“Old North Bridge” (today’s) in Concord, Massachusetts

Here once the embattled farmers stood And fired the shot heard round the world.

– Ralph Waldo Emerson

The British could not dampen the American patriotic spirit on April 19, 1775 in the second of the two local battles that started the American Revolution. What the British couldn’t do, our Federal Government could do. On October 12 my wife and I were nearby, but the government shutdown closed the site.

Message of the Month – A Personal Tribute to Chuck Smith

Chuck Smith, pastor of Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, died on October 3rd at age 86. Also seen as the founder of the “Calvary Chapel” movement, he should above all be remembered for his pivotal role in the “Jesus Movement”* of the late ‘60’s and early 1970’s.

Now, at that time I was starting my pastoral career in Indiana. We had heard about this movement but we mostly discounted it as weird and certainly not “of God,” with its guitars and hippies and stuff—about what you’d expect to happen in California! In July of 1970 my wife and I moved to Southern California to find ourselves in the middle of this movement as it peaked.

Quite skeptical, I attended a Monday evening gathering (such gatherings were often called “Jesus Meetings”) at Calvary Chapel in 1971. A mild but very uplifting period of simple and worshipful singing was followed by a l-o-n-g sermon by Chuck Smith on the Book of Revelation. Soon I would learn of his through-the-Bible teaching ministry that was the best thing that could happen for the thousands of converts in this movement. At the end of the service, hundreds stood and embraced and sang “The Lord’s Prayer.”

I should have left when the service ended! But Chuck had said that those who wanted the power of the Holy Spirit should stay for what they called the “afterglow” service. Most left. But some of the young adults from my own church stayed, so our associate pastor and I remained and sat in the back.

Lonnie Frisbee

In spite of this aberration, Chuck personally was a reasonable and moderating force on “Holy Spirit” issues.

Chuck always struck me as an exemplary servant of God with deep humility and simplicity. There was a time when every person on his staff took turns cleaning restrooms. I had a conversation with him one evening when I ran into him at a Christian bookstore. He was carrying out boxes of Bibles.

For the “Jesus” revival, he was the right man in the right place at the right moment. Conservative and yet very open, he molded his ministry to be effective with those God called him to reach. He knew what should be preserved and what should bend or change or be stopped. (When he arrived at his church once to find a “NO BARE FEET” sign posted, he threatened to tear out the new carpet rather than reject people. But even he said it tested him when hippies put those rubber communion cup holders on their toes!) If you attended a Sunday morning service at Calvary Chapel in the 70’s, you would find it similar to any typical Baptist church of the time.

His pastoral model has been a good one to follow in the face of other models (“pastors must be dynamic, visionary, challenging, etc.”) pushed upon us as “the gold standard.” His preaching style was a refreshing contrast to the self-focused, trendy, truncated preaching that is also a part of this “gold standard.”

I didn’t accept all his ideas. Too much on prophecy and its modern fulfillment. And his insistence that “Calvary Chapel” was not a denomination.

The Jesus Movement brought long-lasting change to the broader church, most obviously in Christian worship. In Chuck’s absence, the Calvary Chapel movement will certainly change, but how we don’t yet know.

I will always give thanks to God for the ministry of this man. I will honor him highly, for scripture says those who lead well “are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching” (1 Timothy 5:17).

* Wikipedia has a good and concise definition of the Jesus Movement:
The Jesus Movement was a movement in Christianity beginning on the West Coast of the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s and spreading primarily through North America and Europe, before dying out by the early 1980s. It was the major Christian element within the hippie counterculture… The Jesus movement left a legacy of various denominations and other Christian organizations, and had an impact on both the development of the contemporary Christian right and the Christian left. “Jesus music”, which grew out of the movement, greatly influenced contemporary Christian music…

Religious Liberty Vigilance – Limiting “Bad” Religion?

But what if a neighbor’s religion sends preachers or missionaries to pick your pocket (through fraudulent fundraising, for instance) or even to break your leg? Or shoot you as an infidel? Or kill or imprison its own members if they want to change their faith to something else?

Jefferson covered those possibilities: “The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others.” Thus, Jefferson understood that, while the government must not attempt to suppress beliefs, there are reasonable limits government can place on religiously-motivated deeds. Freedom of belief is unlimited; freedom of action is not.

This is a belief/action dichotomy that is both necessary and dangerous. Necessary, in that the government has the duty to protect. Dangerous, in that the government can use its power to limit and even punish ordinary religious practices and convictions that don’t endanger anyone.

This power was applied in the 1878 “anti-polygamy” Reynolds v. U.S. decision by the U.S. Supreme Court. The court said that the government had a legitimate state interest in limiting the right to marry to monogamists. You can believe in polygamy all you want to; you just can’t practice it in American territories. [See a summary of this court case at the end of this newsletter.] Decide for yourself whether this “definition of marriage” decision was “Jeffersonian” or not.

If I understand Jefferson correctly, he would use extreme-case examples such as child sacrifice or religious ceremonies that consume food during a time of famine as occasions to limit free exercise of religion. To use a modern example, I may claim the faith to be healed and then reject medication for myself, but the government may step in and limit my free exercise of religion if my child has diabetes and I “claim a faith healing” and refuse him treatment.

The First Amendment bans any law that prohibits the “free exercise” of religion. Now, “exercise” of religion is “faith in action,” not just “faith.” To put it in Bible terms, “Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2:17 NIV). Anyone who is truly religious will “exercise religion.”

Government may rightfully limit religious activity that subverts the peace or violates good order (conservatively understood) or threatens the person or property of another. Government must not have the right to limit the free exercise of religious conviction that resists a governmental crusade to impose a statist social agenda (today it’s leftist ideology, tomorrow it could be right-wing) or to place an unnecessary burden on religion. Even a justifiable burden on the free exercise of religion should be laid as lightly as possible.

One more time. Jefferson said, “The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others.” I believe Jefferson would be appalled at the governmental restrictions and attempted restrictions on the free exercise of religion that are growing today.

Don’s Upcoming Ministries

November 2 – Speak on Police Chaplain service at a Grace Community Church men’s breakfast. The breakfast is at 8:30 at the new Malarkey’s Grill (located where Buster’s used to be at Seaport Village, just over the Marina St. bridge into Long Beach).

December 10 and 13 – Speak on the Book of Acts, chapter 11 at women’s Bible study groups at Grace Community Church.

Bible Insight: God’s Rules Are Higher than Man’s Rules

Creation Ethics: God created our bodies and surrounded us with an abundance of things we could enjoy or abuse.

“Jesus called the crowd to him and said, ‘Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. Nothing outside a man can make him “unclean” by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him “unclean.”’

“In saying this, Jesus declared all foods ‘clean.’”

– Mark 7:16 and 19 (NIV)

The great Moody Bible Institute is among the latest of Christian institutions to “lower the standard” by permitting its faculty to drink alcoholic beverages.

I’ve heard this kind of argument: “Drinking alcoholic beverages is not a sin. But since alcohol is so abused in our culture, Christians should abstain from it as a testimony to others that they don’t need this in their lives.”

On ethical questions I will sometimes shift the categories to other issues and test how an argument stands up. In this case, let’s switch the words from “drinking” to “having sex.” How would this argument sound? “Sexual relations between husband a wife are not a sin. But since sexual activity is so abused in our culture, Christian couples should abstain from it as a testimony to others that they don’t need this in their lives.”

What kind of a testimony is that? Spurning God’s good gifts (subject to much abuse, of course, by sinful people) in the name of higher spirituality or some notion of “witnessing”? Really, it is witnessing that’s sure to backfire!

This kind of thinking is a form of “Gnosticism.” Gnosticism, a trend in Christianity today and through much of its history, says that there is a higher spirituality found in the realm of the soul rather than the realm of the body. One way to experience this higher spirituality is through suppression of bodily appetites. Ultimately, full salvation involves an escape from the body and a flight into the realm of the spirit.

Gnosticism has been roundly condemned by Christian theology, but it pops up again and again in popular Christian attitudes toward “spirituality” and what “separation from the world” is all about. In early Christianity, the Apostle Paul warned against an incipient Gnosticism with these words:

The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. …They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. (1 Timothy 4:1, 3-5)

And Paul reminded one church prone to arguing over such matters (what a timely thought!): “The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17).

Remember this: when a Christian or a church or Christian institution examines and changes the standard, if it goes from man’s standard to God’s standard then the standard has not been lowered. It has been raised.

A Verse and Hymn for Thanksgiving in November

“[God] has shown kindness
by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons.
He provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.”
– Acts 14:17 (New International Version)

Fall foliage seen in Vermont this October

For the beauty of the earth For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies.
Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
This our hymn of grateful praise.
– Folliot S. Pierpoint (1864)

www.donaldshoemakerministries.com

Reynolds v. United States (1878) (Popularly known as the “Mormon polygamy” case)

Facts of the Case
George Reynolds, secretary to Mormon Church leader Brigham Young, challenged the federal anti-bigamy statute. Reynolds was convicted in a Utah territorial district court. His conviction was affirmed by the Utah territorial supreme court.

Question
Does the federal anti-bigamy statute violate the First Amendment’s free exercise clause because plural marriage is part of religious practice?

Conclusion
No. Chief Justice Morrison R. Waite, writing for a unanimous court, held that the statute can punish criminal activity without regard to religious belief. The First Amendment protected religious belief, but it did not protect religious practices that were judged to be criminal such as bigamy. Those who practice polygamy could no more be exempt from the law than those who may wish to practice human sacrifice as part of their religious belief.

