A Litany for a Time of Election Forgive us for forgetting that the Lion of Judah is a lamb bearing the marks of slaughter.Give us gentle and humble hearts like yours. Forgive us for seeing other people’s sins while being blind to our own.Give us gentle and humble hearts like yours. Forgive us for defaming … Continue reading Prayer Note #60: A Litany for a Time of Election
Tag: politics
Pastor Note #104: Partisan Politics, the American Church, and the Kingdom of God
Cross Creek Lake, Avella, PA; photo by GAC During my years of pastoring in central New York state, I was part of a pastors' prayer group that met weekly to pray for each other and our community. All of us in the group were theologically conservative, what is often called “evangelical.” Sometime in 2011, during … Continue reading Pastor Note #104: Partisan Politics, the American Church, and the Kingdom of God
Quote of Note #106: Forfeiting the Soul of a Nation
A closed down steel mill near Pittsburgh, PA; photo by GAC "The psychological power of nationalism is lessened or at least checked by an ancient wisdom reminding us that a nation might gain a strong economy, everyday low prices, and all the homeland security in the world and still forfeit its soul." David Dark, The … Continue reading Quote of Note #106: Forfeiting the Soul of a Nation
Pastor Note #102: Evangelical Fears and the Turn Toward Coercive “Christianism”: an Essay Part 3 of 3
Evangelical Fears and the Turn Toward “Coercive Christianism”: an Essay Part 3 of 3 In Part 1 of this essay, I laid out some examples of Evangelical fears, particularly in the form of their desire for a strongman-protector. I have also presented statistical evidence of significant shifts in the demographics of faith in America. In … Continue reading Pastor Note #102: Evangelical Fears and the Turn Toward Coercive “Christianism”: an Essay Part 3 of 3
Pastor Note #100: Evangelical Fear and the Turn Toward “Coercive Christianism”: An Essay Part 1 of 3
Evangelical Fear and the Turn Toward “Coercive Christianism”: An Essay Part 1 of 3 Can Christianity in America survive without a strongman-protector? Is the plight of Christianity in American such that it can only be preserved by the guardianship of a strongman-protector in government, particularly one who is not encumbered by scruples stemming from such … Continue reading Pastor Note #100: Evangelical Fear and the Turn Toward “Coercive Christianism”: An Essay Part 1 of 3
Pastor Note #99: Following Jesus in a Time of Pandemic, Poisonous Politics, and Social Unrest
In a recent e-mail to a friend, I described some of the challenges of church ministry in this time of pandemic, political divisiveness, and social unrest. I told him, “During the past six months, pastoring a church feels like jumping out of an airplane and trying to sew your parachute as you fall.” That experience … Continue reading Pastor Note #99: Following Jesus in a Time of Pandemic, Poisonous Politics, and Social Unrest
Quote of Note #80: Public Speech and Truth
"An appropriate response to the competing claims of pubic voices is to take these obligations personally. We have been 'called by name'--not every one of us to public speaking, political activism in the streets and on telephones, or investigative journalism, but all of us to seek truth and follow after it, to do justice, to … Continue reading Quote of Note #80: Public Speech and Truth
Quote of Note #74: Character and the Presidency
"As it turns out, character DOES matter. You can’t run a family, let alone a country, without it. How foolish to believe that a person who lacks honesty and moral integrity is qualified to lead a nation and the world! Nevertheless, our people continue to say that the President is doing a good job even … Continue reading Quote of Note #74: Character and the Presidency
Quote of Note #72–Failing to Upset the Powers-That-Be
"If our proclamation does not upset the powers-that-be--if it doesn't 'turn the world upside down' (Acts 17:6) -- is that because our culture is friendly to the gospel? Or have we made the gospel friendly to the culture? If we aren't treated like Paul, is that because society has changed--or have we changed? Could it … Continue reading Quote of Note #72–Failing to Upset the Powers-That-Be
Quote of Note #70 — An Allegiance a Heavenly Kingdom
"In Philippians 3:20, Paul reminds these inhabitants of of the Roman colony that, as Christians, 'we are citizens of a heavenly commonwealth [politeuma].' We are citizens of a different empire. The church of Jesus Christ is an alternative city, a counter-empire. We are the 'Messiah-people' who pledge allegiance to the Lamb. We are subjects of … Continue reading Quote of Note #70 — An Allegiance a Heavenly Kingdom
