LLMM

AY

20

12

2 7 9feature foundation action

H ello, I’m Jason, and I’m addicted to politics.

Peek into the window of the Archer home

on debate or election nights, and you’ll see me

watching hours of coverage and analysis. I digest CNN,

MSNBC, Fox and, for fun, “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.”

Why do I pay such close attention? As a citizen, I want to

make careful and prayerful decisions on leadership at the

local, state and federal levels. I avoid shortsighted decisions

based on just one issue.

Involvement in politics is part of our DNA as Free Meth-

odists. One of the key issues of our founding was freedom

for all people. We took a stand on slavery. Our founders

were involved and informed in the political arena.

On Page 8, Howard A. Snyder discusses how

B.T. Roberts grafted political activity into early Free Method-

ism. Now more than ever, the church needs to be engaged

in the political process. It’s important to listen, pray and

participate.

All Free Methodists are not on the same side of the

political spectrum, but Jesus was neither a Democrat nor a

Republican. Regardless of our politi-

cal affiliations, we’re called as “God’s

people [to] live together in unity”

(Psalm 133:1).

How are you participating in

politics? Join the conversation at

facebook.com/fmcusa and

fmcusa.org. [LLM]

Managing Editor Jeff FinleyLead Designer Erin EckbergWriter/Photographer Michael MettsCopy Editor Dawn McIlvain StahlArt Director Andrea Anibal Project Manager Julie InnesWeb Architect Peter ShackelfordPublisher Jason Archer

Spanish TranslationEzequiel Alvarez Joel Guzman Janeth Bustamante Carmen HoseaJoe Castillo Karen KabandamaJennifer Flores Samuel LopezGuillermo Flores Rodrigo Lozano, Coordinator

LLM: Light & Life Magazine (ISSN 0024-3299) was established in 1868 by the Free Methodist Church. Pub-lished monthly by Light & Life Communications. © 2011 Free Methodist Church - USA, 770 N. High School Road, Indianapolis, IN 46214. Views expressed in articles do not necessarily represent the official position of the Free Methodist Church. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations, no portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written permission of the publisher. All Scripture quotations are from the New International Version unless otherwise indicated.

Whole No. 5239, Vol. 145, No. 5Printed in U.S.A.Member: Evangelical Press Association,Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability

Periodicals postage paid at Indianapolis, IN, and additional mailing offices.

Postmaster, send address changes to:Light & Life Magazine, 770 N. High School Rd., Indianapolis, IN 46214

1 [openers]

LLML I G H T & L I F E M A G A Z I N E

“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.” — John 1:4

D e v e l o p i n g E a r n e s t C h r i s t i a n s S i n c e 1 8 6 8

Website: www.llcomm.orgEmail us: www.llcomm.org/staffNews and submissions: jeff.finley@fmcusa.orgAdvertising: ben.weesies@fmcusa.org

Address all correspondence to:Light & Life Magazine, 770 N. High School Rd.,Indianapolis, IN 46214 (317) 244-3660

Free to Be Politically Active

To receive Light & Life in Spanish please contact our office: (800) 342-5531 or jeff.finley@fmcusa.org.

Jason ArcherExecutive Director of Free Methodist Communications

i

EXTRA! EXTRA!

Read more about faith and politics at llcomm.org

1] Do you use QR codes?

Scan this box with your smartphone to

read more articles on this issue’s theme.

2] More Discipleship

David Swanson continues the Discipleship

series on praying for government.

3] Justice Delayed

Sherri Langton considers Jesus’ parable of

a widow’s courtroom drama.

Have Your Say

Vote for future magazine topics at fmcusa.org/llmsurvey.

B Y M A T T H E W H A N S E N

In this election year, how can we

“seek first [God’s] kingdom and his

righteousness” (Matthew 6:33)

without neglecting to “seek the

peace and prosperity of the city”

(Jeremiah 29:7)?

How do we engage government

without lusting after power that may

cause us to promote our own will or

territory at the expense of others?

How do we pursue positions of lead-

ership without putting our uuu

desire for self-advancement, self-

promotion and self-protection before

the leading of the Holy Spirit?

