Our Father

Nohtāwīnān kihci-kīsikohk kā-yāyin,
pitanē miyo-wēyihcikātēk kiwīhowin,
pitanē ohcihcipayiw kitipēhcikīwin,
kā-isi-natohtākawiyan kīsikohk pitanē ēkosi isi wāskitaskamihk.

Anohc kā-kīsikak mīyinān ni pahkwēsikaniminān
mina tahtwāw kīsikāki,
kā-isi-kāsīnamawitwāw kā-kī-māyitōtākoyahkwāw,
ēkosi wī-isi kāsīnamawinān kā-kī-māyitōtamahk,
pisiskīminān ēkā kita maci-māmitonihtamahk,
iyēkatēnamawinān kā-māyātahk.
pitanē ēkosi īhkihk

What you see before you is the prayer Jesus taught to his followers, commonly known as the Lord’s prayer, in the Plains Cree language. I thought I would post it, since it is Father’s Day. The first word in the prayer “Nohtāwīnān” translated from Cree to English means “Our Father”.

Answering the Twelve: Question/Concern#3

For those of you that are new to the writings of “The Voice in the Wilderness”. You may find it helpful to read some of my earlier posts to gain some context as to the reason for the posts titled “Answering the Twelve”.

Their was a time when I was doing 4 presentations per year, at the church where I was the pastor, to talk about First Nations spirituality and its incorporation into the evangelical/pentecostal church. Needless to say, it created a lot of emotionally charged discussions. The 12, were the common questions or concerns that were consistenly raised in the sessions. I am trying to discuss and provide answers to those concerns in this forum.

Question/concern number 3. Doesn’t the Bible tell us that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit and thus we shouldn’t put harmful things into our body, like tobacco?

Before I answer the question, let me share something I noticed in the seminars. Generally the person that asked this question already had a very well defined personal belief concerning the use of tobacco and about First Nations spirituality. Also, the question was usually asked with an already preconceived idea about the scripture being quoted. (1 Corinthians 6:19) Therefore, a healthy debate, discussion, or teaching moment about the use of tobacco was usually very difficult as “lines in the sand” had already been drawn.

However there are two issues at hand; (A) The scripture; and (B) the use of tobacco.

(A) 1 Corinthians 6:18-20.  ¹⁸ Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. ¹⁹ Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own; ²⁰ you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. (NIV)

The scripture quoted in connection with the question is always verse 19 of the above passage. Anyone that knows me, knows that, I do not subscribe to the idea that their is one and only one interpretation for a passage of scripture. Scripture is open for debate and numerous possibilities. However, I do believe that it is always a healthy practice to begin with reading a passage of scripture within its original context. So, let me point out that this passage in its original context is addressing the issue of sexual immorality and not tobacco use.

Through the course of time the passage has endured some creative theology and has been removed from its original context. This has been done in an effort to make the argument that the passage is also addressing other body (temple) destroying behaviours such as smoking, drinking intoxicants, drug abuse, reckless acts, getting a tattoo, and diet. Is this a fair interpretation of the 1Cor6:19 passage and does it stay true to the spirit and intent of the passage? I guess you need to ask yourself that question and it is something I leave for you to decide.

Just as a side note, I always wonder why the use of 1Cor6:19 fails to take into account the fast food industry, glucose-fructose, white flour, white rice, white pasta, white sugar, and caffeine. Which are just as harmful on the body (temple) if not more so.

(B) Use of tobacco

I choose not to enter into a lot of detail on the use of tobacco within First Nations ceremonies, lest I reveal something that I was not supposed to reveal. However I will say this, tobacco use for ceremonial purpose is something different than the everyday use of tobacco and cannot be compared to the everyday use of tobacco.

Tobacco use in ceremonies is for sacred purposes and is not used to satisfy or appease an addiction. In fact, it would be very difficult to misuse or get addicted to tobacco if all you ever did was use it in ceremony.

