Church website New SERVICE link

That is a great website. I've been building church websites and contributing to them for years. I like the layout. Judging from the picture of the pastor on the pastor profile page, he really does love the outdoors

 

Sounds like a great website.
Maybe I will go on there!

 

I did. I have mixed feelings about that kind of preaching. I am right there with him in preaching against pluralism, moral backsliding, etc. I'm right there with him in 95% of what he said, in fact in 100% of what he said I would agree with on a personal level. I hate abortion and I agree with him that pulpits and pews in our country are to a large extent filled with folks who have been intimated into believing that either they can not or should not speak out on issues.

The 95% comes on how he said it. My ministry philosophy entails teaching the principals from the Scripture unashamedly, and then encouraging people to work that out within the context of their own lives. Where I differ is not so much in the content but manner of presentation. Sure, we are a nation heavily influenced by Christianity - to be sure - I speak and write of this often, BUT does that make us a Christian Nation? Are we always in the right because many (most) of our forefathers were believers on some level, many of them on a very deep level. Many of those men owned or supported the ownership of black slaves. Are they or their intentions infallible? Is the constitution, while a wonderful document, an inspired extension of God's word?

I also get concerned about people speaking up in the pulpit about pro-life because they always make the statement, "If a girl has a crisis pregnancy it is right to help her with an alternative to the abortion." I AGREE with that statement completely, BUT, is that church doing that? Is anyone in that church doing that? If so, bravo, if not, then why the empty rhetoric? I hate abortion, but contrary to the belief of many, there are honest Christians who take alternate views politically on that issue as a political issue with other implications. I disagree with them, but are they any less honest Christians than the framers of the constitution who owned or supported the ownership of slaves?

Let's be careful about joining the "Take America Back For God" camp. Has this every been a nation truly dedicated to Christ? OR is it more rightly stated that this has been a nation very heavily influenced by Christianity? I am disappointed in the moral shift in this land as well, but I think the Church needs to return to the principals entailed in following Christ in 1st century Palestine (radical love, grace, truth), not 18th century America (slavery, a strong church influence in society, high degree of truth).

I am pleased that he is out there preaching that sermon, but I will not soon preach that sermon. Being salt and light in a truly Christ-Like sense is, in my estimation, more to be lived out expressing the radical forgiveness and grace of the Cross. As the Church (big "C" means ALL of us) we haven't even gotten that right yet. What makes us think that society is supposed to listen to our big mouths on political concerns - which I agree have moral implications and vice versa - when we haven't even been particularly good at showing grace even to one another... let alone society.

Hate gay marriage? Make a friend who is gay and love him toward the Cross. Hate abortion, do as this pastor says, and find a girl to love toward an alternative to killing a child. But if you are not doing that, or at least supporting someone who is, then what sure foundation of truthfulness are you really standing upon? "Finger-wagging" has been going on in pulpits for a long time and not gotten us very far as the Church. It isn't enough and in many cases it alienates the very people we want to impact. Perhaps it is time to try something else.

Here is a link to an article I wrote a couple of months ago on this subject
http://www.faithwriters.com/article-details.php?id=84567

Blessings.