"cultural purity is an impossible, even wrong-headed ideal. All cultures, even so-called traditional or small-scale ones, constantly adapt to their surroundings. ...new information is likely to change a culture. Put in terms of Christianity, the preaching of the Gospel cannot be done in such a way that the culture is left unchanged. This is so not only because of intercultural communication, but also because of the nature of the Gospel itself. ... if the culture does not change, the Gospel has not been preached!"
[R Shreiter, The New Catholicity, p.71.] |
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The National Church Life Survey 2006 shows that our congregation's 'culture' is not in stasis: we have made 'changes' in the past five years. Change is not same as reform; the Congregation needs to prayerfully look into the changes and discern if they were made by the power of the Gospel. I can only report that the congregation has achieved positive and promising changes. According to the Survey results, our congregation’s highest gift is 'inclusion': to embrace new members of different backgrounds and openness to new ideas. I believe it is a significant change to the mono-cultural elderly congregation which we used to be. I hope to pay more attention to this change rather than the 36% growth in worship attendance.
To include others into our community must be always encouraged. However, the issue is how to arrange our community.Shall we put ourselves in the centre and others on the peripheries? Mohan Labeer, a Dalit theologian who led Bible Studies in our Congregation some years ago, challenged paternalistic attitudes toward others on fringes. Historically, many missionaries were bound up with imperialist impulses and consequently became colonialist. I believe our vision statement, Sharing God's Love in Concord and beyond, reflects the nature of Christian hospitality toward God’s people, in whom we find the image of God. Instead of expanding our 'ego' to others, we re-affirm our one-ness in Christ as we share joys and sorrows with our neighbours.
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Gathering around the Word and hearing the Gospel stories will challenge us to change. Our changes will be constantly reflected in the light of the Word. Thanks be to God for His life-changing Word, which we have experienced for the past years as individuals and a community of faith.
Yangrae Son
Minister of the Word
(August 2007) |