Most people, First Nations people included, know of the dangers that tobacco misuse can cause. The question/concern assumes that the dangers of tobacco use are similar in both the social and the ceremonial setting, which they are not. The dangers of tobacco abuse, although quite acceptable to bring up in conversation if you lack understanding, should not be compared to or be imposed upon the ceremonial use of the plant. The plant was given to us for a reason, I believe it is best to discover that reason before passing judgment.

ay ay

Answering the Twelve: Question/Concern #2

Question/Concern #2. I am concerned about the pipe, the sweatlodge, tobacco, sweetgrass, cedar, and sage, or any other native tradition being brought into the church. Is it right to mix native traditions and Christianity?

I believe I need to address a couple of other issues being posed by this question. Is the question really asking ”can church and native traditions be mixed together?” as opposed to “should Christianity and native traditions be brought together?”

Anybody that knows me, would know that I am in favour of native traditons being practiced without any changes in structure or style to the tradition. I only advocate incorporating Jesus (Yeshua) into the ceremony/tradition because it is something I would need for my own peace of mind and because I believe it would be beneficial to the ceremony and traditional practice. I will try to expand on this concept in the days ahead, in these few and far between posts. 

But let me try to address the question “can church and native traditions be mixed together?” Although it would seem very simple to just say yes to the question, in reality it is not that simple. I believe it is perfectfully acceptable to bring native traditions and ceremonies into the church, however the current structure and format of church services would not allow for full expression of native traditions and in fact would limit the expression of the ceremony.

Smudging, smoking the pipe, talking circles, feathers, artwork, dances, and feasts could very easily be practiced and/or displayed inside the church building, but a typical Sunday morning service would limit these ceremonies and practices. Smudging could take place before the service and replace opening prayer or be incorporated as part of the opening prayer. Having feathers in the building or on people’s bodies is not a difficult thing either and would not change the Sunday morning structure too much either. A dance and art work is a nice expression of culture, but I think it would come across as a performance rather than as a spiritual act. It would be still nice to see although.

However the typical Sunday morning service structure would have to be totally scrapped to have a pipe ceremony. The Pipe ceremony would have to take place instead of the typical service and where I am from the ceremony is only for men. Feasts and talking circles would also require the typical church service to be dramatically altered, in fact totally done away with. Personally I would do it, but I don’t know if too many or any evangelical or mainline denominations would allow for such practice.

Without getting into too much detail, the ceremonial lodges could never be practiced inside a building and those have to be outside, so incorporating these into a church is an impossibility. I am referring to the sweat lodges and the sundances/raindances on this. 

Does that answer the question of mixing traditions and Christianity? I don’t really know, but it is something that I think about quite a lot. I don’t have too many examples of where a spirituality of combining Christianity and Native Traditions is being practiced and promoted. In Saskatchewan people who think like this are few and far between. All I really know is that, it is clear in my mind, and I am at peace with the thought, that it is perfectfully acceptable to follow Christ in a manner that allows for the total expression of native traditions and ceremonies. 

Answering the 12 Questions - #1

1. Is it necessary? Why do I need it?

This was always the number one question, at every seminar I ever hosted on the topic of incorporating First Nations traditions into my Christian faith, the Evangelical (Pentecostal) brand of Christianity in particular. The question was consistently asked in a critical or condescending manner and I knew that as soon as the person asked the question that he/she was more than likely looking for a debate rather than actually trying to learn.

The question could be and would be asked in many different ways. For example, ”Since Jesus’ blood and sacrifice is what brings cleansing to my life, why do I need sweetgrass or a sweatlodge?” or even more simply “Why do I need - to go to a lodge, go to a feast, smoke a pipe, burn sweetgrass, get a name, etc….?

There are many ways that I could answer this question.

