Focusing on the Work of the Church

The church's desertion in time of war [Excerpts]

Another obituary was written about the "Religious Right," and as we Christians just passed Palm Sunday on the way to Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday, it is an excellent time to do some soul searching. Washington Post reporter Kathleen Parker queries in her article "Political Pullback for the Christian Right" whether the movement is dead, ineffective or has lost its way.

Why have today's churches become largely irrelevant?

So who is the culprit? Indeed, the American church was largely the caricature of a number of negative Scriptural parables and illustrations, including Mark:4:3-20 [3] Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow: [4] And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. [5] And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: [6] But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. [7] And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. [8] And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred. [9] And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. [10] And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable. [11] And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: [12] That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them. [13] And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables? [14] The sower soweth the word. [15] And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. [16] And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; [17] And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended. [18] And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, [19] And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. [20] And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.
See All..., the parable of the sower. The key to the entire passage is in verse 14 when Jesus explains the parable to hard of hearing disciples: "The sower sows the Word" – the Logos – not just words, speeches, flowery sermons, poetic readings or pithy illustrations. We are reaping what we did not sow.

The truth is that we were clearly NOT sowing the Word in any meaningful way that was consistent with the historic Christianity that transformed nations. We were busy doing church. The ugly issues of racism, social upheaval, moral meltdown and political scandal were too radioactive and not spiritual enough for most pastors.

How does this compare with our forefathers? Quoting mentor to the founding presidents, the Rev. John Witherspoon:

He is the best friend to American liberty who is the most sincere and active in promoting true and undefiled religion, and who sets himself with the greatest firmness to bear down on profanity and immorality of every kind. Whoever is an avowed enemy to God, I scruple not to call him an enemy to his country. It is your duty in this important and critical season to exert yourselves, every one in his proper sphere, to stem the tide of prevailing vice, to promote the knowledge of God, the reverence to His name and worship, and obedience to His laws.

They clearly understood that personal virtue and character were indispensable to corporate morality and stability, but also believed that the church must be about BOTH. When we abdicated the role of prophet to the nation, the vacuum was quickly filled by darkness and evil.

They did not begin winning until we committed desertion, one of the most heinous of acts in time of war – once a capital crime for soldiers; we fled from the enemy during battle and left our "army" and our "cause" to their mercy.

The very failure to make disciples who redeem the nation brought about the cultural/political conditions that the founding leaders of the Religious Right were reacting to. What they failed to do was focus initially on the root cause of a church that lacked orthodoxy, worldview and courage.

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