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Would this be ok?
- Thread starter Lindsey-Loo
- Start date
painted wolf
Grey Muzzle
yes I am Cherokee (at least in part. 
)
I do follow a Native American path spiritually.
Some of the most wonderfull Christians I know are very strongly influenced by thier Native American roots.
Natually there are some fundimental differences between the two.
The issue for you will be to decide how much to take from each.
wa:do
)I do follow a Native American path spiritually.
Some of the most wonderfull Christians I know are very strongly influenced by thier Native American roots.
Natually there are some fundimental differences between the two.
The issue for you will be to decide how much to take from each.
wa:do
Lindsey-Loo
Steel Magnolia
Yes, that helps greatly.
Hisnatives
New Member
I joined this site just because of you. I haven't even set up my profile. I am a California Mission Indian. (my ancestors built the missions) I got so excited to see your post I had to join!! You have been born at the right time. My name is Cindy, my Indian name is Cha-Yah; I am an elder and I call myself a follower of Jesus, a believer. I got saved late in life and have had really hard times trying to 'fit in' the Church. My husband is a minister and his Sunday clothes is a ribbon shirt. We did an Indian drum dedication at a Christian church a few years back and you cannot believe the controversy!! First off we made the newspaper headlines...can you imagine?? An Indian ceremonial drum (powwow style) in a Christian church...for why? This pastor was of Cherokee descent and wanted to use it in his worship to the Lord. The Christian churches warned him it was an evil drum We went to the local tribe and asked them if they would come out to bless the drum in the church that was on what used to be their land. They even tweaked...WHY do they want that? Because this congregation want to worship the Creator with the drum. All of a sudden the council would all be out of town and they couldnt send a rep. So my husband did the ceremony (he is Yaqui). We got a team of believers and non believers...all different tribes and we did a grand entry into the church all dressed in feathers and full dance regalia...IT WAS AWESOME!! Even the white folks got up and danced with us AND drummed. I have many stories like this...God wants us to be who HE created us to be...to serve HIM not man. The Indian people are the only ones the Church rejects...after 500 years of their mission work and only 3% of our peoople are saved? Something is wrong. We personally have gone to other countries dancing for the Lord in full regalia...Now is the time to serve the Lord with all your heart, your mind and your soul....their is no harm in that. There are groups of people in Tennessee who do this email me and I will send you addresses & websites. We were in Israel awhile back with 120 drum team...There are Indian Christian conferences all over the world. We go to one in Oregon every year in the spring. Come on sister...be free....join us free spirits...we are free in His spirit!!!
We went to the local tribe and asked them if they would come out to bless the drum in the church that was on what used to be their land. They even tweaked...WHY do they want that? Because this congregation want to worship the Creator with the drum. All of a sudden the council would all be out of town and they couldnt send a rep. So my husband did the ceremony (he is Yaqui). We got a team of believers and non believers...all different tribes and we did a grand entry into the church all dressed in feathers and full dance regalia...IT WAS AWESOME!! Even the white folks got up and danced with us AND drummed. I have many stories like this...God wants us to be who HE created us to be...to serve HIM not man. The Indian people are the only ones the Church rejects...after 500 years of their mission work and only 3% of our peoople are saved? Something is wrong. We personally have gone to other countries dancing for the Lord in full regalia...Now is the time to serve the Lord with all your heart, your mind and your soul....their is no harm in that. There are groups of people in Tennessee who do this email me and I will send you addresses & websites. We were in Israel awhile back with 120 drum team...There are Indian Christian conferences all over the world. We go to one in Oregon every year in the spring. Come on sister...be free....join us free spirits...we are free in His spirit!!!
painted wolf
Grey Muzzle
I'll keep to the old ways thanks.
there are significant differences between most native faiths and Christianity...
the biggest is the concept of 'sin' and the need for a 'savior'.
In almost all native faiths it is up to the individual to account for thier actions and there is no 'savior' nessisary. Also the idea of 'sin' (when present) is often nothing like the idea of commandments and 'thou shalt not's'
wa:do
there are significant differences between most native faiths and Christianity...
the biggest is the concept of 'sin' and the need for a 'savior'.
In almost all native faiths it is up to the individual to account for thier actions and there is no 'savior' nessisary. Also the idea of 'sin' (when present) is often nothing like the idea of commandments and 'thou shalt not's'
wa:do
Lindsey-Loo
Steel Magnolia
I joined this site just because of you. I haven't even set up my profile. I am a California Mission Indian. (my ancestors built the missions) I got so excited to see your post I had to join!! You have been born at the right time. My name is Cindy, my Indian name is Cha-Yah; I am an elder and I call myself a follower of Jesus, a believer. I got saved late in life and have had really hard times trying to 'fit in' the Church. My husband is a minister and his Sunday clothes is a ribbon shirt. We did an Indian drum dedication at a Christian church a few years back and you cannot believe the controversy!! First off we made the newspaper headlines...can you imagine?? An Indian ceremonial drum (powwow style) in a Christian church...for why? This pastor was of Cherokee descent and wanted to use it in his worship to the Lord. The Christian churches warned him it was an evil drum
Thank you for your advice and help. I am actually against using instruments in worship at all, but that belongs in another thread. Not just N. American instruments, of course, but pianos and guitars and everything. But what you are doing does sound wonderful. Thanks again.
painted wolf
Grey Muzzle
The Drum is hugely important to Native American worship. It is the hartbeat of the Earth, the songs are also prayers as are the dances. Creator gave the drum to the men so that they would have a connection to the Earth and to him. Without the drum, men feel disconnected from the world around them. You can't have Native faith without it.
