Make America Great Again Cheer Bow
"It's America Offset and Make America Nifty Over again, and we will do it," former President Donald Trump declared at the end of a speech on Sunday (Dec. xix).
The oversupply erupted with applause and thanks. Inside the continuing ovation, a dirge rose up as Trump started walking away. He paused, pumped his fist, and encouraged it to abound louder.
"USA! USA! U.s.a.!"
And then after a couple announcements, the crowd started singing, "O come allow us adore him."
That's how the "worship" service at Offset Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, ended for the last Sunday of Appearance.
And Trump'south bulletin wasn't simply something tacked onto the end of the Dominicus gathering. From the offset to the terminate, the day focused on Trump. His flick featured prominently on the bulletin forth with a afar Jesus in the manger.
After seasonal instrumental music to start the service, a vocalism came from on high through the sanctuary's speakers: "Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the 45th president of the United states of America, President Donald J. Trump." Trump walked into the sanctuary (late) along with the church's pastor, Robert Jeffress, to a continuing ovation. With his prototype and an American flag on the big screen, Trump waved while ushered to the front row as the congregation continued applauding and watching him through their cellphone screens.
Ignored was the admonition in the Book of James to avert favoritism toward wealthy guests who take people to courtroom to defraud them and blaspheme the proper noun of God (maybe Jeffress missed that section as he'south not made it past Two Corinthians yet).
From that betoken on, the name of Trump gave Jesus a run for his coin in mentions from the pulpit during a service riddled with theological faux pas. And the crowd seemed to long for the advent of Trump's second coming in the Oval Function
In this outcome of A Public Witness, we nourish First Baptist'south "special" Christmas service to detail the clash of liturgies. Nosotros give special attention to the inherent political implications of Jesus's birth. As a benediction, nosotros reflect on the damage moments like this do to the witness of the Church.
Unto Us
After the seating of Trump, the congregation sang a couple traditional Christmas hymns. Jeffress then welcomed people to the service, including "the hundreds of thousands" watching online — though the counter at the time showed just nine,949 viewers (apparently Baptist preachers citing their attendance is a bit like Trump counting his votes). Jeffress mentioned ii events coming upward for "Christmas week": the church building's Christmas Eve services and his upcoming appearances on Fox News. The crowd applauded the latter.
The Foxvangelist so introduced the "special guest" as "one of my closest friends."
"He's non only a slap-up friend of mine, but he is a great friend of this church and he is a corking friend of Christians everywhere," Jeffress said to applause. "I can say this without any dispute at all: He is the most pro-life, pro-religious liberty, pro-Israel president in the history of the United States of America."
While nosotros would dispute all 3 of those designations, the "pro-Israel" one seemed particularly audacious on the heels of Trump expressing antisemitic tropes and attacking one-time Israeli Prime number Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (including using the 'f-give-and-take' toward the Israeli leader loved by U.South. evangelicals). Notwithstanding, the crowd jumped to another standing ovation every bit Trump stood upward and waved to his adoring congregants. Jeffress so noted Trump would speak later as "the climax of the conclusion of the service."
After a few more Christmas carols, Jeffress returned to stage for his sermon that started with some other welcome to all those watching and to "our friend and bang-up president, President Donald J. Trump" — which sparked more clapping and auspicious (bringing the score up to something like Trump 4, Fox News 1, Jesus 0).
The proper name of Trump repeatedly appeared in the sermon with multiple references on three more occasions, including using Trump every bit a graphic symbol in an imaginary sermon illustration and describing a visit with Trump in the Oval Part. The latter was a story about Trump pardoning someone equally an case of what information technology ways for God to pardon Christians for their sins (so, yes, Trump in the metaphor is the God figure).
Then during the altar call — after asking everyone to bow their heads and close their eyes — Jeffress mentioned that Trump would shortly speak. Jeffress also, for the third time in the service, claimed "hundreds of thousands" of people were watching online.
"And now for something that I know we all have been waiting for during this service," Jeffress said every bit he moved correct from the altar phone call to some other introduction of Trump. "One of the greatest privileges of my life has been being able to count Donald Trump as a friend."
Jeffress recalled beingness with Trump on ballot night in 2016, again listed the things Trump is supposedly the near pro at amongst presidents (which again sparked applause), and claimed Trump helped get people to say "Merry Christmas" again (though we don't call up stopping).
Off Script
Trump walked upwards to the pulpit to some other standing ovation and with his image over again showing upward on the large screens in the sanctuary. After Jeffress embraced him with "I love you" and the crowd finally quit cheering, Trump started by praising how "cute" the sanctuary was, something he would echo once more later equally he promised to bring Melania side by side fourth dimension (with the inference that she didn't come because they didn't realize the sanctuary was really beautiful).
Recounting the offset time he heard Jeffress on Telly dorsum in 2022 talking about supporting Trump, the erstwhile president praised Jeffress as one who "does very well on television and spreading the discussion."
After claiming to have done "a real job" in "saving Christianity," Trump said "our nation's in great trouble" considering of the Transitional islamic state of afghanistan withdrawal, "the borders," and inflation. He added, "There's a lot of clouds hanging over our country right now, very dark clouds. But we will come dorsum bigger and better and stronger than ever before."