A. With a flippant/sarcastic remark. Such as “Why do we need a pulpit, or a church, or guitars, or pianos, or prayer meetings, or promise keepers, or seeker services, or evangelistic rally’s, or youth meetings, etc…?” None of these things in and of themselves add anything to Christianity. Of course, whenever I made this comment it always lead to more argument and people drawing lines in the sand.

B. A Second Consideration. I suppose that a valid case can be made for the fact that, in reality, a person actually does not need any of the First Nations traditions, including a First Nations person. Traditions, in and of, themselves will not make you or anybody a better person. Christianity or Traditions will only make you a better person if you choose to believe, choose to accept the ways of the Father, and make the effort to be a better person

C. The question, when examined on a more deeper level, is a question about theology. The person who asks the question is bringing, perhaps imposing, his/her Christian theology onto the First Nation tradition and trying to compare it with the First Nations tradition. These type of comparisons will only lead to confusion and are not fair to either faith system. First Nations traditions are best viewed and understood by people who participate within those traditions (I am suggesting that you participate, if you truly want to learn). It is hard to see their value when you look at them through a purely Evangelical/Pentecostal lens.

D. I personally believe that First Nations traditions are of immense value, especially to the First Nation person, and can be practiced in a manner that brings honour and remains faithful to the message to Jesus Christ and the Father of All. The traditional ways strongly promote, simplistically put, the values of love, health, healing, community, and doing the the right thing. It is one of the few environments where a First Nations person can feel truly comfortable and feel a sense of ownership and connection. It is for this reason that I believe it is needed. A First Nation person is not going to find that same sense of ownership or connection within a typical evangelical/pentecostal church. 

A Response to the Twelve Questions

At the heart of these questions and concerns are four issues:

1. Theology/Doctrine
The concerns generally come out of the believers understanding of the Bible and how Christian faith and church is to be practiced in the world. There seems to be an assumption that there is a pure type of Christianity, that is already in existence or that we can somehow achieve this pure Christianity. It is perceived by some of the questions/concerns that native traditions and ideas would somehow taint pure Christianity. 

The questions and concerns fail to recognize the European influence and the incredible amount of European symbols already mixed into the practices of the church and society. The cross and the Bible are the prime examples of the European influence on Christianity. The questions and concerns are asking if the native practices are right or wrong, however it seems that no one evaluates or questions what already exists in the church and Christian practice. The Euro-centrality of the church and the syncretistic practices of hundreds of years are conveniently overlooked

Native tradition for the most part is monotheistic in belief. The people who practice profess a belief in only one God/Creator. However, some traditional people call or rely upon spirits or spirit helpers to give guidance and strength. But does that mean that the Holy Spirit cannot be invited into a ceremony? The ceremonies/traditions in some instances need to be practiced in different locations (outdoors), but I don’t believe they need to be changed. The focus of any spiritual practice has to be on the relationship of God/Creator, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit with His people.

Further to this, the questions and concerns are, at times, coming from a less than objective mindset. The questions generally arise from a person who believes that the personal theology and the doctrines that he or she holds to are so right and so proven that they cannot possibly be challenged or that doctrines cannot be shaped by new perspectives. The comments then become comparisons of one belief against another or an imposition of Christian doctrine on to the traditional practice or belief.

2. Personal struggle with God
The concerns are sometimes really asking, “Would God be pleased?” I have met a lot of Christians who have a Christianity based on fear. They internally struggle to know if God loves them or if God is pleased with them and thus they live out a faith where they question everything they or someone else does. They choose to do or not do based on their own answer to whether God is pleased with them. I don’t recommend people blindly go into ceremonies, where they do not trust the leader or have no idea about what is going on. Because you have to be wise in this respect and be careful, but I also would say that about church.

It is unfortunate that there are not many followers of Jesus leading native ceremonies, so if a person is genuinely seeking for answers then they may have to rely on non-Christian elder. It’s not such a bad thing to be taught by a non Christian elder, provided that the elder is someone who is trustworthy.

