Vote Trump because of Supreme Court

Concerning your recent rant against Trump and patriarchal families, I prefer values founded upon biblical teaching rather than cultural accommodation.

From the beginning, to provide for the propagation of the species, God created mankind as male and female. It’s part of the natural order. Accept it! And God ordained marriage, the union of a man and a woman, as the basis for the family.

Throughout the world and for millennia such has been the case, until last year, when in a 5-4 decision the U.S. Supreme Court decided it was time for a change, provoking Chief Justice Roberts to ask, “Who do we think we are?”

Although some in the Old Testament practiced polygamy, the Bible doesn’t sanction that behavior. Families are the basic blocks with which society and the church are built.  As clearly taught in both the Old and New Testaments, God ordained the father to be the head of the family, establishing a patriarchal system. Complaints, real or imagined, should be directed to God, not those conforming to God’s order.

Christian leaders aren’t condoning Trump’s past behavior. Trump’s salacious speech, however, isn’t nearly as troubling as are the many longstanding, public accusations of rape against Hillary Clinton’s husband. 

Christian leaders are supporting Trump because of the upcoming Supreme Court appointments. There are only two viable presidential candidates, and Clinton’s positions on abortion, homosexuality and gender identity go against the Bible and will almost certainly influence her appointments to the court.

Michael Leamons

Hico

“Locker room” sermons

The “locker room” talk most Christian women hear comes straight from the pulpit, from sermons and blogs telling a wife how she is to please her husband, to be submissive to him “in all things.”

As I wrote in a letter to Dr. Ronnie Floyd, a pastor in Texas said Satan focuses his attack on wives, and another pastor near my home said the husband has authority in his home, and he then proceeded to preach on Jesus’ authority—over the men, I suppose.

Pastors find joy in preaching these kinds of sermons. They wouldn’t do it if they didn’t get some kind of thrill from it. Turn on any Christian radio, and that is what you hear. Additionally, Christian women who desire equality in the church are castigated by comments under blogs.

Wouldn’t it be ironic if Donald Trump’s lewd comments about women forced us to look at what is being preached?

Thank you for this editorial.

Shirley Taylor

Willis

Seek God’s wisdom

Yes, Donald Trump’s audio of him speaking terribly about women is despicable and his apology much less than what it should have been. However, I find it disturbing that the Baptist Standard continues to join the liberal media’s biased reporting of the two presidential candidates.

Why have you not written of the continuing lies almost daily coming from Hillary Clinton and her close advisors? Lies clearly confirmed from multiple reliable sources, including the recent Wikileaks.

More importantly, why is there silence regarding her firmly stated position to use taxpayer dollars to expand abortion on demand or continue and expand Obamacare, driving medical insurance costs even higher for the larger portion of Americans.

A look at the Democratic platform should show to all Christians the opposition to God’s path embraced by Clinton and her party. These are much more important matters for us to consider as we pray for this election and its impact on the future of our nation.

Christians have a difficult choice to make, a choice most of us would prefer to not have to make. May God give us his wisdom—wisdom much better than we’ll get from biased media reporting.

Johnny Brisby

McGregor

Zac Harrel is pastor of First Baptist Church in Gustine, where he has served seven years. He shares his background and thoughts on ministry in the Baptist Standard’s “Deep in the Hearts of Texans.” To suggest a Baptist General Convention of Texas-affiliated minister to be featured in this column or to apply to be featured, click here.

Background

• Where else have you served in ministry, and what were your positions there?

I served three years as the youth minister at First Baptist Church in Port Aransas.

• Where did you grow up?

Pittsburg, Texas.

• How did you come to faith in Christ?

I walked the aisle and prayed the prayer when I was 8. But the reaching out of a youth minister when I was in high school helped me get serious about my faith.

• Where were you educated, and what degrees did you receive?

Bachelor of arts in Christian Studies, Howard Payne University, 2006

Master of divinity, Logsdon Seminary at Hardin-Simmons University, 2011

Ministry/church

• Why do you feel called into ministry?

I feel my calling is to help people live lives of ordinary faithfulness. I am called to help my people see all of their lives, the big and the small, as important to God and as opportunities to give glory to God.

• What is your favorite aspect of ministry? Why?

My favorite aspect of ministry is just the relationships you get to build. You have a front-row seat to the work of God in the lives of so many people through the good and the bad.

• What one aspect of congregational life gives you the greatest joy?

The everyday conversations and interactions you have with your people, where you can see the grace of God at work in their lives and in their families.

• How has your ministry or your perspective on ministry changed?

I think the change in my perspective is the truth that one of the most important virtues in pastoral ministry is patience. I started as pastor of this church when I was 24. I wanted everything to grow, to change and to be like every book I had read and every conference challenge I had heard.

The truth is ministry is about patient faithfulness. We have to be faithful to our calling, and we must be patient. God is working. He always is working. We must be faithful, and we must wait on him.

• Name the three most significant challenges and/or influences facing your congregation.

I don’t think these challenges are just for my congregation.

The first is the fragmentation of our society. We have to learn how to build community and fellowship again. Our technology has done so many wonderful things for us, and our social media world can help us connect to family and friends around the globe, but it also has stunted our ability to live in community in real life. We cannot retreat into polarized enclaves of people who think, act and vote like us. We must learn to build community based on the unity we have in our faith.

The second is the challenge of fear. The world is not like it was when so many of our congregants grew up. The culture is changing rapidly, and this rapid change can produce a paralyzing and angry fear. The influence of 24-hour news and talk radio does not help. The challenge is going to be reminding our churches and ourselves about the hope we have in Christ. We are called to be people of hope, not fear.

The third challenge for the church goes right along with this. Cultural or nominal Christianity is fading, and we should rejoice in this. Our challenge is going to be recovering what it means to be salt and light, to be agents of reconciliation, to be faithful witnesses to our communities and to our world in a rapidly changing culture and world.

About Baptists

• What are the key issues facing Baptists—denominationally and/or congregationally?

Religious liberty. To me, this is the key issue going forward for us as Baptists. Will we stick to our historic defense of this liberty for all, or will we give in to fear of the other? We must recognize when religious liberty is taken away from anyone not like us it is only a matter of time before it is taken away from us too. We must stand for religious liberty with conviction.

Another issue is making sure any one political party or ideology does not define us. The gospel cannot be co-opted by any political party. Where the Bible is clear, we must be clear and stand with boldness and courage. The gospel will offend all political ideologies at some points, and we must be faithful to the gospel.

About Zac

• Who were/are your mentors, and how did/do they influence you?

There have been three major influences on my life and ministry.

Michael Felkins was the youth minister who reached out to me in high school, who gave me my first opportunity to teach a Bible study, and who walked me through my calling in ministry. He has influenced me to love the gospel and to preach the gospel.

I interned under Ricky Cavitt at Coggin Avenue Baptist Church in Brownwood when I was in college. He gave me so many opportunities to grow, and from him I learned the importance of planting your life in one place and staying the course.

Andy Dennis was my Baptist Student Ministry director at Howard Payne University. I was on the leadership team for three years, and from Andy, I learned the importance of one-on-one discipleship and the power of gentleness and kindness in ministry.

• Name some of your favorite books (other than the Bible) or authors, and explain why.

This could change from week to week. But my two favorite books in the last year are by the same author, Rod Dreher. They are The Little Way of Ruthie Leming and How Dante Can Save Your Life. Both books are powerful and exactly what I needed to hear in crucial moments of my own life.

The Little Way of Ruthie Leming is a book about Rod’s sister, who got sick with cancer and died, leaving her husband and three kids behind. It sounds unbearably sad, but it is a must read. It is about the power of ordinary faithfulness and love. It is a story of how a small community surrounds and loves this family. Recognizing the impact one simple life can have reminded me of the power of our ordinary, everyday lives, the power of simply loving people in the same place for many years. It is a powerful memoir.

How Dante Can Save Your Life is about Rod’s struggle with idolatry of family and place as he moves back home after Ruthie’s death. After returning home, he finds all of his struggles and baggage from the past with his family still are there. He picks up Dante in a Barnes & Noble bookstore and begins to read. What he realizes is he is in his own “dark wood” and needs a guide out. Dante leads him to see his own sin and the grace of God, and Dante, along with Rod’s pastor and counselor, helps him be reconciled with his father. Rod’s honesty is refreshing, and his revelation that the problem is his disordered desires, loves and idolatry helped me to look into my own heart and to be honest with myself.

I cannot recommend these books enough.

Read other “Deep in the Hearts of Texans” columns about …

Bob Roberts

Dante Wright

Brent McDougal

Darin Wood

Kyndall Rae Rothaus

Joseph Parker

George Mason

Howie Batson

Lillian Hinds

Jorge Zayasbazan

Stacy Conner

The Bivocational/Small Church Association will host a free luncheon in honor of all bivocational and small-church servant leaders during the Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting in Waco in mid-November.

Richard RayThis free luncheon is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 14, at 11:30 a.m. in the Ranger Room in the Waco Convention Center.

If you would like an advanced free ticket for the luncheon, please email your name with the number of tickets requested to tririversdom@gmail.com.

At this free luncheon, you will hear about the ministries and missions of your Bivocational/Small Church Association and how we are striving to meet the needs of those serving on the small-church mission field. You also will hear from our partners from Christian Healthcare Ministry as they describe their alternative to the high cost of healthcare coverage.

Pastor Ryan Dennis, president of the Bivocational/Small Church Association, will share his vision for 2017, including additional regional conferences and fellowship opportunities.

Therefore, if you are planning to attend the BGCT annual meeting in Waco, I encourage you to attend this special luncheon in honor of those serving on the small-church mission field. You may pick up your tickets at the door. However, there is limited seating, so I encourage you to RSVP as soon as possible.

The Lord has called you to serve, but he has not called you to serve alone. Contact me at tririversdom@gmail.com or at (432) 202-1526 for more information, or visit our website to learn how the Bivocational/Small Church Association can minister to and serve you. Remember, “Together, no church is too small.”

Richard Ray is executive director of the Bivocational/Small Church Association and director of missions for Tri-Rivers Baptist Area.

Baylor Scott & White Health is another one of our wonderful Texas Baptist institutions we would like to highlight. It will be one of the institutions represented at this year’s Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting in Waco. Please make plans to stop by Baylor Scott & White Health’s booth for more information and meet some of their people.