He eventually picked up his script and acknowledged (and mocked) that someone had written "beautiful words" for him, but he said he instead wanted to "speak from the heart." From that point on, Trump bounced back-and-forth betwixt reading from the script and speaking extemporaneously — drawing numerous interruptions of applause. He spent a minute, off script, complaining about how the media covered the Christmas decorations in the White House during his presidency.
His explicitly Christian comments came in the script he started off past mocking, struggled to read, and often stopped to offering side comments similar after reading a line about the shepherds being told that a savior had been born.
"When I was listening to Robert, perhaps unknowingly you used the word 'savior' a lot, and our country needs a savior right at present and our country has a savior," he said before calculation after a few scattered cheers from the congregation, "That'southward not me, that'due south somebody much higher up than me."
Dorsum on script, he leaned into Christian Nationalism by talking about the "miraculous founding" of the state and the touch thereon of Jesus's teachings.
"Nosotros have an incredible land," Trump added off script. "Information technology will be more than incredible in years to come. We will exercise what has to be done to Make America Groovy Once again. We are going to Make America Great Over again; we are never going to forget that message."
Afterward the applause, he ended and walked off to the "USA" chants.
In Days of Caesar Augustus
Throughout the service on Lord's day, the focus of praise alternated between Jesus and Trump. The congregation praised and even adored (dare nosotros say worshiped) two rulers. I for the spiritual kingdom in the next life and 1 for the here and now. Stripping away the political significance of the appearance of Jesus created a vacuum for another male monarch.
Jeffress accidentally exposed the unsafe irony of making Jesus simply the lord of the afterlife. Reading from Luke's account of Jesus's birth that mentions the Roman emperor, Jeffress said in his sermon, "He'south known as Caesar Augustus. That was his title, merely his real name was Octavian."
"He was the virtually powerful homo in the world," Jeffress declared earlier adding with a smile, "In that location's only i person in our audience today who knows how that feels, to exist the most powerful man in the world."
Trump equally Caesar Augustus?
Jeffress didn't seem to catch the irony of lauding Caesar in the sanctuary, merely he played on the metaphor as he referred to the tax census that led Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem every bit the result of Augustus "signing that executive order."
Unintentionally, Jeffress got right to the eye of the problem with his ain church service. He presented Augustus as a figure who accidentally helped the fulfillment of "prophecies" about the nascency of Jesus. In that version of the story, Augustus used ability in a way that helped bring about God's salvation. That view of power and the biblical story ignores the politics in the text. And worse, information technology can be used to explicate away the injustices of a Roman emperor in the proper name of praising the "fulfillment" of God's will.
Later on all, many of the titles used in Luke 2 (and elsewhere) take terms claimed by Caesar Augustus and, in an human activity of direct political challenge, reappropriate them to be about Jesus. Like "Messiah," "Lord," "Son of God," and — of form — "Savior." Furthermore, invoking the line of David is an explicit challenge to the legitimacy of the Caesar who rules the land but actually stole the office with a rigged process. If Jesus is Lord, and so Caesar isn't — which is why when the people chant for crucifying Jesus they besides cry out, "Nosotros take no king but Caesar!" (Or, peradventure in a modern translation, "USA!" after a Caesar Augustus figure promises "America First.")
Fifty-fifty more than disobeying the clear teaching of James ii about not showing favoritism, this comparison by Jeffress highlights exactly how we got to the betoken of a sanctuary full of people cheering for Trump six days before nosotros allegedly "celebrate" the nascence of the one an affections called "the Messiah, the Lord."
Angela Parker, writer of If God Still Breathes, Why Can't I? and an banana professor of New Attestation and Greek at Mercer University's McAfee School of Theology, explained to us afterwards the service the problem of praising ability like Jeffress did.
"In the context of a 'worship' experience, should nosotros be praising a Caesar Augustus figure who was notorious for warmongering, quashing any type of rebellion against his absolute rule, exploiting the rural areas of the Roman Empire in lodge to line his own coffers with gold, silver, and all of the trappings of exploited state? The problem of such worship is that information technology dismisses Mary'south Magnificat in Luke 1:52-53 where she states that God will bring 'downward the powerful from their thrones' and send the 'rich away empty,'" Parker explained. "True worship will highlight a gospel that transforms politics, society, and economics just every bit Mary's song argues."
"Jesus's piece of work and ministry on earth belies the understanding of the Emperor who exploits," Parker added. "Jesus feeds the hungry when the Empire takes their food. Jesus provides health intendance when the Empire makes people sick. Finally, Jesus overturns the economy when the Jerusalem Temple buys and sells for the Roman Emperor. The true gospel never begins with Caesar Augustus. Jesus is where the true gospel begins and resides."
To that, all God's people say, "Amen." Just others erupt in protest: "U.s.a.!"
