The local church is designed to be a diverse place. One where people of different ethnicities, languages, personalities, education, and experience can do life together under the lordship of Christ.
There is a beauty in that diversity – it’s a little foretaste of the heavenly banquet – but it can make for some complexity along the way.
Imagine an average small-group Bible study. In it you might have someone who is very expressive with their emotions, regularly moved to tears by the beauty of the Lord or the waywardness of this fallen world. Maybe you also have someone who overflows with praise, so confident are they in the Lord’s goodness. There could be someone else who loves to ask questions which probe the hearts, the motivations, of fellow group members. And yet another person who has been wounded in the past by gossip and is determined not to share anything personal with those around.
Lessons from a three-hour church service
It's sometimes said that culture is like a river. To fully appreciate its flow, you need to get in it. …