The First Sermon

The parts you probably didn't hear

I know that many of you aren’t watching the news this week. But I imagine that you’ve heard about Bishop Mariann Budde’s sermon at the Washington National Cathedral yesterday. The final three minutes — when she pleaded for mercy toward LGBTQ people, immigrants, and children — have gone viral around the world, prompting predictable politicization, outrage, and division. (The clip I’ve linked above has the final reaction of Trump and Vance in the seconds after she finished. Don’t miss that part.)

Bishop Budde preaching and the unhappy faces in the congregation

I don’t want to add to the uproar over the sermon. Instead, I’m posting it so you can listen to the ENTIRE thing. It isn’t long — just under fifteen minutes.

The last three minutes stand alone, but they are far better understood in the context of what is a theologically thoughtful meditation on unity. Unity, she maintains, is not an easy thing and is most likely possible only in part. But she insists on its centrality to communities and nations, and posits it as a the counterpoint to the culture of outrage that is destroying us.

She lays out what she calls the “three foundations” of unity — dignity, honesty, and humility. She summarized the three alluding to both the baptismal vows and scripture:

Honor the dignity of every human being
Speak the truth to one another in love
Walk humbly with each other and our God

Unity based on these principles is both pastoral and prophetic, as she so ably demonstrates in the final minutes when she directly addressed Trump.

Over the years, we’ve explored dignity, honesty, and humility here at The Cottage — and struggled with their relationship to clarity, justice, and urgency. Bishop Budde’s sermon should be part of that continuing conversation as an example of how these ethical virtues inform and strengthen each other.

This version, published by NPR, seems to have the easiest access: https://www.npr.org/2025/01/21/nx-s1-5270031/bishop-confronts-trump-during-sermon-at-inaugural-prayer-service

If you have trouble getting in, click on the black box in the lower left corner “Watch on YouTube.” That should work. Make sure to start at the beginning, not the end (NPR appears to have set the auto-start at the controversial bit — just pull the curser back to the beginning).

I’m glad I listened to the entire thing. I think you will be, too.

And remember: this is the first sermon for these days. We will need a chorus of millions of such sermons over the next four years. Add your voice — whether preaching to a congregation or sharing a more casual reflection with your friends and family. Don’t be shy. Speak courageously, grounded in a commitment to dignity, truth, and humility.

Fearlessly,
Diana

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Every act of courage matters now.
Don't leave it to someone else - an authority, someone with power.
You need to be brave.
We always speak of everyday kindness. What is needed now is everyday courage.

— Diana Butler Bass

(And yes, kindness still matters. Courage doesn’t negate that.)

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INSPIRATION

We, unaccustomed to courage
exiles from delight
live coiled in shells of loneliness
until love leaves its high holy temple
and comes into our sight
to liberate us into life.

Love arrives
and in its train come ecstasies
old memories of pleasure
ancient histories of pain.
Yet if we are bold,
love strikes away the chains of fear
from our souls.

We are weaned from our timidity
In the flush of love's light
we dare be brave
And suddenly we see
that love costs all we are
and will ever be.
Yet it is only love
which sets us free.

— Maya Angelou

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