The Complexity of Diversity in the Church Context

God is moving powerfully among Muslims. Got it. More Muslims are coming to faith than all the years combined. Got it. God is bringing the mission home- The nations are at our doorsteps. Got it. No confusion here, just awe and fascination.

So, what am I confused and curious about? As God continues to move, unveiling His truth to the children of Ishmael, what does church planting and integration of Muslims in Western churches look like? What are the inevitable obstacles? The conversations around such questions must be instigated now rather than later. Or else, we face the inevitable danger of being slapped in the face with the consequences of this phenomenon, ill equipping our churches, leaders and the next generation on how best to maintain a relevant conversation about how the Church will effectively mold itself around His extraordinary movement before our eyes.

I took this conversation to a wise council of mentors and Christ warriors surrounding me. Have I mentioned how blessed I am to be in the company of such giants? To my surprise there were various opinions surrounding this topic, making it urgently clear to me that such discussions are vital. My confusion due to the various perspectives quickly turned into intrigue. How fascinating that these leaders who share similar perspectives and approaches on how to effectively reach Muslims that God is bringing to the West, can have different perspectives on how the church should look like after they come to faith. Let me be clear: no one is right or wrong. It is merely about the beauty and power of perspective.

Blending Approach: Muslims should integrate into existing Churches with the responsibility and role of that Church to embrace the diversity of that Muslim person's cultural background and identity. This would require the culturally - ethnically diverse Church to open itself up to different ways to worship and fellowship. The vision is to have a Church that exemplifies Revelation 7:9 - multitude of tongues, nations and peoples coming together to glorify our God. Yes, "Thy Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven"

Obstacles:
Is this even possible? Yes, a diverse group of Muslims from various ethnic backgrounds can come together in Western Churches to celebrate and grow together, but are their diverse means of worship and fellowship truly represented? Lets be honest, it would simply mean that the different groups adhere to a "Western" way of doing Church within a "Western" system of Church. Do such churches give minorities the Church platform to share their form of worship and praise with the entire congregation? The more the new Muslim believer integrates and conforms into the Western Church, the less he or she will be able to relate Jesus to their own people and communities in a way that is culturally relevant to them. Are they going to sell a "western" form of Christianity to their own people?

Cluster Approach: Muslims coming to faith from different ethnic backgrounds should start their own individual churches with the freedom to express, grow, worship and fellowship within the beauty and vibrancy of their cultural backgrounds. Encouraging segregated ethnic clusters allows for less opportunity for discourse and conflict between ethnicity's, and less opportunity for Muslims coming to faith to conform and lose their unique cultural identities within a Western framework of Church.

Initially, due to the few new believers from a single cultural background inhabited in one geographic location, those few would come together to form a church. Although they come from diverse forms of traditions and practices, there exists the clear common thread that runs through all of them coming from Muslim shame and honor societies. Because they are a "few," they will be knitted together in common purpose and support. This cohesive union can not exist when larger numbers come together.

Obstacles: Does this take into account Third Culture Muslims coming to faith who still very much associate themselves with the West, therefore, easily being able to flourish within a Western framework of Church? Also, are the reasons behind ethnically segregated Churches due to fear? The fear of conflict and chaos? Should we allow room for fear to exert any power or influence on how the Church will look like? Are we not in danger of seeing ethnically segregated Churches, closed off to one another just like the countless Churches in the USA existing across the streets from one another, but have little to no communication with one another- unable to look past their own Church walls and programs? Are we replicating that unfortunate reality, but now with ethic Churches? This leads to the next perspective on this issue......

Clustered Collaboration Approach: The third perspective shared with me was that yes, clustered ethnic Churches are ideal to allow them the freedom to spiritually flourish in the divine beauty of who they already are. However, it is critical that these individual clusters of ethnic Churches collaborate and maintain communication. This collaboration and communication allows for increased dialogue about the vision of the Churches, resource sharing, celebration of diverse forms of worship with one another, but most importantly, pressing forward together towards ONE KINGDOM CAUSE.

