First Nations Version, FNV

After seeing various verses cited in articles I’ve read, I recently purchased the First Nations Version: An Indigenous Translation of the New Testament.  It was released in 2021, the work of a twelve-member translation council from diverse tribal heritages and geographical areas, led by Terry M. Wildman (Ojibwe, Yaqui), a minister in the United Methodist Church.  Wildman had been doing his own ad hoc translations for years and would share the rewordings in his travels to Native-led churches across the country.  He reflected: ““They just loved listening to it because it didn’t have the church language. It didn’t have the colonial language. It had more of a Native feel to it—as much as possible that you can put in English.”  More on the story behind the translation HERE, the source of the quote.

The FNV is what’s called a “dynamic equivalence” translation, focused more on thought-for-thought than word-for-word (The Message is another example of this style). 

Aspects of 1^st century Jewish culture are translated into Native cultural references.  Here’s how the FNV translates Jesus being approached about paying taxes to Caesar:

“Wisdomkeeper,” they came and said to him, “we know you always speak the truth about the Great Spirit and represent him well, no matter what others may think or say.  Tell us what is right,” they asked.  “Does our tribal law permit our people to pay taxes to the government of the People of Iron (Romans)?  Yes or no?”  Mark 12:14-15       

The last part of that verse represents one of the most striking features of the translation – proper names are translated with their meanings.  The title of Paul’s letter to the congregation in Rome is Small Man to the Sacred Family in the Village of Iron.  Jerusalem is Village of Peace.  Jesus is Creator Sets Free.  Peter is Stands on the Rock.  The Pharisees are The Separated Ones.  The name we’re familiar with is placed in parenthesis after its meaning.  So a run of the mill gospel verse looks like this: Creator Sets Free (Jesus) continued to travel on to Village of Peace (Jerusalem).  As he passed through the villages on the way, he would stop and teach the people. Luke 13:22

This method can also result in some of the clunkiest reading, like this opening passage from Matthew’s birth story of Jesus: It was during the days of the bad-hearted Chief Looks Brave (Herod) that the Chosen One was born in the village of House of Bread (Bethlehem) in the Land of Promise (Judea).  After his birth, Seekers of Wisdom (Magi) traveling on a long journey from the East came to Village of Peace (Jerusalem). Matthew 2:1

Sometimes the translation evokes the Native experience so directly it takes your breath away.

The Beatitudes begin this way in the NRSV:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs in the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

They are rendered this way in the FMV:

Creator’s blessing rests with the poor, the ones with broken spirits.  The good road from above is theirs to walk.

Creator’s blessing rests on the ones who walk a trail of tears, for he will wipe the tears from their eyes and comfort them.

Creator’s blessing rests on the ones who walk softly and in a humble manner.  The earth, the land, and sky will welcome them and always be their home.

The FNV comes in a paperback which makes it feel more like a storybook. 

The relationship of Christianity with Native peoples is rife with violence, missionary zeal laden with colonialism.  There is no avoiding that the Christian sacred texts translated into the language of the settlers can be problematic.  But, in keeping with the hope of its translators, it can also be an act of healing.  And non-Native folks are also in need of healing from how our harmful ways have damaged our own humanity. 

If you’re looking for a way to engage, or re-engage with the New Testament through a text that is mindful of all this, you may want to look into First Nations Version: An Indigenous Translation of the New Testament.

Joel

A Time for Rekindling?

Warning: This blog post contains an extended metaphor

Two years ago we put a wood burning insert in our living room fireplace.  One of the many satisfying experiences with this is putting on new logs (and maybe some newspaper) in the morning and having them catch fire from the heat still held in the coals from the previous evening.

There have been times in the last couple years when congregational life has felt like tending the coals, waiting for the morning to arrive when new fuel meets conserved heat and flares up for the new day. 

I’m not exactly saying that time is about to be fulfilled, but I am observing that we are entering a season, as the school calendar begins, of rekindling some key aspects of church community we haven’t practiced since early 2020. 

One of these is offering Sunday school for all ages during the eleven o’clock hour.  If “Sunday school” sounds about as hot as a blanket of snow over the fire pit, think of it as an intentional time of spiritual/religious/Anabaptist/counter-cultural character formation/re-formation.

Another rekindling is offering nursery and preschoolers care during worship as many Sundays as we can, preferably all.  If this sounds like one more log to carry in your already-full arms, think of it as a ready-made way of supporting the children we just dedicated on Sunday, and many others.  Think of it as a cross-generational educational opportunity – for you – to learn and play with young people who won’t be young for long.         

Community Life Commission is also finalizing plans for our first fall retreat weekend in three years.  Think of it as a mini-vacation, a pilgrimage, a choose-your-own-adventure time with others or curled up by yourself in a hammock with a book of choice. 

What do these rekindlings have in common?  They are highly participatory. More to the point, they work well with lots of folks contributing, and don’t work without them.  What else do they have in common?  There will be sign ups in the foyer this Sunday for teachers, care givers, and retreat attendees.

So, I guess what I’m saying is, Jump on in and get burned!  Wait…This is where the metaphor breaks down a bit.  Unless our fire is like the one Moses encountered in Exodus 3.  That’s the story of the bush in the desert that “was blazing, yet it was not consumed.”  When healthy, our activity in the Spirit makes us more rather than less of ourselves.

Which keeps the question open of what is the level of healthy activity we all need right now?  I’m with our various commissions in believing it’s a good time for some rekindling of intergenerational community.  And as always, the way we answer the question collectively is the way we will tend the flame for the next while. 

Joel

Ten years of organized goodness

This summer marks ten years Gwen Reiser has been lead administrator for CMC.  She worked as a part time assistant the previous six years and held numerous volunteer leadership positions before that.  During the last decade her title has changed from Office Administrator to Church Administrator, reflecting her increased role supporting Leadership Team and our commissions, as well as her supervisory role of several CMC staff. 

As one who has been here a mere nine years, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside Gwen the whole time.

One of the things I greatly appreciate about Gwen is her attentiveness to detail and her interest and vision for the big picture.  The details of congregational life are many, from getting all the necessary information out to commission members about their tasks, to timely responses to emails from within and outside CMC, to maintaining office equipment and supplies, to spelling names correctly and proofreading the bulletin for the fifth time.  But Gwen doesn’t get bogged down in the details.  She is regularly asking important questions and providing good ideas about how the parts fit into the whole.

More than professional proficiency, Gwen is a caring presence and excellent listener.  She is often the first point of contact for those who enter the building and those who contact the church through phone or email.  She cares about people and has first responder type skills for addressing needs and situations as they arise.  If you’ve stopped into the church and had Gwen kick back from her computer and give you her full attention for however long you’ve needed it, you know what I mean.      

Well outside the job description of a church administrator but within Gwen’s range of gifts she’s given CMC was the key role she played during Edith’s time in sanctuary – about a third of the last decade!  Along with befriending Edith, Gwen was in the hub of communication and coordination for the many people and activities flowing in and out of the building.  When other congregations ask me what it takes to be a sanctuary congregation I always ask them about their church administrator and tell them about ours. 

Personally, I think of Gwen as one of my primary collaborators – a partner in ministry.  Although I’m pretty sure I’ll never get her to preach. 

Leadership Team, on behalf of the congregation, is giving Gwen a small token of our appreciation for her decade of leadership through a gift card to Oakland Nursery.  Gwen will also receive a three week paid Sabbatical next calendar year which will provide time for not-work-related restoration and some work-related learning.         

I’m honored to work alongside Gwen and look forward to more years of collaboration.

Joel