In•cultur•ating the Gospel

While you are waiting, write down your:

favorite version of Biblefavorite song/hymn

all the cultures to which you belong(hip hop, Minnesota, military, first gen, U.S.American, etc.)

In•cultur•ating the Gospel

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

A gift to us…and the greatest expression of Christian cultural intelligence.

a gift to you

focus text

“For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.”

--Galatians 3:26-28

focus text: Galatians 3:26-28

Gospel promise and cultural delivery

cultural differences in the textconnected to cultural differences in our lives

Incarnation as participation in God’s action

Look at all cultures to which you belong

• Draw a line between any that clash with each other.

• Draw a circle around or star those cultures welcome in your congregation.

• Draw a line through or X next to cultures not welcome in your congregation.

Share your definition of culture with another.

SOME ELEMENTS OF CULTURE

clothingattitudes

sense of the worldsense of timerelationships

live active cultures

culture

conditions that foster life and growth

I. UniversalityJesus is for everyone

Particularity: Jesus is for each one

focus text

“For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.”

--Galatians 3:26-28

Which words point to universality?God’s promise to all in Jesus

“For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.”

--Galatians 3:26-28

“For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.”

--Galatians 3:26-28

Which words point to particularity?God comes in Jesus to particular people

“For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.”

--Galatians 3:26-28

“For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.”

--Galatians 3:26-28

Rewrite the focus text with the differences important in your context

“For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer ___ or ___, there is no longer ___ or ___, there is no longer ___ and ___;

for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.”--Galatians 3:26-28

II. Cultural Intelligencewith help from the Gospel of John

and Romans

What should Christians do about cultural difference,

“the world” out there?

“Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not from this world.’”

John 18:36

What messages are sent with “notw”?

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Romans 12:2

Which of these best describes your view?

1) God’s reality is far above and/or way different from culture.

2) What God asks is pretty much in line with what culture recommends.

3) God encourages action against cultural norms.4) God calls us to transform our experiences of

culture and the ways cultures operate.5) God’s reality neither totally overlaps with culture

nor totally contradicts it.

What is the posture or relationship of the church you serve toward culture/the world?Is it the same or different from your own?

1) God’s reality is far above and/or way different from culture.

2) What God asks is pretty much in line with what culture recommends.

3) God encourages action against cultural norms.4) God calls us to transform our experiences of

culture and the ways cultures operate.5) God’s reality neither totally overlaps with

culture nor totally contradicts it.

III. IncarnationParticipating in God’s Action/

Expecting to meet Christ

Incarnational priority

• Not necessary or even possible to become an expert in the culture of another.

• The whole point of the incarnation is that through God’s choice and initiative God is present to us in flesh.

Incarnation“I will give myself as a sort of Christ, to my neighbor, as Christ has given Himself to me.”

–Martin Luther “Jesus is made incarnate today through you and me.” –David Livermore“Participate in God’s action as a community by sharing deeply in one another’s lives.”

–Andrew Root “The world is God’s body.” –Sallie MacFague

Incarnation“I will give myself as a sort of Christ, to my neighbor, as Christ has given Himself to me.”

–Martin Luther “Jesus is made incarnate today through you and me.” –David Livermore“Participate in God’s action as a community by sharing deeply in one another’s lives.”

–Andrew Root “The world is God’s body.” –Sallie MacFague

Key skills

listeningobserving

expecting to meet Christ

How is God incarnate

in your congregation?

in your neighborhood?

What is giving you life?

Where do you see life flowing from others?

How do we live and worship in ways that

help God deliver the promise?

What new ways will God deliver the promise to us

in the Christ of the neighbor?

“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up;

do you not perceive it?”--Isaiah

43:19

Extra materials

generation

“‘the Bible seems to say that everybody in the church at a particular time make up a ‘generation,’ a generation that is working together in their time to participate in God’s work’”

--Chris in You Lost Me, David Kinnaman

In Martin Luther’s culture here’s how you got people’s attention:

Here’s how you get attention in our age of digital technology:

Luther-themed video game, iTunes catechism,

downloadable guide to pastoral care

Bicultural people of God…or tricultural or polycultural

moralistic therapeutic deism

• Creator God who watches life on earth• God is not involved except when called upon

to resolve a problem• God wants people to be good, nice, and fair• The central goal of of life is to be happy and

feel good about oneself• Good people go to heaven when they die

Is God a divine butler?

…and if God is available on demand…what is the job of a youth pastor?

this world and no other

theismincarnation

transformative discipleship

= incarnational transformative theism