Obstacles: Simply, can this "utopian faith scenario" ever truly exist? Is it not inevitable that we fall back into the pit of our own self interests when in the company of ethnically like people? Should we even take that chance?

Ok. I suppose I now have the opportunity to evaluate these approaches while seeking the Lord's wisdom to shine light upon them. My need to understand this is not curiosity, but rather a necessity in order to best equip and prepare me for what is to come. Piggybacking on what God is doing requires believers to look ahead with understanding and anticipation to shape the Church of the future in a vibrant and relevant way that honors Muslims coming to faith, but more importantly, honors and glorifies our King, the head of our Church.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this post..... My own perspective and approach. Lets see what God will show me.

Honesty in a Dark Room

One of the great joys I have come to experience this year has been serving with the children's ministry at my church. I will be honest, at first I was a tad unsure. I have never really raised children. I often still act like a child. I'm not even sure if I have patience for kids. Plus, my love of communicating and teaching is best left on stage or in a adult classroom setting where I teach- and you listen :) Telling the kiddo to take her finger out of her nose and listen to my instructions on how to do the Bible verse activity was out of my realm. However, I realized that committing to this with my husband would allow me to experience something outside my comfort zone. I needed it. So, count me in. The only rule I had for myself was that no matter what, I was to stay authentic. Being authentic meant being me - sometimes mature, sometimes immature, sometimes childish, and sometimes even dramatic. I did not want to be seen as just another adult figure by these third grade girls, having to follow my instructions and respond to me with what they thought I wanted to hear. My experience thus far has exceeded my expectations. I look forward to my Sunday morning hugs and kisses from these young ladies who refer to me as, "Mrs. Mariya"

This past Sunday, Ginny walked into the room wearing a fabulous long sleeved top with a long colorful skirt. I told her she looked "Boho Chic." Her eyes brightened up, asking what that meant. I told her that boho chic refers to a style of fashion drawing on bohemian and hippy influence, mixed with modern chic. Ginny and the girls around the table absolutely loved that.  I had an exceptionally special experience with my group on this day. Our topic was about being lights in the darkness, so the seven of us chose to take our lesson into the walk-in closet. We turned off the light, huddled around on the floor and the person holding the flashlight was permitted to speak. I am not sure if it was because of the small cozy setting away from the rest of the class that made the girls feel like they could be more open, but I suddenly saw these girls become raw with me. "How do we even know if our God is real?" "So, why do we think that we have the right to tell other people that their God is not real, but that our's is when we don't even know if our God is actually real?" 

What honesty. What purity. How refreshing. I reassured them to not give guilt any room in their thoughts and questions. Rather, that it is was very natural and a sign of growth that they had doubts. It showed that their minds are becoming inquisitive and that their hearts are seeking truth. I loved that these young ladies were not going to accept being cookie cutter Christians merely born into a Christian home, brought to Church and dropped off at Sunday school and expected to believe a set of truths/beliefs because their parents and religious people said so. We continued talking in that small dark closet for a lil while. When we finally stepped out into the classroom, we didn't realize that we were in there for a long time. It was as if time stopped and we were frozen into a moment.

I left church that day encouraged by these young ladies. I left overflowing with joy thinking about how God will make Himself and His truth uniquely known to each of them. I also know that His relentless pursuit will be a more difficult battle with some of them. Yet, I'll choose to think about that oh so glorious season of life for them when Jesus becomes so real, so awesome.... so God Almighty. I sometimes wish I could bottle that season and how I felt.... not sure if words could even capture it. So totally euphoric.

I love revisiting that time and space. It helps me to take my spiritual cord, plug it back into my eternal source and be sparked into remembrance of how gloriously splendid He really is.

Why Jesus is not relatable.....

