Note: The Lawrence Times runs opinion columns and letters to the Times written by community members with varying perspectives on local issues. These pieces do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Times staff.
Would you like to send a letter to the Times? Great! Here’s how to do it.
To those disillusioned by the American Church, whether you be Christian, of another faith, or of no faith at all:
If you are deeply troubled by the increased prominence of Christian Nationalism in American culture, by the degradation of our civic discourse, and by the neverending vitriol of the “culture wars,” I want to encourage you: you are not alone.
Of course this is true for those outside the Christian faith, but I want you to know how true it is for many of us who seek to follow Jesus as well.
If you value freedom of speech, freedom of religion, the separation of church and state, recognize our desperate need for a civil public square, and the need to honor our pluralistic context: you are not alone.
If you have been tempted to give up on the Church altogether, but can’t make a full break with what you know and believe deep down about the person of Jesus: you are not alone.
If you believe all human beings are marked by the image of their Creator, and/or that the beautiful diversity of their humanity carries inherent worth: you are not alone.
If you want to do the best you can to live out the teachings of Jesus – or if you are a member of another faith, or follow no faith at all, but still respect the person and teachings of Jesus – and are no longer able or willing to ignore the disparities between him and those shouting his name in vain: you are not alone.
At Vintage Church, and at many other faith communities in Lawrence, we lament and reject the resurgence of white Christian nationalism in the American Church. But we don’t define ourselves simply by what we’re against; we want to embody a culture that expresses what we are tangibly for:
- Loving God and loving all people, not just those who act/believe/look/love/talk/think like we do
- Kingdom citizenship that prioritizes our commitment to Jesus above any flag/party/platform
- Active nonviolence that refuses to willingly harm others, but also refuses to ignore injustice
- A Christ-centered way of reading scripture that submits everything to the loving authority of Jesus
- And an egalitarian culture that champions the gifts/talents/perspectives of all, one that genuinely opens the full life of the church to all who seek to follow Jesus
If that’s the kind of culture you want to be a part of, but haven’t yet found, please know: you are not alone.
Based on our current cultural moment, it is understandable if you have come to believe such faith communities don’t exist, and to give up searching for one. But I assure you, they do exist, in a variety of places, and they can be found.
Please. Don’t give up. You are not alone.
— Deacon Godsey, lead pastor, Vintage Church
If this local platform matters to you, please help us keep doing this work.
Don’t miss a beat … Click here to sign up for our email newsletters
Click here to learn more about our newsletters first
More Community Voices:
![](https://i0.wp.com/lawrencekstimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/P5051563.jpg?fit=768%2C432&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/lawrencekstimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Letters-to-the-Times-W.png?fit=768%2C374&ssl=1)
Letter to the Times: Mixed messages about the jail
”To some of us who have been in this battle for nearly 10 years, (the sheriff comes across as) trying to protect the jail from overcrowding rather than protecting people from being incarcerated there capriciously and needlessly,” Ralph Planthold writes in this letter to the Times.
![](https://i0.wp.com/lawrencekstimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Send-letter-Banner-skinny.png?resize=1012%2C147&ssl=1)