When Jesus told the parable of the Sower in Matthew 13, he spoke of the soil in which the Word of God falls on people’s lives. Many have pointed out that the soil of one’s heart determines the likelihood of the Word rooting deeply. However, Jesus does not merely refer to internal factors that affect the rooting of God’s word in a person’s life. He also speaks of external factors: birds, the scorching sun, and thorns. These factors are features of the world in which we live: the wicked one, tribulation, persecution, cares of the world, and deceitfulness of riches. Discipleship (partnering with God in His work in someone’s life) is not only an enterprise that is heart focused. It is also a task that considers the world, external messages, and cultural pressures in which people live.
Cultural Discipleship is a kind of discipleship that considers our cultural moment. It is not something other than discipleship itself, but a skilled way of partnering with God for His work in someone’s spiritual life.
Being skilled in cultural discipleship requires that we integrate three essential skills for Kingdom work: cultural analysis, biblical worldview literacy, and discipleship practices. It is discipleship deeply rooted in biblical literacy and interpersonal shepherding, that we may become equipped to shepherd both the heart and the mind, with both truth and grace.
It is easy to perceive words like cultural analysis and worldview as argumentative or merely academic. Some may be concerned that an overemphasis on truth fails to consider the deeper longings of the human heart and real-world relationships.
The concept of discipleship can feel mystifying, intimidating, or something only trained professionals do. Good sermons, Bible studies, and books help us believe rightly. Isn’t that enough?
However, many Christians still struggle to translate strong theology to people who are angry, hurt, confused, or questioning. They struggle to connect with and disciple others who are being persuaded by the cultural ideologies of our day, not just in the mind but also in the feelings and intuitions. They struggle to respond to a world that increasingly finds the very idea of Christianity to be hateful or dangerous.
We sit in church, small groups, homes, and Christian schools, secretly longing for a faithful way forward in this moment. We feel the threat of a wayward child, a job loss, a family relationship, or a church brother or sister over disagreement. We want to be invitational and faithful to Christ, but we secretly wonder if our faith is too thin to bear the weight of the nuance required to enter our world’s difficulties.
We need both. We need discipleship to be demystified, caring for the heart and soul in all its complexity. We need deep worldview roots to thicken our faith and live in the fullness of our grand Story. We need simple, but not simplistic.
We need simple, but not simplistic.
If you wish to offer yourself to God in His work of inviting others into a more abundant and beautiful life, you are on the journey toward cultural discipleship. We hope to join you and help you as God thickens your understanding of your own faith. May you no longer feel cornered or unsure of what is happening in your world. May you know the why the biblical story is good for everyone and have a simple way to invite others into God’s redemptive work. May you become an invitational expression of the Gospel, caring for people’s hearts, minds, and souls. May you live with courage, inviting others into God’s Kingdom with confident conviction and uncommon compassion.