Southeast Alaska
Protocol Okay
by Rev. Stan Berntson
Skipper, M/V CHRISTIAN
Sharon and I worship with a Native house church,Kee Ya Aa (Tlingit word for “becoming daylight”), when we are home in Ketchikan, Alaska. Our friends, Norman and Sonya Skan, host it and we have been called to walk along side them in this ministry.
In June, Norm and Sonja, along with fellow members Marvin Reid and Merle Hawkins, hosted a three-day event called “Celebrating Creator Potlatch.” There were two nights of concerts and testimonies followed by a day of dancing, singing, drumming, eating, and then a giveaway. It was all about the grace of God through Christ Jesus. Given freely. It was a powerful event and we were blessed to be able to walk alongside as helpers and participants.
Something that impressed me greatly was how people were honored in certain situations. Guests from out of town were honored and gifted. Elders were honored. Those on whose land we celebrated were honored. I found myself drawn to these actions of honoring and gifting.
PROTOCOL. It is called PROTOCOL. So now I have a name for it. When the People gather in celebration or in other types of gatherings, there is a way of doing things when interacting. There are PROTOCOLS.
So I go to “Webster” to further my study. One definition for protocol is, “The code of ceremonial forms and courtesies, of precedence accepted as proper and correct in official dealings- as between heads of state or diplomatic officials.” Immediately I begin to question the ways Sharon and I have honored (or not honored!), ‘forms and courtesies’ as we have sailed the MV CHRISTIAN into Native villages. What are the PROTOCOLS, the proper ways, for us to honor a village as we visit? We don’t know until we ask.
We ask Norm and Sonja and other friends from the villages about how to observe PROTOCOL as we interact with Native villages. They are gracious to us and teach us. Hoping we are growing in a deeper understanding of ‘forms and courtesies’ in interacting cross culturally, we will in some ways begin again this fall. We will visit with elders, city officials, corporation officials, tribal chairmen, church officials, and anyone our friends say need honoring and gifting. We will interpret the missions of L-US and ask for permission to minister in their Nation.
The summary of the mission of Lutheran Association 
of Missionaries and Pilots U.S. is “Christ’s Kingdom, Every Native American Nation”. The challenge for Sharon and me is to continue to allow God and His people to help our hearts to change so we can live out the ‘proper and correct’ PROTOCOLS ‘in official dealings’.
In the beautiful hymn in Philippians 2: 5-11, verse 7 says, “but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant being made in human likeness.” Reflect on that verse and PROTOCOL.
In interactions with us, the Creator of all things has as one foundation of PROTOCOL, to be our servant?!
In John 13:1-17, we read the powerful, radical story of Jesus washing His disciple’s feet. In verses 14 and 15, Jesus says, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” Our Kee Ya Aa friends have shown us ways to be foot- washing servants. In their demonstration of powerful servant hood at the Celebrating Creator Potlatch, and in their wise counsel to this CHRISTIAN boat crew, they have taught us many things. When interacting with others, show respect, honor, give gifts, and serve them.
Observing PROTOCOL enables the Gospel to be shared in trust and helps it to be heard.