MM Politics
the Manna | October 2012
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the Manna | October 2012
Columns
18 | Voter Registration
07 | Signals 09 | On the Air
21 | Shiny Happy People
Features 12 | A Worthy Ambition Are our lives making God famous?
15 | Each One, Reach One
Stay in Touch
Loving each other even when we disagree.
God just wants us to be happy...right?
22 | A Tax-Deductible Noose? Politics from the pulpit.
25 | The Owen Meany In All Of Us When it all makes perfect sense.
Choosing to take responsibility.
16 | Onward, Christian...Activists? The problem with drawing battle lines.
wolc.org | readthemanna.org | October 2012
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the Manna | A Publication of Maranatha, Inc. Editor-In-Chief: Debbie Byrd Creative Director: Joe Willey Contributing Writers: Andy Berges, Keyanna Butts, Josh Millwood, Brittney Switala, B.A. Timmons & Karen Tull Media Client Liaisons: Lonnie Diskin & Randall Stapleton
Frequently Asked Questions Who We Are The Manna is published by Maranatha, Inc., a Christcentered ministry called to proclaim the Good News of faith and life in Jesus Christ through various forms of media, as God directs, until He returns. “Maranatha” (mer-a-nath´-a) is an Aramaic word found in I Corinthians 16:22. It is translated, “Our Lord, come!” Joy! 102.5 WOLC is also part of Maranatha, Inc. Its call letters stand for “Watch, Our Lord Cometh.” Maranatha!
Disclaimer Non-ministry advertisers are not required to subscribe to the “Statement of Faith” printed at right; nor are their businesses and products necessarily endorsed by the Manna, Joy! 102.5 WOLC, or Maranatha, Inc., whose viewpoints are not necessarily represented by the opinions or statements of persons interviewed in this magazine; nor are the viewpoints of its advertisers.
Statement of Faith We Believe… that the Holy Bible is the inspired, infallible and authoritative source of Christian doctrine and precept; that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; that the only hope for man is to believe in Jesus Christ, the virgin-born Son of God, who died to take upon Himself the punishment for the sin of mankind, and who rose from the dead so that by receiving Him as Savior and Lord, man is redeemed by His blood; that Jesus Christ in person will return to Earth in power and glory; that the Holy Spirit indwells those who have received Christ, for the purpose of enabling them to live righteous and godly lives; and that the Church is the Body of Christ and is comprised of all those who, through belief in Christ, have been spiritually regenerated by the indwelling Holy Spirit. The twin mission of the Church is worldwide evangelization, and nurture and discipline of Christians.
Manna and Joy! 102.5 WOLC P. O. Box 130, Princess Anne, MD 21853 Voice: 410-543-9652 Fax: 410-651-9652 Manna e-mail: info@readthemanna.org Joy! 102.5 e-mail: wolc@wolc.org ©2012 Maranatha, Inc. May not be reproduced without written consent of Maranatha, Inc. Photos: iStockphoto and Thinkstock
Maranatha Media | Home of Joy! 102.5 and the Manna
Signals Lobbying Politics. It’s a word often spoken with disgust and disdain. Yet almost every day each of us are engaged in politics of some kind. Politics is merely the process of engaging in or taking sides. But there are good politics and there are bad politics. Both call for lobbying (only another word for politic-ing)—attempting to influencing in favor of something. I recently accompanied a friend into one of the temporary Republican headquarters. She wanted a Romney button. After the volunteers explained that it would be a day or two before the buttons arrived, one of them showed off his sweatshirt. He was quite proud of it. Emblazoned on the front were images of an eagle and a vulture, and words explaining that the eagle represented the Republican party and the vulture represented the Democratic party. She then, politely, explained that she is registered a Democrat but always votes for the man, not the party—and this year she would be voting Republican. Needless to say, she was put off by their partisan attitude. In the abrasiveness of the statement, they could have cost their party a vote. But they didn’t “get it.” It’s a lesson we need to consider as we engage in the politics of evangelism. Do we push people away with overly fervent insistence that, unless they agree with us, they will surely burn in hell for eternity? Or do we rationally and reasonably demonstrate why we believe what we believe and demonstrate the Truth and Love of Jesus with our words and actions? It’s a fine line—and, often, we might not “get it.” At a time in our world when a person
can proclaim anything except Jesus in his speech, it’s wise for each of us to consider the politics of evangelism, and lobby for Christ. Successful lobbying doesn’t occur by screaming our wants and wishes or beliefs in the face of another. It happens when we woo them. This doesn’t mean that we water down the message of Christ and who He is; it means we declare and share all that He is—with compassion and understanding. The political champion usually rises to the top as a result of charisma. He has confidence. He is committed. He makes a connection with people that cast votes to elevate him to leadership. He wins people over to his perspective. Perhaps the changing politics of our culture is actually what sets us apart—a peculiar people—people who actually care about, love and respect others—so much so that we are willing to woo them towards He that provides the greatest leadership possible—Jesus Christ. Debbie Byrd is General Manager of Maranatha, Inc., a ministry that includes Joy! 102.5 and the Manna.
