FACE-TO-FACE WITH OBAMA'S PASTOR!

Your missionary to Capitol Hill, Washington, DC, Rob Schenck, reporting:

I just got back to our ministry center after spending the morning as a guest at the National Press Club for an address by the highly controversial long-time pastor to Barack Obama, Dr. Jeremiah Wright. His purpose was ostensibly to explain and defend the Black church to a hostile audience, but I thought he went on to do more alienating than bridge-building.

In any case, I wanted to talk with him personally, and miracle of miracles, that happened! In an overflow room with very tight control and security, it seemed impossible to access America's newest religious celebrity. Never one to shrink back, I boldly introduced myself to one of his handlers and explained who I was. She was very warm and accommodating and immediately escorted me past the impenetrable rope line directly to Dr. Wright.

As always I tried to be as warm, congenial and deferential as I could. I introduced myself and extended a warm welcome on behalf of the National Clergy Council (my other hat in Washington), but quickly went to the matter at hand. With all due respect, I admonished Dr. Wright, warning him about the error of his Marxist informed "liberation" theology. I told him it was incompatible with the Gospel and was the source of his trouble.

That's when I realized Dr. Wright isn't all that interested in a "dialogue." A dialogue is exactly that, a two-way form of communication. It involves both parties listening as well as talking. Dr. Wright wasn't interested in talking to me, but quickly dismissed me and dropped his head into his notes. He then mounted the podium and went on what began as a thoughtful, carefully crafted defense of the Black Church and its history. It stayed that way as long as he stuck to his printed notes and teleprompter. As soon as he strayed, though, it quickly degraded into a sometimes diatribe against all those who don't understand his church or him in particular.

Instead of a noble and transcendent message--and a formal, humble defense--this became a "working out" of Jeremiah Wright's personal issues with a lot of people. I found particularly disturbing his intimidating behavior toward the young woman chairing the proceedings. It fell to her to simply read the questions posed by members of the audience by way of submitted index cards. (One of mine was selected: "Does God love the white racist in the same way he loves the oppressed black American?" Good answer--John 3:16!) Notwithstanding the reasonableness of the questions, Dr. Wright often leaned into the young lady, clearly violating her personal space, and acted as though she had authored the questions. At one point he seemed to almost physically bully her.

At no point would he concede that he had perhaps chosen the wrong words, allowed his temper to get out of control, or was the least bit wrong in anything he has said or done. He wouldn't answer the most controversial questions put to him. As time went on, he came off more and more dismissive and cocky.

Though I have been a critic of Dr. Wright, I went into this meeting with an open mind. I have spent a lot of time fostering relationships between white and black Christians. I have served in extended times of ministry in a large and all-black congregation. Our ministry has partnered with black organizations, often funding their efforts with no assertion of control or even visibility. We are right now co-hosting the annual National Bible Reading Marathon at the US Capitol, run principally by a black congregation pastored by a white minister. Sadly, Dr. Wright did little to strengthen such relationships and partnerships. I suspect he did more damage than good.

Please pray for Dr. Wright and his lovely wife and children. God help him to see the error of his ways and the power of Matthew 23:12, "And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted."

My assessment: I have a lot to learn, a lot to listen to and a lot to work hard to overcome, but so does Dr. Wright. May he have ears to listen and a heart to change!

More later . . .

Rev. Rob Schenck
Faith and Action
www.faithandaction.org
109 2nd St, NE
Washington, DC 20002
202-546-8329

PRAYING FOR UNITY: HERE'S A GOOD START!

Your Missionary to Capitol Hill, Washington, DC, Rob Schenck, reporting:

Yesterday I spent most of my time at a board meeting of the National Pro-Life Religious Council (NPRC). I’ve been a member of this group for a number of years. It’s a serious collection of pro-life leaders from every Christian tradition and denomination. For all the times I’ve heard people say, “We all need to work together,” NPRC is the answer to their prayers!

At this most recent meeting we had representatives from the following churches:

-          United Methodist

-          Charismatic Episcopal

-          Lutheran

-          Orthodox

-          Anglican

-          Congregational

-          United Church of Christ

-          Presbyterian

-          Roman Catholic

-          Evangelical

That’s a lot of Christendom in the room!

Beside our regular joint programs—like the National Memorial for the Pre-born (held in the US Capitol complex each year) and our publications (a pro-life devotional, compilation of pro-life sermons, various theological treatises on life issues, newsletter, etc.) each representative reports on their respective group’s endeavors. It’s exhilarating to hear about the enormously creative, effective and determined efforts to preserve, protect and promote the sanctity of life. (The Sanctity of Life is the first of our “Three Core Convictions” at Faith and Action: The Sanctity of Life, the Sanctity of Marriage and the Family and the Public Acknowledgment of God.)

