I like to-do lists. They provide both structure and a sense of achievement. But they also have their limitations. What’s listed isn’t necessarily a mirror of my life. They don’t measure my attitudes, my motivations, or the posture of my heart. To-do lists are a helpful tool, but they make a terrible master.
Church programs are kind of like to-do lists. They provide a church both structure and a sense of achievement. Complete a Sunday School class. Finish a discipleship curriculum. Attend a weekly ministry. And while it may look like a lot has been accomplished on the outside, it may not be indicative of what’s happening on the inside.
IMMIGRANT CULTURE —> IMMIGRANT CHURCH
From my experience, immigrant churches tend toward program-centric ministry. Why? It’s complicated. In Eastern cultures, attitude often takes a back-seat to whatever task lies before us. In other words, work hard and don’t complain. Eastern cultures also emphasize hierarchy; we’re taught to do what we’re told by those in leadership regarding everything from our educational pursuits to our career choices to our financial goals and even to personal decisions like dating and courtship. Our success is generally measured by our conformity to our authorities’ desires.
To continue...read the full-length post originally published on this site.
