Evangelicals and their false god of politics

As I look at the concerns of evangelicals on social media over the past year, I have come to the conclusion that the God of evangelicals today is not Jesus but politics. When God proclaimed in the Ten Commandments, "You shall have no other gods before me," He was writing about any priority or concern that would take our primary attention off of Him. This is why, speaking of money, for instance, in Matthew, he says, "You cannot serve God and money." 

Many things can supersede our highest commitment to Him. I suggest that power and politics have become a false God of Evangelicals. One can trace the genesis of this back to the founding of the Moral Majority in 1979, founded by Jerry Falwell Senior. Those were heady days for the religious right. It was pivotal in bringing Ronald Reagan to the White House, a friend of evangelicals, and the religious right realized that it could wield power previously unknown as a voting block. 

Evangelicals became a powerful lobby in the halls of power. The seduction of power is not the purview of politicians alone. We, as evangelicals, were seduced as well. We became convinced that we could turn the levers of power and solve the issues of our nation through the election of allies in the White House, legislation that was in our interests, and turn the judiciary in our direction.

Having these allies, friendly legislation, or addressing the concerns that we have as believers was not wrong. However, in the success of our efforts, we started to believe that the key to our nation's success and to the advancement of Christianity was to be found in political power rather than in the God we worship, who is above all, over all and in all. Our confidence moved from God to political power. And in the process, political power became a god that rivaled the one and true God.

This also led many evangelicals to ally themselves with the Republican Party because this is where their power base existed. Pastors and evangelical leaders became spokespersons for their party. They often became unapologetic cheerleaders for politicians who lacked any moral compass or personal integrity - or concept of truth. After all, they were joined at the hip to a political party, and come "hell or high water," they intended to hang on to that power. And power has become the key to national transformation in the minds of many rather than God and the Holy Spirit. In fact, numerous posts by evangelicals in the run-up to the recent election insinuated that one could not be a believer and vote for other than the Republican Party. 

When we ally ourselves with a god that is not God, we often overlook corruption, lies, ungodly behaviors, and unrighteousness because we cannot offend our power base. Power corrupts evangelicals and the issues they attend to, just like power often corrupts politicians. Power becomes a god, and in the end, political power starts to defuse our ultimate power that is found in Christ and His transforming work in our lives. 

Regardless of how we as individuals vote, the marriage of the religious right with a political party has done us no favors. It has diluted our influence, caused us to overlook unrighteousness, and has stolen our prophetic voice in society. When one cares about power and the influence it brings, we move away from speaking truth to power.  

Jesus did not and does not carry the card of any political party. Nor did Jesus or Paul say much at all about the politics of their day, which were far worse than the politics in our nation. Why? Because neither Jesus nor Paul put their trust in the political system. Rather, they put their trust in God, the transformation of the Holy Spirit, and a Gospel that has the power to transform individuals, communities, and institutions. Jesus put it well when he said, pay to Caesar what is Caesar's and pay to God what is God's. Perhaps we have paid more attention to Caesar than to the concerns of God.

All of us are at risk of elevating various gods above the one God who claims our full allegiance. In our individual lives, we can elevate our work above Him, we can put our trust in our resources rather than Him, and we can also put our trust in political parties rather than in Him, whatever that party is. Or the power that comes with allegiance to a political party. 

Can Christians impact the political system? Yes! Daniel did in his day serving one of the worst tyrants of the ancient world. Wilberforce did in the abolition of slavery in England. We should be deeply thankful for men and women of faith who serve in government and live out their convictions in their places of influence. Paul had supporters who were in high places of government in his day. 

Should Christians challenge unjust laws or practices in the fabric of our society? Yes. But we have been very selective in what we concerned ourselves with. Absent from the concerns of many white evangelicals, for instance, is the concern for racial reconciliation and justice - a concern of the prophets throughout the Old Testament. And Paul, in the New.

We have been outspoken on the issue of abortion and the evil that it is and have neglected the truth that to be pro-life is to be pro-life in all situations and for all people. Being pro-life means that I care about righteousness, justice, and fairness in all of society. The command, "Thou shall not kill," is stated in the negative because one cannot catalog all the ways that we keep this commandment by enhancing the lives of those around us, caring for the needy, the hurting, the poor, and the hungry, or in dealing with racism that destroys the dignity and opportunities of many - those who are without power or marginalized by society.

We should always use the means that we are given to bring about a better nation. Jeremiah advised the Jews living in captivity to pray for the peace of the city in which they lived and to contribute to its success. For us, that includes using the political system, courts, and legislation to pursue a more just society.