Thats the problem with pick and choose attitudes tword religion IMHO.
wa:do
Thats the problem with pick and choose attitudes tword religion IMHO.
wa:do
Lindsey-Loo
Steel Magnolia
Yes, that's why I don't think one could successfully mix Christianity with Native American indigenous religions. I believe you could use the drum outside of your worship to the Christian God, but not actually in the church...
1nharmony
A Coco-Nut
Anade said:
Anade, you are very young. Though you feel certain about your Christian faith, yet you remain a seeker, which is good. Continue learning and keeping your mind and heart open. Your beliefs will grow along with you as you mature.
As others here have mentioned, you will find it difficult to dissect the Native American "religion" from it's culture, because as you have already learned, all things are connected. American Christianity has a unique capacity to segregate itself from everyday life rather than encompassing it. I predict that you will not find a way to reconcile the two belief systems into one that you will be comfortable with. However, that doesn't mean you cannot find value and wisdom from the study of the Cherokee culture. Please continue your pursuit. A seeker will always find the truth eventually.
Lindsey-Loo
Steel Magnolia
I've been pretty certain for a while now that I'm not going to be trying to mix the two religions, just studying my genealogy and the culture. I'm staying away from all that New Age stuff, I've figured out that it is not a highly respected set of beliefs among real Indians...and if I were to try to truly follow a Cherokee or other Indian religion, it would contradict my set-in-stone beliefs. So that's where I stand right now, I'm a white American Christian of Cherokee and Muskogee Creek descent. The End. I've been sure of this for some time now, but I haven't gotten around to fixing the religion thingy in my setting to only Christianity.
Well that depends. You say yourself you are opposed to any music.
I think that Christianity has many "sides" and some Christians would not at all be opposed to this drum. I doubt I am too much Christian anymore but when I was music was probably the most important thing in celebration. We know how essential the music of black Americans has been. The Spirituals were a form of "native" African music translated to Christianity.
Think of these things in a different way and you could see that it would be meaningful:
I am not Native (that's what the kids say at school-- "I'm Native", so excuse if this is a regional thing or something), but the drum to me is a powerful thing: the drum as heartbeat, the drum as a "caller", the drum as bringing together of voices; the drum as the most bass voice. You translate this all to Christianity-- Christ as the heartbeat of the world, Christ as the "caller", etc. etc.
I think the neighbors, etc. lacked spiritual imagination that this was a controversial thing. Is there something inherently "Christian" about organ music?
BTW, the idea that "we need salvation and a savior" (in the typical sense that people think) is NOT universally shared by all Christians, in the sense that not everybody believes in original sin. This is a common belief, but not one that every single Christian believes. I think that Christianity is a lot more diverse than it is given credit for, largely due to the vocalness of a part of the church that this is what everyone is supposed to believe. (BTw, my reason for not thinking I am much of a Christian is because I am agnostic. It has nothing to do with my views on original sin.)
--des
I think that Christianity has many "sides" and some Christians would not at all be opposed to this drum. I doubt I am too much Christian anymore but when I was music was probably the most important thing in celebration. We know how essential the music of black Americans has been. The Spirituals were a form of "native" African music translated to Christianity.
Think of these things in a different way and you could see that it would be meaningful:
I am not Native (that's what the kids say at school-- "I'm Native", so excuse if this is a regional thing or something), but the drum to me is a powerful thing: the drum as heartbeat, the drum as a "caller", the drum as bringing together of voices; the drum as the most bass voice. You translate this all to Christianity-- Christ as the heartbeat of the world, Christ as the "caller", etc. etc.
I think the neighbors, etc. lacked spiritual imagination that this was a controversial thing. Is there something inherently "Christian" about organ music?
BTW, the idea that "we need salvation and a savior" (in the typical sense that people think) is NOT universally shared by all Christians, in the sense that not everybody believes in original sin. This is a common belief, but not one that every single Christian believes. I think that Christianity is a lot more diverse than it is given credit for, largely due to the vocalness of a part of the church that this is what everyone is supposed to believe. (BTw, my reason for not thinking I am much of a Christian is because I am agnostic. It has nothing to do with my views on original sin.)
--des
smoky*mountain*starlight said: