SUMMER REFLECTION FROM RB
As we prepare to hit July on the calendar on Friday,
I hope you all will get the chance to get some much-deserved respite and vacation. I am looking forward to some at the end of the month and thank the volunteers from our church who have prepared sermons/messages for you in my absence.
It has been exhausting for many over the past few weeks, with the news of Roe vs. Wade reversal from the Supreme Court and the speculation about the reversal of other precedents set by the courts in the past that will change the landscape and the rights of many, especially women, in our country for years to come. As a Pastor, a male pastor, it can be challenging to speak as many try to see which side of the “line” you “fall” on. I have received some messages from people (not church members) who disagree that clergy should speak to these issues and just “stick to the God stuff”. I remember a member in one of my former churches castigating me that when I speak up about social issues, my voice carried too much weight and influence, and I needed to be quiet. (It was around 2016 and the Presidential election)
My reply was the only one who gives me any influence over others is the person themselves. But I would not be quiet… as an individual or as a Pastor. It is a steep slope at times.
The Barna Institute conducted a poll https://www.barna.com/research/pastors-speaking-out/ that stated the most common topics pastors feel simultaneously pressured and limited in speaking about include: LGBTQ+ issues, same-sex marriage, abortion, morality, and politics in general. “For church leaders, weighing whether or not to speak on a political issue can be one difficult balancing act.”
I want to assure all of you that I am committed to speak of the “God stuff”. You know what that is -
Speak of Equality
Speak of comfort
Speak in truth
Speak responsibly
Speak out against injustice
Speak honestly
Speak in Love
…you know….God stuff.
Always here to listen….
RB
