How (not) to fight culture wars

"Let's deepen our bonds within the church," Phil Kniss, lead pastor of Park View Mennonite Church, Harrisonburg, VA, challenged his congregation in a sermon on "How (not) to fight the culture wars." This bond gives us the capacity, he said, to "lovingly fight with each other." From experience, we know that the closer the bond in a relationship, the greater the ability to have meaningful conflict, and to stay in healthy relationship. His sermon, as a call to avoid participation in advocacy groups, interest groups and partisan politics, was the 4th in a series of sermons with a theme "Before a watching world: How (not) to be the church in public."