For those believers who have committed themselves to the visions of their local congregations, there are often demands that are inconvenient, requests that are expensive, calls to duty that are seemingly unpleasant. When next you hear the call to arms for a prayer meeting, outreach or mission and you are tempted to give it a miss, you may want to bear in mind the lessons contained in this following allegory.
AN ALLEGORY
The army of darkness gathered on the field of battle flushed with confidence as they surveyed their swelling ranks. The putrid smell of arrogance wafted over the plain towards the battalion of light gathered on the other side.
Along the lines of light, the brave shuffled uneasily as they noted the gaps in their ranks. Each one looked nervously over their shoulder to see the empty space they hoped would not be there.
The mocking chants of the self-assured carried to the army of light on an ill-wind threatening the death and destruction of dreams.
Time moved on, whittling away at the vain hope of more soldiers joining the lines of light. The fell ranks of darkness howled derision that added to the despair of the waiting.
Tension mounted, the clock ticked louder but the battle was not to be joined by others. The horror of war gathered as a cloud over the gap-toothed ranks of light. Tonight one would fight for three.
The question “Why?” arose in the resigned throats of light. “Why could they not come and make this field of death a harvest of life?”
The resounding tramp of ten thousand feet marching in unison across the land seized the attention of the thin line of light. Each soldier grasped his shield of faith and sword of the spirit and waited, each one trying to fill the place of three.
The self-assured marching feet bore down on certain victory over so few. This few would have been many had their comrades-in-arms not been held willingly captive by the new, the “It was only this once”, the transient.
As the clash of arms resounded through heaven and earth, the absent heard the amplified question “Why? Why are you not with us, beloved? Why do you not want to stand with us who die for you tonight?” Each of the missing replied with a clarity that denied the clash of steel its voice, “I am weary”; “I want to see what will happen in another field – just this once, I promise.”
The missing justified their words with reasonings of “It’s only once, how can it hurt? Tomorrow I will return.” Heaven shook with the resonance of truth, “What do you know of tomorrow?”
On the field the valiant few fought with fury, driving back the nightmares of hell with thrusts, parries and strikes. Soldiers fought for themselves and for the missing – one sword doing the work of three. Each became triple tired, thrice fatigued in the battle to save the missing.
Suddenly, silence.
The crawling mist of battle began to part across the bloody field. The small line of light still stands, though bloodied, worn and tired. The small battalion still stands…for now. Will they last another fight when wielding the sword for the willingly missing?
Monday, December 21, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Diverse cultures honouring God.
Worship. A wondrous practice that transcends mere singing, chanting, or whatever it is you do to magnify the God of all, Yahweh, Jehovah, Pappa, Daddy God, however you know Him. If you watch the television form of Christianity - for it is a form with its pretensions, superstars, dress sense [sic], modes, methods and systems – you could be convinced that God only accepts one form of musical worship. Yes, there are other forms! The music that God might seem to favour is that produced in Western societies with guitars, drums, wind instruments, microphones and, let us not forget, the choir, conducted by a preferably attractive young woman.
If you wander away from what is presented as mainstream and walk into the Cathedral world, you would be sure that God favoured any instrument that did not have to be plugged into the mains, except perhaps a pipe organ. Choirs are to be suitably attired for acceptance in the Middle Ages, and the only qualification for inclusion is a good singing voice. Doctrine or unbelief are not important.
Is God a Westerner? Is He besotted with medieval pomp and ceremony? Does He rock in the aisles with the guitarist with more metal in his face than Iron Man? Where, oh where, is the ethnic, the cultural sounds and rhythms of the outback, the African plain, the South American forests and mountains, the North American prairies - sorry, there is nothing ethnic left out there - in P.C. speak that would be native American reserves, i.e. ghettos? I am not speaking about the creations of the so-called Christian marketing geniuses who package the likes of South African township music. I am speaking about the real, earthy sounds, the forms of expression and words that rise from cultures that have believed in Christ and follow Him.
Why is culture invariably sacrificed on the altar of conversion to Christianity? The varied sounds of Africa that are intrinsic to the African heart and mind are replaced, for instance, by Australian hit songs that enrich the Australians financially and in terms of profile, while giving a foot-tapping experience to the uninitiated, but hopefully soon hooked, so that the next album will sell.