Each individual has their own limits and I never recommend people do something they are not comfortable doing, but just because one person is not comfortable with something it doesn’t mean we all have to be uncomfortable with it

3. Personal Issues
The strength of Christianity is that it offers hope to anyone in need. However its strength is sometimes its weakness, Christianity attracts dysfunctional people, who then become dysfunctional leaders. Christianity attracts people who have problems with relationship, have issues of fear, anger, control, and addictions, and who truly do not understand honesty. It consistently attracts people who have a poor self-concept.

These are people who have always been told what to do and how to act and thus they lack confidence in their abilities and even more damaging they lack confidence in God’s abilities. Their questions sometimes speak of their own personal fears, such as their fear of rejection, fear of failure, and fear of the unknown.

4. Fear of People
I think it is sad that a whole generation of native people have not been given education or the freedom to practice their tribes or family’s traditional practices. The decision on whether or not traditional practices were of value was made for them by missionaries, churches, and Indian agents, who for the most part seen no value in the traditional practices.

Christians and churches are afraid to talk about native traditions because they fear that they will be blackballed or will lose friendships. So they do nothing, because it’s just easier to maintain the status quo

Fear is born out of ignorance and misunderstanding. Fear of rejection, fear of the unknown, fear of failure and fear of abandonment are some of the common fears that people encounter. Fear can be and is a great motivator. People will act or not act because of fear.

I think that a lot of the confusion, misunderstanding, and rejection of this topic is motivated by fear and not by sound reason. Fear causes a person to close up their understanding and reasoning ability, it causes a person “to put up walls”. When we encounter fear our defence mechanism is usually either to fight or flee.The dynamic that takes place in the church about this topic is to fight against it or to close the door on it and reject it

God-centred spirituality vs. Culture-centred spirituality
I strongly promote, from a Christian perspective, First nation culture and traditions, but it is not a promotion of culture to the point where culture and tradition takes the place of God. I don’t think Jesus would be or is displeased when we worship him and pray to the Father in a traditional ceremony.

To have a truly healthy and effective spirituality, Jesus, the Son of God, the Holy Spirit, and the Father of All has to be the focal point. Culture and tradition is a tool that helps to teach us about God/Creator and is to be used to improve our relationship with God. With God/Jesus as the focal point of any tradition, practice or ceremony, then the possibility of the traditional practice to harm the worshipper is minimized.

Tradition when it is misused and misinterpreted allows for the animals, elements, or ceremonies to be in control. Creation and ceremony when given control becomes our spiritual guide, and thus our God. When culture, traditions, or objects are in control or are given control, then an abnormal spirituality is created that is based upon superstition and fear. I don’t think God meant for any tradition or ceremony to be in control of our spirituality. I believe true spirituality is found when an individual meets the Father in a setting or place that the Spirit has arranged.

So with that in mind I feel that every believer, when in a ceremony or service, needs to ask him or herself the following questions, “who is in control here?” Is it me?

Two important considerations for the leaders within this theological revolution
Although I am in favour of practicing Christianity in a purely First Nations setting and I have a set of beliefs and answers to the following questions, I believe there are a couple deeper theological considerations that need to be asked of the collective and should be addressed by all those involved in practicing Christianity in a First Nations manner. 

• To what extent should First Nations traditions be incorporated into the present church context and into the life of the individual follower of Christ? Are their limits that need to be set
• If traditional ways have been incorporated into a local ministry, to what extent should a Non-native person participate in native traditional ways

Twelve Questions

I think my journey from the tradition fearing Native Pentecostal minister to genuine explorer and to eventually becoming a native theological voice in the wilderness has given me some perspective on the questions or concerns that a person may ask as they are forced to encounter First Nations traditional beliefs.  It with this in mind that I present these twelve questions and concerns that have been consistently asked or raised at seminars and gatherings by those encountering First Nations traditional beliefs. I will also present a brief response to these questions and concerns in the next blog. The questions have most likely been encountered at one time or another by the handful of ministers leading the theological revolution. It is my intention by presenting these only to further the dialogue on the issue and to provide theological minds with another perspective on the issues.  

