Lessons on Cultural Relevance from Dr. Suess

Over the past few weeks in the HeartCry office we've been discussing various books and articles on contextualization and cultural relevance in missions. Some ideas that we've learned about are helpful. Many of the ideas are just flat out goofy. As we all agreed, "Why do people insist on making the preaching of the gospel to the nations so complicated?" Before I continue, let me give you some examples of what I mean.

A friend shared with me some of the things she had been told recently by her professors in some of her missions classes at a Southern Baptist College:

1. She was told that the peoples of East and Southeast Asia are ruled by a culture of shame. Therefore, because of the ingrained preoccupation with honor and "saving face", it would be inappropriate for the western evangelical missionary to confront an Asian about his sin and guilt before a holy God.

2. When she asked the same professor about church discipline in scripture, she was told that church discipline was for the Jewish culture of that day and no longer applies today.

3. She was told that reformation means, "becoming relative and doing what works for people."

4. She was told that in the New Testament we have no letter to a church in Athens because Paul preached about the resurrection too soon. If he would have waited, he might not have offended the Athenians and might have been able to plant a church there.

5. In another class she was told, "This thing of being a missionary is complicated. It is our job to make the gospel understandable and indigenous. We must strip ourselves of our faith, and belief systems in order to interpret the Bible according to their culture."

6. Here's another quote word for word, "The best churches that reach out to the communities have pastors that pay special attention to sociology, like Rick Warren and Bill Hybels. Rick Warren and his church went door to door in their community asking the people what they wanted from the church." The same professor said that Christianity must be "customized" to fit the community. Do you see the danger here? Since when do we ask the world how the church should be?

But these are not the only examples. I've also been reading through a little booklet by Kevin Greeson called "Camel Tracks... Discover the Camel's Secret." He refers to Allah as the same as the Jehovah God of the Bible; that all you need is the Koran to share the gospel; that Mary (Maryam) was a good Muslim; the followers of Isa (Jesus) were Muslims; and that you can become a Pakka Muslim by praying to Allah and receiving his Korbani because of Isa's atonement for sin.

In all of this I keep asking - Why all the hoops? Why all the games? Listen, I fully agree that we need to do all that we can to make the Gospel understandable. But we cannot make the Gospel palatable. Nor should we try. Paul says that the Gospel is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those who are being saved it is the power of God (I Cor. 1:18). Jesus said, "No one comes to me unless the Father who sent me draws him" (John 6:44). Do you know what all of this contextualization talk reminds me of? It reminds me of Green Eggs and Ham. See if this excerpt doesn't sound like what we are doing to the Gospel:

You do not like green eggs and ham?

I do not like them,
Sam-I-am.

Could you, would you,
with a goat?

I would not, could not,
with a goat!

Would you, could you,
on a boat?

I could not, would not,
on a boat.
I will not, will not,
with a goat.

I will not eat them in the rain.
I will not eat them on a train.
Not in the dark! Not in a tree!
Not in a car! You let me be!
I do not like them in a box.
I do not like them with a fox.
I will not eat them in a house.
I do not like them with a mouse.
I do not like them here or there.
I do not like them ANYWHERE!
I do not like green eggs and ham!
I do not like them, Sam-I-am.

You see, Sam, the guy doesn't like green eggs and ham. You see brothers and sisters, the lost world doesn't like the Gospel. Scripture says that they hate Christ because they are dead, worthless, hostile, wretched, sick, blind, slaves (Rom. 8:7, Col. 1:21, Eph. 2:3, Rom. 3:10-18, Rom. 3:23). It will take the supernatural power of God to cause a dead, blind man to see Christ as precious (2 Cor. 4:6). So why should we act like gourmet gospel chefs; scurry around the kitchen; cook up the latest, hottest gospel dish; and present it in just the right way so that our clientelle will be pleased enough to order more? Why can't we just be like the Apostle Paul and "determine to know nothing among (them) but Christ crucified" and preach a message "not in plausable words of wisdom but in demonstration of the spirit and of power" (I Cor. 2:1-4)?

Jesus Is "Pro Tattoo"?

