Challenging Enough and More

Pastor John Roop, whose sermon writing I admire and enjoy tremendously, has posted a most wonderful, inspiring and challenging piece on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord:

euangelion: Family Matters: Sermon on the Baptism of our Lord

I wholeheartedly and enthusiastically agree with what he has said about the good folks at St. Demetrios! I love them dearly! They are themselves a Theophany in place and time.

I heartily recommend the reading of it in it's entirety.

Now some might think that I would disagree with certain points presented in Pastor Roop's post. I do not.


In fact, it stirs to mind some additional points I would like to offer, perhaps as challenging:


Can a Christian support government actions or policies that effectively results in the extortion of the property/possessions of another against their will, be they known to be a fellow Christian or not?


Can a member of the Family of God, knowingly and deliberately, vote for a political candidate who has by their own public admission and record demonstrated their support of and intent to implement policies that undermines the integrity and sanctity of marriage and erodes the foundation of the traditional family by granting special "rights" and/or priviledges to homosexuals?


Can any Christian with an informed conscience, knowingly and deliberately, vote for a political candidate who has by their own public admission and record demonstrated their support of and intent to implement policies that promote, sanction and allow greater access to abortion and the allocation of public funds for the use thereof?


Pastor Roop goes on to say,


The family of God doesn’t really acknowledge separation of church and state.


I am delighted at such a statement!
Because the current understanding of that small phrase is a contrived interpretation of Thomas Jefferson's usage, given legal import by those who would reduce the U.S. Constitution to some sort of "living" document that can be distorted by popular opinion instead of the foundation for Rule of Law that it was written to be.


The Second Century Letter to Diognetus states, "Christians dwell in the world but do not belong to the world."



I don't think it takes a theologian to understand what "dwell in the world" means; we do it every day, we are faced with the circumstances and stresses of it every day.
But to not "belong to the world" is a bit more vague. Or is it?
I think Pastor Roop used the best and right word - loyalty.



Are we loyal to Christian morals or political correctness?
Are we loyal to the Kingdom and Family of God or do we belong to the world of ideology?
I do not think we can be both at the same time. Not without something being compromised.

Our vocation is lived out in the world but let's make sure we take our shoes off before we step onto Holy Ground.

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