One of my biggest pet peeves is the politicizing of worship services. Whether it may be a politician who’s been invited to “speak”, or if the personal opinions of the clergy become the sermon topic, It annoys me to no end.
Michael King comments on such a recent moment:
One of the associate pastors was delivering the sermon, and she chose to make all sorts of veiled political assertions and accusations against the Bush Administration. I growled my best Klingon growl, and bit down on a retort. Rachel shifted a little uncomfortably as she noticed (she told me later) a number of other people squirming a bit in their pews.I sat stone-faced through the remainder of her sermon, and came awful close to getting up and walking out.
But, as I’ve been told many times before, “…ain’t no one monkey gonna stop the show…” I was not about to let her or anyone else stop me from worshiping the Lord, and I was not about to let anyone tell me that because my political ideology didn’t follow theirs that I was ‘not in God’s favor,’ to use a quote from her sermon.
I’ve had similar moments myself, ranging from veiled mutterings about the immorality of Bill Clinton to the hinting of GWB making back-door deals with the grim reaper. I get enough of that noise almost every day; I don’t need to hear more of it during 90 minutes on Sunday morning.
But if you enjoy that sort of thing, several popular secular televangelists can fit the bill nicely (not to mention the weekly parables of the global corporation that feeds millions with a few soybeans).
Whether it might be the suburban Southern Baptist megachurch or the inner-city Missionary Baptist edifice, just keep the politics out of the pulpit, please. There’ll be time enough for both preachers and parishioners to get their politics on after the benediction.
Semi-Related, With Sidenotes: I also get annoyed by celebrities who come to church in order to gain publicity. Baldilocks has lots to say about that, namely about Michael Jackson, who paid a visit to First African Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles last Sunday prior to the start of his pre-trial business.
Speaking as an AME, it is true that all are welcome to worship at our churches. However, a majority of AMEs would prefer that the media frenzy and vainglory be left at home. Anybody who is seeking spiritual refuge from the burdens we carry would be more humble in their approach. Also, Mr. Jackson need not travel all the way to South L.A. to attend First AME when St. Paul AME Church of Santa Barbara is within short driving distance of Neverland Ranch.
This AME also hopes that the celebrity magnetism of FAME L.A. will fade away as Rev. Cecil “Chip” Murray retires this conference year; however, I am doubtful. I think Murray’s successor has already been handpicked (although the annual conference isn’t until October), and the celebrity showcase will continue.
Of course, I’m hoping the presiding bishop shall prove this skeptical African Methodist wrong.
But should I be excommunicated as a result of this post, you’ll be the first to know. 
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