A Tale of Two Letters...
I'd like to take a moment to compare letters sent by two holiness denominations to their pastors/people concerning the upcoming election.
Here is the first. It was sent out in a denominational email to all pastors.
September 2, 2008
Dear Pastor:
Greetings in the name, grace, and power of our Lord Jesus Christ! Nazarenes living in the United States are experiencing unique opportunities in many places to be a voice for the proclamation of biblical values. Along with our sisters and brothers in other Christian churches, we view with grave alarm the steady erosion of what were once perceived to be the impenetrable foundations of marriage, family, and home as dominant social institutions in our national fabric. We believed them to be impenetrable because their value has been historically celebrated by this nation due to the affirmation of our forebears’ belief in the JudeoChristian bedrock of ideals on which the American experiment in democracy rests.
In recent years cultural abrasion has steadily diminished the stature, importance, and sanctity of both marriage and the conception of children, and now the very definitions of the matrimonial covenant are under attack. The onslaught of this well-orchestrated effort has found support in various constituencies throughout popular culture. This situation is extremely challenging for the church because our members and friends are continuously exposed to its messages through the various media outlets and venues and the ubiquitous world-wide web.
There is a vigorous and robust national debate that is engaging the issue of same-sex marriage, and political initiatives will appear on the fall election ballots of at least three states: Arizona, California, and Florida. We encourage all Nazarene clergy and pastors to reflect on the significance of these issues by engaging dialog, securing information, and prayerfully responding to the serious questions these initiatives raise. There are specific actions that you can take to ensure appropriate access to biblical truth for all of your congregation and community:
1. Use this opportunity to proclaim the biblical standards, definitions, and boundaries of holy matrimony as the union between one man and one woman.
2. Cooperate with other evangelical believers in your community in ways that challenge the subversive message by those who would ignore or even destroy the biblical model and standard regarding Christian marriage.
3. Fearlessly declare the biblical truth that the challenge set before the American people by the architects of proposals for legalizing same-sex marriages must be resisted.
4. Participate in local democracy by casting your vote and encouraging your congregation to join you in standing against any and every proposal that ignores, diminishes, or reverses the scriptural ideal of marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
Your colleagues on the Board of General Superintendents affirm your courageous voice and faithful witness as you lead your faith community in these challenging times. We join in solidarity with you, praying that God will find us faithful when the faith “once delivered to the saints” is sorely contested in the public and political arena of our nation.
In His Service,
J. K. Warrick,
Secretary Board of General Superintendents
Here is the other. It is from a sister holiness denomination (The Free Methodist Church) and can be viewed at their website: www.freemethodistchurc.org
Kingdom Perspective in an Electoral Season
Board of Bishops, Free Methodist Church
In the current political and social climate of the United States, we must appreciate the truly global church we have become as Free Methodists. This places a profound responsibility on those of us located in one of the wealthiest and most resourceful nations on earth. We recall that we are kingdom people, that God calls all people everywhere to be His. Our citizenship is in heaven first. In fact, we are bound to and have more in common with brothers and sisters in Christ around the world than even our fellow Americans who are unbelievers. We affirm that God does not need us or our nation to carry out His kingdom agenda. The gospel of the kingdom does not depend on current or anticipated political, social, cultural status quo.
The church’s mission to manifest kingdom reality, in cooperation with God’s Spirit, challenges every “this-worldly” platform and ideology. No party will champion the cause of the kingdom in its entirety. We acknowledge that Christians in the United States have often been seduced by reductionist views of the gospel and morality and have thus given uncritical allegiance to partisan agendas that fall short of the Christian hope.
Therefore, we urge our members and adherents to weigh carefully and pray fervently over candidates, ballot referenda and all political issues before us. Then seek to vote in ways that reflect Jesus Christ’s heart for the whole world. In so doing, we remind our people that the way of Jesus is the way of cross-bearing, of self-sacrificing love, of costly obedience and of giving all for the sake of others — especially for those on the margins. Indeed, this way of Jesus often directly counters the ideologies of this world.
Board of Bishops
Free Methodist Church
Matthew Thomas
David Roller
David Kendall
Please forgive the lengthy post, but I think it is worth noting the difference between how the two similar denominations are viewing the upcoming elections. I have several observations, but I'd like to hear yours first.
