Prayer at the Democratic National Convention
I read several blogs that bemoaned a lack of a prayer at the beginning of the Democratic National Convention. I didn't fact check them, though I know the networks chose not to air it if it happened. I have had occasion to wrestle with some of the issues surrounding prayer and politics. Most notable was a prayer to open the City Council meeting in Tucson - a distinctly Democratic and liberal leaning city (in case you hadn't guessed I'm a self-confessed conservative). I found guidance in some of the prayers of the former Senate Chaplain, Dick Halverson.
My prayer went well, I prayed for wisdom for all concerned - appropriate in almost any political setting. I didn't try to evangelize everyone in my prayer. I closed "...in Jesus' name" and no one threw anything at me. The mayor was very nice and we had a nice conversation after the meeting. But I wish I had thought through how to close it effectively and get people of other faiths to listen.
Joel Hunter did just that at the Democratic National Convention. He talks about the way he thought through what he would say here in Mark Waltz' blog, which I read regularly.
Hunter's thoughts generated a "Wish I'd thought of that" moment. What do you think?
My prayer went well, I prayed for wisdom for all concerned - appropriate in almost any political setting. I didn't try to evangelize everyone in my prayer. I closed "...in Jesus' name" and no one threw anything at me. The mayor was very nice and we had a nice conversation after the meeting. But I wish I had thought through how to close it effectively and get people of other faiths to listen.
Joel Hunter did just that at the Democratic National Convention. He talks about the way he thought through what he would say here in Mark Waltz' blog, which I read regularly.
Hunter's thoughts generated a "Wish I'd thought of that" moment. What do you think?
I have attended many Democratic state conventions and two national conventions. They have always opened with prayer. If you spend too much time watching the talking heads at Fox News, you can miss a great deal including the prayer.
Reply to this
ALAN comments: The blog was an "occasional epistle." The occasion was reading an internet article on someone (Cameron Strang, editor of Relevant magazine) who is trying to advance the Kingdom and his honest wrestling with issues related to living the implications of the Gospel in a pluralistic society. The Gospel begets a culture of life, and his pro-life stance moved him to pull out, lest the perception be that he supports abortion (the culture of death).
If the Democratic party is really committed to making abortion "safe, legal and rare ", (which could be a reasonable compromise in a pluralistic society) they are failing miserably - 40 million dead babies are the metric that speaks louder than any of their campaign rhetoric.
Another believer (Read the background of Dr. Joel Hunter's reasoning here) wrestled with it from a different perspective and chose to pray, but include an invitation to those listening to pray according to their own faith tradition. Dr. Hunter is also a pro-life Republican. I was interested in commenting on how they reasoned.
The issue of (especially young) evangelicals fascination with the Democratic party is part of a discussion related to the advancement of the Kingdom. A sampling of blogs (I'll link to just one here) have noted it and it perplexes others besides me.
As for Fox News, I realize it and most of the MSM has become "infotainment" (Hence the interchangeable blondes on all the news shows). However, truth is true no matter who utters it. Keith Olberman and Bill O'Reilly make me sick at about the same rate.
Reply to this