"My name is Jesus and I approve this message"

That's the title of a post by blogger Tim Merrill refuting preachers who do politics from the pulpit. Merrill is the editor of homileticsonline.com. I think he's right in saying that preachers, as spokespersons for God, the Gospel, and the Church, should shut up when they're in the mood to politically editorialize. That isn't our job! Our job is to declare the Good News of Jesus Christ!

Merrill writes about standing in the pulpit last week:

I looked out at my congregation Sunday morning, and in that specific time and place, I saw a mother with two daughters whose husband has cancer, she is jobless and they're about to lose their home. I saw a man who two [weeks] earlier had collapsed on the sidewalk in front of a hospital. I saw a woman with two children who'd just left her husband. I saw an 88 year woman who was going to have knee replacement surgery in 10 days. I saw a daughter who'd brought her 90-year old mom to church in a wheel chair...I saw "Buster," a quadriplegic who lives two miles away in a mobile home park and drives his motorized scooter--crossing a busy 4-lane highway to worship...I saw a mom and dad with their three children...I saw a woman sitting alone whose husband was at home unsupportive.

Do you think these people give a hanging chad about what I think about the war, about immigration, about Bill Clinton's libido or his dislike of Chris Wallace's smirk, or about local political issues here in Denver?

I don't think so...

Right now, we've got another six weeks to listen to negative political commercials before the country can breathe a collective sigh of relief--it's like on Election Day, we can open the windows to let out the stench and start breathing some clean air again. [italics mine] I find people are coming to worship hoping to leave behind a foul odor. They're very excited to gather and worship in the fresh wind of the Spirit--to let those sacred breezes just waft soothingly over their souls.

It's very healing and empowering. And God knows that in our world we need to be whole and strong to make it through the week.

Read the whole thing.