MY PRESIDENT

I didn’t vote for President Obama. I am in significant disagreement with many of the positions that he holds on several issues. One that is prominent in my mind today is his position on abortion. I am hoping that he does not make abortion more accessible. There are other foundational positions that I am concerned about, but I must say that I do sense a positive emotional upturn in our country.

As I watched the inauguration, via video, I was genuinely moved. And as I have mentioned before, I am proud to be an American. It is an incredible thing to witness again the peaceful transfer of power. I couldn’t help but notice the feeling of excitement and anticipation in our national psyche. I couldn’t help but notice the sense of unity among many people of varying races, backgrounds, faiths, and dreams. I couldn’t help but notice an audaciousness of hope. And hope is good for us.

Can President Obama fulfill these expectations and hopes? I don’t know, but I sure hope so. The weight is now on him and he will be called on to produce. As people of faith we get some choices to make at this moment. We can support, encourage, and guide him or we can be a part of the chorus of people who will seek to break him down. We should disagree on issues when we must, but we can do all of our disagreeing by speaking the truth in love.

Finally, we can pray for our President. For those of us who are people of the Word – prayer for our leaders is a command.

“Father, in the name of Jesus Christ I ask you to bless President Obama. Bless his wife and children. Protect them and give them divine wisdom as they are a part of the leadership of this nation. Help us to be a people who bring you honor and praise. Amen.”

A partner in the gospel,

Pastor Paul

President-elect Barack Obama

Tonight, we elected a new president of the United States, Barack Obama.
We elected our 44th president, a black man, an historical step.
A step that I pray will help us heal racially.
I am proud of the way we do our elections.
I am proud to participate.

I have not been in agreement with much of what President-elect Obama has stood for, but I will pray for and honor him as the President of our nation.
Tonight, I am proud to be an American.

Your partner in the gospel,
Pastor Paul

A Big Day for Grand Forks, North Dakota

The radio announcer got it right this morning; "This is a big news day for Grand Forks." It is and I find it really exciting.


This evening we will be hosting two huge events. The opening ceremonies for the Men's World Curling Championships and the North Dakota Democratic Convention with keynote speakers Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton all in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Who would have thought it? These are big events, international and national, for our community and we get the opportunity to showcase our city and the character of the people who live here.


I know that some who read this will have mixed emotions about both of these events. There are some of us who are unaware that there is a sport other than hockey that can be played on ice. We are after all the home of the finest hockey arena in the United States. And, we will know after next week for sure, the finest college hockey team in the United States. But there are many in the world who enjoy an ice sport called curling. And many of them will be in our city for the next week or so. What a great opportunity for us to learn more about the sport and to offer a friendly welcome to those who are visiting here.

The other big event is the North Dakota Democratic Convention with two presidential candidates speaking here tonight. You don't have to agree with these candidates to appreciate this event. Agree or not, the convention highlights one of the beauties of our political system. We have a system that allows for varying opinions to be voiced in the freedom of public forum. With all of its flaws, I believe that we have the best political system in the world. It should not be overlooked that we will be hosting these two candidates on the anniversary of the death of Martin Luther King, Jr. You can bet that the nation will be observing tonight. But this is not my main point in writing.

I would like to encourage us in the Greater Grand Forks area to raise the bar of our courtesy and friendliness to all those who will be visiting our great region. We are a wonderful city and many of us are followers of Jesus Christ. This evening there will be many lights on, spotlights shining all over. I pray that the brightest lights will not be at the Ralph Engelstad Arena nor at the Alerus Center but that the brightest light will be the Church of the Greater Grand Forks area -- shining with the love of Jesus Christ.

Your partner in the gospel,

Pastor Paul