Issues and Proclamation

Elements of God's call upon believers in Christ can be found in Matthew 5, as Jesus delivered 

the Sermon on the Mount. We pick up in verse 13:
13 "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
14 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

So we are called to be salt and light...I've heard it said that salt was used as a preservative in that day, as well as something that produces thirst.  Salt is also is a seasoning.  I guess you could say that Jesus taught on salt, recognizing that the truth of God to a culture was contained within the people of God, and we are called to proclaim that truth, for the betterment and preservation of society.  We are also to be transmitting a thirst for the knowledge of God.  And, of course, we are called to shine the light of Christ brightly and boldly to call attention to the works of God and the truth of the Lord.

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In Acts chapter 20, we find the apostle Paul talking with the elders of the church at Ephesus. He stated:
(18) ..."You know, from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you,
19 serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews;
20 how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house,
21 testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

This is a great template for the normal Christian life, a life marked by humility and character, boldly proclaiming the truth of God, keeping back nothing that was, as he put it, "helpful."

I would consider that the application of God's Word in the public policy arena is certainly helpful, and we must allow His truth to shape our understanding in the decisions we make regarding the selection of leaders and our views on issues.

Noted researcher George Barna now heads the American Culture and Faith Institute, and a recent article on the organization's website says this:

One of the complaints heard from Christian conservatives during the 2014 mid-term election cycle was that their church was providing little guidance for their thinking about the issues. Surveys have borne out their disenchantment: relatively few pastors preached about the issues of the day during that election cycle.

In that election cycle, almost two-thirds of theologically conservative pastors - 63% - preached on religious freedom.  There were nine other issues that were asked about, and none of those nine had even half of the pastors preaching on them.

A 2016 survey indicates that, according to the website, "The most likely issue to be discussed in church services by theologically conservative pastors is again religious freedom, but the proportion who have spoken or plan to speak about religious freedom has plummeted from 63% in 2014 to just 36% this year.

The article says:

Abortion, which was the second most frequently preached about current issue in the 2014 cycle (addressed by 48% of theologically conservative pastors) again ranks second. However, the number of theologically conservative preachers who have or plan to preach about that subject is barely half (26%) of what it was in 2014.

But why?  Barna offers some insight: “The corollary information in our studies indicates that theologically conservative pastors are refusing to teach biblical principles related to current issues because they are concerned about being seen as political, not wanting to risk the loss of numbers of people or donations, and concern about the status of the church’s non-profit designation.” But the congregations want to learn, according to Barna..."A large majority of Christian conservatives are actually eager to learn and to be challenged how to think biblically about today’s issues."

A new Pew poll can raise similar concerns.  In an analysis by Michael New of Ave Maria University, writing for First Things, he states:

This poll indicates that strong majorities of both Evangelical Christians and Roman Catholics do not often hear about morality policy issues from clergy. If clergy are reluctant to provide bold leadership and instruction on these difficult issues, it is easy to see why conservative Christians are reluctant either to act politically or to engage their fellow citizens.

In his opening paragraph, New, who, by the way, used to teach at the University of Alabama, writes:

64 percent of respondents reported that they had heard clergy speak about at least one of the six issues included in the survey. However, the survey indicates that when it comes to polarizing morality policy issues, majorities of churchgoers hear nothing. Only 40 percent of respondents stated that clergy had spoken about religious liberty. Similarly, 39 percent stated that clergy had spoken about homosexuality. Finally, only 29 percent of respondents recalled hearing about abortion.

I am by no means in a position to criticize pastors.  I appreciate the mantle that God has given to our leaders who serve in spiritual authority over us, and I trust the Holy Spirit to speak to them and for them to be obedient to what they have to say.

I do think there is an element of proclamation of truth that we all can examine for ourselves; because, in essence, we are all placed in a position to lead someone, to lead someone perhaps to a greater, more fulfilling knowledge of God.   But, proclamation should translate to application - and in the area of issues engagement, we have to look at current issues through the viewpoint of Scripture.  Our interpretation of various matters of life should be shaped and sifted by the direction of God's Spirit.

We can be discerning about our sources of information, too.   Whether or not you're hearing about these issues affecting our society in church, you can do some inspired research so that you are informed.  Just make sure that the agenda that is shaping the information is in line with your Christian worldview perspective.  It is a challenge for me as a radio host to make sure that what I relate lines up with the principles of the Bible, and it can be a challenge to each of us to determine that how we view matters of policy are consistent with those teachings.