Inside a Gujarati Hindu Temple Between 2 pm and 4 pm on any Sunday afternoon, a steady stream of cars approaches the 20-acre BAPS (Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan) temple complex in an eastern suburb of Los Angeles County. The cars, some of which have come from up to 50-75 miles away, are directed to a…
As a part of a conference in North America that some of us recently attended, we put together a quiz to see how much people knew about Hindus and India. It was a lot harder than we thought to try to come up with items that were obviously one option or another, but we had…
Throughout the history of Christian missions in India, there has been a debate as to what to do with the Old Testament. It is an old history that has nothing to do with India. It contains events and words that are violent and perhaps sub-Christian. It conveys an impression of an angry and demanding God,…
We use the term “alongsider” for believers who walk alongside people from Hindu backgrounds in a gentle, respectful way to help them meet and follow Yesuji. Some would argue that this term is not in the Scriptures, so we should find a biblical description instead. However, as I was reading and translating John 15 this…
I recall one Hindu who was considering to join a church lamenting, “But I don’t want to lose all the festivals.” Indeed, post-Reformation Protestantism has been denuded of culture and fun. Major festivities take place primarily inside the church building, where activities must be more somber and organized. Participation, then, is primarily by church members….
Transition is the word I would use to describe the essence of my experience as a discipleship entrepreneur who functions at the discipleship periphery. I would have never dreamed that would be the case but how to deal with change in a healthy way has been the most important, and difficult, thing I have had…