These are difficult days for my pastor friends! I keep hearing about anger and division over: COVID prevention strategies, President Biden’s election, charges of voter fraud, threats to civil liberties, local church political involvement, etc. Pastors are taking it on the chin like never before.
- Model the behavior and demeanor you’d love to see in everyone else. If you want your people to be (miraculously) full of faith, joy, peace, love and hope, in spite of the difficulty of these days, show them what that looks like. Don’t overuse platitudes like “God is still on His throne” but by all means counter despair with hope, as the Apostle Paul did (Acts 27) in the face of an imminent shipwreck. This might be the time for you to adopt my “life verse”: “As for you, keep your head in every situation…” (II Timothy 4:5a).
- Acknowledge the massive stress and fear that you are seeing and hearing and speak directly to it. For years I was so dedicated to my particular brand of proactive expository preaching, that I refused to get off schedule and address national dilemmas. Looking back, I think this was a mistake. In a crisis, everyone is thinking and talking about the crisis. By continuing your series through the Book of Numbers, you are making your church look irrelevant and allowing the elephant in the room to stomp all over the place. People need to hear what God has to say about the issue at hand, and you’re the guy to share it with them. You don’t have to overdo this and address current events every Sunday, but there are times when you probably should take a short break from a disciplined, expository journey through the Scriptures.
- Pray I Timothy 2:1-8 publicly. This key passage contains our marching orders for how to pray for our civil leaders. This prescription is significant both for what it does say and for what it doesn’t say.
- Time permitting, send a daily devotional to your mailing list. Use it to offer hope and guidance and use it to at least attempt to get your people out of the bad news (at least for a few minutes) and into the good news of the Scriptures. This is a great way to offer shepherding care to beleaguered sheep, every day.
- Double down on your church’s purpose, mission, vision and values. No, this isn’t ignoring the current crises; it’s meeting it head on, with the gospel. Chances are, your key strategic planning documents are all about the glory of God, His wonderful gospel, the mission of making disciples with compassionate deeds and life-giving words and a dream for a more godly and effective congregation. Nothing here about Republicans, Democrats, political outrage or conspiracies. Right?
- Boldly preach on Christian social ethics. Translated, that means: “What in the world Christians and churches are supposed to do.” I know what some of you are thinking: “I can’t do this right now, it would get me fired.” Okay, maybe you can’t do it right now, but if the role of Christian people and Christian churches in this world is so controversial in your church, you do need to address it and you probably shouldn’t wait very long to address it.
My experience with troubled churches suggests that if you address controversial subjects bravely, carefully, Biblically and humbly, the vast majority of your hearers will respect you for it. You will slay the elephants in the room and you will give people much needed guidance.
With great forethought, tact and courage, you will need to address: How God deals with “normal” nations (the US is not Israel), how God raises up and deposes national leaders, the mission of the church in the world, the Christian responsibility to government and government leaders, the Christian responsibility toward those we consider our enemies, the building of the kingdom of God versus the preservation or destruction of the kingdoms of this world, realistic expectations for Christians in a non-Christian world, the nature of real, Biblical patriotism, the influence of our beliefs regarding the “end times” on our view of politics and political involvement. If this sounds like a long sermon series I would urge, “take your time and do it right.” Be strong and clear where the Bible is strong and clear. On murkier matters, express a few of your own opinions with tact and humility.
7. Encourage Biblical mourning with Christian hope. There is a place for grieving the loss of the world we once enjoyed. The Old Testament prophets loved their nations enough to weep over their demise. But Christians, of course, always get to grieve with hope (I Thessalonians 4:13). In the midst of our sadness over this world, we are full of joy over the wonderful world to come. By the grace of God, wise shepherds can lead their flocks through despair and into hope and a new season of disciple-making joy.
