Say a prayer for/offer good thoughts to
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That's been a real mystery to me when considering family members who claim to be "Christ centered" yet behave/vote in ways that are so un-Christ like... I suppose there is a long history of only focusing on bible verses/interpretations that support individual points of view!
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Remember what happened to pre-Civil War ministers who opposed slavery.
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@DeweyLOU So what's the mood of your congregation? How did the sermon go?
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@wtg I'd say that our congregation is around 85% distraught, enraged, and hurting, and maybe 15% are happy with the outcome. The day after the election, we called an emergency gathering at the church - no order if worship, no music, just time to come together, talk, pray, process, rage, cry. There are about 200 in the congregation total. About 25 came to the gathering, another five replied that they wanted to be there but couldn't (schedule conflict, don't like driving in the dark, etc.). Many of them came up to me in the days following saying how much it had meant, and how much it was needed, many of them in tears.
I got three less-than-positive replies. One person gently suggested that to have a special time to comfort those grieving the election results was a violation of the IRS Johnson Amendment, prohibiting nonprofits from endorsing political candidates (it didn't). One person voiced concern that it was a "slippery slope" that had potential to upset those that were happy with the results, so we should play it all straight down the middle and offer no such time to come together (I disagreed, pointing out that a major function of the church is to comfort those who are mourning, even if that upset someone else). And I received one negative email from a parishioner who had meant to send it to someone else but accidentally sent it to me (!) actually complaining that we were having the gathering.
Then following Sunday's sermon, I received many more words of support and agreement. One man came over, shook my hand and hugged me, and said the congregation was so happy that I was there to lead them through this. Before I could self-edit, I replied, "That assumes we aren't going to have to leave the country." He laughed until he looked over at me and realized I wasn't joking. There was one parishioner - a dear person but who is one of the small handful who have really drunk the orange Kool-ade - that I worried about, knowing they were going to get upset by the sermon. She didn't say anything after the service and left pretty quickly afterward after talking to a couple of people but not me. She texted me later that evening, asking for a copy of the sermon so she could review and reacquaint herself with what I'd said.
So all in all, the congregation is for the most part gobsmacked, grieving - and really pissed off and energized.
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@wtg First, a correction - I just received a follow-up hostile email from one of the original three complainants, claiming to speak for several others (as they routinely like to do) who were also upset. Ah well.
As far as the sermon, here it is if you're interested...
Mark 12:38-44
As Jesus taught, he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets! They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”
He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
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Jesus stood by, watching people making their offerings to the Temple treasury, and as we just heard, he saw many people giving offerings out of their surplus – just a bit off the top, whatever the percentage may have been. Then he saw the poor widow toss in her two tiny little copper coins, combined barely worth a penny, and giving inflation and the lack of actual copper content in our pennies now, maybe worth two cents today. And yet, what he marveled at, and what he praised, was the widow who had given just a tiny amount of actual cash, while everyone else gave so much more monetarily – specifically because all the others gave out of their surplus, but she gave everything she had. She had gone all in with her offering to God.
As with other recent Lectionary texts, it isn’t any coincidence that we get this story in the midst of most churches’ annual stewardship campaigns, and it is important to hear in that light, and I do need to remind everyone that while we’ve had a great kickoff to our stewardship season, we still have a ways to go to meet our total budget for next year, so I encourage everyone to prayerfully consider the commitment shown by this nameless widow.
Now obviously, we can’t literally give all of our money to God, or the church; God doesn’t want us all to starve to death and be homeless, and I think that was clearly not Jesus’ point. Rather, I think he was praising her for the level of faith and commitment to God that the widow’s actions showed. Our commitment to being people of God can’t just be a small percentage, little off the top. Jesus calls all of us, as his disciples, to be similarly “all-in” with our faith. When our faith teaches us one way to be and to live, and those around us claim something else, we’re called to follow our faith.
There’s simply no way to ignore or sugar coat it, but the reality is that this week, a majority of voters chose to empower a movement whose guiding principles are inconsistent with the teachings of our faith. Don’t misunderstand, neither political party is ever perfectly aligned with the teachings of our faith, but the policies and intentions of the movement soon to take power are almost completely, top to bottom, inconsistent with, even antithetical to, the teachings of Jesus Christ, Christian social teaching, and the established theology and doctrines of the Presbyterian Church. I’m sorry if my saying that offends anyone, but this isn’t just my opinion, it’s incontrovertible fact, verifiable by a line-by-line comparison of those positions with Christ’s words and our theology.
