Health Care Reform

if you have read my blog over the years, you’ll know that one of the topics i steer clear of is politics.  not because i don’t care.  not because i don’t vote (which i do).  not because i don’t have a political position (which i clearly do).

no.  i don’t spend much time talking politics because i’ve found it’s a sure-fire way of alienating half of the people i am called to minister to.  it’s the one topic that is guaranteed to pidgeon-hole me into a corner with the other group.

right-wing politcal conservatives (especially the christian kind) are vilified these days in the public forum…and for many good reasons!  left-side political liberals (even the christian kind) are being torched by the “right” in the media and through the internet.

at this point in my life, i simply don’t want to hinder my ability to speak of the love and grace of god…to anybody.

with that said, i’m going to pass on a link about the health care reform debate that i would encourage you to read.  it’s by brian mclaren, one of my favorite authors and preachers…and an outspoken leader in the politcal-social-moral-spiritual dialogue going on in christian circles these days.

he may be a little “left” for some of you.  that’s ok.  you might need to be stretched.  his writing on this subject is profound and i believe it would be good for every christ-follower…whether you lean to the left or the right…to digest.

so read it.  consider his words.  lay your agenda aside and listen as a humble seeker of truth.  no more. no less.  if you like what you read, pass it on to someone else!

brian mclaren article

I voted today…

i’ve written a few things over the past couple of months about my perspective on politics and the process that our country has gone through during this current presidential campaign.  in my reading this week, i came across a post by perry noble, a lead pastor of a church in south carolina.  i love how he challenged his audience to face the outcome of this election:

Frustrated With Politics & Christians

I’ve just about had enough…and am so glad I left the country yesterday…that way I don’t have to listen to this crap anymore.

And no, I’m not talking about the politicians and their crazy adds on television that are right in line with a middle school “yo mama” fight!

I’m talking about the Christians who have prostituted themselves with the political process and taken their eyes off of Jesus as their Savior and put them on either McCain or Obama as their Savior.

It’s STUPID!  

Should we have a political opinion as Christians?  HECK YES!  Should we vote?  ABSOLUTELY!  I think a Christian who doesn’t vote is completely missing an opportunity that God has blessed us with as citizens of this country.

BUT…we can’t actually think that the salvation process is tied to who happens to be in the White House!

In reading through the Gospels the other day something HIT ME like a ton of bricks…the Jews missed the fact that Jesus was the Messiah because they were looking for someone to deliver them from the politics of Rome.

Let me say it more clearly–they missed Jesus because of politics!!!  (And religion as well…but that’s another post!)
For a Christian to claim that the world is going to be doomed to hell because a particular party happens to “control” the White House is a slap in the face of a Sovereign God.

He reigns!  Read through Scripture & it is so clear…God has used kings and princes that were sold out to Him…and He’s also used those who had no love for Him at all…all for HIS glory!

So…next Tuesday…go vote!  “For who,” you ask…well, here’s an idea…ask Jesus who to vote for…and then do what He says.  (Yes, it REALLY is that simple.)

Then…whoever gets elected…PRAY FOR THAT MAN OFTEN!  Even if the guy you want to win doesn’t…all the more reason to pray!

One more time…YES, we should have political opinions…and YES, it is OK if they are strong AND we believe in the cause…BUT PLEASE let’s not make the mistake of thinking that God is somehow limited by the policies and philosophies of a particular party!

HE REIGNS!  Always has, always will!

Pastoring political people

there is more interest in this year’s presidential race than any in my recent memory.  i think there may be even more at stake now than ever before.  only time will tell, i suppose.

i made a heart decision years ago that i would never publically (or privately, for that matter) declare my political allegience…to either a person or a party.  don’t get me wrong.  i care deeply.  i follow the issues with diligence.  i have passionate feelings on most of them.  but i am always careful in how i present my opinions, if i present at all.

i realized at a young age that there are certain issues that divide us.  there are topics that can cause even the best of friends to part company.   and worse yet, there are subjects that even the most loyal and dedicated kingdom builders will use as justification for disunity and separation.  

certain doctrines, parenting methods, worship styles, use of alcohol, racial issues, war, how people dress, and a lot of other things cause well-meaning christians to walk away from friendships.  a big one of those other things is politics… and i refuse to let my politics get in the way my ministry.  it’s really as simple as that.

here’s a link to an interview in “Christianity Today”…probably the premier christian publication in our country.  it’s an interview of mark batterson, a pastor in a church right in the heart of capitol hill in washington d.c.  he expresses my sentiments exactly.  i hope you take a few minutes to read it.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2008/003/15.44.html

Really…you’re that smart?

this may be a little risky, but something’s really been bugging me lately…

have you noticed that our world is full of experts?  everywhere you look, there’s an expert.  they are plumbers and school teachers and salesmen and homemakers and lawyers and athletes and students and secretaries and handymen.

students call their teachers idiots.  baseball fans call a-rod a loser and scream at the coach for being a brainless imbecile.  garage band guitar heroes project judgmental disgust at rock stars, crying “he’s horrible!” or “the guy has no idea what he’s doing on a guitar.”  we accuse lawyers of being sharks and policemen of being on power trips.  monday morning quarterbacks criticize all-star professional athletes of being gutless chumps or crybaby whiners.  the list could go on…

it seems like our greatest condemnation is reserved for politicians and preachers.  falwell was an ignorant blowhard.  copeland is a swindler and a charlatan.  ed young is shallow.  t.d. jakes is full of himself.  haggard was a con and a sexual deviant.  jeremiah wright is black extremist hate-monger.  we know these things, right?  we know their hearts, right?  

when i was a young man, i heard a guy call jimmy carter a “n……. lover” and an embarrassment to the presidency. i feel like i’ve heard it all.  ronald reagan was just an empty-headed actor.  rick perry is a self-righteous pretty boy who only cares about his own political ambitions.  richard nixon was a buffoon and a criminal.  bill clinton is an immoral fraud.  george w is sanctimonious simpleton who shouldn’t be allowed to speak in public.  mccain is an old man who is out of touch with the modern world…totally unfit to lead the country.  hillary is just a slimy politician and a mouthpiece for her idiot husband who can’t let go.  obama is a liar, a closet muslim terrorist, and a black marxist with a secret agenda to partner with his cousin, osama, to overthrow the united states.  

man, i don’t know what i’d do without the experts to enlighten me.

words are powerful.  let’s be careful.  if you consider yourself an expert in speaking on the performance and  hearts and motives of people, you better have your credentials.  being an expert is a big job…