Church-State HistoryIn pondering these questions, let’s

consider the church’s complicated

relationship with government:

l 33–312 A.D. The church experiences

marginalization and persecution

as an alternative society within the

greater Roman Empire.

l 312 A.D. The church gains partner-

ship and power with the govern-

ment when Roman Emperor

Constantine becomes a Christian.

l 1095–1272 The church becomes

more of a military empire than

the church of the Gospels. Instead

of being persecuted, the church

persecutes during the Crusades.

l 1534 The Church of England is ruled

by the king of England.

l 1776 The United States of America

declares itself an independent na-

tion of 13 states recognizing the

Creator but having no

government-sponsored church.

l 1828 Andrew Jackson becomes the

first “common man” elected to the

presidency. The era of Jacksonian

democracy leads to the United

States becoming the most power-

ful nation as its leaders weave

Christian morals and freedom

together with power and greed.

Some church and government

leaders begin returning favors for

the sake of self-promotion and self-

protection.

History tells us our European

predecessors’ mix of government and

Christianity didn’t go well for the host

countries or the church. Although

the United States does not have a

marriage of church and state that

produces an official church, the U.S.

church-state relationship could be

compared to a civil union.

Biblical IssuesIn today’s political environment,

Christians face issues that may seem

like hot topics. As Christians, it is our

responsibility to be like the Bereans,

who did not take Paul at face value

but did their research to see if what

he said was true (Acts 17:11). How

much more diligent should we be in

using Scripture to question what we

know from the media? It’s important

to compare your thoughts on an issue

3 [feature]

My heart’s desire is that the church would be a set-apart society that lives

out love, mercy, grace, justice and truth in the midst of the “empire” and

for the sake of it.

to the views of

Scripture, church history and even

the perspective of people who think

differently than you.

As we examine these issues, we

may discover our value systems are

in alignment with the kingdom of God,

but consideration of some issues may

reveal we have competing allegiances

(Matthew 6:24).

Does our voting record show we

believe every unborn child is a human

being made in the image of God

(Psalm 139:14–16; Jeremiah 1:5)?

Does it indicate we are empathetic

to those who are poor or seek refuge

(Matthew 7:12)? Although many

of us are avid pro-lifers for those

between conception and birth, do we

stay pro-life for those trying to escape

cycles of poverty, exploitation, violence

and unethical governments? Do we

see immigrants as “illegal” before we

see them as people (Genesis 12:1,

Exodus 22:21 and 23:9)?

Do we vote for candidates pro-

moting stewardship of resources

or individualistic interests (Leviticus

19:9–10; Deuteronomy 15:4–5 and

24:19–22; Proverbs 14:31, 22:7

and 28:15;

Isaiah 58:7–9;

Amos 5:11;

Acts 2:44–45 and 4:34–35)?

Do we vote for candidates who favor

responsible finances or debt (Psalm

37:21, Romans 13:7–8)?

How does Scripture line up with

our views of war and violence

(Isaiah 2:4, Matthew 5:39–44 and

26:52, Romans 12:19–21)?

Kingdom values may leave us at

odds with all political parties. If a

Christian’s goal is allegiance to a par-

ticular political party, he or she may

have the impossible task of attempt-

ing to serve two different masters.

Although I cannot tell you for

whom to vote, I can tell you not to

reduce your involvement in these

issues to a political vote alone.

Rest, Pray, LiveAs we move closer to Nov. 6, we

can rest in God.

I wish I could say, “If you simply

vote for such-and-such candidate, all

will be well with the world.” There are

two problems with that: history and

sinful nature.

No matter for whom you vote,

make sure you have done your home-

work. Even if your preferred candi-

date is elected, he or she may break

promises or make decisions that do

not line up with kingdom values. The

good news is man cannot thwart the

plans of God. At the end of the day,

God’s will moves forward. You can

rest in the reality that all of history is

in God’s hands (Daniel 2:21,

Psalm 75:7, Job 42:2).

Pray for our leaders. One of the

elements separating Christians from

the rest of the world is the way we

react to those in authority over us.

Although we absolutely should dis-

obey our authorities if they require us

to disobey the Scriptures, we should

still do our best to respect them

(Hebrews 13:17, I Timothy 2:1–2,

1 Peter 2:13–14).

It’s easy to cast a vote and walk

away. It’s much more difficult to

deeply live out our votes in our daily

lives. If we vote against abortion, for

example, we may need to

adopt a child or walk

with a young mother

through her preg-

nancy and use our

resources to take

care of her.

[feature] 4

Loving Our NationI love this great nation. Because

I love it, I will be honest about its his-

tory, prejudice and violence as well

as its successes, advancements and

opportunities. While trying to expose

our nation’s problems, we should not

be silent about the good that runs

through its history.