Twelve Common Questions/Concerns

The twelve common question, concerns, responses from Christians regarding the topic of First Nations traditions are:  

1. Is it necessary? Why do I need it? This is the number one question at every seminar and is asked in many different ways.  For example, since Jesus’ blood and sacrifice is what brings cleansing to my life, why do I need sweetgrass or a sweatlodge?

2. I am concerned about the pipe, the sweatlodge, tobacco, sweetgrass, cedar, and sage, or any other native tradition being brought into the church. Is it right to mix native traditions and Christianity?

3. Doesn’t the Bible tell us that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and thus we shouldn’t put harmful things in our body, like tobacco? 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 and 6:19-20.

4. Where do I “draw the line”? I like some things like the dancing and drums, but not other things, such as pipes, sweatlodge, and smoke.

5. What if I go into a ceremony and a “bad spirit” comes on me? Can a bad spirit come on me and will I need deliverance later?

6. I don’t understand the significance and I am apprehensive or fearful of native symbols, songs, protocol, and ceremonies. Do I need to be afraid of these things?

7. Native people who lack understanding of the traditional aspects of their people will ask how to go about learning traditional ways or they will make a comments like “I was never brought up this way”, or “my culture was alcohol, abuse and dysfunction”.

8. Do native people worship or call upon many gods/spirits? Do they talk to evil spirits, animal spirits, or spirit guides?

9. Should I participate in a native practice that causes my brother to stumble? What about the weaker brother?

10. How come you don’t see examples of traditional people living a victorious life or living in freedom?

11. Are you a Christian?

12. Non-natives will wonder “Why should I be responsible for the sins my ancestors perpetrated upon native people?

The manner in which you answer the questions and how much thought you want to put into the process is up to you. All I know is that your answers will set the path you want to take on this subject.

The Reason I Own a BlackBall: Part Two

Christian Responses to the Restoration of Culture 

 “The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” 

In the summer of 2002, I began hosting seminars and open forums to discuss realities in First Nations ministry. The seminars were developed for a variety of reasons, but mostly to educate local ministries in Regina on the realities of First Nation people in Saskatchewan and to emphasize the need for a more effective way to reach the First Nation person with the gospel.  The seminars emphasized heavily the value of First Nation traditional thought and practice as a more practical environment and more effective model to deliver the gospel. I also felt that traditions were a more practical approach to facilitate true healing. Having been involved in this theological field for a number of years, I have encountered three basic categories of response by Christian people when it comes to the topic of incorporating and/or practicing First Nations traditions and ceremonies. 

1. Regarded as evil in some circles.

There is a large and influential contingent that is of the mentality that First Nations traditions and culture are, without a doubt, just pure evil. They strongly hold to the view point that the traditions have been inspired by the devil or that the traditions started out as something good, but have been so tainted and perverted by the devil that they are no longer of any value.  This group generally uses a biblically based argument to prove their point, however in a lot of cases members of this group will use unfounded and poorly researched opinion as a basis for argument.

For example, a person might have opinions based on what they believe or perceive is happening in a First Nation ceremony without ever having attended a ceremony or the objection is based on what they have heard from another person who may have attended a ceremony.  In some cases the argument against contextualizing traditions to fit the church is based upon a person’s first-hand experience with traditional ways and the voice of that particular person does need to be heard and respected. However, one must keep in mind, that first hand or eye-witness evidence does not always represent the most credible source for argument. 