REYNOLDS v. UNITED STATES The Oyez Project at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law

October, 1968 – The Beginning, 45 Years Ago

I (in the middle) was licensed to the Christian Ministry at the Grace Brethren Church of Elkhart, Indiana. I served there as Associate Pastor from then until July, 1970, when Mary and I moved to Long Beach, California for my first pastorate. There we raised our family and have lived ever since. From the earliest years I’ve often thought of ministry as having three phases: younger (25-40), middle (40-55) and older years (55-70+), each with its own characteristics. Supposedly now I’m in the “mature, wisest” years, but we do wonder. It has all gone by so fast!

Message of the Month – Justice Still Waits after Mass Murder (Seal Beach, California, Oct. 12, 2011)

“Justice delayed is justice denied”

– William Gladstone (19th century British politician)

“When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, the hearts of the people are filled with schemes to do wrong”

– Ecclesiastes 8:11

October 12, 2011 seemed like another ordinary Wednesday, except it was an unusually hot day. People in Seal Beach were going about doing what they wanted to do or needed to do. For a few, this meant working at or visiting the Salon Meritage in “Old Town”, located about four blocks from the church I served as senior pastor.

Shortly after 1:00 p.m. the worst mass murder in Orange County history took place when eight people were shot to death there by Scott Dekraai.

As Seal Beach’s senior police chaplain, I hurried to the scene and spent most of the rest of the day there and invested many, many hours afterward. As a local minister, I officiated at the funeral for the salon owner and provided other services to the community.

Now, almost two years later, the trial scheduled to begin on November 4 has been postponed to March 24, 2014. It is not my point here to discuss the prosecution goals or the defense tactics. Nor do I need to use words like “suspect” or “accused” or “alleged killer”—terms which may be necessary in a judicial context but are not binding on the public.

My point here is to speak of justice for the families of the departed. “Closure” is, I doubt, an appropriate word here. But “milestones” are reached that help those most affected move forward in healing and other positive ways. One milestone was Seal Beach’s memorial event on the first anniversary, which was heavily attended by victimized families and at which some of them eloquently spoke. Another was the reopening of the salon last November.

The trial itself should be a further, significant milestone. As to the delay, the spouse of one murder victim said, “I’m not happy about it, obviously…it is very unfair to us.” The father of another victim told the judge, “The agony you are putting us through with delay after delay after delay, you don’t understand.”

Back to Ecclesiastes 8:11, one lesson is this: the slower the wheels of justice crank, the broader the disrespect for the rule of law and the rights of persons. In the context, the disenchanted author of Ecclesiastes laments the meaninglessness of life when righteous people get what the wicked deserve and the wicked get what the righteous deserve.

Injustice is inexplicable in a world that we believe is governed by a just and powerful God. Yet that’s the way life goes. The writer of Ecclesiastes, without mincing words of despair, does hold out hope which we should take to heart:

“Although a wicked man commits a hundred crimes and still lives a long time, I know that it will go better with God-fearing men, who are reverent before God. Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow” (8:12-13).

Then a remarkable word of counsel: “So I commend the enjoyment of life, because nothing is better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany him in his work all the days of the life God has given him under the sun” (8:15).

May God comfort and bless all who continue to hurt from the great crime.
May God bring to their lives a high measure of happiness and resolution.
And may justice come soon! – my prayer.

Please view these related news items:

• My comments at the large gathering in front of the salon on the evening after the murders. Click at “Message at Candlelight Vigil” at www.donaldshoemakerministries.com
• An interview on “How Grace Community Church served its community after the ‘Salon Massacre’ of October 12, 2011”. Click the site below these words at www.donaldshoemakerministries.com
• A news report and video on the reopening of the Salon Meritage (November, 2012): www.ocregister.com/articles/salon-378132-fannin-meritage.html

Religious Liberty Vigilance—California vs. Liberty

“On my honor, I will do my best
to do my duty to God and my country
and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong,
mentally awake and morally straight.”
– The Boy Scout Oath

Belief in God* is a fundamental principle of the Boy Scouts. In 1993, the Boy Scouts, as a private organization, won a case upholding its right to enforce a religious principle in its membership standards (Welsh vs. the BSA, 7th District Court of Appeals; the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the case).

Yet in California an attempt was made this year to strip tax exemption from the Boy Scouts and similar youth organizations that discriminate “on the basis of gender identity, race, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, or religious affiliation” (Senate Bill 323).

I don’t question the sincere intentions of supporters of this bill. I do question their unwillingness to accept diversity within America, including religious and moral diversity (not that there is no place or need for a common moral fabric).

I question the power of the state to do harm to organizations functioning legally, whose right to maintain their standards, whatever they are, has been upheld over and over up to the highest level.

I question the slanted argument that a tax exemption in these cases is a “reward” for discrimination.

I question the equivalence drawn between being tax exempt and being subsidized by the state. A tax exemption allows people to give to non-profit causes before other money is taxed and the tax goes to the state; a subsidy funnels money from the state to causes. A tax exemption recognizes the societal benefits accomplished when non-profit organizations do good things, usually better than the state could do them; a subsidy is a state bestowal of tax money to those who are doing what the state wants done.

I question the wisdom of punishing those with whom one disagrees in spite of the obvious overall good that these supposedly “disagreeable” organizations accomplish in the lives of many. The principle that asks, “What action will further the greater societal good?” argues against this punishment.

I question the logic of denying tax exemptions to public youth organizations while allowing tax exemptions to religious organizations that teach and practice exactly the same kinds of discrimination. In reality, there is no logic and, as surely as night follows day, we can expect future efforts to strip tax exemptions from religious organizations which do not embrace “The Doctrines of The State” nor do its bidding.

Senate Bill 323 has been laid to rest this year because it lacked critical support in the legislature. As surely as Dracula leaves his coffin at sunset, it will be back next year.

* “Belief in God” in this case does not require embracing any particular creed, such as the “Trinity” belief of the Christian Faith.

Don’s Upcoming Ministries

October 1 (6:30 p.m.) and October 4 (9:30 a.m.) – Speak to women’s Bible study groups at Grace Community Church of Seal Beach Topic: Acts 2 (The Day of Pentecost)

October 5 – Give “start-off prayer” at the 5K “Walk Like MADD” fundraising walk for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (8:30 a.m. at Long Beach’s Granada Beach)—information: (310) 215-2913

October 20 – Speak on local Grace Brethren history at Los Altos Grace Brethren Church in Long Beach (9:00 Sunday School class)

October 27 – Speak in Sunday Morning Worship Services (8:00, 9:30, 11:00) at Grace Community Church of Seal Beach Topic: Being People God Uses—Right Here, Right Now!

November 2 – Speak on police chaplaincy ministry at Grace Community Church’s men’s breakfast (8:30 at Malarkey’s Restaurant)

Bible Insight: Baptism and Repentance

“Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
(Acts 2:38 NIV)
(Picture: Summer baptism in the Pacific Ocean, Grace Community Church of Seal Beach. How many churches get to have an ocean in their backyard?)

Baptism and Communion, two sacraments God has given to his church, have been minimized in many an evangelical church. Someone recently said, “Communion should be called a ‘snack-rament’ the way many observe it!”

In New Testament times, as you see from the Apostle Peter’s words above, repentance, turning in faith to Jesus, and the gift of the Holy Spirit were not separated from baptism.

Acts 2:38 leaves unsettled the question whether baptism is the essential cause of forgiveness of sin and the gift of the Spirit or their accompanying sign. Acts 10:44-48 helps us clear up that question. At the home of Cornelius, the Roman Centurion, the Holy Spirit came on the people before they were baptized, not because they were baptized (read the whole wonderful chapter). Instead, Peter called for baptism because they had received the Holy Spirit.

So baptism is not the effective cause of forgiveness and the gift of the Spirit, but it is not separated from these grace-gifts either (Peter would say, “Not baptizing these converts right away is a failure that opposes the work of God.”). To say it another way, they were “saved” neither through baptism nor without baptism.

Baptism is thus distinguishable from cleansing but not separated from cleansing. As St. Augustine said, “The outward sign of an inward grace.”

When churches and individuals introduce a big time-lapse between conversion and baptism, they bring confusion into the whole dynamic. They may wonder why scriptures on conversions don’t seem to make sense. It’s like exchanging the wedding rings months or years after the ceremony. You can’t say, “With this ring I thee wed.” This confusion may also come if baptism precedes faith and repentance by many years. Hence, “believer baptism”.

And no, you shouldn’t put off baptism just to wait to be baptized in the ocean!

Yet, this time-lapse is what we have allowed to happen. Many churches have the “walk-forward altar call” sacrament-like tradition in the place that baptism should fill. But biblically speaking, it is in our baptism that we make the confession, “Jesus is Lord!”

Let’s get back to the biblical theology and examples and make baptism what it was intended to be—part of the majestic drama of the Holy Spirit we call “conversion.” As Ananias said to Saul (later, as known to us, “The Apostle Paul”), “Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his [the Lord’s] name” (Acts 22:16).

“Prophets are Good for Business”
(Applying Biblical Principles to Work Situations)

[Because of the length of other features, this will resume at a later time.]

A Bible Text for October – Psalm 85:11-12

Faithfulness springs forth from the earth,
and righteousness looks down from heaven.
The Lord will indeed give what is good,
and our land will yield its harvest.

www.donaldshoemakerministries.com

Religious Liberty Vigilance –
Ignorance of Religious Rights

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…”
– 1st Amendment (Our “First Freedom” in the Bill of Rights)

“Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty”
– Attributed to Thomas Jefferson and others

This is scary. Most don’t know our religious freedom rights. Many wouldn’t agree with them if they did.

One-third of Americans think the First Amendment “goes too far” in the rights it guarantees (its five great freedoms are: religious freedom, freedom of speech, a free press, right of assembly and right to petition the government). That’s up greatly from 13% the year before, which is still too high (the great shift raises questions about how it was determined).

Whereas religious freedom is our first liberty in the First Amendment, Americans value free speech (47%) over religious liberty (10%). And only 24% of Americans recognized religious liberty as one of our five freedoms.

I find two disturbing cultural trends. First, we hear people in government speak of “freedom of worship” rather than “freedom of religion”. Freedom to worship as you wish is vital, but by itself it truncates religious freedom. Freedom of religion includes the right to speak your faith and practice your faith outside the walls of worship and out into the broader culture without government repercussion.

Second, when you start talking specific issues and policies that might hinder religious liberty, the general public is more likely to side with advocates of an issue or policy than with religious institutions or individuals who have religion-rooted objections to it and don’t want to be forced to violate their consciences.

Ken Paulson, President of the First Amendment Center at the Newseum Institute, rightly says, “It’s important to recognize that our core freedoms, regardless of their relative popularity, complement and reinforce one another. Unless we daily reaffirm our right to America’s core liberties and speak out against government encroachment upon any of them, our collective freedom is at risk. ‘United we stand’ is not just a motto.”

[To review the survey, go to Paulson’s commentary at: www.firstamendmentcenter.org]

“Prophets are Good for Business”
(Applying Biblical Principles to Work Situations)

God’s Special Day Should Affect Every Other Day –
Sabbath-keeping (part 4)

“‘When will…the Sabbath be ended that we may market wheat?’ – skimping the measure, boosting the price and cheating with dishonest scales, buying the poor with silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, selling even the sweepings with the wheat.” – Amos 8:4-6 New Int’l. Version

I heard once that the “Post-It” note idea was thought up by a man while he sat in the choir loft during church services. True or not, imagine this—turning business ideas around in your mind while you should be listening to the sermon or joining in on worship! The prophet Amos was as frustrated as any modern preacher when he thought about how people would ponder business matters during hours that should be most sacred.

It gets worse! Amos tells what they will be pondering: how to cheat customers, take advantage of the poor and needy and compromise their products for profit’s sake. So Sabbath observance had no effect on how they would live the other six days of the week. The reason is, they were not really “thinking Sabbath”—letting its meaning get deep into their hearts.

“Thinking Sabbath” will remind us we cannot separate what we do and think on the one day of worship from what we do and think on the six other days. Worshipping God in church cannot disconnect from our business dealings, our ethical management and our dutiful service to our employer or employees on Monday.

Show me a man or woman who truly “keeps the Sabbath” and I’ll show you a man or woman who treats customers well, is honorable with money, works at business ethically and keeps his or her word.

Bible Insight: Forgiveness—What Does God Require?

“Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.”
(Luke 11:4—Jesus’ teaching in “The Lord’s Prayer”)

I conducted the funeral for one of the victims of Orange County California’s worst mass murder—eight slain on October 12, 2011. In that sermon I said, “I do not believe in unconditional forgiveness.”

A funeral director present who also was a Christian was so surprised and amazed at my words that he sent me an email!

I realize that this position is not the thinking du jour. But Jesus taught it! Forgiveness from God is conditioned on our generous willingness to be people of forgiveness (Matthew 6:12). If we exhaust the steps of reconciliation in trying to restore one who has sinned against us, that person is to be expelled from the church (Matthew 18:15-18). The church is thus to exclude, not forgive. If the one who wronged us repents, we are to forgive (Luke 17:3-4).

And we are to forgive “just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32). God’s forgiveness is not without satisfaction of his justice. Jesus Christ satisfied God’s justice as a sacrifice for our sins. Nor does God’s forgiveness come without repentance before God on our part.

The thinking du jour about forgiveness is this: when someone sins against us we should immediately forgive that person in our hearts.

The argument goes, why should you allow the villain to score a double victory against you? He sins against you. Then you allow his deed to eat away inside you, filling you with spite and bitterness. So you “forgive in your heart” for your sake! Forgiveness, then, is an internal thing, a form of self-therapy. It is not primarily a relational thing—something extended to another (that true forgiveness involves the heart is not to be denied).

Leave it to American Christians to turn a principle on relational restoration into a therapeutic principle of how to care for the self! But hey, we already did that when we turned the altruistic Second Great Commandment into a self-love motivator (“You can’t ‘love your neighbor as yourself’ until you first learn to love yourself.”).

No, we certainly ought not let a wrongdoer’s wicked deed eat us up inside. That’s why Scripture also says, “Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry” and, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice” (Ephesians 4:26, 31).

But this is not what it means to “forgive in your heart.”

Jesus’ followers are to forgive as God does—generously, willingly, readily, repeatedly, and taking the initiative with the wrongdoer. This may require restitution (or circumstances may call for a release from what is owed). It certainly requires genuine remorse and repentance by the wrongdoer.

Anything less is not God’s forgiveness working in us.

Don’s Upcoming Ministries

October 27 – Speak in Sunday Morning Worship Services at Grace Community Church of Seal Beach (8:00, 9:30, 11:00)

• September 1 – Children’s Ministry starts its fall Sunday School schedule.
• September 8 – Sign-ups for one or more of the many “Life Group” ministry opportunities at Grace.
• September 15 – Open House for the redecorated Children’s Ministry area on the church’s third floor.
• September 22 – Baptismal Service
• September 29 – World Impact Sunday as we commission a new missionary—our own Renee Robitaille; Women’s Charity Luncheon

Message of the Month – “Fish Wars” (Science vs. Religion)

The “Fish Symbol” is an old, old symbol of Christianity. It became popular again in the 1960’s through what was then known as “The Jesus Movement.”

Sometimes the fish symbol will take on unusual characteristics, like a fish swallowing “Darwin” or “truth” eating the fish. I call these silent communicators (on the back of cars typically) “fish wars.” I took the above picture of a nearby car when I parked one day at 24-Hour Fitness.

“It’s not rocket science” to see what is intended. Science supplants religion. Science knows. Science is what really gets us places. So they say.

I can’t explain the science/religion debate in a short space. But here’s a capsule of my views. Science speaks on intermediate issues. Religion speaks on ultimate issues. For example, science can explain the “food chain” but only faith can tell us this:

These [sea and land creatures] all look to you [God]
to give them their food at the proper time.
When you give it to them, they gather it up.
When you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things.
(Psalm 104:27-28)

Another example: science can discover and theorize about tectonic plates. Faith teaches the ultimate truth:

May the Lord rejoice in his works—
He who looks at the earth, and it trembles,
who touches the mountains and they smoke.
(Psalm 104:31-32)

By faith we see an ultimate—a Creator God who made all things and governs them by his word and power. And he has graciously given us a “care manual.”

Jesus taught us, “Man does not live by bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). One lesson we learn from this is that we need to look at life’s possibilities from two directions: (1) what we can do (what science has made possible, like how to grow the best wheat for bread) and (2) what we should do (doing right instead of wrong). Nazi experimenters lived by the can but not by the should.

And this brings us back to the rocket. Science enables us to launch a rocket (or fly a drone) and guide its payload to its intended target. Values from faith guide us to decide whether delivering that payload to its target is the right thing to do.

Pity the one who says, “I look to science for my answers.” For science can never teach us the difference between right and wrong or answer ultimate issues of purpose and meaning in life.

And when one thinks “the power to do” gives “the right to do,” pity anyone this person controls!

www.donaldshoemakerministries.com

Please Support Meaningful Immigration Reform—
Reform that “does justice” and “loves mercy” (Micah 6:8).
Reform that keeps families together.
Reform that will keep borders secure and safe.
Reform that has a pathway to legal status or citizenship for those willing to pay the penalty, be responsible, and put out the effort.

Addendum: The Martin Luther King Memorial in Washington, DC

On August 28, the 50th anniversary of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, I sent out widely a commentary on the meaning of his life and work.

His Washington memorial is an interesting study (start with Wikipedia)—it created many controversies. One was over the quote (partially visible below),

“I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness”. King actually didn’t say that and it doesn’t reflect the context of what he did say. It is now being removed (the federal government has figured out how to make it cost $700,000 to $900,000 to do that).

Another valid criticism is over the un-King-like absence of religious comments and biblical statements in the 14 inscriptions around the statue.

One quote from 1955 comes close, but no one without a biblical background would catch it: “We are determined here in Montgomery to work and fight until justice runs down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream.” The reference to justice as water and righteousness as a stream comes from Amos 5:24.

Was this elimination of the religious and biblical foundation for King’s work intentional? Or was it a natural oversight due to the ongoing secularization and marginalization of religion in our culture? Neither is a good thought.

Please contact me (via “REPLY”) if you did not receive my King commentary and wish to read it.

