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Dear Centenary Family,
How is it with your soul? As we consider the results of the recent election, do you find your self energized or exhausted, angry or despondent, or perhaps cheerful and hopeful?
Throughout our nation today, and perhaps in our congregation, all of those emotions are present. Regardless of our personal preferences, we cannot deny the words that have been spoken in this campaign that demean others, nor the promises to enact policies that bring fear to the hearts of migrants, women, LGBTQ people, and people of color. We cannot ignore the promises to enact dramatic changes in our democratic institutions and processes.
In the last few months, a frequently asked question among preachers has been, “What will you preach about the Sunday after the election?” I haven’t known how to answer that question in the abstract. I know that that question will be answered differently by preachers in different congregations. 42% of our population is made up of white Christians. 72% among that number are Protestants and find themselves pleased with the turnout of the election. I expect the tone will be different in many African American congregations that are led by ministers I admire, respect, and consider to be good friends
As you know, we are on the more liturgical side of the scale of worship styles practiced in United Methodist congregations. Part of that way of worship has been a commitment to the prescribed lectionary readings that many Christians follow Sunday after Sunday, year after year. I made a commitment a long time before coming to Centenary that I would shape my preaching around the lectionary. Part of my own conviction about that approach lies in a confidence that the Word of God has surprising ways of answering the questions we have at particular moments in time as well as challenging us to new dimensions of faithfulness.
The Gospel reading for this Sunday is Mark 12:38-44. It is the story of the widow who went to the temple one day and put in two coins. Jesus said that she gave more that day than any of the wealthy people who showed up that because they gave out of their wealth while she gave all she had to live on. For Jesus, she was an example of discipleship. I wonder if she inspired Jesus in his own struggle to be faithful to the journey he was on that would lead to the cross. What if we read this text in light of the present moment we find ourselves in? In an odd, rather unsuspecting way, I think we learn a lot from this text. I think there is both challenge and hope for us from the widow’s example. I won’t say more, but invite you to worship with us Sunday to find out what I mean and see if it’s of any help to you. I’m not sure the finance committee will approve of my title, but I’m preaching this Sunday on Good Reasons Not to Give.
Regardless of how you feel about things at this moment or how you voted, we need each other right now. And the world needs a church focused on the fullness of God’s love for all people and dedicated to the hard work of reconciliation and peacemaking. Maybe the world needs a church like ours!
Peace,
Matt
P.S. If you’d like to process the current state of affairs with others, I invite you to see the flyer below and join Clergy and Citizens Against Racism in a webinar entitled Christian Nationalism and how people of faith are called to respond after the election. The webinar is this Thursday, November 14 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and will be led by Dr. Roger Gench with a discussion following.
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