Top Ten Comments To Missionaries

It’s time for the “TOP 10 LISTS.”   Whether it’s fashion, movies, songs, jokes, we get to fill in the last week of the year with the Top Ten Lists.

Here is a list of “hits” and “misses” – my top 10 mission statements and questions received over the years.  Maybe you can add to this list.

1. What do the people eat?  This question is often asked during and Q & A session at a mission conference.  My wife thinks that this is a barometer of a church’s missions intelligence.  After an hour of teaching about your ministry, if this is the only question they can come up with, they probably don’t know much about missions.
2. What do the people think of the Arkansas Razorbacks?  I actually had someone ask me this question and it remains one of the most stunning questions I have ever received.  I had to explain to the person that most Africans know nothing about American football, and certainly the Hogs have yet to become an international phenomenon (and no, they also have never heard of the Horns or the Crimson Tide).
3. What does your wife do?  I am assuming they mean what does she do in missions, but I find it an odd question.  Does anyone ever ask an engineer this question?  Next time you go to the dentist make sure you ask him what his wife does.  Will it make any difference whether he will work on your teeth?
4. How many people did you lead to Christ last year?  Let’s see, I have been in fulltime work almost 40 years now.  Pastored in the states; planted churches in Kenya; taught missionaries in over 40 countries.  I am assuming, accumulative, probably thousands of people came to Christ this past year through our ministry.  However, even those who I might have “led to Christ” this year, was certainly the result of someone else’s work, and most definitely the work of the Holy Spirit, so I guess the answer would be zero.
5. Are you involved in church planting?  (Actually last year this was framed in an assessment, not a question, i.e. “since you are no longer on the field planting churches we are dropping your support”).  It’s true, I could still be in Kenya, planting maybe one church each year.  OR, I could be teaching hundreds of church planters, reproducing myself in the lives of people who will go to places where I can’t go: reaching people I could never reach.  The answer is, yes, I am more involved in CP than ever.
6. Have you ever had a “real” job?  Do you mean those days when I worked on a loading dock, worked for a newspaper company or worked in a garage?  Sure, but for the last 40 years I’ve been sitting on my sanctified rear-end, sleeping late, going to church on Sunday and sponging off of others who have a “real” job to meet my physical needs. This has to be one of the most demeaning comments/questions anyone who is a career missionary will ever receive.
7. It must be difficult begging for money from other people. (Actual comment to my daughter serving in West Africa).  When you meet people who have that view of missionaries it certainly doesn’t make the task of raising support easier.  Makes one just want to give up and get a “real” job.
8. We can’t support you, but we will be praying for you. And what would that prayer sound like?  “Lord, we personally don’t have enough confidence in this person to invest in his ministry, but you are the God of miracles, so bless him nevertheless as you might know something we don’t.”
9.  If your parents didn’t want you, why didn’t they jut put you up for adoption?  Actual comment to one of our daughters when they heard they went to boarding school in Kenya.
10. Are the heathen really lost?  If they’re not, then the Lord’s command to go into all the world, baptize and teach those who believe must mean something else.  If they’re not lost then I guess I should quit goofing around and do something meaningful with my life.

Cultural Anthropology and the Christmas Story

So what does culture have to do with the Bible?  Like everything in communication one must consider the context.  Take, for example, the nativity scene.  Typically, historically the story of Jesus birth conjures up an image of Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus in a barn.

 As the story goes (Gospel of St. Luke 2:1-7), Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem to register for taxation.  Mary was due to give birth and because there was no there was no room in the “inn,” (conjuring up an image of a hotel), they were given a place in a stable where at the time of birth Jesus was placed in a manger (feeding stall for animals).

Kenneth Bailey, in his book, Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes: Cultural Studies in the Gospels,  takes us back to first century Palestine.  He argues, from a cultural perspective that, in a society of extended families, Joseph no doubt had many kin in which to call upon for lodging.  To suggest that they were alone and unable to find a place for Mary to have her baby flies in the face of culturally accepted norms.  Because Bethlehem had many out-of-town visitors at that time, perhaps the guest rooms of relatives were occupied.  But Joseph and Mary were given accommodations at the lower end of the house, by the mangers, which was inside the house near the stable, which was attached to the house. 

“People of great wealth would naturally have had separate quarters for animals. But simple village homes in Palestine often had but two rooms. One was exclusively for guests. That room could be attached to the end of the house or be a ‘prophet’s chamber’ on the roof, as in the story of Elijah (1 Kings 17:19). The main room was a ‘family room’ where the entire family cooked, ate, slept and lived. The end of the room next to the door, was either a few feet lower than the rest of the floor or blocked off with heavy timbers. Each night into that designated area, the family cow, donkey and a few sheep would be driven. And every morning those same animals were taken out and tied up in the courtyard of the house. The animal stall would then be cleaned for the day” (page 28, 29).

I observed a similar house set-up like this when visiting southwest China several years ago.  Though the family dwelling was upstairs, the stable was below allowing easy access to feed their animals as well as protection from the weather for their cattle, pigs and chickens. 

Therefore, in context of first century Palestine, the nativity scene makes sense --- No Jewish village would ever turn away a young Jewish girl about to have a baby; it is unthinkable that Joseph would not be welcomed in Bethlehem, the city of David in which he could trace his kinship lineage.  A better rendering of “no room in the inn,” would be, “no space in the guest room.”

What’s important about culture?  Just about everything.  MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Ukrainian Pastor Comments on Mission Conference

Check out this video clip from Ukraine.  Craig Ludrick of Church Leadership Development International interviewing a local pastor/leader on the significance of the missions conference, which I was a part of November 30 - December 4, and the development of training and sending Ukrainian missionaries.

Missions Conference in Ukraine

Pray Not For The Buffaloes

Gadhimai Festival

 Over the next day Hindu’s in Nepal will attend a sacrificial festival to the goddess Gahimai. Up to a half-million animals will be sacrificed to Gadimai who is to believed to grant devotees blessings, healing and power.  This festival wouldn’t draw much attention if it wasn’t for animal rights protest.  Bridget Bardo, writing to the president of Nepal, states "Thousands of terrified buffaloes will have their heads cut off by drunken devotees."

You’d think that in a land of vegetarian’s that this type of festival would be unpopular, yet, according to the Times of India, 75 percent of the  5 million devotees will be from India. Hinduism is not a monolithic religion and with 300 million deities the only similarity in their worldview belief is an underlying superstition and myth.

Animal sacrifice has been around since the days of Cain.  Muslims sacrifice sheep and goats every year at Eid Al Adha, to mark the end the 30 day fast of Ramadan. There was a time when our forefathers were involved in such sacrifices.  How many goats were slaughtered at Passover?  While I don’t condone the Gahimai fesitival, I give my Hindu friends a pass as they live in a world where there are few opportunities to hear about the final sacrifice secured 2,000 years ago at another sacrificial spot called Golgatha.

If one is really concerned about the buffalo in Nepal, may I suggest that they pray and support those of us who work and equip the people in that part of the world, 87% who do not personally know a Christian.  

Be Not Drunk With Wine And Other Things

As I listened to the sermon last week my attention was drawn to “control.”

The scripture is familiar to me, “Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18).  I grew up in a Baptist church and that verse is always used to teach of the evil of alcohol, which is a misinterpretation, but that’s a side issue.  That verse is seldom tied to the preceding verses, which is, “So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do” (15-17). 

People who are controlled by alcohol don’t make wise decisions, they make poor choices.  But booze is not the only thing that controls people and I began thinking about the things that has power over people these days, what is it that controls me? 

This is Thanksgiving week and you can’t think about Thanksgiving without thinking about food.  But for many people food is not just a holiday event, it’s what controls them everyday.  As my dad was fond of saying, “Some people eat to live, other people live to eat.”  Gluttony is an indicator of deeper psychological, emotional and even spiritual problems.  When one is controlled by food they cannot be controlled by the Holy Spirit.  

As the pastor spoke I made a list of things that control thinking, things that so dominate us that we make poor decisions. The Internet (especially Facebook these days), sports, TV, talk radio, music.  None of these things within themselves are wrong, but just like wine, if these things dominate us we run the risk of missing the opportunities that God would have for us if our mind were not cluttered with other things. 

Of course the darker side of alcohol leads to even more serious consequences.  So, too, does other destructive habits, like lust, which leads to pornography and illicit activity; bitterness, which leads to broken relationships; covetousness, which leads to debt; self-loathing, which leads to depression; obesity, which leads to physical breakdown and disease; fear, which leads one to paranoia and disastrous decisions; self-importance, which is another form of self-loathing which draws one away from reliance on God.

One does not have to be a “crackhead,” to be dependent, controlled.  In the days we live the addictions are subtler, but they are just as destructive.  To know the will of God, to make the choices He would like us to make, to seize the opportunities that are before us, we must have a clear mind.  Reining in wasteful habits is the path to clear thinking and being filled with the One who will guide us through a rich and fulfilling life. 

Tattoos, Cowboy Boots, Jeans and Leather

Last week I was in Texas at the Quest Church.  Jim and Meredith started this church about three years ago.  They meet in three metal buildings with two services.  Unique may be an overused word, but it certainly describes Quest. 

