Thanks for this post and the suggestion of encouraging local church pastors in swing states. It means a lot to me to have you suggest this because I am feeling the stress of this time in my congregation.
This past summer I preached through the lectionary texts of II Samuel, which naturally lent to reflections on the relationship between prayer and politics, between church and state, which meant an opportunity to address and speak about the danger of Christian Nationalism in our country. I was "saved" out of Christian nationalism in my young adult years as a student at Messiah College. Having been raised in a white, evangelical, fundamentalist household, that listened to Rush Limbaugh and the 700 club my studies and experiences in urban Harrisburg, PA led me to a better understanding of the Gospel. I told my congregation, "if I were to write a memoir, I would title it, "Bad Faith to Good Trouble." I invited members to take off the yoke of "Christian nationalism" and get born again in the words of Rev. Barber.
We had six people attend a screening of the documentary Bad Faith and we're hoping to do a larger community screening in October. I also wrote two newsletter articles about the characteristics of fascism and asked the congregation to consider biblical values, commands, and Jesus' words to evaluate the allure of those fascist characteristics.
I've had push back from a couple leaders in my congregation as a result, but I stay the course and continue to love them while continuing to proclaim the gospel's alternative vision to a shared communal life. I appreciate any prayers you can offer for our congregation Grace Baptist in Blue Bell.
How does one find a swing state church. I love the idea, and I would love to pray. What I hear in the news scares me, and I am not sure if I want to travel to the states as a Canadian.
My biggest disappointment is the Chuch's failure at both the local and national level to speak out against the rampant antisemitism currently on display throughout our country.
Thank you for your heart, your head, your hard work and this way to reach out. We continue to pray for you, for those you pray for and for wisdom and divine guidance in these days ahead.
Thank you so, so much for this post, and especially for the steady wisdom and inspiration I get from your writing. You are in my prayers as you set out it in these weeks ahead.
You are truly an inspiration and source of hope for me Diana. Thank you for this and those resources. Passing it along with and in hope. Prayers always.
This is such a good idea. Our former congregation in another state (and especially the church staff) will be receiving a note from me very soon! Thank you for nudging me to mail it. ❤️
I love the idea of reaching out from a purple congregation in a very red area of Maine to churches in swing states. Also want to suggest reaching out to churches or non-profits in Springfield with cards of support and possible donations to their efforts there for our Haitian neighbors.
Solid purple congregation here in a very red county of Texas. I have been talking with my preaching cohort not only about what we say in the next 48 days, but what we will say after the election. The fear of losing the election exists on the "red side" as well as on the "blue side." How will we minister to that once the outcome is determined is a real question. It would be easy for me as a queer pastor (and a former lawyer who has strong opinions about SCOTUS and the state of constitutional crisis we may face) to assume that the fear on "our side" is much greater. But from a pastoral perspective, I think that would be to overlook half my parishioners. I'm still trying to figure out of what they are afraid, but I do not question that it is real.
Make sure to check out a number of those resources -- especially the stuff in Take Back Christianity. Helpful. And the organizers of that site worked to make them balanced so that congregations like yours would find them useful.
Please share this with your colleagues! How would you like this community to pray for you?
Yes! I meant to say the resources look great! I offer prayers of thanksgiving for finding this community, and I ask for prayers that I will exhibit the love of Jesus to those who are hurting when this election is past. This week's gospel comes at the right time. Those who win elections on either side are not "the greatest." They are the ones who need our prayers most of all that they will, no matter the politics of the day, welcome and "do unto" the children, the outcasts, the marginalized, and the least of these.
I get poetic reflections in my inbox from Unfolding Light, written by the Rev. Steve Garnaas-Holmes (www.unfoldinglight.net). This one came in yesterday and I found it of great comfort. Make sure to read the "Weather Report" which contains a lovely nugget of hope.
I live in a swing state./THANK YOU DIANA , MY SETTINGS WONT LET ME SHARE but I think I will pick up the phone and see if some of my relatives will share. There are many older people who could use this information. Many would find the information helpful even if we are ready to pass the torch to the next generation and have Faith in them too.
