Friends: Paraphrasing, and with apologies to, 2 Corinthians 3:17: “Where the Spirit of the Lord isn’t, liberal, woke arrogance can reign.” How about that presidential prayer service? Blessings, Bob

--- --- ---

Spirituality Column #950

January 28, 2025

Common Christianity / Uncommon Commentary

Ghosting the Spirit

By Bob Walters

“Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel …” – Paul, Ephesians 6:19

The National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., is an Episcopal church which, in a continuing demonstration of doctrinal benightment, fearlessly makes known its politics.

Mariann Budde, the Cathedral’s bishop, is suddenly the poster girl for the flailing anti-Trump “woke” left wing of American politics. Last week she used the Cathedral’s traditional day-after-the-inaugural prayer service attended by the newly-sworn-in President and his family not to proclaim from the pulpit the truth of Jesus Christ, but liberal ideology.

“Wait,” you may be thinking. “All she did was call on Trump to 'have mercy.'''

That bears closer examination.  What Budde wielded was a barely-cloaked verbal stiletto stabbing at Trump’s common-sense inaugural proclamations regarding “only two genders, male and female,” and deporting criminal illegal aliens. It was the Episcopal church doing what it does, backing “social justice” devoid of common sense.

And, may I add, preaching without making known the mystery of the gospel.

Pastor Lorenzo Sewell, the black minister who gave that buoyant prayer at Monday’s inauguration ceremony, called it “theological and spiritual malpractice.” For her part, Budde was instantly off on a TV talk show tour, a hero of mainstream media.

Budde’s prayer service plea cited “kids who were scared” because of Trump’s gender proclamation.  Migrants doing hourly labor feared deportation. “Show them mercy,” she said to the President, in a tone dripping with arrogant condescension.  To my ear it sounded ironic, coming as it did from a church that for decades has backed abortion rights. Where is the church’s mercy for the unborn?

This is the embedded hypocrisy – writ large – of modern social justice pleas.

Pastor Sewell, in an interview (LINK) Wednesday evening, said, “[Budde] had the opportunity to preach the gospel, to talk about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. She had the opportunity to bring people into the faith.  It was a salvific moment.  Instead of using the authority of the word of God to preach the message of Christ and to draw our President closer to Jesus, she used it for … malpractice.”

I was reminded of Vice President-elect Mike Pence, in 2016 in the audience for a performance of the musical Hamilton in New York, being chided by one of the cast members – from the stage during a curtain call – about Trump’s policies.

Perhaps Budde’s “mercy” plea lends an appropriate and humane perspective to the politics of the moment. But while I’d like to see Trump in church more, this kind of “gotcha” social gospel “preaching” is what keeps people away from the Holy Spirit.

Here, the just-inaugurated President and his entire family were listening to a Christian bishop who could not find it within herself to preach the gospel in the National Cathedral.  It may as well have been a Democratic party caucus featuring AOC.

I know folks here in town who through Mike Pence, a devout and deep-thinking Christian, have a prayerful handle on President Trump’s need for Christian growth.  I wish he could have found the Spirit at the National Cathedral.

Too bad he was ghosted.

Walters (rlwcom@aol.com) grew up Episcopalian in the 1960s. Jesus came later.

Friends: No prisoner of shyness or doubt, the dependable advice and leadership of Ed Simcox has been a blessing to nearly 50 years of Indiana Christians. And now, he’s written a book, He Leadeth Me. See the column below. Blessings, Bob

--- --- ---

Spirituality Column #912

May 7, 2024

Common Christianity / Uncommon Commentary

Led by Faith

By Bob Walters

“Do you play golf?” “No, I visit prisons.” – Ed Simcox, from his new book, He Leadeth Me

A few years ago, a friend of mine – a Christian – was serving a federal prison sentence for business fraud complicity, and I had no idea how to encourage him.

Hence, I did the most normal thing I could think of: ask Ed Simcox for advice.

Ed’s advice – as a longtime board member of Prison Fellowship Ministries – was heartfelt, immediate, and simple: write letters to your friend.  Mail “on the inside” is treasured, Ed said.  So, for nearly two years I wrote weekly personal letters to my friend, and sent along a copy of my weekly column until his early parole – thank you, Covid.  Amid few positives of the pandemic, my friend’s early return home was one of them.

“Ed Simcox” is one of those Indiana names that rings a bell with most, let’s say, more mature Hoosiers, even if they can’t quite place specifics or where they heard it.  Ed, an attorney and perennial state Republican Party organizer and leader, was Indiana’s 55^th Secretary of State (elected, not appointed) from 1978-1986.

I know Ed from church, East 91^st Street Christian Church here in Indianapolis, where he has served multiple terms as an elder, elder chairman, fundraiser, Sunday school teacher, and frequent presenter of the church’s weekly communion meditation. Each meditation Ed presents is a master class on the body and blood of Christ.

But that’s local stuff. Ed has served in the big game of state, national, and international Christian issues.  He was a 29-year executive board member of Chuck Colson’s international Prison Fellowship Ministries, the longest serving board member in the organization’s history. I was thankful to lean on his counsel with my friend in trouble.

Ed, given his years of service, understandably affords Prison Fellowship Ministries top billing in the compilation of his life’s work, but there is so much more.  

He was the long-time chair of the annual Indiana Leadership Prayer Breakfast. He also chaired the 1999 Indianapolis Billy Graham Crusade, and was one of only a handful of Hoosiers, along with Vice President and Mrs. Mike Pence, who attended Graham’s North Carolina funeral, March 2, 2018.

Ed is a humble guy with a humbling CV.  Political, Christian, career, and legal entries abound. He was president of the Indiana Energy Association from 1986-2010, has been bestowed by Indiana governors eight – eight! – elite Sagamore of the Wabash citations for various leadership accomplishments. Ed was on Pence’s personal prayer team during his 2016 presidential election and subsequent term as vice president. 

Ed’s just-out book, He Leadeth Me – the title an obvious nod to Psalm 23:3, “He leadeth me beside still waters…” (KJV) – more-or-less chronicles Ed’s enormous leadership talents.  But the book isn’t about that.  It is a loving offering of his gifts for writing deeply perceptive Christian devotionals, meditations, and speeches.

The book is a gold mine of quotes and stories – highly relatable, often famous, and always intriguing – through the Kingdom lens of one of Christ’s front line soldiers.

Walters (rlwcom@aol.com) is among the E91 communion meditation presenters (so is his wife Pam), but Ed is one of the guys they save for special occasions (Easter, Christmas, etc.), along with Ken Nelson, Rick Justice, and John Samples.  When any of them speak, Walters takes notes.