I love to tease my wife that I'm going to get a tattoo. After reading an excerpt from Spurgeon's, "Morning and Evening," I can tease her even more that now I have scriptural warrant to get a tattoo! Relax. I'm kidding. I'm not getting one. At least not today. The 'right or wrong' debate is for another time. Suffice it to say I'm not getting a tattoo because I like change too much and I don't think I will like it when I'm older and my skin is saggy and wrinkled. Enough of that. Back to the more important issue at hand. I marveled at a new thought this morning from Isaiah 49:16:

"Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands."

What? Jesus has tattoos on his hands? That's what it says. "I have engraved you on the palms of my hands." What else does "engrave" mean? It means the same thing as "inscribe" or "chisel" or "carve." It's the same kind of thing that happens when a name is chisled into a graveside tombstone, or when two lovers carve their names into a tree in their favorite park, or when Billy the Biker gets "M.O.M." tattooed on his shoulder. Jesus Christ has done this on the palms of His hands... with my name. Listen, silliness aside, what an incredible thing. And lest you're tempted to think this is some kind of man-centered discussion, let Spurgeon set it in the proper perspective (Morning and Evening, Nov. 7):

"Heaven and earth may well be astounded that rebels should obtain so great a nearness to the heart of infinite love as to be written on the palms of His hands."

It seems impossible doesn't it? That the Lord of the Universe would stoop so low as to save undeserving, wretched rebels like you and me? And yet He has. In fact, the Holy Trinity conspired to do just that before anything was ever even created. Now, if that's true, why do I ever struggle with doubting the Lord's love for me? I'm not alone. I find myself in good company. Just before this awesome declaration in verse 16, Isaiah laments in verse 14:

"But Zion said, The Lord has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me."

How many times have I said that? Spurgeon again:

"How amazed the divine mind seems to be at this wicked unbelief! What can be more astounding than the unfounded doubts and fears of God's favored people? The Lord's loving word of rebuke should make us blush. He cries, 'How can I have forgotten you when I have graven you on the palms of my hands? How dare you doubt my constant remembrance, when the memorial is set on my very flesh?' O unbelief, how strange a marvel you are! We do not know which to wonder at most: the faithfulness of God or the unbelief of His people. He keeps His promise a thousand times, and yet the next trial makes us doubt Him. He never fails."

Spurgeon goes on to say that it's not just our name that Christ has tattooed on his hands. It's everything about us. He is mindful of everything:

"I have graven your person, your image, your case, your circumstances, your sins, your temptations, your weaknesses, your needs, your works. I have graven you (carved you, inscribed you, chiseled you, tattooed you), everything about you, all that concerns you. I have put altogether there. Will you ever say again that your God has forsaken you?"

And then I thought of the song we sing so often in church, "Before the Throne of God Above." I will never sing this verse the same way again:

"My name is graven on His hands,
My name is written on his heart.
I know that while in Heaven He stands,
No tongue can bid me thence depart."

And so we all should cry out with the desperate father in Mark 9, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" Jesus will reply again and again, just like He did with Thomas the first time, "Put your finger here, and see my hands... Do not disbelieve, but believe."

IT'S FINISHED!

We finished the earthbag dome today! All that is left is putting a stuco (waterproof) finish on the outside of the bags. In Zambia we will use earthen plaster to 8' high, then a thatch roof will cover the rest. Here are some pictures. A BIG thanks to everyone who has helped with this project!! We appreciate you!

More Than We Can Ask Or Think

God's provision is remarkable. We've been corresponding with a couple of brothers in South Africa about vehicles. The currency now is R10.08 to the $1 US, which is not good for them but great for us. We thought maybe it was a good time to see if we could get more for our money in the purchase of a used Toyota Landcruiser 4x4. One of the brothers wrote back:

"Hi Sean,
Thank you for your prayers. Me and my Dad spoke about our vehicle and you can have it for what we paid for it, which was R163,000 (roughly $16,000)..."

Needless to say, we were really pleased. The price this brother was offering for his vehicle was easily half of what we expected to pay. But the Lord wasn't finished yet. He kept working on this guy for two more hours until he emailed again:

"Hi,
Sean please ignore the previous email. I wasn't obedient to the voice of the Lord. We have decided to give the vehicle to you to do your work. We prefer to bank in the bank of GOD rather than depending on the world and dollars."