Diana. In my ELCA congregation I admit I was pretty down about the Dem ticket before the change of candidates. Bit I was really stuck aboutnwhat ro do that could be encouraging and not inflammatory. I found a group that wrote postcards to swing state Dem voters who have.historivally been "irregular" in their voting habits. We got postcards for the swing states, wrote messages that did not mention party or candidate names and just asked people to use their voice and vote. We started with me and 2 couples. In the end (100% by word.of.mouth) we had 60+ people involved. We are completing 18,000 cards. I think whatever small positive and I clusive.thing we can do.(esp. Including clergy) will help. Finding a way forward through civil dialog is going to be a really important.issue if we hope to have a functional country in the future.
Our congregation here in central Florida is open and affirming. I haven't seen a poll that tells us how the congregation divides up. But I am confident it has been traditionally a majority Republican. Concrete discussion is not taking place in any small groups nor in the sermon. Have not heard any dialogue. But my guess is that a majority will continue Republican voters even in this time of crisis.
Have spent a great deal of my life fighting the Injustice of today's world.Never expected to be on the receiving end but as someone who is now virtually homelesss (aka "housing vulnerable")after the end of a 24 year relationship, I really SEE with new eyes.
I was able to find out that as long as I have a mail address since I am an absentee voter I can- and will- still vote. My challenge is to the 65% who are registered and simply don't care to bother to vote (only 35% of voters DO vote historically) then stop your whining and do something before it all goes to hades in a handbasket. And stop complaining if you don't.
All this to say, things can turn on a dime: you too could be homeless
This was so helpful. I don't know anyone in these states but have just googled 2 specific churches of my denomination in Pennsylvania, and will be contacting them via email to declare my specific prayer support for them especially these next weeks. Why didn't I think of this on my own?!?!?! Thank you for a hands on suggestion. Bless you.
Thanks for this post and the suggestion of encouraging local church pastors in swing states. It means a lot to me to have you suggest this because I am feeling the stress of this time in my congregation.
This past summer I preached through the lectionary texts of II Samuel, which naturally lent to reflections on the relationship between prayer and politics, between church and state, which meant an opportunity to address and speak about the danger of Christian Nationalism in our country. I was "saved" out of Christian nationalism in my young adult years as a student at Messiah College. Having been raised in a white, evangelical, fundamentalist household, that listened to Rush Limbaugh and the 700 club my studies and experiences in urban Harrisburg, PA led me to a better understanding of the Gospel. I told my congregation, "if I were to write a memoir, I would title it, "Bad Faith to Good Trouble." I invited members to take off the yoke of "Christian nationalism" and get born again in the words of Rev. Barber.
We had six people attend a screening of the documentary Bad Faith and we're hoping to do a larger community screening in October. I also wrote two newsletter articles about the characteristics of fascism and asked the congregation to consider biblical values, commands, and Jesus' words to evaluate the allure of those fascist characteristics.
I've had push back from a couple leaders in my congregation as a result, but I stay the course and continue to love them while continuing to proclaim the gospel's alternative vision to a shared communal life. I appreciate any prayers you can offer for our congregation Grace Baptist in Blue Bell.
Sounds like you have just the right experience and wisdom to be able to minister to your people right now. Thank you so much for your work!
How does one find a swing state church. I love the idea, and I would love to pray. What I hear in the news scares me, and I am not sure if I want to travel to the states as a Canadian.
My biggest disappointment is the Chuch's failure at both the local and national level to speak out against the rampant antisemitism currently on display throughout our country.
Thank you for your heart, your head, your hard work and this way to reach out. We continue to pray for you, for those you pray for and for wisdom and divine guidance in these days ahead.
Thank you so, so much for this post, and especially for the steady wisdom and inspiration I get from your writing. You are in my prayers as you set out it in these weeks ahead.
You are truly an inspiration and source of hope for me Diana. Thank you for this and those resources. Passing it along with and in hope. Prayers always.
This is such a good idea. Our former congregation in another state (and especially the church staff) will be receiving a note from me very soon! Thank you for nudging me to mail it. ❤️
I love the idea of reaching out from a purple congregation in a very red area of Maine to churches in swing states. Also want to suggest reaching out to churches or non-profits in Springfield with cards of support and possible donations to their efforts there for our Haitian neighbors.
Excellent idea Barbara!
YES!
