The Inaugural Prayer

Much has been written and said about the various prayers given around the inauguration. Some thing the Bishop of Sodom's prayer was great because it was so inclusive. After all, it was addressed to "the God of our many understandings." Meanwhile, some have been glad for Warren's prayer with his reference to accountability to the Creator someday and his recitation of the Apostles' Prayer. Others hate how small-minded and overly-Christian his prayer was. I didn't read or listen to the last prayer, but I understand that it was not something I would have agreed with.

This may surprise you, but I say that we throw the whole thing out. After all, what is the point now? If we can have three such diverse prayers around the same event then it is clear that the organizers of the event really don't have a dog in the fight other than inclusiveness. If Obama's theology matched the Bishop of Sodom's, then he should have had three like that. If he really was a Bible-believing evangelical then he could have had three like Rick Warren's. However, he chose to take a centrist route, which is supposed to be what he is all about. The problem is that you cannot simultaneously pray to "the God of our many understandings" as well as the actual Creator of the universe. The Creator of the Bible is funny about that kind of thing.

It seems to me that this tradition started because the Founding Fathers were either Christian or at least respectful of orthodox Christianity. George Washington recognized the need of divine assistance in getting our country going. Now we are so self-sufficient that we just need to find political ways to fill the traditional prayer times. I don't blame any of the men who gave their prayers. They have their beliefs and will be accountable to the Lord for them. I am more concerned with this mockery of the Creator. As the saying goes, if you don't stand for something you'll fall for anything. How many things will President Obama fall for?

Prop 8

Proverbs 29:2
(2) When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.

I understand the arguments against Prop 8 in California. Who are we to decide someone else's morality? Just because we think an act is sinful shouldn't stop others from doing it, right?

There are problems with this argument on a couple of levels. One is that marriage is something God created, not man. Same-sex couples are welcome to have civil unions, but don't cheapen the "one flesh" relationship described by Scripture.

What I notice in reading the Old Testament is that wicked, idolatrous nations get their punishment. It happened to the nations that the Israelites eradicated in Joshua. It happened to Israel and Judah as they turned from the Lord and pursued their own idols. I realize that we do not live in a theocracy, but I don't think that God's rules have changed about sin. He must take it pretty seriously or else He would not have sent His son to die for it, right?

Let's not compromise biblical values for the sake of "tolerance," amen?

Obeying Instruction

I was struck by this today:

Jeremiah 35:13-19
(13) "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Go and say to the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Will you not receive instruction and listen to my words? declares the LORD.
(14) The command that Jonadab the son of Rechab gave to his sons, to drink no wine, has been kept, and they drink none to this day, for they have obeyed their father's command. I have spoken to you persistently, but you have not listened to me.
(15) I have sent to you all my servants the prophets, sending them persistently, saying, 'Turn now every one of you from his evil way, and amend your deeds, and do not go after other gods to serve them, and then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to you and your fathers.' But you did not incline your ear or listen to me.
(16) The sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have kept the command that their father gave them, but this people has not obeyed me.
(17) Therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing upon Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the disaster that I have pronounced against them, because I have spoken to them and they have not listened, I have called to them and they have not answered."
(18) But to the house of the Rechabites Jeremiah said, "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Because you have obeyed the command of Jonadab your father and kept all his precepts and done all that he commanded you,
(19) therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Jonadab the son of Rechab shall never lack a man to stand before me."

Earlier in this chapter Jeremiah had offered the sons of Rechab wine to drink and they refused because of their father's command. The Lord used them as an object lesson for the people. They had obeyed their father's command, but they did not obey His.

I think of this as we stand post-election awaiting the inauguration of President-elect Obama. I wonder if we listen to the words of the Lord? From my way of thinking I don't understand how anyone can say they believe the words of Scripture and vote for him, but I realize that good people differ on that. My complaint is that the exit polls showed that America's primary concern in this election was the economy. Their concern is not for the righteousness of our nation.

I guess I'm developing more of a pastoral heart about this. I want to see people really believe the truth of God's Word. That's my goal in whatever ministry the Lord puts me. Is it possible to vote for Obama and really believe the Bible? I'm sure that some who did vote for him do. However, I sure hope that no Christians say that the economy is their primary concern. That shows me a misplaced focus away from what the Lord tells us in His Word.

My Die is Cast

I just got back from voting. We were talking this morning about what a blessing it is to be able to vote. Even if our man doesn't win we will witness the peaceful transfer of power next January. We have a say in who will occupy the Oval Office for the next four years. This is incredible.

