Monthly Archives: March 2016

DISCLAIMER: I am not a scholar, nor the son of a scholar. Neither am I looking to ignite a firestorm of controversy because I don’t enjoy conflict! But these thoughts are weighing heavily on my mind…

When we pray ‘Thy Kingdom come’ from Jesus’ pattern of prayer recorded in the Gospels, what are we really praying for? Too many of us (at times myself included) seem to be praying for a return to a more righteous America. I wonder if what we are praying for really ever existed?

North America was settled by people who believed the Bible. That is unmistakable. However, there were significant differences between groups of settlers over exactly what the Bible said. Most groups that settled were aggressive about eliminating the ‘threat’ of the Native Americans. Many of those who settled were comfortable with the concept of owning slaves imported from Africa. Some who settled here were longing for a place for Catholicism to flourish (see for example the state of Maryland). Others were seeking to build communities of religious freedom (Rhode Island, for example).

Many of the pray-ers that I hear though seem to be praying for God’s kingdom to come in some sort of America were Protestant Christianity was a dominant factor (perhaps an era such as the 1950’s). But did America at any point during her history truly reflect the foundational principles of the Kingdom of God?

Struggling with this issue, particularly during this political season, is hard work. Truly seeking God’s Kingdom to come and be made real in our day will require a willingness to let go our own visions of what the kingdom might look like and seek to ground our vision in the unalterable and inerrant Word of God. May I and those I pray with truly learn to pray according to this truth.

My ‘life’ verse for the past 35 years or so reads, “I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6, HCSB). This promise has seen me through some very dark and difficult times.

More recently, however, this verse seems less and less appropriate. The church and community I serve are in the midst of a difficult time of transition. The community was built as a company town. Post-World War II saw an explosion of lumber mills providing thousands of good paying jobs. These jobs lasted until the early 1980’s when a variety of factors impacted the smaller mills. One by one the smaller mills have closed and only a few mills remain – some specialty mills and the larger, Roseburg Forest Products. The community has changed. Since 1990 Winston has grown by nearly 100% and yet the school district that serves Winston has seen around a 30% decline in enrollment during the same time period. Hmmm.

Do I believe that God is still working towards completion in my life? Certainly. I can say with confidence, however, that my understanding of His goal for my life has radically changed from the early 1980’s when I was called to First Baptist Church of Allyn, WA. (That church changed its name after I left, and eventually closed and the property was sold to a church of another denomination).

So, my life verse is still Philippians 1:6. God is still at work. While His ultimate purpose never changes, His ways of working in and through my life do change with the seasons of life. Instead of praying for the selfish and immature dreams of my youth, I now seek to more fully recognize the union I have with Christ and to allow Him to shape and mold my life according to His purposes instead of my own.