The Wrong Witness
In many means, Trump symbolizes the tensions between gimmicky American civilization and Christianity's historic beliefs and practices. The erstwhile president rarely attends church, is biblically illiterate, and disavows basic Christian ideas like the universality of human sin and the need to seek forgiveness from God. Whether in the form of sex activity scandals, coarse linguistic communication, or vicious attacks on others, he is far from a exemplar of piety and reportedly mocks his religious supporters in private.
Yet, with Jeffress and other Trumpian leaders at the helm, America'southward largest Protestant denomination continues to be remade in the epitome of Trump, professing belief in fringe conspiracy theories instead of proclaiming the gospel. This devolution is hugely consequential for both the identity of the SBC and the broader witness of U.S. Christianity. At the SBC meeting this past summertime, leaders fifty-fifty pulled a resolution denouncing the January. six insurrection, along with disavowing the utilize of threats, violence, and misinformation in politics. The inability to speak in unison left a deafening silence.
Jeffress meanwhile is not hiding his agenda. Whether inviting Trump to play such a prominent role in worship or preaching a sermon labeling Joe Biden'due south presidency "the ungodliest presidential administration nosotros've had in the history of our country," he is quite articulate about his religion. For Jeffress, God is a partisan who has called Trump every bit a savior.
As Bill Jones, one-time executive director of Texas Baptists Committed (an system that challenged fundamentalism in Southern Baptist life), told usa after Sunday's service, "Jeffress's embrace of Trump from the pulpit on Sun adds to the perception that the primary mission of the SBC … is now to spread the gospel of Trump and hard-right GOP politics." He added that while "this will enhance Jeffress'south positive reputation with many in the SBC," others are tiring of "the SBC's GOP brotherhood and focus on partisan politics."
But those who disagree with Jeffress are oftentimes heading for the exits. Similar Beth Moore, the bestselling author and Bible teacher, who left the SBC in function because of Trumpism. Similarly, long-time SBC leader Russell Moore (no relation to Beth) resigned his position leading the denomination's public policy arm and subsequently left the SBC partly because of pressure he faced over his opposition to Trump.
Less prominent figures are likewise leaving. Concluding year, David Bumgardner, an intern at a Southern Baptist church in Texas, lost his ministerial license from his church merely because he endorsed Biden on Facebook. Today he is, as he told us after the Trump service in Dallas, "an ex-Baptist at present pursuing holy orders in the Anglican tradition." And he's stunned at Sunday'due south service, which he called "one of the most vile, blasphemous, and despicable things I have ever witnessed in a service of Christian worship."
"Could any of us e'er imagine St. Peter suggesting to St. James, 'I take a keen idea: Permit'southward accept Herod speak at the Christmas service this twelvemonth'? Of course non. But this was exactly what happened on Sunday," Bumgardner explained. "A Christian assembly was whipped up into a political frenzy with chants of 'U.s.a.!' This seems to autumn just short of the chants of the Ephesian rioters recorded in Acts xix: 'Bully is Artemis of the Ephesians!'"
Equally a result of the "current trajectory of xenophobia, ethnocentrism, and authoritarianism" he sees in the Republican Party and the SBC (both of which he grew up supporting), he believes "they will be no longer by the time I am Robert Jeffress's age. And perhaps that will exist for the amend."
And he's not lone. As Jeffress and other Christian leaders wholeheartedly embrace Trump and turn his cause into theirs, they create the impression that to be Southern Baptist, to exist evangelical, to be Christian is to share support for a deeply-flawed figure with disciplinarian tendencies, his conspiracy-laden worldview, and his decidedly unchristian linguistic communication and behaviors. That means when people turn down the ideology of Trumpism, many too reject a "gospel" presented as offering good news simply to those who vote a certain mode.
Alexis de Tocqueville, the 19th century French political philosopher who wrote Democracy in America after touring the U.S., warned about this phenomenon in that book: "Organized religion cannot share the cloth might of those who govern without incurring some of the hatred they inspire." Put another mode, when the church saddles up to politicians and the power they wield, information technology also reaps the criticism of those opposed to that figure and their political agenda.
That'south why Obery Hendricks, a visiting research scholar at Columbia University and author of Christians Against Christianity, challenges the Trumpian distortions of the Gospel. As he says about the Kickoff Baptist Dallas service in an upcoming episode of Dangerous Dogma, preachers like Jeffress are "doing and so much to turn people away from the faith" past holding up Trump "every bit some kind of paragon of Christianity." He added about younger people leaving churches: "They're non turned abroad from the ethics that Jesus taught" simply from the teachings of the preachers with "the loudest megaphone."
"It'southward idolatry. They've elevated the flag to a higher place the cantankerous," he added near Sun'southward service with Trump. "Nosotros have a whole swath of people who are claiming to be Christians of organized religion, simply they're really ideological Christians. Christianity becomes a ways past which they further their own interests."
The Church becomes ane more than vehicle to accomplish their partisan ends, which is the manner of Augustus and the cult of the emperor. And thus, it'south a direct challenge to the expert news that comes into the globe at Christmas through Jesus the Messiah, Lord, and Savior.
As a public witness,
Brian Kaylor & Fellow Underwood
Source: https://publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/make-worship-great-again
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