It is not so much that we have made the religion of Christianity not relatable or even unattractive, but we have made Jesus Christ Himself  not relatable. For almost thirty years of my life, I was immersed in the lost world, mingling with a diverse blend of Muslims, Jews, atheists, new age folks and even hippies. Coming out of my stubborn salvation journey, I was very fortunate to find a community and church. In the last two years, I found salvation, daily fellowship, necessary healing, continued spiritual and emotional growth, service opportunities,  and clear direction on God's purpose for my life. And of course love and marriage! It has indeed been a catalyst two years for me. When I pleaded with God in the summer of 2012 upon my departure to Kansas City "Lord, I know you want me to wait and be patient, but you might wanna hurry it up this time..," I never expected Him to press fast forward. "We don't have time to waste" I heard Him, and now I understand why.

More recently, I found myself at times feeling caged in again, even within my new found Christ community. I had to ask myself, am I once again resurrecting that broken bird my dad once called me, unable to settle or find true satisfaction anywhere? I can now finally reply with wholehearted assurance that the answer is no. The anxiety and dissatisfaction arose from the fact that I fled the lost world only to build a "Christian bubble" around me. Don't get me wrong, I desperately needed and I am thankful for this Christian bubble as a place and time to heal and to reconcile "who I was and AM as a Muslim in order to comprehend where I am going as a Christian." My true transformation needed this. However, every aspect of my life started to become attached to and dependent upon Christians.(once again) I started to see how so many around me only ever interacted with other believers. I started to crave the lost. NOT because I tempted the former passions of my flesh, being lured back into a grave of sin. Absolutely not. I passionately and tearfully cherish my walk with Jesus. Rather, I started to crave the lost because that is exactly where God can use me the most for His Kingdom.  I caught myself using the "Christianese" language of "praise God and blessings" way too much. I would catch myself using Christian lingo while visiting friends and family in Canada, getting disgusted with myself. Please don't get me wrong, I DO praise God and I sure do count His blessings.... but He did not relentlessly pursue me to get comfortably Christian in my Christianity, not relatable to those He expects me to now relentlessly pursue. 

It hit me, not only have we made Jesus unrelatable to the world, but "I" was slowly becoming not relatable to the world. So, I made a decision which I intend to use as an anchor and motivation in my organization objective.... more accurately put, my life purpose: The message I communicate must be one that is relatable to anyone, everyone and anywhere. That means that when I am speaking and teaching before people, I can feel confident that there can be an atheist, Muslim, Hindu, Jew, Budhist, or new age person sitting among the crowd and he or she can grasp what I am saying. What I am saying is not a "Christian" thing, it is a "Humanity" thing. We have over-spiritualized Jesus. We have stuffed Him in a spiritual box, not relatable to the rest of the world- His message, identity and very essence detached from philosophy, psychology, environment etc. I can picture Him yelling out from this over-spiritually stuffed box, "...But I am a philosopher!, I am a psychologist! I am an environmentalist!" We have forgotten that Jesus is all of creation- "And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together" Colossians 1:17.  I want my core spiritual message to walk through the common courtyard of all these genres while being dressed in what the world can recognize and relate to, therefore building a bridge of familiarity and destroying hostility. People give high obedience to what they already know. We must wrap truth around what they already know. Jesus and Paul were masters at this while always maintaining their core identities. That is authentication. People desire to be around authentic people over people who are not relatable.