wolc.org | readthemanna.org | October 2012
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On the Air Transparency BEC Recordings’ singer-songwriter Bebo Norman is set to release his eighth studio album Lights of Distant Cities on October 22. For the past several weeks, Joy! 102.5 has been featuring on air one of the songs from that release titled “The Broken.” Throughout his 17 years as an artist, Norman has been applauded for laying it all on the table with his lyrical transparency and musical vulnerability. Norman’s music provides a common ground for the songwriter and the listener to collaborate in a discourse on life’s curious details, and how those day-to-day unknowns play in the greater mystery of faith. “The last few years have been pretty intense—a long, slow progression, or digression, into a spiritual desert,” Norman remembers, disclosing the process of writing songs in the dark of the desert. “I struggled to write anything hopeful. But I wanted to be true to the season I was in, so I simply wrote about the hopelessness I was experiencing.” With the same transparency that has attracted listeners to his lyrics for nearly two decades, Norman admits, “My tendency is
to allow the darkness to override the hope I have in Christ. A few months prior to recording I experienced an intense season of recovery and renewal. I finished nearly all of the songs after the recovery process. So you have desperation and recovery— darkness and light—represented within the same song.” A touching contrast evidenced throughout the 11-song track list, and especially affective when heard within the brief parameters of individual songs, he says the end result is perhaps the most unique offering of his career. Bebo shares that as a husband to Roshare, his wife of nine years, and dad to Smith, 5, and Miller, 3, his perspectives have broadened dramatically since he first started in the music scene as a post-collegiate bachelor. Perspectives, he says, that poignantly color the hopeless to hopeful songs on Lights of Distant Cities. Rodney Baylous is Program Director of Joy! 102.5. Visit www.wolc.org.
Listen Now! Check out our Program Guide at wolc.org wolc.org | readthemanna.org | October 2012
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Go Out
It’s A Big World
Dinosaurs Live! 10/2 - 2/3/13 | McKinney, Texas http://heardmuseum.org/ Dinosaurs Live! features life-size animatronic dinosaurs inhabiting the Heards nature trails. This exhibit allows more than 60,000 visitors to get up close and personal with these incredible creatures as they move and make life-like sounds
United States Sailboat Show 10/4 - 10/8 | Annapolis, Maryland www.usboat.com The Nation’s oldest and largest in-water sailboat show featuring exclusively new sailboats. Bring the family to this world-famous sailboat show where you will find something for everyone.
World Veg Festival 10/6 - 10/7 | San Francisco, California www.sfvs.org The San Francisco Vegetarian Society presents its 13th World Veg Festival. Guest speakers, cooking demos, international vegetarian cuisine, food samples, educational exhibits on health, humane and environmental topics. Maranatha Media | Home of Joy! 102.5 and the Manna
Faith Fest 10/6 | Winder, Georgia www.faithfest.us Lots of great food, Over 50 craft booths, Pumpkin Patch, business, churches, The TOTALLY Free KidZone with lots of fun things to do, and the Big Stage with 7 bands preforming throughout the day.
