Something I think about often is the multicultural, multinational dimensions of the church. One of the sad things about British missionary efforts in the days of the empire was we exported a very British Christianity. Its quite interesting from a British perspective hearing American preachers do the same thing, mixing Biblical Christianity with C21st Americanism. I am sure we Brit's still do that too. I think its one of the strengths of Biblical Christianity that it can cross cultures and transform them without making become, British, or American or Jewish.
These same thoughts are picked up by Tim Keller in his book 'The Reason for God'.
'Why had Christianity, more than any other major religion of the world, been able to infiltrate so many radically different cultures? There is, of course, a core of teachings (the Apostle's Creed, the Lord's prayer, The Ten Commandments) to which all forms of Christianity are committed. Nevertheless, there is a great deal of freedom in how these absolutes are expressed and take form within a particular culture. For example the Bible directs Christians to unite in acts of musical praise, but it doesn't prescribe the meter, rhythm, level of emotional expressiveness, or instrumentation- all this is left to be culturally expressed in a variety of ways.' p.44
Keller goes on to quote historian Andrew Walls "There is no "Christian Culture" the way there is an "Islamic Culture" which you can recognise from Pakistan to Tunisia to Morocco."
I think its wonderful that we do not have that uniformity of the cults, like Mormons who look the same the world over, or J. W's who you can spot from miles away. Our God has made us to worship Him with such freedom of expression, the truth is the same but it is filtered through our individuality and our cultures , all ethnic groups and every culture, can all worship in their own way to the glory of God. God delights in our diversity and so should we.
Shalom
Stephen
5 comments:
Nice post, Stephen.
Here in Southern California, we are witness to a new phenomenom in our local non-denominational churches. It looks like a sort of 'Christian Facism'. They all look alile, sound alike, carry the same extra large bibles around, and any deviation from the norm is quietly or not, frowned upon in a phoney, pious manner.
They speak terribly of the Mormons (with good reason) and then they look and act the same way, and believe many of the same things.
Freedom in Christ is not at the top of everyone's hit parade these days, and it shows...painfully, it shows.
Thansk very much.
- Steve Martin
There are several churches here that fit that description. They tend to be evangelical churches that have been faithful in the past but got stuck in tradition.
Thanks for visiting Steve, love your movies bytheway ;)
God Bless
Stephen
6 A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: but knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth.
7 Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge.
Prov 14:6-7 (KJV)
The spiteful scorn you pour on the British missionaries of the past and American missionaries of today is deplorable and unworthy of the Christian love you so casually no doubt claim. You need to grow up,be a man,stop reading Socialist Worker and start reading worthy material such as The Holy Bible,The Institutes of Biblical Law by Rushdoony, and Calvin's Indtitutes.
Cultutral Relativism and Multiculturalism are nowhere to be found in God's Word. They are creations of the movement around the atheistic & communistic Frankfurt School, and have been at the forefront of destroying both the Church and the Moral Order which I guess you scorn, being a past invention of the white man. Far better we take the example of justice and law Zimbabwe offers us or perhaps the abortion policies of China as our example eh?
Deplorable.
5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
Matt 7:1-5 (KJV)
Who poured out scorn? Not me! You have misunderstood me, it was something missionaries did without knowing it. Relativism isn't something I would argue for, I believe the Bible to be the Word of God and Jesus to be the only way to heaven. The bible does support diversity which is what I was arguing for, peoples from every tribe, tongue and ethnic group praising God around his throne. Its an expression of love that you can and should love others who are different to you, especially when they are in Christ.
ps. Mr Plotter I have never read Socialist Worker but I read the Bible everyday and I have recently read Calvin's institutes.
Post a Comment