It is debatable as to whether or not the arguments, that people in this category use, are logical or if they are valid. Some of the logic is founded upon superstition and/or poor theology, but some of the arguments, especially from those that have had first hand experience with traditional practices, are valid and need to be adequately addressed by those in favour of traditional practice.  Within this afformentioned theological group is a large and influential contingent of First Nations led ministries and ministers. More often than not it is the First Nation, not the non-native, minister or ministry who holds to the view that “traditions are evil and devilish” that makes life difficult for a minister that is sympathetic to the idea of having First Nations traditional practice become part of a person’s faith.  It is the First Nations minister within this category that generally blackballs, shuns, and speaks against the local church where that First Nation traditions minded minister is serving. An unfortunate situation is then created where two or more ministries end up becoming divided over the traditions issue and the ability to present the gospel to the community becomes more challenging.  

2. Some Ministries (Native and Non-native) are beginning exploration to better understand traditional ways. 

Thankfully not all ministries and ministers are of the mindset that First Nation traditions are evil and therefore are of no value. There are some ministries that see some value in learning or trying to understand First Nations traditional practice. I have observed that it is possibly for one of three reasons:  

(a) Ammunition. This mentality goes hand in hand with the ministries that regard native traditions as an evil force. These ministries and ministers take a close-minded view to native traditional ways and thought, but they do see a need to explore the traditional ways. Their exploration is purely just for ammunition just in case they need to have proven research, so they can use their knowledge as ammunition should they ever need to engage in an apologetics and/or theological debate against those who favor inclusion of traditional ways into Christian worship. 

(b) Economic/Business Considerations. Some ministries do things just because it makes for good business practice. In Saskatchewan and Western Canada, it makes sense to incorporate First Nations traditional thought or symbols into the church. The First Nation population is growing by leaps and bounds, they are becoming a political and economic force, and they are beginning to demonstrate leadership in all areas of society. Learning and exploring First Nations traditions is the right thing to do from a purely economic and business standpoint. Sadly, it is hard to know if these ministries have a heart for First Nation people or they are just good business people. Either way at least they are not totally against First Nation people.  

(c) Genuine Concern and Willingness to learn. There exists in Christian circles, although not many, some ministries that have a genuine concern for First Nations people and who have a willingness to learn about native traditions, spirituality, and thought. These ministries are actively seeking creative ways to incorporate the traditions into their local settings. This group is steadily growing in number and in the knowledge that they are gathering about First Nations people, thought, ways, and ceremonial practices.  

I hope these ministries do not view First Nations Traditions as the new fad to follow until something even more exciting comes along. This is a distinct possibility and will most likely become a reality for some, but hopefully the bandwagon jumpers will learn something while they are involved with traditional people. Another area of concern that I have, because I have witnessed it, is that some ministries may be using or contextualizing native traditions and symbols in a way that misrepresents the original form and function of the traditional practice. For example taking the symbols of the colors in the circle and comparing it to the wordless bible, or imposing a church’s theological belief upon a First Nation tradition because the First Nation traditional belief does not fit the ministry’s statement of faith, for example making a male only ceremony into a co-ed ceremony. 

3. Handful of ministries leading a theological revolution

It is this third category of response that I find to be the most encouraging, although progress is slower or accelerated in different areas, one thing is sure, there are a number of ministries and individuals who are leading a theological revolution regarding the incorporation or practice of native theology and traditions. These men and women have developed a strong academic and theological understanding to support their views on the inclusion of First Nations thought and ways into the ministry. They are faced with many challenges and in spite of it all they continue to push forward. The leaders in this revolution are gathering momentum at a steady pace and doors are opening across North America for these leaders to vocalize their beliefs and present their theological understanding, which is causing the evangelical church world to take notice. I think this is for a number of reasons:

(a) The people involved are well spoken and well educated;

(b) They have a strong dedication and feel a deep sense of purpose to build a church that is for First Nations people rather than against;

(c) Humility is a strong point in their character;

(d) Resources are being supplied to facilitate the movement;

(e) Most important of all, The Father of All, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit is directing it. I count myself to be in this category of Christian response even though I have walked in all three of the categories at one time or another.