“The Kingdom of God is no longer identified with any geopolitical kingdom on earth. It is no longer the era of driving the nations out of God’s holy land but of living side by side with unbelievers in charity. It is the hour of grace, not judgment.” – Michael Horton, The Christian Faith

Don’s Upcoming Ministries

October 27 –

“Prophets are Good for Business”

(Applying Biblical Principles to Work Situations)

Care for the “Alien in the Land” – Sabbath-keeping (part 3)

“The reason to pass immigration reform is not to bolster [a political party but] to fix a system that’s broken. Good policy yields good politics.” – George W. Bush

If we eat fruit or vegetables grown in the U.S., the likelihood is very high that they were picked by immigrant workers, many undocumented.

Immigration issues arise naturally from what I might call “Sabbaththinking.” On the Sabbath Day, “you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates.” (Exodus 20:10 New International Version, emphasis mine)

Protecting the non-Israelite who lived in the land from exploitation in the workplace or other situations is a common theme of the Old Testament.

Here are some examples:

• “You are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt.” – Deuteronomy 10:19
• “Do not take advantage of a hired man who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother Israelite or an alien living in one of your towns.” – Deuteronomy 24:14
• “Do not deprive the alien or the fatherless of justice, or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge.” – Deuteronomy 24:14
• “When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.” – Deuteronomy 24:19
• “When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give it to the Levite, the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied.” – Deuteronomy 26:12 (That was a mandated “benefit”, folks!)
• “Cursed is the man who withholds justice from the alien, the fatherless or the widow.” – Deuteronomy 27:19

I would not call for all the details of the Mosaic Law that regulate and protect “the alien” to be implemented by a modern government just because they are found in the Bible. I would call for us to look for “the spirit of the law” (the social values) to be found in these commands.

The workplace, governmental policies, and social attitudes toward immigration—all need to be informed by biblical teaching, more than by any other source or standard.

• I personally support the bill passed by the U.S. Senate (SB744).
• I personally am concerned by many in the House of Representatives who seem to favor a harsh response to undocumented immigrants.
• I fail to see how “amnesty” or “reward” are appropriate terms to describe the process undocumented immigrants will have to follow (under various proposals) in order to become “legal” or citizens way down the road.

I would be the last to claim that SB744 or any other bill Congress debates is “God’s bill.” But I can favor a bill that moves in strong incremental ways toward what I think is right.

“Sabbath-thinking” leads to immigration reform. “Do justice, love mercy” (Micah 6:8) is God’s call—for immigration reform or many other great social debates.

Religious Liberty Vigilance—Can Business Be Religious?

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…”

– 1st Amendment (Our “First Freedom” in the Bill of Rights)

“To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves is sinful and tyrannical.”

– Thomas Jefferson (Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom)

Rodney and Karen Mersino own and operate a business in Michigan. As committed Catholic Christians, they objected to having to participate in the contraception mandate that is part of the new health care program commonly called “Obamacare.”

They filed suit against Health and Human Services. A federal court judge in Michigan refused to give the Mersino’s a preliminary injunction.

It is not my intention to speak on the legal aspects of this decision. But I do want to raise a concern about one statement by the court: “The fact that its owners may hold deep religious beliefs, and that the mission statement of the company includes a statement of fealty to God, does not convert this secular, for profit company into a religious organization capable of exercising religion…”

Cannot a secular business set forth ethical ideals and then be able to practice them? Why should it matter if some of these ideals have roots in biblical values or Christian convictions?

This should not be an unlimited right. But the shoe is on the wrong foot. The state should have to prove a “compelling state interest” in limiting the exercise of religious convictions. Then the state should have to demonstrate that its remedy is narrowly tailored and the least burdensome to religious freedom.

The owners of a business have to show in what way a government requirement offends their religious convictions. But the real burden of proof should lie with the government.

Message of the Month –
Care of God’s Creation

Among the many desecrations of God’s Country is the growing amount of graffiti one sees on popular trails in lower elevations. This picture is from a recent hike on the Echo Mountain trail above Pasadena—one of my favorite hikes. The trail is heavily travelled—too much so, apparently. This picture shows one of several defacings of rock along the trail. To add insult to injury, it happens to be at a shady spot where I always pause for a break when hiking uphill. Trail signs have graffiti. Historical markers can’t be read. Much of this I’ve not seen on previous hikes.

Here’s a slogan along the Sturdevant Falls Trail in the San Gabriel Mountains. Non sequitur that it is, it still has its appeal.

God has made us stewards of his beautiful handiwork called “Earth.” “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth…'” (Genesis 1:26).

This is not a selfish, exploitative stewardship—certainly not a desecrating one. It is a caring, careful stewardship that uses, not abuses, and recognizes that those who follow us will want to enjoy and benefit from the earth as we did.

As I write this, I’m wearing this T-shirt:

Let’s do it!

The Bible’s word on our stewardship is undergirded by two foundational points: (1) the Earth is God’s, not ours, and (2) the God who made all things at the beginning will be present to judge us on the Last Day and call our stewardship to account.

So I’d suggest a stronger, better message than that philosophically materialist one on the Sturdevant Falls Trail:

TAKE CARE OF THE LAND
SOME DAY YOU WILL ANSWER TO THE OWNER!

Happy Trails to you!

www.donaldshoemakerministries.com

With much thanksgiving to God…

Religious Liberty Vigilance

“Our Declaration of Dependence”
July 4, 1776

The Declaration of Independence can just as appropriately be titled the “Declaration of Dependence.” This majestic document, arguably the most masterful state paper of Western civilization, displays a dependence on God foundational to its claim for independence from England.

Even a casual reading of this document impresses us with the role God plays in the course of human events.

God is first acknowledged as lawgiver. The “laws of nature and of nature’s God” entitle the colonies to sever their tie with England and assume a separate and equal station among the powers of the earth.

Second, God is creator. As such, he endows humanity with “unalienable rights” including the rights of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Governments cannot bestow these rights—they don’t belong to government in the first place. Government is instituted to protect these rights. If instead it becomes destructive to these principles, the people are free to abolish that government and institute a new one that will uphold the principles.

Thomas Jefferson was the principle author of the Declaration. His later metaphor on the “wall of separation” between church and state is often brandished about as an instrument to keep religious expression out of public life. But Jefferson thought both institutions were necessary.

Contemporary secularists who desire a constricted role for religion and an expansive role for government would do themselves a favor to see how he regarded the nature and role of both.

In his “First Inaugural Address” (1801) he said that religions teach “honesty, truth, temperance, gratitude and the love of man.” But one more blessing is needed to “make us a happy and prosperous people.” That blessing is a “wise and frugal government which shall restrain men from injuring one another, which shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned.” For our values we turn to religion. For the protection of those values and for our own protection and freedom (and little else) we look to government.

A third reference to God acknowledges him as “supreme judge of the world.” The framers of the declaration appeal to God, that he might judge the “rectitude of our intentions” as these representatives of the colonies declared them to be “free and independent states.”

Finally, God is protector. The framers acknowledged and relied upon his divine providence as they bonded themselves together with a pledge of their lives, fortunes and sacred honor.

No one can claim that Jefferson’s concept of deity is completely congruent with the God confessed in the Christian faith. Jefferson was not hesitant to take his scissors to Holy Scripture. Enlightenment man that he was, he saw God and his values as accessible to all people through the avenue of reason, not just to a few people through an avenue of special revelation.

At the same time, not every concept of God could provide a proper foundation for the Declaration. Polytheism could not work, for the principles of human rights this document confesses have authority the world around and all humanity is answerable to the “supreme judge of the world” in how the principles are honored. Nor will modern non-­theistic naturalism work, for no fundamental standards of human rights or of right and wrong can emerge from naturalism.

And the God of many of our founding documents is neither a deterministic God nor one who coerces human behavior. The freedom of conscience in matters of religion (so important to Jefferson) arises from the fact that an almighty God could have coerced our minds had he chosen to do so. But God chose to leave our minds free, and so man must not coerce the mind either. *

Seventeen centuries before Jefferson, a Christian thinker known to us as “the Apostle Paul” offered thoughts on God similar to those in the Declaration as he dialogued with philosophers in ancient Athens. There is a God who “made the world and everything in it” including “every nation.” We are “his offspring” and he gives to everyone “life and breath and everything else.” While he allows us to walk in the ways of our own choosing, he has “set a day when he will judge the world with justice.” (Acts 17:24-­‐31)

As we celebrate our nation’s rich heritage we should be appreciative of the sacrifice and insight of those who framed our Declaration of Independence. We should also give thanks to the Creator and Judge of the earth whose moral principles provided our country with its foundation. And we should dedicate ourselves to the realization of our fundamental principles, which beckon each American generation to fulfill them afresh.

(“Our Declaration of Dependence” by Donald P. Shoemaker appeared as an op-­‐ed on Sunday, July 2, 2000, in the Long Beach, CA Press-­‐Telegram.)

* Jefferson made this theological determination a foundational principle for the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom (adopted in 1786). While this document set a foundation for religious liberty, it was not without its own theological assumptions. The same is true of comparable documents and arguments today.

Jefferson’s authorship of this document is mentioned on his tombstone at Monticello along with Father of the University of Virginia and Author of the Declaration of American Independence. It is interesting and revealing that his presidency is not mentioned on the tombstone.

“Prophets are Good for Business” (Applying Biblical Principles to Work Situations)

Because of the long feature article befitting July 4, this section will resume in August.

