The document discusses inculturating the gospel and Christian cultural intelligence. It examines a passage from Galatians that talks about how in Christ there is no distinction between Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female. The document explores how this passage points to both the universality of God's promise in Jesus for all people, as well as the particularity of God coming to specific individuals and cultures. It discusses how Christians should view and engage with culture based on passages from John and Romans. The concept of incarnation is examined, with the idea that through incarnation God participates in the world and people can expect to meet Christ in others. The skills of listening, observing and expecting to meet Christ are emphasized.

1. In•cultur•ating the Gospel
While you are waiting, write down your:
favorite version of Bible
favorite song/hymn
all the cultures to which you belong
(hip hop, Minnesota, military, first gen, U.S.American, etc.)

2. In•cultur•ating the Gospel

3. The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
A gift to us…and the greatest expression
of Christian cultural intelligence.

4. a gift to you

5. focus text
“For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God
through faith. As many of you as were baptized
into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no
longer slave or free, there is no longer male
and female; for all of you are one in Christ
Jesus.”
--Galatians 3:26-28

6. focus text: Galatians 3:26-28
Gospel promise and cultural delivery
cultural differences in the text
connected to cultural differences in our lives
Incarnation as participation in God’s action

7. Look at all cultures to which you belong
• Draw a line between any that clash with each
other.
• Draw a circle around or star those cultures
welcome in your congregation.
• Draw a line through or X next to cultures not
welcome in your congregation.

8. Share your definition of culture with another.

9. SOME ELEMENTS OF CULTURE
clothing
attitudes
sense of the world
sense of time
relationships

10. live active cultures

11. culture
conditions that foster life and growth

12. I. Universality
Jesus is for everyone
Particularity: Jesus is for each one

13. focus text
“For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God
through faith. As many of you as were baptized
into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no
longer slave or free, there is no longer male
and female; for all of you are one in Christ
Jesus.”
--Galatians 3:26-28

14. Which words point to universality?
God’s promise to all in Jesus

15. “For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God
through faith. As many of you as were baptized
into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no
longer slave or free, there is no longer male
and female; for all of you are one in Christ
Jesus.”
--Galatians 3:26-28

16. “For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God
through faith. As many of you as were baptized
into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no
longer slave or free, there is no longer male
and female; for all of you are one in Christ
Jesus.”
--Galatians 3:26-28

17. Which words point to particularity?
God comes in Jesus to particular people

18. “For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God
through faith. As many of you as were baptized
into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no
longer slave or free, there is no longer male
and female; for all of you are one in Christ
Jesus.”
--Galatians 3:26-28

19. “For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God
through faith. As many of you as were baptized
into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no
longer slave or free, there is no longer male
and female; for all of you are one in Christ
Jesus.”
--Galatians 3:26-28

20. Rewrite the focus text with the
differences important in your context
“For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God
through faith. As many of you as were baptized
into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
There is no longer ___ or ___,
there is no longer ___ or ___,
there is no longer ___ and ___;
for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.”
--Galatians 3:26-28

21. II. Cultural Intelligence
with help from the Gospel of John
and Romans

22. What should Christians do
about cultural difference,
“the world” out there?

23. “Jesus answered,
‘My kingdom is not from this world.’”
John 18:36

24. What messages are sent with “notw”?

25. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your minds, so
that you may discern what is the will of God—
what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Romans 12:2

26. Which of these best describes your
view?
1) God’s reality is far above and/or way different
from culture.
2) What God asks is pretty much in line with what
culture recommends.
3) God encourages action against cultural norms.
4) God calls us to transform our experiences of
culture and the ways cultures operate.
5) God’s reality neither totally overlaps with culture
nor totally contradicts it.

27. What is the posture or
relationship of the church you
serve toward culture/the world?
Is it the same or different from
your own?

28. 1) God’s reality is far above and/or way different
from culture.
2) What God asks is pretty much in line with
what culture recommends.
3) God encourages action against cultural
norms.
4) God calls us to transform our experiences of
culture and the ways cultures operate.
5) God’s reality neither totally overlaps with
culture nor totally contradicts it.

29. III. Incarnation
Participating in God’s Action/
Expecting to meet Christ

30. Incarnational priority
• Not necessary or even possible to become an
expert in the culture of another.
• The whole point of the incarnation is that
through God’s choice and initiative God is
present to us in flesh.

31. Incarnation
“I will give myself as a sort of Christ, to my
neighbor, as Christ has given Himself to me.”
–Martin Luther
“Jesus is made incarnate today through you and
me.” –David Livermore
“Participate in God’s action as a community by
sharing deeply in one another’s lives.”
–Andrew Root
“The world is God’s body.” –Sallie MacFague

32. Incarnation
“I will give myself as a sort of Christ, to my
neighbor, as Christ has given Himself to me.”
–Martin Luther
“Jesus is made incarnate today through you and
me.” –David Livermore
“Participate in God’s action as a community by
sharing deeply in one another’s lives.”
–Andrew Root
“The world is God’s body.” –Sallie MacFague

33. Key skills
listening
observing
expecting to meet Christ

34. How is God incarnate
in your congregation?
in your neighborhood?

35. What is giving you life?
Where do you see life flowing from others?

36. How do we live and worship
in ways that
help God deliver the promise?

37. What new ways will
God deliver the promise to us
in the Christ of the neighbor?

38. “See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up;
do you not perceive it?”
--Isaiah 43:19

39. Extra materials

40. generation
“‘the Bible seems to say that
everybody in the church at a
particular time make up a
‘generation,’ a generation that is
working together in their time to
participate in God’s work’”
--Chris in You Lost Me, David Kinnaman

41. In Martin Luther’s culture here’s
how you got people’s attention:

43. Here’s how you get attention in
our age of digital technology:

44. Luther-themed video game,
iTunes catechism,
downloadable guide
to pastoral care

45. Bicultural people of God…
or tricultural or polycultural

46. moralistic therapeutic deism
• Creator God who watches life on earth
• God is not involved except when called upon
to resolve a problem
• God wants people to be good, nice, and fair
• The central goal of of life is to be happy and
feel good about oneself
• Good people go to heaven when they die

47. Is God a divine butler?
…and if God is available on demand…
what is the job of a youth pastor?

48. this world and no other
theism
incarnation
transformative discipleship
= incarnational transformative theism