When a person in our community found out that this was my eighth year of ministry at this church he told me the following.
The first 3 years a pastor is at a church the congregation loves you.
The second 3 years a pastor is at the church the congregation puts up with you.
The last 3 years a pastor is at the church the congregation tries to get rid of you.
He kind of chuckled about this. I didn’t chuckle as much.
But perhaps you might have some of these thoughts after today as I talk to you about politics.
In fact it may not take 3 years to get rid of me - maybe just 3 sermons, we’ll see.
We are in a series this fall called Shift. The idea, premise, underlying thought in this series is that you and I as people created by God are continually asked by our God to make shifts.
To surrender our lives and will to him.
To make changes.
To grow.
Be transformed.
To be renewed.
Whether we realize it or not you and I and our children are continually being bombarded with images, messages, teachings, slogans by advertisers,
By radio and TV shows
Through music
In our schools
By our neighbors
Many of these messages, teachings, and philosophies have nothing to do with promoting the way of Jesus in our lives, in fact the opposite.
They promote greed.
Excess
Power
Envy and covetousness
Selfishness
Hate and division
And so as Jesus followers we recognize that we must make a shift away from such influences and to be influenced by the ways of Jesus.
Jesus the one who invites us to follow him.
To be in process
In motion
On the journey
Continually being made over by His Spirit.
That common bumper sticker. "Be patient with me, God isn’t through with me yet" summarizes the attitude we are seeking to cultivate this fall.
Rather than seeing ourselves as knowing it all,
Having it all figured.
Knowing what I believe and believing what I know.
We are seeking to be teachable,
Malleable
Able to be shaped and formed like a piece of clay in the potters hands.
Allowing the Master to form us according to his purposes. And so a group of us, 4 of us to be precise picked the Shift topics that we will make our way through this fall in hopes that God will be transforming our church community so that we can transform our community.
A transformed community transforming a community.
This is what Jesus sought to do.
This is what Jesus sought to form.
This is what Jesus established.
And this is what we are praying God will do in us.
About 5 years ago, I attended a conference taught by Eugene Peterson, "Huge Eug" at this conference described to us the way Jesus sought to transform the world.
When Jesus lived, as Jesus went about his ministry there were 2 significant leaders. Herod and Caiaphas.
Herod was a political King and Caiaphas the High Priest.
These men were leaders over the people.
These men were leaders in nearly every aspect of life. Their reign. Their rule touched and impacted nearly everyone if not all of the people Jesus spoke with including Jesus himself. These men both a secular and a religious leader brought and maintained order in that day. They had and exercised their power.
They were influential.
They built institutions and preserved systems.
They were important.
Capable.
If they were living today they would be the subject of many books on leadership, politics and governing.
But Jesus paid little attention to them. Yes, he honored their position. Yes, he respected their role. But he didn’t get hung up on them. He didn’t cozy up to them.
Though he came to change and impact the world, he didn’t see Herod’s and Caiaphas’ way as being his way. And so he didn’t dialogue with nor ask for their support. Jesus’ way of living would be different.
Perhaps this isn’t too surprising, but this might be. In Jesus’ day 3 religious groups, the Pharisees, the Essences and Zealots came into formation to fix, remedy and stand for matters, religious matters that they felt Herod and Caiaphas weren’t addressing.
These groups: The Pharisees
Essences
And Zealots were a reaction to the way things were going. The members of these groups sought to maintain and protect true religion - a religion being negatively influenced by Herod and Caiaphas.
But interestingly enough, Jesus had really nothing to do with them either. In fact, these religious protecting types often received his strongest rebuke.
Jesus’ way wasn’t their way either.
Instead, Jesus had his own way.
His own politics.
His own idea as to how community could be formed, shaped.
His word for it was Kingdom.
"The Kingdom of God."
"The Kingdom of heaven is near," he would announce.
"Believe the Good News."
And slowly, on the margins, in little villages and with common people, Jesus lived and loved.
Spoke and healed.
Forgave and restored ordinary folks. Folks that would not impress Herod.
Folks that weren’t religious enough for Caiaphas.
Jesus was with these.
Came for these.
And in their hands and in their hearts, he place himself, seeking that they not become enamored by Herod, Caiaphas way and not led astray by the 3 religious groups but instead being like yeast, like leaven, small and active, a community being transformed that would slowly transform the world.
A community ready to forgive rather than strike back.
A community ready to walk a second mile, lend an extra coat rather than one that
says “fend for yourself.”
A community ready to speak truthfully rather than speaking falsely.
A community of salt and light and not one of power and might.
A community of trusting dependence upon the Father even to the point of
suffering rather than being caught up in defending turf and one’s own well-being.
As I read Jesus’ sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, 6 and 7, these are the themes I see Jesus advocating.
Jesus in my studies, has little to say about political power, the government and its leaders. It wasn’t his primary focus, Kingdom was. Don’t get me wrong, Paul in Romans 13 and Peter in 1 Peter, tells us how we are to pray for, submit to, honor, and live under the governing authorities. But Jesus’ way, his politics, his mission was to create a community of people seeking to live primarily under His reign and rule and finding their identity there.
Jesus’ politics was to create a people who would live, love, forgive; in such a unique way that culture would be transformed not from the top down, but from the bottom up.
The uniting symbols, the two acts therefore that were the identifying marks of this community being formed therefore were not the elephant and the donkey. Not a flag and a national symbol but the cup and bread and the Baptismal waters.