Solid purple congregation here in a very red county of Texas. I have been talking with my preaching cohort not only about what we say in the next 48 days, but what we will say after the election. The fear of losing the election exists on the "red side" as well as on the "blue side." How will we minister to that once the outcome is determined is a real question. It would be easy for me as a queer pastor (and a former lawyer who has strong opinions about SCOTUS and the state of constitutional crisis we may face) to assume that the fear on "our side" is much greater. But from a pastoral perspective, I think that would be to overlook half my parishioners. I'm still trying to figure out of what they are afraid, but I do not question that it is real.
Make sure to check out a number of those resources -- especially the stuff in Take Back Christianity. Helpful. And the organizers of that site worked to make them balanced so that congregations like yours would find them useful.
Please share this with your colleagues! How would you like this community to pray for you?
Yes! I meant to say the resources look great! I offer prayers of thanksgiving for finding this community, and I ask for prayers that I will exhibit the love of Jesus to those who are hurting when this election is past. This week's gospel comes at the right time. Those who win elections on either side are not "the greatest." They are the ones who need our prayers most of all that they will, no matter the politics of the day, welcome and "do unto" the children, the outcasts, the marginalized, and the least of these.
Thank you for this and the resources. They are new to me
I get poetic reflections in my inbox from Unfolding Light, written by the Rev. Steve Garnaas-Holmes (www.unfoldinglight.net). This one came in yesterday and I found it of great comfort. Make sure to read the "Weather Report" which contains a lovely nugget of hope.
He was teaching his disciples, saying to them,
“The Human One will be betrayed...”
—Mark 9.31
We don't like dire predictions.
Especially right now.
Yet here is the prophet of hope,
telling us the bad news
on the way to the good news.
This is not about predicting the future.
It's about trusting the everlastingness of love
and the power of life to endure,
and the capacity of grace
to bring life out of death,
no matter what.
Because sometimes there will be What.
A lot of it.
And yet...
There is always God's And Yet.
____________
Weather Report
Absolutely certain,
though the atmosphere appears unstable
and conditions may degrade rapidly:
a persistent low pressure zone of grace
will endure throughout even the worst storm.
There will be rainbows.
I live in a swing state./THANK YOU DIANA , MY SETTINGS WONT LET ME SHARE but I think I will pick up the phone and see if some of my relatives will share. There are many older people who could use this information. Many would find the information helpful even if we are ready to pass the torch to the next generation and have Faith in them too.
Diana. In my ELCA congregation I admit I was pretty down about the Dem ticket before the change of candidates. Bit I was really stuck aboutnwhat ro do that could be encouraging and not inflammatory. I found a group that wrote postcards to swing state Dem voters who have.historivally been "irregular" in their voting habits. We got postcards for the swing states, wrote messages that did not mention party or candidate names and just asked people to use their voice and vote. We started with me and 2 couples. In the end (100% by word.of.mouth) we had 60+ people involved. We are completing 18,000 cards. I think whatever small positive and I clusive.thing we can do.(esp. Including clergy) will help. Finding a way forward through civil dialog is going to be a really important.issue if we hope to have a functional country in the future.
Our congregation here in central Florida is open and affirming. I haven't seen a poll that tells us how the congregation divides up. But I am confident it has been traditionally a majority Republican. Concrete discussion is not taking place in any small groups nor in the sermon. Have not heard any dialogue. But my guess is that a majority will continue Republican voters even in this time of crisis.
Have spent a great deal of my life fighting the Injustice of today's world.Never expected to be on the receiving end but as someone who is now virtually homelesss (aka "housing vulnerable")after the end of a 24 year relationship, I really SEE with new eyes.
I was able to find out that as long as I have a mail address since I am an absentee voter I can- and will- still vote. My challenge is to the 65% who are registered and simply don't care to bother to vote (only 35% of voters DO vote historically) then stop your whining and do something before it all goes to hades in a handbasket. And stop complaining if you don't.
All this to say, things can turn on a dime: you too could be homeless
This was so helpful. I don't know anyone in these states but have just googled 2 specific churches of my denomination in Pennsylvania, and will be contacting them via email to declare my specific prayer support for them especially these next weeks. Why didn't I think of this on my own?!?!?! Thank you for a hands on suggestion. Bless you.