Religion

I spent a couple of nights this week watching YouTube videos of Jeremiah Wright, the former pastor of Chicago-based Trinity United Church of Christ where presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama is a member.

Outrageous snippets from Wright's sermons have been on all the major news networks for the past month or so. The clips have shown Wright implying that the United States was responsible for the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001; that the AIDS virus was created by the U.S. government to kill black people; and that U.S. soldiers are comparable to the Roman legions that killed Jesus.

After seeing so many inflammatory outtakes, I wanted to see for myself whether the reports were fair.

I found a nine-minute sermon video that provided some mitigating context for one of his comments, but much of what is posted are simply political attacks with biblical undertones. Without hearing full sermons, it's impossible to discern whether Wright makes salvation through Christ his focus.

Wright's style of preaching is called Black Liberation Theology, and its purpose is to lift up the oppressed.

Is it wrong to encourage parishioners to soldier through oppression? Not at all.

Ministers should point out the sins and shortcomings of a nation. Lord knows we have our share. The purpose of any sermon, however, shouldn't be to vilify elected officials, but to drive listeners to repentance.

Wright's comments have been played and replayed ad nauseam, but absent context, we don't know if they offer true insight about the man.

We can, however, see what Wright, himself, offered the public this past week during an interview with the National Press Club. Reports showed a man content with drawing attention to himself, relishing the spotlight and claiming to speak for all black churches.

"God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble." (I Peter 5:5)

One of the greatest dangers for any pastor — regardless of the size of the congregation he serves — is to slip into the mistaken belief that the ministry is about the minister.

God shares with us his spirit and his character, but he alone will be worshipped. The spotlight belongs to him.

There's nothing wrong with a pastor showing strength in or out of the pulpit, but strength and humility are not polar opposites.

When a pastor begins to walk without regard to the one who keeps him from falling and begins to preach a message that lifts up Christians but not Christ, then he ceases to be a true pastor.

Jeremiah 3:15 says "And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding."

God gives us pastors, but every pastor is not from God.

The measure of a prophet is whether his prophesies come to pass.

The measure of a pastor is whether he consistently preaches the gospel — the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.