Concrete Polishing- Training 10/26 | Deerfield Beach, Florida www.xtremepolishingsystems.com/seminars Free how-to on Concrete Polishing. Concrete Polishing can make ugly concrete floors look beautiful. Learn about Concrete Polishing, Staining & Resurfacing Concrete Pool Decks and Concrete Patios.
Chicago International Childrens 10/26 | Chicago, Illinois Film Festival www.facets.org/kids Facets’ Chicago International Children’s Film Festival is the largest annual festival of films for children in the world, programming 250 films and videos from 40 countries wolc.org | readthemanna.org | October 2012
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A Worthy Ambition By Phil Bohaker
J
esus called His followers “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). The only way a light can fulfill its intended purpose is to be placed where it can be seen. In the same way, we can only point others to Christ to the extent that we engage people in their daily lives. This is not a task reserved for preachers and evangelists. Pointing the way to Christ can be accomplished in any walk of life. The realm of politics is no exception. Unfortunately, it is far too common in our culture for politicians to replace “let your light shine before men” with “shine the light upon yourself.” Religious devotion becomes a political résumé-builder rather than a foundation for living. The result of such self-aggrandizement by politicians who claim to be Christians is that society begins to despise the faith these political figures so poorly represent. People observe them and conclude, “If they are Christians, then I want nothing to do with Christianity.” William Wilberforce, the great British statesman and a leader in the eighteenth century abolitionist movement in England, criticized such politicians, “…the chief object of whose admiration, and the main scope of whose endeavors for their country, are extended dominion, and commanding power, and unrivaled affluence, rather than those more solid advantages of peace, comfort, and security.” Not all politicians who claim to be Christians are guilty of such deceitful ambition. However, the unfortunate reality is that the media tends to chase scandal. As a result, we hear more about the failings of duplicitous politicians than about the integrity of those who live up to the image they display to the world. What set William Wilberforce apart from his nominally Christian peers was his devotion to what he called the “peculiar doctrines of the Gospel.” He argued that Christian doctrine is the necessary foundation of morality. Christianity without its doctrine was merely a code of ethics built on shifting sand. Without a clear understanding of and commitment to the central tenets of the Christian faith—the nature and extent of sin, substitutionary atonement, and salvation by grace alone through faith alone, to name a few—believers will be washed away in the tide of relativism. But when believers are rooted in Christian doctrine, through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, these beliefs will manifest themselves in action. What if living in a way that seeks to make God famous was the guiding principle of the majority of our political
leaders? There is no injustice done to the separation of church and state for an elected official to live in a way that honors God, to make political decisions that bring glory to Christ, and to tell people the reasons he does what he does. I, for one, would sooner follow this kind of leader than the one who gives me only impressive campaign slogans and trendy political schemes. We need a William Wilberforce in our day. In his biography of Wilberforce, John Piper observes, “He was not a political pragmatist. He was a radically God-centered Christian who was a politician.” Wilberforce’s passionate pursuit of God was not a matter of saying the right things. He was a man who put his faith into action by, among other things, laboring tirelessly to abolish the African slave trade. For 30 years as a member of Parliament, he introduced bill after bill, only to be rejected, scorned, even threatened. Finally, in 1807 a majority vote put the Bill of Abolition into law. Nothing would have kept Wilberforce on such a determined path except for what he called “true religion.” In Wilberforce’s own words, “True religion…may be considered the implantation of a vigorous and active principle; it is seated in the heart, where its authority is recognized as supreme, whence by degrees it expels whatever is opposed to it, and where it gradually brings all the affections and desires under its complete control and regulation.” Wilberforce did not fight the moral battles of his day in order to raise his esteem in the eyes of his colleagues and countrymen. Nor did he desire merely to uphold the ethical code of society. Rather, he was impelled by the gospel, which had changed his heart and given him a genuine love for others. I’m growing weary of hearing politicians sloppily quote a verse of Scripture and feign religious devotion to bolster approval ratings in the latest polls. From now on, I’m keeping my eyes open for the next William Wilberforce. He championed the fight against moral decay in eighteenth century England. Who’s to say a worthy successor won’t rise to the occasion in twenty-first century America? Then again, let us not put our hope in a politician to heal all the ills of our nation. We already have a Savior. But every now and then, it’s nice to meet a politician who looks like Him.
