For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live.

Philippians 1:20-24

Dear God, the church just simply doesn’t feel this way right now. It feels like it’s all about living and having influence and power. We want to have influence over our society. We want to force our agenda from the top down. But that is not what the New Testament seems to model for us. For Jesus, the kingdom of heaven was always about grassroots movement. For Paul, it’s all about living a life that will ultimately be sacrificed for your glory.

I wish I knew more about church history over the last 2,000 years, but it seems to me that when the church has been most powerful is when the church was the most corrupt. See the Catholic Church in the Middle Ages. See the televangelists who work so hard to have power and influence. On the other hand, some of the most genuine times have been when movements started from the ground up. The Maranatha movement of the 1970s. Promise Keepers in the 90s. And even Promise Keepers, when it started to gain power decided to try to influence society instead of influencing one person at a time.

I spoke with a Christian friend last night about whether we vote for the person for president or for the political platform. Do we depend upon government to be our influencer through ideology, or do can we allow ourselves to vote for the person who seems to be more our kind of person regardless of their ideology. I told him that I though there was a case to be made for the church not looking to the government to do its work, but to take the work upon itself.

Father, when it comes to this election, or even the work I have to do today, I don’t know if my philosophy is correct or not. What is the right thing to do? I don’t know. I’m just going to do the best I know to do in my life today and then let you take care of the results. I do know that you have given me a specific role to play in the world around me, and I don’t want to let you down. So if that role means suffering. If that role even means dying, I will consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may reach the goal and finish the task you have given to me. The task of testifying to the gospel of your grace.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen