“Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord and bless his Name; proclaim the good news of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations and his wonders among all peoples” (Psalm 96:1-3).
In the prayers of the people, we are reminded to pray for the city, town or village we live in. Then for every city and community, and those who live in them.
As the church, our King is Christ the King. He is over all nations, cities, towns, villages—over the whole world. Yet, we are ambassadors called to pray for the people of the land and bless this land. We are in this world, yet not of this kingdom of man. We participate in it, but our allegiance is firstly to Christ—the triune God. We respect our governmental authority giving to Caesar what is Caesars and to God what is Gods, but when that authority oppresses or persecutes the God’s kingdom, we turn to the Lord in prayer. The Psalms are particularly the best prayers to pray in times of trouble. We pray for those who persecute us. We pray for those unaware of the Lord. Yet we are wise as serpents, but gentle as doves.
Holy Apostles in Westminster, MD has been preparing to build a new church building for two years. The foundation was dug and the footers (the cornerstones of the foundation) were put into place in late February. The pot was stirred and the City of Westminster shut the construction down, even though the church had followed every possible law to be in compliance with the city’s board of zoning.
There have been many outside Holy Apostle’s congregation (from other churches, citizens of Carroll County and beyond) who are appalled at the City of Westminster’s decision to shut down construction. Some are calling this an attack against religious liberty. As a result, people have been laid off. There are many things tied up—the City has put the church between a rock and a hard place.
Prudence, fortitude, temperance, and justice are needed here. The Lord is their shield and will carry them through. As Christians, we fight not against flesh and blood, but the powers and principalities. There is a pall over this city—over every city, town, and village. As Christians, we come against these powers and principalities in the name of the King, Jesus Christ, Lord of lords and King of kings. We are in the city of man, yet the city of God breaks through the veil.
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