Archive for the ‘Engaging culture’ Category

CLINK

Sunday, May 31st, 2009

IPL

grace

loftus

Picture 1 is when a few us watched cricket at the IPL with 20 thousand other people. (Note I don’t say cricket lovers - however I would say most are.) Picture 2 is when the fam and I visited Grace Bible church in Soweto with 7  thousand other people. (Note I don’t say Christ lovers - however I would say most are.) Picture 3 is me at an empty Loftus a day before Super 14 final.  There was actually something distinctly spiritual in sitting there, ‘drinking in’ the space inside this cultural phenomenan - (some cynics would say idol temple).

I think a lot of how we serve God is inseperable with culture.  It is still embedded in culture.  I’m not always particularly proud of my culture when I see Bulls fans with horns on their head and other stuff on their tow-bars, when I look at what’s best selling music in our country, and when I experience what I find to be strange cultural expressions of faith.  Some God-lovers judge all these different cultural phenomena.  Because they don’t understand it.

I don’t think God does. He just loves us anyway.

So here’s to embracing culture and respecting those we don’t understand. (Clink)  (’Clink’ -  another cultural tradition)

Here’s to the Bulls. (Clink)

Here’s to the Deccan Chargers who won the IPL. (Clink)

Here’s to the Mega Church. (Clink)

And all their fans (Clink)

And here’s to every other avenue we explore in exploring our spirituality. (CLINK)

MAY WE FIND GOD WHETHER IT BE AT LOFTUS OR AT CELL GROUP OR AT HOME OR UNDER A TREE OR WITH A GLASS OF WINE OR AS WE EXPERIENCE FORGIVENESS OR SALVATION AS WE WORSHIP OR AS WE DRINK IN THE SILENCE OR AS WE CELEBRATE LIFE HOWEVER WE DO OR AS WE TALK TO EACH OTHER OR AS WE GATHER TOGETHER IN WHATEVER FORM AND FOR WHATEVER REASON

WHETHER WE LIKE TO CALL HIM JESUS OR FATHER OR HOLY SPIRIT…  AND AS WE ATTEMPT TO UNDERSTAND MORE OF HIM IN THE FULLNESS OF WHO HE  IS

clink

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Engaging culture, New Thoughts | 5 Comments »

Movement

Sunday, March 22nd, 2009
1. The act or an instance of moving; a change in place or position.
2. A change in the location of troops, ships, or aircraft for tactical or strategic purposes.

3. A series of actions and events taking place over a period of time and working to foster a principle or policy: a movement toward world peace.
4. An organized effort by supporters of a common goal: a leader of the labor movement.
5. A tendency or trend: a movement toward larger kitchens.

Is Church supposed to be a movement?

Is Church supposed to be a movement?

If I look at number one, mmm, most churches have one building which probably doesn’t run around.  Erwin uses multiple locations, which sounds fun, but probably frustrates some.  If we don’t take this is a literal ‘position’, church should be constantly evolving, growing, changing - moving in regards to renewal of thought, adapting to environment.

Number two: This refers to major change of plan in regards to tactical and strategic procedure.  “We’re not doing this now.  And we’re not tweaking it.  We’re changing position and doing THAT now.’  I think church is supposed to do this.  Churches who are stuck to a ‘model’ - because this is what the Bible supposedly teaches in regards to model, will find it hard doing this.  Also churches who are governed by the masses, or governed by pleasing the masses - or governed by pleasing the key tithers.

3  Yes yes yes.  A movement working to foster a principle or policy.  A movement towards truth Jesus/God taught us/reveals to us. A series of actions or events that do this. (A book could be written on the last statement) A process.  Yes yes yes.

The fourth one:  Common goal… without this the church would simple be a ‘bless me’ party.

FIVER.  Ooooooh.  Yes.  Not the commercialized church ‘because we need to be trendy’.  The church that gets this right is not trying to get this right. They just engage in such a way that understanding tendencies and trends is a natural consequence of their way of integrating consistently with those they continuously ‘move’ past and move with.

