HOLDING VIGIL

Your missionary to Washington, Dc, Rob Schenck, reporting:

Please check out my video posted below. It's my report from 20,000 feet high between New York and Washington!

I just landed in Washington after spending much of the day in New York City where I debated on a panel for a European television network. I voted early this morning, then grabbed the flight, had a lunch meeting in downtown Manhattan, then spent the rest of the day at the studio near Rockefeller Center. The subject was religion in politics. I had a spirited exchange with an Episcopal priest who pastors a Washington, DC, congregation.

Meanwhile, the numbers began coming in on the presidential and congressional races. It will not be a good year for Republicans. Every indication is that Barack Obama will be the next president of the United States and that Democrats will dominate the Congress. That presents new challenges to the people of God, but it doesn't change our mission one bit. Our highest and most important calling is to preach the Gospel. It may prove a little more difficult if this proves to be the outcome, but Jesus never promised it would be easy.

Of course, if we learned anything from the previous two elections, it's that surprises do happen. The media and pollsters were wrong before and they could be wrong again, but I'm preparing myself in prayer for the challenge of our lives. We can take heart from our forbearers--the church has faced much worse--and still does so today--and yet always triumphs.

This is a serious turn for our culture. We must meet it first in prayer, humble contrition for our own complicity with evil, and then with a forward advance. The work of God has never been dependent on political structures--and it will not need to be in the days ahead. 

Let us pray, seek the face of God, hear His voice speaking to us, to our churches, to the nation and to the world. None of this surprises God Almighty. Our task is to discern His will in it and obey His mandate in it.

Your missionary team in Washington, DC, has been tried and tested. With God's help and in His mercy we will redouble our efforts to advance Biblical truth and see the nation changed one policy maker at a time. 

I'll be back tomorrow with more prayerful and careful analysis.

Your servant for our Savior's sake,

Rob Schenck

Faith and Action

www.faithandaction.org

109 2nd St, NE

Washington, DC 20002

202-54-8329