According to Purpose

[i]

Friday, August 4, 2017

The Lord says, “People of Israel, you are my servants.  People of Jacob, I chose you.  You are from the family of my friend Abraham.  I took you from places far away on the earth and called you from a faraway country.  I said, ‘You are my servants.’  I have chosen you and have not turned against you.  So don’t worry, because I am with you.  Don’t be afraid, because I am your God.  I will make you strong and will help you; I will support you with my right hand that saves you.  Isaiah 41:8-10^(NCV)

God’s promise to Abraham was this: “At the right time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”  And that is not all.  Rebekah’s sons had the same father, our father Isaac.  But before the two boys were born, God told Rebekah, “The older will serve the younger.”  This was before the boys had done anything good or bad.  God said this so that the one chosen would be chosen because of God’s own plan.  He was chosen because he was the one God wanted to call, not because of anything he did.   Romans 9:9-12^(NCV)

In a recent article my friend and fellow UMC pastor, Drew McIntyre, made the point that Christians who are not careful about it can fall into the trap of patriotism gone bad!  This is a condition that occurs when being patriotic (loving your country, because there is an intrinsic goodness in its DNA, such as fairness, justice, and lofty goals, only achievable by self-sacrifice and mercy) turns to nationalism (using the power of a strong government for selfish reasons).   

Now, that’s my description of the point; here’s how Drew put it:

Our job as Christians is not, first, to make history turn out right.  Let us be known, first, for whose we are, not what we stand against.[ii]

Both Isaiah and the apostle Paul underscore the point that God is not interested in our politics per se; God is rather, working all things together for good^{(Romans 8:28)} that agree with His divine plan, not according to the Republican or Democratic Party platform.

To be a follower of Jesus Christ often means we are called to swim upstream against the rushing water of nationalism, or any other kind of ism that would try to co-opt the faith which was once delivered to the saints^{(Jude 1:3)}.

The heavyweight slugfest we are witnessing in the arenas of the American democratic process are at once unsettling, disheartening, unraveling to the peace, uncharitable, disingenuous, arrogant and selfishly dismantling any reason for respect in public discourse.  To the Resolute Desk to the Seats of Congress, Fox and CNN, may I say, Ladies and Gentlemen…breathe…please!  Just BREATHE!  Take a deep breath away from the vitriol, accusations and childishness; the answer to the problem of mudslinging is not more mud! 

Godly purpose is never served well with evil deportment!  That is not to say God cannot accomplish His purpose, even in the face of evil people and behavior, but should we adopt evil as our methodology for Christ’s mission…or even civil government?  I think not, and neither did Paul:

Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace?  Romans 6:1^(NLT)

If America is to continue (or perhaps more accurately regain) being worthy of patriotic support, it is time to quit all this nationalistic pride and look once again to choosing the way of the cross.

For You Today

Today I’d like to let my colleague, Drew McIntyre have the last word:

Stick to Jesus.  Let him, not your love for or hatred of any Caesar, be your guide.[iii]

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!

Go to VIDEO

NOTES

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[i] Title Image: By Dinesh Valke from Thane, India, via Wikimedia Commons

[ii] Drew McIntyre, American Gods:  On Mamaw’s Faith in Hillbilly Elegy

[iii] Ibid.

Praying for a President

[i]

Friday, December 2, 2016

Give your love of justice to the king, O God, and righteousness to the king’s son.  Help him judge your people in the right way; let the poor always be treated fairly.  May the mountains yield prosperity for all, and may the hills be fruitful.  Help him to defend the poor, to rescue the children of the needy, and to crush their oppressors.  May they fear you as long as the sun shines, as long as the moon remains in the sky.  Yes, forever!  May the king’s rule be refreshing like spring rain on freshly cut grass, like the showers that water the earth.  May all the godly flourish during his reign.  May there be abundant prosperity until the moon is no more.

Praise the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does such wonderful things.  Praise his glorious name forever!  Let the whole earth be filled with his glory.
Amen and amen!  Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19^(NLT)

This Psalm may have been composed by David, anticipating the coronation of his son, Solomon.  It is a wonderful prayer for any ruler, because it’s hugely challenging for any ruler to live up to the high-bar goals this prayer holds forth.  It’s also exceedingly difficult for the people of any nation to choose a leader whose character matches this resume’.   

The two great pillars of character are justice and righteousness.  Justice is the rule of law, and that is a matter of the mind.  Righteousness is a condition of fairness and mercy tempering the harshness of rules, and that is only possible as compassion and love spring from the fountain of the heart.  It’s a thin line for any human to walk.

I have prayed for many presidents, from the 1950’s when Dwight “Ike” Eisenhower sat in the Oval Office, to the present day.  It is wisely said that, if you voted, but don’t pray for whomever sits in that seat, you have neglected the more important part of a citizen’s right and duty!

