Now that Democrats have reclaimed the House it will be interesting to see what they do. For months they have said if that happened they would spend their time trying to impeach the president. That would be a mistake on three fronts. One, no one has identified anything for which he could be impeached. Two, only the Senate has the power to impeach a president, and Republicans have solid control of the Senate. Third, there are important issues that are far more pressing that demand their attention.
Ed Rendell, former Democratic governor of Pennsylvania, has urged the House to focus on legislating, not investigating. As he pointed out, they have an opportunity to show real leadership by reaching across the aisle and working to pass significant legislation that enjoy bipartisan support. Rather than being afraid of giving President Trump a "win" they should be working to improve the lives of their fellow Americans. He offers wise counsel to his party.
Various persons on the news from both parties last night identified health care, immigration reform, and repairing the nation's infrastructure as potential areas in which both parties agree need to be addressed. While there are going to be differences in how these issues are resolved, both sides should be willing to look at finding solutions to these important issues. It would be far better than wasting time and money pursuing something that isn't going to happen anyway and might demonstrate that Congress is actually going to assume a leadership role in government.
How one handles power says a lot about a person's character. It's true in the political arena, and it's true in the church. Some pastors go into a church with a CEO mentality that is determined to tear down the current church structure and replace it with one of his or her own choosing. One pastor began his pastorate by replacing everyone in leadership within the first few months. When I questioned the church how he was able to do that I learned that their constitution gave the pastor that power. The first thing I did with them was help them rewrite their constitution!
I have written much in the past about church controllers. These individuals do great harm in the church by ensuring that nothing changes without their approval. They oppose anything that seems to be a threat to their position or power regardless of the positive impact it might have on the church. Their attitudes and actions demonstrate they lack the character to hold positions of authority in a church, and the church will remain stuck until it finds the courage to remove such individuals from their positions. Sometimes churches do not believe they can do that, but I have assisted several in the process. While it's not pleasant, it's necessary for the life of the church and the advancement of the Kingdom of God.
A new pastor went into a church and quickly learned who had created a lot of problems for the previous pastor. He invited the man to lunch and explained that he did not want them to be enemies but to be able to work together. They enjoyed a supportive ministry during the pastor's tenure in the church all because the pastor sought a positive relationship with the gentleman.
This should be the way things are in every church and in Washington. Learning to work together can get much accomplished and demonstrates character. Gridlock accomplishes nothing
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