“Upcoming Ministries” and “Good News from Grace” will also resume in August.

This petition in the prayer Jesus gave us to pray reminds us that God is the ultimate source of our necessary provisions (he didn’t say to pray for dessert but for “the staff of life”). “When you [God] open your hand, they are satisfied with good things” (Psalm 104:28).

It also reminds us to take life one day at a time. God’s provision for Israel during her wilderness experience was a daily one (Exodus 16:13-­‐20). And Jesus teaches (in a lesson I have to learn over and over), “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34).

This prayer also generates a large number of “sub-­‐requests”—prayers for the factors and processes that bring food to our tables. We pray for:

• Good government, law enforcement and peace, without which there is want at the table. As we recently were reminded in a food contamination case, also ensuring the safety of what we eat.
• Immigrant and migrant workers, who do the difficult work in the fields and orchards from which much of our daily provisions come.
• Sound economic policies that encourage jobs and productivity.
• Good and safe transportation of the products we need.
• Thriving wholesale and retail markets that provide profits and income even as we buy for our daily needs at reasonable prices.

So you see, as with other petitions in The Lord’s Prayer, there is much to cover (explicitly or implicitly) when we speak those six words.

Message of the Month –
Paula Deen, Forgiveness, and The Unpardonable Sin

“If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.” – Jesus (Luke 17:3).

“If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” – Jesus’ defense of the woman caught in adultery (John 8:7).

While I’m a fan of eating, I’m not particularly a fan of Paula Deen nor have I followed closely the accusation that she used a racial slur or her responses, seemingly awkward at times. So it would be improper for me to attempt a deep analysis.

But I can speak on repentance and forgiveness. This sad happening does give us pause to consider these vital subjects.

First, there is of course a difference between being forgiven and being able to resume life as if nothing happened. Some wrongs are of such a magnitude that they require life adjustments (even prison) and restoration over time. Some may mean the permanent loss of a position—just ask King Saul. We need to ponder: What was done? When (recent or long ago)? Where? To whom and how broadly? How intense (flippant or malicious)? How often? How long? How regretted?

Second, in the story of John’s Gospel, chapter 8 *, Jesus speaks the poignant challenge, “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.” Frozen silence. What persons, even dedicated Christians, haven’t uttered an intemperate slur in the heat of the moment? Few, I’m sure.

[* I am well aware that including this account in John’s Gospel is doubtful based on manuscript evidence. The narrative and Jesus’ replies are thoroughly consistent with Jesus’ life experiences and teaching recorded elsewhere in the Gospels.]

Third, could there be a tinge of self-­‐righteousness in those who would bring down wrath and fire over a spoken word from long ago?

I wouldn’t fault businesses for making decisions based on how a celebrity’s action affects the bottom line. But bringing such a “stance of righteousness” into a secular context seems selective and strange.

And if a single racial slur can doom a career, how many other celebrities should be doomed for demeaning those of another race or social standing or political viewpoint? How many have demeaned Catholics or Protestant fundamentalists. How many have demeaned God by taking his name in vain—the ultimate slur? Why aren’t these career-­‐killers?

Perfectionism is an ugly attitude, be it religious or secular. In religion, it makes those who think themselves superior into very unforgiving judgmentalists. Apparently the same can be true in the secular realm.

Fourth, this happening should be a learning experience in the art of seeking forgiveness. Seems Paula Deen has apologized profusely— perhaps too profusely.

There are circles of offence, hence circles of seeking forgiveness. The most immediate circle includes the person or persons directly sinned against. The plea for forgiveness must be first and foremost directed toward them. (In the case of murder the people directly attacked are gone due to the perpetrator’s malicious act, making murder a sin for which forgiveness cannot completely be sought.) The circles enlarge to the families, friends and close associates of the victims. There may be other circles such as a societal circle, in the case of wrongs that tear the fabric of society.

Since all sin is an offense against God, he must be included in the immediate circle. This is especially true if the wrong demeaned the humanity of another. “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness…this should not be” (James 3:9-­‐10).

The problem I have with a general plea for forgiveness, a “To whom it may concern” plea, is that it is so broad that the circles of forgiveness are washed out. If addressed to everyone, has it been addressed to anyone?

Finally, we must not treat a racial slur, be it ever so repugnant, as “the unpardonable sin.” Jesus did speak of an unpardonable sin (blaspheming the Holy Spirit of God). But don’t forget his broad word of mercy: “Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven”—even “a word against the Son of Man”—against Jesus himself (Matthew 12:31-­‐32).

God is generous in forgiving and restoring. Let us be too.

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon…” – Prayer of St. Francis

www.donaldshoemakerministries.com

“Prophets are Good for Business”

“Animals’ Day Off”—Sabbath-keeping (Part 2)”

“I’m Pumpkin,
and I approve
this message.”

 

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns.” – The 4th Commandment (Exodus 20:8-10 NIV)

“Sabbath Keeping” has something to say about how we treat animals!

On the Sabbath not only should you do no work—your animals have the day off too! So this becomes one of the provisions given in the Old Testament for caring for animals. Here are two more:

• Proverbs 12:10 – “A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal.”
• Deuteronomy 25:4 – “Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain.” (The ox that gets hungry on the job may eat the owner’s produce.)

The Bible is clear that human beings stand at the top of the “creature list”. God crowned us with glory and honor and placed us as rulers over the works of his hands—over all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field (see Psalm 8). But animals are “not nothing,” and the more any creature possesses “sentience” (has a consciousness of situations, needs, fear, danger, pain, etc.), the more claim there is for a higher measure of care.

Jesus taught us that God cares for even the little sparrow and adds, “You are worth more than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:29-31—maybe 8?!!). His words (which some might call “specieist”) are an argument from the lesser to the greater—if God cares for the insignificant sparrow (and he does), how much more must he care for the crown of his creation!

How can our care of animals conform to the spirit of Sabbath law?

• All animals and birds that “work for us” (beasts of burden, providers of food or products, etc.) should be cared for in a “Sabbath-friendly” way. We care for them not just because it is “good for business” to have healthy animals but because it is “good”.
• The Sabbath principle of animal care should turn us away from gratuitous killing. That animals should not be purposely harmed just for sport should go without saying, but sadly it needs said.
• Animals must receive humane care. Even their killing for human consumption should be as humane as possible.
• If you want a pet, consider one that has been “rescued.” All of our cats and our dog are “rescue” pets in one way or another.
• Consider a donation to your local pet shelter.

Bible Insight – More on the Day of Pentecost

“When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men.”
(Ephesians 4:8 New International Version)

 

Most Christians I know observe Easter. Most Christians I know don’t observe Ascension Sunday or Pentecost Sunday. But the Easter message is not complete without the Ascension of Christ and Day of Pentecost accounts. If you observe one you should observe three.

According to the verse above, the ascension of Jesus back to his Father in Heaven (read the account in the Book of Acts, 1:1-11) made two very important spiritual realities possible:

1. Jesus “led captives in his train”. The verse is taken from Psalm 68:18. The psalm depicts God as a conquering king. In this verse, God does what conquering kings did—take captive the defeated as they please. In Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension he conquered evil powers. Jesus disarmed “the powers and authorities…triumphing over them by the cross” (Colossians 2:15).

   It’s a long story. Simply put, Jesus’ victory over evil was decisive (Mel Gibson got it right in the movie!). But it was not the final battle, which is yet to come (just as “D-Day” was decisive in World War II but not the end). Grasp this and, among other things, Communion Services will be more celebratory and less gloomy.

2. Jesus “gave gifts to men”. These are the “gifts of the Spirit” or, more precisely in the context, gifted people (such as pastor-teachers) who will lead others to spiritual maturity and ministry. No ascension, no Pentecost; no Pentecost, no spiritual gifts in the church; no gifts, no ministry; no ministry, no impact on the world.

So, if we choose to observe Easter (and I do), let’s also learn and celebrate the meaning of Jesus’ ascension and Pentecost, the great day of the Spirit’s coming with gifts and power.

As the Apostle Peter spoke of Jesus so eloquently on that day, “Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.” (Acts 2:33)

“We can build so many things, but if we don’t confess Jesus Christ, then something is wrong. We will become a pitiful NGO [non-governmental organization], but not the Church, spouse of Christ.”

Referring to Simon Peter’s attempt to distract Jesus from the cross: “This is the same Peter who confesses to Christ, who says, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God. I will follow you, but let’s not speak of crosses. I will follow you with other possibilities, without the cross.'”

“If we walk without the cross, how much do we build without the cross? And, when we confess Christ without the cross, then we are not disciples of the Lord.”

– Pope Francis the day after his election

Religious Liberty Vigilance—The Key Role of Prayer

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…”

– 1st Amendment (Our “First Freedom” in the Bill of Rights)

 

“Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must…undergo the fatigue of supporting it.” – Thomas Paine

Thomas Paine for sure didn’t have prayer in mind as a way of supporting freedom. But prayer is an important means to pursue and preserve our precious freedoms. Each year the first Thursday in May (May 2 this year) is designated the National Day of Prayer. I’ve compiled a short list of prayer values for supporting our leaders, securing our liberties, and furthering wholesome values.

