‘“Inspired by sacred worship and Jesus’ call to love our neighbor, St. Paul’s welcomes and serves all with a commitment to justice, inclusion and generous hospitality.’ This is who we are. This is what we do. We are a people committed to sharing Christ’s love, creating community and striving for justice. People need Jesus’ compassion today. We are the people called to share it.”

“I invite you to pray these prayers with me from Friday, November 1 through the day after the election. Whatever our political differences may be, this is a way we can unite ourselves in faith.”

“…Words have power. They have the power to lift up or push down, to encourage or discourage, to include or exclude. Words can inspire us to love or to hate, to work for justice or to turn a blind eye to injustice. They can fill us with hope or fear, with courage or despair.”

“If you feel anxious about the upcoming election, you are not alone. In my conversations, some people seek comfort, wanting assurance that God is with them. Others seek direction, some way to channel their anxiety into positive action…”

"Bear witness to Christ in your life so others see a different way of being Christian. Follow St. Paul’s teaching to live by the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)"

How does our Christian faith influence our vote? How might scripture be a resource as we evaluate candidates and their policies? How do my values as a Christian inform my vote? Whatever happens in November and beyond, how can I be a person who bears the peace, grace, love and justice of Christ into the world? 

"How do you find balance in your life? If your life feels extroverted, how do you create time to rest and turn off the noise that infiltrates your life? Can you commit to a few minutes to pray? Can you give yourself permission to set aside the to-do list for a short nap or to read or take a walk? Can you put down the phone and social media for a few minutes to rejoice in the beauty of creation?"

"...when I stop trying to master it all, when I’m grateful for the life I have and accept God’s presence and love in it, I’m filled with the peace of Christ which settles my mind and spirit."

Image source: Bass Photo Co Collection, Indiana Historical Society

"...Looking back can be a good thing as long as we avoid the trap of nostalgia. We stand on a foundation and tradition of the past to remain unchanged but to strengthen us to respond to Jesus’ call to live faithfully in the present...If we are faithful in our mission, we will make Christ known today and create a solid foundation for the next generation."

"According to the Season of Creation website, this season 'is a time to renew our relationship with our Creator and all creation through celebration, conversion, and commitment together. During the Season of Creation, we join our [siblings] in the ecumenical family in prayer and action for our common home.'"

"Psalm 139 reminds us that our separation of time into sacred and secular is a fiction. All time is filled with God’s presence. We are never alone but always existing in a space in which God is with us. All time, therefore, is sacred time."

“…all of us are called by God to weave together our beliefs and our actions. God desires us to do more than recite a covenant each time we celebrate Holy Baptism. God wants us to live the covenant in whatever way makes the most sense for us. As the late writer and theologian Frederick Buechner wrote, ‘The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet.’”

“If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; be kind anyway. If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; be honest and frank anyway. What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; build anyway. The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; do good anyway. You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God; it is never between you and them anyway.” (Attributed to Mother Teresa)

“Who are the saints in your life? Who are your heroes? Who do you follow on social media? Who do you vote for in elections? The lists we create matter, for who we admire shapes who we are and what we value. “

"...we shall not be asked what we have read, but what we have done; not how eloquently we have spoken, but how holy we have lived." (Thomas à Kempis)

“…Jesus did not call us to change the world. He called us to participate in God’s mission in whatever way we can, no matter how small the act may be.” (The Rev. John Denson, D.Min.) To flourish, the kingdom of God only needs an act the size of a mustard seed. (Mark 4:31-32)

“…The most important lesson I learned was not written in a recipe but in a book by Kendall Vanderslice, By Bread Alone: A Baker’s Reflections on Hunger, Longing, and the Goodness of God. ‘The goal [of baking] should not be mastery in and of itself, but curiosity and joy. Breadmaking, like faith, is a craft to hone over the course of a lifetime, a truth that is at once exciting and liberating.’”

“I will look forward to hearing the sounds of St. Paul’s when I return in July. Until then, know that you will be in my heart and in my prayers. Thank you for blessing my life and the lives of countless others with the many ways you share Christ’s love, create community, and strive for justice.”

“Sabbath rest is deeper than one good night of sleep. It is the intentional setting aside of our labor and the many demands placed on us, so we can enter more fully into the generative presence of God. As Br. James Koester, SSJE reminds us, ‘“We are commanded to rest on the sabbath then, not because we are tired and overworked, although we may be, but because in keeping sabbath we discover again who God is, and what it might mean for us to participate in God’s very nature, who is a God of mercy, joy, and rest.”’

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