One can walk into Christian bookshops - they’re the ones that have the temerity to consider themselves ministries - and it would appear that what is acceptable to God is governed by what is marketable to man.
Do I have a problem with Western music? Absolutely not. What I do have a problem with is that we, the Westerners, are making the same deadly mistake as our missionary forebears. We want Africans to be European in both belief and culture. In those early years, African converts could be seen donning Western garb in order to enter Western-style church services. Ties and jackets in 30° Celsius heat – before the age of air-conditioning.
Christianity came to Africa and became, more often than not, the delivery system of Western culture and its form of civilization. For sure, many in Africa came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and that must be treasured and celebrated. But why should such converts be forced into Western sensitivities, practices, modes, dress, music and expression in general?
Surely, if the cultural practices of a people do not contradict the Word of God, they should be celebrated, not just tolerated at best or banished.
Over the years I have had the honour to teach the Word of God in churches of many races and cultures. My heart breaks when I enter churches in Central Africa and South Africa and find the leadership at pains to sound Western and sing Western songs that do not resonate with their culture, their land (what little they have left) and their history. Not everything in the history and culture of a people is necessarily evil. It was this misunderstanding that saw this great Continent referred to as Darkest Africa.
It is a tragedy to walk into rural villages where all social and spiritual interactions happen around a fire, or other focal point, in a communal place and yet when they receive the Gospel, a church building must be erected with everyone facing in the same direction, silently listening to the specialist on an elevated platform. Again, if some part of that original communal meeting ran contrary to Scripture, then it must be repented and omitted.
My prayer is that every African church, wherever it is situated, that honours the Word of God, should not feel the need to imitate that which is essentially alien to them. Why should already poor communities feel the need for expensive electrical equipment when God has created them with beautiful voices with which to worship, and rhythm and dance unique to the various cultures of this amazing Continent?
If ethnic churches wish to take on Western ways, then so be it. My argument is that in the pursuit of a relationship with Christ, why should such cultures feel the need to do so?
If you wander away from what is presented as mainstream and walk into the Cathedral world, you would be sure that God favoured any instrument that did not have to be plugged into the mains, except perhaps a pipe organ. Choirs are to be suitably attired for acceptance in the Middle Ages, and the only qualification for inclusion is a good singing voice. Doctrine or unbelief are not important.
Is God a Westerner? Is He besotted with medieval pomp and ceremony? Does He rock in the aisles with the guitarist with more metal in his face than Iron Man? Where, oh where, is the ethnic, the cultural sounds and rhythms of the outback, the African plain, the South American forests and mountains, the North American prairies - sorry, there is nothing ethnic left out there - in P.C. speak that would be native American reserves, i.e. ghettos? I am not speaking about the creations of the so-called Christian marketing geniuses who package the likes of South African township music. I am speaking about the real, earthy sounds, the forms of expression and words that rise from cultures that have believed in Christ and follow Him.
Why is culture invariably sacrificed on the altar of conversion to Christianity? The varied sounds of Africa that are intrinsic to the African heart and mind are replaced, for instance, by Australian hit songs that enrich the Australians financially and in terms of profile, while giving a foot-tapping experience to the uninitiated, but hopefully soon hooked, so that the next album will sell.
One can walk into Christian bookshops - they’re the ones that have the temerity to consider themselves ministries - and it would appear that what is acceptable to God is governed by what is marketable to man.
Do I have a problem with Western music? Absolutely not. What I do have a problem with is that we, the Westerners, are making the same deadly mistake as our missionary forebears. We want Africans to be European in both belief and culture. In those early years, African converts could be seen donning Western garb in order to enter Western-style church services. Ties and jackets in 30° Celsius heat – before the age of air-conditioning.
Christianity came to Africa and became, more often than not, the delivery system of Western culture and its form of civilization. For sure, many in Africa came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and that must be treasured and celebrated. But why should such converts be forced into Western sensitivities, practices, modes, dress, music and expression in general?
Surely, if the cultural practices of a people do not contradict the Word of God, they should be celebrated, not just tolerated at best or banished.