And this is the urgency I feel for the people of our divided country today.  We have just come through what is, in my lifetime, the most perplexing presidential election campaign…ever!  We are now facing uncharted waters in terms of the personality and volatility of the one who will become the 45^th President of the United States in January.  Many are already praying, indeed some, as the apostle Paul, never ceased praying.  Some are planning to leave the country; others are glad to see them go.

While there have always been differences between people (sharp differences) when it comes to political rubber and road, I do not believe I have ever seen a more shameful time when hatred and vitriol rule the day, as we now have from both sides of the aisles of both Washington and Wal-Mart.

Now, I don’t have time here for a sermon, but let me ask Methodist founder John Wesley to give us all a sermon-like reminder.  In Wesley’s day there was a brouhaha boiling over such things as baptism, church membership and how to administer the Lord’s Supper.  In Wesley’s rather well-known sermon A Catholic Spirit, after recounting the many differences held, he called for action that befits people of character:

Let all these smaller points stand aside. Let them never come into sight. "If your heart is as my heart," if you love God and all mankind, I ask no more: "give me your hand."[ii]

That’s the rub today – can those of you on the “right” side of the aisle take the hand of those on the “left” side?  Can we put aside the petty, and join together in prayer for the one who will occupy the hot seat in Washington?  Can we do this for the sake of our country and its leadership and duty around the world in a very troubled time?

There is a vast difference between loyal opposition and dividing dissenter among those who didn’t get their way in the election.  And there is also quite a difference between winning the White House as a prize, and rubbing it in the face of honest people who would hold the winner to a higher standard.  There is a nobler way that awaits us.

For You Today

Democrat, Republican, Green Party, Tea Party, or no party, I want us all to pray for the outgoing president, and the incoming president; will you give me your hand?

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!

Go to VIDEO

NOTES

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[i] Title image: By Projectprayerflag07 - Own work, via Wikimedia Commons

[ii] John Wesley, A Catholic Spirit, , The Voice

No Fear; No Repentance

[1]

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

VIDEO

Our first reading is the account of Jeremiah’s scroll – prophecy he received directly from the Lord about His anger towards the nations of Israel.  It was read to the all the citizens, and received with appropriate sorrow and trembling; the king reacted differently:

The king sent Jehudi to get the scroll.  Jehudi brought it from Elishama’s room and read it to the king as all his officials stood by.  It was late autumn, and the king was in a winterized part of the palace, sitting in front of a fire to keep warm.  Each time Jehudi finished reading three or four columns, the king took a knife and cut off that section of the scroll.  He then threw it into the fire, section by section, until the whole scroll was burned up.  Neither the king nor his attendants showed any signs of fear or repentance at what they heard.  Jeremiah 36:21-24^(NLT)

The Apostle Paul also wrote a letter to the church at Corinth about their sin and God’s judgment.  Our second reading is Paul’s follow-up letter about their response:

I am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it was painful to you for a little while.  Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways.  It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way.  For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation.  There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow.  But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.    2 Corinthians 7:8-10^(NLT)

What a contrast between King Jehoiakim and his subjects.   One sat on a throne without fear of God or repentance of any kind.  The other, common people, who trembled at the thought of offending Holy God.

We are in an election year, and those who would be our rulers in this country will talk about religion at various points in the process.  Donald Trump did, claiming he has never actually asked God to forgive him.  He said:  I just go on and try to do a better job from there. [2]

Now, I have no special ability to know what is in Donald Trump’s heart, nor anyone else for that matter.  But, it’s like many other things – actions speak louder than words; you may not be able to see a person’s heart, but you know what humility, respect for God, and repentance looks like.

Understand, I’m not singling-out Mr. Trump (he does that well-enough without my help); the fact is that every one of us has sinned and needs repentance ^{(Romans 3:23)}. 

What I am pointing-out (by way of Paul’s letter) is the spiritual consequences of a leader who thumbs his nose at God.  Even worldly sorrow, lacking repentance (recognizing you may not have made good choices, and need to go on and try to do a better job from there), only leads to spiritual death, according to Paul.

And that affects the subjects of the king – in their case it was being conquered by enemy nations.  Who knows what would be in store for the citizens of America with leaders who do not fear God?

Let me be totally-clear:  I hate making political statements, or giving political advice (especially when nobody’s asking), but we all have a choice to make about who will control our representative government, and I make mine after running the possibilities through a theological/ethical/moral filter based on what the person who wants my vote both says and does. 

So far, I haven’t seen much to shout about.

For You Today

In the end, I do not want a Methodist, or a Baptist, or a Presbyterian, per se in the Oval Office.  But I most certainly want a leader who fears God and is humble enough to act like it.

You chew on that out on that Rocky Road today…and have a joy-filled and blessed day!

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[1] Title image:  Distant Shores Media/Sweet Publishing, via Wikimedia Commons

[2] Newsmax Article:  Trump: I Don't Think I've Ever Asked God for Forgiveness July 19, 2015