1.17.26
Hey, Calvary Fremont –
I was at a local ministerial luncheon the other day and a young pastor asked me how long I’ve been pastoring in Fremont. I told him that I planted Calvary Fremont 29 years ago. He wanted to know how things have changed since the church was planted. I told him that I wouldn’t go back 29 years, but 50 years. I’ve been in some form of ministry – youth pastor, ministry intern, assistant pastor, senior pastor – since 1973.
When I first began ministry in the early 70s, America was, for the most part, a monolithic culture – a Judeo-Christian culture – where Biblical values (for the most part) held sway. Yes, the seeds of radical change had been sown decades before – some would argue centuries before – but the America of today was nowhere in sight in the early 70s. (At least I didn’t see it.) And if America wasn’t a monolithic culture – certainly the Evangelical Church was. You could assume that more than 99% of the Evangelical Church was culturally and politically conservative – and therefore Republican. We were all on the same page when it came to political and cultural and philosophical issues. No more.
The post-WW2 monolithic culture has fragmented into warring tribal factions – and the Evangelical Church has not been untouched by the seismic shifts in culture. People today are triggered by so many passions and issues and causes that it has become common for me to step on a land mine that I don’t even know that I’ve stepped on until (just like in the movies) I hear a CLICK – and by then it’s too late. I can be preaching and then all of a sudden I perceive a TICK – I’ve stepped on someone’s issue. No, I didn’t mean to; no, it wasn’t intentional – but it is so easy for me to TICK people off! It’s like we used to chant as kids walking down the sidewalk, “Step on a crack and break your mother’s back.” I have broken so many mothers’ backs – I’ve filled up whole hospitals with the victims of my preaching! The tribal cracks and fissures of our culture fan out like a spider’s web and intersect with other tribal cracks and fissures so much so that I doubt any preacher can finish a sermon without TICKING someone off.
Whether it’s immigration or Israel, race or religion, politics or Palestine, gender and sexuality, truth or fake news, Democrat or Republican, conservative or progressive, Fox News or MSNBC, Bad Bunny or TPUSA, pro-choice or pro-life, gay or straight marriage, Capitalism or Socialism, the homeless or the unhoused, illegal aliens or undocumented workers, voter ID or not, deportation or assimilation, climate change or fake science, intelligent design or evolution, ICE or sanctuary cities, Calvinist and Charismatic, …it is so easy to step on a land mine and hear a TICK…Someone told me just this last Sunday that Jews who come to faith in Jesus don’t want to be called Christians. I’m teaching through the book of Hebrews and keep saying, “Hebrew Christians.” I shouldn’t say this or it will offend a Jewish believer in Jesus. I should say, “Jewish or Hebrew believers.” I took this to heart and changed my reference from Hebrew Christians to Hebrew believers for the second service. But, case in point – I stepped on a land mine I didn’t know was there.
So, the point being made to this young pastor about what has changed in the last few decades of ministry is that culture has fragmented into warring tribal factions who feel so deeply and passionately about their tribal concerns that it is an exceedingly simple task to TICK them off by something you say. Therefore, I have to be very careful in my preaching to this mine-strewed group of people sitting in front of me. O, they look innocent enough – but they have their Bibles in one hand and smart phones in the other with their browsers on GOOGLE, or some version of AI, and they are ready to fact-check you in real time!
We who preach should not be afraid of addressing controversial issues, but we should do so wisely – which means we should be prepared and have it thoroughly thought out and employ Biblical reasoning. So, for example, no off the cuff remarks about the Bad Bunny Super Bowl half-time show or the TPUSA alternative. Many Christian passionately believe that the TPUSA alternative was necessary and was a success. Some other Christians passionately believe that it was unnecessary and that the program really didn’t reflect Christ, etc. “Pastor Tim, what do you think?” Well, I haven’t thoroughly thought it through – but when did that ever stop me!? My first thought is that this is America and people can do what they want – within the law and the law of God. Who am I to judge the servant of Another? To his own Master he will stand or fall – and stand he will for God is able to make him to stand. To reduce this to: You’re a good Christian if you watched the TPUSA alternative and a mediocre Christian if you watched Bad Bunny – this is the height (or depth) of silliness. And in saying that I probably stepped on a land mine! I’m sure a heard a TICK somewhere.
No doubt, the majority of preachers don’t want to be like a bull in a china closet – they don’t intend to TICK off as many people as possible. (I’m sure that some preachers are ornery bulls, though.) Let me appeal to you, the Body of Christ, to give your preachers a break and not take it as a personal insult when your pastor steps on something that makes you go TICK. He may not even know that he stepped on something that triggers you. Listen to his heart and if you think something is amiss – go talk to him after service. Don’t storm out thinking that he is an uncircumcised Philistine. The cracks and fissures of our fragmented culture spread far and wide. May you walk in grace and patience toward all.
Be blessed and stay healthy and follow Jesus – Pastor Tim
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