I love the kingdom of God even

more than I love this country, and my

allegiance is to it above all. My heart’s

desire is that the church would be a

set-apart society that lives out love,

mercy, grace, justice and truth in the

midst of the “empire” and for the sake

of it.

Because we love this country so

much, we owe it to the United States

to live out the values of the kingdom

of God distinctly. As you go to the

polls this November, I pray grace and

peace on you and on this nation. [LLM]

5 [feature]

www.fmfoundation.org

i Matthew Hansen is co-founder of Restore Communities (restorecommunities.org), teaching pastor at Austin New Church (austinnewchurch.com) and director of justice for the River Conference (theriverconference.org).

Here’s a no-brainer: Religion and politics don’t mix. I’ve heard that my

whole life from all sorts of people.

I must have lost my mind, because I reject that maxim. I firmly assert

they do mix, at least for the mind made new by the Spirit of Jesus.

First, because Jesus is Lord, who He is, what He does and how He does it

relates to every sphere of reality. Jesus’ universal lordship has to do with everything

concerning how people govern or are governed.

Second, the lordship of Jesus and His kingdom are central to the gospel. The

best news ever is that Jesus rules — in the United States, Iran and everywhere else.

Those who understand who is really in charge have special responsibilities both to

the One in charge and to all the others who don’t yet know. This is the subversive ele-

ment in Paul’s naming Jesus’ followers “Christ’s ambassadors”

(2 Corinthians 5:20). They represent their nation just as all ambassadors do, but

their nation and King claim the whole world.

Third, the story of God consistently positions God’s people in places of influence

and power. Think about Joseph, Esther and Christ-followers through the ages (some

of them martyrs). Their witness proved so telling because it engaged the powers

who controlled public life.

Fourth, the commands to love and the Great Commission require political witness and

action. Love that does not address injustice is not love, and injustice cannot be

addressed in a political vacuum. The good news — that the Lord saves us from the worst

evil for the best good — challenges profoundly the social systems and power arrange-

ments that govern our lives. Those systems often oppose what the gospel would accom-

plish. Therefore, gospel telling and living will necessarily result in political action.

Fifth, we have specific commands that also lead to political action. If we are light,

we will shine in dark places — not by accident but on purpose. Dispelling darkness

doesn’t happen without political consequence.

We are commanded to submit to governing authorities and to engage in other

ways with the social and political arenas. Even isolation and intentional nonpartici-

pation are forms of political action, which, on occasion, Christ-followers have used

powerfully. [LLM]

Why I Lost My Mind

[bishops] 6

i Bishop David Kendall

To read more from Bishop Kendall, visit fmcusa.org/ davidkendall.

Love that does not address injustice is not love, and injustice cannot be addressed in a political vacuum.

Navigating the Christian’s role in politics can lead us into turbulent waters.

If we lose sight of our first priority, we will careen into frustration and

irrelevance. However, the church holds an unrivaled opportunity to chart

a course to durable change in a desperate world.

Christians find themselves at odds with the world (John 17:14–16). Aghast at the

obvious ills of our current culture, we can be tempted to rectify the shortcomings of

society solely through political means.

God uses governments and expects us to respect them (Mark 12:13–17;

Romans 13:1–7). If legislation alone were the solution, however, the Mosaic law

would be sufficient for us. God’s change agent in the world is and will continue to be

the church, which is charged with a singular focus (Matthew 16:18; 28:18–20). The

deep transformation Christ offers (2 Corinthians 5:17), multiplied in the hearts of

many, will precede and accompany any sweeping cultural change.

Belief paves the way for action, which in turn shapes our world. This is why Paul

advises, “Watch your life and doctrine closely” (1 Timothy 4:16).

Our willful submission to God’s Word initiates a process of transforma-

tion of our minds (Romans 12:1–2). Scrutinizing every thought (2 Corin-

thians 10:5), we become useful and productive for God’s purposes in our

homes, cities and nation.

As God’s change agents, ambassadors to a broken world, we must

never forget:

l People are not the enemy (Ephesians 6:12).

l We are to be known by our love (John 13:34–35).

l We must “make the most of every opportunity” (Colossians 4:5–6).

Transformed people making godly decisions impact the world daily. Sin-

ful people, made alive in Jesus Christ, have a history of turning the world

upside down (Acts 2:36–40; 4:12–13; 5:12–16). [LLM]

SCRIPTURE:

John 17:14–16

Mark 12:13–17

Romans 13:1–7

Matthew 16:18

Matthew 28:18–20

2 Corinthians 5:17

1 Timothy 4:16

Romans 12:1–2

2 Corinthians 10:5

Ephesians 6:12

John 13:34–35

Colossians 4:5–6

Acts 2:36–40

Acts 4:12–13

Acts 5:12–16

Politics Alone Not the Answer

7 [foundation]

B Y J O E W I C K M A N

B.T. Roberts, one of the founders of the Free Meth-

odist Church, was sometimes political as he

tried to seek first God’s kingdom.

