Pulpit Friction: Reawakening the Church’s Voice in a Political Wilderness

By Ken Kinton

We live in an increasingly hostile political climate, and even within the church we can find the signs of political division. Yet the truth of the matter is that political dialogue has been around for millennia—even in the epic tales of Abraham, Joseph, and Moses—and the social and political issues during the time of Jesus’s public ministry are not that different from those we are encountering presently.

Pulpit Friction looks at the challenges facing the church today as it seeks to strike a balance between its prophetic call and the political and social issues causing so much turmoil in our world. Author Ken Kinton offers both biblical and historical insights in an attempt to help Christians and the secular world live more harmoniously.

In order for the church to have a meaningful impact on our nation’s political process, it needs to contribute to the political integrity of the process. By learning more about the church’s role in shaping political discourse, we as Christians can together become agents of positive change.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Oct 17, 2018
• ISBN: 9781973641575

Ken Kinton

Ken Kinton offers a unique perspective on contemporary issues by comparing and contrasting similar issues that took place during biblical times. He has completed extensive coursework in biblical studies, and he holds a master of arts degree in pastoral ministry, a master of divinity degree, and a doctor of ministry degree.

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Copyright © 2018 Ken Kinton.

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This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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Scripture taken from The New Jerusalem Bible, published and copyright 1985 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd and Les Editions du Cerf, and used by permission of the publishers.

ISBN: 978-1-9736-4156-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-4158-2 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-4157-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018911719

WestBow Press rev. date: 10/16/2018

To my mother, Beverly A. Kinton, and in memory of my father, Melvin P. Kinton.

CONTENTS

Chapter 1     The Rub

Chapter 2     Character Witness

Chapter 3     Politics and Nonviolence

Chapter 4     Power And Christian Leadership

Part I: Power Grid

Part II: The Leadership Matrix

Chapter 5     Face The Nations

Part I: Citizenship and the Church

Part II: Meet the Oppressed

Chapter 6     Prophet Statements

Chapter 7     Winds og the Wilderness

Chapter 8     Pulpit in the Storm

Chapter 9     Wake-Up Call

Appendix: The Cultural Impact of the Renaissance

Endnotes

CHAPTER 1

THE RUB

W hile the insertion of politics into sermons is not a new phenomenon in today’s church, it has become a flash point between congregations and those called to faithfully preach the truth of the Gospel.

Several years ago, a pastor was called to a church out west. Within a few months of the start of his ministry to this congregation, the political tone of the pastor’s sermons distressed many of the parishioners. He and his congregation began to hold town hall-style meetings to address the concerns of those who were upset. By addressing the friction caused by sermons, which sounded more like political manifestos than religious messages, the pastor allayed many of the congregation’s fears, and he settled into his ministry in that church.

I read recently of a church where some of its members have taken a self-imposed hiatus from attending weekly services because of political differences with other members of the church. Due to relationships I have had with both the pastors and the churches in these two examples, I believe it is best not to divulge any information that would jeopardize their confidentiality. I would venture to say that these situations are likely being duplicated in churches across a wide range of denominations, across the country. These problems are due to the partisan politics of the majority of a church’s membership refusing to respect the voice of those in the minority. This reality would likely cause us to ask, Why is it necessary, in light of the conflict it causes, to bring politics into the sermon event? The answer is to speak on universal political truths, not on social and political issues that compel us to choose sides and pit us against one another.

The truth of the matter is that political dialogue has been around for millennia from the epic tales of Abraham, Joseph, and Moses. Jesus also spoke forcefully against the political systems in place during His public ministry. But Jesus did not focus on partisan issues that forced people to take opposite sides in a debate; instead, He chose to speak on topics that focused on communal politics where people, regardless of their political leanings, could at least find common ground if not consensus on key issues. For example, Jesus spoke out on the tribute tax paid to Caesar (Luke 20:20–26). He spoke out on the treatment of widows (Luke 18:1–8). Jesus also advocated for the nonviolent resolution of conflict as demonstrated during the account of His arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane in Luke 22:49–51: His followers, seeing what was about to happen, said, ‘Lord, shall we use our swords?’ And one of them struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. But at this Jesus said, ‘That is enough.’ And touching the man’s ear He healed him.

We might ask the question, How do the political issues within these biblical stories correlate to the political issues of our times? The answer is the social and political issues during the time of Jesus’s public ministry are not that different from those we are encountering presently. There are still grave concerns in our political culture surrounding the limits and proper usage of power. What are the parameters of the power being wielded by the president of the United States? Does the Supreme Court have the capacity to rewrite existing laws or only the responsibility to interpret and uphold those laws? But the usage and limits of power are only one political issue that ought to be addressed in our social discourse, whether it be in the public square or the church pulpit.