I have empathy for anyone involved in ministry, especially First Nations ministry, and I am fully aware of the challenges that we consistently face. I think my journey from the tradition fearing Native Pentecostal minister to genuine explorer and to eventually becoming a native theological voice in the wilderness has given me some perspective on the questions or concerns that a person may ask as they are forced to encounter First Nations traditional beliefs.

The Reason I Own A Blackball:Part1

Are voices crying in the wilderness ever heard? 

The Old Testament provides us with a classic example of the oppression of a particular people group, Israel, and the renewal and restoration of that group. Their example presents a theological framework that can provide perspective for the whole issue of restoration as it exists in and amongst First Nations people groups.  

Throughout its history, Israel has been made to suffer the indignity of being overtaken by various foreign people groups and having been forced to learn the ways of their oppressor. In God’s infinite wisdom this course of action obviously served many purposes, beyond just merely having a nice victory story to tell your children. It does show the reader how many times Israel encountered foreign ways and the influence these way may have had on the nation of Israel. In the Old Testament narratives Israel is overtaken and/or influenced by the Egyptians, Philistines, Midianites, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, and Greeks

In each example the nation of Israel finds freedom and restoration, when it returns to its traditional ways and begins to re-apply its faith in new or different circumstances and in a contextualized manner. The traditional ways of the nation are adapted to fit within its current context, whether they have been dispersed or carried away into captivity in a foreign land, or they are in their homeland and under the oppression of a foreign ruler. The Book of Daniel provides a clear example of the contextualization and adaptability of the Jewish faith. The restoration and contextualization of the ways of Israel seems to follow this basic pattern.

• Oppression/Captivity
• Renewal of Ways
• Deliverance/Divine Intervention

Our Generation

I present the previous thought as a possible pattern to provide a theological explanation for what is taking place in North America in our generation, especially in and amongst First Nations people groups. The following is my perception on how this pattern is unfolding in our generation:  

Oppression/Captivity - First Nations ways have been oppressed and suppressed by a set of foreign rules and rulers for decades. We also see that the people have been influenced, but more like forced to learn, the ways, faiths, and teachings of the dominant culture 

Renewal of Ways – In our (evangelical churches) prayers for revival/renewal the answer our generation is receiving is a resurgence of First Nations traditional teachings. We are also seeing that these traditional ways being slightly modified to fit the modern context and that they have been influenced by the foreign set of beliefs.  The renewal/revival that is occurring in First Nations society has taken the place of the one dynamic individual or herald that usually stands out and calls the people back to God. The revival of First Nations traditions is the prophet, the John the Baptist, the Elijah, of our generation preparing the way for First Nations people, possibly North America as a whole, to establish a healthy relationship with God, the Father of All.  

Restoration of Ceremony - A large part of a renewal of faith is the renewal of ceremony. The example of Israel is that a renewal of faith always incorporated a renewal of their ceremonies. Essentially their return to ceremony is a return to the Laws and the practice of those laws as defined in the Old Testament. It is different within the First Nations context, but over the past twenty five years First Nations society has seen a dramatic increase in the amount of ceremonies and cultural activities that are being practiced and re-learned. I believe this amount of spiritual activity is something that needs to be given proper attention and is speaking a message to our generation. The message is pointing towards the next stage in the pattern. 

Deliverance/Divine Intervention – The call to restore/renew First Nation ceremony and traditional beliefs is preparing the people for a divine intervention. I believe that the renewal of First Nation traditions is “making straight ” the way for the heart, soul, spirit, and mind of the First Nation people to accept and establish relationship with Jesus Christ and with God, the Father of All. The First Nations spiritual environment is being re-established in order that a more effective and healthier ‘church’ (I hesitated to use the word church because people have to many preconceived ideas about church) can be built by the First Nation person and can be the environment in which a First Nation person can fulfill the Great Commission. 

