Bluegrass and Contextualization in Taiwan

Tuesday September 22, 2009 ~ 12 Comments

One of the funny elements in my video interview with Pastor Chen included a reference to a Bluegrass concert (he calls it Greengrass in the video).

Phil Johnson (of Grace to You and John MacArthur fame) made a comment about it. Phil and I have traded tweets twice, both in regards to contextualization, so he is enthusiastic about the subject. ;-) Anyway, Phil tweeted:

OK, Ed Stetzer seems excited by this, but but I don't get how bluegrass helps contextualize the gospel for Taiwan: http://bit.ly/25TivB

I don't remember being excited or saying it "helps contextualize the gospel," but Phil and I like to tweet about contextualization, so I responded:

@Phil_Johnson_ LOL. I was a bit surprised, but he said it was a great outreach. Bluegrass in Taiwan-- who knew? ;-)

Well, here is the rest of the story.

People in Taiwan have no context for bluegrass music (there's not a term in Mandarin for bluegrass), but they love music and American culture. So, it led to an interesting outreach event.

A team of "young missional Calvinists" (thought Phil would like that) from Southern Seminary has been sent to Taiwan for five months to proclaim the Gospel alongside career missionaries. In America, they are known as "The Long Run Players" here their Chinese name translates as "Mighty River Music Group."

bluegrass show.jpg Sarah Morrison, Matt Shirley, Cameron Beckerdite, Paul Martin, and Jeff Gayhart are learning Mandarin, engaging the Taiwanese culture, meeting people, building relationships, and sharing the Gospel--all through the use of guitar, banjo, fiddle, mandolin, and upright bass. Jeff says, "People always asked us before we came, 'Do they like bluegrass in Taiwan?' I would say, 'Not yet.'"

The ultimate goal is to make something much greater than bluegrass music fans; they want to lead people to Christ and make disciples. So, not really contextualization, but a neat opportunity for connection. (Though a bit surprising to me!)

Now, in regards to contextualization, you won't want to miss my next post. It will deal with contextualization and ancestor worship-- and it will be fascinating.

Posted on September 22, 2009 at 2:21 AM ~ 12 Comments

Tagged with: missions, music, Taiwan, upstream

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12 Comments

By Dennis Brown on September 22, 2009 9:12 AM

Ed,
Thanks again. I can't believe that I stumbled over the seminar when I "randomly" decided to check out your website. As I mentioned to you personally, I think I saved my whole ministry 20 years ago from the dregs of ingrown, self-righteous Calvinism when God gave me wisdom beyond myself. It was a decision to hang out with church planters for the rest of my life and with those who lead church planters. So along with the church planters, I chose four mentors: Tim Keller, Mark Driscoll, Matt Chandler and Ed Stetzer. That's why I turned up in Orlando two summers ago to "audit" your d.min course. I don't know my mentors. I met 3 of the 4 briefly, and they don't know me. But I profit from them every day in my ministry. I say this not to flatter, but to simply say thanks. Too many times, God's people don't hear that. I'm now a 60 year old year old PCA pastor in Taiwan with mostly younger people in my church. Amazingly I relate to them and they to me. It wouldn't have been so if I had stayed in the main stream. But you guys got me out and taught me more than I ever learned in seminary. So thanks for your life and I trust your mentoring pays off in church plants in Taipei. Enjoy Taipei. It's a great place.
Blessings,
Dennis Brown
Friendship Church, Taipei

By David R. Brumbelow on September 22, 2009 10:16 AM

I knew the Christian world would one day come back to her senses and re-embrace bluegrass, country, Gaither, and the Baptist Hymnal :-).
Interesting article.
David R. Brumbelow

By Kyle Goen on September 22, 2009 10:44 AM

I am cracking up over this concert. It never ceases to amaze me how the Lord will take things that one culture or sub-culture dislikes and uses it for His glory. So much for our preferences. Keep the post coming.

By Steve Schenewerk on September 22, 2009 11:04 AM

Contextualization. I grew up in the midwest US- typical suburban kid- listening to lite pop rock-parents forbid me from listening to hard stuff...Moving to the NW 30 years ago I have learned to appreciate country-western, bluegrass etc...because that is what people listen to out here. I think contextualization is not emphasized enough in seminary education- I would add a course - or several- on learning to read your community, learning to contextualize the gospel in ANY setting- not just international settings.PS I still don't listen to lots of country- but I can tolerate it after 30 years....

By kathryn on September 22, 2009 12:02 PM

Music is the universal language, and bluegrass makes it simple...yet the harmonies can be complex. Kind of like the gospel!

By Andy on September 22, 2009 2:20 PM

Astounding. I live in central Kentucky, and I don't even know anyone *here* who listens to bluegrass.

By Ed Stetzer

on September 22, 2009 2:24 PM

Dennis,

What an amazingly kind and encouraging thing to say. Thank you.

Now, on the Bluegrass comments, I know Ricky Skaggs, and even I don't like Bluegrass. ;-) Except when Ricky plays it!

By Tim Patterson on September 22, 2009 2:41 PM

OK, that was unexpected. Maybe not a good illustration for contextualization, but a great one for connection.

By Jim on September 22, 2009 6:47 PM

The idea of the Blue Grass band is to gain a hearing, create interest or buzz and then move to those that are interested. Once interested a contextualized gospel can be presented. The music is not the form of the gospel presentation, but it allows for relationship to begin. And this group is doing that. Now that relationships have been born they can move to a relational, contextual presentation of the gospel.

By Ron West on September 22, 2009 6:53 PM

I was at the concert in question and in fact arranged for the group to be there because I knew they would be well received and create excitement when their music was heard. There was not only the bluegrass band from Southern but also several other Chinese gospel music groups performing. The bluegrass group was definitely the show stopper. The majority of the people there were unchurched and non Christian. Jeff, the group leader, was able to give a brief gospel message after each song and tell the reason that they were here was to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with the people of Taiwan and that was translated into Chinese. There were also many Chinese Christians there who were able to follow up and answer questions.
I am not sure if contextualization was an issue as much as getting a hearing for the Gospel. The Taiwanese people love music. To have a message of salvation that can be shared through music is contextualization enough I suppose.

By Irene Nicholson on September 22, 2009 7:03 PM

How about Christian karaoke for contextualization? One of our church planting teams put together a karaoke dvd which they use for church music-Taiwanese folk songs which everyone knows with Christian lyrics designed to be sung using the Taiwanese language (not Mandarin). We didn't get round to talking about contextualization much with you or to show you this yesterday:-(

By Brance Gillihan on September 26, 2009 2:14 PM

It seems only natural to me that calvinism and bluegrass should go together. Of course, this is coming from a young calvinist who runs a website called The Bluegrass Blog (all about bluegrass music)!

See at the "Ambition" boot camp in November Ed!

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