René MacielThe annual meeting will be held Nov. 13-15 at the Waco Convention Center.  This year’s theme is “Celebrating Service,” recognizing the ministries of our Texas Baptist institutions.  See you in Waco!

In 1903, George W. Truett, pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas, envisioned a hospital to which “persons of all faiths and those of none may come with confidence.” That single hospital blossomed into Baylor Scott & White Health, the largest not-for-profit health care system in Texas.

In 2013, Scott & White Healthcare merged with the Baylor Health Care System to form Baylor Scott & White Health. Truett’s mission is now carried out through 52 hospitals, more than 800 access points, more than 5,800 active physicians, about 35,000 employees and the Scott & White Health Plan. The system touches people—with 5.3 million patient encounters annually.

Chaplains work to meet the spiritual needs of diverse patients, families, visitors and staff and make Truett’s vision a reality. Texas Baptists financially support the Baylor Scott & White office of mission and ministry, which builds direct relationships and fosters partnerships that minister Christ’s healing love to people whose lives have been disrupted by illness, injury and the stresses of life.  

The system’s chaplains had nearly a quarter-million encounters last year. The health system’s clinical pastoral education program trains and certifies clergy, seminarians and qualified laypeople worldwide to be effective ministers in international settings. It has trained more than 500 ministers from 18 denominations and 15 nations on five continents. 

Baylor Scott & White’s Faith in Action Initiatives mobilize the system personnel and like-minded organizations to address the medical and spiritual needs of communities locally and throughout the world through education, missions, redirection of resources and disaster relief. In fiscal year 2015, it donated more than $430,000 worth of supplies and equipment to nearly two dozen nations for disaster relief and medical missions.

To learn more, visit www.baylorscottandwhite.com.

René Maciel is president of the Baptist General Convention of Texas and community life pastor at First Baptist Church of Woodway in Waco.

This semester, I’m teaching a course called “Faith and Politics” at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology. It’s been a fascinating class for me, and I’m blessed to have very bright students who are required to volunteer for an actual political campaign and keep a journal of their experience.

Their final assignment is to write a paper proposing strategies for healing our divided nation. Our assumption is all of the major faith traditions have important resources to bring to conflict transformation and reconciling opponents.

A few lessons from my class might be useful for politicians and for the entire nation as we move toward the election.

First, moderation is an ancient virtue with modern applications.

We have read Aristotle, who focuses on character and virtue as key elements for effective citizenship and leadership. He explicitly warns against allowing our personality traits and behaviors to become extreme, rather urging us to pursue the moderate middle or what he calls the “golden mean.”

Aristotle also teaches citizenship is a form of friendship in which we should become friends of the city and its common good.

Second, interrogate every truth claim and campaign promise.

We read cognitive psychologist George Lakoff, who popularized the idea of mental “frames” or word pictures and phrases that grab people emotionally and intellectually. They offer a simple story of the good society and of human possibility.

Remember Ronald Reagan’s phrase, “It’s morning in America”? This is what Donald Trump is aiming for as he speaks of “Making America Great Again,” and similarly, it’s the aim of Hillary Clinton’s vision slogan, “Better Together.”

But the art of persuasion can be just that—an art, a performance and something that can be faked. That’s why our class has talked about the importance of raising critical questions and demanding evidence for every claim made by solicitous politicians.

Aristotle also had much to say about rhetoric as the art of persuading others to embrace your arguments. Fear and emotional manipulation through campaign rhetoric are not worthy of intelligent citizens who bear the heavy responsibility of deciding how to “promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity,” to quote the wonderful language in the preamble to the U.S. Constitution

Third, effective leadership combines managerial competence and bold, exciting vision.

We have learned from Martin Luther King Jr. the importance of occasionally being what he called “transformed nonconformists.” These are women and men who love their nation and love truth and justice so much they are willing to risk their well-being and violate conventional norms of acceptable behavior to advance the common good.

But visionary leadership also must be balanced by competent management.

I have used a wonderful workbook, Learning to Lead by experts Warren Bennis and Joan Goldsmith, to talk about key competencies every leader must master. These include building trust through integrity, mastering the context, knowing yourself, developing a powerful vision and communicating with meaning. Few leaders have all of these qualities in perfect balance, but they certainly are worthy goals for which to strive.

The course has included a lecture series. We have heard from scholars, public intellectuals and government leaders as they reflect on the role of values and religious beliefs in our national political life.

Devoted, diverse and tolerant

As Robert Putnam of Harvard University observes, America is a remarkably devoted, religiously diverse and relatively tolerant nation, despite serious departures from the ideal throughout history.

As for my students, they already are thinking about the post-election national mood and direction. Ultimately, our divided nation must heal. And many of us believe America’s religious traditions can help accelerate the healing process.

One of our lecturers, ethicist Timothy Jackson of Candler, urged us to look back to the time of Abraham Lincoln for clues about how to move forward, especially in relation to difficult issues like healing the racial divide and creating a strong economy that benefits all Americans.

Lincoln also helps us remember we share the blessing of citizenship in one United States of America. Lots of brave men and women sacrificed their lives to pass this legacy and gift to us.

