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Grace Church
257 Kendall Street
Burlington, WI 53105

(262) 763-3021

Email:
Pastor Scott Carson

Secretary Patti Hall

PASTOR'S PENS 2006

Grace Church of Burlington October 8, 2006 “The future and success of America is not in this Constitution, but in the laws of God upon which this Constitution is founded.”    James Madison             Recently, The New York Times featured a front-page story on the members who have left Woodland Hills Church in suburban St. Paul, Minn., over Pastor Gregory Boyd's denunciation of "politics." The Times headline summarized the story, “Disowning conservative politics, evangelical pastor rattles flock.” Some of the things Pastor Boyd renounces in the article are well worthy of renunciation. He’s correct that some churches have too closely aligned the Kingdom community with one particular nation-state or political party. We dare not wrap our Christianity in the American flag or act like Jesus is coming back on the back of a Republican elephant or Democrat Donkey. According to the Times story though, Boyd criticizes “the ‘hypocrisy and pettiness’ of Christians who focus on ‘sexual issues’ like homosexuality, abortion or Janet Jackson’s breast-revealing performance at the Super Bowl halftime show.”             The problem is that Pastor Boyd has confused theological issues with political ones. Abortion, religious liberty, etc., are theolgical issues which just happen to be political ones today as well. And while I would personally cheer movements like Gregory Boyd's if they were saying, "Don't think the Republican Party is the Kingdom of God," evangelicals shouldn't be anyone's voting bloc, and shouldn't give a blank check of support to any party's policies because that political party agrees with us on some important ones. Some pastors and Christian leaders on the right will support any program and endorse any agenda, so long as it keeps the White House door open to them.  But Gregory Boyd is dead wrong when he encourages Christians not to talk about some issues from a Biblical perspective just because they also happen to be political hot potatoes. While contemporary culture labels them as "political," when pastors or Christians fall for that they’ve been duped.             As Bible-believers, we must be careful when we enter the political arena. Some issues that I may feel strongly about are only political/governmental issues, not moral or Biblical ones. For example, a believer would be hard pressed to defend a Biblical position on debt relief for Africa, concealed weapons, immigration or school choice. I may have personal opinions on those matters but I don’t think that I can say that the Bible clearly speaks one way or the other on them.             But there is a recurring, growing myth among evangelical pastors and Bible-believing churches that one must be apolitical and that one should not take a stand against abortion, homosexual marriage, no fault divorce or even gambling.  Yet God has called us to be salt and light. Salt eradicates infection. Light exposes evil. And while our primary mission is the Great Commission, we also have responsibilities as American citizens. We have a stewardship. Our government is by the people and for the people. If we do not speak out or vote for those who agree with Biblical morality, then we have misused our stewardship that God has entrusted to us as Americans. It has been forgotten that if it had not been for Bible-believers, we would not have religious liberty in America. If it had not been for Bible-believers, slavery would never have been abolished.             If Bible-believers do not speak out, then homosexuals will soon be granted minority status and pastors will not even be able to say that it is wrong and a violation of God’s law. If Bible believers do not speak out, abortion will only increase. If Bible believers do not speak out, marriage will be further trivialized.             That’s why it’s so important that YOU be at the seminar this coming Tuesday at our Kendall Street facility. Too many believers have had their thinking contaminated by the contemporary culture and do not realize the gravity of the situation. While we are in a spiritual war, we are also in a culture war and Christians dare not go AWOL. Please sign up today for this important seminar.