Worship through giving.
Will you partner with us as we respond to the critical needs of our community as we face the coming weeks together?
For Discussion
Eight Sundays into this quarantine and it finally looks like things are opening up again, at least a little. Some things might have changed. Some might be just as we remember them.
Pastor Bryce talked about the cultural norms that every community has. Will they have changed also? While we might do some things a little bit differently, the Lancaster heritage will still be the Lancaster heritage. “Ruchin’ around” will still be a Pennsylvania Dutch word some of us will be using. And we will still be enjoying Shoo-fly-pie or Shepherds pie. (By the way, why are both called pie, but yet are very different?)
But what exactly is the Lancaster County heritage? What is typical for Manheim, Lititz, Mount Joy or whatever your zip code is? Pastor Bryce challenged us to make a list of cultural norms we are aware of. If you can’t think of anything local, ask someone who has come into this area just recently, we can point these things out to you very easily.
The reason for this list is simply to make us aware of the way we might be able to share the gospel with the people in our community. You see, as a missionary I learned pretty fast, knowing the cultural nuances can be a big help in sharing the gospel. People will love if you use their words and speak their language. And in case you weren’t aware: Non-Christians many times do have a different language. Still English, but very different.
So here are the tasks:
- Make a list of cultural norms and phrases of the people of your zip code. What are connection points to the person you want to reach with the Good news about Christ?
- Write down your Jesus Narrative. Why is it that you have a Hope that seems to be different from the hope the world is looking for? What is it that Jesus gives you? How can you share your reason to follow Christ in your surroundings?
As Christians, we all have a story to tell. What’s yours? Blessings as you dive into your own culture and the culture of your non-christian friend or neighbor.
Blessings,
BibleApp
