YWAM Native American First Nations DTS

Knowing Creator and making him known

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Who Are You?

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Have you ever noticed, how much western culture is obsessed with Work and Success?

This becomes visible quickly, when we are asked who we are. In a typical western mindset such as my own (German), we are accustomed to identify ourselves by giving our name and occupation, which shows we derive meaning and identity from what we do.

Persons with a non-western mindset, such as Native Americans, Polynesians and people of tribal history in general usually identify themselves by stating their name and family background. Who they come from, their parents, grand parents, their clan and tribal membership identify who they are.

Now to be sure, what we do is not unimportant in either cultural background but it seems to me that we have put the cart before the horse. We try to do before we really know who we are.

The parallels to a Christian’s life are stunning. Often we are trying to identify ourselves by the works we do instead of whose we are.

Our identity as Christians must be rooted in Christ! We become part of Christ’s family by entrusting our lives completely to him, by believing in what he said and did. The works we do as Christians should be our joyful response to the grace we have received from our master and teacher Jesus-but the works are not who we are.

In Luke chapter 10 we read about the disciples coming back from an assignment bursting with a sense of fulfillment and victory. They had seen people healed and set free from bondages, but Jesus encouraged them not to rejoice in their accomplished works but in the fact that their names are recorded in heaven.

Our identity needs to be rooted in the fact that we are members of Christ’s family! Only then will we be really free to do the works of Him who sent us.

© 1999 Volkhard Graf, YWAM Native Ministries

(Permission to reproduce this material is automatically granted on the condition it will be used for non-commercial purposes, will not be sold, and will be distributed for the sole purpose of expanding the Gospel.)

Gatherings

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mvc-406sThe first Gathering was a great experience and time of learning more about the freedom to praise the Creator and His Son Jesus with Native forms of worship. A new drum, created by Gerald Chapman of Longview, Washington, a wonderful Native brother, was introduced during the meeting and some of the young people had the opportunity to sing their praises, drumming with great joy and freedom.

Over 20 native and non-native people came to share a delicious meal, fellowship and the ministry of the Word. Pastor Ehud Garcia of the Nez Perce Presbyterian Churches spoke on the topic of worshiping in the Spirit and Truth– Staying true to God’s Word and our cultural heritage. His presentation was based on John chapter four, where Jesus opened the gates of worship to the nations and their different cultures when he told the Samaritan woman that the time had come when they would no longer worship the way they were accustomed to do. Instead, the true worshiper would worship in Spirit and in Truth.

This new approach to worship brought freedom to God’s people to express their faith in different ways, using different forms of instruments and worship. Pastor Garcia, who has a PhD in Intercultural Studies from Fuller Seminary, shared clearly that the use of different forms or instruments in worship is not a problem and not in contradiction to scriptural principles. The meaning behind any form is what is important. We are invited to give our forms of expression a new meaning, one that brings praise and glory to our Lord and Redeemer.