Living In The 3rd Culture: Ben Beat Me Home!

I learned today that an old friend beat me home! Ben Haden, long time pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Chattanooga was taken home to glory after 88 years in his "earthly tent."

I got to know Ben while serving as the youth pastor at Hixson Presbyterian Church which many years earlier had been planted through an effort of First Presbyterian. As is my pattern, I was sitting in the back row at a Tennessee Valley Presbytery meeting sometime in the late 80's. On this particular occasion Ben came and sat next to me. In the middle of some sort of deliberation, Ben got up and waved for me to follow him out the back door. Those of you who knew Ben understand why I did! We found a classroom and sat down. He looked at me in the eye and said, "Tell me about yourself young man." From that day on we were friends!

I learned a lot about life in the church from Ben, stuff they never teach you in seminary. He was a unique guy who called it for what it was. In my many visits with him - often at the Burger King at the foot of Signal Mountain. . . plain whopper special ordered so it was hot - he mentored me. When I moved away he gave me his direct line and always took my call. I hadn't called him for well over a year, but I already miss him.

There are three distinct ways that Ben left a mark on my life. First, it was Ben who convinced me to be a church planter. Come to think about it, I am not sure he gave me a choice! I think he just told me to do it! Second, Ben had a passion for the lost! He was utterly convinced that the Gospel of Jesus Christ really does change lives! I will never forget how excited he was when he realized the potential audience on the web! Third, Ben challenged me to be a faithful preacher, and not compromise for anything. He gave me homiletical insights that I have yet to find in a book.

I pray that God will grant me the privilege to invest in younger men like he invested in mine!

Third Culture Defined

The term “Third Culture” has been used in various ways. One “Third Culture” group “consists of those scientists and other thinkers in the empirical world who, through their work and expository writing, are taking the place of the traditional intellectuals in rendering visible the deeper meanings of our lives, redefining who and what we are.”Another common use of “Third Culture” in fact describes my personal experience. The term was first coined by sociologist Ruth Hill Useem, professor emeritus of sociology and education at Michigan State University. She used the term to describe children growing up outside their citizenship countries because of a parent’s work abroad. A “TCK or Third Culture Kid has since been defined as, “someone who as a child has spent a significant period of time in one or more culture(s) other than his or her own, thus integrating elements of those cultures and their own birth culture, into a third culture" Though I am a TCK, it is my desire to use the term in referring to the people who make up the true Christian Church (Theologically defined as the “Invisible Church”). In other words, the Church is a Third Culture. Scripture teaches us that Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law and the punishment of Hell, and through faith in Him we become citizens of His Kingdom, receiving not only the full benefits of citizenship in His Kingdom, but indeed the right to become sons and daughters of God. The moment, we step into this Kingdome we experience a new and different culture. We are no longer in the kingdom of darkness, but now live in the kingdom of light and that changes everything! At the same time we never went anywhere physically as we continue to work, live, and play with the same people as before, we see the world differently, we no longer truly fit – we are “in the world, but not of it” -- we have a new culture. For most of us this life changing experience occurs within our birth culture and our Christian experience is saturated by those influences. For those who grew up in non-Hispanic White North America, Christianity is uniquely different than those who grew up in an African American context. Our birth culture effects how we live out our faith in the Kingdom of Christ. Yet the Kingdom of Christ requires one more cultural shift and that is away from birth culture and into a culture made up of people of every ethnic and cultural group that has ever existed on the face of the earth. This Kingdom is no more North American than it is Tanzanian or Tibetan. It is a unique or shall we say a “Third Culture” that integrates elements of all cultures into one new and better one, where there is no Jew or Greek, slave nor free, male nor female“You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Gal 3:26-298). In fact Revelation 7:9-10 gives us a description what this will look like one day:“After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." A Third Culture Perspective is one that understands and appreciates that God gathers people from every ethnic and cultural group and brings them into the new culture of His Son Jesus Christ. It is a perspective where birth cultures are appreciated and respected as coming from God, but none are superior. It seeks to have a deeper understanding of the Gospel, pays attention to culture, our own as well as others, and then attempts to bring them together. It is a perspective that “seeks first His Kingdom and His Righteousness” and lovingly and passionately enjoys and glorifies God in all we do. It is a perspective that welcomes immigrants….

Ben Beat Me Home!

No comments: