“Every Change gives you an opportunity to distinguish between what is Core and what is Cultural.”
I heard this quote at a conference in Cincinnati recently and it got me thinking: What do I believe is changeable? Where is the line of distinction between core elements and cultural practices? Core elements shouldn’t be changed. Cultural practices can be.
What is core and what is cultural at Storehouse church?
Jesus was the perfect Son of God who paid the price for my sins and yours - Core. (John 3:16-21)
The Bible is the inspired Word of God - Core. (2 Timothy 3:16)
We are here to Love God and Love People – Core. (Matthew 22:36-40)
Worship through rocking music that captures our emotions – Cultural.
Offer Communion every week – Cultural.
Meet in a rented middle school building – Cultural.
And the list goes on and on.
We must be willing to change what is cultural, when needed, in order to magnify, communicate, emphasize, resonate what is core. The cultural serves the core. Not the other way around. If we confuse the two, we elevate what isn’t eternally significant and reduce what is.
Where have you confused the two? Examine what you believe is core and see if it really is.
Let’s be willing to change whatever it takes to share what is truly core with everyone.
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1 comment:
Culture and the Church is a topic that I've been toying with for the last twenty years or more. Culture is so interminglrd w/Christianity that it's often hard to seperate them--and so many issues are at hand. Such as:
1 The Sabboth vs. The Lord's day - never the twain shall meet?
2 Why was it so easy for Jesus to take his core values into difficult cultures while we sit on our hands?
3 Drinking
4 Smoking pot?
5 Clothes, styles.
6. Correct Bible to carry.
7. Language? Suck is ok but shit isn't?
I've only stratched the surface. Could what we call christian core values kill our witness?
8 Killing and wars: Core or cultural?
9. Ever notice that all of S.C.'s iconery is usually caucasion and rarely Black or Hispanic? And this in a multicultural area (Conchy, Norristown, Plymoth Mtg.),etc.
I hope that I'm not being picky here (Bea and I LOVE S.H. and it's staff). It's just that I,ve been thinking of these things for a while, and my curiousity keeps moving in new direction to examine and ask good questions.
Bill Nace
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