Growing up as small-town Southern Baptists, the idea of 'Holy Week' never really became important until moving to Latin America. Holy Week is a BIG deal among Catholics in Latin American and Mexico is no different. Processionals and ritual ceremonies will be the norm here for the next few days. These days are a blessing in that so many folks are talking about Jesus. They are also very frustrating in that so many folks think their participation in rituals and offerings are gaining them favor with God. This is not so much a criticism of any one church tradition as it is a reminder that religion traps so many people in our world. We Baptists have our 'rituals' and 'easy-believism' that causes us, in our own syncretistic ways, to believe we can limit God to an image and can control Him and make Him more 'comfortable'.
Our prayer this week is that we would have opportunities to speak the truth of the Gospel to those we meet. We want to respect the culture we are blessed to be a part of. The sweetest people on the face of the earth live in Oaxaca, Mexico. Would you pray that those in Mexico and Mississippi who think ritualistic religious activities score points with Jesus (and His mama) would exchange that lie for a relationship with the Jesus of the Bible? Pray that they would know a Jesus who is alive, active, accessible to all, sending His disciples on a mission to the ends of the earth.
1 comment:
Thank you for the encouragement! So true that American believers want to make God in our own image so that He can provide for our comforts. Thanks for sharing the truth of the gospel. Grace and peace
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