wolc.org | readthemanna.org | October 2012
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Each One, Reach One By Keyanna Butts
P
eter Larson was six-years-old when he knew he wanted to make a difference in the world. Heartbroken by the plight of the homeless in his community, Peter began sleeping in a cardboard box outside his home during winter months in below-zero temperatures to raise money to combat homelessness. He called it the “Sleep Out.” Now a teenager, Peter has raised hundred of thousands of dollars to provide housing assistance to those in need. Julia Bluhm, a teenager from Maine, was tired of seeing the sexualization of young girls and women in magazines. Though young, Julia realized that the unrealistic depiction of women in mainstream media would only further contribute to the negative perception of body image and health issues that already plagued so many females in America. She started a petition requesting that Seventeen Magazine, a popular teen publication, publish at least one unaltered photo spread per month. The petition received over 80,000 signatures. The magazine promised not to digitally alter body sizes or face shapes of young women featured in its editorial pages, and include only images of real girls and models that are healthy. These are just two examples of (young) American citizens taking responsibility to help solve prominent problems in our society. Though there are thousands of activists (young and old alike), there is something humbling and convicting when a young person takes the initiative to bring about change. It takes away the excuse that says, “The problems of this country are too big for little ol’ me. I’m just one person. I don’t have the power, resources or expertise to make a significant impact.” Still, many Americans prefer to sit back and hope that
a president will come along to fix our problems. But what if we didn’t depend on the president to change the state of the union? What if, like Peter and Julia, we made it solely our responsibility to make America a better place? It may sound like a huge task, but just imagine how much better life would be if every person in the country could find one person or cause to help. As the popular song by Babbie Mason says, “...but if each one, could reach one.” It’s easy to underestimate the impact of helping just one person. So much so, that we often dismiss the opportunity to minister to the needs of others because we don’t think our miniscule efforts will make a significant difference in the overall scheme of things. But there’s a snowball effect that happens when you touch a person’s life. And your one good deed becomes the catalyst for a better America. For example, buying groceries for a neighbor doesn’t seem nearly as great as raising thousands of dollars for the homeless. But what if from your groceries, that neighbor is now able to donate food to the soup kitchen, and that soup kitchen is now able to feed more people. From that one act of kindness, you’ve now helped combat hunger in America. The “each one, reach one” concept is not just a catchy slogan formulated from wishful thinking. As Christians, we have a responsibility to help one another. The Bible teaches, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4). In this season of political wrangling, let’s not put the hope of a better tomorrow in the hands of one man. Let us all take responsibility. Find one person, find one cause, and find one way to help the state of America.
wolc.org | readthemanna.org | October 2012
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hen I drove past the local Chick-fil-A on the evening of August 1st, I was taken aback at the volume of people encircling the building. Of course, it wasn’t the waffle fries drawing the crowd (although they’re really good), but the opportunity to show appreciation to a business whose owner supports God’s principles, specifically those regarding the biblical definition of marriage. My knee-jerk feeling had me wanting to do some fist pumps in the air. After thinking about it a while longer, however, I wasn’t as excited. Consider for a moment something about yourself that you believe defines who you are as a human being. Right or wrong—you feel this aspect is inextricably tied to your identity. Now, imagine an uprising of people who, seemingly, are not only against this facet about you, but opposed to you as an individual. Would ©2010:HealthSouth:441521
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it draw you to those people? Would it make you more willing to hear what they had to say? No, probably not. Instead, it would likely make you feel hurt, angry and isolated. Christian writer Barnabas Piper says this: “Convictions, especially biblical ones, will divide people. That is inevitable, but not desirable. The separation of believers and unbelievers, when it happens, must be a last resort or an unavoidable result. Actions to the contrary, those that clearly promote an ‘us versus them’ mentality, are most often unhelpful.” Often, there is the tendency to confuse activism with the Gospel. The truth is, we are not the Gospel and we cannot “do” the Gospel. The Gospel is the announcement of what has already been done for us by Jesus Christ and the free remission of sin available to all through faith in Him. It is a verbal message of hope—not “good deeds”
Onward, Christian... Activists? By Karen Tull
done by Christians. In his book Counterfeit Gospels, author Trevin Wax writes, “The culture war moves us in the opposite direction from the cross. Instead of laying down our lives for others in love by serving our opponents and demonstrating charity in our speech and actions, we begin to look down on those around us.” “The activist gospel,” he continues, “changes our posture toward the world. We no longer see ourselves as having been rescued by the grace of God for His glory and the good of our neighbors. Instead, we feel it is our duty to rescue the world from its path to destruction, and we blow past anyone who might get in our way.” Christians can also make a mistake in the opposite direction. Our worldview, informed by Scripture, tells us that things are getting increasingly worse instead of better. Thus, there’s the temptation (valid
