Living faithful, fruitful and fulfilled on the mission field
I was out in my garden working. Suddenly there was a sharp pain on my chin. I swiped it off – it was a bee. Then there was another buzzing. I flapped my arms wildly but got another sting on my eyebrow. A few minutes …
It is so easy to walk right past people, to not even notice them. I almost did that yesterday. He was standing out in front of his food stall. Looking for customers. About fifty years old, balding, and with a roundish figure to match his …
We sang the translated song with its complicated chords and transitions. The words were Nepali, but the tune (loi) was not at all Nepali in style. “Prabhu ouchalchu tapaiko nao” (Lord, I lift your name on high)…we sang. The first part isn’t so hard, though the words are a bit awkward. You have to cram the longer Nepali phrases into the beats of a shorter English phrase.
When we got to the “He came from Heaven to Earth to show the way…” it was definitely not Nepali in style! For young people from the city, more familiar with Western music, they could manage. The grandmas and grandpas, those from the village, found it foreign and difficult. It was from outside their culture.
When we introduce foreign styles of worship, we reinforce the idea that Christianity is foreign. We want to do the opposite. Seekers need to understand that Jesus is the God of all peoples and cultures. He is not an American or English God, He is the Savior of all!
As Kingdom practitioners, we need a new mindset about cultural forms of worship.
God is greatly glorified through authentic, indigenous, expressions of worship and of His body. God never intended His church to look the same across the globe. He delights in the creative expressions of His church through various cultures.
When we try to use a one-size-fits-all approach to the church, it is far less beautiful. It doesn’t grow and reproduce as rapidly when it has to look the same.
Let’s go back to my story about Nepali music to illustrate this further.
When we moved to Nepal, I struggled to worship. Sitting in a Nepali church, on the floor, singing songs in another language, I’ll be honest. It was hard to “feel” connected to God. I missed my Western-style worship songs. Those songs more naturally connected with my emotions.
I was faced with some tough decision-making as a cross-cultural worker. Would I introduce new Nepali believers to Western-style translated songs? Or would I push myself to learn to enjoy the traditional Nepali music that which connected with their heritage and culture naturally?
Though it wasn’t easy, I chose to push myself. It was I who needed to carry the burden of adapting to the culture, not the indigenous seekers and new believers! It was them we were trying to reach, not the other way around. I, as the missionary, must carry the “heavy baton” and make sure that whatever we used in worship was light and reproducible for local people.
It was not hard to see that Western-style translated songs were difficult for people to adapt to. The young people liked them. The community leaders, heads of households, and older people preferred their own indigenous music. They took pride in it.
So I learned, stretched, and grew. Deciding to worship God in a new, uncomfortable, different way, I began to model worshipping in their style. I would not introduce my culture, but would try my best to adapt to theirs.
“Prabhu ji aarji mero sooni dau lau hai chardai ay” is a song with a traditional Nepali beat. Listening to it, you can easily tap your foot or stand up and begin a Nepali dance. The Nepali madal (drum) is a natural complement to this village-style song. I grew to love it. Today it’s still one of my favorites!
“God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.”
John 4:24 NIV.
Some songs or customs have become so common in the traditional church that you might not even realize they are not indigenous. I’m not a legalist about this, but it is good to begin to recognize and be aware of this.
Watch the indigenous people. Observe what kind of worship resonates with whom. Be sure that your music styles don’t only feel exciting to young people. Are they being entertained by the music, or is it connecting deeply with their hearts?
These principles also apply to prayer and many other things we do as we introduce the gospel in a new culture or religious system.
The reason we are cautious is not that it is “wrong” to introduce outside things. As the ministry grows and matures, people will need to understand that they are part of a global family of believers. It can slow down progress if outside forms are introduced too soon or too frequently.
Washing hands and feet, or removing shoes before worshiping God, may be a normal cultural practice. There is no reason not to continue to do this. As they learn to worship the God who loves to draw near to them, but who also is holy and pure.
Sometimes cultural practices that have been used for idolatry are seen as evil. For example, a particular drum may be used for calling demons. Can it be used now to worship the living God?
It is not the drum that is evil. The drum is neutral, neither evil nor good. It is the purpose for which it is used that gives it meaning.
A reverse example might be the symbol of the cross. When seen in the front of a church, it can remind of us Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins. When Madonna wears it as she sings a song about sex outside of marriage, the meaning no longer carries the same message. Or when on a crusader’s shield, it may have yet another meaning.