I had something very strange happen to me today. As I got to my little stall with my pen and looked down at my ballot I actually got a bit choked up when I saw the little oval next to "John McCain/Sarah Palin." It's not that I love John McCain because I certainly don't. However, the gravity of an Obama win just hit home to me all at once. I realized how significant it is regarding the continued genocide of black babies in America, in addition to the 27 million other babies who have been aborted. I realized that the two sides could not be any more different, even going beyond the abortion issue.

I feel good about making my small voice heard in the process. I will be happily surprised if I am not disappointed tomorrow morning, but I am not without hope. After all, isn't this all about hope and change?

Lesson from Jeremiah

I'm in Jeremiah as part of my reading plan. There is a repeated theme that helps bring me comfort as we prepare for tomorrow's election. God is in charge of kings and kingdoms. You see this very clearly in Daniel and the minor prophets as well.

This means that we should vote if we're able, but that we don't have to feel like the future of the world hinges on this election. God is still in control. If he wants Obama in the White House then that is who will go. And if he wants McCain then that is who will be there. How this works in concert with man's will is beyond me, but I do know that it somehow works together.

Our pastor preached on this passage yesterday:

Romans 13:1-7 ESV
(1) Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.
(2) Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.
(3) For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval,
(4) for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.
(5) Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience.
(6) For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing.
(7) Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

He brought out something really interesting from verse 7. We are to give honor to our leaders. Who was the leader of Paul? Nero.

Yes, the Nero who would use Christians as tiki torches in his garden. The Nero who would wrap Christians in wet animal skins and then watch them suffocate as the skins dried. That Nero.

I don't think either McCain or Obama will be that bad, do you?

Prayers for the Nation

I pray often for the nation as the election approaches. My prayer is that we would make a godly choice for our leaders. The thing I realized this morning is that I'm implicitly saying, "God, I know that I am doing this right and I pray that the rest of the country would come around."

Frankly, I'm not sure that there is a truly godly choice in this presidential election. I know that I could not vote for Obama based on his views on abortion. I don't think that increasing governmental dependence is the way to fix poverty either. However, it's not as if McCain is a shining light in the darkness either.

My prayer is now that we would make the right choice, starting with me. I find that a lot of my prayers are trying to manipulate God to make others like me. Sometimes that may be appropriate, but I don't think the spirit of it is.

Chatting Across the Aisle

I have a good friend in Wisconsin who hosts email for me. He and I worked together in California and he has been a mentor to me in a number of areas. JJ can fix a lot of things, including computers, cars, and things around the house. However, we definitely do not see eye-to-eye on most things involving politics or faith. He is a card-carrying liberal and a member of the Unitarian church. As you know, I am not those things.

I got to talk to him today because there was a problem with getting to my email. Apparently there was a power outage at his house and he was great about getting it back up. The phone call was a great chance to catch up a little bit. We of course discussed family and he asked me about how school was going. I decided to broach the subject of politics because I’m curious about what the other side is thinking.

I asked him about his thoughts on Barack Obama. He is excited by the prospect of a President Obama. Basically, JJ is interested in making sure that the indigent have health care and that we find a way out of Iraq. Those are valid concerns. I told him about my concerns regarding the 3000 unborn that are killed each day in America. I also admitted to him that the evangelicals do a good job of championing the rights of the unborn, but don’t do such a great job with the born. We agreed on that.

It was great to have a civil discussion with someone who sees the world from a very different perspective. I hope that he thinks that about me too. I try to be civil and yet hold fast to what I believe. At some point I realize that I am going to offend because the gospel is offensive. However, I want to make sure that it is the gospel that offends and not me or my attitude.

Bumper Sticker Politics

I saw a car today with about four stickers on the back of its trunk. One was round and had faded writing in the style of the old stickers for NOW. It read, "Keep Abortion Legal". Just to its left was a larger round sticker. The background was black and it had a large white dog paw on it with white writing. It read, "Save a life, adopt a homeless pet".

I don't think that this needs a lot of comment. It just seems completely absurd to me that this person values animals more than a human fetus. Such is the world we live in.

While I'm on the subject of politics, I want to make a brief comment on the upcoming 2008 Presidential election. I've decided that if Guilliani gets the Republican nomination I am going to have to pick a third-party. I can't imagine that the GOP would do that though. If they've been able to count on anything it's been Christians like me who feel boxed into a corner by the issue of abortion. Take that away and the Dems may be looking at a landslide win like some of FDR's elections.