President-elect Obama, a gay bishop and Rick Warren
 
ITEM: President elect Barack Obama has recently decided to have a gay bishop, Gene Robinson, to pray prior to his inaugural address. I guess he couldn't handle the heat of having Rick Warren (which, IMHO, was ecumenical and universal enough) offer the closing prayer. So in true politician fashion, Obama caves into to political and ideological pressure (MSNBC, CNN and PBS to be sure) so that he can look the left squarely in the eye and fulfill his promise for "change." Here is a sample of what of to expect from Bishop Robinson:

Bishop Robinson said he had been reading inaugural prayers through history and was "horrified" at how "specifically and aggressively Christian they were.""I am very clear," he said, "that this will not be a Christian prayer, and I won't be quoting Scripture or anything like that. The texts that I hold as sacred are not sacred texts for all Americans, and I want all people to feel that this is their prayer."Bishop Robinson said he might address the prayer to "the God of our many understandings," language that he said he learned from the 12-step program he attended for his alcohol addiction.""God never gets it wrong. The church often takes a long time to get it right. It is a human institution, but one capable of self-correction," Robinson told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. "I believe in my heart that the church got it wrong about homosexuality. There is great excitement in my heart to be living in a time when the church is starting to get it right."

If it's change this nation wanted, change is what it is going to get. How do we spell the kind of change Bishop Robinson is talking about? A  p  o  s  t  a  s  y.
ITEM: In a related vein yesterday, Pastor Rick Warren issued a statement praising President-elect Obama for selecting Bishop Robinson, saying that:

"[Obama] has again demonstrated his genuine commitment to bringing all Americans of goodwill together in search of common ground. I applaud his desire to be the president of every citizen."

Representing and protecting constitutional rights for all American citizens is one thing; but openly supporting the public affirmation of a gay clergyman to ease the tension of your presence at an inauguration is quite another. 

The issue of homosexuality, biblically, is not "common ground" that a genuine pastor of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ should be justifying or even seeking in the remotest ways. As Christians, we should treat all people with kindness, charity, and respect; and in doing so, love our neighbor as ourselves (1 Peter 3:15-16; Matt. 22:39). But never should sin/lifestyle issues be eclipsed by the postmodern moon of political correctness just to remain culturally acceptable and "liked" by a lost world. Bishop Robinson needs to be shown the love of Christ. However, the way to do that is not to pacify him with the olive branch of tolerance, but to visibly love him enough to call him to repentance by the authority of the gospel and pray that God grants him saving faith by His grace leading to eternal life (Roms. 1:18ff; Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:11-12).

Pastor Warren has been given a great opportunity in this Inauguration Day Invocation. May he use it not to appeal to a liberal President-elect; a gay Bishop, or a nation, but to solely bring glory to an Audience of One. Prayer to the One Triune God should never be used for political expediency, but to reflect our utter dependency upon the Lord for all things and to reverence His holy Name.