• In the spirit of 1 Timothy 2:1-2, pray for the president, members of Congress, the Supreme Court, governors and local officials, that they might lead us wisely as God would want them to lead.
• Pray for the victims of terrorism, in Boston and around the world.
• Give thanks for the freedoms we enjoy in America, especially religious freedom. May we use these freedoms to further the work of God as well as to enjoy living in America.
• Pray for challenges to religious freedom in America, especially the power of government to coerce consciences.
• Pray for the persecuted church around the world.
• The issue of undocumented immigration is large right now. Pray that the members of Congress will open their hearts and minds to policies that do justice and love mercy.
• Pray that government at all levels will be responsible in handling the people’s money (tax revenues) and in avoiding deficits that hurt future generations.
• Pray that an ethic that cherishes the God-given right to life will spread throughout the land.
• Pray that churches everywhere will strive to bring shalom (peace) to their communities through seeking justice, showing mercy, and walking humbly before God.
• Pray that the evangelical churches of America will refine our messages and activism so we will be the “salt and light” Jesus calls us to be.

“Prophets are Good for Business”
(Applying Biblical Principles to Work Situations)

Needed: Accessible, Responsive Government

Jesus told the story of a widow who pled with a judge, “Grant me justice!” The judge refused her many times but eventually relented, not because he cared for her but because she pestered him so much.

The judge thought, “Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice.”*

Governmental agencies sometimes share this judge’s attributes: they don’t fear God and they don’t care about people.

Over the past year I’ve had about half a dozen detailed contacts with government agencies, federal and state (starting with Social Security and Medicare). While I would say that the “human encounters” were usually courteous and helpful, the overall experiences were frustrations big-time. (There are “micro situations” of person-to-person encounters and “macro situations” of policy, inaccessibility, rigidity, institutional culture, etc.)

My experience? Confusing letters, letters of denial when you know you’ve been approved, trips to the Social Security Administration office only to be told I should ignore the letter I received, lost submittals, letters that demand action, letters that warn of action. A “herd treatment” of those who must come to the government office. Phone calls never answered.

My commentary:

1) No business that treated customers this way would stay in business for long (unless some monopolistic practice existed). 2) No customer would put up with treatment like this from a private enterprise. He or she would go elsewhere (but with government there is no “elsewhere”). 3) Government by nature is regulative and “by the book” in how it handles people. That may often be necessary. Good businesses are listeners and flexible within reason. That IS necessary. 4) Government has power to demand and punish; businesses usually don’t and must persuade. 5) Citizens should strongly ponder, “Do we want to see government expand more and more so we can be treated like this all the more?”

The Bible teaches that all men and women are made in the image and likeness of God. This teaching needs to permeate micro practices and macro policies on how we treat one another and must serve as a key motivator of person-centered encounters with business and government and a corrective of all that degrades and dehumanizes. See relevant Scriptures: Genesis 1:27; Matthew 5:21-26; James 3:9-10.

The public must realize the agent you talk to has been listening to people all day, many being unpleasant. The agent must realize that, though you have said it a dozen times already today, the person before you hasn’t heard it yet and is unique, to be valued, and someone you need to help. Both need to see the “image of God” in the other. Hard sometimes.

I once went to Sacramento to support a bill** when it had its first hearing before an Assembly committee. Reps from a state agency spoke against the bill and certainly didn’t expect the rebuke they got from the chairman of the committee: “You are supposed to be a responsive agency!”

Let all government agencies hear that!

* Luke 18:1-8. Jesus told the story to encourage prayer. God is not like that judge!
**A bill supporting foster parents’ rights. In this case, my assemblyman responded to my concern and submitted this bill, unlike that uncaring judge. The bill became law.

Bible Insight – The Meaning of Pentecost

– Taken from the Book of Acts, chapter 2:1-11

“Pentecost” was the day it all began! Many Christians observe “Pentecost Sunday” to remember this drama. This year Pentecost Sunday is May 19.

The Bible identifies three great feast times for the Jewish People: Passover, First Fruits (“Feast of Weeks”), and the Festival of Booths (“Feast of Harvest”). See Exodus 23:14-17 and Deuteronomy 16.

“First Fruits” (Pentecost) was seven weeks after Passover. The earliest harvests were celebrated. For Christians, Pentecost (fifty days after Jesus’ death) was the day of the “first harvest” that kick-started the Christian Church. Three thousand people were baptized into the Christian faith on that day. Read of it in the Book of Acts, chapter two.

But the great kick-off day was not marked primarily by this result. It was marked by God’s gift to his followers that made the result possible—the presence and power of God’s Spirit, the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God empowered Jesus’ followers so that they miraculously proclaimed “the wonders of God” in the native languages of the many pilgrims who were gathered in Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost (Acts 2:4-12).

So when we think of Pentecost, we think of the power of God’s Spirit and the worldwide spread of the Christian faith by that power. From day one, the Christian faith has been spread by imperfect humans (as it has often displayed), being influenced and empowered by God’s presence.

So it continues today, and will do so until Jesus returns.

Upcoming Ministries

5 Sundays in June—Speak at 1st United Methodist Church of Seal Beach on “The Lord’s Prayer” (9:30 a.m.)

July 26-31 – Participate in “Vision 2020 South”, Leadership Conference of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches. Present resolutions to the Conference as chairman of the Social Concerns Committee.

Good News from Grace
www.gracesealbeach.org

 

Vacation Bible School at Grace Community Church of Seal Beach is July 8-12 (8:45-noon).

This is one outstanding program! Register your child (age 4 through grade 5) now to be sure to reserve a space. Perhaps 300 children will find themselves in “King Arthur’s Court” in search of the “one true king.”

This is not only one of the highlights on the church’s calendar, it is a highlight in the community. Call (562) 596-1605 with any questions. Get the registration form from the Website (click ministries, children).

Message of the Month – Immigration Reform is Now!

Last year I wrote a resolution supporting immigration reform. It was approved by my denomination’s annual meeting.

This resolution* asks for federal legislation that:

• Respects the God-given dignity of every person,
• Rejects the nativism that ignores the love of God for all and our country’s history of immigration and openness to the foreigner, as captured in the words enshrined on the Statue of Liberty,
• Protects the unity of the immediate family and seeks the best interests of native-born children of undocumented immigrants,
• Respects the rule of law,
• Holds employers accountable for ensuring the legal status of workers,
• Creates secure national borders,
• Ensures fairness to taxpayers,
• Develops a generous and fair “guest worker” program,
• Protects all immigrants from exploitation and violence, and
• Establishes a pathway toward legal status and/or citizenship for those who qualify and who wish to become permanent residents or citizens—a pathway that both achieves justice and loves mercy.

It concludes, “We recognize that meaningful solutions to this problem are not easily reached. We also recognize the solutions must come through a determined will to reach them and cannot be ignored time after time, year after year.”

Has the time now come for meaningful legislation? I say yes.

Senate Bill #744, sponsored by eight Democratic and Republican senators, goes a long way to accomplish what needs to be done. Is it perfect? No. Should it be tweaked? Probably yes. Does the Kingdom of God come with its passage? Not at all.

Legislation is incremental, often flawed, often selfishly focused. I sometimes say, “If you believe in the rule of law, and if you enjoy eating good sausage, then you don’t want to ask how either is made!”

Legislation is temporal, not ultimate (as God’s Kingdom is). Legislation is a give-and-take effort, seldom a “winner takes all” thing. Absolutists who want “all or nothing” will likely get the latter. Christians should not expect to get “God’s way” done in Congress. But we shouldn’t be cynical or wash our hands of the process either. We must work for the “better”**.

I urge us all to follow S744 closely and call on our elected officials to support it, so long as this bill achieves most of the needed goals and doesn’t take on any lethal amendments.

* You may read the whole resolution from a blog at my Website. http://donaldshoemakerministries.com/blog/?p=61
** Please read my published opinion, “Politics and God’s Kingdom” on the Website.

www.donaldshoemakerministries.com

Refreshing blessings of springtime to all!

Easter’s Theme—the Core of Christian Faith

“Prophets are Good for Business”

Saying “No” to Work – God Took a Day Off and You Should Too! (Part 1)

I’ve spent considerable time thinking on Sabbath-­‐keeping in studies I’ve done on the Ten Commandments, biblical values in the workplace and other topics. What is this idea and how does it fit into patterns of life?

In this newsletter I’ll give the first installment of my thoughts on this issue.

Pastors like myself (who are in the “church business”) tend to think of ourselves more highly than we ought. One way we do this is to work and work and work. During the first year of my pastoral career I thought I could do this. Seven days a week, morning and afternoon and evening, all year—I did “God’s work.” Who could criticize that? God could!

One particularly famous pastor was held up as a role model for pastors for many years. He built one of America’s great mega-churches. He never took a day off, never took a vacation, demanded the maximum from his staff. And the rest of us should be like him so we can be successful, too! He’s dead now.

I’ve come to the conclusion that such a pattern of work does not honor God, ourselves, or the people before whom we set examples.

What’s the biblical position on a break from work? It’s found originally in the first two chapters of Genesis. God spent six days making all that is. Then God took a day off. And in the Law of Moses we learn: We should take a day off too, following God’s example. (Since this is a creation story, we argue that the Sabbath is a “creation ordinance”—something good for all humanity, not something only intended for those who are “religious”.) God took a day off and we should too!

Christian understandings on keeping the Sabbath differ. I won’t go into those differences but I’ll share thoughts that all of these understandings could embrace. The great Protestant reformer John Calvin saw three values of the Sabbath:

1. We are reminded that we have salvation not by our own works but by God’s work and provisions for us
2. We need an agreed-to day when we can gather to worship God and hear his Word.
3. We need a weekly rest from our vocation. And we must extent that right to all who labor for us.

