Culture and the Church

Culture is a good thing. Having the variety of different tastes, musical genres and languages reflected in a diverse body of people adds interest to life. Church assemblies with congregation members of different nationalities are a great place to see the positivity of cultural heritages.  The Bible states there are ‘diversities of operations’ (1 Corinth 12:6) in churches, though the same Spirit is at work.

Here are examples of such cultural diversity in God’s servants. The differences in the style of music and expressions of joy are influenced by cultural background. Nevertheless, it is the same Holy Ghost urging them to worship and the same one God receiving the sweet savour that the hearts of these people are offering through their diverse expressions of praise.

The first video is beautiful a song in service from an Apostolic Church in Palmilla, Mexico. The second video is of a unique 'offering march' routine taking place in an Apostolic church in Canada, with people of mainly black Caribbean descent. The third clip shows a different style of music and another wonderful voice at a mainly Anglo-American church in Maryville, Tennessee.

…However, through ignorance and pride, culture can be lauded and become a negative. Church assemblies must be wary that man-made traditions developed through cultural heritage do not negatively affect the Church. In the early Christian Church that we see in Acts of the Apostles there were saved Jews, Greeks and other Gentiles learning to fellowship and serve God together. However, racial division seemed to emerge, as the Apostle Peter allowed some people to influence him and he stopped eating with non-Jews. The Apostle Paul had to rebuke him for this (Galatians 2:11) Peter did declare that ‘God is no respecter of persons’ (Acts 10:34) and neither should we be.

In this world, race will always be a huge and divisive matter. However, in God’s kingdom, there is ONE family under ONE name (Eph 3:15), one heavenly language, ONE Spirit. There is no skin in the spiritual realm. No factions in Christ.

I believe in celebrating culture, I love my own. Yet I do not allow it to cut me off from others in Christ.

Shalom x