But politics is not the ultimate answer to our nation's ills. As God told Solomon, "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14. 

If we spent as much time cleansing our own lives, seeking the face of God, and praying for our nation as we do arguing about politics and engaging in the political system, we would see a more righteous and just society.

Only God is God, and He is the One who can bring healing to our nation. All other gods, including our god of politics and power, will not and cannot. 

The place that resolve and focus plays in successful organizations

 

Resolve is a quality that is often in short supply, especially in ministry organizations. I define resolve as the ability to chart a course that we know to be right and to not deviate from that course. We may change our tactics regularly but resolve is the discipline of going a long way in a specific direction to reach a specific result.

Why is resolve often in short supply? First, we have not done the hard work of determining exactly where we should go and therefore when a new or better idea comes along we grab that in our effort to be successful. In fact, when leaders in many organizations lay out a new plan to their staff, many yawn, and ignore the new direction as they have become used to the flavor of the month. Charting a ministry path that will yield significant results takes a great deal of thinking, prayer, dialogue and effort. Easy answers are rarely great answers. They are often common answers when what is needed is something other than conventional wisdom.

In the absence of being sure of one's direction and having a set of values that undergird that direction, resolve is not possible. Instead, we settle for an easy solution that is easily changed when a new idea comes along.

Resolve is also in short supply because any direction or strategy you choose will elicit pushback from somewhere. That pushback may be valid if the hard directional work has not been done. But pushback will come and leaders, boards and staff often cave when faced with opposition. 

One of the most important traits of good leaders is that they have done their homework, are sure of the direction the organization needs to go and don't cave no matter how much opposition they face. This is not about hubris because a good leader runs process and has key people with them. It is about courage to do what is right in order to go where God is calling them to go. Undeterred by those who don't agree. 

Courageous leadership is willing to go where the organization needs to go and to push the organization out of the comfort zone and into more missional work. That takes resolve because there will be any number of reasons to retreat or take an easier route.

Some suggestions to those who want to grow their resolve.

• Make sure you have done your homework and understand where your organization needs to focus.
• Be prepared for pushback because organizations naturally gravitate to the comfortable.
• Have a communication strategy that is clear and allows for dialogue in order for individuals to grasp the new reality and adjust to it. Clarity matters!
• Be sure you have a guiding coalition of key individuals who can help you convince others and who will give leadership to the new direction.
• Keep the main thing the main thing. Don't be diverted from your central message and focus. Talk about it, demonstrate it and over communicate.
• Remember that people grasp new paradigms differently. Some will get it with explanation. Many will require a great deal of dialogue. Some will only get it when they see it. Be patient but keep pressing forward. Don't deviate from your central message and direction.
• Let people know that the organization is going in the direction you have committed to. This is not the flavor of the month. It is going to happen! And demonstrate that by your own actions.

Resolve sets some leaders apart from most leaders. It also sets some organizations apart from most organizations. It is a disciplined and courageous commitment to a course of action that will maximize an organizations effectiveness.

Simplifying complexity

 

Leaders deal daily with complex issues. Because they have the context as well as the ability to think conceptually, this is often second nature to them. Unfortunately, those they try to communicate their ideas to often find the complexity confusing. And what is confusing cannot be grasped by those who need to understand it.

Ministry or business is complex. Complexity is confusing. The job of a leader is to simplify complexity.

Simplifying complexity so that people can grasp a concept or paradigm is one of the hardest tasks a leader often faces. Especially for those leaders who love complexity and whose minds naturally move toward complexity. But if the average individual cannot grasp your concept or paradigm, it is difficult to move in the direction that is desired. It results in confusion rather than in clarity.

There is also the desire by many leaders to share everything they know or have thougth through with those they are selling an idea to. The reality, however, is that much of that complexity is not important. What is important is the underlying principle to the complexity that people do need to understand. 

A good example of this principle can be found in the negotiations between the United States and Russia during the Reagan administration over nuclear weapons. This was a very complex and complicated issue that almost did not come to a settlement. But it did and President Reagan's statement explained the concept to the public exceedingly well: "Trust but verify."

Those three words took immense complexity and work and explained the concept brilliantly. So succinct was that expression that it has found a way into our vocabulary. In three words a much larger story was told. But in a way that the average individual could understand. It became the guiding principle for the agreement that took place. 

In the church I serve, we have a deep commitment to becoming a church that is friendly and accessible to everyone. That means no matter what their age, their background, their race, their socio economic status or anything else that might define them, they are welcome here. This is not an easy task and there is a great deal of complexity that goes into making this a reality. However we can articulate that complexity with simplicity: "A church for everyone and anyone."