Roberts modeled a politics of civic virtue in which Christians are respon-

sible citizens whose main civic concern is what benefits the whole society.

He was especially concerned with how laws and policies affect the poor.

Roberts warned Christians not to get “swallowed up in the partisan”

and unwittingly “exaggerate facts that favor [their] position, and suppress

those that militate against it” — thus suffering “a serious loss of candor

and simplicity.”

Though a busy man — college administrator, editor, publisher, denomi-

national general superintendent and part-time farmer — Roberts kept up-to-date on

current events. We see this in his book “First Lessons on Money” and the New York

Farmers’ Alliance group he founded to protect farmers’ rights. The National Farmers’

Alliance — a movement that shaped U.S. political developments in the late 1880s —

was modeled on Roberts’ advocacy group.

Colleague Joseph Terrill noted that Roberts “was not a party man. He was not

a Republican,” though many assumed he was. “He was a Democrat as to the tariff

question, but not on some other questions.” Sometimes he split his ticket between

Democrats, Republicans and Prohibitionists.

Roberts’ founding of the Farmers’ Alliance reveals that he took strategic initiative

when necessary. It shows that he believed that relatively modest efforts can have

long-range impact at a strategic time. Roberts saw direct political involvement as a

proper expression of Christian discipleship. He had no problem cooperating with non-

Christians or political organizations to achieve political ends.

Roberts’ overriding concern was justice. His work for farmers’ rights in the 1870s

was consistent with his support for the abolition of slavery earlier and for women’s

rights.

Roberts was always concerned with those who were poor and oppressed —

socially, politically, economically and spiritually. [LLM]

B.T. Roberts: Political, Not Partisan

[history] 8

B Y H O W A R D A . S N Y D E R

Roberts saw direct political involvement as a proper expression of Christian discipleship.

To read B.T. Roberts’ “First Lessons on Money,” visit fmcusa.org/ btroberts-writings

B Y M I C H A E L J . M E T T S

W hile growing up in

Indianapolis,

Michael Scott

never expected to run for office.

Although his alcoholic father

was not a positive spiritual influ-

ence, Scott experienced Christ

early in life when neighbors

invited him to vacation Bible

school.

Scott married his wife,

Daywyn, at 17. He immediately

began working full-time and

started developing unhealthy life

habits. In 1986, Scott experi-

enced a transformation. uuu

inspiresroberts

candidate

“I was following in the same pat-

tern as my father, where I would get

off work and get a 12-pack [of beer],

and when it was done, I would go to

bed,” Scott said. “That was pretty

much a nightly habit.”

One night, after his third or fourth

beer, he sat in his living room bottle-

feeding his infant son.

“The image came to me that this

was what I was going to pass on to

my son,” Scott said. “I went in and

told my wife that we needed to make

some changes.”

Scott and his family began attend-

ing West Morris Street FMC. Today,

his faith provides inspiration for his

Indiana House candidacy.

When he read “Populist Saints:

B. T. and Ellen Roberts and the First

Free Methodists” by Howard A. Snyder,

Scott was impressed by

B.T. Roberts’ willingness to stand for

the oppressed of his time. He appreci-

ated how Roberts fought for issues

like the freedom of slaves and fair

wages for farmers.

Getting InvolvedScott, an electrician, decided to

take action and seek the Republican

nomination for state representative

of Indiana’s 91st District.

“I believe that people can sit back

and not do anything and complain

all they want, but if they really want

someone who is going to be working

for them, then they need to be the

ones getting involved,” he said.

Scott sees parallels between the

challenges of B.T. Roberts’ time and

our own.

“When I look at studies today,

they say that the American worker

is the most productive they have

ever been in history,” he said. Yet the

people Scott talks to “are not making

expenses.”

Servant LeadershipScott believes many lawmakers don’t

listen to the people they represent.

“I think the world we live in has the

wrong view of government,” he said.

“We need people in office who are

willing to get to know the people they

are serving, and then they need to be

real servants of those people.”

Scott hopes his lack of political

experience will be an asset.