Willing to forgive

Consequently, we should be willing to forgive our former opponents. And we must be willing to commit to strenuous but uplifting common purposes like educating the next generation and eliminating poverty. Authentic faith also reminds us of the importance of humility and not assuming that one party or one tradition possesses all truth.

Finally, faith must strive to achieve inclusive community where all people are welcome and safe, including the nonconformists.

There is no need to refer to people as “deplorable.” Rather, let’s figure out how we find common ground to establish a foundation for empathy and cooperation. And it never is acceptable to impose special tests or burdens on one segment of the American population, like Muslims, as some politicians suggest.

I hope the next president will take a page from Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address and channel the spirit, maybe even borrow his phrase, “with malice toward none and charity toward all ….”

That’s our best chance for healing and moving forward together.

Robert M. Franklin is the Laney Professor in Moral Leadership at Emory University. Religion News Service distributed his column.

Dear American people,

I am deeply sorry for bragging about sexually assaulting women. Whether in that moment I was gloating about real events or unfulfilled fantasies, I was wrong. My actions toward women and my fantasies about them are wrong. I apologize for the lack of respect I have shown toward women.

Kyndall Rae RothausWomen are not objects who exist for my—or anyone else’s—sexual pleasure or need for power. It is clear we have a societal epidemic on our hands, from the prevalence of rape on college campuses to the sexual escapades of public figures such as Bill Clinton and myself. I confess I have contributed to the problem by repeatedly objectifying women and denying my own culpability.

Sexual assault is a very important topic, and it deserves my time and attention, and I will not sweep this issue under the rug as if it were some small matter. I acknowledge sexual assault is a serious crime that can have devastating ramifications for victims—including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, crippling self-doubt, sexually transmitted diseases, suicidal thoughts and more. Sexual assault should never be joked about. Not on television. Not at home. Not in the locker room.

Unacceptable in any form

I apologize for not setting a better example for our young men, and I want every person to hear me say this: Rape is unacceptable in any form.

In the past, my words have indicated I condone sexual violence, I act in sexually violent ways and sexual violence is something to be proud of. I want to be unmistakably clear about how wrong I was. Sexual contact without explicit consent is both wrong and illegal, and as a society we have to do better. We have to do better at eradicating sexism, supporting survivors of assault, educating our youth and setting an all-around better example in word and deed.

See these related columns:

• Editorial: How do evangelicals enable ‘locker room talk’ about women?

• Voices: Lord, make our world safe for women

• Voices: The revelatory election for U.S. churches

• Voices: No room for political fear

• 2^nd Opinion: On the erosion of our national character

I will start by changing my own behavior. I want to teach my sons not to rape and to teach my daughters that no one has a right to use or abuse them. And I want your sons and daughters to learn the same thing. I want every child—boy or girl—to be safe from sexual exploitation.

Embarrassed, horrified, ashamed

When I think about the way I have contributed to the culture of rape in this country, I am not only embarrassed. I am horrified and ashamed, and there is no excuse for what I said. I refuse to minimize what I have done, because what matters right now are victims of assault, not my image. I will not deflect the culpability away from myself, because I recognize that taking responsibility for my own actions is one of the first steps of recovery, and I want to demonstrate I am serious about respecting women and ending sexual violence. I will not lie about what I have done or twist the truth. I will not project my bad choices onto anyone else. I will not attack others as a way to avoid my own responsibilities.

I will stop insulting, mocking, and objectifying women. I will not discuss their bodies in sexual ways as sport. When I am feeling insecure, I will not use sexual dominance as a tool to boost my confidence. I will not “rate” women according to their looks or call them fat if they offend me. I will not brag about assault. I will publicly condemn assault, and most importantly, I will not assault.

I am so sorry for my base behavior. To victims of sexual exploitation everywhere, you deserve better. To women everywhere, you deserve better.

I was terribly wrong, and I apologize.

Kyndall Rae Rothaus is senior pastor of Lake Shore Baptist Church in Waco.

In my previous article, I wrote about the Baptist distinctive of religious liberty and the effect it had on me as I transitioned into the denomination. One would be hard-pressed to overstate the importance of the fight for religious liberty in Baptist history or the contributions made by Baptists in this field.

Jake RaabeBaptists were born out of religious persecution and found themselves unified from the beginning by the pursuit of freedom of religion. In America, Baptists stood at the forefront of the movement for separation of church and state, from Roger Williams decrying state-mandated religion to the Danbury Baptist Association’s correspondence with Thomas Jefferson invoking the first use of the phrase “a wall of separation between church and state.”

Needless to say, the contributions made by Baptists to religious freedom across the world comprise one of my favorite aspects of being part of the denomination.

Lost sensibility for freedom

After I wrote about this in my last piece, a Methodist friend remarked that, while he recognized that Baptists historically were proponents of freedom of religion, modern Baptists largely have lost this sensibility. Sadly, I think he’s right. Although individual groups like the Baptist Join Committee for Religious Liberty do great work in preserving freedom of religion, Baptist leaders and laity largely have ignored or even unintentionally threatened the cause.

One such way we harm the cause of religious liberty is by failing to defend the rights of religious minorities.

