A PRAYER FOR THE U.S. ELECTION

“The government will rest on His shoulders. And He will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  (Isaiah 9:6b NLT)

O God, we acknowledge You today as Lord, not only of individuals but of nations and governments as well. As the Scripture says, we know that the government rests on Your shoulder, yet we act as if it all depends on us. Grant us the grace and the courage to put our trust and hope in You. You are our Sovereign God, and there is no other. We acknowledge You are Lord of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen.

We confess that we are experiencing fear and anxiety today, yet we know You are greater than those things that come against us. We pray for the 2024 Presidential Election, for Your guidance, and for peace and safety for all.

We are grateful for the privilege of being able to organize ourselves politically. We are grateful for the freedom to vote and to express our political views. But help us remember that what matters most is Your will and reign in our lives.

We confess to you sometimes we are so loyal to our politics that we lose sight of our brothers and sisters. We ask for eyes that are free from blindness so that we might see each other not as enemies, but as brothers and sisters, created in Your image.

We confess that our actions, our words, our rhetoric have caused divisions. We pray for this deeply divided and evenly split nation. May we come together for the common good and do as you have called us to do in Micah 6:8 - to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with You. Help us act out of grace, mercy, and justice rather than out of arrogance or fear.

Lord, guide us in Your way, Your truth, and Your life.

Help us to listen in love, work together in peace, and collaborate with one another as we seek to make our community, our nation, and the world the creation You intended from the beginning.

In the name of Jesus, our Savior and King, we pray. Amen.

– Adapted from First United Methodist Church in Ormond Beach, Florida 

#5982

KINGDOM PROMISES: REFLECTING THE LIFE CHRIST CALLS US TO

How can we actually avoid speaking ill of others? Here’s what I do when I am at my best and exercising restraint. First, I remember the call of Christ to avoid judging and to avoid calling names (Matthew 5:21-22). My aim is to do Christ’s will. Speaking ill of others does not accomplish my aim. Second, I try to search my own heart to see what is behind my need to speak ill of the other person. Usually the motivation will be fear, jealousy, insecurity, or revenge. I remind myself of the words of Mark Twain, “Among human beings jealousy ranks distinctly as a weakness; a trademark of small minds.” Third, I make it a point to look for the good in the other and to focus on lifting that up rather than pointing out the person’s weaknesses. Fourth, I remember the biblical call to humility, and remind myself that I may not be seeing the other the way God sees him or her. I may not know all the facts. And I remember the many ways in which I fall short of God’s plans (Romans 3:23)…

In many ways the evidence of our faith is found in our ability to control our tongue (or our keyboard). When you find Christians who speak ill of others, who tell half-truths, who resort to name-calling, remember the words of Jesus and the apostles and ask if this person reflects the life Christ call us to. The most important time to ask that question is the next time you prepare to hit the “enter” key when you are saying of another “You fool!” or let loose with your own “unwholesome talk” (Ephesians 4:29)…

Looking for the good in those with whom we disagree, expressing humility to admit that you may be wrong, and seeking to remove the log from your own eye before removing the splinter from your neighbor’s eye (Matthew 7:5) -- these are the characteristics of Christ’s followers. And it is in remembering and practicing these Scriptures that Christians will stop being the wedge that divides our nation, and start acting instead as bridge-builders and peace-makers. 

-- Adam Hamilton in “Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White” 

#5980

REVOLUTIONARY

“As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.”  (Colossians 3:12 NRSV)

This election cycle in the U.S. is pulling people apart. The rhetoric, name-calling, and polarization is extreme. Rather than working together to move our country forward, nothing happens.

I have often thought that a good analogy for what’s happening is this: Two brothers are pulling a red Radio Flyer wagon carrying their little sister. Each has a grip on the handle. They are moving steadily down the street, one gently tugging one way, then the other gently pulling the other way, and the wagon moves steadily forward. But as time goes on, the angle of the pulls gets more extreme and the force exerted has gotten stronger and stronger. Instead of talking about their common goals for the wagon, they are yelling at each other over who is right. And the wagon is no longer moving forward. It is being jostled to the point of dumping its precious cargo.

Josh Wilson sings a song called “Revolutionary” (written by Jason Mater, James Tealy, Steven Fee, and Joshua Wilson). I resonate with the perspective he shares. 

REVOLUTIONARY
 
Maybe you're not like me
Maybe we don't agree
Maybe that doesn't mean
We gotta be enemies
Maybe we just get brave
Take a big leap of faith
Call a truce so me and you
Can find a better way
 
Let's take some time, open our eyes, look and listen
And we're gonna find we're more alike than we are different
 
Why does kindness seem revolutionary?
When did we let hate get so ordinary?
Let's turn it around, flip the script
Judge slow, love quick
God help us get revolutionary
 
I'm turning the TV down
Drowning their voices out
'Cause I believe that you and me
Can find some common ground
See, maybe I'm not like you
But I'll walk a mile in your shoes
If it means I might see
The world the way you do
 
What would Jesus do?
He would love first
Yeah, He would love first
So we should love first
 
God help us get revolutionary

-- Rev. David T. Wilkinson, SOUND BITES Ministry

#5974

IS THE TRUTH OUT THERE?

“Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in Him, ‘If you continue in My Word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’”  (John 8:31-32 NRSV)

All this talk of truth and falsehood, right and wrong, seems medieval to many people today.  A philosophical position called deconstructionism says that all claims about truth are really masks for those who just want power.  Deconstructionism has a point: Many claims about truth are motivated by power.  In fact, people have been known to twist the words of the Bible in order to justify their cruelty toward other people.  For instance, the Bible has been used to justify white supremacy.

