I like knowing that people on the other side of the world can look nothing like the western ideals of beauty, but still be considered knock-outs by their own cultures. Elongated neck? You're in luck - you're in Uganda! Big boned and hairy-legged? Welcome to Berlin.
Same goes for churches. I like knowing that our western Wal-Mart church service is only beautiful to us because we're Americans, and we like it fat, loud and obnoxious.
I've been watching Zolder 50 in Amerstdam since it started, and I've gotta say I'm attracted to it. The organic, European church is the last bastion of New Testament community in a day when the prevailing mindset is "If it attracts people, it must be right."
That's true...but yet we're still all chasing the "most attractive" "most perfect" form of church. Maybe the answer is that there isn't "one"... What if our main concern was to "attract" our local culture to Jesus...whatever that ended up looking like.
I'm registering for White Board today...YEAH?!
Posted by: Don Record | February 11, 2008 at 08:07 AM
Wow, interesting that you mentioned Zolder 50. They are a sister church of ours and I spent some time there last year. It's a really cool thing that's going on there.
Posted by: Dan Price | February 11, 2008 at 08:13 AM
Thanks for this post! It is great to see God working in so many different ways in different places!
Posted by: Chris S. | February 11, 2008 at 09:58 AM