Simplicity also builds culture. When staff talk about a church for everyone and anyone, the simple statement reminds them of a commitment that is fully understandable: it means something. And the simple statement is becoming a part of the culture of the church. Complexity does not build culture. Simplicity can!

One of my rules is that if something cannot be explained on one sheet of paper it is too complex and will not be remembered. It is one thing to do the hard work to arrive at a paradigm that you want to embrace. It is another to simplify that paradigm so that everyone can grasp it easily. It is the difficult construction of an idea and the necessary deconstruction in order to make it understandable.

If something in your organization cannot be easily explained, is not remembered or is not lived out, ask yourself if it has been simplified in a way that is memorable and easy to explain. If not, do the work of simplifiying complexity.

In my book, Leading From the Sandbox I show how an entire organization's purpose, values, culture and central focus can be articulated with one picture. 

The one issue that every church leader and pastor must pay attention to

One of the most glaring deficiencies of the American church is the lack of intentional strategies to make disciples. We are excellent in many cases in positive, uplifting worship and teaching. We are great at creating programs for people of all ages. But the picture is not so bright when it comes to our ability to help people become a disciple of Christ.

How do we know this is a deficit? Well first, apart from church attendance, many Christians don't look a whole lot different from the rest of the population who don't claim to be followers. Attitudes, words, priorities, and relationships are often almost indistinguishible from non-Christ followers. 

In addition the general Biblical knowledge among Christians in general is low and indicators of followership such as giving (2% on average), a vibrant devotional life, and service in ministry are equally low. Clearly we are not doing very well at "teaching people to obey everything I have commanded you," as Jesus told us to do in The Great Commission.

Many have tried to define what a fully devoted disciple looks like. I will not try to do that here but will address three areas where the church needs an intentional strategy to help people move toward a more mature discipleship to Christ.

Why are we OK that most "Christians" have never read the Bible?

Foundational to any true discipleship is an underatanding of the Bible.Why are we OK that most "Christians" have never read the Bible?  Without exposure to God's word on a regular basis there can be no Biblical world view. God has something to say about every area of life but most believers have little clue as to what that is. They know what they have heard in the sermons but they have no first hand knowledge of the text. 

This isn't OK and as leaders we are responsible for making Scripture reading a part of the culture of our congregation. Initiatives such as reading through the Bible in a year have introduced thousands to the text for the first time. Teaching people how to study Scripture is a skill that we ought to train for on an ongoing basis. Here is the bottom line. You cannot be a disciple if you don't understand the Word!

True discipleship will never happen without a regular devotional life

If Scripture gives us knowledge it is in a regular devotional life that what we know becomes transfered to our heart and it starts to change the way we think and live. Time set aside to read the word, reflect on our own lives and time in prayer are all "time exposure to God." 

Here is the connection between a regular devotional life and discipleship. Our spiritual lives are only as fresh as the last time we spent with Him. Without this kind of devotional time our knowledge remains just that: knowledge. It is in this daily encounter with God that the knowledge goes to the heart and life. The focus of a devotional life is to align our lives with His and become more like Christ. It is designed for life change!

A life of generosity is a mark of discipleship. Selfish living is not!

Disciples live like Jesus: Open handed and generous with God and with those that have needs. Generosity is such a fundamental character of God that one cannot call themselves disciples without becoming being generous. Generosity with our finances kills the selfishness and god of materialism. When we are willing to be generous in one area we inevitably become generous in other areas as well.

There are many facets to becoming a disciple of Jesus. These three are foundational because we have a foundation in the word, develop intimacy with Him in our daily devotional time and live out His character in our generous lifestyle. And these are three areas where church leaders can move the dial on discipleship. If we get these down, many other areas of discipleship will follow.

How are you doing in your church in helping people grow in these three disciplines?

Dealing with an Age of Anger in the Church

 

There is a great deal of anger today in the church....over everything. 

People are leaving churches in anger, withdrawing their giving, are incredibly cranky and irritable and find all kinds of things to complain about. Leaders have spent an inordinate amount of time in the past six months calling folks who are upset. It is often a fools errand. They cannot solve the discontent. What we can do is to focus on those who are with us rather than trying to convince those who are not.

Where does the anger come from? 

It stems from Covid and the incredible burden this has placed on people, either discounting the threat and angry about the stipulations put in place, or, concerned about their own safety and the resulting fear. Just the additional burdens that this time places on people is heavy. 

