Lessons from the African Church

From Jonathan Dodson, pastor of Austin City Life:

Lessons from the African Church

1. Theology Proper (Doctrine of God): Consider the following Ugandan Christian greeting. Greeter:“The Lord is good.” Respondent: The Lord is good all the time.” This is a remarkable statement about the sovereignty and character of God. Remember whose mouth this statement is coming from. Rural and urban Africans who live in daily poverty and famine. And they say: “The Lord is good. The Lord is good all the time.” What do we say? “How can a good God let bad things happen to good people?” Our suffering, in many respects, is incomparable to our African borthers and sisters. Yet, they begin with a theology proper that confesses the goodness of God. We begin with a theology proper that questions the goodness of God! Who the hell do we think we are?! How high is your view of God? Is he good, all the time?

2. Doctrine of the Church – Consider this story on creeds and prayers. When we were in the village of Kadama, we were frequently greeted “in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” Working with the Bishop Waco of the Lutheran Church in Uganda and his brother, Moses, we learned a lot about our theology of the church. In a casual conversation, Pastor Moses remarked: “I go to too many churches where they do not even say ‘The Creed’ or the ‘Lord’s Prayer.’” I was cut to the heart. Austin City Life is too disconnected from these historic confessions of faith, made by our brothers and sisters across the history of our Faith. We have much to learn from the African Church

3. Exegesis and Community: “This is the Day that the Lord has Made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.” Better interpretation of Psalm 118:24. We interpret this verse individualistically, singing “This is the Day that the Lord has Made; I will rejoice and be glad in it.” Even in our songs, we sever ourselves from dependence upon one another. Why? Because we are sinfully self-reliant and proud. We prefer to sin, struggle, and rejoice alone. We have much to learn from the African Church.

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