How are you doing on these three values? We’ll develop the Sabbath principle more in later newsletters.

Bible Insight – Putting Legs on Our Prayers

A young man told me this month he had left his church in Bellflower, CA. I suggested another church in that city he might try. His answer? “I’m waiting on the Lord.” Read on…

“We prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat” (Nehemiah 4:9 NIV). One of my favorite verses!

Governor Nehemiah responded to threats and opposition the way we all should face our challenges—make it a matter of prayer and then do something about it. None of this pious “I’ll just trust the Lord.”

Sometimes I’ve heard the advice, “You need to put legs on your prayers.” Or there’s the German phrase: “Beten und Arbeiten” (pray and work). Good thinking!

The Apostle Peter was in jail and Christians prayed intensely. God’s angel came to Peter and said, “Get up!” And the chains fell off. “Put on your clothes and sandals. Wrap your cloak around you and follow me” (Acts 12:7-­‐8). Put legs on your prayers. The angel did what Peter couldn’t do. In your prayers don’t expect God to do for you what you should do for yourself.

Trust in God doesn’t minimize personal responsibility. It enhances it. Forget “I’ll just wait on the Lord.” That’s spiritual laziness, justified passivity, religious fatalism, with perhaps a little pride thrown in.

Religious Liberty Vigilance

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…”

– 1st Amendment (Our “First Freedom” in the Bill of Rights)

 

“Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must…undergo the fatigue of supporting it.” – Thomas Paine

Whether you are “pro” or “con” on same-­‐sex marriage, reality requires that you recognize the trend as a challenge to religious liberty. While some legislative efforts attempt to soften this challenge, it remains.

For example, in California a new law (Senate Bill 1140, passed September 30, 2012 and in effect on January 1, 2013) amends the California Family Code, in part, as follows:

SECTION 1. Section 400 of the Family Code is amended to read:
400. Although marriage is a personal relation arising out of a civil, and not a religious, contract, a marriage may be solemnized by any of the following who is 18 years of age or older:
(a) A priest, minister, rabbi, or authorized person of any religious denomination. A person authorized by this subdivision shall not be required to solemnize a marriage that is contrary to the tenets of his or her faith. Any refusal to solemnize a marriage under this subdivision, either by an individual or by a religious denomination, shall not affect the tax-­‐exempt status of any entity.

My commentary:

1. “…marriage is a personal relation arising out of a civil, and not a religious, contract…”

   This is a theological definition more than a legal statement. How can the law rightly state that marriage is not a “religious” contract? Certainly, marriage is a civil contract. But more fundamentally marriage is a religious covenant. Marriage is fundamentally, irrevocably religious. Secular law is really not competent to speak on such matters.

2. This code exempts “clergy” from being required to perform any marriage contrary to the religious tenets of their faith. It further says that no tax exemption status will be affected by any such refusal.

   This is almost an empty gesture—a protection in search of a danger. It’s unthinkable that the state would punish clergy or “houses of worship” on the issue of marriage. Only the most radical secularists would promote such an invasion into the realm of religious liberty and the separation of church and state.

3. The Family Code lists four other categories of persons qualified to perform marriage ceremonies (such as retired judges). It does not give the right of “conscientious objection” to people in these categories as it does to clergy. Nor do I see that a chaplain clearly has a protected exemption.

4. The code does not protect individuals who, in the course of their vocations, find their religion-formed consciences at variance with a marriage practice (for examples, a county clerk, a DJ, a photographer, a wedding consultant, a singer or musician). “Free exercise of religion” should apply to church members as well as clergy. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.

5. The code should remind all the self-anointed, “free lance” clergy out there of the potential difficulties that can come when one is not under what’s called “ecclesiastical cover.” Chaplain endorsing programs require this “cover” to show that one is under some kind of religious authority other than himself (don’t bring pious “God is my cover” talk into this discussion, either!). The Family Code seems to expect it as well.

   My usual approach in social debates like this one is to look for common ground among differing sides and try to work toward a resolution from there. In this case there are formidable challenges to my approach.

   You should read Section 400 of the Family Code—it is interesting. For example, officials of non-­‐profit religious organizations may be licensed to perform marriages for members of that organization. But the licensee must possess the doctor of philosophy degree!!! Hey, not a problem—I know how you can get one of those for as little as $50!

Upcoming Ministries

5 Sundays in June—Speak at 1st United Methodist Church of Seal Beach on “The Lord’s Prayer” (9:30 a.m.)

Good News from Grace
www.gracesealbeach.org

 

Welcome to outstanding Easter services (March 31) at Grace Community Church, corner of 8th & Central in “Old Town” Seal Beach. Services are at 8:00, 9:30 & 11:00 in our Fellowship Hall and at 9:30 & 11:00 in our Surfside Room.

Message of the Month – The Legacy of Dr. C. Everett Koop

Long-time right-to-life spokesman, pediatric surgery specialist, and former surgeon general Dr. C. Everett Koop passed away on February 25.

Here is an opinion piece I wrote in 1989 on Dr. Koop’s influence as a dedicated Christian public figure.

“Dr. Koop: A Christian Who Makes a Difference”
By Donald P. Shoemaker
Long Beach Press-Telegram
January 21, 1989

Later this year the term of Surgeon General C. Everett Koop will end. Since Sunday is the 16th anniversary of the tragic and infamous U.S. Supreme Court Roe v. Wade abortion decision, it is appropriate to recall the service Dr. Koop has rendered as a Christian servant to society.

Prior to becoming surgeon general, Dr. Koop had already established himself as a national figure. He was well known for his skills in corrective surgery for birth defects. He was also well known for his strong viewpoints against abortion, infanticide and euthanasia. These were expressed in his book The Right to Live, The Right to Die. Dr. Koop believed that the ethical climate of permissive abortion would lead to a climate diminishing the value of the medically dependent newborn and elderly.

By the late 1970s, Dr. Koop was working increasingly with the “Right to Life” movement. He accepted my invitation for him to serve on the Board of Reference for the Christian right-to-life ministry “Crusade for Life.” In 1979 I had the privilege of dining with him and his wife when he delivered a keynote address to the National Right to life Convention.

Also in 1979 Dr. Koop co-authored, with the late Christian apologist Dr. Francis A. Schaeffer, the pro-life Christian book Whatever Happened to the Human Race? Drs. Koop and Schaeffer produced a film series on the book’s themes and lectured nationwide.

When President Reagan nominated Dr. Koop to be surgeon general, the doctor’s anti-abortion views led to a stormy confirmation struggle with the Senate which dragged on for months. Once confirmed, Dr. Koop worked for regulations to provide lifesaving treatment for severely handicapped infants and launched a strong anti-smoking campaign.

Then came the AIDS crisis and Dr. Koop sailed into the center of controversy once again. He called for early sex education and for condom use as a means (though less desirous than abstinence or monogamous relationships) to stem the spread of the AIDS virus. Suddenly, Dr. Koop found himself appreciated by former enemies and deplored by former supporters among the “religious right.”

His critics saw his actions, typified in his AIDS report mailed nationwide, as moral compromise or even capitulation. In my opinion, the critics failed to grapple adequately with the problem of communicating values into a world that often rejects the better solutions. An “all or nothing” attitude toward ethical engagement will probably result in “nothing” and will have little social impact.

Dr. Koop saw himself as the nation’s chief health officer, not as a “chaplain,” and said, “My message is a perfectly moral one. But everybody isn’t moral and everybody isn’t Christian. I cannot let those people go down the drain because they do not agree with me.”

As this term of service enters its final year, he has started a new crusade against domestic violence.

I look back over his years of service in and out of government and see Dr. Koop as an outstanding model of Christian commitment to public life. He reflects on his public service this way: “My thrust has been…that you really can’t separate your practice from your faith. And I’m serving the Lord for these eight years as the surgeon general. I do it with personal honesty and integrity to the best of my ability. And my personal honesty and integrity are based upon my Christian beliefs.”

The world needs thousand more like Dr. Koop.

“Easter” reminds us God gives us “new beginnings”…

“Just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” – Romans 6:4

www.donaldshoemakerministries.com

Bible Insight: “Contemporary Worship” – “Contemporary”, yes, but is it “Worship”?

“God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”
(John 4:24, a text that, among other things, should make us cautious about external show in worship)

1 Corinthians 14:26 is a foundational scripture for worship: “When you come together [‘sunerchomai’ – a technical term for the church gathering), …all [including singing] must be done for the strengthening of the church.”

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing each other with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs…” (Colossians 3:16—my rather literal translation of it)

First, let’s agree and admit: “God’s worship tastes are broader than yours or mine.” So what I like or what I prefer is not the issue. The issues are:

• Is our worship acceptable to God—the kind of worship he seeks?
• Is it spiritually strengthening to the congregation?
• If the occasion is evangelistic, is the music the best for the occasion?
• Does it make the church truly an engaged, worshipping body?
• Does it fulfill biblical teaching and commands? And (in matters not addressed in the Bible) does it fulfill biblical principles?

Here are five problems I have with some of the “contemporary worship” I observe (and I do benefit from much of it):

1. Platform Performance and a Spectator Audience rather than a Participating Congregation led by the Worship Team

Does the team in front truly lead the people in worshipping God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24)? Or does it perform before them? (Does the show go right on even if watchers are not participating?)