So, once again, the Lord has provided far more abundantly than all we could ask or think (Eph. 3:20). In fact, He was responding before the request even left our lips (Isa. 65:24) Our Master and Commander has assumed ALL responsibility for our provision. As His servant soldiers, our only obligation is to obey and trust Him to take care of us. It really is that simple.

Visas and Shipping

To all of you who have been waiting for news and asking for updates... thanks for your patience. We have marching orders! If the Lord wills, Sean and I will travel to Livingstone, Zambia in January to locate houses (or apartments) for our two families; travel to Lusaka to submit our work permit applications; fix whatever must be (and can be) fixed on the houses; and then head home in time for the True Church Conference at Grace Life Church, Feb. 19-22. After the conference, we will head out for our new home.

Here's what we're doing in the the meantime:

1. Scrambling to evaluate and choose from six different bids from companies to ship a 20' container (about the same dimension as a typical parking space) (to be shared by both families) from Muscle Shoals, Alabama to Livingstone, Zambia.

2. Gathering all the required documents to submit with our work permit applications.

3. Finishing applications for missionary visas for each family member.

That's it for now. Please pray with us that the Lord will move ahead of us to prepare the way through every hoop we must jump through and that He alone will establish us in Zambia.

Faith Often Looks Foolish

Stephanie started reading a biography on Hudson Taylor entitled, "Hudson Taylor - The Growth of a Soul" late last spring and the Lord has used it powerfully as a faith-builder in her heart as well as in ours as a family. One excerpt that she shared with us from her reading has continued to be especially helpful. As a young boy, Hudson Taylor was taught well by his Father that God never lies, that it is always right to take God fully at his word, and that he should treat God's great promises in scripture as fact. In this excerpt, Taylor is preparing for the work God called Him to, and he goes to a minister in his native town to borrow a book on China. The older minister questions Taylor's sensibility and you can see in Taylor an unshakable trust in the promises of God revealed in his matter-of-fact response:

"This he (the minister) kindly granted (the book), inquiring why I wished to read it. I told him that God had called me to spend my life in missionary service in that land.
'And how do you propose to go there?' he inquired.
I answered that I did not at all know; that it seemed to me probable that I should need to do as the Twelve and the Seventy had done in Judea, go without purse or scrip, relying on Him who had sent me to supply all my need.
Kindly placing his hand on my shoulder, the minister replied, 'Ah, my boy, as you grow older you will become wiser than that. Such an idea would do very well in the days when Christ himself was on earth, but not now.'
I have grown older since then, but not wiser. I am more and more convinced that if we were to take the directions of our Master and the assurance He gave to His first disciples more fully as our guide, we should find them just as suited to our times as to those in which they were originally given."

A Pilgrim Mindset

I was reading "Life As a Vapor" by John Piper today. He was quoting Edwards (does that surprise anyone?) in Chapter 24, page 134, "Jonathan Edwards On the Pilgrim Mindset". I was struck by how these quotes have taken on a whole new meaning for me. Living temporarily here in Alabama while we look forward to the upcoming journey to Zambia - this should be a miniature picture of our whole life perspective. We're just pilgrims passing through. Here is an excerpt for your enjoyment:

Pilgrims are not diverted from their aim.

A traveler is not enticed by fine appearances to put off the thought of proceeding. No, but his journey's end is in his mind. If he meets with comfortable accommodations at an inn, he entertains no thoughts of settling down there. He considers that these things are not his own, that he is but a stranger, and when he has refreshed himself, or tarried for a night, he is going forward.

Pilgrims are to hold the things of this world loosely.

So should we desire heaven more than the comforts and enjoyments of this life... Our hearts ought to be loose to these things, as that of a man on a journey, that we may as cheerfully part with them whenever God calls.

Pilgrims ponder what they pursue.