We want people to meet us at a spiritual point, so that we can speak to them and give them understanding of spiritual things. Where we have become misguided is that we must meet people where they are and not where we want them to be. Just as Jesus meets us where we are and not where we should be. My savior was revealed to me as I was a culturally Muslim- new age worshiper and He walked me to spiritual awakening through a seeking heart and His Holy Spirit, ultimately leading me to Him. We must remember that we meet people in a common place where we can relate to them and walk them towards spiritual things through the power of the Holy Spirit and in God's time. I have a Kurdish friend in KC. She has denounced the "religion of Islam" but her identity can not escape being culturally Muslim. Yet, she proclaims herself to be a new age follower, being led by the enticing notion that we are our own God's living a life where our approach to the "universe" dictates our success, growth and overall life. Hmmmm hope that sums it up. She confides in me. She trusts me. She seeks me out for guidance and advice. She feels that I "get her" and that we can meet in a common place regardless of our different beliefs and relate to one another. What she does not see is that everything I say to her and encourage her with is from my faith. Yet, my words and my friendship is not dressed up in Christianity or Christian lingo. I demonstrate my faith, I do not need to define it. I have confidence not in me, but in my God that as we continue to be in this common place of fellowship and love, that "naturally" she is being walked towards a spiritual horizon with the hope that the veil may be torn in time....giving all ownership to Christ and not to the universe or oneself. I suppose I love spending time with my Kurdish friend because she draws me back to a familiar place...

We focus so much on the branches and leaves, that we have forgotten the seed beneath the soil. This seed is where all humanity finds a common place. I am very intentional when I teach to point out a deeply humbling truth that sometimes is hard for Christians that have placed themselves on a pillar of righteousness, to accept. It is that we all have the same universal needs and roles, and the only thing that separates us as believers is that we have the saving grace and love of Christ and we are commissioned to share it. When we know Christ and live for Christ, our needs and roles wrap around Him and His Kingdom cause. We must destroy lines of separation if we intend to effectively engage in Kingdom work. "Us" and "Them" mentality must be replaced with "We." This statement pulls us down from the clouds, and like it or not, sits us down in the company of all people. 

I suppose that is why I felt uneasy in my Christian bubble after awhile.... in some small, but detrimentally unconscious way, I raised myself above the crowd- living in our self made Kingdom. I needed to be pulled down and sit in a common place with the rest of humanity.......sharing life together, finding points of compassion, therefore, creating parallel paths that I pray leads to truth.

God kicks me in the butt when He reminds me, "Who do you think you are...?" I love when He keeps me in check, especially considering "We don't have time to waste"

NGLC - 2014

Some phrases that caught my attention during my time in Nashville with NGLC

Discipleship is apprenticeship – V

They are not the enemy. You can shoot me, but I am going to give them food. – Karen

We get very passionate against one another sometimes. – V

Be a lover of people – Jim O’Niel

“Efficiency is really bad strategy.” - V

“..Put up a tent of mediocre non fruit.” –V

“Christ is everything or He is nothing…..Christ is ALL, not first.”- V

“We will make mistakes in the process of moving towards one another.” - V

“I will not spend the second half of my life making excuses….. I will make mistakes towards obedience.” – V

“Put down the burden of that thing you invented by yourself.” – V

“The purpose of the fifty was to hear the one” – V

“It’s not the unity of collectiveness, but the unity of the Spirit. We do know how to do that.” – V

“Credibility comes from being in motion, not when you have arrived.” - V

Don’t let ministry become your idol. It takes away the God given power and capacity to fully engage in your ministry.

American’s are like Jonah – resistant to reaching Muslims. – Dave Ray

“At what time should you stop fellowshipping with yourself?” - V

Sometimes God chooses to speak to us through unjust jerks. – Dave Ray

The struggles, pains caused by people is used as an incubator to reveal to you, YOU. – Al Henson

“On my best day, I am a beautiful mess”

He left my heart here, so that my heart may be with the nations. – Al Henson

20 mile radius – 136 languages. Lighthouse Christian Fellowship – Al Henson

I really don’t like Church people. Be honest, most of you don’t. What is it about the fact that we get together in a Church that makes us go weird. – Mike Baer

“I asked, how do I connect with lost people. The Lord said, become like them.” – Mike Baer

I got to meet lost people in THEIR TURF. – Mike Baer

“…When it has a global flavor, it usually has the mark of God on it” – Mike Baer

Obedience is the coin of the Kingdom – Mike Baer

The great thing about reading books is getting mentored by people I haven’t even met… people who are even dead. But it’s also good to have living mentors. – Jim Jeffrey

Ask a question to listen. The best leaders are the best listeners and constantly ask questions. And when they speak, it really matters. – Jim Jeffrey

I think cancer burned all the junk in me that doesn’t matter… -John Bonar

I don’t create disciples, my job is to create and engineer an environment where God will grow them. – John Bonar

Key lessons are learned by watching behind the wall. – John Bonar

“I don’t want to leave a place where everyday I am dependent on my God, because I can’t create that place.”