Be aware of the historical connections with various church practices and forms. As mentioned above, the word “crusade” has terrible connotations for those taken into slavery through “The Crusades.” Maybe not the best word to use if you are trying to hold gospel meetings in a Muslim area!
Use terminology and forms that make sense to the local people you are trying to reach. If your goal is to reach Hindus or Buddhists, certain Christian words may confuse or create barriers. Others may create bridges that make it easy for the gospel message to spread.
Always choose what is easy and natural for the culture of the people you are trying to reach, not what feels best for you as an outsider.
Which of these two mindsets do you tend to agree with more?
If it is the first one, you may want to reconsider your position.
How can you encourage more indigenous worship and forms of church in your missionary efforts?
Comment below or on the Missionary Life Facebook group.
Our world is increasingly noisy. I’m not talking about the traffic noise we became used to when living in India. Nor the barking dogs and blaring puja chanting…though that was there too. I’m referring to the noise inside our heads. Finding silence is not easy. …
Some relationships are just plain difficult. No matter what you do, it feels like lose/lose. This is particularly painful when those relationships are with the people you came to serve. Navigating cross-cultural relationships can be a rough road. How do we do it well? It …
Something we often pray for is a spiritual harvest. Have you ever taken in a physical harvest? If not, you may miss what harvesting involves.
Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”
Mark 4:30-32. NIV
I’ve often wondered why the Bible has so many gardening and plant illustrations. God is a gardener. In Genesis two, it says that God planted a garden. A few years ago, I started gardening as a hobby. I now love it! In the process, I learned incredibly useful lessons that apply to life in missions.
“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
Matthew 9:36-38 NIV
If you want continual harvest you need to plant and nurture many different types of plants on a continual basis.
As a disciple maker, it is important to reach out and disciple as many people as possible. Rather than pouring all our time and effort into one person, it is essential to go broader. Jesus had twelve close disciples, and also the multitudes he met in his journey. If you sow sparingly you reap sparingly. People who share the gospel frequently see many salvations!
You must water consistently, and prepare the soil. If you don’t do this work, then the fruit or seed will not form or will fall from the tree before it is ripe.
This is the same in the spiritual world. The water is the prayer that we must pour into the soil of people’s hearts. Sharing truth and a powerful demonstration of the love and reality of God are the nutrients we dig in.
When the fruit is ready it will come off easily on your hand. If you pick the fruit too early then it is usually bitter and hard. The same with people. It is not good to try to “force” people to get saved. When people are ready, they are open and responsive. They are hungry for truth and connection with God.
“Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together.”
John 4:35-36 NIV
You have to pick the harvest daily until all the crops are gathered. You can’t put the work off or the fruit will rot on the tree, or get attacked by pests and spoil on the vine. It is greatly satisfying to gather in and eat the fruit of your labor!
It is the same when we see a movement of disciples starting. When people get saved we need to work hard in discipling people. Just like caring for a newborn physical baby is full-time work, the same for new spiritual babies. We should follow up straight away. Frequently, with people in the first days after they get saved, we need to invest time, not wait for another week when we casually see them again.
When the harvest is almost ready, the pests try to come and devour it. Birds, rats, insects – they all come to eat the harvest. It is the same with a spiritual harvest.
The enemy attacks around harvest time through distraction or destruction.
Satan may send sickness, division in the team, financial loss, family issues, or a strong temptation to give up and go home. Often this is just before the breakthrough comes. The way to resist the demonic “pests” that come to spoil the harvest is by prayer and loving perseverance.
A fruitful gardener is intentional and industrious. Be thoughtful and persevere in seeking a spiritual harvest in your region.
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9 NIV.
In what season do you find yourself?
Let us know in the comments below, or discuss this with colleagues on the Missionary Life Facebook Group.
*This was a guest post by R.M.
Moses wrote of himself in the book of Numbers, “Moses was the most humble man on the face of the earth.” Has that ever struck you as strange? Humility is not an unwillingness to acknowledge one’s strengths. It is knowing both positive and negative areas, …
He came to the fundraising training discouraged. There had been numerous attempts to raise funds. All had failed. Hope was not high, but he still came. Would this missionary support raising training work for him? His spoken English was fine, but writing in English was …
Do you ever find yourself in a situation where everyone you know is a Christian? There have been times in my missionary life when ministry demands and family needs were intense. I found myself in situations where I had almost no contact with unsaved people. What do we do when this happens? What do we need to do? To be Great Commission Christians, we must intentionally stay connected with lost people. Jesus did.