as it may be) in this present evil age to just stick our heads in the proverbial sand and utter, “Come, Lord Jesus, come!” Rather, we should have a feeling of urgency toward the lost. But are we approaching evangelism in the right way? Of course we should oppose injustice, help the needy, defend the unborn, and be bold and proactive—but is the Gospel at the center of all our efforts? Are we speaking the truth in love? The question comes down to which kingdom we’re really serving. Trevin Wax concludes: “Jesus was no Pharisee, Zealot, Sadducee, or Essene. He was who He was. He is who He is. And try as hard as we may, we cannot fit Jesus into our pet causes and stereotypes either. He will break out of any box we put Him in. He cannot be tamed. That’s why we are told to seek first His Kingdom, not the passing kingdoms and towers of Babel we build in this world.”
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C
ome election time, there is a club just for you! Whether you have ever fit in or have always felt like you were on the outside, there are at least two clubs clamoring for you to join them now! They are just like you! They stand for what you stand for. They want to be your friend. They even have mascots! (Albeit odd choices for mascots, but I digress.) If you are American, then you are invited to be either a Democrat or a Republican. Both groups’ names come from Greek roots buried deep within our history. The names Democrat and Republican recall an idealized representative government. Both have changed their platforms countless times since surfacing as the two powerhouses in American politics. Both affirm that not only do they have the correct answers for America, the other side has it all wrong. And both parties want you to join! If you don’t feel like you fit in either category, there is, of course, the cool kid’s table for Independents. And the loners called Libertarians. Or any number of smaller, powerless factions that get caught up on particular issues that don’t get spotlighted by the Big Two. One of the smartest features of the United States of America’s representative democracy is the advent of the party system. Even if you don’t feel like your vote matters, you can take solace that you belong to a party that can at least get something done on your behalf. Their power stretches from the White House all the way down to local city council members. By simply choosing which group bests suits you, you get a sense of participation and accomplishment when it comes to your government. We live in a unique time where there are several functioning (and many more dysfunctional) democracies in the world. The idea that the will of the people dictates the destiny of a nation is a relatively new one for the world. It’s a great idea—in absence of the rightful ruler of Creation. But one day it’s destined to come to an end. One day, the King will return and I haven’t discovered anywhere in the Bible where our opinions over how the Kingdom of God should operate are of any consequence. To put it more directly, once Jesus comes back, your vote no longer matters. You and I probably have strong opinions on a great many issues plaguing our world. Some of the those issues have led us to align ourselves with political parties. But what happens when our parties clash? Do we become enemies to one another? If we are both members of the Kingdom of Heaven (followers/believers of Jesus Christ), does that mean one or both of us is wrong? Does that
mean we are sinning? I think we are allowed to disagree with one another to a point. That point being when either points of view come into conflict with the Word of God or we start hating one another. 1 John 2:11 says, “...anyone who hates another brother or sister is still living and walking in darkness.” We don’t always have to agree. We don’t even have to always like each other! But when we stop loving one another— something is wrong. It’s at that point we must stop being Americans (Democrat or Republican) and remember our true identity is that of a member of the Kingdom of God. It’s one thing to agree on this principle for petty little things, but it also matters on big, hot-button political issues. There are Christians on both sides of pretty much every argument. And both sides look at the other with a raised eyebrow as if to ask, “How come you don’t see what I see?!” But we cannot let our political differences destroy our love for one another. Paul says it best in 1 Corinthians 13: “If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.” The Apostle Paul covers topics on education, welfare, industry and more in that one simple passage. Everything that matters in this world is passing. The only things that are going to stick around are faith, hope, and love—which is the greatest of all. Love cannot be legislated. It cannot be put to a vote or held up as a party platform. If you are an American, you should vote. It’s a privilege for which many have sacrificed their lives. It is a responsibility to your family, community, and nation to give your opinion on the course this nation takes. Spend time learning about candidates. Pray. Seek advice from wise council. Vote with a clean conscience. But in the fervor of campaign promises, mudslinging, and differences of opinion, do not lose sight of an identity far more valuable than your voter’s registration card. God sent His only Son to die on a cross so that we too could be called sons and daughters of God. We are members of an eternal Kingdom that sometimes feels very far away, but is of much more relevance and import than the leaders and laws of the United States of America.