Over the years I have had the honour to teach the Word of God in churches of many races and cultures. My heart breaks when I enter churches in Central Africa and South Africa and find the leadership at pains to sound Western and sing Western songs that do not resonate with their culture, their land (what little they have left) and their history. Not everything in the history and culture of a people is necessarily evil. It was this misunderstanding that saw this great Continent referred to as Darkest Africa.
It is a tragedy to walk into rural villages where all social and spiritual interactions happen around a fire, or other focal point, in a communal place and yet when they receive the Gospel, a church building must be erected with everyone facing in the same direction, silently listening to the specialist on an elevated platform. Again, if some part of that original communal meeting ran contrary to Scripture, then it must be repented and omitted.
My prayer is that every African church, wherever it is situated, that honours the Word of God, should not feel the need to imitate that which is essentially alien to them. Why should already poor communities feel the need for expensive electrical equipment when God has created them with beautiful voices with which to worship, and rhythm and dance unique to the various cultures of this amazing Continent?
If ethnic churches wish to take on Western ways, then so be it. My argument is that in the pursuit of a relationship with Christ, why should such cultures feel the need to do so?
Thursday, December 10, 2009
WHO AM I?
When we introduce ourselves for the first time, we divulge a limited amount of information: name and, perhaps, something about a mutual friend. However, as the relationship develops we release more and more information. Most of it is clear and unambiguous - you know the kind of thing: where one works, where we went to school, hobbies, interests, even hopes and dreams.
The problems seem to arise when we want to share what we believe. If you are a Muslim, your dress code may give you away. If one is a Roman Catholic, the crucifix may act as a giveaway. But how does a true Christian introduce himself or herself?
“I am a Christian” can mean so many things: I am a Christian because I was not born into a Jewish family. I am a Christian because I am not a Muslim. I am a Christian because you have to fill something in on those wretched forms.
What does being a Christian actually mean? More to the point, what do we or should we mean when we declare our commitment to Jesus Christ?
What does the ordinary person think when they hear that one is a Christian? “She must be a churchgoer”, “Oh no, a Bible basher”, “Here comes Mr. No-Fun”. Alternatively, things can get worse: “Another hypocrite”.
The term ‘Christian’ can mean different things to many people. How do we effectively communicate who we are without, as far as possible, sending an ambiguous message? Remember, we are speaking about the things we say, not the way we act. Our actions will be judged over time but what we say can draw an immediate reaction. As the old saying goes, “You only have one chance to make a first impression.”
Therefore, it would seem that the term ‘Christian’ is a catch-all for everything that is not Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist or any other religious belief. If so, then it is not enough to say, “I am a Christian” and expect a response that may offer some fruit-bearing potential.
I can hear the anonymous voice bleating, “But the Bible describes us as Christians.” It does? I thought it was the sinners at Antioch who first called the believers ‘Christians’. Including that occurrence, the term is only used three times: once by a pagan king, once by a pagan population and once by Peter – that hardly qualifies as the criteria necessary for a description.
Please do not misunderstand; I am not ashamed of being a Christian because I know what I mean by the term. I am not ashamed of Christianity, either, because I know what I mean. However, those who are lost in their sin do not have my understanding. They are 21st Century people brought up on a diet of “Religion causes war”, “Christianity is a religion of sects in conflict with one another”, etc.
The 21st Century world declares that it was Christianity that went to war in the so-called Crusades. In fact, it was not a Christian endeavour at all but was instigated by the satanically-motivated Pope Urban (Roman Catholic) who was one among a number who incited violence in the Middle East. The Crusades were not Christian; they were a Papist-underwritten conflict fuelled by misguided religion, bigotry and hatred.
So, how are we to react? We must continue to practise our ancient faith with all the vigour we can muster, but, at the same time, employ a language that this new world can grasp.
When all is said and done, men and women of all backgrounds want one thing. That is relationship. Whether the sinner likes to admit it or not, we are all created in the image of God. That image is, about one thing: relationship, as in the perfect relationship between the Three in the Triune Godhead.
Our language then must be one of relationship. So perhaps the key to effective communication is not the use of a label, but the description of a relationship. When our relationship with the Christ lifestyle is observed, perhaps then the hungry and the thirsty will believe that the Christianity of the Bible really does have something to offer them.
