Is Pentecost experiencing a clash of cultures, a convergence of cultures, or a cultural revolution? Are we responsible to relate to the cultures around us or to get people out of the cultures they come from? Should we become like the cultures around us to reach them? Do we lose our apostolic identity in the process?
Sociologists define culture as the beliefs, customs, practices, and social behavior of a particular group of people. Social groups are knitted together by their cultural factors such as art, music, common history, or language and these factors distinguished these groups from those around them. As Apostolic Pentecost evolves as a movement and fellowship, I wonder; 1) is there a definitive apostolic culture and 2) if there is not, or there is one poorly defined, how do we maintain the distinction required of God’s people?
Another question of monumental significance concerning culture is, is our movement a group or a category? There is a difference between the two. A police force represents a category. Everyone in uniform belongs to the category, but that does not suggest everyone in the force cares about the same things, holds similar values, or has a common history. Those concerns would make them all a group. Apostolic Pentecost is certainly a category, but I am afraid it consists of many different groups that are far too often at odds with one another.
So are we still in the world, but not of it? Does any of this matter? Someone, help me out please…
It seems that Pentecost is experiencing more of a convergence of cultures than a cultural revolution. We are to be the salt and light of the world. Salt changes its surroundings. Not the other way around. If we do not recognize and maintain a distinction between an Apostolic identity and the culture of the world we cease to distinguish ourselves as a nation of people set aside for the use of God.
ReplyDeleteAt this point I think our movement is a category. Too often people are united by tragedy or out of sympathy, and rarely united in victory. Instead of being united over what has come against us, we should rise in the Spirit and take a stand against spiritual wickedness.