“I feel like I’m not a gifted speaker,”

he said. “But maybe that’s what we

need to get rid of and get more of the

people that feel like this is the position

they’re being led in instead of being

somesomething they can make a liv-

ing at.”

As the May 8 primary

approaches, Scott focuses

on having conversations with

district residents.

“As Christians, we need to

get to know our neighbors,”

Scott said. “If I don’t know my

neighbor, then how can I know

what their need is?” [LLM]

[action] 10Ph

oto

by M

icha

el J.

Met

ts

If [people] really want someone who is going to be working for them, then they need to be the ones getting involved.

roberts

To watch Michael Scott discuss his path to political involvement, visit llcomm.org/?p=8521

11 [news]

The Free Methodist Urban

Fellowship (FMUF) offers

scholarships for summer

internships that connect Free Meth-

odist churches serving U.S. cities with

students who desire to serve and

develop as urban leaders.

The internships are made possible

by institutional and church mem-

berships in the FMUF. Three young

people helped their Free Methodist

churches minister with the assis-

tance of funding from the fellowship

last year.

Crossroads FMC of Clifton, N.J.,

hired Danny DeLaCruz as its summer

intern. He was tasked with starting a

youth ministry. He established Friday

meetings called The CITYouth, which

average 20 teenagers. Several of the

teens have started attending church

services regularly for the first time.

“Thank you a great deal for your

investment in Danny and in the

ministry of Crossroads FMC,” Pastor

Willie Kirchhofer said to the FMUF.

“Your investment and prayers have

returned great dividends.”

Kelsey Lehman served the Lansing

(Mich.) Central

FMC and Eve’s

Angels, a minis-

try to women in

the sex industry.

Lehman also

worked alongside

the church to

assist Nepali refu-

gees and helped

revamp the

church’s benevo-

lence program.

“Many may

assess a church

by what they

believe it will do

for them, but many times, the better

assessment to make is how many

opportunities a church offers them

to serve those within and around it,”

Lehman said.

Winton Community FMC in Cincin-

nati, Ohio, used its funding to support

Jordan Payne, who worked with the

church’s summer children’s program.

The day camp provided alternative

activities including tutoring and sports.

Payne, like DeLaCruz, continues to

serve this church on a weekly basis,

assisting with a children’s group,

helping with Sunday evening program-

ming and serving the children during

morning worship.

FMUF members hope to spon-

sor additional interns this summer.

Churches and institutions can join

the fellowship for an annual member-

ship fee of $100, which supports the

intern stipends. For information, visit

bit.ly/fmurban. [LLM]

Teen Interns Contribute to Urban MinistriesB Y K A T H Y C A L L A H A N - H O W E L L

Jordan Payne served as a volunteer at Winton Community Church in Cincinnati, Ohio.

[news] 12

BOYER TO LEAD FM YOUTH MINISTRYChelsea, Mich.

Bishop Matthew Thomas recently announced the appointment of Jason Boyer

as the new FM:InFuse core leader. Boyer, a member of the FM:InFuse leadership

team and the youth pastor of Chelsea (Mich.) FMC, replaces Mike Wilson as the

leader of the denominational effort to equip youth pastors and volunteer leaders.

Wilson is focusing on graduate education.

TIM TEBOW’S MOM TO SPEAK FOR DEACONESSOklahoma City

Pam Tebow, the mother of superstar NFL quarterback Tim Tebow,

will bring her pro-life message to the Angels of Destiny luncheon

Sept. 20 at the Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club. Proceeds will

benefit Deaconess Pregnancy & Adoption Services. To reserve your

ticket or to sponsor the luncheon, visit deaconessadoption.org/aod.

BOA MEMBER AGEL RECEIVES FBI AWARDWashington, D.C.

FBI Director Robert Mueller honored Susan Agel, a member of the Free Methodist

Church – USA Board of Administration, during a March ceremony at FBI Headquar-

ters in Washington, D.C. Agel was selected for the Director’s Community Leader-

ship Award by her area FBI field office because of her work as president of Positive

Tomorrows in Oklahoma City.

ELLIS HONORED FOR SERVICESt. Petersburg, Fla.

Free Methodist leaders honored Ray Ellis (right), the director of the

Church Consulting Network, for Ellis’ more than 50 years of service to

the denomination. The recognition came on March 7 as Ellis led a two-day

training event at Cornerstone Community FMC in St. Petersburg, Fla., on

“Best Practices to Turn Around Plateaued or Declining Churches.”

The Rest of the Story

Want to find in-depth stories of remarkable Free Methodists? Visit fmcusa.org.

