Slideshow image

Dear Glen Morris United Church, 

To be honest, it’s been a rough week and it’s not been easy to find the exact words to speak to it all. I’m sure there will be a sermon sooner than later that will put my thoughts together more prayerfully but for now I want to share with you some resources to help us better understand the relationship between faith, religion, and politics. 

In a world where people hold dangerous ideas about God (such as being divinely ordained to rule as a tyrant, or that God’s love is exclusive) it is important for us to (re)claim the power of confidently declaring our understanding of who God is and who God calls us to be. 

In this article you can find a video of Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde personally addressing Trump after his inauguration with a prayer that his leadership would show mercy and compassion. It also includes a bit more context to current events from this past week. 

Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde confronts Trump in sermon : NPR 

This sermon gives us an opportunity to reflect on this week’s scripture ahead of time. 

The Politics of Jesus – A Sermon on Luke 4:14-21 – Interrupting the Silence

What if we adopted Jesus’ political platform as our own? What if we began our political thinking and conversations by asking, “Where does it hurt?” What if we entered those difficult and divisive situations with that question? What if we let that question establish our priorities and guide our decisions? 

Please note, Passing the Peace is written each week by combining my ministry experiences, current events, our liturgical calendar, and the life & work of the church. If you have questions or concerns about anything you read, you are always more than welcome to respond via email or to get in touch. 

 

Yours in Christ, 

Rev Michiko