Folk religion; God's healing

I have just finished teaching the graduate course Folk Religions and New Spiritualities at the Seminar in Missions at Abilene Christian University. This time I had 15 focused learners ministering in Mozambique and the USA and going to Tanzania, the Czech Republic, Sudan, Brazil, etc. The class interactions were thought-provoking; many of the relationships formed will be for a life-time.

I was once again surprised at the type of learning that took place in this class. The students learned as much about the secular roots of their own worldviews (Yes, even during this time called Post-Modernity.) and the nature and core of Christianity as they learned about folk religion and new spiritualities.

I ask all students to write a three-part paper in this class with the parts of about equal length. The first part describes animistic beliefs and practices of a ministry context (like practices among American “do-it-yourself” practitioners who privately practice new spiritualities in their homes using the “how-to-do-it” literature on taro cards, channeling, etc., found at most book stores). The second section of the paper provides theological frameworks, based on Scripture, interpreting the spiritual realities involved and studying the responses of people of God to similar realities. The final part of the paper suggests models of ministry, bringing kingdom realities into the animistic context. Of course, learners find it much easier to describe the culture than to do theology or develop models of ministry.

The Indian mother-in-law of our daughter Rebecca has been visiting her family and other relatives in San Francisco for six months. She became very sick. The doctors, including her daughter who is a doctor in the San Francisco area, felt that it was a stomach virus. It was, however a heart problem: the mitral valve was not allowing adequate flow of blood into her heart. She became weaker and weaker to the point of death. Rebecca, her husband Ravi, and many Christians prayed for her health. We are thankful that God has extended her life. Her healing is a testimony to some Hindus of the mighty acts of God. We continue to see God powerfully working.