As I sit down to write this blog, our church building is serving as a polling place for the current mid-term election – and not just any election, but one of the most contentious in recent memory. Back in the 90s, author James B. Stewart used the term, “blood sport,” to describe American Politics. These days, “gutter sport” seems more apt, as candidates smear one another in personal attack ads devoid of real substance. “Civility” seems like a lost concept. Apparently, when you disagree, you must also be as disagreeable as possible.
Some scriptures come to mind. James 1:19 NIV (“Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry”) , Ephesians 4:31 NIV (“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.”), and Ephesians 4:25 NIV (“Put off falsehood and speak truthfully”).
James and Paul set the bar pretty high, don’t they? And, as we know, the two of them didn’t always see eye to eye! Their counsel remains valid for all people and all times.
Well, Singing Oaks has had its own “election” of sorts. We reaffirmed our elders and affirmed a new elder for a three-year period. In that process 370 ballots were cast. 85% of those ballots affirmed the entire slate of elders. That 85% does not include all the other ballots that also had yes votes, but may have had an “abstain/don’t know well enough” for some candidate. There was an average of less than two “no” votes per elder. Even older children’s votes were counted, as every attempt was made to include as many votes as possible.
In all my years in ministry, I have never seen such positive support of a church for its leaders. What does this mean? It means, as Dan Cooke said in his blog a couple of weeks ago, that the Lord has blessed this church family. We are on a faith journey together, and we have put a lot of things behind us. We relish the challenges set before us. We haven’t “arrived” yet, but we are committed to move forward to make a difference in the world. It is that shared desire to lift up Jesus, that unites us all.