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Shiny Happy People By Karen Tull
“G
od has a wonderful plan for your life...” This is often the opening line Christians use in an effort at witnessing to an unbeliever. It certainly does sound appealing. Upon looking up the word “wonderful” in a Thesaurus, I found the following synonyms: amazing, astonishing, astounding, awesome, eye-opening, fabulous, miraculous, portentous, prodigious, staggering, stunning, stupendous, sublime, surprising, marvelous. If God’s ultimate plan is for us to have “amazing” lives, He really must want us to be happy. Right? As humans, we all want to be happy. Hence, this approach to evangelism naturally seems right in the minds of many well-intentioned Christians who truly want the lost to come to Christ. But when we make the Gospel all about people and the worldly benefits to be gained by “signing up” to be a Christian, the core issue—namely, sin—has been skirted entirely. Today, this promise of prosperity extends beyond evangelism and into the Church itself. We can often hear straight from the pulpit that if we do “x,y, and z,” God will bless us. If we have enough faith, it will happen. If we do our part by pulling up our own bootstraps, God will then step in and do His part—that part being, of course, giving us that thing we so desperately want. Pastor and author Harry L. Reeder writes, “Today’s
church, instead of speaking the true gospel message in terms the culture understands, has been seduced and intimidated into modifying the gospel message according to what the culture approves.” “Gospel preaching,” he continues, “has been perverted into self-esteem therapy or pep talks, coaching us to worldly success or, even more astonishing, redefining the love of Christ in terms that preclude his displeasure with the impenitent self-centeredness in our lives. Our pursuit of personal happiness and gratification has superseded God’s call to be holy and magnify His glory.” The Gospel message is this: “But God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead. It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!” (Ephesians 2:4-5 NLT). Instead of trying to sell someone on the Christian faith and make it more palatable, we need to take people directly to God’s Law and show them that they—like ourselves—are sinners in need of a Savior. And God has already provided that Savior—not because we did anything first that compelled Him to do so—but out of His sheer love for us. This is better news than anything this fading world could ever offer.