This election cycle has been a hard one for Muslims in particular, with major political figures calling for banning Muslims from entering the country and for increased policing of primarily Muslim neighborhoods. The idea that the government should treat one religion differently than others should be unthinkable to Baptists, who once were that scrutinized, singled-out group in 17th century England.

And yet prominent Baptists such as Franklin Graham and Robert Jeffress publicly declared support for these singling-out policies. Let us not forget that, in addition to giving in to fear and panic, these policies would set a dangerous precedent for the government treating various religions differently.

All-or-nothing

Religious liberty inherently is all-or-nothing. When we as Christians allow and encourage the denial of freedom of religion to one group, we are being unfaithful to our historical situation—Baptists especially—and setting a precedent that one day will be invoked against us as well.

This is not to say only conservatives are creating problems for religious liberty. In navigating the current tension between civil liberties and exemptions for religious objections, many progressives have not exercised the incredible delicacy required for this task.

A deeply problematic report from the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, a bipartisan organization, has suggested when civil rights and religious freedom conflict—as, for example, in the various cases of Christian business refusing to provide services for same-sex weddings—religious liberty must be subsumed to civil rights. Regardless of one’s position on how Christian businesses should handle moral objections (A recent Pew study shows Americans are evenly divided on this issue.), the precedent here is dangerous: Religious freedom, according to this line of thought, is not absolute and inalienable, but contingent upon other prior rights.

The question of the relationship between civil liberties and religious freedom is difficult and needs to be worked through carefully. Claiming one set of concerns must always override another is not the way to do this.

Attack from both sides

Religious liberty is under attack from both sides because contemporary America has deconstructed it and separated components that only work together. The right too often appears to want religious preference more than religious liberty, often railing against the concept of separation of church and state while seeking to maintain the ability to act according to religious principles. The left often seeks to preserve the distinction between church and state while failing to make room from religious objections to larger societal movements.

To oversimplify, one side wants free religious exercise without separation of church and state, while the other wants separation of church without sufficient consideration of exercising religious freedoms. One cannot exist without the other. The founders of both our nation and the Baptist denomination realized and lived this.

Maintaining religious liberty in a multi-cultural society is both difficult and necessary. It takes dialogue and communication from both sides of the political spectrum. Because of this, seeking to maintain and protect religious liberty has the potential to unify Baptists in a context in which we increasingly are divided.

Rediscovering our roots through the preservation of religious liberty may just help us remember that we are, ultimately, all parts of one single body.

Jake Raabe is a student at Baylor University’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary in Waco, Texas.

Partisan politics plays on our fears. Both major political parties have decided the only way to win elections is to scare us to death: If we vote for their party, we have nothing to fear. But if we don’t vote for the other party, our lives never will be the same and the destruction of our society is at hand.

Zac HarrelTherefore, every election we hear the same plea, “This is the most important election of our lifetime.” I voted for the first time in 2004, so this is my seventh “most important election of my lifetime.” This kind of fear inevitably makes us see politicians as messiahs and parties as our protectors.

It often is said the most-repeated Bible command is “fear not.” In Christ, we no longer have a spirit of fear. This should make us pause when others try to play up our fears in order to get us to vote for them. As Christians, we are to pray and work for God’s kingdom come, his will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Fear cannot guide

Ultimately, our hope is not in a political party, in a candidate, or even in our country. This truth should inform the way we think, talk and act politically. Fear cannot guide our political conviction or action.

This is not to say Christians should avoid being involved politically. We must vote our conscience. We must vote for what we think is morally good, who will advance the common good. But we must not be guided first and foremost by fear. Fear paralyzes compassion and love. Fear banishes clear thinking.

When fear is our motivation, we are willing to sacrifice what is eternally important for the seemingly urgent. When fear is our motivation, we forget the long view of the hope of the kingdom of God and give in to the lie of the existential threat of every election.

See these related columns:

• Editorial: How do evangelicals enable ‘locker room talk’ about women?

• Voices: Lord, make our world safe for women

• Voices: The revelatory election for U.S. churches

• Voices: How to apologize

• 2^nd Opinion: On the erosion of our national character

The way Jesus talks about the kingdom of God in the Gospels instructs us not to live by fear, but with patient faithfulness. He compares the kingdom of God to a mustard seed and to leaven. Both start small, take time and flourish in unexpected and often unseen ways.

Not ultimate

Our political action is not our ultimate action. Our political allegiances are not our ultimate allegiances. The kingdom of God is our ultimate allegiance, and, therefore, everything we do, even political action, is for the advance of this kingdom.

A mustard seed takes time to grow, leaven takes time to rise, and the kingdom of God takes time to spread and grow in our communities. The politics of the urgent is not where we see the kingdom of God advance. Fear will not lead us to seek the common good. Patient faithfulness in the life of our community is where we see the advance of the kingdom of God through our ordinary lives and, yes, sometimes even through political action.

When we are governed more by the kingdom of God than fear of the other party or fear of this election, we can take the long view. We can be patient and faithful. One election will not unravel our country. One candidate will not destroy our country. And even if our country unravels, even if our republic as we know it unravels—and it will someday—we will not fear, because God’s kingdom cannot be shaken or destroyed.

No soul-selling

What this means is we must not sell our soul for one national election. We must not let the urgent get in the way of being faithful to the kingdom of God. The fear and urgency of so much of our national electoral politics is antithetical to God’s kingdom.

This is one reason to place as much emphasis, if not more, on our local politics, where we can have a much more present hand in seeking the common good and where we actually can get to know those who disagree with us. But that is another conversation for another column.

Our hope in Christ is that this world—no matter who wins our presidential election—is heading for redemption and renewal. We should seek to live as faithful citizens of God’s kingdom, patiently waiting for this redemption while actively engaged politically and yet not gripped by the false fear so evident in so much of our political discourse and action.

When we are filled with the hope of the gospel, there is no room for this fear.

Zac Harrel is pastor of First Baptist Church in Gustine, Texas.

Revelation is not, as my students use it sometimes, a private vision God gives, but a public event God does.

Myles WerntzWhen God is made known as Jesus Christ, this is a revelation of God’s own nature and works, such that any speculation of who God is has to pass through what God has done in this most public of ways. Our guesswork about the nature of things is through, and, in the words of Jesus, everything which is hidden is laid bare in the daylight. In the light of God’s act, God’s promise is made clear, and the depths of our sin are made known.

Put simply, revelation shows us what is already the case, both for good and for bad.

This election has been, in no uncertain terms, revelatory not only for the American people, but also for the American church.

Not as we thought

As a nation, America has been shown to be not as gentle with each other as we profess, nor as generous with outsiders as our monuments hold, nor the land of promise for all members of society. As a political process, this election has shown us our electoral process is not a rational event, but a gut-level feeding frenzy, informed by passions and memes more than policy or argument.

But this election has been damningly revelatory for the Christian church.

See these related columns:

• Editorial: How do evangelicals enable ‘locker room talk’ about women?

• Voices: Lord, make our world safe for women

• Voices: How to apologize

• Voices: No room for political fear

• 2^nd Opinion: On the erosion of our national character

We have been shown to be far more susceptible to promises of power and influence than we hoped. We have been shown to be more informed by party lines, which grind the meat of the gospel down to gristle and fat, than by a gospel that is comprehensive in nature and is not contained in full by any platform. We have been shown we are a people far more interested in our self-interests than in our neighbors. And we have been shown we are willing to divide ourselves en masse from other Christians for the sake of donkeys and elephants who never will love us back.

Revelation & hope

But revelation is not only for the sake of judgment; revelation is for the sake of hope, that out of the dust, there might rise a penitent people, disciplined by their failures and renewed for a different vision.

This election has shown us other ways and candidates are possible, as candidates like Evan McMullin, and the newly formed American Solidarity Party begin new work for a different public life. This election has brought long-standing theological leaders down to the dust by their endorsements, so that new and fresh leaders might emerge. And this election has—hopefully—called the churches back from seeking their safety from political candidates and toward seeking the good that is the kingdom of God in the person of Jesus Christ.

We sit weeks away from a long electoral season finally ending, and by God’s grace, the church has been shown to be weaker than it thought and more divided than it imagined.

But by God’s grace, this also may be for our churches a new season of renewal, hope, charity and fidelity to a gospel that is not constrained by party platforms, but transgresses them in the name of Jesus Christ.

Myles Werntz is assistant professor of Christian ethics and practical theology and the T.B. Maston Chair of Christian Ethics at Hardin-Simmons University’s Logsdon Seminary in Abilene. Email him at Myles.Werntz@hsutx.edu.

Stacy Conner has been pastor of First Baptist Church in Muleshoe a quarter-century. He shares his background and thoughts on ministry with the Baptist Standard’s “Deep in the Hearts of Texans.”

Background

• Where else have you served in ministry, and what were your positions there?

Pastor—First Baptist Church in Matador

Activities minister—First Baptist Church in Plainview while studying at Wayland Baptist University

• Where did you grow up?

Slaton

• How did you come to faith in Christ?

My parents were devout church members and volunteers, and we participated in every area of the life of the church. I was watching the old Southern Baptist Radio & Television Commission show “Children’s Tree House.” They asked the question about trusting Christ. I had not made a personal confession. So, I listened to the puppet characters and accepted Christ at 9 years of age.

• Where were you educated, and what degrees did you receive?

Bachelor of arts—Wayland Baptist University

Master of divinity—Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

Doctor of ministry—Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University

Ministry/church

• Why do you feel called into ministry?

I felt a sense of calling when I was 12 years old while studying a Sunday school lesson on the young boy David. I have pursued this ministry calling in education and practice. While there have been difficult times and disappointing times, there has never been another opportunity that presented itself more fulfilling than ministry.

• What is your favorite aspect of ministry? Why?

To see the transformation in people’s lives that can come only through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

• How has your ministry or your perspective on ministry changed?

When I began in ministry, the convention provided yearly programs and missional and denominational emphases. We are living in a time when every church must capture and create its own vision and ministries. We are required to think more creatively and to take a longer view toward ministry.

• Name the three most significant challenges and/or influences facing your congregation.

Our three most significant challenges are the demographic shifts in the state of Texas, the challenge of meeting every individual’s expectations of worship style and maintaining ministry staff in rural Texas.

About Baptists

• What are the key issues facing Baptists—denominationally and/or congregationally?

