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For many Christians, the Lord’s Prayer is almost a standard part of weekly worship.  Many of us never really had to memorize it – it just became part of our memory from sheer repetition.  However, as I strive to increase my own prayer life -  by adding these words to my personal prayer time I have found a renewed sense of order and spirituality.

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen

I have been blessed by including this prayer in a variety of ways.

1. Because I include it at the beginning of my prayer time, the Lord’s prayer takes me from the happenings of the world around me, the drive into work (I do my devotions in my office), and the messages that await me and focuses me on the task of prayer.  Divers know that rapidly surfacing from deep depths causes damage.  In much the same way I cannot concentrate on my prayers if I dive in too quickly.
2. This prayer reminds me first and last that my conversations with God are about praise.  I am reminded – and convicted – that no matter what my circumstances  – I must approach the throne of God in praise, in blessings, and humility.  My prayer life is not – and cannot – be about me.
3. The Lord’s Prayer puts my laundry list in order.  “Give me this day my daily bread.”  Whatever I need, whatever my family needs, whatever is on my heart about my circle of friends or colleagues – I must trust that God will provide according to His sovereignty and grace.  “Thy will be done” – in all things.
4. Finally, this prayer reminds me that I am able to lay hold of the promises of the Gospel only because of the saving grace of Jesus Christ.  “Forgive me my debts” – and there are many so many that daily choke up my soul.  Along with this forgiveness, though, comes a call to also be forgiving.  I am reminded that my experience of grace is highly dependent upon the amount of grace that I show others.

If you are wrestling with your prayer life – and finding that things just get muddled as you sit down to prayer – I would encourage you to add this routine to your devotions.

For Thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory forever.  Amen!

An 8 year old boy in Oregon gets suspended from school because he brought a 4 inch plastic toy gun to school – a toy gun that is part of an action figure’s lineup. School officials defended the principal, stating that she followed policy.  (KPTV) Yet another example of the idiocy of zero tolerance.

When we look to the Law of God, we often think that God is indeed the original author of zero tolerance. “Lest ye die” is riddled all through the Law. But, a careful examination of Scripture finds an amazing amount of room for grace and common sense. Murders were to be put to death. (Ex. 20:3) However, the Law also setup cities of refuge for those who accidently – without premeditation or malice – kills another. The determination of guilt or innocence in such a case was left to the elders of these cities. (Joshua 20:2 – 6) The Law determined that one must not be clean in order to observe the Passover, yet at the same time allowed for accidental exposure. (Numbers 9:6 – 10) Adultery is a sin punishable by death, yet Jesus told the repentant woman to go and live her life. (John 8:11) Clearly, our God has laid out a system of rules, regulations, and moral codes – enabling us to live as people of God. While the breaking of these Laws leads to serious consequences, it is also clear that God intended the elders and rulers of the community to apply that Law with love and grace as well.

A student who brings an actual gun to school should be punished – along with his parents. A student who brings a toy that looks like a realistic gun should be talked to – then handed over to his parents. An 8 year old who brings a 4 inch toy gun that is clearly not a weapon of any sort should be allowed to go play. Instead, the boy gets suspended, and it goes on his permanent record. What idiocy.

Contact the Portland School Board to express your desire that they change their minds – and to institute a common sense – and Godly – policy.

By repeatedly issuing statements and holding seminars, Evangelical Christians gave DaVinci Code author Dan Brown a tremendous amount of free advertizing for what was a mediocre movie at best. By railing and decrying the Tim Tebow commercial, liberal women’s groups did the same for what turned out to be a very tame commercial.

Just go back and read the headlines: Women’s groups call for CBS to pull Tim Tebow Super Bowl ad (LA Times), Stop Anti-Choice Super Bowl Ad (Women’s Media Center), Tell CBS that using the public airwaves to promote an anti-abortion message will lose the network both respect and business (Feminist Majority Foundation). These are just a few of the organizations that rallied and pushed CBS – to no avail – to pull the ad from the network.

I imagine somewhere at CBS today a savy ad exec is telling her bosses, “See, I told you so.” What in fact was a very tame – and a little hooky – ad became a national event. I – like countless others around the nation – stayed glued – looking for that one commercial. If there had been no pre-game angst about the ad – it probably would have gone unnoticed by most. It was the first set of commercials – following a somewhat funny commercial starring Betty White and Abe Vigoda. It would have been lost in the endless commercialism – and alcoholism – that marks this annual meeting of the gridiron titans. Instead, this 30-second, white background, country music commercial will probably land in the top ten.

I imagine the blogs and airwaves will be crowded with spins and backpeddling. From the Huffington Post:

After much anticipation, the ads have now been released — and the Heisman winner tackles his mother! They do not contain any overtly pro-life message and are tamer than many may have expected. The ads mostly consist of Pam Tebow, Tim’s mother, talking about her son. The former Florida quarterback only speaks at the end of the commercials. (Tim Tebow SUPER BOWL AD VIDEO: See Tebow TACKLE Mother Pam)

Focus on the Family – who sponsored the ad – is a pro-life group committed to the very serious problem of unwanted pregnancies. This commercial, however, focused on the tenacity of a mother to give birth to a child in a very uncertain situation. It was a commercial about the strength of mothers, of their commitment to their children, and the joy of families. Hard to find the hyped-up hate there.