Fr. Terry Gensemer of Birmingham, Alabama, is active with building a national pro-life youth culture. He reported on his denomination’s annual contest that rewards young people for their creative expression of a pro-life message with a trip to Ireland to work with pro-life youth organizations there.

Georgette Forney of the Anglican pro-life group asked for prayers as she and a host of others prod the worldwide Anglican bishops to declare the Anglican Communion to be a pro-life church during their decadal Lambeth Conference coming up. Such a declaration would imply a continuing rebuke to the apostate, liberal and pro-death American Episcopal Church—as much as lend strength to the witness of the biblically faithful African, Asian and South American Anglican witness!

Rev. Paul Stallsworth who heads the pro-life movement within the United Methodist Church announced they may see a decided turn toward greater biblical faithfulness and pro-life positioning at the U.M. General Conference that begins this week in Dallas.

And on and on it goes. Thank the Lord for talented, dedicated and highly capable servants of God who work tirelessly for the Sanctity of Life. It’s a huge undertaking and a constant battle for hearts, souls and, yes, lives. We’re in better shape because of these good people and I’m blessed to identify with them and keep their company!

Please check out the good work of NPRC on the web at www.nprcouncil.org.

Be back later . . .

Rev. Rob Schenck

www.faithandaction.org

Faith and Action

109 2^nd St, NE

Washington, DC 20002

202-546-8329

GREAT CHURCHES, GREAT PEOPLE AND HOW TO VOTE! (?)

Your Missionary to Capitol Hill, Washington, DC, Rob Schenck, reporting:

Sorry for the haphazard posting, but I’m still working toward carving out writing time every day. Let’s see if I get there by end-of-year!

Spent this past weekend with the 2200 great people of the Worship Center in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I preached a message there entitled “How to Vote.” (Don’t worry—we looked at what the Bible says on “how to” not “for whom!”)  

Worship Center pastor Sam Smucker and his wife, Sherlyn, have built a beautiful body of believers over the last 31 years. Like pastor--like people, the folks at Worship Center are exceedingly warm, gracious and generous in every way. This is a dynamic church with quality ministries for the whole family. They reach deep into their community, across the country and around the world. The congregation also maintains one of the largest Christian schools in the area. We’re grateful to the Lord and to the leadership and members of the Worship Center for their support of Faith and Action!

Incidentally, getting out into churches is one of the things I really enjoy about the “other part” of my ministry. I accept about 25 preaching engagements a year. I call this my “Pulpit Ministry.” Just as much as our team is called to serve our “target population” group (that is, elected and appointed officials serving in federal and state government), we’re also called to serve God’s people wherever they are assembled. We do the former by privately and publicly proclaiming God’s Truth here in Washington and in state capitals throughout the country; we do the latter by bringing instruction from God’s Word on exactly how we are to pray for our country and its civil leaders, as well as conduct ourselves as Christian citizens.

Speaking of conducting ourselves as Christian citizens, my visit to the Worship Center officially launched our “How To Vote Initiative.” This new emphasis will carry us from now until Election Day in November. This will be a very important focus for us. You’ll see a lot about it in the days ahead. We want to help you, your family, friends and fellow church members to prayerfully and carefully carry out your important civic responsibility and bring your Christian principles to bear on the voting process. Watch for “How To Vote” notices coming your way soon!

Finally, I had the rare privilege of giving a talk in the prestigious Mansfield Room of the United States Capitol yesterday. It was on the related topic of  “Evangelicals and the Upcoming Election.” (My host’s choice of topic—not mine!)

The group I spoke to has in recent days hosted the likes of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England. They mostly wanted to know if I could predict whom Evangelicals will get behind for president. I couldn’t. I explained there is a clear and pronounced shift in Evangelical attitudes this time around. Upwards of 76% voted for George Bush the first time and for Republicans in general. That will not repeat. For a variety of reasons there is something of a disillusionment with the Republicans among Christian conservatives. John McCain hasn’t connected well with Evangelicals either. I recently talked with one of his top-level advisors about this, noting Evangelicals are relationally driven people and the McCain campaign has done nothing to build that relationship.

On the other hand, a growing number of “emergent church” leaders are looking at Barack Obama and even Hillary Clinton. This is especially true of younger Evangelicals. While I don’t think this yet represents a critical number—not even a significant minority—it does indicate a big change in the future. For now, it will likely mean a smaller majority will vote Republican--and perhaps in far fewer numbers. We could see a significant percentage of Evangelicals sit out this election because they either don’t know what to do or they just don’t like their choices—or choice, however you see it.

Can you see why we’ve launched “How To Vote?” Please help us to help other Christians—of every tradition—see the importance of bringing their voice and influence into the critically consequential process of selecting our next president and other elected leaders.

