State Senate Chaplain of the Week
The week of March 22nd, I had the privilege of serving as the Oklahoma State Senate Chaplain of the Week. I’m grateful for the opportunity. It was great to meet the Senators, members of their staff, and those who serve at the Capitol. I’m also thankful for my friends, Ryan Ferguson, Andy Coleman, and Rick Brinkley who prayed with me and gave me insight into how a Chaplain can serve our elected officials.
It’s easy to make a caricature out of politicians. Regardless of your political leanings, I found the men and women of the Senate to be people who love their country, state, and community. They work hard to represent their constituents and to fight for what they believe is the best possible future for our state. They won’t be right all the time. Sometimes, they’ll make mistakes. But overall, from their worldview, they are working to make the best decisions they can based on the information available at the time.
What did I do while I was there?
Each day, I prayed to open the session. Throughout the week, I visited the offices of every Senator (and a few Representatives). My purpose was to meet them and their staff and to let them know I was available to pray for them and talk with them if needed. I also left a devotional book for them and their staff. Our conversations were good. The needs I discovered are great. Their desire for someone to care for them, not as an elected official, but on a personal level is high.
On Thursday, I was able to present a short devotional on the floor of the Senate. You can read that devotion here or watch it on the State Senate website – https://oksenate.gov/live-chamber (Session in Chamber, March 25, 9:30 am)
Whatever your view of politics, I hope you’ll pray frequently by name for those who take the leap of faith to seek public office, ask for your vote, and serve as an elected official. It’s the kind of job where no one you serve has all the facts but everyone has all the answers. While we won’t agree on every issue, we can support one another through prayer. It’s interesting, I found that in an elected office, prayer changes people or prayer changes people.
Here’s a manuscript of the devotional I shared with them.
Thank you, Mr. President. Good morning. This has truly been a remarkable week. I’ve enjoyed my time with you and your staff. Everyone I’ve encountered has been so kind and gracious. I’m grateful. Thank you.
I also want to thank Senator J.J. Dossett for the invitation. Senator Dossett, you represent me and your district really well and I’m glad this chamber has your voice.
I know it has to be a little confusing to have two Senators Dossett in the same Senate. I may be Baptist, but y’all ought to make a bingo card or something.
You could fill it with their quotes and votes. Every bingo gets you a little more funding for education. For example, this week one of them told me that this is a really weird place to serve.
Was that Senator J.A. or J.J. Dossett? When you figure it out just mark it off your card. I’m sure there are some other games we could play!
I also have several special guests with me today. In the north gallery is my mom, Janie Balthrop, with my wife, Londa. You met my daughter, Jaiden, yesterday. Next to her are my sons, Caedmon, Ethan, and Dawson. Can we welcome them?
Thank you. It’s fun to be a dad. I’m glad I get to raise my family in Oklahoma.
Today, I want to focus our attention on one verse of Scripture and one significant truth.
2 Peter 1:3 says that, “…[God’s] divine power has given to us everything we need for life and godliness.”
Think about that for just a minute. God’s divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness.
That’s just too good not to say again. This time I’ll make it personal. God’s divine power has given, to you, everything you need for life and godliness.
That’s a pretty comprehensive statement.
That one verse of Scripture leads me to one significant truth.
I believe that God wants to do something in you and through you that can’t possibly be explained because of you.
That’s bigger than any office you’ll ever hold and broader than some kind of religious platitude.
Because God’s divine power gives you everything you need for life and godliness, you can find hope for all the broken spaces of your life.
No matter what you believe about religion or the Bible, there’s an experience we’ve all had. You’ve been hurt by the choices of others and at some point, your choices hurt someone else. The Bible calls that, sin. It reminds us that our sin breaks our relationship with God and one another.
Healing begins when we learn to confess when we’re wrong and forgive when we’ve been wronged. And let’s be honest, forgiving ourselves or others is rarely our knee-jerk reaction.
I’ve seen it over and over again. You can measure the length and strength of every relationship by those two things. When we’re unwilling to forgive or to seek forgiveness, we’ve just placed a statute of limitations on our relationships, with our spouse, or our kids, our colleagues or coworkers, or our constituents – This verse reminds us that God’s divine power, through Jesus, fills us with the grace and mercy we need to forgive and to be forgiven.
Inside that forgiveness is where freedom is found. But forgiveness is only the beginning. It’s really so much better than that.
You know, in politics we’re often told that compromise forces us to settle for the lesser of two evils. But because God’s divine power gives you everything you need for life and godliness, because God intends to do something in you and through you that can’t possibly be explained because of you, you don’t have to settle for the lesser of two evils. You have the freedom to passionately pursue the greater of two goods.
You’re going to face the tension of differing opinions. I have a friend that says if two people agree on everything all the time one of you just isn’t necessary!
Each of you will argue and debate and fight for your district, your agenda, and your worldview. And you should.
But as you do, what if you could be the one who enters a room and peace follows after?
Because people know, by your reputation.
That you keep your word.
That you keep your calm.
That, because of what Christ has done for you, you actively seek ways to use who you are and what you have for the benefit of others.
The longest you’ll serve in this chamber is 12 years. Your life is bigger than any legislation you sponsor, any funding you support, or any place in history that records your name.
You are parents and grandparents. You are sons and daughters. You are friends and family. Your story, your legacy, is so much more than a campaign or an election.
What a shame it would be to look back and realize you sold your integrity for a sign on a wall.
It’s always been strange to me that people of faith will trust in Jesus for their eternal salvation but we struggle to trust Him with the conflicts and tensions of our daily lives. Remember, his divine power has given you everything you need for life and godliness.
Godliness – that’s the evidence of God in you.
You can be the one to enter a room and peace follows after. You can speak the wisdom that leads your most vocal opposition to the greater of two goods.
You can finish your race, faithful to your family, strong in your convictions, and effective in your service – not because you’re so good or so smart or so successful but because of the greatness of God in you.
So here’s my hope –
That today, you would place your faith in Jesus Christ for everything that pertains to life and godliness and that you would become the person who enters a room, and peace follows after.
On September 5th last year, my Dad lost his fight with COVID-19. He was a great dad who taught me great things. He’d be proud in this moment but he’d also find it a little funny. Because he used to say that, “Meetings are an excuse to avoid real work.” And it’s pretty clear from our schedule this week, we’re all in a lot of meetings!
He also used to remind me that competition may motivate but collaboration gets the job done and that government should be the place where people can come together.
I’m so thankful that you’ve chosen to stand up and be someone who sets the tone for how that happens. When the story of your life is written and the legacy of your work remembered, may you look back on the magnitude of your influence and shake your head in awe and wonder because you placed your faith in Christ and God did something in you and through you that can’t possibly be explained because of you.
I’ll be here the rest of the morning. If any of you would like to talk about this more. I’m here for you.
Let’s pray together.