wolc.org | readthemanna.org | October 2012
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hat if pastors truly had freedom to speak up and endorse candidates from the pulpit? This month, over 1,000 pastors are defying the IRS by intentionally preaching on politics. A group called Alliance Defending Freedom is holding its fifth annual Pulpit Freedom Sunday when pastors are encouraged to defy what they consider an unconstitutional mandate to keep political endorsements out of the pulpit. It all started back during Lyndon Johnson’s campaign for re-election, and according to some, a desire for self-protection. President Johnson received unwelcome criticism from two not-for-profit, anti-Communist groups that attacked his agenda. Since 1964, the Johnson Amendment has limited tax-exempt organizations (including those anti-Communist groups) from participating in or intervening in any political campaign on behalf of, or in opposition to, any candidate for public office. In effect, the Johnson Amendment allows the government to determine whether there is too much politics going on at church. Politics takes many forms: from content in literature to sermons; from can-
By Brittney Switala
didate speeches to the use of Scripture. There is controversy about whether voter guides should be distributed at churches. Family Research Council guides are considered “issue oriented, nonpartisan, and acceptable for church use.” The Southern Poverty Law Organization recently labeled this family organization a partisan “hate group” because of its biblical stand on homosexuality. Politicians occasionally speak at churches. President George W. Bush made negative waves speaking at the conservative Christian school Bob Jones University. The Reverend Jessie Jackson has woven his politics and preaching together without much concern regarding the separation of
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the two. Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church hosted a televised, popular presidential debate forum in 2008. Even though it was presented in nonpartisan fashion, there was still concern about whether it went against the Johnson Amendment. So much of the governing of this nation goes back to acknowledging a moral code of goodness that is also intrinsically religious. In other words, politics is about issues that can be traced back to the Bible. There are over 2,000 verses in the Bible that have to do with money; wise use of finances is something God cares about. If a pastor were to talk about staying out of debt, like “the borrower is servant to the lender” and then mentioned our nation’s outrageous overspending and national debt, that could be considered too political. Car-
ing for the poor, the unborn, the orphan, the widow, and the value of all humankind were issues on the heart of Jesus and also serve as political hot-button topics. In today’s political climate, there are certain passages of Scripture that could be read word-for-word and be considered politically-biased. A minister who would read the first chapter of Romans which labels homosexuality as sinful behavior, would automatically be aligned with rightwing conservatism. There is pressure on churches to avoid what could be perceived as political controversy in order to retain their 501(c) 3 non-profit status. Non-profit organizations include not only churches but charitable organizations, educational institutions, and cruelty prevention organizations, to name a few. These organizations pay no taxes on the financial gifts they receive, and the law allows the givers to claim their gifts as tax deductions. From the very beginning of our nation, people joined voluntary groups to aid their less fortunate neighbors—with or without benefit to themselves. There were volunteer fire and militia groups, women’s societies and church aid organizations. By the end of the 19th century, large-scale organized philanthropy became associated with the wealthiest Americans. Steel industry legend Andrew Carnegie proposed a doctrine of stewardship to induce his fellow millionaires to philanthropy. Trusts and foundations were established, and many of these later became the 501(c) organizations we know today. Churches do not have to pay taxes on any gifts received. Parishioners receive a tax write-off for their gifts to the church. I wonder if churches would consider giving up that inducement in order to have the freedom to speak openly about social and moral issues which are also political. For a church to give up this benefit, it would need to bring in additional tithes and offerings to cover regular expenses and the resultant taxes the church would be obligated to pay. Those in the congregation would give knowing there would be no financial benefit in it for them. Is it worth it? Are churches compromising speaking truth for the sake of money? Would parishioners truly increase giving to support a church’s decision to avoid government intervention on free speech? For now, civil disobedience is how some pastors are responding.
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The Owen Meany in All of Us By B. A. Timmons
T
he book arrived in the mail as a gift from my aunt—A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving, published in 1989. We have had numerous discussions about faith, and she thought I would