So, thanks Dan Brown for showing us that conservatives can give voice to something that should have just been ignored. And – thanks Women’s Media Center, Feminist Majority Foundation, and others – for not learning that lesson.

Article Six of the Constitution expressly forbids the government from asking religious tests of candidates. But for some reason, churches have applied the same restrictions on candidates for public office who are also members of their faith community.

Article Six states in part, “no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.”(US Constitution) The Framers wisely understood that the government had no place in determining the orthodoxy or spiritual soundness of any candidate running for office – or those duly elected by the people.

The need for an effective faith in the lives of those seeking political office, though, was never far from the minds of the Founding Fathers. James Madison writes:

Religion [is] the basis and Foundation of Government. (1785) Before any man can be considered as a member of Civil Society, he must be considered as a subject of the Governor of the Universe. (1785) We have staked the whole future of the American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We have staked the future…upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God. (Summit Ministries)

There are countless other references to the how James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and others felt about the need of a moral, religious public servant. Yet, how do we rectify this deep felt religious requirement and Article Six of the Constitution?

The answer seems clear – while it is not the role of the government to determine faith and orthodoxy, it IS the role of the local church to do so. Since the majority of the Founding Fathers were either Anglican or Presbyterian (Religious Affiliation of the Founding Fathers), Article 25 of the Westminster Confession of Faith is relevant:

Unto this catholic visible Church Christ hath given the ministry, oracles, and ordinances of God, for the gathering and perfecting of the saints, in this life, to the end of the world: and doth, by His own presence and Spirit, according to His promise, make them effectual thereunto. (Confession of Faith)

It is the role of the church to gather and instruct the faithful in the life and discipline suitable for the following of Christ. In the church, the elders have been given a specific role: “He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.” (Titus 1:9) It follows, then, that anyone seeking to public service – considered a high calling by John Calvin – should be examined by the local church in terms of faith, religious practice, and spiritual maturity. In other words – it is the role of the local church to administer a “religious test” – making sure that those who are elected are first representatives of Christ and then secondly representatives of those who put them in office.

According to a Pew Foundation study, close to 80% of all members of the House and Senate consider themselves Christian. (The Religious Makeup of Congress) Yet, we continually see these Christians vote for abortion and other issues that are clearly in contradiction to the Gospel of Christ.

It is time for churches to make sure that those who claim to be followers of Christ are actually carrying that out in their votes and actions in public office. The Roman Catholic Church has been in the forefront of holding her members accountable – Top Catholic Cardinal Says ‘No Way’. BreakPoint Ministries just awarded Tony Hall their prestigious Wilberforce Award for his commitment to Christ while in public office. But more must be done. Are churches asking candidates in their pews questions of faith and service? Are churches praying for people in public office and meeting with them regularly if they are members. Are communities of faith holding their members who are elected officials accountable for their actions? Will churches go the final step of removing from their rolls politicians who are acting against the Kingdom of God – and who show no signs of changing or repenting?

The Founding Fathers never expected the government to examine the inner spirit and faith of elected representatives. It is about time that the church started doing so.

The cat is out of the bag. The community is well aware that the church is failing in her mission.

A block get together over the weekend confirmed it. In discussing things like health care, child care, homosexuality, and single parenting the group asked “Where is the church?” Except for my wife and me, this group does not go to church. They are socially liberal, fiscally conservative, family-oriented folks. They really do not harbor any ill-will against Christianity per se, but they do have some specific questions of the church:

1. Why are you focusing on always obtaining more land, building more structures, and increasing the number of programs for your church members when people in the community in which you are doing these things are hurting?

2. Why do you focus on two sins only – abortion and homosexuality – while allowing corrupt politicians, unethical businessmen, gossiping women, and unfaithful husbands to sit on your boards and committees?

3. Why have you not provided an alternative to the culture we see around us, instead of focusing on the latest music or media trends?

Church leaders, pastors, elders, board members – do you hear what they are saying? They know that the church is called to have a unique position in our society. They know that you are to help the poor and needy, to hold all your members to the same standard, to love unconditionally, and to help people through service and discipline live according the standards of Scripture. They see you as doing none of that. They see you as places of judgment, of double-standard, of corporate land-grabbing. The really sad thing is that they do not want to see you that way. They want you to be more effective, they want you to have some sort of influence – not as a political movement, but as a first responder out of love. Because they see you as just another institution, they will not come.

Much like the fabled emperor, the only one who does not realize that she is walking around naked is the church. The community surrounding the church can see right through the façade of ballpark sanctuaries and immaculate soccer fields – they see that the church has really nothing to offer. If that isn’t damning – what is?

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