Bouganvillas are Trees??

As we walk around here, we see all sorts of plants here that I never would have guessed that when planted in their natural environment they would grow to become trees as tall as houses.  One of the plants that surprised me the most was the bouganvillas.  I worked in a garden store for the year and a half that we lived in Baton Rouge, and thought most of these plants were just seasonal and never got much bigger than what a hanging basket could hold.  I remember telling people that they don't like much water and lots of heat.  Evidently, however, they thrive in moderate temperatures where over half of the year rain is dumped on top of them.  Ten to fifteen foot bouganvilla trees are everywhere with thier pink or red blooms spilling over peoples gates and on top of their roofs.  Other plants that grow into trees that only are houseplants in the states are poinsettias and crotons.  Who knew?

As I was marvelling over how these house plants thrive as trees in their natural environment, it got me thinking about how many missionaries plant churches.  Many timese in a new church plant, the missionary desires to make a replica of the church they are familiar with.  There is nothing culturally relevant about these churches, and the people of the new culture never really thrive as Christians in their American style church.  In fact, trying to raise a plant out of its natural environment, it only lasts a season, but raising a plant in its natural habitat, it will thrive and flourish for many years.  Similarly, a church that is planted in a foriegn culture that is created to be a western church will only last for a season.  It will not be able thrive without being culturally relevant.  What do I mean by culturally relevant?  I do not mean that I desire to incorporate sycritism in order to have a relevant church, but I mean a church that incorporates the styles of teaching and learning of the people in which we are tryinig to reach.  I mean taking time to learn from the people how they communicate, what their values are, and what is offensive to them.  I mean having churches where the missionary is only behind the scenes, but never the leader of the church.  If a missionary is always the leader of the church, how will a church ever survive without the missionary?  Spreading the gospel should not be about deep theology and Western idea; however it should be something that any person in any church can replicate.  Many people outside of the states cannot read, yet we present them the Bible as written word when they understand things much better in the oral tradition.

These are very deep thoughts to stem from a bouganvilla tree and poinsettia tree.  However, I think it is very important that instead of trying to replicate a plant that is natural in one environment, but will not thrive in another, we must instead learn to grow plants that will thrive in the environment in which we plant them.