The previous autoethnographic account presented one church service, in this thread I will present an autoethnographic account of two church services. I’ll take you back to the Oude Kerk (city center) on the 29th of May and the Jeruzalemkerk (west) on Pentecost Sunday.
The Oude Kerk is the oldest building that can be found in Amsterdam. It started out catholic and after the reformation turned protestant which it has remained ever since (but for how long?). The service I went to can be listened to and viewed here.
The Jeruzalemkerk is situated in a building that was made in the style of the Amsterdamse School which makes it architecturally significant. The service of the Jeruzalemkerk I went to can be found here:
I've been to both churches once before. In the Oude Kerk I previously visited a vesper, in the Jeruzalemkerk a regular service, both times with the intention to write a critique (in the positive sense) but I was not present as a researcher.
Sensitizing concepts
It’s interesting to note how doing research changes the experience of going to a church. From the writings of the previous times I visited those church services it is apparent that my focus was primarily on the sermon (during regular service) or the lack thereof (during vesper).
The change can be explained through sensitizing concepts, a phenomenon I was made aware of during this thesis project. Sensitizing concepts could be described as informed intuitive notions you have in a bag when you enter a practical field.
After my first church visit and after having conducted some interviews, my awareness considering how a church can have an impact on someone on the spectrum has risen. I specifically paid attention to available information, structure and social situations.
Welcoming & liturgy
One feature of my autism is having difficulty with processing the unexpected. Preferably, new situations are never new: when I was young, my parents had to describe in detail what was going to happen at the beach before I would be chill with going to the beach.
When I went to the Oude Kerk, no liturgies were handed out at the entrance but you could scan a QR code to obtain the order of service. At the Jeruzalemkerk, the only guidance was the powerpoint in front of the church.
From a sustainability standpoint, both churches are laudable for their efforts to reduce paper waste. However, from my autistic point of view the Jeruzalemkerk is more unpredictable compared to the Oude Kerk.
If just a powerpoint is used, you miss the overview of what's going to happen. It's comparable to being on a conference and not knowing who will be the next presenter.
We've already established that I like a sermon, so I do like to bring my own bible to church and comparing whatever translation is used to my own translation. During the service of the Oude Kerk I could already go to the passages that will be read.
The point of liturgy is in a sense a combined point of available information and structure. A good liturgy means a structured (thoughtful) service will be performed, when information is available a good liturgy will not lead to unpleasant surprises.
It is notable that after the church service of the Oude Kerk when I stayed for the ritual coffee and tea moment, some people remarked after learning of my thesis project that they knew people who were on the spectrum who were very content with the church services of the Oude Kerk
Sermon
I’m reminded now of the sermon that was given during the church service in the Jeruzalemkerk on Pentecost Sunday. In a sense, the sermon was preaching against what I’ve just written down in this thread concerning consistency and structure.
Gen 11: 1-9 and Acts 2: 1-13 were the texts from Scripture that formed the basis for the sermon. Central to this Pentecost Sunday sermon was of course the pentecost, the descent of the Holy Spirit.
The sermon starts with illustrating the power of the Spirit through the imagery of sitting in an airplane which is just about to take off or music which is so much swinging you can't sit still. "Pentecost = being moved"
It is remarked in the sermon how this imagery of the power and overflow of the Holy Spirit can be too much for someone who is an introvert. But: these limitations which are mine are not limitations for God.
The sermon ends with stating that Pentecost is about reasoning from the future, from ideals, from dreams instead of reasoning from what is. In practice, it means that the Holy Spirit is bringing forth chaotic events.
Although this sermon preaches the worth of change, it is still change through God towards people who have unlocked their doors. Someone visiting a church might still be on the corner of a street, looking towards the door, but uncomfortably watching the brightly lit door.
Being inclusive towards all people as a church means providing the eclipse glasses for those who could be blinded by the light. For people with autism, structure and availability of informations matters, a well written liturgy is an eclipse glass for someone on the spectrum.
The thing is, and this has come forth in the literature and interviews and even the inclusive design approach: accommodations which are specifically profitable for someone are a delight for everyone. Sure, able bodied persons can walk the stairs, but aren’t even floors easier?
The sermon in the Oude Kerk centered around 1 Sam. 12:19-24 and John 14:15-21. This was a sermon after Ascension day, dealing with the fact that Jesus has left the disciples with a promise to look over them but He Himself did leave the premises.
The feeling of loss and being left alone was connected with the story of Samuel and the story of the people of Israël. Samuel was nearing the end of his life, meaning that he as a prophet, a tangible pathway to the Lord, would be leaving the people of Israël to themselves.
To make up for this, the people of Israël asked for a king. The Lord agrees to this reluctantly, because He as the Lord is the true King. However, the people of Israël need something tangible, a representation that can be touched and seen. Finally, the Lord agrees to this demand.
The disciples of Jesus and the people of Israël are in similar situations at this point of the story: there is a promise of the Lord (He will not orphan them, He will be present), but the tangible pathway towards the Lord is broken.
While Samuel still performed some tangible miracles to show the presence of the Lord, the body of Jesus finally actually leaves the world. The situations, though similar, are apart in the sense that the disciples only have a promise.
The promise of not being orphaned is however a very powerful promise, which is the message of this sermon. This promise of a Lord Who is King, Who is a crafting power contrary to the demolishing powers of the world, is what we have to rest easy.
The message of this sermon was clear, although the sermon was meandering towards the final point. The language was clear, there were no big metaphors. When it comes to the sermon, the Oude Kerk in this instance presented an accessible way in.
Final notes
Coming back to the Jeruzalemkerk, some final notes on coffee and tea afterwards. When the weather is permitting, they gather outside on the square before the church. This gives a good atmosphere, and some people came up towards me, but it was still an uncomfortable moment.
You're standing there, groups are formed and you do not know who these people are, what conversations are about and whether people are waiting for your contribution in the conversation.
This is my final autoethnographic account for my thesis. After my thesis is finished, I might return for more autoethnographic explorations of church life in Amsterdam. Those accounts, however, will be presented in Dutch and will again be denoted as church reviews.
Global tags:
#autism #ASD #neurodiversity #faithcommunities #faith #religion #religiousstudies #autoethnography
Oorspronkelijk getweet door DeclaNatalie (@DeNater) op juni 14, 2022.
De Nater 