The United States has been out partying at the bar for a long time now and is really in no shape to be driving. While the U.S. can no longer be considered a Christian nation; it remains a land blessed with an awful lot of Christians and it’s the American church’s responsibility to grab the keys now and again and be the designated driver.
Having had eyes opened, ears unstopped, and minds made new, believers are full of invaluable wisdom and keen insight. A church that is silent in affairs of State, quiet in all political consideration, mum on matters of business and finance, and ciphers on the college green and at town hall; is a church that wishes to unnecessarily impoverish itself and its fellow countrymen. A nation’s believers, more than any other sector, is best positioned to ensure the peace, prosperity, and vitality of a country. Of course, many of the contributions to the national conversation springing from a biblical worldview and perspective will not be met with cheers and salutes but with boos and nasty dismissals. That’s okay– we expect to get some guff from our inebriated neighbor when we question the wisdom of his worldly ways. What’s more; we don’t live for the approval and esteem of those we share the stage with but with the Lord, our life’s sole audience.

The U.S. House of Representatives has just recently impeached President Trump and, before handing over the articles of impeachment to the Senate for a trial, is looking to gain support for the measure from across the fruited plain. Impeachment, we’re told, is a political process and exercise. In which case, the real jurors are you and me. Congress is loathe to overturn the people’s decision without the hearty assent of the people. So, what do you think? What do we think? What should the Church have to say? We shouldn’t be silent. Mark Galli, the outgoing editor of the top evangelical periodical, Christianity Today, caused quite a stir when he published an editorial with the imprimatur of the magazine, calling for the Senate to convict the President and remove him from office. Before long, the evangelical world formed ranks and volleys of cannon fire have been crisscrossing the twittersphere ever since. Where should we file in or should we make every effort to sit this one out? It’s a good topic for conversation! Please follow the link to read Galli’s editorial and consider joining us this Sunday morning (January 5th) at 8:30am upstairs in the Family Life Center for a roundtable discussion on Christianity Today’s call for the President’s impeachment. Should be a stimulating and eye-opening exercise. Hot coffee and a fresh-baked treat will greet you at the door!

Click here to read the editorial

Air-traffic controllers are sometimes forced to ground a plane. Sometimes there’s a problem with the
tower, sometimes it’s the plane’s systems that are malfunctioning, and sometimes the skies are just not safe. Something sure to keep a plane at the gate is the forecast of weather perfect for icing. Should a plane attempt to take off and ascend through twenty thousand feet of freezing rain, enough ice could form on the wings and on the air-intake system, causing the engines to stall and the craft to roll or pitch uncontrollably, leading to a fiery crash.

Churches long to see lift in their life and ministry. Bodies of believers don’t want to waste away at the gate or taxi anxiously year after year after year. We want to be moving in an upward trajectory and travel to our destination, fulfilling our commission. But sometimes it seems as though air-traffic control has grounded our jet and delayed our flight. Something’s wrong and we’re left to wait on the Lord for a resolution to the problem. Because as much as we dislike having to wait; it would be far worse to lose everything in a crash.

A worldly perspective and a culture rooted in wrong thinking can be very much like freezing rain falling on a church’s life and efforts. Should the church attempt to take off in any direction in these conditions, the prospects for a successful flight are quite dim. Until the “weather” changes, everything’s grounded. One of the prevailing problems for the church in the West is its perception of itself. When a Western Evangelical Christian thinks of church, what is it that he conceives in his heart? What image comes to mind? Is the church a place or is it a people? Is the church a construction or a living thing? Is the church a meeting or a way of life? These and other questions like them are key in the work of assessing whether or not any church is ready for takeoff or doomed to twiddle its thumbs. The growth of the house church movement here in the United States and around the world has been the catalyst for some important conversation and introspection by those of us in the traditional church. One of those spurring the church on in this consideration is Wolfgang Simson. Some time ago, he published fifteen theses on the subject and I’d love to consider his thoughts together with you. Please take a moment to read these very provocative and stimulating ideas and come ready to share what you think. We’ll have a pot of coffee on and some baked goods set out to greet you at the door. Join us this Sunday at 8:30am, upstairs in the Family Life Center – God bless your reading!

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The picture Christ paints of the blind led by the blind, tumbling headlong into the ditch, is a particularly
pitiful one. Blind people have a great and undeniable need and the ones who are best positioned to
help them navigate through the asphalt jungle are those who can see. In the parable, the well-
intentioned blind man who attempts to take others in hand and lead them onward is ultimately held
responsible for the tragedy that comes. Unless we be given sight, we must never endeavor to lead
anyone who remains in darkness.

Every time and place has its poor and needy. The United States, rich and prosperous as it is, is still home
to many homeless and, sadly, the disabilities of many cancel out many of America’s opportunities.
There are a great many of our neighbors who need a hand. In the years since FDR’s New Deal and
Johnson’s Great Society, our country has worked hard to meet every material need present in every
community. After billions and billions of dollars of appropriations, the establishment of whole
government departments, and the institutionalization of benefits; the ranks of the needy around us
have only grown. In The Tragedy of American Compassion, journalist Marvin Olasky first began to
question whether the abdication of social services to the State by the Church was a good development.
His writing in the early 90’s has given rise to a movement to restore the soul to our nation’s charitable
efforts and to give charge of the blind back to those who can see. Unable to assign the entire book for
our roundtable discussion, I’ve chosen instead to include a thoughtful review of the book written by
Daniel Bazikian. Please take a moment to read through it and come prepared to share your thoughts
with the rest of us. We’ll be gathering in room 208 on Sunday morning, September 8th at 8:30. Hot
coffee and fresh baked goodies will caffeinate and sweeten the discussion!
-Pastor Tate

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