What Do we do now?

By Rev. Heather Blais, Rector

Whew. What a week it has been my friends. I wrote a sermon on Thursday explaining the context of today’s lesson from Luke and how it applies to us today, but honestly my heart wasn’t in that sermon. So I hit delete, and instead I offer the things that have been on my heart and in my prayers this past week.

Last Sunday I challenged each and every one of us to take Jesus’ words in his Sermon on the Plain to love everyone, no exceptions, to heart. Even those presidential nominees, who may at times have really stretched our understanding of our own capacity to love our neighbor. To which one parishioner jokingly said to me after church--even Jesus wouldn’t ask that much of us. We laughed, as we knew this command to love one another could sometimes be a tall order, but it is indeed what Jesus asks of us. I suspect this week afforded each of us with extra opportunities to love our neighbor, as the week has been ripe with political strife.

Some of us stayed awake until the wee hours Wednesday to see who would become our next President. Some of us woke up Wednesday morning elated that our candidate had won and some of us woke up Wednesday morning shocked that our candidate had lost. For those on social media, they likely found their Facebook and Twitter accounts had blown up into a million different opinions. Honestly, it still is blowing up, so I am not sure I would bother going on there for a few days.

As I walked my children to school on Wednesday, I seemed to find myself in one pastoral conservation after another with neighbors who are women; neighbors who are brown and black; neighbors who are Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, or Transgender; neighbors who have come here illegally, and neighbors who are religious minorities that were afraid. They were very afraid. Not exaggerated fear to make a statement. Genuine, heart racing, fear for this nation and their families.

Because during this election cycle hate rhetoric and actions have been at an all time high towards members of every minority group. Things have been said by President Elect Trump, and some of his followers, that are not in sync with our constitutional rights or Jesus’ command to love one another.


And yet no matter how we voted or our personal opinions about President Elect Trump, he is going to be our next President, and we owe him the opportunity to lead our country. We owe him and one another, a peaceful transition of power--one of the things that makes our Democracy stronger and stabler than others.

So what are we to do?

We are to do the same thing I challenged of us last week. We are to love our neighbor, no exceptions. Even neighbors that hate us or persecute us because we stand with Christ and the principals of the Jesus Movement. In fact at our last Diocesan Convention our Bishop called us double down in our prayer life, we are to double down in being love in action. We are to promise our neighbors that are feeling genuinely fearful that we will stand in solidarity with them, no matter how high the personal cost.

Because we are the Jesus Movement.When we are at our very best, we are love in action. And when we are love in action, we shine the light and love of Christ to every corner of creation. A bright ray of hope in a world that can sometimes feel too dark.

On Wednesday morning, I found myself unsure of what to think or say, and when that happens I turn to the scriptures and the prayerbook. I want to invite us to do the same now. Let us remember that we are first and foremost followers of Almighty God, and that we have made certain vows to live a life in God for all the world to see.

Let us renew the promises we have made in our baptism. 

Celebrant:Do you believe in God the Father?
People:  I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

Celebrant:Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?
People: I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

Celebrant:Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit?
People:I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.

Celebrant:Will you continue in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers?
People:I will, with God’s help.

Celebrant:Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?
People:I will, with God’s help.

Celebrant:Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ?
People:I will, with God’s help.

Celebrant:Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?
People:I will, with God's help.

Celebrant:Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?
People:I will, with God's help.

May it be so. Amen. 

(The Baptismal Covenant can be found in the Book of Common Prayer on pp 304-305. Rev. Heather's sermon from last week on loving one another can be found here.)