enjoy it. Irving makes an intriguing comment about faith in the introduction, and I immediately knew I had no choice but to press on. He says, “I go to church only occasionally— like lots of people, I believe in God in times of crisis. But I have had no religious ‘experience’; I’ve never been a witness to a miracle.” And then this man who claims to have had no religious “experience” writes a profound story about a religious experience that occurs throughout the life of the main character, Owen Meany. While reading, I often asked myself,“How can this man write about faith with such insight? Can he really be writing simply based on his observations of believers?” As the end of the book approached, I thought that Irving would do one of two things: Either Owen Meany’s faith would turn out to be a complete fabrication of his own imagination, or it would be confirmed as irrefutably true. Given Irving’s statement about his own faith, I assumed the former would be the case. In his early years, Owen Meany comes to believe that his life will have significance. He has been set apart for a special service. He has a general idea of what that will look like, but the details are sketchy. Owen spends his entire life operating under this premise. He wonders how his current steps fit into that purpose. Sometimes he makes deliberate decisions that he deducts will be in line with his calling. There are things he feels he should do, but with little understanding of why he should do them. Like all of us, Owen has issues to deal with; only, his issues are extreme. He is very small in stature, and his voice is oddly high, like he never grew up. He is frustrated
by these apparent weaknesses throughout his life. Ultimately, we learn that while Owen’s understanding of the details of his destiny is murky, his view of his calling is completely clear. He is to perform an act of unselfishness for the benefit of those around him. It is a sacrificial deed that he performs without hesitation and with a totally willing heart. At that moment, everything is revealed. He understands those things in his life that had been unclear, those things that at the time seemed like a burden and nuisance. Only then does he see that the details of his life make perfect sense and were all working toward the calling on his life. Those things that Owen had viewed as weaknesses were necessary to fulfill his calling. Had he been able to pray them away, he would not have been able to walk in the path to which he was called. Perhaps unwittingly, John Irving has written an accurate depiction of what it feels like to try to balance the believer’s view of the future with the present circumstances. Maybe this is the miracle that has been so elusive for him. We are all Owen Meanys. We all have such a calling. Our lives are not our own—we are to live sacrificially. But we are impatient to see with clarity how the pieces all fit together. We want to know how each day is working toward that ultimate end. This is the frustration Owen Meany experiences. He is fortunate to have a moment of intense clarity, where he is able to reflect on his past, and it all makes perfect sense. All of us may not be privileged to experience this, but the lesson from Owen Meany is that even if we don’t see with such clarity, God is using every moment. Everything is not for us to know. Our knowing is not really important. We just do what we know to do, living in the satisfaction that we do indeed have a high calling. And, one day, perhaps the Lord will let us see.
wolc.org | readthemanna.org | October 2012
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Program Guide Listen @ www.wolc.org
SRN News - at the top of various hours www.srnnews.com
Adventures in Odyssey - 6:00 pm www.whitsend.org
Music - 12:00 Midnight - 6:00 am
Focus on the Family - 6:30 pm www.focusonthefamily.com
Joy in the Morning - 6:00 am - 9 am Our Daily Bread - 6:25 am www.rbc.org/odb My Money Life - 7:25 am www.crown.org Insights - 7:45 am www.insight.org The Point - 8:30 am www.breakpoint.org Family News in Focus - 9:02 am, 12:02 & 4:02 pm www.citizenlink.org Focus on the Family - 9:30 am www.focusonthefamily.com
Turning Point - 7:00 pm www.focusonthefamily.com Revive Our Hearts - 7:30 pm www.reviveourhearts.com Money Life - 7:55 pm www.crown.org Insights for Living - 8:00 pm www.insight.org The Word - 10:30 pm www.the-word.info Music - 8:30pm - 12:00 Midnight
SATURDAY
Family Life Today - 10:00 am www.familylife.com
Down Gilead Lane - 9:00 am www.cbhministries.org
Turning Point - 10:30 am and 7:00 pm www.davidjeremiah.org
Adventures in Odyssey - 9:30 am www.whitsend.org
Midday Joy - 11:00 am - 1:00 pm
SUNDAY
New Life Live - 1:00 pm www.newlife.com
Music - 12:00 Midnight - 8:00 am
Mission Network News - 1:55 pm www.mnnonline.org In Touch - 2:00 pm www.intouch.org Money Wise - 2:30 pm www.compass1.org Portraits of Grace - 2:55 pm www.gty.org Homeschool Heartbeat - 2:56 pm www.hslda.org Bible Minute - 2:58 pm www.bibleminute.org Focus on the Family Minute - 4:30 pm www.focusonthefamily.com
Grace to You - 8:00 am www.gty.org Living a Legacy - 10:30 am www.moodyradio.org/livingalegacy Moody Church Hour - 11:00 am www.moodychurch.org National Christian Choir - 12:00 pm www.nationalchristianchoir.org The Hour of Decision - 1:00 pm www.billygraham.org Forward in Faith - 1:30 pm www.centralchurchofgod.org Gospel Greats - Sunday, 2:00 pm www.thegospelgreats.com Music - 4:00 pm -12:00 Midnight wolc.org | readthemanna.org | October 2012
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