You are beat up. That is a sign that you are doing the right thing. – John Bonar

Just as Harriet Tubman …”We are leading spiritual slaves to freedom. “

Even if you don’t believe, you belong. – John Bonar (his church philosophy)

I belonging before I believed. – Indian believer at John Bonar’s church

It is an ongoing dialogue between a discerning community and the Spirit of God – V

God’s blessings got in the way of me and God – Mariya

Truth without love is only noise – Fran Pratt

A Letter To You.....

Cultural differences should not separate us from each other, but rather cultural diversity brings a collective strength that can benefit all of humanity. -- Robert Alan Silverstein

I am seeking unity in diversity. I know I must abolish my “us versus them” mentality. “Come follow us, we will show you the way” is not the message I announce to you. Rather, “Let me walk with you …… Let me walk with you in your pain, fear and even in your distrust of me. In the midst of our differences, you will see that we walk carrying the same burdens. You’re a lot like me and I’m a lot like you”   I must meet you where you are, just as my King met me where I was and not where I should have been. There is a wall of misconceptions so thick yet low enough for me to climb over.  Better yet, let me bring this wall down by showing you that two worlds apart can not separate the common human heart and condition.  So, let us break this wall and use the bricks to build a bridge to walk across. Better yet, let us sit on this bridge awhile and exchange stories. Strip away my identity attached to my flag, my bank account and the language I speak. See me in my essence, a common place where you and I meet as one – Oh how I pray that you may come to fully understand this oneness that is much bigger than you and I.

We may have used different color schemes to paint our lives, but the picture is the same.  Culture is rooted in creation, unleashing diversity and vibrancy to life and its people that celebrates the handiwork of my God.  Our cultures are so rich that I am sure that their fusions will create an endless banquet table. Let us dine there for while and exchange stories. I am confident we have met before- in a common place of circumstances, needs, fears and hope. I apologize for allowing this stupid wall of misconceptions to separate us all this time.  But I must admit the blame is on me and not the wall.

Let us put that behind us, for we have now used what once separated us as a building block to bridge us. Let us walk awhile and exchange stories. Let us walk in dialogue and not debate. Let me demonstrate and not define. I am not sure where we will end up, but I am confident we will have much to see and be revealed along the way……. You might even meet my King along this way.

Abandonment of Creative Life

“No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light." Luke 8:16

We have reached the crossroads in faith and culture.

Why have Christians abandoned embracing any and all aspects of the creative life by being confined to their self imposed rigid guidelines? The creativity of so many believers is hostile to mainstream culture. Some Christians argue that Christianity has “degenerated into an intellectually and artistically anemic subculture, and the general population is consuming an unsatisfying blend of mindless, soulless, spiritually delusional entertainment?” I can not agree. The discussion is less about the judgement of mainstream culture, and more about relatability and how Christians have negotiated their relationships to culture. Christians have become so "otherworldly". Culture is rooted in creation and an integral part of life where the arts, fashion, music and other creative forms of expression have left footprints throughout the story of man. The flesh, culture and all of creation have been ravaged by sin, but just as God did not abandon Man, we also can not abandon the rest of creative life that does not convey our values and beliefs. What keeps Christians from leaving their footprints into all aspects of life and culture - is judgement and fear. That can be the only explanation. Outlets such as fashion and mainstream music "suggest" the lure of sex, drugs and alcohol - temptation of our fleshly passions and desires. So, we keep our Christianity away in the face of fear. It is love that takes our light into the darkness where we shine the brightest. We have alienated ourselves, thinking we are superior beings. So, we stay paralyzed in our boring Christian cages because of judgement and fear. The result is a less vibrant, less bold, less creative, less artistic... ultimately, a less relatable Christianity.  Those who attempt to integrate and unleash their natural creative talents into the web of mainstream culture are criticized as, "too worldly" by uptight Christians who are just "too Christian."