I’ve struggled with what I might say about all this today, what gospel I might proclaim in a spirit of truth, love, and compassion. I know that no matter what I might say, some will say I'm being “too political,” while some will say I'm not being political enough; that what I might say is controversial or inappropriate and will create division. But the truth, friends, is that I don’t have that kind of power. Nothing I could say here is going to cause any division that doesn’t already exist; all I can do is speak into that reality - and to do so in a way that I’ve been ordained and charged to do as a Minister of Word and Sacrament, as a Teaching Elder, in the Presbyterian Church.As I considered what to say, I recognized that as difficult as this current situation is, it isn’t the first time we’ve been in it, and our church’s establishing documents give us an indication of how we’re to respond to it. Our Book of Confessions, half of our denominational Constitution, is packed with historical declarations that teach us that when society around us adopts ideologies contrary to Christ, we’re called to stand up for – to be “all in” - for Christ; and we’re called to reject any of those opposing ideologies, even if they happen to be very popular. Most of our Confessions have been a statement of beliefs and moral truth-claims set over against opposing ones put forth by some temporal political power. They are spiritual confessions that are unavoidably, unapologetically political. This is especially true with the Barmen Declaration, written in the 1930s to oppose the rise of Nazism in Germany, an ideology that a majority of German Christians supported. It was especially true of the Belhar Confession, written in the 1980s to oppose the apartheid political system in South Africa, an ideology that was supported by a majority of South African Christians. The reality is that in our Reformed/Presbyterian tradition, to make a confession of faith has always simultaneously and inescapably made a political statement, too. Even John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion, the very foundation of our Reformed tradition, was considered such a dangerous political statement that Calvin himself had to flee the king of France for fear of his life, needing to settle across the border in Geneva for his own personal safety.
The coming months and years are going to be difficult for many of us, and quite possibly all of us. If the policies that this movement has promised to implement actually are implemented, they’re going to cause terrible harm and injustice to many people. And this movement has been, and will continue to be, assisted and empowered by extreme right-wing Christian Nationalists, a movement that mainstream Christians liberal and conservative alike say is a dangerous, harmful distortion of Christianity completely inconsistent with the essential teachings of our faith, and which will continue to hurt the Church by distorting people’s understanding of what it means to be a Christian.
As we’re about to enter into this difficult time, we need to remember that widow that Jesus praised. We need to remember that Jesus calls us to be “all in” in living and espousing the faith that we have professed, and “all-in” in supporting the theology and doctrine of the church that we have chosen to be part of. We can’t offer a percentage of our loyalty to Christ’s teaching, and the majority of it to some other opposing ideology.So regardless of the outcome of this election or any future election, and regardless of how any individual may have voted in this election or any future election, these facts remain and need to guide us. As individuals, as Christians, as Presbyterians, as the Church:
We have to be all in to stand up for the true loving, compassionate gospel of Jesus Christ, and to oppose any attempt to distort that message into one of hatred and injustice, regardless of what any particular politician, government official, or political party says.
We have to be all in to care for, support, and to provide for the needs of the poor and the sick; and to oppose any attempt to restrict access to basic human needs, regardless of what any particular politician, government official, or political party says.
We have to be all in to treat the resident alien with fairness, compassion, and mercy, treating them as if they were one of our own, as scripture requires of us over and over and over again, and to oppose any attempt to create divisions, to vilify them, to blame them for all of society’s problems, to harm them or to treat them without compassion or mercy, regardless of what any particular politician, government official, or political party says.
We have to be all in to preserve equal rights, full equal protection under the law, equal access to public services, equal access to health care and the right to make one’s own decisions regarding that healthcare – we have to be all in to support and maintain essential human dignity for all of God’s people, to not oppress or discriminate any groups of people for any reason; and to oppose any and every ideology, policy, or program that would thwart that universal equality and dignity, regardless of what any particular politician, government official, or political party says.This is what we, as individuals, as Christians, as Presbyterians, as the Church, are called to do. This is what Christ demands of us. This is what Christian social teaching shows us. This is what established Presbyterian theology and doctrine teaches us.
We’re also called to do something else. As a result of the election, there are many people who are suffering, within this congregation and beyond. There are many people who are facing dread, fear, anger, frustration, uncertainty, even real existential threat, caused by the movement about to take power. To all those who find themselves suffering, know that it’s one of the core missions of the church to be here for you. To be unambiguously, unapologetically present, and a safe space for you. To be on your side over against those who are harming you. To offer you spiritual and emotional support. To walk alongside you in your grief. And to reject, oppose, and work to end those things in our society that are causing you that harm. That’s what Christ called all of us to do when we professed our faith in him. And when we chose to become a member of Christ’s Church, we agreed to uphold its teachings, above the teachings or ideologies of any political party or other organization or group we might be part of. If the church, for whatever reason, were ever to weaken or dilute its own message and mission, and were to accept and enable any ideology contrary Christ, then we really won’t be the Church at all anymore – we’ll just be a social club with a pipe organ. Friends, I’m convinced that Christ has called us to be much, much more than that. At least, that’s my two cents’ worth.
Amen.
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@DeweyLOU Thank you.
Our sanctuary was open on Election Day and the day after, for reflection and quiet.