We want to hear from you!

Tell us what your church is doing to impact lives in the United States and around the world. Submit your story at fmcusa.org/ yourstory.

i

13 [world]

B Y J E F F F I N L E Y

Bishop Jun-ichi Hatano is new to the role of

bishop of the Free Methodist Church – Japan,

but he’s already a well-known leader among the

nation’s more than 2,300 Free Methodists.

Hatano, 58, has served in various leadership posts,

including vice bishop and superintendent. His service has

included the presidency of Kishinosato FMC’s nursery

school, which serves 225 children from 180 homes.

His father, Motoi Hatano, served as bishop from 1984

to 1992.

The Japanese General Conference elected Hatano

in February to fill the bishop position previously held by

Bishop Emeritus Hiromichi Oshima, whose term expired.

In an email interview with LLM, Hatano noted Free

Methodism is not new to Japan.

“In 1896, one Japanese youth from Greenville College

(Masazi Kakihara) came back and planted the seeds of the

gospel. Those seeds grew,” Hatano wrote.

Although the number of Japanese Free Methodists is

small compared to the nation’s population of 128 million,

denomination members are influential among the

nation’s evangelical Christians. The new bishop would like

the church to extend its influence among people who do

not yet know Christ.

“Especially pray for church growth and raising the

people who devote themselves for the church ministries,”

he wrote.

Hatano hopes young Free Methodists will expand the

church’s reach.

“As the Christians in Japan occupy less than 1 percent

of its population, please pray especially for youth ministry,”

wrote Hatano, who hopes God will “raise those youths who

dedicate themselves to Christ.”

Hatano is focusing on the rest of the world too.

“FMC – Japan continues to think how we could contrib-

ute to the world FM ministries,” he wrote.

Japan is still recovering from the aftermath of the

March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Hatano said the

damage caused “by the crash of the nuclear power plant

is still vast and severe to many people in that area.”

The majority of Free Methodists do not reside where

the most severe damage occurred, Hatano said, but the

church continues to send work teams to the disaster area

and to assist seven affected families. [LLM]

Meet Japan’s New Bishop

Bishop Jun-ichi Hatano

I have heard it said that if you choose not to vote, then you give up your

right to complain about government.

The same could be said for Christians who choose not to pray for

our government. We have an audience with an all-powerful God. Yet, many of

us spend more hours discussing, petitioning and complaining about govern-

ment than we do praying for it.

In 1 Timothy 2:1–4, Paul urges that “petitions, prayers, intercession and

thanksgiving be made for all people.” He continues to specify that we should

pray “for kings and all those

in authority.” Why should we

do this? Paul answers: “that

we may live peaceful and

quiet lives in all godliness and

holiness.” He continues to

encourage prayer for leaders

by saying, “This is good, and

pleases God our Savior.”

In Romans 13:1, Paul notes

“there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities

that exist have been established by God.”

Paul wrote that scripture to people in Rome, where he was imprisoned

and, according to tradition, killed during the persecution of Christians by

Emperor Nero. Paul gives us an example of how we are to respect and pray

for those in authority even when we do not agree with them.

When you become distraught or grieved over a political leader, policy or issue,

take time to pray. We serve a God who listens and promises to answer us

(John 16:23). [LLM]

David Swanson is the president of If My People 2012 (ifmypeople2012.org), a nonpartisan call to prayer for the United States.

GROUP DISCUSSION:

[1] Why should we pray for

our government?

[2] For which areas should

we pray?

[3] How can we incorpo-

rate more prayer into our

lives?

Pray for Our Government

[discipleship] 14

B Y D A V I D S W A N S O N

Did you know there are three more discipleship articles on our website? They’re perfect for use in your small group or as a weekly supplement to individual study.

Paul gives us an example of how we are to respect and pray for those in authority even when we do not agree

with them.

“THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE”White House aide Timothy Goeglein

resigns in disgrace and finds restora-

tion: bit.ly/goeglein. 1

2

4

3

“LEFT, RIGHT & CHRIST”Two evangelicals share their views

from opposite sides of the political

divide: bit.ly/leftrightchrist.

1

2

Christian authors provide multiple perspectives about how to live out faith in the political arena. Here are several.

“HIJACKED” Asbury Theological Seminary’s

Charles Gutenson and others warn

against partisanship: bit.ly/gutenson.

ELECTION MADNESS In Christianity Today, Amy E. Black tells

how to be political without losing your

soul: bit.ly/ctelection.

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[resources]

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