather on Saturday mornings for worship, lead by the pastor and elders from the parent church at Cabaiguan. They sit in a big circle inside the small, undecorated sanctuary, where they read Scripture from their own treasured Bibles (a large old Bible lies crumbling on the unused pulpit, damp and gray with mold). They praise God in lively song - no hymnals, no pipe organ or piano, but several guitars to lead them. Everyone prays in turn, sharing their thanks, their joys and concerns with God, and with each other. And then they share a simple gift of food together: some juice and bread. COMMUNION - without the ceremony -- but surely WITH CHRIST. The children are served first, and they are delighted and totally absorbed with the treat.
Following the service, many hugs and shouts of hasta mañana, for many will gather again for Sunday School and worship at the church at Cabaiguan, or meet at each other's houses during the week for prayer and Bible study. No one hurries in the mid-day heat. The people of Paradise greet neighbors passing by, continuing their journey of faith together throughout the short walk or coche ride home.
A brief and choppy "water taxi" ride away from Baltimore's bustling Harbor Place in Central Maryland, there is a simple, old brick church. It is surrounded by a cool green garden, and tangled strands of waxy ivy camouflage its porous pink brick walls.
The church on Light Street was founded by the First Presbyterian Church in Baltimore as a school for incorrigible boys in the city's rough-and-tumble Southside waterfront neighborhoods. It was consecrated as a house of worship in 1855, and has stood as a beacon of hope and a symbol of the love of Christ for 150 years. Never large in number, the Light Street congregation has nonetheless reached out to its neighbors, welcoming people of all sorts and circumstances to share in their fellowship of faith. Even in its leanest years, when the church was too small to support a called pastor, or relied on the Presbytery for financial support, Light Street members kept the church alive and full of The Spirit, maintaining a regular schedule of Sunday worship, prayer meetings, Christian education, youth programs and outreach ministry. By God's grace - and with help from other congregations - they praised God, fed the hungry, housed the homeless and considered no one a stranger.
The building itself has undergone several renovations over the years. Stained glass windows were added, the vaulted ceiling in the sanctuary painted, and -- most recently -- "green architecture" standards applied in the redesign of the downstairs meeting area. The exterior remains unchanged, save for a new roof, re-pointed brick, and the installation of clear-view glass doors at the main entrance. But the community around the church has changed dramatically in recent years. No longer "rough and tumble", the Inner Harbor and Federal Hill are showpieces of Baltimore's urban renaissance -- home to an ever younger, well educated and very mobile population.
At Light Street Church today, Sunday mornings begin with the smell of coffee wafting up from the Fellowship Hall kitchen, as the harmonies of pre-worship choir practice drift down, punctuated by the clanking of old hot water heat pipes on cold winter days. Slowly worshippers drift in, twenty to forty faithful souls, walking from nearby rowhomes and apartments, or driving from exurbs and suburbs farther away. Multi-hued. Single folk. Couples of varying genders. Young, old and in between. Family. Hugs are the standard greeting from ushers at the door, a prelude to the Passing of the Peace. The pastor arrives, changing robes and gears, after finishing his morning*s work at a sister church nearby. Sometimes the call to worship comes from the church's antique pipe organ -- a treasure that two members have taught themselves to play. More often the grand piano signals the start of the service. One or two small children settle in to play quietly in their special place at the rear of the sanctuary. The Peace Candle is lit, hymns are sung, the Word proclaimed, and the pastor preaches prophetically -- as he was called to do -- a message of truth, love and hope. The people gather round the table on communion days. Every child of God is invited. Prayers of thanksgiving, joy and concern are offered, always remembering the people of Cabaiguan, and Paradise.
Following the service, more hugs. A time of fellowship and food. Some drift out to the garden to plant, weed or stack firewood for sale. Some have a meeting. Some stay to learn a new hymn in Spanish, and a new Latin dance. Some go to lunch, or organize an impromptu Sunday outing. Some go to visit the sick and the homebound. All of the people of Light Street take the blessings of the day home.
In January of 2005 the churches of Cabaiguán and Paraíso in Cuba and Light Street Presbyterian Church in Baltimore, MD, U.S.A. became sisters, celebrating their mutual faith and common heritage with the signing of a covenant agreement and the exchange of banners. The Cuban banner depicts three women standing beneath a rugged cross before an empty tomb, and is inscribed "Serviendo en Esperanza" (Serving in Hope). The banner carried to Cuba by three women from Baltimore shows a brilliant rainbow forming a bridge between the churches and their countries, declaring them to be "Partners in Service".
The relationship of love and respect that developed between visitors and hosts on this occasion both blessed and sealed the covenant set forth in the churches' agreement, that: "In partnership with other individuals and faith communities in general, and with (these congregations) in particular, we seek to provide and receive the benefits of a close, familial relationship: to know and to care about each other; to communicate respectfully and regularly with each other, and to visit each other as God provides; to share each other's joys and sorrows; to encourage and support each other on our journeys of faith and in our mutual mission; and, above all, to pray for each other without ceasing."