Another political issue that bears consideration is the dynamics of effective, competent leadership. We need only to watch the political news programs on cable television to get a clear sense of the leadership vacuum that is prevalent in our nation’s capital. Members of Congress and the Senate are either unwilling or unable to craft and enact legislation that will grow our economy, keep our nation safe, and provide quality health care for every American. This can only be understood as a leadership problem. The only priority for many of our elected officials is to energize their constituents in order to be reelected. They have succeeded in pitting Americans against one another rather than enacting legislation that will unite us despite our political affiliations.

So the question becomes, If our government is so fractured, what can I as one person do to make a difference? In his 1961 inaugural address, President John F. Kennedy stated, Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. What we can do is offer to serve in any capacity, no matter how small it may seem to us. Real change starts with one person helping another person who is in need. You may decide to volunteer at a food pantry. By giving one person a box of nonperishable food items, such as cereal, cans of soup, or uncooked spaghetti, you may be helping a family to eat for two weeks. That is not insignificant. The meals that box of food will provide may help a child to concentrate better in school, or they may give a single mother the sustenance to work the two jobs she is holding down in order to provide for her family. Every selfless act matters to someone who is in need of a hand up, which is different from a handout.

You may also be motivated to serve in a larger capacity. While some people are naturally inclined to take on significant projects in order to make a difference, others are more comfortable staying behind the scenes. Some preachers also fall into that category. There are those who are competent organizers and can mobilize groups of people to champion a worthwhile cause. Other pastors may be less inclined to mix social and political causes with their calling as church leaders. One pastor who was very reluctant to become involved in politics, much less preach it from the pulpit, was the late Dr. Jerry Falwell. As a young preacher, Dr. Falwell stated, I would find it impossible to stop preaching the pure saving gospel of Jesus Christ and begin doing anything else—including fighting communism, or participating in civil-rights reforms.¹

Dr. Falwell, for all of his initial reservations regarding becoming involved in political issues, was fully committed to making a difference and to that end formed the Moral Majority in the late 1970s. He was also heavily involved in the presidential bid and eventual election of Ronald Reagan in 1980. But I want to be clear that many of Dr. Falwell’s political positions were highly controversial, particularly his stance on abortion and other sensitive issues. This is the reason the objective of this book is not to debate which side of the political debate is right or wrong. If the church continues to avoid political discourse where we can find common ground and reach some level of consensus, we will continue to be divided rather than unified. I also do not believe the church is well served to coerce its congregants to choose one candidate over another. The church’s role is to create a template by which political candidates and leaders ought to be measured.

The other role of the church ought to be to form a template by which their members can evaluate and develop their personal values. For example, is it preferable for society to shape the social and political worldview of the prospective Christian voter, or is it for the greater good if the church teaches the values of good citizenship and the importance of critical thinking? From the Old Testament prophets through the teachings of Jesus, there are numerous examples that can be teachable moments for the contemporary church. It might be argued that the church ought to stay out of the political arena, but there is compelling evidence in support of the essential role to which the church is called. In his book Statecraft as Soulcraft, political commentator George F. Will writes, Ever since the church replaced the city as the custodian of virtue, the political order has been at best ambivalent about the need to be concerned about the inner lives of the people. The modern political order, hyperactive as it is, must of necessity have large consequence on the character of its citizenry.²

What is especially frustrating for many people is the stagecraft that often overshadows the purpose and function of statecraft. There seems to be a never-ending parade of politicians and pundits commenting on political issues with responses that do not nourish the heart of our democracy. As George Will comments further, Government would do better what it does if it would admit what it is doing. The aim of government is justice, which is more apt to come about if government is more aware of, and forthright about, the fact that statecraft is, inevitably, soulcraft.³ Oftentimes, our nation’s leaders display an arrogant disregard for doing what is right and instead substitute a response that is more politically expedient. This phenomenon is especially noticeable during a major election cycle. In his book Healing the Heart of Democracy, Parker J. Palmer addresses our nation’s need to return to its origins of service and humility: As a nation, we are not compelled to do what I and many others have to do on our continuing journey toward personal wholeness: dig down day by day through the rubble of our mistakes and malfeasances to recover our buried self-images—a process that forces us to compare them to reality, host an ongoing dialogue between the better and lesser angels of our nature, and develop at least a modicum of humility.⁴

Our political leaders ought to concentrate their efforts on service with distinction rather than constantly campaigning for reelection or appeasing the special interests that fill