How many close relationships do you have with those who don’t yet know the Lord? Go ahead. Stop for a moment and count them.
Jesus, our Master and model, was extremely proactive about engaging with sinners. He consistently made time for them. The Lord regularly stopped and noticed those who were broken…those who were seeking. As missionaries, no matter what our particular ministry role is, we are called to be intentional about loving lost people. We prove how much we love the lost by how much time we invest in knowing and relating to them.
We had just moved…yet again. Missionary life seems to be full of transitions. My life certainly has been! I was in a new location and starting to settle in. Missionary colleagues were kindly helping our family get oriented to our new location. We attended meetings for our organization regularly. I was busy with my family and setting up our home.
Around this time, I attended a training related to our church planting and coaching work. In the seminar, the speaker asked us to write down a list of all the lost people we knew. I drew a blank! My mind searched and searched again, for names of people around me who were not yet saved. After a few long minutes, I came up with two or three. We were to write down at least twenty!
It was a major wake-up call. I am passionate about reaching the unreached, speaking and teaching about it. I challenged and mobilized others toward the Great Commission…but here I was, with only three names on my list! I needed to get active in building real relationships with those who didn’t yet know Christ.
The next day I took out my calendar and scheduled time to engage with my new neighbors. I started praying for people whose names I didn’t yet know. In the following days, I was intentional about getting their names and starting new conversations.
It wasn’t long before I had a growing list of people I was reaching out to in my daily life. I looked for opportunities to share Christ with them. Soon, one of them put her faith in Jesus!
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Luke 19:10 NIV
.
I love the story that precedes this verse! Jesus is walking along the road, passing through the town of Jericho. I wonder where He was going that day…what plans He had already made?
His plans changed that day! As He walks along, He notices a sinner in a tree. “Zaccheus, come down. I want to hang out with you today!” (This is my paraphrase, as I imagine this.) Jesus made time. He noticed. He engaged.
How often do I pass by and not even look at the people around me? Maybe I don’t even notice those who are seeking to know more about God. Those who are interested in my life? In the Jesus I represent?
The natural flow of life as Christians and missionaries often takes us away from lost people, rather than moving us toward them. It is easy to get busy with ministry, meetings, and lots of good Christian activities. These are all good, but they can take us out of contact with those who don’t yet know the Lord.
To engage with lost people, we must be proactive. Plan time for engaging with unbelievers. Put it in your calendar. Think about a club or group you could join in your community. Is there something that would put you into more contact with the lost? Do they play football somewhere? Instead of playing with Christians, you could intentionally join a football club made up of non-believers. (I like to call them pre-believers).
Take that extra five minutes at the store to chat with the clerk who is serving you. Be intentional! There are hundreds of ways to engage further than we normally do.
I make a point of prioritizing those who don’t know Jesus over meetings with those who are already “saved.” This is appropriate. Wouldn’t you focus on someone who was drowning in a pool, over talking to someone who was safely relaxing in their lounge chair beside the pool?
We must let our hearts be filled with a fresh sense of urgency about relating to lost people. They truly are drowning in brokenness and sin. Ask God to open your eyes to see them as He does. Like Jesus, let’s be willing to alter our plans to make time and respond to the hunger and needs of people around us. It may cost us something to do this, but it is well worth it!
How available are you to give time to the lost? Is your schedule crammed full? So much so that you have no spare time to love and relate to broken people? There are many instances where I have been guilty of this! Regularly check your level of availability to the lost around you. This is especially true if you are an introvert with a high task orientation (like me!).
People will judge whether or not you love them by how available you are to them. Do you take time to listen well? To notice and observe those around you? To invite someone in for a cup of tea?
It is easy to live inside a Christian or missionary bubble. Everyone inside that bubble already knows Jesus. It is where we spend our time…where we feel comfortable. Our needs are met there. We love and we serve our Christian friends. Nothing wrong with that!
We need to step out of the bubble though. Noticing the bubble exists is the first step. Then, we must take action to break it, to open our lives up to a broader group of people.
What will you do this week to engage with lost people? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below or the Missionary Life Facebook group.
Big dreams have big price tags! Or so they say. The loud voice in our heads tells us that if we want to do big things, we need to have a lot of money. Without money, we feel powerless. With money in our pocket (or …