One size fits all?

Today I visited another culture. I didn't travel across a national border - just crossed a bridge. My venture into that culture was to attend a funeral service.

Maybe I should use "sub-culture". Nonetheless, the traditions that shaped the service were similar in some ways, yet very different in others from my own sub-culture.

In our county are at least 4 sub-cultures - probably more. Two are defined by geography. Two are more defined by race. We cross paths and inter-relate and integrate in much of life. And in some churches (the most segregated place in the country) we mix. But accomplishing that is a stretch for many because our cultural heritage strongly determines our preferences.

Would the service I attended today be attractive to the culture in which I live? Likely not. I looked around at other people around me who looked like me and could tell they were witnessing new ways of mourning and worship. There were times some from my culture would have found it disrespectful and irreverant. It was loud; it was emotional; it was joyful; it was often exuberant; it was a bit longer in time than a typical funeral in my culture. (Ed and Edith would have been very uncomfortable.) Yet it connected with its own culture in very obvious and powerful ways.

On more than one occasion I've been privileged to travel to other countries and experience worship in their cultures. Caribbean black churches. Central American hispanic churches. Canadian Native American churches. South African white and black churches. None were quite like my culture/my church. Different traditions; different songs; different feel. But they connected with their cultures.

Isn't that how it's supposed to be? Different yet accomplishing the same goals.

The church I lead and serve exists to reach the culture in which God has placed us. We have focused our mission on our culture. While everyone is welcome, not everyone would relate and connect to what we do. If I tried to take our style, music and methods of worship and preaching into the church I visited today it would be politely endured, but wouldn't connect.

And that's OK. Paul understood this very well, and when changing cultures he readily adapted his style of evangelism to match the culture.

When it comes to churches one size doesn't fit all. Let's not convince ourselves that it does. Does this mean that the church should be segregated? I hope not. If so our church is failing. That tells me that as important as culture is to defining a church, it's not the only thing.

Does the culture of your church look like the culture of your community? Does it fit? If not, is it time to find the right size and for the church to go shopping for a new pair?