Before I close: Hope to see you at this year’s U.S. Capitol Bible Reading Marathon, April 27 – May 1, here in Washington. Check our website for more information: www.faithandaction.org

And pray for me as I go off today to an all-day board meeting of the National Pro-Life Religious Council, punctuated by a lunch with Jay Sekulow and his legal team working on the big upcoming Supreme Court case out of Utah.

That’s all for now . . . (as if it’s not enough!) . . .

 

Rev. Rob Schenck

Faith and Action

www.faithandaction.org

109 2nd Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002

202-546-8329

I LOVE BREAKING STEREOTYPES!

Your Missionary to Capitol Hill, Washington, DC, Rob Schenck, reporting:

During my April 9 appearance on a “Faith and Politics” panel at George Washington University here in the capital, I pointed out that ideological opponents often stereotype people like me. I made the point that I’m identified as an operative of the “Religious Right” even though I’ve never really known what that is. Of course, all of us do it, including me! To prove the point, I assumed all along that three of the panel members were Republican (including me) and three were Democrats (and I knew who they were). My assumption proved wrong when my ally on the panel, Christian “conservative” preacher Harry Jackson, revealed he is a Democrat! This is the Bishop Harry Jackson that just wrote a book with conservative icon Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council! Bishop Jackson is also black and a Harvard graduate. So, this “progressive” event got a religiously conservative, born again Christian, pro-life, pro-traditional marriage activist (who, by the way, is also on the board of the most powerful conservative policy organization in the country) and is NOT a white Republican. But there’s more . . .

When I challenged the stereotype of me, I noted that I am Jewish by birth. At that, David Brody, the senior Washington correspondent for CBN (Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network)—the “other conservative” on the panel—announced he, too, is Jewish by birth and upbringing! So, now they have two Jews and a black—and we’re all born again religious and social conservatives! Wow! I loved it!

To further prove my point, I uncharacteristically cited my life’s work. (I’m always a little embarrassed and hesitant to do that, not the least because the Bible warns against a man’s own mouth praising him.) Anyway, I had to mention that a very large part of my life and ministry was founding Operation Serve International, a Christian humanitarian organization that today dispatches hundreds of volunteers every year to provide medical and health care related services to some of the poorest children in the world. I also co-founded with my brother, Paul, Hearts for the Homeless, a mobile advocacy program for indigent children, women and men in my native Western New York State. I’ve also participated in numerous diplomatic religious delegations to Muslim countries like Morocco, Egypt and Sudan (including Darfur)--and I've raised a lot of money over the years for young unmarried moms and their babies.

The point is those who oppose our efforts to promote America as “one nation under God,” and to preserve the sanctity of life, marriage and the family, often revert to fictitious characterizations of religious conservatives as callous, avaricious prigs. Here are the facts: 1) Religious conservatives give more time and money to charity than any other subgroup, 2) Religious conservatives make 6% less than their liberal counterparts, 3) Religious conservatives are of every political persuasion, and 4) Most ethnic minorities are overwhelmingly conservative in both theology and morality!

What’s the anti-dote to this ignorant and sometimes malicious slander and libel against good people? Simply living out our principles. Don’t ever expect accolades. This is where I think some of my fellow Evangelicals make a big mistake. In their desire to gain acceptance and approval from the wider world, they compromise themselves and “downplay” the non-negotiable core convictions on life, marriage and public expressions of belief in God. In the end, what they’re doing actually works against the goal. It weakens the message and the messenger and leads to less respect.

Well, enough carping. Let’s concentrate on how we’re going to win this generation and reclaim our nation: By living out Matthew 5 – 8. I just read those chapters again and they’re so brilliant in their simplicity. We take those words seriously and we may still have enemies that malign us—but we’ll make a lot more friends for God, too.

Back later . . .

Your grateful missionary to elected and appointed officials,

Rev. Rob Schenck

Faith and Action

www.faithandaction.org

109 2nd Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002

202-546-8329

 

PASTORS APLENTY!

Your Missionary to Capitol Hill, Washington, DC, Rob Schenck, reporting:

I’m writing to you on Thursday instead of Friday because tomorrow will be too intense of a day to be posting. We will host our first “Preachers’ Circle” at the    "O. House." It is designed as an intimate, but exhaustive experience for the pastors of our supporting churches, so they can gain exposure to all the elements of our work on Capitol Hill. This time some 16 ministers and their spouses will spend an entire day with us, doing what we do , seeing what we see and experiencing what we experience day in and day out! At the same time, they’ll have unique access to unique people and places. Here’s an overview:

We’ll begin our day with a discussion in the Wright Parlor of the O.House featuring Dr. Jim Hutson, the premiere American historian on the so-called “separation of church and state.” Here’s Jim’s bio from the Library of Congress website:

 

“James H. Hutson received his Ph.D. in History from Yale University in 1964. He has been a member of the History Departments at Yale and William and Mary and, since 1982, has been Chief of the Library's Manuscript Division. Dr Hutson is the author of several books among them: John Adams and the Diplomacy of the American Revolution (1980); winner of the Gilbert Chinard Prize, 1981; To Make All Laws: The Congress of the United States, 1789-1989 (Washington and Boston, 1989-90; 4th edition, Washington, 1990); The Sister Republics: Switzerland and the United States from 1776 to the Present ( Washington, 1991; 4th edition, Washington, 1998); Religion and the Founding of the American Republic (5th printing, Washington, 2000).”

