RE: [Worship] Counterpoint to Multicultural part III and guidelines for multicultural expression

[Chris Conley <conleycd@muss.cis.McMaster.CA>]

I just read someones post about this that said that because all culture is 
rooted in paganism than we should not incorporate it into worship.  For
example if we were in Haiti would we incorporate voodism into our worship
style?

Countering this from a sociological/anthropological ideas is very simple.
American culture don't forget has its roots in various forms of paganism
and moral dysfuncion.  Think of how many hymns were once "drinking" songs
that came out of Europe? We assume because it is American or north
american than it has pure origins.  This is simply not true.  We come from
a corrupt background just as much as any other culture does.  We have
traditions that are based on pagaism but that we often claim to the glory
of God!

What is good is that we take things that are not immoral but are cultural
and use them in our expressions towards God.  What comes to my mind is
when Paul said to the local people I know who this "unkown" god  is that
you have a statue built to.  Paul also says that he doesn't have a problem
eating meat that was sacrificed to idols.  But it is the weaker
individuals who stubble because they are accustomed to eating the food and
thinking about the idols.  So what does this wrap up to be?  It means that
if something that you do reminds you of sin or an act of sin then don't do
it.  Don't do it infront of weaker "brothers" either.  But in a cultural
context then I don't think there would be any weaker brothers, because
they would be unsaved.

Chris Conley
conleycd@mcmaster.ca

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