I am pausing on today’s He Said/She Said post, in favor of continuing the discussion from yesterday’s post on Church diversity.
The discussion taking place is an important one, with varying perspectives and experiences being shared. If you haven’t already, please comment and add your voice to the conversation. I would love to hear your thoughts.
As a reminder, too, anyone who leaves a comment on the post will be entered to win a free copy of the new book, Church Diversity–Sunday the Most Segregated Day of the Week by Scott Williams (winner to be chosen at random).
So, let’s keep talking…
Nicole,
An open question:
Do we show the diversity of our Father’s Kingdom by establishing local churches of mortar and brick that are filled with different races and ethnic backgrounds…
or
…is it better shown by us being sent into The World that hates us, into ethnic areas that would hate us based on our race, as Jesus commanded us to do right before He ascended to be with our Father?
I mean, is the local church the whole of the message of His Kingdom, or is Jesus as LORD of the New Covenant the whole of the message?
My Salvation in Christ IS my “church membership”, but to be a part of His Kingdom, I needed to have someone tell me about Him.
Maybe we have it switched around due to our silliness and ignorance? Is it, “Let’s get these people into our churches and to do so let’s make them more ‘racially-friendly’, or, “Listen, I don’t pay any respect to your heritage or ancestry because God is no respecter of men, but I’m here to tell ya, Jesus is the great equalizer you are seeking.” Instead of focusing on the racial faces of local churches, perhaps we should focus on the real Truth of the Kingdom.
Me thinking out loud, here.
Sorry…one last thing and I’ll shut it up.
The thing that keeps going through my head is the danger and possible trap of having any local church, which should be representing The Kingdom, become a parody of any human culture with its eccentricities and unspoken ‘do’s and don’ts’.
I don’t want a white church. I don’t want a black church. I don’t want a __________ church, where the flavor or feel of the local body is directly reflected through dress, worship style, and attitude that is solely rooted in a human socio-economic cultural expectation.
There. Done for now.
GREAT TOPIC, Nicole. Seriously great.