I know most of our congregation is not happy with the outcome of the election, but I am trying not to assume that everyone feels the way I do. Our pastor is away right now, but she sent a message for us to be read in church.
We’ll keep caring for people, whether or not they agree with us. Onward.
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Thanks for sharing - well said!
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Dewey, your sermon has gone over my head, sadly.
I labored for five hours in the sun today. Physical labor has never been what I do best but I was laser focused on completing my project (gardening) and making it as perfect as it could be.
I have a vise grip headache at the moment.
I've never had any doubt that you are very good at what you do and I pray that those who needed comfort found it.
I've been living in a Florida town that is Evangelical Christian almost to a person for five years.
It's been culture shock and upsetting in ways I'd rather not talk about except to say it's something else for imperfect mortal humans to presume to sit in judgement regarding one's existence and to feel free to label one as-- "evil."
I'll reread your sermon when I feel better and thank you for posting it.
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Sermon: Trusting God in the Midst of Uncertainty
Scripture Reading: Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Introduction
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
In these uncertain times, many of us are struggling with feelings of anxiety, fear, and uncertainty. This is particularly true in the wake of the recent election results. Whether we are rejoicing or mourning, it is easy for our hearts to be weighed down by what we see happening in our nation. But today, I want to remind you of an incredible truth: we do not have to face these worries alone. As Christians, we are called to trust in a God who is sovereign over all things, even in the midst of political unrest, division, and turmoil.
The Apostle Paul, writing to the church in Philippi, gave us words that ring just as true today as they did 2,000 years ago. He tells us to "not be anxious about anything," and yet, he does not leave us without a way forward. Instead, he encourages us to bring our worries and petitions to God in prayer.
The Root of Anxiety: Fear of Losing Control
It’s natural to feel anxious when we perceive that we are losing control over the direction of our lives. For many of us, the election results might seem like the loss of control over the future of our country, our communities, or even our families. But the reality is, as much as we like to think that our human efforts can secure our peace, true peace comes not from what is in our hands but from what is in God's hands.
Proverbs 19:21 tells us, "Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails." It’s important to remember that no matter who holds office, the Lord’s purposes are still unfolding, and His kingdom will never be shaken. This is the bedrock of our faith. While we are stewards of the world we live in, God alone is the ruler of it.
The Call to Prayer
So, how do we deal with the anxiety we may be feeling in light of the election outcome? Paul’s answer is clear: prayer. In the middle of our anxiety, we are called to bring our concerns before God, not in despair, but in the confident trust that He hears us and that He will respond.
Think of the many Psalms where David cries out to God with his fears, his frustrations, his questions, and his doubts. God never shamed him for expressing his worries—God invited him to pour them out in His presence. In the same way, we are invited to bring our fears and anxieties to God, not as a sign of weakness but as an act of faith.
This prayer isn’t just about asking God to change our circumstances, though. It’s about inviting God into our hearts and our minds, asking Him to change us. In every situation, by prayer and petition, we present our requests to God with thanksgiving, knowing that God’s peace will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
The Peace of God
When we pray, God promises peace. Not the peace that the world gives, but the peace that transcends all understanding (Philippians 4:7). This peace does not come from the external circumstances of our lives being “fixed” according to our desires. It is a peace that comes from knowing that no matter what happens, we are held in the hands of a loving, all-powerful God.
Jesus Himself spoke of this kind of peace in John 14:27: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."
We can rest in the assurance that God is with us, He is for us, and He will never leave us nor forsake us. No election result can change the fact that we are citizens of God's eternal Kingdom.
Faith in Action
But let me also say this: our faith must lead to action. We do not sit idly by, paralyzed by anxiety. God has called us to be agents of His peace and His love in the world. Even in times of political division, we are to be witnesses of Christ's unity and His compassion. We can support our leaders in prayer, engage with our communities in kindness, and continue to be faithful stewards of the responsibility we have to care for one another.
This is not a call to disengage, but a call to engage with hope, not despair, with courage, not fear. As followers of Christ, we can be a beacon of light in the darkness, offering a peace that the world does not understand but desperately needs.
Conclusion: Trusting in God's Sovereignty
As we reflect on the election results, let us remember that God's sovereignty is not threatened by the outcome of any election. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). And while the political landscape may change, the truth of God's Word remains unshaken.
So, dear friends, in this moment of uncertainty, let us pray with hearts full of faith and trust. Let us give thanks to God for His steadfast love and His promises, and let us experience the peace that only He can give.
Prayer:
Father, we come to You today with hearts full of emotion, with worries and anxieties that we confess before You. We ask that You would replace our fears with Your peace, that You would calm our anxious hearts, and remind us of Your perfect sovereignty. We trust that no matter the outcome of any election, You are still in control, and Your purposes will prevail. Help us to live in faith, to engage with love, and to be instruments of Your peace in the world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
May the peace of Christ be with you all, now and always.
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@ChatGPT don't quit your day job....
