Spiritual growth and cultures…raw notes towards an article:
Discipling the nations would include thinking of how to grow the inner life regardless of the cultural outer life. In America, you see many who get stuck in immaturity of spirit; and some of theat is that we are not a post christian culture yet; in europe, you have to really chose to be christian. You look at debora or kerstin, and you see it is a weighty thing to follow Jesus, and there is lots of live out well. I ike america for it’s lightness of being, but at times her oppomions are so immature and not considering the whole. More teenager like, narcissism and solipsism are obvious traits. Plus, sort of a supermarket approach to their faith.
America is not quiet post christian yet; i would say we are more Christ haunted—that used to be just the south as Falnnery wrote, now it’s the he whole nation—more a supermarket spiritual nation—pick what works for you based on personal desire.
In many other countries it is much more a rick to follow Jesus, there are advantages to this—you have to take your faith more seriously. Yet, in both, you must learn how to grow spiritually, and be actually spirit led and learn to govern your inner lives—as St Paul taught us—to learn to take off, put on the new self—i.e. to be active in spiritual growth. There are different challenges to spiritual growth in different cultures; and different ways He is discipling the nations.
Of course cultural christianity can and does lead to complacency; or lack of discernment of the actual spirit of Christ moving. St John taught us ow to discern who was in Christ—it had to do with their deeds or actions. Are they living as Jesus lived etc. That was one of his keys to discernment. Yet, regardless of your culture, you are called out into a spiritual nation with a spiritual King; and to be growing in Him.
If your culture is largely atheistic, that is a unique challenge; if it is culturally or superficially christian, that is another type of challenge, and requires unique tools to spiritual grow and stay vibrant in being renewed in the image of Christ. For that is the goal for us all, as Paul taught—to be being renewed in our hearts into the image of Christ. Where there is neigether jew or gentle etc…Col 3.
Each culture presents unique challengies of being discipled into all Three Names of the Trinity. If you have an abusive father culture, you will have to find a truer image of The Father; if you have a culture which doesn’t believe in miracles, you may stumble over The Holy Spirit etc….
you see that african christians usually accept the Holy Spirit more easily than northern europeans, where the enlightenment was so strong, as well as marxist doctrine which choked out the supernatural.
You see africans being sent now into europe to help awaken her to The Holy Spirit among other things.
In america where the charismatic renewal began, you see less trouble finding the Holy Spirit, and I would say more problem finding God the Father—we are more like teenagers who don’t like to sit in the more patient I Am space in God, where Wisdom swells! So there are unique challenges in each nation of culture to true spiritual growth. But if we follow and are in Jesus, we must allow Him to overcome these cultural blinders, and actually be growing into becoming the sons and daughters of God. It is possible to become spiritually mature anywhere! Yet, it helps to know the cultural blocks around you which hinder spiritual growth. And if you are discipling others—to consider what they may need to grow past their cultural boundaries…sometimes that means actively going and serving in other cultures, just to get outside your comforts and blocks; or to constantly be vigilant as to the weaknesses of your own culture, and the places it blocks the life of Christ forming in it’s people.
My european friends have different struggles than my american ones in terms of spiritual growth. The europeans tend to take Jesus and a global view of His impact very seriously, and work actively to bring in the new creation in their fields. My american friends are often unaware of the whole global Body and needs, and can often get very solipsistic in their spirituality—or overemphasize the personal relationship with God, without being aware of His collective agenda.
Yet european often lack the levity of being in Him; the actual fun friendship part of Jesus.
It is often helpful to have a few americans in a circle to bring this levity and just do it-just be with Jesus part with no plan. They often move well in The Holy PSIrit as well. Yet, lack a Father’s vision of the whole, and strategy for partnering in His Kingdom come etc. .
The other aspects of spiritual growth are often situational; if you have a war in your backyard, you don’t have the luxury of complacency. Persecution brings acute spirituality. Yet, we can all grow even when not being persecuted! We just challenge ourselves to be growing daily into His Image no matter what our cultural milieu.
In the end, all nations will be baptized into Him, or have a choice to do so.
But now, we must consider how to grow in Him where we are; and to be aware of the whole. My culture in america, though i was always in sub-cultures when here; generally struggles with solipsism and a lack of vision for the whole, even within the church. Yet, we have a servant hearts and i think are historically generous, especially to the oppressed. Yet, we often stop growing spiritually, by being as Keith Green put it, aaslpee in the Light —so religious spirit or mere cultural christianity. I think going and serving other cultures is one medicine for the american church. Get outside of your own culture and listen to God out there.
My european friends often need the impartational empowering of The Holy Spirit, which often comes through real prayer. They need to see demonstrations of His Power—we are more used to that in America, at least in many parts of His Body.
We know He can do miracles, as the Africans already know; but we don’t always know The Ways of The Father. I would like us work together to form and become a fuller image of God globally. To co-disciple and stir up one another in the the Fullness of His Headship. Which parts are your cultures missing? What parts are needed from other parts of His Body, so we can built up together as His Spiritual House!
Regardless of culture we have the responsibility according to ST Paul to put off the old man, put on the new; to take off the old nature and be renewed in the new nature which is turning into the Image of Christ. Our spirituality is to be active, and we play a huge part in this partnership of becoming in Him. We must enter into the part of ourselves He is renewing daily; we cannot be paralyzed by Grace, nor can we be complacent in Christ. He is active and ever living to make intercession. His Word must be becoming life in us etc. Each culture has unique blocks to becoming mature in Christ, but we must scout them out, and put them to death in ourselves, in order to become mature followers of The Perfect One. Spiritual growth is not an option for any of us; but a command to grow up in Him, to become matured brothers and sisters of Christ.
What are your culture’s blocks to spiritual growth? How have they played out in your own life and those around you? How can you take them off and move on in spiritual development? How can you pray for your culture to do the same? If you are called to disciple or spiritually parent another nation or culture, how can you help it get beyond these blocks and mature in Him? I think this would aptly to sub-cultures as well, such as the art world, or the business world etc. How does your little or bigger culture block spiritual development, and what can you do to overcome these blocks to knowing and manifesting the Life of Christ in this world. For He is renewing us in the knowledge of the Image of His Son. The already not yet of the new creation!
Apiritual obesity is caused by being overfed and not exercising enough. America struggles with this.
Spiritual growth is trans-cultural—neither greek nor jew; yet, our blocks to growth are often culturally determined. We need to locate the blocks in our own culture and other’s to spiritual development; and learn to walk past and through them to come into the Fuller Life of Christ. If we are under atheism for instance, it is radical and sometimes just rebellious to claim that there is a God. If we are in a God saturated place, on the cultural level, we have to discern where the True God is behind the billboards. We fight forms of cultural christianity for instance.
In a nutshell, God is bigger than culture, and works through it. Each culture unredeemed however, has unique blocks to spiritual growth. Finding these blocks is a key to living out the abundant life regardless of where you are.
Cultures have redeemed and unredeemed parts. It’s helpful to notice where the unredeemed parts can block our spiritual growth.
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