Pastors and Politics

Today I heard a pastor proudly proclaim that only about five people in his church know his political views. That seemed sad to me.

The message I get from that is that the gospel has nothing to say about politics and that God probably doesn't care either.

I don't think he is alone. He is probably representative of most pastors and churches. But why? It could be from the mistaken view that a pastor should not talk about politics. It could also be that numbers and money are a deciding factor; don't upset people so that they quit coming or giving.

I think God has an opinion about politics and a reason why. If the church doesn't view the political realm as a place where discipleship can happen then we do a great disservice to the ignorant masses who sit in the pews. If they never hear about these things from the pulpit then the world and media will gladly fill the vacuum.

What do you think?

Red Sea Road

I really like the music of Ellie Holcomb. Her lyrics are so full of meaning and encouragement. When I read the following, I ordered her latest CD, Red Sea Road, on the day it came out:

"The past two years for our community have been heavy, full of suffering and loss. Red Sea Road is a record full of songs about how I’ve seen God show up in the middle of all the pain. I know now more than I did two years ago that He is faithful, no matter what we are facing. I’ve seen Him draw near to our broken hearts and make a way to keep going when there seemed to be no way. There’s an Ann Voskamp blog post where she describes it like this:

'…we believe that an unseen Hope makes a Red Sea Road when there seems to be no way.'

This record is celebrating the unseen Hope we have in Jesus, and the way I’ve seen Him make Red Sea Roads through some of the most difficult & heartbreaking years of my life."

You can listen to samples here:
Red Sea Road

Just Show Up: The Dance of Walking through Suffering Together

Just Show Up: The Dance of Walking through Suffering Together. By Kara Tippetts and Jill Lynn Buteyn. 

I finished this book a couple of days ago. Yes, you should read it too. Here are some of my thoughts pulled from the book.

The constant in life is pain and suffering. It is multiplied if we have to or try to face it alone.

God created us for community. As much as we dislike pain and suffering, many times it opens the door to friendship. We can receive and give. We can show up for someone going through a hard time. We can receive when someone shows up for us.

But how? This book, Just Show Up, lets us look behind the curtain. We get to see how it can be done. When we have our opportunity, we will be better equipped. We will know what to say and what not to say and when to be quiet. We will see how our specific gifts will enable us to help.

From the book, I learned that to ignore someone's suffering is hurtful but to not say anything about it is wounding. Also, platitudes like "all things work together for good" or "God has a plan" are not sympathetic but hurtful and wince-worthy. That said, there is a proper way to share Scripture and encouragement.

Another thing to resist is passing along the latest cure or piece of advice. Usually the one suffering has given much thought to their course of action. We may think we are passing along one piece of information but they receive an avalanche of it.

How do you go on living when a loved one is dying? This can be a hard one.

As you read this, you may be the one suffering or you may know of someone who is. Or maybe neither is true in your life right now. Whatever your circumstance, you can learn what you need now or what you will certainly need in the future.

If you haven't read Kara's first book, The Hardest Peace, I would encourage you to read it first. Although not essential, the background helps to understand the big picture of this one.

Philip

More info and where to get:

Just Show Up: The Dance of Walking through Suffering Together

The Hardest Peace by Kara Tippetts

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The Hardest Peace
Expecting Grace in the Midst of Life's Hard by Kara Tippetts

When there is sickness I pray that God would be glorified by bringing healing. I am opening the door to the thought that God can also be glorified in our hard suffering.

I don't want suffering and I don't want those I love to have to suffer. But more than that I want God to be glorified so I'm willing to accept what comes.

I finished reading this book last week. It has helped me greatly in this journey. What is it like to have a terminal disease? What is it like to have a friend or family member with a terminal disease? How can we understand and help each other? I understand better now.

The Hardest Peace: Expecting Grace in the Midst of Life's Hard