Labor to be much acquainted with heaven. If you are not acquainted with it, you will not be likely to spend your life as a journey thither. You will not be sensible of its worth, nor will you long for it. Unless you are much conversant in your mind with a better good, it will be exceeding difficult to you to have your hearts loose from these things, to use them only in subordination to something else and be ready to part with them for the sake of that better good. Labor therefore to obtain a realizing sense of a heavenly world, to get a firm belief of its reality, and to be very much conversant with it in your thoughts.

Pilgrims will not be satisfied with anything less than God.

God is the highest good of the reasonable creature, and the enjoyment of Him is the only happiness with which our souls can be satisfied. To go to heaven fully to enjoy God, is infinitely better than the most pleasant accommodations here. Fathers and mothers, husbands, wives, children, or the company of earthly friends, are but shadows. But the enjoyment of God is the substance. These are but scattered beams, but God is the sun. These are but streams, but God is the fountain. These are but drops, but God is the ocean... Why should we labor for, or set our hearts on anything else, but that which is our proper end, and true happiness?

And here are two scriptures to encourage you.

Hebrews 11:13-14
These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.

Philippians 3:20
Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Practice Eco-Dome

Sorry we haven't been writing much on this blog! We are determined to get better!! Here are a few pictures of the practice "eco-dome" we are building here in Alabama. This building style will be how we will build our bedrooms in Zambia. If you would like to see a finished dome you can click on the "cal-earth" link on the side of this page. Thanks to our Church Family from Hannibal, MO who came to help us get started on this project. Thanks to all of our Church Family from Alabama for help also! A special thanks to the Kirk family for letting us build in their back yard! (When the dome is finished it will be a playhouse for the Kirk Kids!)

Just Over the Hill

Shannon Reece

No, this title does not refer to my age! Although, after this first week of landscaping it may describe how I feel. "Just over the hill" was a phrase Piper used several times in a sermon entitled, "Happy in Hope, Patient in Pain, Constant in Prayer." The text for the sermon was Romans 12:12 which is worded almost the same - "Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer." I have meditated on that little verse for a week now and I am definitely the richer for it. Paul says in Ephesians 1:18 - "having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you,.." Paul wanted us to know the the fullness of the hope to which we've been called. Many of us can testify that we've had glimpses of it and it has been life-altering. As Piper commented that we may think we know, but we don't really know what waits for us - the hope to which we've been called.

Hope is the anticipation of what's to come. Paul says again in Romans 8:25 - "if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience." That's the way I want to be! I want to wait with patience and joy for what's just over the hill. Don't you? Think about what awesome assurance it is to know that the troubles of this life (as agonizing and terrible as they may be) are only for a breath of time... and then it's on to Christ and eternal glory. Look at what Randy Alcorn writes about Edward's quotes on the subject of Heaven:

"How soon do earthly lovers come to an end of their discoveries of each other's beauty; how soon do they see all there is to be seen! But in Heaven there is an eternal progress with new beauties always being discovered... Happiness of Heaven is progressive and has various periods in which it has a new and glorious advancement and consists very much in beholding the manifestations that God makes of himself in the work of redemption." Edwards contended that we will continually become happier in Heaven in "a never-ending, ever-increasing discovery of more and more of God's glory with greater and greater joy in Him." He said there will never be a time when there is "no more glory for the redeemed to discover and enjoy." Amen!

Alcorn also made this observation, "There's so much to discover in this universe, but we have so little time and opportunity to do it. The list of books I haven't read, music I've never heard, and places I've never been is unending. There's much, much more to know. I look forward to discovering new things in Heaven - forever. At the end of each day I'll have the same amount of time left as I did the day before. The things I didn't get to - things I didn't learn, people I didn't see - I can still learn, see, or do the next day. Places won't crumble, people won't die, and neither will I.

That puts my soul at rest. Our greatest pleasures are just beyond these shores in the radiant face of our Lord Jesus Christ and in His Kingdom. Can we even imagine a never-ending train of pleasure-packed days? Do we hope for them with joy? Do we patiently endure pain and hardship because we know infinite glory waits for us? Oh how we need the Power of God to enable us to postpone with contentment and joy the pathetic little pleasures of the here and now for the ultimate pleasure in Christ that's just over the hill.