A 20-something couple attended a contemporary worship service and found the audience standing for a long song time but most were noticeably not singing. Worse, this couple had taken a young, non-Christian friend to this service, and she was quite puzzled. “Why do they stand so long? Why aren’t they singing?” (The couple wrote me about their experience.)

This may be “contemporary”, but “worship” it ain’t! Likewise, “leading worship” is more than coaxing the audience to clap their hands, etc., along the lines of some older worship styles. Good worship leading is an art. It creates a “symbiotic” situation, where leaders and congregation are ushered freely and together into the spirituality of the worship experience.

2. Use of Technology and Special Effects that attract attention to themselves rather than to Jesus (or even hinder attraction to Jesus)

I tried to worship last year at a gathering that displayed, in my opinion, many distracting special effects—especially some little spotlight nuisances that sent their beams wandering through the audience during songs. How does this build the spirituality of the song time? What are we trying to prove?

Technology (lighting, amplification, projections, special effects) is “neutral”, neither commanded nor forbidden in the Bible. The use of technology therefore must be judged by its positive or negative effect.

The reformer John Calvin’s advice is helpful when considering things added to the worship of God that are not specified in the Bible. He speaks against “useless elegance and fruitless extravagance” and favors a decorum that fits “the sacred mysteries” and is “appropriate adornment” for the exercise of devotion. “Ceremonies…ought to lead us straight to Christ” (Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 4, Chapter 10, Section 29). So we ask, “Does this particular use of technology lead us straight to Christ or not? Or does it even distract us from Christ?”

3. Selection of Songs and Style that doesn’t fit the context (the people who are there and the purpose of the gathering)

As a pastor for 44 years, I’ve learned the art of accepting people “where they are” and leading them from there to “where they ought to be”. In music, this includes broadening their tastes and appreciation, and doing so with a sensitive spirit.

This requires “gradualism”, building upon the ground they stand on, slowly expanding their grasp of music that will then build them up spiritually. You know how a cat acts when you take him suddenly from familiar surroundings to a strange place? You better be wearing gloves! We wouldn’t expect old-time gospel songs to be effective at a gathering of unchurched youth. Likewise, if a praise team is before an older crowd or a generationally mixed crowd and hits them with a style that narrowly fits a particular youthful stratum, then broader musical appreciation and spiritual growth are aborted.

And remember, the elderly folk aren’t into standing for 20+ minutes!

4. “Sloppy Agape” and the “Slurpization of God”

Some contemporary songs convey an erotic (romantic, but not in the negative sense of “eroticism”) rather than an agapic view of love (1 Corinthians 13). The agape love of God reaches down to us in our distress and does what is needed (John 3:16). It motivates us to agapic love for others (1 John 4:11). It’s not about getting the feeling that God has feelings of love for us.

I attended a church’s song service last year where the lyrics of one popular song said Heaven will come “like a sloppy wet kiss”! No wonder some talk of men (males) not caring for modern worship. Women either.

All worship leaders should study the transcendence, holiness and majesty of God and ponder their practical application to worship.

5. Weak or Wrong Teaching in the Song Lyrics

Singing is a time to teach and admonish with the truth (Colossians 3:16).

I’m delighted to see more contemporary songs focusing on our social duties as Christians. This has been a blind spot in contemporary music. “God of The City” is a top example of this development (O that it were more singable!).

But some songs go beyond this with themes and lyrics that are “post-millennial” (Jesus will return after the church establishes his kingdom on earth). Few Christians I know really believe this, but the songs they sometimes sing convey it anyhow. (Let it be said that the old “gospel songs” were sometimes doctrinally weak or wrong as well.)

I close with the powerful words of the relevant song, “Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above” by Johann J. Schutz (1675):

Thus all my toilsome way along I sing aloud Thy praises,
That men may hear the grateful song my voice unwearied raises.
Be joyful in the Lord, my heart. Both soul and body bear your part.
To God all praise and glory!

Religious Liberty Vigilance

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…”
– 1st Amendment (Our “First Freedom” in the Bill of Rights)

PROCLAMATION
honoring
Religious Freedom Day 2013

WHEREAS our nation’s founders recognized the importance of religious freedom and secured this liberty in the words of the First Amendment, declaring that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;” and

WHEREAS the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, our country’s first legal safeguard for religious liberty, was adopted on January 16, 1786, and each year since 1994, the President of the United States has issued a proclamation on the importance of religious liberty recognizing, “our government did not create this liberty, but it cannot be too vigilant in securing its blessings;” and

WHEREAS the free exercise of religion has undergirded the social efforts of many Americans, notably Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose birthday on January 15th we commemorate each year; and

WHEREAS the United Nation’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights states, “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion” including the right “to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance”; and

WHEREAS our country has embraced a tradition of religious liberty that has prevented religious domination, conflict and persecution and nurtured an environment where religion has flourished and where people have been left free to choose which faith they shall follow or none at all;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Bob Foster, Mayor of Long Beach along with Gerrie Schipske, Councilwoman of the 5th District, on behalf of the City of Long Beach do hereby declare January 16, 2013 to be “Religious Freedom Day” in our community. We encourage city government, community groups, schools and places of worship to reaffirm their devotion to the principles of religious freedom and educate and reflect on the importance of religious liberty so it may continue secure as part of our nation’s fabric. We also encourage citizens and government to be mindful of the principles of religious liberty in their decisions, attitudes, and actions.

Dated: January 16, 2013

[Adapted from a text prepared by Donald Shoemaker]

Upcoming Ministries

February 7 – Participate in a presentation on professional responses to the Salon Meritage incident (Oct. 12, 2011) for the Chaplain Corp of the Los Angeles Police Department

February 13 – Lead Ash Wednesday service of prayer, song, message and Communion at Grace Community Church of Seal Beach (7:00 p.m.)

Good News from Grace
www.gracesealbeach.org

Steve Williams was installed as the new senior pastor of Grace Community Church of Seal Beach on January 13.

An Ash Wednesday service, devoted to song, repentant prayer, and Communion, will be held at the church February 13 at 7:00 p.m.

Message of the Month – “Roe v. Wade at 40”
[slightly expanded from the Seal Beach/Los Alamitos Patch, Jan. 22, 2013]

“You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13). For this scripture and other reasons I joined the “Right to Life” movement on January 22, 1973, the day “Roe v. Wade” was decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. As Roe v. Wade reaches its 40-year mark, I want to make three observations about this landmark decision.

First, the court’s Roe v. Wade decision was far more expansive than necessary to decide the case before it. It gave unlimited right to an abortion during the first trimester of pregnancy and allowed limits during the second trimester only as were “reasonably related to maternal health”. For the third trimester, the court noted “the potentiality of human life” (the unborn) and said states could regulate or ban abortion at this stage except if maternal “health” (broadly understood) was at risk.

Roe v. Wade grounded abortion rights on a right to privacy that it found in the “penumbra” (we might say, “surrounding glow”) of the Constitution rather than in the words of the Constitution itself.

Thus the activist court “legislated” (made law) rather than “judged” law. Justice Rehnquist in dissent reminded the court it should never “formulate a rule of constitutional law broader than is required by the precise facts to which it is to be applied”
(www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/historics/USSC_CR_0410_0113_ZD.html).

Second, public opinion has never been in accord with Roe v. Wade and is even less so now than in 1973. It also should fairly be said that public opinion doesn’t support the “Right to Life” side in all details either. Here are some samples of recent Gallup opinion polls
(www.gallup.com/poll/1576/abortion.aspx).

• Today 50% say they are “pro-life” compared to 33% in 1996. In 1996, 56% claimed to be “pro-choice” and today that number is 41%.
• 71% support requiring parental notification if the woman is under 18.
• 62% support legal abortion during the first three months of pregnancy, but 71% oppose it during second three months and 86% in the last three months.
• Still, 52% do not want to see the U.S. Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade.

If we survey all the questions in the polls, we see most Americans are against most abortions and do not favor either an outright ban on abortions nor unqualified access to abortions.

Third, a new wrinkle has been added by the “contraception mandate” in what is popularly called “Obamacare”. Now the issue of religious liberty (the “free exercise” of religion guaranteed in the First Amendment) has been raised. In other words, the debate moves from what people should be free to do to what people and institutions with religion-based convictions can be forced to do.

“Obamacare” provides a very narrow and inadequate exemption for “houses of worship” but plans to force religious institutions (such as Christian colleges) to cover free access to contraception including, as feared by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, “drugs which can attack a developing unborn child before and after implantation in the mother’s womb”
(www.usccb.org/news/2011/11-154.cfm). This major debate will certainly go to the Supreme Court.

The current administration is no friend of religious liberty in my opinion. Ironically, President Obama’s 2013 “Religious Freedom Day” proclamation said, “As we observe [on January 16] Religious Freedom Day…let us honor it by forever upholding our right to exercise our beliefs free from prejudice or persecution”
(www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/01/16/presidential-proclamation-religious-freedom-day).

Yes, Mr. President, let’s do that even if exercising religious liberty conflicts with your plans for expansive government control in matters previously thought to be better left to the consciences of individuals and the convictions of religious institutions.

Donald P. Shoemaker is Pastor Emeritus of Grace Community Church of Seal Beach. In 1980 he served as General Chairman of the National Right to Life Convention at the Anaheim Convention Center.

www.donaldshoemakerministries.com