Never Judge a Book....

Perhaps one of the more interesting aspects of missions in Mexico is getting to know the different mission travelers from around the USA. In addition to groups from Salem Presbytery, mission travelers have come from the East Coast and the West, from the Midwest, the Deep South and the South Side of Pittsburgh.

Perhaps one of the most dramatically different groups came from the Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community in Pittsburgh. They were funky, punky, tattooed and pierced, and they were absolutely delightful! They were all on a serious quest to experience a personal relationship with God and discern their own calls to ministry. Hot Metal is a church plant that incorporates mission in all its church activities and drama in all its worship services. Sunday worship is held in the dining room of their neighborhood Goodwill, and they have outreach programs in nearby tattoo parlors, coffee houses and other unlikely places. Their church has grown from 50 to over 300 in less than 2 years!

Hot Metal Bridge participants accepted and met the challenges of working, worshiping and celebrating their shared faith with the ultra-conservative Mexican Presbyterians, and in turn, the Mexican Presbyterians worked hard to overcome their fears and judgments about the “colorful” crowd from Hot Metal. Our Mexican brothers and sisters listened with fascination and amazement to translations explaining the powerful stories of faith as depicted in the tattoos of the Hot Metal folks. It was amazing to watch the bonding that occurred between people who were so radically different!

This was our first exposure to the “emerging church” movement and a delightful one. Just like the Tzeltal need to be able to read the Word of God and worship in their own “heart language,” the folks from Hot Metal helped us remember that even the funky and the punky need to have a chance to experience God in places where they feel comfortable. Together they are reaching out and serving God in “dramatically different” ways and bringing the Word of God to the people of South Side Pittsburgh and even Southern Mexico in a whole new way. Thanks be to God!

(To learn more, go to www.hotmetalbridge.com)