I have not written on this site in so long. But, here I am, and I feel the need to write again. I am somewhere between heartbroken and angry about what has happened and what is happening in our society today and, writing is one way that I work through things that are hard for me to metabolize.

There has been a lot of reactions to the words that Bishop Budde spoke in the prayer service this past week. As I understand it, it is not uncommon for some words to be spoken directly to the President at that service. It sort of reminded me of words that were spoken to me at my ordination service. When given authority of any kind there is responsibility that comes with it. The responsibility to do good for others. And, all of us humans need to be reminded of that from time to time.

I cannot speak for others but, the act of preaching is my act of worship, a form of prayer for me. I love the whole process of it. The diving into the original language of the text, which often produces some very different understandings from some of the Sunday School teachings we may have received as children. Especially when we do the important work of considering the text in context of the location of time and place in the ancient world in which it was written. People thought differently and practiced different cultural customs then and if we want to understand what was being said we have to be willing to try to understand where they were coming from and what “they” would have heard in the words. Language, history, and context are the first and foremost things I consider when approaching a text that I am going to preach on. It is essential in seeking the eternal truth that is being communicated in any text written in the confines of place and time. It is a practice in seeking that place where the Divine and mortal connect.

But, just as important as it is to consider the original hearers, it is important to consider the time and location of today’s congregation. The scriptures weren’t written in a vacuum and we don’t hear them in a vacuum. When I hear people complain that they don’t want the sermons to have anything “political” in them I think maybe there is a misunderstanding of just how political the scriptures are. While Jesus knew nothing of the partisan politics of our country today, he certainly had a firm grasp of the political climate of his day. The oppressive Roman Empire, those in the religious hierarchy who were complicit with the Empire and whose corruption perpetuated injustice on the most vulnerable. He knew these things and firmly stood against them, always speaking the truth in love. And sometimes in anger. There is one instance where we read about him flipping the tables over in the Temple. That was a very vivid expression of speaking truth to power. So, yes, politics…the process of determining who has a voice and who doesn’t, who is included and who isn’t, has always been a part of prophetic preaching.

When Bishop Budde asked for mercy for the most vulnerable from the currently most powerful man in the country, if not the world, she was following the footsteps of Christ. Only instead of flipping tables she gave a measured and soft spoken plea. The negative reaction to her words from the President as he demanded an apology only reinforced the need for her words, and the need for a merciful attitude. And some of the prominent, I mean loud, elected voices who condemned her as not being Christian might want to go back and reread their Bible. Jesus always spoke truth to power. Always. And it cost him his life.

When Jesus entered into ministry he proclaimed a new era of being, one in which everyone is included in love, the hungry are fed, the homeless are sheltered, the sick are visited and healed, the captives released, the refugee is welcomed. The vulnerable are protected and cared for. The scriptures are ambiguous on many things but not on that. Jesus used many examples of outsiders getting it right to drive the point home to the insiders that we are to be about the business of working toward community, not conformity, unity, not uniformity. We are to show love to our Creator, and to Jesus, by showing love to our neighbor. There is no good news, no Gospel, without that truth.

I don’t hold an important position like the Bishop does, but I have faced my fair share of ridicule and negativity for the words that I have preached. And, each time, while it hurts my heart (and my ego), it doesn’t change the call or the resolve to continue to preach the truth in love as best I can. I don’t preach for praise or criticism, but out of gratitude for the love that God has given me, in hopes others will feel that love too. I preach imperfectly to be sure, but always from the heart. And, there is do doubt in my mind that Bishop Budde was preaching from her heart in that service.

A sermon should hold up a reflection of Christ so that we can all see where we are in that reflection and, it should convict and inspire all of us (preacher included!), to humble ourselves before God and one another and pray for the strength and courage to follow more closely the call to be the love of Christ in the world.

It always fascinates me that Jesus never once asked to be worshiped. He was glorified in glorifying God by his prophetic words and loving actions. No, he didn’t asked to be worshiped but, he did asked to be followed. And in order to follow him we need to be prepared to love in concrete ways that may cost us dearly. But the day that it is not ok to ask the powerful to have mercy on the powerless is a day we all should get on our knees and pray for God’s mercy on our souls.