Church was a noun in the NT. “The called out ones” made a universal expression of God’s work on earth. The church is salt in a distasteful world. It is light on a hill in the face of darkened valleys. The church is also a verb. Church is what you do and are.

The church can take a lot of different forms. I am one that believes it can take any form other than what is spoken against in the scriptures. There is a pragmatic element to church. What works is worthy of modeling. Many would say we must take on the form of the first century church as seen in the scriptures. The principles certainly are not to be tampered with. But the church did mold with and impact cultures of several kinds even in the NT.

Most expressions of church think they have the best form. I suppose however there are some who know their experience is irrelevant but still are called to be faithful in that arena. But for the most part we are all sold on what we do as the pattern for everyone else. If not overtly then secretly in our hearts we do.

Some churches are apolitical; some are liberal, and many conservative. The message rises above any of our claims of ultimate wisdom. “He is risen” is the only battle cry that the church shares universally. Some of us meet in theatres, others in homes, some in Cathedrals, some in prisons, some in chapels, some in schools, some in fields, some in hotels, some with many and many with few. But we are all the church. We all carry our grain of salt to toss on the world in need of life and protection.

John Stott says there are four things every church must to do be effective:

1. Understand itself
2. Organize itself
3. Express itself
4. Be it.

I was called this week and asked to make a donation on the part of the church to Crime Stoppers. I had to explain to the caller that the work of Crime Stoppers was laudable but outside the allowable giving on the part of church. The church as a force can contribute but not the church as an official organization. We are to fund officially the advancement of the Gospel and caring for the poor. That’s why we gather as the church to make our mark in these fundamental areas, train the church to act out the verbal impact of their call in the community and how to responds in a world who’s hinges are about to fly off.

The IRS will take the 501c3 rating from any church that makes itself a financial source or campaigning force for any one candidate. Some seem to get away with it, which I don’t understand. But my attorneys have always said pray for all and promote none. I don’t think this is a bad policy. I honestly get nervous over a politicized church of any stripe. I

I had the Democratic candidate and the Republican candidate for state office in my church. They both wanted my endorsement. I couldn’t endorse either. I saw good things and bad things in what each held to. But I figured that was my business.

So I decided to stay on a spiritual plane and have a time in a service where we introduced and prayed for both. Man! Did I get a lesson? The Republicans labeled me soft on abortion and the Democrats labeled me the pastor for the rich. I decided right then and there that was it for politics in church with me. I prayed for all candidates in the future but never had them in a service. But even then Republican saints felt the Dems weren’t worthy of prayer. I think they are. And even Republicans are as well.

It’s all about Jesus and His narrative. Not about us in the final analysis.

I have four Christian friends who forward political emails to me. I don’t care for them. I never read them. It’s the lazy way to go. Why use my good Christian connection to push candidates. Win me on the political plane, convince of your positions but don’t presume that I am in your bucket just because we worship together.

I know many don’t agree with me. But I am right. I have seen more pre-Christian people have a distorted view of who Jesus was due to the politicization of the church. I will put the need for our message to be clear and powerful over our striving to have a godly government. I know that is hard to swallow but often the “way” is. The individual Christian can be trained but are we really to develop voting blocks when it distorts the Gospel message for some? I don’t think so.

I am going to vote for John McCain because I believe he is the best candidate. But my prayers won’t cease if his opponent wins. The Republican Party really does not overly enamor me. I don’t think in may ways the last eight years have really been what they could have been. But don’t get me wrong I don’t think there is really all that much that can be or should be changed. And Sarah Palin enthralls me. I like her because she is a real human from the University of Idaho and not Yale or Harvard. And she has a degree in journalism of all things. Imagine a President and Vice Presidential candidate who are not from Harvard or Yale. I don’t get me wrong I don’t think there is really all that much that can be or should be changed.

You can’t count me into a voting block though. Your going to have win me as the man on the street one position at a time. I am not going to decide for my church who they will vote for. The closest person to me in life and several good friends are blue dog Democrats and yet their lives have a profound Christian impact. Life is strange.

Just don’t presume that the church should be a voting block. That is exactly what we aren’t. We are the church of Jesus Christ called to one purpose to make the message of the Gospel perfectly clear while worshiping completely the risen Lord. If the individual Christian can be appealed to great. But win us an issue at a time. And recognize our values and we will be there. And you’d better mean it.

And as much as I respect him don’t send Dr. Dobson to garner my vote. Let Sarah Palin stand up and sell her dream and I’m in.

My circle of followers that I work with and serve with don’t think much of George Bush. The people I run with probably wouldn’t care for the Republican Party. They are jaundiced and weary of the “Christina Right.” They are younger than me. And they are very serious about sticking to the fundamental message of Christ. I feel comfortable with them. They are encountering the culture and don’t want anyone speaking on their behalf.

Essentially we find in the books acts six traits of a sanctified church that influences the culture: (Acts 2:46ff)

1. It is a learning church
2. It is a connected church
3. It is a joyous church
4. Its an awestruck church
5. It’s a sharing church
6. It is a growing church

I only wish for a way that values could be proclaimed and the church as the conveyor of the message wouldn’t be confused with a political cause. As a churchman I wince at how the broken unchurched skeptic views us. And it should matter if the church is going to be the church to lost people. We can just be a gathering for any purpose if that isn’t the case.

I once spoke at a church cathedral in Berlin that was the home of a radical Jesus People group. The building had at one time been the church home for the Generals in the Nazi Army. I suppose they prayed to God for their victories while we American prayed for ours. How they missed the central purpose of the church! A church understands that God isn’t for any block but always for His own will and praise.