Here is the first. It was sent out in a denominational email to all pastors.
September 2, 2008
Dear Pastor:
Greetings in the name, grace, and power of our Lord Jesus Christ! Nazarenes living in the United States are experiencing unique opportunities in many places to be a voice for the proclamation of biblical values. Along with our sisters and brothers in other Christian churches, we view with grave alarm the steady erosion of what were once perceived to be the impenetrable foundations of marriage, family, and home as dominant social institutions in our national fabric. We believed them to be impenetrable because their value has been historically celebrated by this nation due to the affirmation of our forebears’ belief in the JudeoChristian bedrock of ideals on which the American experiment in democracy rests.
In recent years cultural abrasion has steadily diminished the stature, importance, and sanctity of both marriage and the conception of children, and now the very definitions of the matrimonial covenant are under attack. The onslaught of this well-orchestrated effort has found support in various constituencies throughout popular culture. This situation is extremely challenging for the church because our members and friends are continuously exposed to its messages through the various media outlets and venues and the ubiquitous world-wide web.
There is a vigorous and robust national debate that is engaging the issue of same-sex marriage, and political initiatives will appear on the fall election ballots of at least three states: Arizona, California, and Florida. We encourage all Nazarene clergy and pastors to reflect on the significance of these issues by engaging dialog, securing information, and prayerfully responding to the serious questions these initiatives raise. There are specific actions that you can take to ensure appropriate access to biblical truth for all of your congregation and community:
1. Use this opportunity to proclaim the biblical standards, definitions, and boundaries of holy matrimony as the union between one man and one woman.
2. Cooperate with other evangelical believers in your community in ways that challenge the subversive message by those who would ignore or even destroy the biblical model and standard regarding Christian marriage.
3. Fearlessly declare the biblical truth that the challenge set before the American people by the architects of proposals for legalizing same-sex marriages must be resisted.
4. Participate in local democracy by casting your vote and encouraging your congregation to join you in standing against any and every proposal that ignores, diminishes, or reverses the scriptural ideal of marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
Your colleagues on the Board of General Superintendents affirm your courageous voice and faithful witness as you lead your faith community in these challenging times. We join in solidarity with you, praying that God will find us faithful when the faith “once delivered to the saints” is sorely contested in the public and political arena of our nation.
In His Service,
J. K. Warrick,
Secretary Board of General Superintendents
Here is the other. It is from a sister holiness denomination (The Free Methodist Church) and can be viewed at their website: www.freemethodistchurc.org
Kingdom Perspective in an Electoral Season
Board of Bishops, Free Methodist Church
In the current political and social climate of the United States, we must appreciate the truly global church we have become as Free Methodists. This places a profound responsibility on those of us located in one of the wealthiest and most resourceful nations on earth. We recall that we are kingdom people, that God calls all people everywhere to be His. Our citizenship is in heaven first. In fact, we are bound to and have more in common with brothers and sisters in Christ around the world than even our fellow Americans who are unbelievers. We affirm that God does not need us or our nation to carry out His kingdom agenda. The gospel of the kingdom does not depend on current or anticipated political, social, cultural status quo.
The church’s mission to manifest kingdom reality, in cooperation with God’s Spirit, challenges every “this-worldly” platform and ideology. No party will champion the cause of the kingdom in its entirety. We acknowledge that Christians in the United States have often been seduced by reductionist views of the gospel and morality and have thus given uncritical allegiance to partisan agendas that fall short of the Christian hope.
Therefore, we urge our members and adherents to weigh carefully and pray fervently over candidates, ballot referenda and all political issues before us. Then seek to vote in ways that reflect Jesus Christ’s heart for the whole world. In so doing, we remind our people that the way of Jesus is the way of cross-bearing, of self-sacrificing love, of costly obedience and of giving all for the sake of others — especially for those on the margins. Indeed, this way of Jesus often directly counters the ideologies of this world.
Board of Bishops
Free Methodist Church
Matthew Thomas
David Roller
David Kendall
Please forgive the lengthy post, but I think it is worth noting the difference between how the two similar denominations are viewing the upcoming elections. I have several observations, but I'd like to hear yours first.
posted by EF + at 8:39 AM
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