It's sometimes said that culture is like a river. To fully appreciate its flow, you need to get in it. I had the privilege of putting this into practice recently when I visited a church with a predominantly Nigerian membership.
Rather than observing from a distance, I got to swim in the stream of their worship. It highlighted several ways in which my own multi-ethnic church values certain things differently. This doesn't automatically mean either set of practices is better or worse. But the customs reveal the creeds underneath. Experiencing the differences first-hand helped me sense what was going on under the surface.
Time
I walked into the main gathering space a few minutes before the start. It was already busy: loud with conversation and a passionate band rehearsal. My own church often fills up after the service has started like a slowly rising tide. It turned out they had also been in discipleship classes for an hour before.
Guilt & shame: The gospel is big enough to address both
Note: this article contains references to abuse.When Leanne first shared her story in our women's group, the room fell …