11/02/2024
Our election message. Please be sure to:
1. Watch video and/or read the transcript
2. Share with your faith community, family, and friends, and
3. Vote God's will
Video
https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/7mSj0pYeCfUSs9-XTpzZwKqzb8BVuHr5b7jrW8xaKdyYVT3JtbT7dcb-MM6aXnq6iiOLh9x0FWVWg24L.xyCsCbtJT8FQpKre
Passcode: Xq!U61J1
Video Transcript
Hello, I am Reverend Christopher Neilson, founder and president of Christianity for Living Ministries.
I am coming to you because we are in the throes and midst of the most consequential election in our lifetime. To remind and encourage you that as Christians, we have a role. A role that seeks to, as Jesus taught us to pray, enable and establish "thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." A role that, as the Apostle Paul communicates, recognizes government as an authority instituted by God for our good and punishment of wrongdoing and calls us to be good citizens.
Given my aforementioned role as founder and president of Christianity for Living Ministries, called and charged to help make the Christian, Church, and Community whole, I would just like to take this opportunity to briefly share and suggest five ways and approaches for us to exercise our civic duties as Christians. Most of the scripture references are from recent readings in the Revised Common Lectionary.
1. Know what time it is - Romans 13:11-14 says, "You know what time it is." We can not bury our heads in the sand and/or be ignorant and complacent concerning what is going on around us. It has been said, in observation and criticism, that some of us can be "so heavenly minded that we are of no earthly good." We as Christians should be aware and cognizant of the times and respond accordingly and appropriately. As Paul goes on to say, "awake from sleep", "put on the armor of light", "live honorably as in the day", and "put on the Lord Jesus Christ".
2. Time to Pray - the Apostle Paul, in I Timothy 2:1-2, admonishes Timothy, his son in the ministry, to lead and have others join in "supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings..for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity". We pray because we know prayer changes things. That the fervent prayers of the righteous are powerful and effective. That where two or three are gathered, agreeing on anything, it will be done. Not the mundane and hollowed "thoughts and prayers," hollered by, bantered about, and trivialized by the politicians. I am also convinced that it is logical and likely that if the option existed for them to vote, Paul would have admonished the same.
3. Persist in our integrity - In Job 2:3, 9, both God and Job's wife describe Job as persisting in his integrity, despite the trials, troubles, and tribulations he faced. He stayed true to his commitment and relationship with his God. To being blameless and upright, fearing God and turning away from evil. We, in spite of and despite, the calls luring us to gain the world at the cost of our souls, and to look over here and there for the Messiah, must remain constant in our conviction and resolute in our redemption, rightly dividing the word of truth, contending for the faith, and able to give an answer of the hope that we hold.
4. God's big tent - According to St. Mark 9:38-41, and St. Luke 9:49-50, we must be aware that God is bigger than us. No individual, church, or denomination can contain or have a monopoly on God. In this text, Jesus teaches this lesson to his disciples. I extrapolate this lesson by saying that in a democracy(we are, thank God, in a democracy and not a theocracy), there will not be agreement on everything. But we can find common ground on the principles of love, justice, and righteousness.
5. Tyrant or Servant? - In St. Mark 10:41-45, and St. Matthew 20:24-28, Jesus here describes the Gentiles as being led by tyrants. He then distinguishes them from his will and followers who choose and are led by servants. As Christians called out and chosen, separated, light and salt of the earth, peculiar, holy nation, and a priesthood, we always choose the servant over the tyrant.
So, with these and any others you may add, I implore and encourage you to share with your faith community to vote, knowing that
voting is God's will, and we are voting for God's will.
Thanks for hearing and hopefully heeding.
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