"Let us pray..." -Abraham Lincoln

As the civil war loomed and the nation was divided... what did President Lincoln do?  Pass a bailout package?  Blame his political opponents?  Ban the press from interviews?  Use the words "change" and "hope" a lot more?  No... he called the country to get down on its knees and PRAY. 

 

In fact he said, "I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go."

 

This is Lincoln's Presidential Proclamation he signed into law in April of 1830.  If only we had leaders with the strength of his convictions today.

 

President Abraham Lincoln's Proclamation:

 

A Day Of National Humiliation, Fasting, and Prayer

in the The United States Of America on April 30, 1863

 

  

WHEREAS, the senate of the United States, devoutly recognizing the Supreme Authority and Just Government of Almighty God, in all the affairs of men and of nations, has by a resolution, required the President to designate and set apart a day for National prayer and humiliation:

 

And whereas, it is the duty of nations as as well as of men, to owe their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions, in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord:

 

And, in so much as we know that, by His divine law, nations, like individuals, are subjected to punishments and chastisements in this world, may we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war, which now desolates the land, may be but a punishment inflicted upon us for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole People? We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth, and power as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us! It behooves us, then to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.

 

Now, therefore, in compliance with the request , and fully concurring in the views of the Senate, I do, by this proclamation, designate and set apart Thursday, the 30th day of April, 1863, as a day of national humiliation, fasting, and prayer. And I do hereby request all the People to abstain on that day from their ordinary secular pursuits, and to unite, at their several places of public worship and their respective homes, in keeping the day holy to the Lord, and devoted to the humble discharge of the religious duties proper to that solemn occasion.

 

All this being done, in sincerity and truth, let us then rest humbly in the hope authorized by the Divine teachings, that the united cry of the Nation will be heard on high, and answered with blessings, no less than the pardon of our national sins, and the restoration of our now divided and suffering country, to its former happy condition of unity and peace.

 

In witness whereof, I have here unto set my hand, and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

 

Done at the city of Washington this thirtieth day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the United States the eighty-seventy.

 

By the President:

ABRAHAM LINCOLN

 

William H. Seward, Secretary of State

the issue isn't the issue

I'm just about tired of all the campaign commercials and political advertising.  Okay, I've been tired of it since about MARCH... but alas now we can finally see a light at the end of the tunnel.  With only two weeks left till the general election, the candidates are ratcheting up their rhetoric... but its ALMOST OVER! 

I keep hearing that the candidates should be talking about the issues.  THAT'S what the American people want to hear about.  I'm not sure about everyone else, but I'm kinda sick of hearing about the "issues" myself, because I'm pretty sure that the issues aren't the issue.  Everybody is talking about the problems that face the country... there's the economic crisis, the war in Iraq, the global war on terror, the need for better & more affordable healthcare for every American, overwhelming poverty, abortion, same-sex marriage, etc.  The list is endless, really.  But I wonder... what's the #1, fundamental problem facing EVERY American?  Sin, isn't it?  Aren't we (as a people) in the shape we're in because of SIN... not just sin in a personal sense, but SIN in an institutional sense.  The truth is, its not just individuals who have "sinned and fallen short" but our entire world is fallen as a result.  SIN has so wreaked havoc in our world that we speak not only of lost souls, but we can speak of a fallen world.  And isn't that why we have the problems that we have... from abortion to the war to the economic failure?

Isn't the fundamental, bottom-line ultimately a spiritual problem?  If so, can we really "fix it" with a political solution?  I don't think so.  So, what is the "fix"?  This Sunday I'm going to pose this question... as we just have two more weeks left till the election, it may be a good time to stop and think... "Just what DO we expect a new President to do?"  Can either one of them really address "the issue" with a viable solution?  Can we?

a prayer for our nation...

Okay, Lord... You Have Our Attention

Our friends lost their house
The co-worker lost her job
The couple next door lost their retirement
It seems that everyone is losing their footing

This scares us. This bailout with billions.
These rumblings of depression.
These headlines: ominous, thunderous-
“Going Broke!” “Going Down!” “Going Under!” “What Next?”

What is next?

We’re listening. And we’re admitting: You were right.

You told us this would happen.
You shot straight about loving stuff and worshipping money.
Greed will break your heart, you warned.
Money will love you and leave you.
Don’t put your hope in riches that are so uncertain.

You were right. Money is a fickle lover and we just got dumped.

We were wrong to spend what we didn’t have,
Wrong to neglect prayer and ignore the poor,
Wrong to think we ever earned a dime. We didn’t. You gave it. And now, tell us Father, are you taking it?

We’re listening. And we’re praying.
Could you make something good out of this mess?

Of course you can. You always have.
You led slaves out of slavery,
Built temples out of ruins,
Turned stormy waves into a glassy pond and water into sweet wine.
This disorder awaits your order. So do we.

Through Christ,
Amen

God will always give what is right to his people who cry to him night and day,
and he will not be slow to answer them. (Lk. 18:7 NCV)

The problem of dual citizenship

Politically Incorrect

I want to thank everyone for the positive response to last Sunday’s introduction to my latest sermon series, “Politically Incorrect.”  I have always wondered why we are so hesitant to talk about politics at church?  If our faith helps us in the major aspects of life (how to worship, how to serve God, how to love our family members) then shouldn’t it also inform our political thought as well?  Whether we realize it or not, our faith plays a huge role in our politics… in how we view the world and in what we consider to be important.  If the church doesn’t speak to the significant moral and ethical issues of our time, who will?  Are we prepared to leave it up the world to decide our nation’s “politics”?  Or do we have a responsibility to the world?  As we discussed last week, we DON'T have a responsibility to be “salt” and “light” to the world around us.  That’s “politics” isn’t it?

