On Wednesday, at the end of a long and busy day, I took a moment to pray for the United States. I confess my prayer was not very profound. Like many of you, I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning watching the election returns. I was tired. I struggled to find words. My prayer was simply this: “Gracious God, my trust is in you, the Lord of All. Watch over the USA as we move forward with a new president. Amen.” The prayer will not win me any awards for writing but I want you, the good folks of Country Club Christian Church, to know it was spoken from my heart.
There are some in our congregation who are terribly heartbroken over the result of this election. And, by the same token, there are others who are celebrating. I’ve thought a lot about what to say to every member of our church since early Wednesday morning when Secretary Clinton conceded the election to Mr. Trump. My thoughts went back to the Lord’s Table and the words I spoke there last Sunday. I quoted from Paul’s letter to the church in Galatia, “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female…” You may recall I added, “there is no longer Republican or Democrat, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.”
I believed that was true on Tuesday as Julie and I spent the day volunteering to drive “Souls to the Polls.” I believed it was true after President-Elect Trump’s victory was declared on Wednesday. We folks in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) have always worked very hard to welcome everyone to the table, regardless of who they are or where they are from. We take that effort seriously but often times it means there will be someone sitting there with whom you strongly disagree. Many churches follow a safer route, one that creates a congregation filled with like-minded folks. But in our church where there are a variety of views and a diversity of thought we always strive to name our unity in Christ as our guiding principle.
In the days ahead, Country Club Christian Church will continue to welcome all in the name of Jesus Christ. As my friend Sharon Watkins, General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) wrote this week, our church will minister to “people of all races, ages, gender identities, abilities, religions, and yes, politics, and to find ways to work together to extend to each other – across the whole human family – the abundance of a generous God.”
Here at Country Club Christian Church we are actively working to fight racism and we will continue in that effort. Throughout our congregation’s history we have recognized women as ones fully gifted by God to serve in every aspect of church life and leadership. Our congregation will lead in the effort to welcome refugee families to the Kansas City Metro area. We will preach that the all inclusive love and grace of God is bigger and larger than anything we have ever imagined. We will seek to go to the most hellish places on earth with not only the good news of God’s mercy but the merciful willingness to partner with humans wherever there is pain and sorrow. We will stand with the LGBTQ community, recognizing they too are part of God’s family.
I cannot begin to express what an overwhelming privilege it is to serve as your pastor. I am continually amazed at the depth of your love for God, your joy in the presence of each other and your willingness to care for the world. The times ahead of us are unique but we can, through the gracious love of the Creator of all that is, find the strength we need to follow the one we name Lord and Savior of all.
With grace and hope,
Glen
