John Frame in his work “The Doctrine of the Christian Life” discusses some reason that we should be careful when entering into political discourse from pulpit.
“Another danger, of course, is that churches will get so caught up in political activism that they lose sight of Christ. The solution is not to avoid political issues, but to see politics as Kuyper did, as an opportunity to promote the claims of King Jesus. It is important that the church’s message including its political statements, exude the grace of Christ. Grace is not only the center of God’s Word, but a vital element of our communication, even of law. Denunciation of the evils of the world only takes us so far. It can, indeed, be counterproductive, because people come to resent constant scolding. Law and gospel must be wrapped up in one another. Political preaching should show how God’s grace itself impels us to live by standards that are different from those of the world.”
I am intrigued by Frame’s position on this issue. Because of prior history I prefer to keep my political opinions separated from my identity as a Christian. I have seen far to many people hurt by the injection of politics into the church. The extreme partisan nature of American politics has only served to divide the church even further. What do you think of Frame’s position? Do you think that you can safely bring politics into the church to the glory of God?
the archives near Emmaus 
I’m not sure why Kuyper should be a model. What about his reactionary political program, his authoritarian leadership style, and his use of a political platform to support church schism should Christian’s embrace?
@Josh: I don’t think there is any way for us to avoid the political implications of the gospel. I think what pastors need to do is avoid (1) allegiance to particular parties and (2) using their influence to trump others as regards particular approaches to particular causes. Likewise, while the pastor should lead, s/he should not make unilateral decisions regarding what political issues the church ought to engage nor how they should approach it. There must be a communal discussion.
In part, it will take some patience. Too often people want to jump toward this or that cause. It becomes very faddish, and the pastor shouldn’t be swayed by these waves of interest. Also, I tend to think pastors should focus on the levers they can actually pull, which would be local issues rather than state or national issues.
I know this is all very vague, but maybe it will give others the opportunity to build on it for further discussion.