 

Another reason why we need to focus on this “intersection of faith & politics” is because of the upcoming election.  Elections are exciting!  They are full of twists and turns (at least this one has been).  They are also an opportunity for a renewed or fresh start every four years.  Regardless of where you are “politically” on this election cycle, we can ALL agree that we need to be in prayer over the election.  We can all agree that we as a nation want God to bless America and for God to guide our nation’s leaders.  Of course, our hope is ultimately not in either this country, its economy or its leaders… but in God and HIS kingdom.  That’s the thought behind next Sunday’s lesson, “The Problem of Dual Citizenship.”  While we, as Christians, are called to be salt and light to the world (cf. Matt. 5:13-16) we must also remember that we are first and foremost citizens of a much greater kingdom!  And OUR king is much greater than any candidate that we’ll consider on November 4^th!  This week read Mark 12:13-17 and ask yourself what Jesus was saying about our relationship to the 'kingdoms' of the world.

Some comments I've gotten...

I can't believe all of the comments I have recieved after announcing that I was going to tackle the subject of "Faith & Politics" for the next four Sundays!  I've never recieved as many comments (good, bad or indifferent) from ANY sermon I've ever preached... especially BEFORE it has even been delivered.  I wonder what people are afraid I will say?  I wonder what people expect me to say?  Below are just a sampling of e-mails I've gotten from my Facebook page as well as e-mail... the names are left off to protect the innocent & the guilty!  Remember, the question was "Can you talk about politics at church?"

"I remember someone who tried to talk about politics in synagogue...I don't think it went very well for him."

 

"I guess it depends if anyone from the IRS attends there."

 

"just remind everyone that we (BOTH sides) need to stop expecting the government to do what Christ designated as the church's responsibility." 

 

"The fact that I've typed and re-typed my reply about six times is a sure sign we shouldn't." 

 

"You do have freedom of speech, but depending on what you would say...  Your family could crash at our place if it ended badly.  Or...  you could just blame Brad!" 

 

"NOT from the pulpit! We have had problems with this at our church recently! I think it is a bad idea!" 

 

"and make everyone happy! sticky one!" 

 

"Can discuss current events and political issues of moral significance--but advocate for a candidate and it will threaten your tax exempt status.  And also half the congregation will disagree with you and get mad. :)"

 

"take a lesson from an old man... Its not a good idea..."

 

   Your lesson topic on "Faith & Politics" is interesting.  You are a brave soul!  Would love to be there to hear them.  I have been "forbidden" by a couple of my elders to even mention it.  I am really struggling with that, in a time when I feel I NEED to be vocal.

   Let's keep praying. 

 

"If you figure that out, let us all know!"

 

"Poor Jim - Everyone expects you to back a candidate!  Show them the true way!  Point to "that one" who died on the cross for us.  Following Christ is politics - it smashes the Republicans and Democrats by reminding them they they are part of a fallen world that offers no true hope to their followers."

 

"You can talk about politics as long as you don't talk about Republicans, Democrats, Politicians, Issues, Mistakes, or Solutions.  Everything else is fair game."

 

 

Can you talk about politics at church?

I can remember one of the first things said to me when I began preaching was, "Just stay out of politics... it'll only get you into trouble."  I laughed about it then, but considered it sound advice.  Yet here I am, some years later, facing one of the biggest "political" decisions I've ever faced... coming Nov. 4th and another Presidential election.  While this decision may not rank up there with the all time greatest decisions ever, it is still rather significant.  Who am I to vote for... if I vote at all?  I have conflicting opinions.  Neither of the candidates fully represent the platform I would wish that they would.  There are things about both of the candidates that I like... and certainly things about both of them that I don't like.  I find myself in a quandary.  I've even been tempted to follow the way of David Lipscomb and abstain from voting at all... but I'm not sure that's the best approach.

This has not only already been one of the longest campaigns in history, it has been one of the most interesting.  I can't think of an election in modern times where religion has played such a dominant role.  Beginning in the primary season when one of the major candidates was an ordained Baptist minister, through the controversies surrounding Barak Obama's former pastor, Jeremiah Wright, right up until today as Sarah Palin has faced questions about her roots in a Pentecostal church... the question of faith has been a recurring theme. 

So, I've decided that since this is such a major issue in our nation and community today... I can't ignore it from the pulpit.  Beginning this Sunday I am inviting the congregation to explore with me the intersection of faith and politics.  What is the relationship of our faith to our politics?  What should it be?  I have already recieved more comments than I have ever gotten about a sermon that I haven't even preached yet... so let me hear from you!  What do you think?

on second thought... baptism IS important

As I stated before we ever began this last month's study on baptism, it is important!  In fact, it may be even more important than we ever thought it was.  Having concluded the series now, here is a short list of reasons why I believe baptism is more important than we may have ever thought...

1. Jesus did it


2. Jesus told his disciples to go and do it


3. it boldly proclaims the gospel in the picture of death, burial & resurrection


4. it is an outward sign of our inward repentance proclaiming our own death to sin & resurrection to new life


5. it is a promise to be faithful to God and recognition of his faithfulness to us


6. it is where we are united/ joined to Christ


7. it is a common experience we share with other believers in the church


8. it is where our sins are washed away and forgiven forever!


9. it is where we are promised that we will recieve the gift of the Holy Spirit which empowers us to face the temptations that tomorrow hold

Was your baptism an important event in your life?  Can you remember it?  How does that memory encourage and strengthen you to this day?