Assimilation

As a result of the Fire & Reign Bible study (a sermon series and personal/group Bible Study by Jerry Sheveland), I came out of it with two action items (i.e. applications) for my life. I am going to post a series of thoughts about one of the applications. The application is seeking to do a better job of assimilation at FCC. Today I want to start by looking at the definition (dictionary.com).

Assimilation

1. The act or process of assimilating.
   The state of being assimilated.
2. Physiology. The conversion of nutriments into living tissue; constructive metabolism.
3. Linguistics. The process by which a sound is modified so that it becomes similar or identical to an adjacent or nearby sound. For example, the prefix in- becomes im- in impossible by assimilation to the labial p of possible.
4. The process whereby a minority group gradually adopts the customs and attitudes of the prevailing culture.

Don't you just love it when they use a form of the word to define the word. So, lets try assimilate.

1. Physiology.
   To consume and incorporate (nutrients) into the body after digestion.
   To transform (food) into living tissue by the process of anabolism; metabolize constructively.
2. To incorporate and absorb into the mind: assimilate knowledge.
3. To make similar; cause to resemble.
4. Linguistics. To alter (a sound) by assimilation.
5. To absorb (immigrants or a culturally distinct group) into the prevailing culture.

Out of those five definitions for assimilate, I believe two are applicable to some degree of what assimilation is or should be about in a body of believers (church). The two are numbers 3 and 5.

To assimilate an individual into the church based on these definition must relate to making similar or cause to resemble and to absorb into the prevailing culture. However, I am not sure that "prevailing" is the correct word. As prevailing gives the sense of most frequent or predominant.

Next post, I will look at a more refined definition specifically related to the church.

If you want to know my second application, ask me about it.