What Do I Think?

Thanks to all of you who participated in this Culture Question. I enjoyed reading your responses and I see that a lot of you see the need to engage culture in some way, while others of you feel that it isn’t necessary or even permissible. One thing I need to clarify is that culture is so much more than the evils of the world. I would venture to say that all the sinful and evil things a particular group of people do would maybe amount to one quarter of their actual culture. Food, drink, roads, cars, transit systems, architecture, language, clothes, music, movies, television, colors, texture, and even toilet paper are part of culture. I don’t believe we can say that culture is only the bad clothes, the bad music, the bad movies, the bad television shows, etc. If we limit culture to the bad and evil, then we enforce in a lot of non-Christian’s heads that Christians can be rude and seem holier than thou. This is a stereotype that we need to shatter with love and compassion for those in the culture who our lost.

To be honest, we all engage culture at some level. There isn’t a person in the world that has never engaged culture. We speak a certain language - that is culture. You eat certain foods - that is culture. You wear a certain type of shoes - that is culture. So we all engage culture in some aspect, but do we engage the culture when it counts for the Lord? You wouldn’t send your (hypothetical) Jr. High boy to the Philippines for a year long mission trip. At least I hope you wouldn’t. You also wouldn’t or at least shouldn’t keep that same boy, who is now out of college and studied on missions and the Philippine culture, from going there. He is now prepared and ready to go. Just as Rocky put it in his comment,

“While I might venture into a crack house to evangelize someone there (and of course not participate in the evil), I certainly wouldn't send my innocent pre-teen daughter to the same place. That same daughter though, after growing up and (maybe) becoming a, oh doctor say, I might encourage to do the same if so led by the Holy Spirit.”

So we have to discern if engaging a certain part of culture is something the Spirit is leading us to do, and if it is, then we do it. Because each person is different on spiritual maturity, each of us is going to have different degrees of engagement to the culture. But if we don’t engage past the talk, food and shoes, we will be missing out on opportunities that God has put before us. Remember what the Apostle Paul told us in 1 Corinthians 9:

19 “For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. 21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. 23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.”

Paul’s goal was to save those who were lost, which should be our goal as well. If we don’t associate ourselves with the lost at some level, we will never be able to save them (of course, it is God who does the saving, not us, but I am using Paul’s words). Even though Paul is more mature than us in his faith, that doesn’t give us an excuse to not become something to someone so we can at least share the Gospel with them.

Let me know what you think about this. I would still like to see your insight, which I appreciate so much as I seek to minister to the youth in this generation as God would lead me.

Artist Of The Week

Artist: Matthew West
Album: Something To Say
Song: Safe & Sound


I know I have had Matthew West on here as Artist of the Week and I try really hard to not have someone on here more than once. But, here is the exception. He wrote a song to his little girl, a lullaby, Safe & Sound. This song really touched me when I heard it the first time, it is something I want to memorize and sing to Asher as I put him to bed. The lyrics of the song really define how I want to raise up Asher, to come to realize what Christ did for him on the cross.

He definitely gets 5 out of 5 dundies on all aspects.

So sit back, click on Artist of the Week and watch the video on youtube.

Can’t believe you’re here now
Tiny dream come true
The answer to a prayer now
I’m so in love with you
Couldn’t wait to meet you
Hope you like your name
I get the funny feeling
Life will never be the same

Safe and sound
You’re here with me now
Like I hoped you’d be
Safe and sound
You’re here with me now
And that’s all I’ll ever need

The world’s a scary place here
But baby it’s alright
I’ll make sure the coast is clear
So you can just sleep tight
But if you’re afraid of monsters
Like everybody is
I’ll be right beside you
Closer than a kiss

Safe and sound
I’m here with you now
And you will always be
Safe and sound
I’m here with you now
And that’s all you’ll ever need

Someday I’m gonna teach you
The reason why we pray
So that heaven’s love may reach you
Every single day
So, baby close your eyes now
And say a prayer with me
Lord, I lay me down to sleep now
But I know I will be

Safe and sound
You’re here with us now
And we will always be
Safe and sound You’re here with us now
And that’s all we’ll ever, all we’ll ever need
You’re all we’ll ever need

The Culture Question

It has been a long while since I last wrote anything on here. I have been busy with youth group activities such as a mission trip to Utah and to church camp in Missouri. So now, my relaxing summer can officially start! In about a month, all church activities start back up, so I better make the most of it. I have a bunch of church work to do, but I have something I have wanted to ask all of you, so please respond by commenting on this article or commenting on facebook.

At camp we had a speaker, a great speaker. I heard him a couple of years ago and it was very encouraging. This year, he did a great job as well. But I have one question, an issue I would like your input on. Before I go into the question, I want to tell you about the missionary speaker they had there as well. He is with New Tribes Mission and is going to go to the Philippines as a missionary. The NTM policy and practices make it where you study the culture of the people who are you going to for a number of years, up to 3 or 4 years, before you bring up the issue of Christ and His saving grace. You go to their culture, study it, talk like them, dress like them at times, and participate in activities with them so you can better understand how to witness to them. This builds a strong relationship with them. They will more likely listen to someone who has spent the time to build that relationship with them.
Now I totally agree with the philosophy of NTM. They have learned from mistakes of people in the past who have tried without success to witness to the tribal peoples of the world. I think that what they do is important and imperative. If you don’t study them, you won’t make it, and you won’t be able to effectively fulfill the great commission.
This brings me back to the speaker at camp. He urged us to not listen to the music of the world, not wear the clothes of the world, and not get drawn into the culture of the world. This is where my issue has come up. If the missionary going to the Philippines spends time in the culture to better evangelize to them, why can’t we here in the U.S.? Should we use the music and the clothes of this culture to study them so we can better reach them with the saving grace of Christ? Do we use things of this culture, go into the culture, and get drenched in culture to reach those who are lost in the culture? What do you think the Bible has to say about that? What do you think God thinks about this?