Church growth experts focus most of their attention on mass appeal, or the Wal-Mart model.  People who go to contemporary churches are, like Wal-Mart shoppers, looking to find their needs met under one roof.  Usually white, middle class and kids that range from one to eighteen in age, the contemporary church has become the traditional church for much of the evangelical world. 

The Quest is not a Wal-Mart but more like Hills Hardware; it’s not major corp., but boutique.  It’s earthy, blue collar with an edge.  The music is hard rock and/or country and the membership is made up of people who the traditional church will tolerate but not encourage.  The contemporary church will try to guide these people into focus groups and encourage them to attend special seminars on recovery.  While the conventional church will reach out to those who are not typical, it’s always at arms length.

As an anthropologist I am fascinated with symbols as they are indicators of worldview.  Quest people are tattooed, shaved bald, long hair, big hair, leather and jeans.  These symbols scream out that they are not interested in mainstream but longing to find a place where they best fit.  These people are not misfits; they are just more comfortable finding God on a concrete slab floor than a soft carpet.  The one thing I heard over-and-over-again last week was, “If it wasn’t for this church I wouldn’t have found Christ.  This is a place I feel I belong.”  To many of the people of Quest, the traditional/contemporary model of church is religion whereas they are a church. 

Quest has a niche audience, but, then again, probably most churches in the world are primarily niche assemblies.  The niche may be tailored to occupation, families, clans, or an age demographic.  The Wal-Mart model will stock pet food, but not horse feed. The niche church will talk about Jesus, not as much in theological terms but contextually, to the audience in their niche environment. 

In my travels I have been in many different religious cultural environments including cowboy churches, Bakht Singh assemblies, high church Russian Baptists, Indian village house churches, deaf services, African Methodist Episcopalians and with Pokot herdsmen meeting under a tree.  You won’t find many church growth books from these congregations, but, like the Quest, they are a part of that wonderful Body called the CHURCH.  

Moving from COMMUNAL to PERSONAL Faith

It is not uncommon in Indian homes to have a designated place for prayer.  Sometimes it is a small room no bigger than a closet.  My landlady kept idols at the base of her vanity desk that had a little compartment with two doors she would open each morning, light candles and recite prayers.

Muslims don’t have idols, but their concept of a communal faith is rich with ritual as they pray toward Mecca, recite prayers at the mosque or pray at the grave of saints like Nizamuddin Aluyia in Delhi.

What all of these examples represent, as well as countless other expressions of faith in animism, Buddhism and Christianity, is that many of these adherents worship communal god(s).  Prayers to these deities are not personal in nature and the motivation behind their rituals is primarily for protection and blessing.  In some cases their gods are family deities, in other situations their Supreme Being is an ethnic God, i.e., to be Wolof (Senegal) is to be Muslim.

Communal gods have been around since the beginning of time.  It’s true that initially God sought a personal relationship with man when He created Adam and then Eve.  Very soon thereafter, however, man began to worship the Creator as a distant deity that they prayed to in time of war or ritual festivals.  What is interesting about Rachel taking her fathers idols when she married Jacob was that she had an attachment to these family gods (Genesis 31:32-53).  By default, when God made Abraham the “father of many nations,” Jehovah became the communal God of the Jews as well as the collective Allah of Muslims.

One of great challenges in communicating the Gospel to others is explaining a “personal” God who loved each person individually and that He sent His Son to die for their own personal salvation.  It’s easy for many Americans to grasp the concept of the personal God as we see the world as individualists.  Cultures, which are collectivists by nature, have a more difficult time understanding anything but a communal deity.  Perhaps one way to present Christ is through a collectivist mindset.  How does one do that? 

First, recognize that collectivists are multi-individualists.  Though they live their lives in community every person has individual needs, tensions and private thoughts.  Only when the stress of individual consequences becomes a reality will a collectivist be open to a personal God who cares for them individually.

Second, the concept of a personal God is best presented through personal relationships.  A follower of Christ that has built a relationship with non-believers and who models a personal walk with God will have more impact on others more than impersonal methods of evangelism. 

Third, and the most difficult thing to do, move the collectivist toward a personal God without intentionally diminishing the gods of people who they hold as a family protector.  Missionaries make a huge mistake when they try to argue their case by dismissing the faith of others.  Successful evangelism is seldom quick.  To bring people to an understanding of a personal God is often a lifetime process.

