Prayer at #NATCON, Alfred Kinsey, and Pastoral Theology
G.K. Chesterton prayed, “Take not thy thunder from us, but take away our pride.”
So much has transpired since Friday, but I want to leave my observations on JD Vance for my Friday essay. Today, I wanted to simply post the prayer I used on day three of #natcon. The video or pictures from my invocation are still unavailable on the National Conservative website.
O great God, Father, Son, and Spirit, the earth marvels at your power and glory! You have made every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation; in you, we live and move and have our being; in you are found all the riches of life; prosperity is in your hands; you turn the hearts of kings and rulers as you please; the mountains and seas and creatures bow down at your command; you are exalted above the heavens, and your beloved Son rules at your right hand, vindicated, interceding, and delivering your people from evil.
Indeed, Lord God, we pray that you would deliver us from evil; the mythical and the fabricated lies of those who would pervert your created order; those who call evil good and good evil; deal speedily against your enemies, O God, for they dare to mock the Creator of all; destroy their wicked plans and may they fall into their own traps and schemes.
As G.K. Chesterton prayed, “Take not thy thunder from us, but take away our pride.” Indeed, take away the pride of our nation, the pride that begins in our own hearts to dare assume that our godless actions will not be judged. Keep us in your steadfast love. May we be humbled before the God of our salvation. As C.S. wrote, “There is no happiness and peace apart from you,” so may our hearts grow restless until they find our rest in thee, O, Lord.
Take away our pride in believing we can formulate a righteous nation apart from your guiding hands, your sovereign will, and your heart for the nations. Remove the pride of idleness and indifference that has kept us from standing up against tyrants; the pride of fear that kept us from proclaiming the Lordship of Christ; the pride of tolerance that prevented us from defending the nuclear family from the onslaught of those who wish to re-write creation; the pride of subjectivity, which causes us to trust in our feelings instead of that word which is above all earthly power.
But rather, give us the thunder to declare that only righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. And when we are despondent, crying out, “How long,” O Lord?” give the answer which our Lord gave the Devil, “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”
May we watch and pray. May we feast and worship. May we trust and obey. May we serve and sacrifice. May we desire the good of the city by bearing faithful children who observe your commandments and meditate on your word day and night; by emboldening your ministers to speak the truth, instead of cowering to the compromising demands of the left, the allure of gold and riches, and the applause of men. But may all those who speak your word do so by the authority of your holy Gospel, the calling of Almighty God to be ambassadors of virtue in a world gone mad.
And so we pray for the labors of NatCon, Dr. Yoram Hazony, American Moment, and the many who have poured their affections and intellect into framing the conversation in such a way that we would do more than merely speak good things but act on those good words for the good of this great nation. As the Psalmist declares, “When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?” Indeed, Lord God, we ask that the foundations established by our forefathers rooted in your holy law would not be destroyed and that you would strengthen the work of our hands, yes, strengthen the work of our hands, for we dare not give over this nation to the hands of evil-doers to shape it, to the feet of the wicked to run to the ways of the flesh, and to the minds of conspirators who seek to undo the traditions, customs, and religious foundation of the United States.
Yes, indeed, deliver us from evil, and establish your kingdom on earth as it is in heaven, preserve us, keep us, smile upon us, that those who practice righteousness may rule the land through the power and might of our great Father, our beloved Savior, and our advocate, the Holy Spirit and amen!
Notations
James H. Jones’ biography of Alfred Kinsey is the most thorough and well-researched. He argues that Kinsey was the “architect of a new sensibility about a part of life that everyone experiences and no one escapes.” For Kinsey, everyone has deep sexual secrets, and those secrets bring shame. Therefore, the heterosexual has fantasies about homosexuality, and other men have fetishes about other obscure sexual behavior. Kinsey was the high priest of sexual liberation. Shame was a taboo of the Victorian era. This single pursuit makes Kinsey one of the darkest figures in American history, setting the stage for the vilest acts known to men. It is my contention that Kinsey continues to spark the transgender movement today through the voices of academicians and doctors who were instructed in Kinsean thought.
Delano Squires is someone who is doing tremendous work both at The Blaze and Heritage. His essays are piercing sociological reflections on the needs of the black community and what is needed to restore her. His latest piece is a strategic benediction for the black church:
"The family has been under attack for decades by forces eager to control terms and take territory when it comes to ideas around sex and marriage. Radical ideologues have seized control of academic institutions, government agencies, and media companies. The question for pro-family conservatives is not whether these ideas need to be defeated. The issue is figuring out which strategies, tactics, and weapons—whether political or rhetorical—are most effective for today’s fight. The battle continues, but one thing is certain: minimizing collateral damage will go a long way toward helping us secure victory.”
On Pastoral theology:
Pastoral theology is deeply imititative. Therefore, authority structures ( I Cor. 4:16) are imitative. Churches become like their pastors.
If pastors are indifferent to their congregation, they will create a flock unaccustomed to deep relationships within the church. I have walked into congregations on vacation where, were I not to initiate a conversation with the parishioners, I would have left without hearing a single greeting. This flock almost always reflects an impersonal pastor.
When a minister is unproductive or seems disinterested in his own health and spiritual growth, his flock will also be apathetic ( 2 Thess. 3:9) to those things. The experience of his pastor will form much of the way they view the experience of life, just as his pastor's priorities will somehow shape his own.
Pastors have a tremendous responsibility to lead the flock. Paul writes, "Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith." This duty plays out in his ability to repent before God; to live humbly before his people instead of exalting his virtues around them. A perfectionistic ministry will create a hypocritical people.
The congregation will feel safe knowing that the minister is both protective and personal, decisive and deliberate, resolute and repentant.
Nuntium
I am here at an Airbnb in Birmingham, where I will deliver a lecture at the Theopolitan Ministry Conference on Alfred Kinsey's legacy in American sexual ethics and the damage of a Kinseian philosophy on modern-day transgender culture. It's all in Kinsey! It’s been wonderful to spend the day with some fine scholars and hear several fabulous lectures, including Jeff Meyers, on the necessity of male leadership in the liturgy.