Voting with Heart and Soul

Beloved of God,

While it may go without saying, I want to encourage everyone at St. Mark’s to participate in our democratic process by voting in the upcoming presidential election. Pray for safety surrounding this election, for those voting and working at the polls, and for a peaceful transfer of power.

We live in a messy world full of divisions from the global level down to our own families. We all know how important this election is for our country. While the church must remain non-partisan, we have much to offer as we discern and make decisions. As Christians, we live by our defining story of God’s loving care for all that God has made. We celebrate that in the raising of Jesus to new life, we see God’s love is stronger than death, stronger than fear, and stronger than anything that can happen to us in this earthly life.

Below are three pieces of election advice I’ve received from our own members over the past few weeks:

Vote for the story that is most like the way you want the world to be.

Remember your baptismal vows to: “Strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being.”

Listen, Read, Pray, Vote – and take care of all God’s children.

As you enter the voting booth remember the values that you hold dear and vote with heart and soul. Remember that your faith community of St. Mark’s will be here long after the election. Each of us will need the loving care of our church community to get through the coming years no matter what the outcome of this election. No matter what happens, there will still be service to be given, relationships to be built, loving care to be offered, and the opportunity to build something beautiful for God here in this place.

Reconciliation is not the ending of all difference, but the transformation of how we deal with difference.

~ Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury.

Join me in praying for our nation and this election,

Fr. Christopher McLaren

Rector, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church