Jesus’ reign and rule had nothing to do with defining geographical boundaries, fighting another person because they are from somewhere else.
No Jesus’ politics, his way of governing seem to be shaped and formed and brought into formation around a table, eating a meal together with those of any nation, of any color, with any kind of post. Jesus died for these. He loved the world. He came to bring salvation to all, inviting them to a banquet table.
Jesus himself was baptized and invited his followers to be baptized. This being a sacrament, a symbol, a public event in part signifying a washing away of the world’s methods, influences, flaws and an embrace of a new identity as a child of God.
Let me introduce a scripture here: 1 Peter 2:9, page 1888.
Peter tells us on page 1881, that we are,
A chosen people or chosen race-by race, Peter means not a particular nation,
Not a particular county, not a particular color. God’s chosen people is a now
People from all tribes/colors and countries. A people formed through
Belief in Jesus Christ.
A royal priesthood-you and I have access to the Father, immediate access.
We don’t need a priest as a mediator. Jesus is that. As priests, we
are called to minister, to live out Jesus’ way.
A holy nation-you are not merely a part of this world anymore. We’ve been
set apart. To act holy. When we don’t act holy we are out of character.
A people belonging to God-we belong to God. We are God’s inheritance.
v. 10- "Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God . . ."
-God has been merciful to us in order to form a community transformed by him.
That’s our identity. Now how must we live?
v, 11- Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world to abstain from sinful desires . . .
v. 12- Live such good lives among pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
Peter tells his readers, don’t forsake.
Don’t forget your identity.
You - those participating in communion.
Those who have been baptized.
You - you are a people, a community living as aliens and strangers.
Let this be your identity.
Allow this to be your underlining allegiance.
God has and is forming you - to Him be aligned to Him and His ways.
And as you do and to the extent you are capable.
You live in and bring about his Kingdom way.
A way not dependant upon the Herods and Caiaphas of the world.
A way not always in sync with reactionary religious groups.
Having said this - let me suggest.
Let me serve up 4 Shifts for you to chew on.
4 Political Shifts we need to consider as Jesus followers.
1. As a chosen person, part of a holy people belonging to God - I must give my 1st and
ultimate allegiance to the Kingdom of God.
If God’s Kingdom isn’t my 1st allegiance I must make a shift.
No human being - no nation/state - no political party.
No religious denomination or institution can have the allegiance that the one true God
is to have.
We are to seek first the Kingdom of god and his righteousness. (Matthew 6:33)
Kingdom - Jesus’ way is where hope is found.
Jesus’ way is where life is truly lived. In Jesus’ Kingdom way people and communities are restored.
No person, party or powerful institution deserves my full allegiance.
We are to give our 1st allegiance to the Kingdom of God.
2. As a chosen person, part of a holy people belonging to God, I must distinguish between
authentic patriotism and nationalism.
Let me explain.
Authentic patriotism concerns itself with love of country and pride in its highest ideals. It also insists on a clear-eyed understanding of the failings of a country and a call to make them right.
Nationalism - is a blind loyalty to country at times a refusal to consider shortcomings and weaknesses.
The Bible talks about the state/a country is to provide stability, justice and peace for its people and when it does we commend it.
When it fails, let us speak prophetically so as to cause it to make necessary shifts.
If nationalism is my belief, I must make a shift.
3. As a chosen person, part of a holy people belonging to God, I must give witness for life as consistently and clearly as possible.
From the womb to the tomb. This means standing against forces that dehumanize
people.
This means standing against systems that perpetuate poverty and other dehumanizing social conditions.
This means - laboring for peace in times of conflict.
- pursuing creation care.
- finding alternatives to capital punishment thinking twice about
- euthanasia.
When I shift toward seeking the welfare of all people and toward creating systems/policies that aid this, I find myself standing with our Savior who came to set people free.
To bring life abundantly.
As a chosen child of God - I am to seek life, promote life.
4. As a chosen person, part of a holy people belonging to God, I must give special
consideration to the weakest and most vulnerable members of society.
God’s heart is for the marginalized.
As I said earlier, it was with these that Jesus spent his time.
The Scriptures consistently single out the poor, widowed, orphaned, alien, stranger, the child. God is concerned for the defenseless.
So what could these mean?
For some of us this may mean placing votes on issues or for candidates that may not seem to benefit or bless us individually, but instead value what is best for our society.
Could it be that to love our neighbor well, could mean placing a vote that would aid them and cause me to sacrifice?
Tony Campolo, a Christian author and speaker writes, "Both parties are partly right and partly wrong. I am glad we have in two-party system in this country. And I am glad that God belongs to neither of them." ("Is Jesus a republican or democrat?" Tony Campolo, p. 16)
As followers of Jesus, as participants in his way, our lives will end up confronting and coming alongside issues that our Government opposes or endorses.
As his followers we must speak.
We must teach.
We must be informed.
We do have a responsibility to advocate the ways of Jesus as best we understand
them.
But let us not become separated from those who disagree with us.
Let us not become aggressive with those who believe differently.
Let us not let issues or our rights as free individuals triumph over God’s greatest command to love him and love others.
For as I have experienced personally, when I have been more willing to listen to my enemy.
To hear what their views are.
To figure out why they think that way.
I and he, she and I demonstrate and become a community transformed by the ways of Jesus. Amen.
The last 4 points are by Richard Foster, Renovare Newsletter.