However, taken as an absolute about all truth claims, deconstructionism goes to far.  If there is a God who created the universe, then that God's perspective on life is the true one.  That God's claims about truth are motivated not by power but simply by truth.  Extreme deconstructionism says there is no Creator God.  There are only interest groups competing for the power to say what goes.

The sister of deconstructionism is relativism.  Relativism says there are no absolute truths. "Truth" is only what works in a given context.  Truth depends completely on your point of view, and there is no God's-eye-view that is the standard by which all other perspectives are measured.

Deconstructionism and relativism treat reality like the laws of a democratic society.  It would be as if the law of gravity were not written into the fabric of the universe.  As if gravity were law only until an interest group could garner enough power to tip the balance on the Supreme Court or in Congress.  As if gravity were law only as long as it made society run smoothly -- but as soon as it seemed essential for humans to be weightless, citizens could vote and repeal gravity.  Almost nobody actually believes such things about gravity, but many people believe them about ethical questions, the nature of God, and what happens when you die.  These issues are supposedly decided by lobbying, voting, and personal preference. 

-- Karen Lee-Thorp in “A Compact Guide to the Bible”

#5469

THE OBJECT OF OUR TRUST

"It is better to trust the LORD than to put confidence in people.  It is better to trust the LORD than to put confidence in princes." (Psalm 118:8-9)

Pilots put confidence in their planes.  Commuters place confidence in trains, cars, or buses.  Each day we must put our confidence in something or someone.  If you are willing to trust a plane or car to get you to your destination, are you willing to trust God to guide you here on earth and to your eternal destination?  Do you trust Him more than any other human being?  How futile it is to trust anything or anyone more than God.

-- From the “Life Application Bible” 

#5467

A PRAYER FOR THE U.S. ELECTION

“The government will rest on His shoulders. And He will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  (Isaiah 9:6b NLT)

O God, we acknowledge You today as Lord, not only of individuals but of nations and governments as well. As the Scripture says, we know that the government rests on Your shoulders, yet we act as if it all depends on us. Grant us the grace and the courage to put our trust and hope in You. You are our God, and there is no other. We acknowledge You are Lord of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen.

We confess that we are experiencing fear and anxiety today, yet we know You are greater than those things that come against us. We pray for the 2020 Presidential Election and ask for peace and safety for all, and for Your guidance.

We are grateful for the privilege of being able to organize ourselves politically. We are grateful for the freedom to vote and to express our political loyalties.

We confess to you sometimes we are so loyal to our politics that we lose sight of our brothers and sisters. We ask for eyes that are free from blindness so that we might see each other as brothers and sisters. We are one in the Body of Christ because we, all humanity, are created in Your image.

We confess our actions, our words, our rhetoric have caused divisions. We pray for this deeply divided nation. May we come together for the common good and do as you have called us to do - to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with You through creation. Help us act out of love, mercy, and justice rather than out of arrogance or fear.

God, our Creator, guide us in truth and love.

Help us to listen in love, work together in peace, and collaborate with one another as we seek to make our community and world the creation You intended from the beginning.

In the name of Jesus, our Savior, we pray. Amen.

-- from First United Methodist Church in Ormond Beach, Florida

#4964

A REFLECTION OF OUR DISCIPLESHIP

For Christians, perhaps the most distressing aspect of political campaigns is the lying, name calling, mudslinging, and personal attacks that do not help us determine the qualifications and policy ideas of the candidates. Our country has become so polarized that we now divide ourselves off from those who do not share our political views. This division and antagonism between the parties extends even into the church, disrupting congregational life and foreclosing opportunities for fellowship, witness and cooperative ministry.

John Wesley famously advised his parishioners how to conduct themselves in an election: “1) To vote, without fee or reward, for the person they judged most worthy; 2) To speak no evil of the person they voted against; and 3) To take care their spirits were not sharpened against those that voted on the other side.” (Journal, October 6, 1774)

How we engage with each other in the political process is just as much a reflection of our discipleship as the particular conclusion we draw on various issues or candidates. At all times, we ought to embody the Spirit of Christ, treating each other with love, humility and respect.

-- Rev. Thomas A. Lambrecht in an article entitled “Participation in Political Process Is Opportunity and Responsibility”, Interpreter Magazine, Nov/Dec 2016

#3976

WESLEY'S REMINDER ABOUT VOTING

I met those of our society who had votes in the ensuing election, and advised them, 1. To vote, without fee or reward, for the person they judged most worthy: 2. To speak no evil of the person they voted against: And 3. To take care their spirits were not sharpened against those that voted on the other side. 

-- John Wesley, October 6, 1774.


#3102

WISE DECISION MAKING AT ELECTION TIME

You have been given responsibility for decision making. It is a large responsibility, and the issues are complex and seldom clearly one way or the other. Even when we have gathered all the facts and looked at and listened to all the evidence, the answer may still be unclear. We bring our best thoughts and all of our previous experiences to the decision making process, and still we find that prejudice, half truths, insufficient evidence, and lack of wisdom leave us uncertain about God's way in the matter.

At times like this we long for the assurance of God's presence with us. We yearn to ask Jesus, who always reflected God's will, what our decision should be, what really is God's will in this matter. We would seek to know how we can discern that our decisions are not our own, not where the popular opinion is, not what is easy or cheap, not even what will please the most persons or defeat someone we don't like. Rather, one might ask, “What is God's will? What does God desire around this concern I have? What decision would I make if I were to block out all other interests and seek to please only God?” 

-- Reuben P. Job in A Guide to Spiritual Discernment


#3093