With things a little more calm in Minneapolis, I want to take the time to address something as a pastor that's been on my heart.

For those railing against pastors for failing to preach against racism, know that it is an incredibly difficult situation to navigate for those of us committed to biblical, exegetical preaching.

When a specific sin is condemned in a passage we are preaching on, it should be addressed directly with clarity and firmness.

But for passages that address sin generically or as a concept, we run the risk of riding a hobby horse, grinding an axe, or advancing an agenda.

When that happens, you immediately begin to lose the ears, and then the trust, of the "people in the pews". They simply stop listening.

I had this happen with a pastor of a church I attended in seminary. He preached about abortion every single sermon.

I eventually stopped listening altogether.

Now, this is not to say that we shouldn't be preaching more against the sin of racism.

We need to do better.

I need to do better.

But it's more than a matter of simply getting into the pulpit and talking about racism.

We must preach what the Word of God says, and we must let the Holy Spirit do his job.

Please pray for us. Pray for your pastor. Encourage him. Give him feedback. Discuss complex and pressing issues with him.

And know that the vast majority of us are trying. We are failing, frequently, but we want to do better. You have know idea how much we care about you.

Fin.