When I served as Presiding Minister of the Council of the CREC (2023-2026), I made a statement thanking God for the election of Donald J. Trump:
The statement went on to express our hope that his administration would provide consolation to our congregations in the U.S. and allow Christians to continue their work without unnecessary political interference.
Our statement was never a justification for endorsing all of Trump’s policies nor his personality. We understand that politics demands slow ordering in the right direction. Further, we do not believe the Church should function as the headquarters for the Republican Party. What we articulated was an expression of thanksgiving for God’s good providence in preserving us from possible persecution for our beliefs and practices. That freedom has allowed the CREC to continue and advance in its mission, unperturbed by leftist insanity.
Trump’s detractors are really enjoying what they perceive to be the demise of his presidency, and that includes a host of so-called conservatives in the media and the anon-army. For the record, I stand by every word of that statement. And only someone with ideological dementia would fail to understand this distinction. But in all the twittering, we shouldn’t forget that the alternative was an incoherent cackling human. These are huge differences, whatever one thinks of Trump's temperament or late-night truth-social posts. The conservatives in our country may oppose or criticize the president and his policies without pretending that both parties share similar trajectories.
The Church's task has not changed. We should continue to pray for our president. We should petition our God on his behalf and praise what is righteous and oppose wickedness. Trump will be gone in two years, but the Church's mission remains the same.
When Exercise Profits
I grew up in a tradition that was vicious about that little thing called drinking, and then there was that little thing called dancing, and then there was that other thing called playing poker, and then there were about a hundred other things that consumed some pulpit time, and a lot of ink. My father, who was an ardent Baptist minister, tended to be a bit more moderate on these issues privately. Still, by and large, the tradition I called home cared a whole lot about suppressing Christian liberty while offering a myriad of opportunities for inconsistencies.
It’s an important note to affirm that the Bible does address drinking (Eph. 5:18, I Tim. 5:23), dancing (Jer. 31:4), and playing (Zech. 8:5). All these things are good in and of themselves, but can also be abused. But for these authority structures with whom I spent my early years, all these things could only lead to our demise.
In that large scale of rants, I do not recall once a pastor speaking of the need for healthy bodies. It could have been a footnote in a sermon on gluttony, a brief monologue in a sermon on Romans 12, or it could have been an observation on the nature of living well. Not once! And I have a sharp memory of sermons and lectures I have heard over my lifetime. That incongruity struck me back then and still does today.
Since then, I have heard my fair share of exhortations on health and a hearty life unto the Lord. Thankfully, we have slowly but surely taken a few hits on the Gnostic icon, and from the looks of it, there is some slight discomfort. We eagerly await that Dagon to come headfirst to the ground.
But we should ask ourselves why we are hearing so little about the importance of living a healthy life in a crisis of health in our country. And, of course, the Holy Bible, even my tradition’s favorite translation, the blessed and most ever pure King James Version, mentions its value. “It doth profit,” even if little, says the 16th-century King.
I have always been relatively concerned about my health. In my early teens, I played beach volleyball and soccer. Once I entered the academic world, there was a lot more discussion about sports than engaging in them physically. Still, I kept some relative common sense about exercise. I come from a tribe of feasters. My fondest memories growing up in Brazil are of a multitude of family members enjoying an all-day churrasco with festive music. The whole thing was glorious. But when kids come along, there is an uncertainty about what should take precedence: exercise or changing diapers?
And really, we are making friends into enemies. We should prioritize our family precisely by being lucid, energetic, and present for our family. I have failed in this area numerous times and have asked God to forgive me numerous times.
Godliness is supreme in the Bible. It profits much, while exercise, compared to godliness, profits little. The comparison stems from man’s fascination with self-glory. If we make our bodies central, we turn our bodies into the telos, but if we view the well-being of our bodies as a means to pursue godliness, we will be well. Caring for the body is not a neutral matter. The Bible cautions explicitly against gluttony and sexual immorality, and it ties it to the body as the temple of the Spirit precisely because God intends to use you to be strong when others are weak, to be sober-minded when others are drunk, and to be physically equipped when others are not.
So, don’t waste your body. Be the most equipped to serve physically and mentally now. Don’t wait until you are later in life to turn things around. Like C.S. Lewis, go for a walk. Like Eric Liddle, go for a run to the glory of God. Even good Frodo had to do his share of walking to destroy evil. It’s a conversation we need to have. The appeal is relatively direct: Strengthen your body so that your mind can be ready to answer, your hands ready to lift, your legs ready to run with the kids, and your mouth ready to sing praises to God.
Nuntium
We had a wonderful presentation as we prepare to launch a new college here in Pensacola. Dr. Roy Atwood spoke on the importance of calling and vocation, and Dr. Nick Ellis spoke about how Christian Halls International can aid us in that effort in our town. We are excited to share some news soon about the work of Athanasius College.
Dr. Daniel Strand was someone I met when I first offered an invocation at the National Conservative Conference in Miami in 2023. He is a wonderful thinker. We had a chance to reconnect again yesterday as he visited the University of West Florida to debate the War in Iran.
Also, sometimes I go around the Providence Community and bless new babies. Man, I love my job! All in a day’s work!
