On Not Creating Culture Bubbles When Doing Mission.

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On Not Creating Culture Bubbles When Doing Mission.

I am a missionary. My wife is a missionary with whom I serve. We work in one of the most culturally diverse regions on the planet. I love the varied and often complicated cultural nuances of the region because it’s instructive to me and allows us to learn much of our Lord by seeing His image expressed in so many ways. I’d like to say that we’ve figured out this thing we call “missions,” but in truth, we haven’t. We try to remain open to the ever fluid vision of the Spirit’s intentions.

Conversely, it would be fair to say that we’ve become part of our immediate local culture, and a genuine part of the many surrounding cultures too. This requires a heightened sense of adaptivity that is often counterintuitive. It has not been easy for us and continues to be challenging. It seems simpler now than in the past because we’ve learned that the best way to engage those around us is to be caught up in the natural flow of their lives.

If we’re honest with ourselves, missions, short or long-term, tends towards creating temporal culture bubbles or momentary shifts from which to further the Gospel and the Kingdom. Events to maximize ministry exposure are artificially engineered and create a temporary and often frenzied guerrilla warfare approaches to mission. This demonstrates two things;

A. The receiving culture equates hype with Christianity and instantly creates an addictive but unnecessary seed of consumerism. The manner in which you “win” a soul will be the manner in which you have to maintain it.

B. It teaches that it takes a specialized group to do mission, A group with special talents, insights, and knowledge.

While trying to impact cultures with a kingdom world view, we ignorantly impose our human cultures over theirs.

A Few Questions:

1. What are some ways in which you can enter in to the normal flow of other’s lives to Make Disciples of them?

2. Can effective and biblical ministry be done without imposition?

3. Are there any benefits from blitz style ministry? What are they?