Lastly, collectivists must not be pushed to be “extracted” from their community.  Alan Tippett wrote 20 years ago,

"In communal society where the people have an intense awareness of the social group, where the group means social cohesion, security and the perpetuity in an uncertain world, one of the greatest cultural feelings of satisfaction is the idea of belonging, or HAVING A PLACE OF YOUR OWN IN THE GROUP, AND BEING ABLE TO PLAY YOUR OWN SPECIFIC ROLE IN THE GROUP LIFE.  THIS IS WHY IT IS SO TREMENDOUSLY IMPORTANT FOR CONVERTS, WHO COME OUT OF THE PAGAN GROUP, TO FEEL THAT THEY ARE NOT WITHOUT SOME GROUP TO WHICH TO BELONG.  THEY COME OUT OF SOMETHING INTO SOMETHING" (Introduction to Missiology 1987:78).

The challenges of communicating the reality of a personal God to those who view God communally are enormous.  Our role as cross-cultural workers is to be aware of different views and finding the bridges of communication for the Gospel.

Communal God(s)

Okay, I’m putting on my anthropologist hat.  A student in Kenya sent in his project report on one of the tribes in the country.  Describing them as followers of African Traditional Religions he sated, “The people do not have a concept of a personal God but a communal God.”    My mind has been on that theme since then; the difference between having a concept of a personal God, as do Christians, Jews and, to a certain extent, Muslims, and that of those who have a concept of a communal God, such as animists, Hindu’s, cultural Christians and cultural Muslims. 

 Simply stated, a communal concept of deity is that which a collective of individuals believe in a supernatural force, which provides security (from evil, sickness) and blessing (good crops, jobs, children).  These communal deities range from trees in a forest to pictures in homes.  In anthropology, there is an evolution of religion based on economy and education, from those people who are hunter/gathers to those who are literate and technological.

My research interest in the communal God took me to this article in the American Anthropologist (Sanderson, Stephen K. and Wesley W. Roberts - The Evolutionary Forms of the Religious Life: A Cross-Cultural, Quantitative Analysis. Vol. 110, No. 4,  December 2008: 454-46).

Anthony Wallace delineated four types of cult institutions: (1) individualistic, in which individual persons perform their own private rituals; (2) shamanic, in which a part-time religious practitioner (a shaman) performs special rites for others in return for a fee; (3) communal, in which bodies of laypersons collectively perform calendrical and other religious rites; and (4) ecclesiastical, in which there are full-time priests who perform highly specialized rituals before audiences of laypersons. These cult institutions represent a typology of religious evolution.

In relation to these typologies, people’s view of God’s intervention follows:

(1) Absent or unreported, (2) present but not active in human affairs, (3) present and active in human affairs but not concerned with human morality, and (4) present, active in human affairs, and concerned with human morality.

The variable was coded as (1) Shamanic, (2) Communal, (3) Polytheistic, and (4) Monotheistic. We were guided by the following assumptions. A religion is Shamanic when a shaman is the center of most religious practice, a strong belief in animism is present, there are no calendrical rites, and laypersons rely on a shaman as the sole intermediary between themselves and the supernatural. A religion is Communal when laypersons are the center of religious practice and calendrical or other collective rites of some sort are present; although a shaman may be present, there are groups (e.g., kinship groups, age grades, or the whole society) that specialize in acting as a mediator between the people and the supernatural. A religion is Polytheistic when a hierarchically organized priestly class is present to direct laypersons in ritual practices, and the center of worship is a pantheon of distinct gods. Finally, a religion is Monotheistic when a hierarchical priestly class is present to direct laypersons in ritual practices, but there is a belief in a single, all-powerful god, rather than a pantheon of specialized and lesser gods.

Though a communal God may be a foreign concept to most Christians, I will make the case in the next post that many people unwittingly serve a Communal God.  In addition, I will explore what are the implications of this concept as it relates to witness and presentation of the Gospel.  Until then, read Genesis 31:30 –35, about Rachel and her communal gods.

Best, Better, Ugly: Mixed Reviews Keeps One Humble

Last week a student stayed behind after class to see me.  He said quietly, “I just wanted to tell you this class has changed my life. More than that, it has changed the way I think about things.  It hit me as I was driving to town the other day, all of a sudden I realized how my view of things has changed and it was like a big weight lifted from my shoulders.”

Humbled, I thanked him for telling me that.  Every teacher likes to hear such positive feedback.

The very next day a student from a previous class approached me and said, “Your course has had the most impact on my life.  I belong to a denomination that is very critical of other groups.  After your class I came away with a sense of appreciating others and I am no longer judgmental of others.

“You may not remember,” another student said to me, “but you taught me in another school in 1998.  I still remember your lectures on the Pokot and your message in chapel on having “Universal Significance.’”

There isn’t a person reading this that hasn’t had such an experience one time in their life.  Perhaps you offered a kind word to someone, a word of encouragement or perhaps a time when you just prayed with someone.  An act you don’t remember that, while you do not remember, made a profound impression on someone else.

BUT WAIT…THERE’S MORE!