 

It doesn’t mention Jim’s latest book, Church and State: The First 200 Years (Cambridge University Press). It’s the best treatment of this subject on the market. I highly recommend it to you. Don’t be afraid of it; Jim writes comfortably for the layman. “Church and State” is one of the most contentious fault lines in our American civilization, so we’ve got to get it right. That’s what this session for preachers will be all about.

After the discussion, we’ll go over to the Library of Congress itself and get a special VIP tour of areas not generally accessible to the public. (I can say no more!)

From the Library of Congress, we’ll go to the historic New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, near the White House, where each guest minister will be invited to mount the famous pulpit where Peter Marshall once preached—and where Dr. George Docherty delivered his famous “Under God” sermon while Dwight Eisenhower was in attendance. It was that sermon, atop a years long petition drive by the Knights of Columbus, that gave us the phrase “under God” in our Pledge of Allegiance.

After New York Ave Pres, we’ll make a brief stop at the White House for a group photo, then, go on to the U.S. Capitol for lunch and a prayer meeting led by U.S. Senate Chaplain Barry Black. You read it right: There is a prayer meeting held under the dome of U.S. Capitol! Senate Chaplain Black is a good friend and precious Man of God. (I had the pleasure of conferring the honorary doctor of divinity degree on Chaplain Black during a joint convocation of the National Clergy Council and the Methodist Episcopal Church USA.)He loves the Lord and has faithfully served Him since a teenager. Chaplain Black is the first military man to occupy this post (he's a retired Navy admiral and former Navy Chief of Chaplains) and the first African American congressional chaplain.

Following the prayer service, we’ll go across the street for an officially escorted VIP tour of the US Supreme Court. As you know, this is our primary mission field, and I want these ministers to get a good look at it—up close and personal!

Finally, we’ll gather for debriefing at the ministry center and enjoy a leisurely dinner at one of the nearby Capitol Hill haunts. It’ll be a full day!

If you think your pastor would enjoy one of these “Preachers’ Circle” events, please put us in touch. Have your pastor write to us at info@faithandaction.org and request information.

Watch for my End-of-Week Round-Up tomorrow. It’s been a very full five days—wait till you hear what’s happened. We are anything but bored!

Thanks for all you are to us--and all you do for us. You are God’s lifeline from heaven to this ministry!

Your grateful missionary to elected and appointed officials,

Rev. Rob Schenck

www.faithandaction.org

109 2^nd St, NE

Washington, DC 20002

202-546-8329

 

 

LIVE FROM CAPITOL ROTUNDA

Your missionary to Capitol Hill, Washington, DC, Rob Schenck, reporting:

I'm thumb-typing on my Blackberry so please forgive any errors. I'm sitting in the presitigious Statuary Hall of the United States Capitol awaiting the start of "Renewing the Dream: A Celebration of the Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr." Suprisingly--shockingly---I'm a guest of Speaker Nancy Pelosi! How I got on her VIP list, I just don't know. In any case, I'm representing our National Clergy Council at this observance.

While today I am much more critical of Dr. King's theology and politics, as a child I grew up admiring him greatly. He and those who worked with him were heroes in my home because they challenged injustice by putting their lives on the line.

Notwithstanding the spiritual and moral corruption in King's personal life, he continued to use scripture and Christian moral instruction as the foundational message of his struggle for civil rights. I'm astounded that most social historians consciously dismiss the fact that King was first a preacher and minister of the Gospel before he was anything else.

I'm hoping for some face time with congressional leaders--especially Speaker Pelosi--to ask when they will extend King's legacy on civil rights to all Americans--especially the most vulnerable, the pre-born.Perhaps I'll have opportunity to renew my challenge to Jesse Jackson offred ten years ago in this very same room. I asked him then why he once championed the right to life, but then abandoned it. He told me then, "We'll get together and talk about that." I called him but he never called back. Maybe we'll have that get-together today!

Please pray.

Your grateful missionary to elected and appointed officials,

Rev.Rob Schenck
www.faithandaction.org
Faith and Action
109 2nd St, NE
Washington, DC 20002
202-546-8329