Greetings … warm, fond greetings actually.

If you have been around the “Christian” scene for a while, then you will know that we tend to have times where certain “buzz words” are prevalent.  One such word that is currently floating around is “culture.”  People speak of creating a “culture of …” or that we have a “Christian culture.”  However, the problem with buzz words is that they become cliché in nature – people start using them all over the place without really knowing what the word means.

I wanted to write about this because I do believe that God is creating a culture in our midst and that we should be aware of it.  We need to know what a culture is and what kind of culture God is making.

Culture is defined as: (various sources)

·     The quality in a person or society that arises from a concern for what is regarded as excellent in arts, letters, manners, scholarly pursuits, etc.

·     These patterns, traits, and products considered as the expression of a particular period, class, community, or population: Edwardian culture; Japanese culture; the culture of poverty.

·     Anthropology. the sum total of ways of living built up by a group of human beings and transmitted from one generation to another.

·     Usage Note:  The application of the term culture to the collective attitudes and behaviour of corporations arose in business jargon during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Unlike many locutions that emerge in business jargon, it spread to popular use in newspapers and magazines.

I am using more than I normally would in defining this word because there are various elements that I wanted to point out.  In the first case, there is an emphasis on what the group of people consider to be worthy of doing with excellence.  If we are to develop, or more rightly, to allow God to develop a culture of His design in our midst, then we must be prepared to pursue it with excellence.  Mediocrity and half-hearted efforts are not acceptable in cultural development. The second definition points towards an overarching reach in a culture that shows its effect on all aspects of the people involved.  God’s culture in our midst will be seen in more than worship and messages – it will be evident in all ministries, in how we interact, in how we maintain our property, etc.  The third aspect I wanted to highlight is that culture is intended to be multi-generational.  God doesn’t want to establish something that lasts for 10, 20 or even 40 years – He is wanting to instil something that does not die in this generation.  That was an inherent fault in what happened with the Israelites, which we must learn from and avoid.  Lastly, I wanted to note that while this buzz word came up through secular corporations and was adopted more generally in our society, that does not mean that we should ignore what God is doing even if we are using a buzz word.  The important thing is to not let it become cliché in our usage and to actually move forward with God in the culture He is establishing in our midst.

I will be writing more about this culture in future newsletters.

Many blessings in Christ,

Pastor Merril