On my last day of teaching a student asked to see me.  Upset with his test score, he let me know in no uncertain terms that I was unfair, not sympathetic, aloof and not accessible to students.   He even accused me of teaching from a biased western perspective and that I wasn’t concerned with the Indian view of missions. 

Suddenly, all the goodwill you thought you had goes down the drain.  The praise of a three is overshadowed by the negative one.  That other feedback, the one that seemingly comes out of nowhere, blindsides you.  You feel defensive and, even worse that you let someone down.

Though no one likes criticism, in a way I’m grateful for that student’s stinging assessment.  I totally disagree with his judgment and, quite honestly, I felt that I gave him a better grade than he deserved.  But what I did get out of his honest opinion of me was that I am not infallible, not everyone thinks I walk on water and, while I am grateful that I am a blessing to some, there is always room for improvement.

Moral of the story is obvious.  Count your blessings when you are praised but remember it only takes one negative review to bring you down to earth.  Walk humbly as it hurts less when you are humbled.

 

 

Should Christians Wish Hindu's A Happy Diwali?

Saturday India celebrated Diwali, the second big festival in as many months (last month it was Darsa).  Like Darsa, Diwali centers around a mythological tale of good over evil.  The god Rama returns after 14 years of exile killing the evil god Ravna. Diwali, known as the festival of lights, is marked to welcome Rama’s return. The tradition of lighting lamps and shooting off fireworks is symbolic of light over darkness, a path for a brighter future. Hindu’s in the north also celebrate this day as a pooja (worship) to Lakshimi, the goddess of prosperity.

The question for Christians in this country is should they join in this festival?  The students in my anthropology class are divided on the subject.  Some of them are adamant that it is not appropriate for Christians to wish people “happy Diwali,” as they argue it is giving credence to other gods.  Others don’t see any harm.  My students are always interested in the professor’s opinion on the matter.

When I lived in Delhi my landlord, a cultural Hindu, asked why his servant girl, a Pentecostal, would not wish him happy Diwali?  He thought it was rude that she would not. She told me her pastor said it was wrong for them to do so; therefore she would not wish him glad tidings on that day.  “Is that what all Christians believe,” he asked?

My argument on the subject is much like using the word Allah as a reference to God with Muslims.  I am well aware that the Jehovah of Christians and Jews is not the same as the Allah of the Mohammedans, but for me it is merely a linguistic title.  I use a lot of cultural titles of god that are not the same as my perception of God or Lord.  Swami, Senor, Mungu are all language references to the Supreme Being.  While some Christians want to argue the etymology of words, I contend that most Hindu’s and Muslim’s don’t have a concept of the origin of words anymore than Christians know the meaning of the word “Christ.”  It’s a title, a tag word for identification only.  Refusing to use words of culture does not enhance our witness as Christians.

My landlord was gracious to wish me “Happy Christmas.”  He doesn’t understand the story, but out of respect for my faith he is willing to acknowledge it.  He is not compromising his faith by being courteous, nor I when I wish him a Happy Diwali.

Bringing people to an understanding of our faith is a process, sometimes a very long process.  While I am uncomfortable with accommodating some cultural and religious practices, I want to choose my battle lines carefully.  Diwali is not the place to draw a line in the sand.  In fact, by wishing someone a happy Diwali may be an avenue for further discussion about evil, good and Jesus.

Equipping National Cross-Cultural Missionaries

Last month I was in Hyderabad working with, what they call, the Master Trainers.  These are men and women who are bi-vocational, cross-cultural church planters and workers.  The women have a unique role in that they help coordinate micro-business finance projects among villagers.  Many of this class come from the state of Orissa, a place where there is much persecution for Christians.  One girl in this class actually witnessed the murder of her family members.

I appreciate Dr. Vijayam and the staff of TENT for allowing me the opportunity to serve with them. 

Missional or Merely Monoculturally Relevant?

A friend sent a book to me to review while I am traveling and teaching in India. Chris is one of those guys who is always striving to learn more and so I was more than happy to review and send him my evaluation of Breaking the Missional Code: Your Church Can Be A Missionary In Your Community.  The bottom line, this book is for (a) church planters in the U.S. or (b) churches who are looking for ways to revitalize their congregations. As I waded through the pages it became obvious the authors are hoping to present a new model for church planting that is relevant for today’s post-Christian context.  The writers reviewed past models, from the traditional church of forty years ago to seeker-sensitive services a decade ago, to today’s emerging church.  In this book the new approach is reaching the unchurched which they call the missional congregation.  

In the end, though they touched on it, the book didn’t didn't break any code as it didn't address some issues that, in my opinion, is the true definition of a missional church -- how to reach our cities cross-culturally.  Let me explain.