Then there is the political anger that divides our nations, and for many evangelicals that was magnified by the results of the last election. There are the racial tensions that divide our communities and additional division about how to deal with it. Sales of guns and ammunition are way up for members of both parties and those who fear racial unrest - Blacks and Whites. I have not remembered a time when conspiracy theories of all sorts had as much attention as today.

Unfortunately this all spills over into the church. 

There are simply a lot of cranky, irritable, critical and unhappy people today. In fact, in my many years of working with churches I don't remember a time where attitudes were so bad. And it seems for leaders, you cannot win. 

Churches that quit meeting for a season out of concern for their people were accused of allowing the government to "shut down churches" and "interfere with religion." Then, when the church reopened, there was the criticism that "you don't take the health threat of Covid seriously." Often this is pretty much a 50/50 split. So no matter what you do you face criticism. The same split is evident in how congregations are dealing with racial issues that have torn our nation. If you address the racial issues you face criticism from those who don't believe there is a problem. If you fail to address the issues you are seen as uncaring and contributors to the problem. In the arena of public opinion you cannot win!

On top of all that, there has been a lack of face to face communication and what people put on social media or into emails is usually far harsher than they would express in person.

What should our response be?

Be Compassionate but not empowering

While cranky, irritable, critical and unhappy attitudes are not what Jesus desires, mercy would have us give people space and grace. It is a tough time. One of the realities of ministry is that we are required to put up with times when people are out of sorts. 

Don't take it personally

OK that is hard. Just this week our team put in an amazing number of hours to bring back live services after a six month hiatus. It was a wonderful day and the team crushed it but I got home to a critical email that lacked grace and simply complained. It is easy to take that personally but it is wise not to. But...I didn't bother to respond! It was not worth it given the attitude behind the comments.

Challenge people to live by the Fruit of the Spirit

We cannot control opinions but we can call people to the standard that Paul set for us, based on the example of Jesus himself. Remind people that the fruit of the spirit is the attitude that should flow from hearts that are like Jesus. Paul tells us that we ought to walk in the Spirit because the Spirit lives within us. Sometimes we just need to tell people that their attitudes are unacceptable. Be kind about it but not shy to say it. Scripture is pretty objective on how we should deal with one another.

Answer questions and have dialogue selectively

I say selectively because those who have a history of bad attitudes, critical spirits and crankiness don't deserve much of our time. You will not convince the inconvincible that they should change their attitudes or critical spirits. So don't try. Ignore those who have a history of critical spirits. Show then love but don't waste your time trying to make them feel good. Sometimes they just need to be told the truth about their attitudes.

If you are dealing with at reasonable person, answer questions and try to help them see why you have made certain decisions. A conversation with a reasonable individual can almost often bear the fruit of understanding.

When people threaten to withhold their giving or leave the church don't try to change their minds

Over the years I have seen a lot of people take their ball and go home. Sometimes because they didn't get their way, sometimes because we didn't meet their expectations, sometimes because they are just critical. Sometimes because they took a petty offense and made it a dealbreaker. 

I once received an email that complained about something the church had done, made crazy allegations and finished with these words, "I don't need you anymore." Ouch. But here is a fact. With that attitude your congregation will not be very attractive to others. Blessed subtractions are not a bad thing. Let them find somewhere where they can minister with a happy heart and a clear conscience. Bless them and let them go. People left Jesus too. Sometimes in droves. 

Walk in grace and truth yourself

Shepherds don't kick the sheep. Grace means that we give space and compassion. Truth means that we see attitudes for what they are. Our job is to be sure that we live in grace and truth ourselves. It is our surest antidote to the disappointment that critical spirits can bring to us and to our congregations. 

It takes wisdom to navigate these days. Be innocent as a dove and wise as a serpent! And focus on leading the church into missional waters.

Winners and Losers

By the time this day is over, or soon after, half of America will be happy with the election results and the other half very unhappy. Whether your candidate wins or loses, there is another issue that is in play today. It is whether we will respond Christianly to the election results. At the national level, whichever candidate wins the White House, there will be a great deal of ill will by the losing party. Perhaps gloating by the winning party. But how do we, as Christians respond?

We often forget that we are citizens first of heaven and second of our nation. Our highest loyalty is to our Lord. In effect, we carry two passports which are why Peter calls us aliens and strangers in the world. In accepting Christ as our Savior, our citizenship changed even though we still hold a passport here on earth. Given that, our Christian worldview, our Christian attitudes, and actions will often be at odds with the prevailing worldview, words, and actions around us.

Here is Paul’s advice to us today. On this day and in the days to come. “Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.”  Titus 3:1-2. 

