Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, "This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!"

-Mark 9:7

The church has had a strange and often strained relationship with the political world. In the first three centuries of its existence, the Christian Church was in some times and places persecuted by those in governmental authority, allowed to exist in other areas as long as they didn’t cause any trouble, and in some areas had to operate underground: not because Christians were bad people but they were seen as subversive because they would not worship the Roman emperor as a god. (It should be noted that religious persecution still persists, and not only toward Christians.)

Today, some people want to more closely unite faith and politics, while others want to keep them very separate. I have clergy friends who insist that Christian faith demands involvement in the political realm, and others who believe that politics is so inherently corrupt and corrupting that it is not possible for a Christian to work within the political framework, unless they view compromise as a necessary evil. That, coupled with the fact that a government’s duty is to all people (not just people of faith or of one particular faith tradition) makes it very difficult for the two to co-exist. They would say that there will always be a tension between the two… and that’s how it should be. Politics and religion will always be uncomfortable bedfellows.

Some would say that Jesus’ most political statement was when he said to “give to Caesar what is Caesar, and to God what is God’s”, but I actually think that his most political statement was when he instructed us to “seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these other things will be given you, as well.”(Matthew 6:33)

Here’s why I think that is such an important statement for understanding the relationship between faith and the political realm. Some of us want a political system that will make people act and behave the way they should. It doesn’t work that way. It cannot be done. Some people look to the government to make people work and be productive and honest and improve their lives and cause them to be moral and ethical. It doesn’t work. Even the most totalitarian governments in existence cannot make that happen.

Governments cannot change the human heart. But religious faith – which for me and those of us who call ourselves Christian means following the way and teachings of Jesus – can cause people to want the aforementioned things for themselves and others. I think it’s self-evident that governments and politics are responsible for some of the best and most beneficial movements in history, and also some of the worst and most despicable things in all of history – war, genocide, oppression, slavery, perversion of justice. And religion has been responsible for the same things, when people get it wrong.

What do you think? Is it possible to have a government that is built upon religious principles? Or are the two (politics and religion) ultimately incompatible and by their nature competitive with each other? How do you deal with the issues of national citizenship and citizenship in the Kingdom of God?

I’m an early riser because I believe that spending early time in prayer, thought, reflection, reading, and planning makes the rest of the day exponentially more productive.

I’ve studied the sciences of time management, planning, list-making, delegation, self-improvement, self-monitoring and self-evaluation for years. But only recently did I add one more ingredient to my early morning routine that thus far is making a big difference.

When I get to my “list making” (listing, then prioritizing and scheduling the activities for the day), I’ve begun to ask, “Lord, what other item would you like to see on this list?” Then I listen. It’s amazing the way I’ll feel nudged to remember a certain person, need, or activity. Then, I write it down and hopefully do something about it that day. Many times (thus far) the things I’ve written have been about people and relationships – the need for checking in on someone, issuing an apology, praying for a need I’m aware of, writing a note or making a call.

I’m pretty good at working, and at making lists. These days, I’m trying to make sure that my work and list-making remains open to more than just the weekly routines of leading a church…

I want to make sure I remain open to the Holy Spirit’s influence.

How about you? Is “listening to God” a part of where you get your direction for your daily and weekly routine? If not, why not give it a try?

This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to act in accordance with all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall be successful.

-Joshua 1:8

A Family Mealtime Prayer:

Thank you for this food, O Lord and for each other. As we enjoy this meal together, may we enjoy our time with one another, too!

but those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

-Isaiah 40:31

The 3^rd Step Prayer of Alcoholics Anonymous:

God, I offer myself to Thee — to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of life. May I do Thy will always!