The modern world specializes in fragmentation. Everything is broken apart into little bits, so that autonomous man might have the illusion that this world can be controlled by man, piece by little piece. But we are Christians, who serve the God who made heaven and earth, and who then remade them in Jesus Christ our Lord. We therefore are learning to see all things as a complete and integrated whole.
Among many other things, this means that we must learn to see our worship as a political act. Some Christians want to separate religion and politics entirely, leaving the political realm to the devil and his disciples. Other Christians want to embrace political action, but they want to subordinate the worship of God to the autonomous norms and standards of the secular political realm — to do politics their way (yard signs and petitions) instead of God’s way (hearing His word, eating bread and drinking wine). In other words, they want to subordinate the worship of the triune God to the standards of all the secular baals.
Another option, which is significantly better, wants to worship God rightly, and then watch how this unfolds later on in the world of politics. This is good, but there is still too much distance involved.
We must learn to see that public worship is political. The preaching of the kingdom of God does not have to be made political. It can be made apolitical, but only through compromise. The rituals of the kingdom do not have to be made political—they declare, in a profound and unmistakable way, that our allegiance is to the City of God, and that all kings, congresses, parliaments, churches, denominations, synagogues, presidents, ambassadors, and any other name that can be named, must make their peace with the prince of that City.
So do not isolate this part of your life from the other aspects of your life. Your life must be integrated. But do not isolate this part of your life from your citizenry. You declare, every week, that there is no king but Jesus. You declare that His worship defines all other responsibilities. His authority extends to everything else. His power, His wisdom, His majesty, are above all.