Think about those words. There will be many who respond very differently to the election results because they lack a Christian worldview. In fact, many who are Christ followers will react differently than Paul’s admonition as well. It is hard sometimes to remember that, as citizens of heaven, we have different values, practices, words, and attitudes. But we do. In this and in every area of life. Our worldview is no longer that of the country in which we were born but in the country to which we are going. This is what sets Christians apart in whatever society they live in.

As Christ's followers, this is a day when we slander no one, are peaceable and considerate, ready to do whatever is good, and show true humility toward all men. We do not join the vitriol and anger that will follow the results. Or, slander the winner or loser. We are different, We act and react differently. We are citizens of heaven, and our response should not be the same as those around us. Can it be hard? Yes. Does it please God? Yes. This is a day to remember where our true citizenship lies.

Transparency in the church: Twelve principles for dealing with bad news!

 

One of the unfortunate practices of the church is to spin problematic news rather than to be candid enough that reasonable people can understand what is going on in a particular situation. Spin, of course, is the manipulation of a message so that what is problematic or plainly bad looks less so and those who are resposible are able to offload responsibility. 

We watched in bemusement as the leaders of Willow Creek and Harvest Bible Chapel tried to protect themselves by massive spin - denying that there was anything wrong until events forced their hand. The truth is that many of us looking in knew there was more to the story than was being shared and the denials in the face of multiple situations and people coming forward made it impossible to believe the spin.

When one hears spin from Washington or in the news, it is often apparent. It is no different with a church. Eventually the truth is going to come out and leaders who have spun the story or manipulated the facts to make things look better than they are will lose their credibility when it does. Hence the resignations of entire boards at Willow and Harvest. Whatever the original issues, the spin caused tremendous damage to the church and the belief that their leaders had told them the truth. The result is that both organizations are in significant trouble as congregants are leaving in significant numbers. 

Bad news can be handled if it is communicated truthfully. This does not mean that leaders must tell all they know but it does mean that what they share must be true. In addition, they must share enough of the facts for reasonable people to understand and to have context.

 Here is the irony of spin. In an effort to preserve their reputation as leaders or the reputation of a leader who has made mistakes or is guilty of impropriety, all parties involved in the spin lose far more credibility than they would have if they had simply told the truth. Enough truth for people to understand what went wrong.

Here are some principles when something goes wrong or must be reported to a congregation.

First, don't hide the issue. You actually win points for being candid in a timely manner.

Second, you do not have to reveal everything you know but you must reveal enough for reasonable people to understand what you are dealing with.

Third,when bad news ocurrs, come with a good plan of how you intend to address it and ensure that you will get to the bottom of whatever has happened.

Fourth, run a good process and report back to the congregation what has been discovered. It is foolish to run bad process and face criticism for both the problem and the response to the problem.

Fifth, remember that if you do not share adequate information it will come back and bite you every time. Truth does rise to the surface eventually and on that day those who dealt with the issue will also face scrutiny and evaluation as well as the one responsible for the original issue. 

Sixth, if you attempt to protect the guilty you become one of the guilty. Lack of truth is enanthema to God and to those you serve. When there is smoke and fire and leaders try to downplay that reality, they engage in lies and falsehoods. 

Seventh, it is the job of leaders to protect their flock. Being dishonest or covering up what is evident or true is not protection but collusion. 

Eighth, always get outside counsel. When the stuff hits the fan, it is hard for those who are in leadership to be objective. Our instinct is to want to make the issue go away. To "protect the church" by pretending the issues are not as bad as they seem. Outside counsel from someone who has experience in these situations will go a long way to get it right the first time. 

Ninth, allow outside wise and godly counsel to help you in your communication with the congregation. You don't want, like Willow, to have to come back a second time or a third time to "clarify" rather than simply communicating bad news upfront.

Tenth, once you have told the truth, ask the church to pray. Asking the congregation to pray when you are not being upfront won't work. People know when they are being manipulated and not being told the truth. In these situations, you will not get prayer but gossip, questions and anger. 

Eleventh, you need a plan for helping the congregation heal. This may take time and trying to "get it behind you" without adequate process will often cause more pain that it will healing. Again, outside counsel can help you get this right. 

Finally, be compassionate toward the guilty but don't protect them. That is not your job. Truth means that you are upfront with the issue without seeking to protect. Grace means that we seek to help the individual(s) involved find healing as well. 

The situation at Willow and Harvest today would look much different if these twelve principles had been followed. The pain experienced by these congregations was greatly intensified by the actions of leaders. While these are highly visible examples, the same responses are played out in smaller churches regularly. Remember the more spin there is, the longer it will take to heal and the more cynicism will grow - which will hamper future leaders from leading with trust.