According to poet and art critic Dana Gioia, "The retreat from the culture that Christians have made is the product of several things, one of which is believers becoming too engaged in their own sub-culture rather than trying to reach out and promote their values. Christians have been naïve to think that they can prosper in a society and not be engaged in cultural creation,”  “Christians are naïve to think that they can be engaged positively in society and ignore culture. If you turn your back on the arts, essentially you are leaving all of those stories, those images, those forms of communication in the hands of others. And that’s what we’re seeing. People of faith have unambiguously lost the culture wars. They complain about it but they aren’t doing anything about it. Collectively, we have lost sight of the awesome power that art and media have to express ideas (including religious ones) in ways that can be meaningful to people who may have a different background or perspective.  Instead of encouraging a vibrant art culture which is inspired by faith, Christian leaders have been predominantly interested in explicitly devotional art, which has little importance to people who do not attend or believe. Well, I think what we’ve seen is this very strange retreat the church has made—both internally less confident about itself, less presence in culture, which represents a complete historical turnaround for the church which was seen as the natural home for artists; I mean the glory of Church has been its presence in material culture: architecture, paintings, sculpture, literary, music. But it’s become a rather generic and anonymous cultural presence now"

We must encourage and promote the next generation of Christians to engage in culture FOR Christ with compassion and self control, while belonging to a community of believers. This strong foundation allows one to have understanding of their creative talents, themselves, and their cultures - and how to authentically and naturally impact the world around them as ambassadors of Christ. Ultimately, instead of alienating ourselves from mainstream culture and society, we leave our cages and pour out our God given skills and talents into all aspects of creative life that need our light and not our judgement. 

Kingdom Mindset

Focusing on the Kingdom also means focusing on what it means to experience authentic character
transformation. A Kingdom mindset does not seek merely information which is false knowledge, but rather craves His Word that has the power of transformation. Cultivating a Kingdom mindset requires continual awareness of God's indwelling presence.  Diving deeply into spiritual formation requires an integrated way of living rather than a compartmentalized one. Everything I do with every aspect of my life is connected to my spiritual formation as an effective Kingdom Ambassador. Everything I do with every aspect of my life is held together by Christ my cornerstone. This is a Kingdom mindset.

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” - Matthew 6:33

This Kingdom mindset differs from merely a Church mindset. This is the intentional seeking and pursuit to transform entire communities, rather than the motivation towards mere church programs and church living contained within the church walls. As my pastor says, "Go and BE the Church" "For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ." 2 Corinthians 2:15-17  The power of this love and light can not be contained and spills over to surrounding unchurched communities, transforms the hardened of hearts and overcomes darkness. This Ambassador does not live within the confines of a self-constructed Christianity with conveniently built white picket fences that only go as far as one's own life.

The dimensions of Kingdom living was a focus in Jesus's teachings. He spent time in dialogue about what the Kingdom really is, and how we can participate in cultivating Kingdom cultures in and through our lives. This Kingdom mindset must permeate our lives, fueling us to share and teach the news of the King and His Kingdom with others. "You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." 2 Timothy 2:1-2 

"Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him." 2 Timothy 2:3-6 This Christ soldier is obedient, disciplined and unshaken. Their feet stay firm on shaking ground, while others run in every direction. This soldier is not distracted, swayed or impressed by things of this world because he or she can already see them fading away....... Those who possess a Kingdom mindset are dangerous to Satan's efforts.