The city of my home church has many churches, some which are growing, many which are not.  In this community of less than 50,000 people there has been a huge influx of Hispanics and people from the Marshall Islands and other ethnic groups.  If our little city has such a diversity of people groups, I can only imagine what is taking place in Kansas City, Dallas, Baltimore and other major cities.  Our region of the country has its share of mega-congregations, all vying to out-build and out-program other churches.  What my town needs is a book on how to reach across those cultural boundaries, to the people of other ethnic backgrounds who will never come to a culturally middle class WASP body of  believers. 

The principles of how to go cross-culturally are certainly in this book, i.e. building relationships and finding a “safe” place for non-believers to meet.  The writers even use good missiological terms like contextualization and indigenous forms of worship.  In the book they cite many examples of starting contextually sound congregations among the white middle-class, but they never give one example of how those churches started or partnered with the Asian, Black or Hispanic communities.  While the authors note the shifting demographics of our country they did not, in my opinion, capitalize on that reality in their church planting models.

For many of today’s church growth experts, including this book, contextualization is defined as a different style of music, using the latest media technology and casual dress.  In some ways their arguments are no different than what we talked about 30 years ago.  The term “cutting edge,” no longer seems to be in vogue, but when people talk about reaching their generation with the Gospel they are merely repeating the older arguments for today’s culture. 

So, my final analysis of the book is that it extremely helpful as far as it goes.  For those who are starting WASP churches or for established congregations looking for ideas for revitalization, it’s worth the read.  They give good insights and principles that can be built on and I appreciate their emphasis on church planting multiplication.  However, from a missiological perspective, until the church begins to become Kingdom centric rather than Ecclesia centric we will remain focused on church growth rather than fulfilling the command to go to every panta ta ethne.

Noah's Ark in South India

I am forever intrigued with visionaries. I have worked with a few down through the years and what fascinates me about them is how impractical they seem to be.  My bent is to critique everything ad nauseam and view things in terms of efficiency, cost effectiveness and practical application.  Most visionaries think about these things, but after the fact.  They have a propensity to operate on “Ready, fire, aim,” where I am inclined to “Ready, aim, aim, aim…” and never pull the trigger.

I am in the presence of a full-blown visionary this week.  I’ve written about Dr. Vijayam before, but let me briefly tell his story again.  Dr. V is in his ‘70’s.  He retired early as a geology professor from a university to establish TENT (Training in Evangelism Needs and Technology).  Fifteen years ago he purchased about 12 acres of land 22 miles outside the city of Hyderabad.  The property was virtually in the middle of nowhere…still is, but the city is moving his way.  His vision is to use every inch of Carmel Campus for the equipping of bi-vocational missionaries and church workers.  Committed to experiential farming in arid environments the campus is dotted with flora and small animal husbandry.  From pigeons to rabbits to chickens to vermiculture (earthworm  production) anything that can be of use for supporting national pastors in their ministry is tried and taught here.  In addition to plants and animals are classes on how to make candles, book covering and even welding.  The original missionary tentmaker, the Apostle Paul, would be impressed with the activities of TENT. 

A few years back the professor had a vision (not dream or revelation, but an idea) to build a replica the Tabernacle of the Old Testament.  Who would actually travel  to the outback of the country to visit such a reproduction?  Evidently a lot of people as nearly every Sunday and school holidays there are groups of people wanting a tour of the Tabernacle.  Christians and non-Christians alike find the Tabernacle a site worth seeing.

When I arrived on campus last week, for my annual teaching cultural anthropology to the students of JVI and IWILL (go to THIS LINK for description of these programs), Dr. Vijayam shared with me his latest venture…building Noah’s Ark.  “Our campus is not big enough for an exact replica,” he stated, “but it will be about a third the size of the original.”  (It will also be made of cement and steel).  You’re kidding me right?  NOAH’S ARK!

What is interesting about visionaries, like Uncle, is that they are driven by passion for what they endeavor to do.  They are not fool-hearty and they pay for their project as they go (at least some of them do) and they certainly pray about everything before they launch out.  Not driven by market analysis (Who is my customer? Is the site of this campus the best location for those seeking training?), the vision is the bottom line for them, not necessarily the process.

I have some projects of my own I want to launch.  Perhaps its taken the building of Noah’s Ark in the south of India for me to stop thinking about it and just get on with it…quit aiming…pull the trigger.

EXPECTATIONS AND REALITY: THE RUDE AWAKENING OF CULTURE CONFLICT

A hand went up in the back of the room.

“Dr. Lewis, thank you for coming and telling us about India and things we should be aware of as we prepare for our [ten day] trip.  I found the things you shared with us about Hinduism and the Indian culture very interesting.  But….”