So currently at Re:Verb we are challenged by this…

Tags: ,
Posted in Engaging culture, New Thoughts | 2 Comments »

Marriage and the neighbour

Monday, March 24th, 2008

I have many friends in cross cultural and inter racial marriages and relationships. One of these I appreciate most is Sean and Luba. South African white ‘boerseun’ (21) marries Russian blonde bomb (19). When they met neither could speak English - well ok - Sean could a bit! But Luba… aikona! They flirted by means of sign language! That was 11 years ago - or more - I’m not sure - luba still looks 25! (Incidently today Luba is totally fluent in Afrikaans and English, so much so, that she’s able to copywrite in both languages.)

When people marry across the borders of culture, they enter another culture, whether they want to or not. (Can’t ignore the in-laws!) And somehow these couples make it work as often as single-culture couples do. With hard work.

You learn to understand the other culture.

You learn to respect the other culture.

You learn to communicate better within that culture.

You learn to love the other culture (whether you like it or not).

They say you’ve mastered entering another culture when you understand there humour.

Now remember, the church states that it wants to ‘reach the world’ - a questionable statement, but let’s leave it at that. When we think about sub-cultures in society, and we contemplate how to engage more effectively, this ‘cross-cultural-marriage-thing’ makes you think. There are certain sub-cultures I don’t associate with easily. Some in Christian circles. And some in the general world around me. (I just cannot get excited about Sewende Laan) Yet I am called to engage with/love all people.

Now that is a challenge. And it stays a continual challenge. There’s always a default that is ingrained in ourselves, that’s part of our blood, part of our soul - that goes against this challenging marriage between culture. But if we are honest about our commitment to LOVE OUR NEIGHBOUR, we will care enough to engage in the commitments of marriage when it is asked of us.

And become ONE with that other person I don’t associate with.

Paul became a Roman for the Romans.

This means you take interest in that weird kid’s weird music, and try and learn something from that world.

This means you try and understand the conservative or the liberal in the office opposite you even though you secretly think he’s insane.

This means you hang out with the Roman guy even though it’s not fun.

All of this is extremely hard for me. Thank you Luba and Sean for showing the way.

chizzjenny-wedding.JPG

Warren and Steynie (I don’t have a pic of Sean and Luba)

Posted in Engaging culture, New Thoughts | 2 Comments »

What would Jesus NOT do

Thursday, March 6th, 2008

There?s nothing biblical to WWJD. (except perhaps Jesus saying ?be holy as I am holy)

wwjd.jpg

It?s just a cultural trend of a certain spiritual subculture. Maybe we should make wrist bands that say What Would Jesus NOT do. Because ironically, many who carry the band ? do quite the opposite of what Jesus did.

Some see this as a measuring stick of right and wrong. One of my students was inhibited in getting a tattoo because her good mother warned, ?but would Jesus get a tattoo?). I think he might have. And I don?t think he would have worn his hair the way you do? But what does it matter. Is WWJD (and thus JESUS himself) our legal measuring stick for right and wrong, so that we had better start washing our feet before we eat, or is Jesus our prime example of love, grace, unconditional love, integration with culture, and above all the trashing of legalism? When Jesus said, ?be holy as I am holy?, what did he mean? I don?t profess to know. (There will be some who profess to do and write a book about it!) But I don?t think he meant it legally.

Would Jesus have worn a band that said, What Would Father Do? Or would he just blend into culture and love on prostitutes and tax swindlers? As a general rule the WWJD clan DON?T hang out in clubs, dress in too modern a way or listen to ?secular? music. I think you would have found Jesus in those place more often than in church. And he wouldn?t have been handing out tracts ? he would have been engaging in conversation, about ESKOM, football, or the rising price of gas.

Now it seems I?m out after the WWJD activist. I?m not. You can wear your little band. But I am making a statement about the WWJD activist who defines Jesus in the frame of his WWJD narrow minded picture of the LAW.

I think Jesus was? a good man ? full of truth ? love ? kindness. A man people felt safe with, acknowledged by. A man people could count on. A true friend.

Jesus didn?t DO. He WAS.

Maybe we should wear bands that say, I AM.

Or maybe we should just BE.

HOLY.

Posted in Engaging culture, New Thoughts | 10 Comments »