In spite of this reality, I am in the midst of trying to write something. For some time in the States there has been a problem in churches. We have functioned as if a decision to follow the master is the finish line. We allow people to come to that point and then we ask them to barefoot the rest of faith. This runs a very dangerous risk of becoming a fire insurance style, stay out of hell, salvation.
It seems to me that the book talks of more of an on going relationship. Walking in faith is a journey with the God. A decision to join the journey should be the starting line, not the finish line. We need to work harder at raising up those who are joining our walk.
With this in mind we are trying to prepare a resource to help raise up healthy believers here. I am taking the lead on compiling/writing this material. Tons of stuff currently exists. However the majority of those things are written for western minds. And while the call is the same for followers all over the world the means of getting there differs depending on culture.
As we try to prepare material several issues arise. Join us in asking for wisdom as we work through these things. Also realize these are beginning thoughts. I am still learning what the culture looks like. I am constantly asking for wisdom as we try and reach these people.
- Orality v. Literately - The illiteracy rate in this country is as high as 70%. That is a lot of people that can't read or write their own language much less English (which the majority of material is written in). Even if we write something in English and then translate it, we would have to teach many of the people here to read before they could begin growing in faith. Even those that can read learn in an oral manner. They don't learn through reading and writing as well as through hearing and speaking. Therefore teaching methods here need to involve stories and sharing aloud truths. They will then repeat and memorize as they learn. A desire of mine as we write material is that we write it for us the American literate mind. As we reproduce it with others we will do so orally. They will never have the printed work in hand.
- Indigenous v. Imported - For something to be indigenous it means that it is of the culture. Many of the bodies here don't carry that trait. They look more like my culture than theirs. We do believe that we have some thoughts, and goals, and principles that are valuable to the believers here. However we want them leading their own people because they understand the culture more than I ever can. This is another reason to dodge printed material. This way we can give them nuggets and they get to take those and do with them as they have been led, not so much by us as the Spirit.
- Black v. White - This is less of a color issue than a cultural issue. The foreigners have great respect here. Last week I sat in a meeting with the heads of a college that wants to partner with our ERC. This week they called and invited us to come to their first graduation as the special guests. They want to put a robe on us and have us sit up front. We have no partnership yet; they don't even know us; however we are white. The desire is that those being raised in the faith will be raised up by national believers. Several issues come into play here. First, we don't have enough national believing partners to lead those making decisions. Second, is in line with the issue mentioned above. Many of the believers here have been taught a way that goes against culture. Now I won't deny that our faith is countercultural. It goes against the norm; it bucks the system. At the same time, it is culture sensitive. Shepherd stories were told because J. was teaching shepherds. Those challenged to be "fishers of men" weren't the tax collectors, they were fisherman. The goal was to communicate the truth in a way that fit with their current worldview, but at the same time stretched their world to new places. Third, people tend to place great respect in those that walked the journey with them. We want that to be a black face, not a white one. The day will come we will leave. We aren't here forever, we are here to accomplish the task and then let it run wild, fired only by the passion of nationals and the wisdom of the Spirit. We also don't want to see a repeat of the issues in the body at Corinth. It seems Paul was dealing with the believers fighting over who had more worth because of who led them on the way. Paul says who cares, what is important isn't the person but God.
- Lifestyle v. Program - As we read of the master leading his followers we don't see a weekly meeting to digest ideas. We don't see occasional teaching sessions and the rest of the time it is do as you will. He walked beside his followers. He journeyed with them. He laughed with them, cried with them, and grew with them. That is the goal of discipleship. It is the idea of one farther down the path walking with one who just began the journey. A major issue is how to turn printed material to oral material that is about living life together not teaching. The lack of partners adds to this, because relationships currently will have to be manipulated rather than natural.
Well this is getting long and I am at the end of my current thoughts on the issue. Please join me in asking for wisdom as we move through this process.
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