Dear friends and members of University UMC:
I have been thinking of you in these days following Tuesday evening. I’ve pictured you at various “watch parties," gathering to view election day coverage. I’ve imagined you waking up on Wednesday morning with a renewed sense of hope and joy. Maybe your exhale is a little longer and a little deeper. Maybe your jaw is a little less clenched. Maybe your head is lifted upward in a spirit of gratitude.
Dear ones, I’ve been a pastor through many different elections, including midterms. I know the dance of remembering that there are votes cast in a variety of directions—even within faith communities that assume they are (for the most part) in lockstep on all the major issues. And yet, I know I am not alone in rejoicing that the results we witnessed Tuesday evening align with many of our core values here at University UMC. We long for the Beloved Community to be birthed among us. We lament the assault on the lives of immigrants and refugees. We advocate for the rights of our LGBTQIA+ siblings and friends. We cry out for the empty to be filled with good things and for the sick to have affordable healthcare. In the words of our Social Creed, we deplore violence and call for peace. Yes, at University UMC we welcome all and proclaim that our doors are open to all. AND we stand firm in our commitment to being a place of unconditional love and justice in action.
Today I leave with you words of faith I’ve been reading this week. You’ll find the words to our denomination’s Social Creed, first adopted by predecessor denominations in 1908. You’ll also find a poem by retired pastor Steve Garnaas-Holmes entitled “Long Haul.” His words are part comfort and part conviction as we recommit to the work of justice in the name of Christ and on behalf of those who come after us. And best of all, I leave you with an image of a modern-day “Freedom Quilt” created just this week by the children of UUMC.
Be encouraged!
And what a joy to be your pastor,
Teresa
