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Hi everyone! 

I hope your week is going well. I’m grateful for another bright day to enjoy the play of the sun on the multi-colored leaves, before we dive into the monsoons that the weather channel keeps promising. The rains will be good too, of course. But for the moment it’s nice to feel the warmth coming through my window.

It’s a big week for us here in BC. As you have all been reminded through countless political ads, we’re into the final days of voting in this year’s provincial election. By the end of the weekend, the shape of our provincial leadership will be settled for the coming term, and we’ll be looking at implications and fallout.

With all this going on, I find my mind drawn to a familiar passage in 1 Timothy 2. There Paul launches into practical instruction for Timothy and the Ephesian church with these words:

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.  This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 

We’re called to be in prayer all the time, and to remember our community leaders during every season. But it is certainly appropriate for us to be investing special, focused prayer for leaders and for the whole election process during these important transitional days. Can I encourage us all to set aside some extra time in the Lord’s presence, asking our Father to superintend the election, to put the right people in the right places, to grant wisdom and direction to all, and to work in and through their leadership activities to promote peace and an environment where the gospel can flourish here in BC? 

I’m struck by Paul’s insistence that our prayer should include thanksgiving—for everyone, including those in authority. I’m not going to try to predict where the election will go, but I am quite confident that in at least some cases it will put people in seats of authority who I would not personally choose. Regardless of who leads, I know how easily I can slip into a critical mode that sees all our leaders’ failures and poor decisions without acknowledging the things they do well. In our times of prayer, before and after the election, may we all be prompted to thankfulness: for people who are willing to take on the burden of leadership, for processes that hold them accountable, for the ability of BC citizens to express their opinions and have input, and for the many other blessings that come from living in this society.

I’m grateful to live in a free democracy such as we have here in Canada and in BC. I’m also conscious that over the long term, this system means that the country and province will go in the direction chosen by a general majority. This worries me a little. I’m not convinced that the overall values and commitments of our citizens are consistently moving in a healthy direction, which raises concerns about our future, regardless of which party is currently in power. Here, I think about Paul’s comment that our hope, and the focus of our civic prayer, is that we may live in peace, with freedom to pursue what is right, in a climate that supports the spread of the gospel and the advance of Christ’s Kingdom. May God graciously grant us all these things—which means that along with the right leaders, we really need Him to touch the hearts and minds of people in our communities, pointing them toward what is true and right and helpful.

Lord, please, we ask You for all these things. For Your will to be done in this election, for Your enabling on all who lead, for Your transforming touch on the hearts and minds of our fellow-citizens. For Your work in us, that as Your people we might be a good example, used by You to shine a light into a world that is too often filled with shadow. We believe this is Your will because You have told us to pray in this way. So we ask, trusting You again this week and this year.  Thank You! Amen.

I’ve already “closed in prayer,” but as usual I should add a quick word about Sunday morning. This week we’re continuing in 1 Corinthians, looking at an interesting (and challenging!) passage from 4:18 through 5:13. If you have a chance, you might want to read through the passage ahead of Sunday’s service. Given the delicacy of some of the content—which has to do with sin and discipline—be sure to think about how this passage fits the larger context. We’ve been reading about the problems with competition and judgmentalism over against each other in the church. Later we’re going to deal with questions about how to address interpersonal tensions in a healthy way, and how to tackle “grey” issues on which people disagree. We’re also reading a letter that assumes the teaching of Jesus as we have it in the Gospels. So you may find it helpful to reflect on how this passage fits within that larger framework. We’ll explore that together on Sunday.

Meanwhile, have a wonderful week, and may your times of prayer be rich and fruitful.

Blessings!

Pastor Ken