The threat that is eroding Baptist life is the temptation that every church should go its own way and carve out its own niche in mission and ministry. Most of the time, churches fund their new ideas with tithes that formerly were given to the Cooperative Program. We are failing to communicate and understand we can do more together than we can apart.

The fruits of this choice toward independence is being seen in our lack of commitment to training the next generation of Baptist ministers. Previously, the Cooperative Program enabled affordable theological education. A lack of cooperative giving is increasing the personal cost of ministry education. Ministers with significant student debt are hindered in a variety of ways. We are seeing and will continue to see the effects of choosing independence take its toll on young ministers in training and ultimately the churches.

About Stacy

• Who were/are your mentors, and how did/do they influence you?

I have been blessed with a number of mentors.

Floyd Bradley was the director of missions for the Caprock Plains Area. He walked me through the steps needed to pastor West Texas people and pulled me down to earth when needed.

A deacon at First Baptist Church in Matador, E.A. Day, offered me practical advice and glimpses of grace needed to lead a congregation.

My most significant preaching influence is/was Garrison Keillor. People remember stories more than they remember points. He also is the master of timing.

• What did you learn on the job you wish you learned in seminary?

Funerals were mentioned briefly in a pastoral care course during seminary training. Yet they are among the most important ministry opportunities a pastor has. You only have one chance to bury someone’s parent, spouse or friend. I spend hours listening to family stories and trying to weave the life of a saint into the message of the gospel. Funerals are among the most important work a pastor does in a church and a community, yet seminary education in the past treated them as footnotes.

• Name some of your favorite books (other than the Bible) or authors, and explain why.

William Manchester’s Last Lion series on Winston Churchill. I read everything new that is written about Churchill every year. To have the courage to hold an unpopular, yet true, opinion and express it year after year, and then rally the country, is truly inspiring.

Read other “Deep in the Hearts of Texans” columns about …

Bob Roberts

Dante Wright

Brent McDougal

Darin Wood

Kyndall Rae Rothaus

Joseph Parker

George Mason

Howie Batson

Lillian Hinds

Jorge Zayasbazan

We need a renewal of moral seriousness in this country. We need to draw a distinction between liberty and license. We need creative ways to speak of character so our children and grandchildren will be able to understand what we mean—and want it for themselves.

David Gushee

A government is only as good as its people, and a people get the government they more or less deserve.

These kinds of thoughts have run through my mind as I have witnessed the carnage of this presidential campaign. I keep wondering whether the problem isn’t them but us.

Ours is a political culture in which the default setting is to maximize freedom. Freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of association, freedom of movement, freedom of religion, freedom of commerce and exchange, freedom to create and dissolve just about any form of human endeavor one can imagine. This is the American way of life.

Many people who have suffered under tyrannies have come to our shores attracted by this expansive vision of freedom.

Freedom is great, except …

But today I join others in being anxious about a transition from freedom to chaos, from liberty to license, in the character of our country. Freedom is a great thing, except when people misuse it.

Freedom of speech is great except when people use it to curse and slander others. Freedom of the press is great except when the press libels people. Freedom of association is great except when people form hate groups. Freedom of religion is great except when their religion does harm to others or to their own children. Freedom to form and dissolve romantic relationships is great except when people bring harm to themselves and others who count on them. Commercial freedom is great except when business harms people with unsafe products. And so on.

See these related columns:

• Editorial: How do evangelicals enable ‘locker room talk’ about women?

• Voices: Lord, make our world safe for women

• Voices: The revelatory election for U.S. churches

• Voices: How to apologize

• Voices: No room for political fear

America’s founders clearly understood the freedom-maximizing government they were creating required a citizenry of sound character to go along with it. Government could stay small and limited if, and only if, people could regulate their own actions in virtuous ways.

You don’t need a whole lot of police in a town in which 99.9 percent of the citizenry on a given day are voluntarily choosing not to break the laws their representatives established. Virtuous business owners don’t cheat their customers or mistreat their employees. Spouses of sound mind and character do not physically harm their children. And so on.

Religion & character

Religion has for centuries been one primary force undergirding the formation of character.

In the United States at the time of our founding, of course, the primary religion was Christianity. The founders counted on the force of Christianity to shape and constrain the exercise of freedom by most Americans. Even those who left the theology of Christianity behind still were affected by the broadly Christian ethos Christians and their churches had formed.

That formative power manifested itself in many ways—among them Christian preaching, home-by-home parental Bible teaching, the formation of human conscience and the belief everyone must someday give account of their lives to God. Of course, the same thing happened and still happens in many other cultures in which a deep and widespread religiosity pervasively affects community, family and personal values.

We have good reason to be anxious about the erosion of the moral—and religious—ethos that once formed and constrained our expressions of the maximized liberty of our political system.

Delicate balance

The delicate balance the founders expected—a free people, but not utterly free, because they are shaped and constrained by the force of a powerfully religious and moral culture—is in the process of being lost.

We can see the effects of that erosion in a variety of places.

It especially is clear in much of what passes for entertainment. Liberty has become license; entertainment has become degradation. Of course, it’s not just in the media. Don’t miss the utterly ruthless business practices of many in corporate America, or the anything-goes ethos of our political fighting, to see a similar loss of moral restraint. Once, decent people just did not do certain things. This baseline is eroding, across the board. The erosion has been visible in this presidential campaign.