Ah, the dreaded ‘but.”  By the tone in her voice I could see this shoe fall the minute she started to speak. 

“…I was expecting you to help us with how we can share the gospel with the people.”

So, I said to myself, “What part of my lecture did she not understand?"  Each person in the room received an outline.  Part of that outline included these seven points:

1. Do not criticize or condemn Hinduism.
2. Avoid all that even hints at triumphalism and pride.
3. Never allow a suggestion that separation from family and/or culture is necessary in becoming a disciple of Christ.
4. Do not speak quickly on Hell, or on the fact that Jesus is the only way for salvation.
5. Learn more about Hinduism and each individual Hindu.
6. Share your testimony, describing your personal experience of lostness and God’s gracious forgiveness and peace.
7. Center on Christ.

Expectations can be a messy thing.  Perhaps this dear lady expected me to give her the formula that is most successful in reaching people for Christ in Asia.  If there was such a formula (a) I would have been more than happy to share it and (b) the country would have a Christian population greater than 2% (c), the national church would be using it and therefore (d) less of a need for outsiders to come and evangelize.

The crux of this woman’s concern was in her statement that, “We are spending a lot of time and money for this trip and I want to make sure we are using these resources wisely.” 

I admire evangelists.  They are bold and sincere in their witness for Christ.  I must admit that I am convicted by my timidity and sometimes wonder if I am more like the faint hearted Peter who denied Jesus three times before a little teen-age girl than I am the bold and rash Peter who lopped off the ear of the man who came to arrest Jesus by night.  Is my timidity cowardice?  Is her boldness just another name for foolish religious zeal?

Expectations are often obstacles in learning.  Having an agenda is grounded in pride. Methods are easier to do than building relationships.  I felt badly that this person deemed I had wasted her Saturday morning, but there is only so much one can do in three hours.

To add to my outline I should state clearly,

1. No one becomes a Christ follower except through the work of the Holy Spirit.
2. Prayer precedes all conversions.
3. Recognize that most people come to Christ, not always but more times than not, through a relationship that spans a long period of time.
4. If being a witness and planting the seed of the Gospel is not enough, stay home.

Even with that addition I suspect there will still be a hand raised in the back of the classroom.

 

Missionaries and Politics

A few years back I attended a major conference designed to discuss ways to advance the Gospel in India. Over 600 Christians from all over the country and around the world attended to talk about how to present Christ through media, helping the poor, women’s fellowships, evangelism, arts, schools and many other topics (I was a part of the cultural anthropology discussion group). I was disappointed with the meeting because of the political overtones of the gathering. The host, and leading figure in India, is heavily invested in fighting for Dalit rights, (Dalits are the lower caste people of India, formerly known as "untouchables"). Though the cause is great and worthy, I didn’t think this was an appropriate venue for the overall theme of how to reach the whole nation with the whole Gospel of Christ.

Down through the years I have observed the church and the on-going battle between faith and political ideology. Whether it is corruption in Africa, oppression in former Soviet countries or ethnic tensions in Asia, the battle between rights, freedom, socialism, democracy is ever with us. The tension for missionaries is how much should we be engaged in such political activity? Should we actively oppose a system that is anti-God? Should we be a defender of the weak, the marginalized and those who are oppressed because of their gender, ethnicity or religious persuasion? The answer is a qualified yes. The greater question is how and how much?

As a missiologist my bent, prejudice or focus, is pretty narrow, though with broad universal implications. I don’t see the world in binary opposites (good/bad, democrat/republican, socialism/capitalism) as much as I see a mosaic of people and systems incarcerated by disobedience to our Creator. I work in an area of over 3 billion people where 87% do not personally know a Christian. Part of the reason for this lack of penetration of the Gospel is due to political obstacles. Should I seek to overthrow the evil human system or should I seek ways of presenting Christ as He gives me (and the church) opportunity? Should I buy the t-shirts that say, “Free The Dalits,” or should I concentrate on contextualizing the Gospel to the Dalits that crosses political and ethnic boundaries even if the nations do not?

As a theologian, I see no biblical precedence for being politically active. Our Lord lived in a country oppressed by a foreign government, He mixed with the poor on a daily basis, broke bread with corrupt officials and, though He helped and challenged in each situation, He was not an activist. Jesus remained focused on the purpose of His mission. In addition to the example of our Lord, the Apostle Paul stated in Romans 13:1-7 that a Christians responsibility was to submit to government authority (and remember he was writing to persecuted Christians living in Rome), to pray for those in authority and pay taxes as required. While I may not agree with the political landscape in the countries I work or reside, Paul reminds us that it is Sovereign One who establishes those in authority. To be salt and light is our daily task, to mandate morality or ideology is clearly not a part of the Great Commission.

