By Norris Burkes Feb 2 2024
I’m the part-time pastor at Community Church in Nevada City, CA and like most pastors, I send out a weekly email to church members and friends previewing my sermon topic and promoting our upcoming events.
After the election, I received this jarring email from a local person we’ll call “Joe Christian.”
“Please remove us from your e-mail list.” Joe asked. “I wish to get as far away as possible from the poison in this country that is evangelical Christianity.”
I have to admit, the email saddened me a bit.
But I understood.
Joe C. understandably mistook me for those evangelicals that I call the “Christ-mericans.”
That’s what I call the believers who’ve morphed Christ into their American patriotism. These are those who promote a certain candidate, issue, or who insist on a certain form of biblical interpretation on both Christians and non-Christians.
These “Evangelicals” are led by those trying to convince parishioners that they are being persecuted and that they’ve lost their freedom to profess their beliefs and follow Christ.
They urge their communities to ban library books, install their evangelical choice on the city council using methods that exploit hot issues like gay rights, abortion, and immigration.
If that describes your church, would you mind if I forwarded Joe’s email. Maybe your pastor can help me compose an answer.
In the meantime, I’ve informed Joe in no uncertain terms, “I am evangelical, just not THAT kind of evangelical.
“I am not the kind of evangelical who engages with the political process to protect my ‘Biblical values.’
“I do not use my pulpit to preach for or against issues such as abortion, euthanasia, gay rights, or science.”
And during the eight Sundays I’m away from my pulpit, I invite a local woman pastor to fill my preaching duties. (Shout-out to Cherise. My folks love you!)
So, as some evangelical churches preach the “Christ-merican” idea, they may enjoy some “growth,” – for just a little bit longer, anyway.
But in the meantime, I accept all as my brother.
And even as some dismiss me as their “Liberal brother,” I’ll continue to interpret Jesus’ teaching in the light of modern knowledge, science and ethics. I’ll lean forward using reason and experience over doctrinal authority.
I’ll address folks like Joe in more relatable language, admitting that, yes, I am evangelical. But only in the sense that I think Jesus spoke with common sense. I encourage all to consider Jesus’s ideas, and I will try to make my church a welcoming place to explore faith.
I’m evangelical because I believe the Holy Bible retains a message for every generation. I’m evangelical in that I believe Jesus loves all of us the way he loves each of us. AND he intensively loves each of us as if we were the only ones on earth.
So, this Sunday at 10:30, you’ll find me again at 300 Main St, standing in my small pulpit with the same theme I always bring — “Love the Lord Your God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself.”
Eventually, Joe replied with the kindest of words.
“Thank you, Norris. I apologize for my abrupt tone. I painted with too broad of a brush.”
It’s OK, Joe. In the words imprinted on the sweatshirts our team wore at Hospice of the Foothills, — “We’re all just walking each other home.”
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