Here’s another good challenge from Skye Jethani on the idol of nationalism: The temptation to root our identity in our country is certainly nothing new. It was equally prevalent during the early church when Christians were divided by their loyalty to Christ and his church, and their loyalty to their nation of origin—whether Rome, Greece, … More Christian Colonists or Tourists?
In his ongoing series on American Idols, this week Skye Jethani is taking on the idol of patriotism in his “With God Daily” devotional. This clarion call and challenge has been a key concern of mine. Keeping the church’s identity and witness distinct from national agendas and partisan politics is essential for the mission of the … More America is Not the Chosen (Skye Jethani)
This Sunday is the Feast of Christ the King, when the church celebrates Christ’s universal lordship and anticipates the coming reign of the Prince of Peace. I share the following reflection as a gentle reminder of where our ultimate citizenship lies. -JB The tread on my tires had run low, so I was sitting at … More On Thanking Vets & Martyrs
This is an excerpt from a much longer essay I wrote called “Royal Scribes in the King’s Court: Ancient Education & Christian Discipleship” published in a little book of essays called “Life in King Jesus’ Colony” from my doctoral studies. I hail from good Lutheran stock from the Midwest (Minnesota) where we shared … More Political Discipleship in the Christian Colony
When it comes to how followers of Jesus ought to engage in politics, I’m an Anabaptist. Anabaptists believe in following Jesus’ radical ethic laid out in the Sermon on the Mount, and keeping the church separate from earthly power and politics. Here’s Greg Boyd, another Anabaptist thinker, giving 12 reasons to keep the kingdom of God … More Gotta Keep ’em Separated (Greg Boyd)
“Jesus was not just a moralist whose teachings had some political implications; he was not primarily a teacher of spirituality whose public ministry unfortunately was seen in a political light; he was not just a sacrificial lamb preparing for his immolation, or a God-Man whose divine status calls us to disregard his humanity. Jesus was, … More QUOTABLES: Politics of Jesus
I recently gave a lecture on Reading Revelation Responsibly based on the great book by Michael Gorman by the same title. Needless to say, trying to cover the entire Book of Revelation in 90 minutes is a lofty task. I began with the following illustration: What if a silver DeLorean drove up to your house, the … More Revelation for Today
“My husband was laid off work over a year ago and has not been able to find a job. I guess unemployment and its financial impact is our current cross to bear.” “Our marriage has been rocky for many years, and I don’t see signs of improvement at the moment. I guess this is our … More American Disciples at the Cross – Part 2
“Render to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” -Jesus My politics actually haven’t changed all that much over the years. When I go to the polls every two or four years to give “caesar” my opinion on how best to run this particular “kingdom of the world” called America, I still … More Church & Politics: A Jesus-Shaped Approach
It seems hardly necessary to make an argument for the universally experienced suffering and injustice prevalent in the world. If pain really is God’s “megaphone to rouse a deaf world”, as C. S. Lewis argued, then the message is deafeningly clear and God might consider turning the volume down a bit. What then is the church’s appropriate response to the world’s injustice and suffering? … More A Case for a Cruciform Justice
“Give me your tired, your poor…” -Emma Lazarus, inscribed on Statue of Liberty Tweeting this past week, President Trump fears immigration policy where the United States “would be forced to take large numbers of people from high crime countries which are doing badly.” Instead, Trump says, “I want a merit based system of immigration and people who … More Trump, Immigration & The New Colossus
“Why are the nations so angry? The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together.” –PSALM 2 The New Year began today with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un stating, “The entire United States is within range of our nuclear weapons, a nuclear button is always on my desk. This is reality, not a … More Listen Up World Leaders! (Psalm 2)
by Allan Bevere Now that the special Senate election in Alabama is over, it is time for some Christians on both sides of the political aisle to repent of selling their souls in exchange for temporal political power. Conservative Christians who supported Roy Moore in spite of the fact that there were numerous credible women … More It Needed to be Said
“I always tell my kids that while most people in the world just want to kill and get rid of the bad guys, Jesus wants to change bad guys into good guys. While guns have the power to kill bad guys, only love moves us toward an enemy with the compassion and hope for transformation. A gun or nuclear warhead can destroy our enemy, but only love has the potential to transform an enemy into a friend.” … More The Most Powerful Force of All
It all began when I turned my knob from FM to AM on my radio dial. I was about 19 years old and had discovered the new world of talk radio. It began with non-stop sermons on a Christian station nurturing my new hunger for Bible teaching. Before long I was also drinking in my daily dose of conservative political talk as well. I was hooked. But then Jesus came along … … More Me & Jesus Cruise the AM Dial
I wrote this piece 10 years ago! In light of the latest DACA decision and ongoing conversation, I want to repost this today. As a pastor I do not believe its my place to tell folks how to vote on complex political issues, but I am called to help folks think biblically about such matters. … More Immigration Reform & the Tower of Babel
CHICAGO, IL (November 9, 2016) — In the wake of a grueling and often polarizing election season, Covenant president Gary Walter offers a prayer of healing for the church and nation. Lord, the election is over. A new president will assume office, and those who will serve our nation, states, and communities have been determined by … More A Post-Election Prayer
Sovereign Lord: Foolish we are, believing that we can rule ourselves by selecting this or that person to rule over us. We are at it again. Help us not to think it more significant than it is, but also give us and those we elect enough wisdom to acknowledge our follies. Help us laugh at … More Election Day Prayer (Stanley Hauerwas)
This is a timely repost from about 2011 when MainStreet was just getting launched. It was during another local election season where people were passionately campaigning for and against a school referendum. You can sense my urgency and deep burden for our local community. Regardless how we vote on November 8, may we vote Jesus leader of our lives … More Political Fervor & Christian Apathy
For those who are struggling to support either candidate in this upcoming election, Ed Stetzer has a great series of posts at The Exchange blog at Christianity Today. This one below provides interesting food for thought. Note: I have no idea who this 3rd party candidate is, and am not hereby supporting him. But I resonate … More 2016 Election – Food for Thought
Originally posted on Jeremy Berg:
I’m reposting this article as we begin our series on the Sermon on the Mount. Every time I go back to this Kingdom Manifesto, I’m reminded by how easily Christians today boil Christianity down to private piety, overlooking the fact that Jesus calls his followers, the church, to be a…
One dynamic that Jesus films help bring out that often gets missed in common Christian teaching is how real and popular the “zealot” movement was in Jesus’ day. These were religious “freedom fighters” who wanted to take up arms against Rome and try to incite insurrection and political unrest in the Holy Land. Jesus rejected … More A.D. Miniseries Commentary – Resisting the Way of Violence
How long, O LORD, must I call for help before you listen, before you save us from violence? (Habakkuk 1:2-4) He came closer to the city, and when he saw it, he wept over it, saying, “If you only knew today what is needed for peace! But now you cannot see it! (Luke 19:41-42) There … More Cruciform Justice 1: Introduction
Have you seen this recent piece of art making the rounds? It’s called “One Nation Under God.” As you can see, Jesus is front and center holding the U.S. Constitution which, according to this artist, was “inspired by God.” Greg Boyd took this artist’s message to task on his blog, saying among other things: “Artistically … More Jesus, the Constitution & the Founding Fathers
Jeremy Berg 