Finding balance is key to everything. Missionaries can be informed and pray for the world systems around them, but if politics becomes an obsession where we spend more time trying to right the wrongs of this world than telling those who have never heard about Christ, then perhaps we have lost sight of the heart of our calling.

Discovering Worldview in Calcutta

A regular reader of this blog from Colorado commented recently that reading my stuff was “getting expensive.”  In the past month I have given a few book reviews and today, sorry Bill, I want to share another good read.  Not essential, but inspiring and challenging.

Finding Calcutta: What Mother Teresa Taught Me About Meaningful Work And Service, is a book about self-discovery, but more, about an academic who discovered the faith of Christ through working with a humble woman working among the poor of India.  Mary Poplin’s (PhD professor of education) work has two primary themes.

The first, and primary theme is that of a woman who lived a selfless life and her commitment to Christ.  No matter what you think of Mother Teresa and her theology, she had a singular passion, Jesus.  Though a Nobel Prize Winner, Mother Teresa never sought glory, money or building a large organization, though through her order, Sisters of Charity, she received all of that.  What Poplin learned as a “volunteer” (note that volunteers were not called “missionaries – maybe a better phrase for STM’s) for three months in 1996, and what it meant to serve Christ, not just do social work.  Throughout the book there are vignettes on how Mother Teresa and her Sisters dealt with discouragement, attacks from critics, and their single-minded mission to help others.  It is not hard to find inspiration and even conviction in every chapter of this book.

Second, as an academician, Poplin bought into the worldview of higher education and philosophy prevalent in western universities.  What she discovered in Calcutta was that those philosophies of secular humanism, naturalism and pantheism have no answers for humanity outside of themselves.  Mother Teresa’s life and labor revealed a life that is neither rational or normal, as viewed by the world, but is nevertheless the way God intended for His creation.  Poplin writes, “In the Christian worldview, a set of moral standards and ways of best being in the world stands outside us...It is not left to us to determine moral values but to obey the principles we have been given.” 

The author is candid about her own failings adhering to the secular humanistic and pantheistic worldview she followed for many years, which resulted in two abortions and declaring she was “spiritual” but not religious.  She exposes the fallacy of that worldview by stating, “One major distinctions in my being ‘spiritual but not religious’ as what I could not or would not deal with - evil, especially evil inside myself.... The rationalizing mind cannot distinguish its thoughts from reason.  I could rationalize having sexual relationships with a married man with any number of ‘human reasons’ -- his marriage was on the rocks, his wife did not really love him, it's not really hurting anyone...the list was endless.  I could use illegal drugs, because, after all, is only hurt me."

Poplin’s time in Mother Teresa’s Calcutta brought her to the real meaning of life.  In the process she found her own Calcutta, challenging the prevailing worldview in the universities and championing the Christian worldview where she works everyday.

Finding Calcutta is worth the time and money to read and be blessed.  

The Power of Influence

Dear Dr. Lewis,

The cardinal aim of this mail is to express my appreciation to you for the positive and profound impact of your teaching- not just on me- but the entire Missions class that you taught last July at Africa Theological, Kitale, Kenya. I realize that the principles and concepts we learnt are applicable (relevant) not just in Mission work, but in all spheres of life. Personally, my life has been transformed greatly. Certainly, the combination of your experiences as a pastor and missionary, coupled with your education has made you such a fine professor. May God give you good health and open doors for you to minister to more people around the globe!

I have started a counseling-oriented ministry for which I need your prayers.

Your student...

I have always believed an in-depth study of culture is not something just for missionaries but equally important for pastors, business professionals, students and just about everyone who regularly cross cultural boundaries; which in reality is most people today who live in a culturally diverse world.  The student who sent the above note (emphasis his) is going into the field of counseling and, even in that field, there is a specific study for cross-cultural counselors and psychologists.  In every culture people have emotional and psychological needs, but how those needs arise and how to counsel those emotional needs are culturally driven.

I begin every new class with this statement. 

“I am here to help you understand culture and teach cultural anthropology.  But I want you to know I have an agenda and that is to influence you to take the Gospel to those who have never heard the message of Christ.  I want to influence you to think outside of your own culture and to think about those of other cultures.”

Another student, who is involved in the music ministry in one of the largest churches in Nairobi (built, bought and run by an American church in the U.S. - but that’s another story), confessed to me one day after class that, “I am now rethinking about my future ministry.  My church is exciting, but they have many people to do the ministry there.  I am now wondering about the many people in Africa who do not have a church.”

I do not expect every student I teach to be anthropologists or cross-cultural church planters, but in the process of teaching worldview, genealogies and cross-cultural communication, it is my goal to influence people to see the world as God does.