Further to this, the re-emergence of First Nations traditional beliefs and practice can be the context which brings about the greater needs and aspirations of the First Nations people. I refer to the issues of justice, prosperity, peace, healing, and mutual interdependence with non-native society, which have not been addressed in any satisfactory manner by the ‘church’.  

The ‘church’ needs to be involved in these issues so that we can see these issues solved and see First Nations people on a whole fully participating within and influencing government, economy, and social structure, and so that a First Nations person can truly say “we are free from our oppressor”.  

The ‘church’ has a huge responsibility and mandate to facilitate the aspirations and liberty of the First Nations people, if not for anything else, but just to repair the damage it caused to the First Nation people. Thankfully it does not have to do it alone, I believe God, the Father of All, His Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit are the real forces behind the change.  

A Consideration Regarding the Restoration of Culture

Elijah and John the Baptist offer a very interesting theological perspective in regards to the restoration of faith/ways/culture. These men are heralds and passionately cry out for a return to faith and their presence indicates that the world or a worldview is coming to an end. John the Baptist’s (Elijah’s) presence also represents the people’s hearts being prepared to receive Jesus.  

Can we suggest that the restoration of culture and traditions are in the spirit of Elijah and John the Baptist and that the restoration of Native culture and traditions is bringing and/or sending a Holy Spirit inspired message to First Nations people and to North America?  

These two messengers prepare the way for the coming of Jesus and so working from that framework can a credible comparison be made that is applicable to our current situation as we study, reflect upon, and see the rise of culture and traditional ways of thinking?

Is the rise of native traditions a God inspired way to prepare the hearts of an oppressed people to receive Jesus, so that they may live in wholeness and restoration?

Nothing Personal, its Just Business

I once asked a question of the congregation that I was leading, “What has been the biggest change in North American Christianity in the past 50 years?”

Of course, I got the usual blank stares, because nobody expects to be tested on their Christian history knowledge during a sermon and I expected that it would be a question that would not be answered anyways. Because I had fallen into the trap that most pastors do and had an answer already prepared.

But if I were to ask you, “What has been the biggest change in North American Christianity in the past 50 years? I am sure that I would receive a number of answers. Such as, the amount of English translations of the Bible that have been produced (NIV in particular), or perhaps the growth of the evangelical movement, or the amazing amount of biblical teaching that is reaching the masses, through radio, television, internet, and print media. If you have more thoughts, I would like to hear or read them actually.

But if I were to be asked, I believe the biggest change in North American Christianity in the past 50 years is that the churches have become businesses. Churches and North American Christianity has adapted to the culture of the people and churches now act in the same manner as businesses, not any different than Wal-Mart or 7-11. The structure and policies of the Non Profit Corporations Act and the By-laws of the organization may in fact be the real leader of your church rather than the Father/Jesus/Spirit.

Here is a simple test to determine if your church is just a business:

• Does your church have an incorporated board, or is it an incorporated body?
• Does it have a Mission and Vision statement?
• Does it have a constitution, bylaws, and policy manual?
• Has the pastor been hired by a committee?
• If pastor has not been hired by committee, did he/she create the church and the incorporated body?
• Does your church have a membership list?
• Do tithes and offerings pay someone’s salary and/or pay ministry bills?
• Do you get a receipt for the money you give to the church?
• Does your church evangelize as a means to get more people into the church?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, it is a sad realization, but your church is just a business and thus operates in a business-like manner. You can expect cold calculated business moves to be made and don’t be too dismayed when you here the statement, “Nothing personal, its just business”. Businesses don’t look at individual cases, they only do what is good for the business. May God help you when you are in real need, because the business won’t unless it’s in their own best intere$t.

The Voice Speaks…or writes

The voice in the wilderness is well…..just that. A lone voice participating in a faith that likes to believe that it already has the answers. My voice is heard “here and there” and I like to express what I think are creative and well thought out views on following Jesus and worshipping the Father of All. Who I am is really not all that important, what I say, thought provoking….I hope.