We need a renewal of moral seriousness in this country. We need to retrieve religious and moral resources easily available to us for the cultivation of character. We need to be able to draw a distinction between liberty and license. We need creative ways to speak the language of character so our children and grandchildren will be able to understand what we mean—and want it for themselves. We need to be brave enough to push back against the most egregious cultural expressions of raw degradation masquerading as entertainment.

And we need to look for leaders in every venue—family, church, business, community, national government—who exemplify character qualities like honesty, discipline, self-control, unselfishness, patience, forgiveness, humility, mercy and covenant faithfulness.

David Gushee is distinguished university professor of Christian ethics and director of the Center for Theology and Public Life at Mercer University. His RNS column is titled “Christians, Conflict and Change.” This commentary is adapted from his new book, A Letter to My Anxious Christian Friends.

What was more surprising: The disgusting way Donald Trump spoke about women in that leaked “locker room talk” tape? Or how many people were surprised by the disgusting way Donald Trump spoke about women in that leaked “locker room talk” tape?

Marv KnoxIn the past few days, Americans have heard and read words we never expected to hear or see. But discovering Trump says them wasn’t as surprising as watching the reactions of people who were surprised he says them.

Even before the Washington Post broke the story, anyone who has followed this presidential campaign knew Trump objectifies women. We read excerpts of his book, where he bragged about seducing married women. We heard segments of his appearances on Howard Stern’s radio show, where he spoke lasciviously about women’s bodies. From the campaign trail, we heard him describe women as barnyard animals. Most creepily, we heard him speak suggestively about his own daughter.

See these related columns:

• Voices: Lord, make our world safe for women

• Voices: The revelatory election for U.S. churches

• Voices: How to apologize

• Voices: No room for political fear

• 2^nd Opinion: On the erosion of our national character

No shocker

So, the tape was no shocker. Maybe Trump’s raunchy words shocked. Maybe Trump’s description of his sexual predatory tactics scandalized. But they weren’t surprising. Not if you’ve been paying attention.

The secondary surprise in this seamy episode has been how many evangelical leaders are unable to condemn Trump and distance themselves from him. We haven’t heard this much jibber-jabber doublespeak since the last time some “prophet” predicted the Rapture.

These evangelicals’ problem springs from deep theological roots. It’s grows from Old Testament patriarchy, mixed with male-enhanced misinterpretations of the Apostle Paul, but very little of Jesus and liberating grace.

Evangelicals excel at pointing to the earliest passages of Genesis and insisting all people possess value, because all people are created in God’s image. That’s the foundation for human rights, and it’s both theologically correct and noble.

“Biblical” models

But when they structure gender roles and sexual identity, they focus on less-than-divine models of Old Testament family. “One man and one woman for life” sounds biblical. But one man and one woman and a couple of concubines, or one man and two wives and several concubines, or one man and seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines was the Old Testament model.

Of course, evangelicals don’t advocate polygamy. But the male-dominated patriarchal model remains strong. Patriarchy treats women as objects and, practically speaking, limits their worth.

An obvious example is how evangelical congregations often treat females. Women are the backbone of the church, but in most congregations, they are not allowed to exercise leadership equal with men. Few allow women to be deacons; fewer still allow them to be pastors.

So, no matter how many times they tell their daughters, “God made you, and you can be anything God wants you to be,” they don’t mean it. Girls and women have their limits.

To be sure, that’s not the same as treating women as sexual objects, parroting the language we heard from Trump. But it’s still treating women as objects, not as independent, fully autonomous, valuable-because-they-bear-the-mark-of-creation human beings.

Closer to home …

This idea hits closer to home. Many men who felt repulsed by Trump’s language—and, to be fair, Bill Clinton’s treatment of women—placed their revulsion in context of the role women play in their lives. “How would you feel if Trump did that to your wife, or your mother/daughter/sister?” is a good question. But it’s only partially good.

In that context, the worth of the woman derives from her relationship to the man. “What if she were your wife/mother/daughter/sister?” The woman is an object—a revered object, but an object. And what about the woman who is not your wife/mother/daughter/sister, who maybe is nobody’s wife/mother/daughter/sister? She, too, is infinitely worthy and due complete respect.

This is why rape culture flourishes in our society. No, rape does not flow from churches. But when even the church treats women as objects, then precious few voices remain to champion the intrinsic value of all women.

While the ministers who won’t condemn Trump’s language might not speak that way themselves, their refusal to speak at all empowers the dreadful behavior of young men who grow up with no role models. Their slut-shaming—“What did she expect, dressed like that?” “What did she think would happen at that hour?”—places blame on victims instead of perpetrators.

When victims shoulder the blame done to them, justice is nowhere to be found.

So, Christians first must treat all people—women and men alike—as creatures of infinite worth who bear the image of their Creator. Then, we must refuse to describe others as objects, whether they are the objects of reverence or lust. And we must speak forcefully to a society that treats people as objects to be owned and commodities to be controlled.

See also …

“Lord, make our world safe for women,” a Texas Baptist Voices column by Meredith Stone.

Follow Marv on Twitter: @marvknoxbs