Jesus came to this earth to, among other things, help us to understand God by showing us the Father’s character through His daily interaction with the disciples and the general populace of the region. In showing us God, we see Jesus relating to His friends and they, in turn, responding to Him. The three and a half years they spent together was marked by open, honest two-way relationship. That relationship manifested itself through conversation, teaching, disagreements, meals together, tears shed, mistakes made, service, and forgiveness offered and given. Was the three and a half year sojourn undertaken only as a means of getting to the Cross, as vital as that was? Was the run-up to Calvary also a vital and an integral part of God’s self-revelation designed and revealed so that we might interact with Him freely?
Who am I? What do I believe? For me, the answer is simple: I am a disciple of Jesus Christ.
The problems seem to arise when we want to share what we believe. If you are a Muslim, your dress code may give you away. If one is a Roman Catholic, the crucifix may act as a giveaway. But how does a true Christian introduce himself or herself?
“I am a Christian” can mean so many things: I am a Christian because I was not born into a Jewish family. I am a Christian because I am not a Muslim. I am a Christian because you have to fill something in on those wretched forms.
What does being a Christian actually mean? More to the point, what do we or should we mean when we declare our commitment to Jesus Christ?
What does the ordinary person think when they hear that one is a Christian? “She must be a churchgoer”, “Oh no, a Bible basher”, “Here comes Mr. No-Fun”. Alternatively, things can get worse: “Another hypocrite”.
The term ‘Christian’ can mean different things to many people. How do we effectively communicate who we are without, as far as possible, sending an ambiguous message? Remember, we are speaking about the things we say, not the way we act. Our actions will be judged over time but what we say can draw an immediate reaction. As the old saying goes, “You only have one chance to make a first impression.”
Therefore, it would seem that the term ‘Christian’ is a catch-all for everything that is not Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist or any other religious belief. If so, then it is not enough to say, “I am a Christian” and expect a response that may offer some fruit-bearing potential.
I can hear the anonymous voice bleating, “But the Bible describes us as Christians.” It does? I thought it was the sinners at Antioch who first called the believers ‘Christians’. Including that occurrence, the term is only used three times: once by a pagan king, once by a pagan population and once by Peter – that hardly qualifies as the criteria necessary for a description.
Please do not misunderstand; I am not ashamed of being a Christian because I know what I mean by the term. I am not ashamed of Christianity, either, because I know what I mean. However, those who are lost in their sin do not have my understanding. They are 21st Century people brought up on a diet of “Religion causes war”, “Christianity is a religion of sects in conflict with one another”, etc.
The 21st Century world declares that it was Christianity that went to war in the so-called Crusades. In fact, it was not a Christian endeavour at all but was instigated by the satanically-motivated Pope Urban (Roman Catholic) who was one among a number who incited violence in the Middle East. The Crusades were not Christian; they were a Papist-underwritten conflict fuelled by misguided religion, bigotry and hatred.
So, how are we to react? We must continue to practise our ancient faith with all the vigour we can muster, but, at the same time, employ a language that this new world can grasp.
When all is said and done, men and women of all backgrounds want one thing. That is relationship. Whether the sinner likes to admit it or not, we are all created in the image of God. That image is, about one thing: relationship, as in the perfect relationship between the Three in the Triune Godhead.
Our language then must be one of relationship. So perhaps the key to effective communication is not the use of a label, but the description of a relationship. When our relationship with the Christ lifestyle is observed, perhaps then the hungry and the thirsty will believe that the Christianity of the Bible really does have something to offer them.
Jesus came to this earth to, among other things, help us to understand God by showing us the Father’s character through His daily interaction with the disciples and the general populace of the region. In showing us God, we see Jesus relating to His friends and they, in turn, responding to Him. The three and a half years they spent together was marked by open, honest two-way relationship. That relationship manifested itself through conversation, teaching, disagreements, meals together, tears shed, mistakes made, service, and forgiveness offered and given. Was the three and a half year sojourn undertaken only as a means of getting to the Cross, as vital as that was? Was the run-up to Calvary also a vital and an integral part of God’s self-revelation designed and revealed so that we might interact with Him freely?
Who am I? What do I believe? For me, the answer is simple: I am a disciple of Jesus Christ.
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