Jubilation Day
Or praise is as praise does. On Sunday, the first Sunday since the election, there were many, including our pastor, expressing sentiments of victory and celebration during worship. This went down well with most of the congregants, in our church a majority so large as to habitually assume they are complete. I admit I was happy enough myself, in a transitive electoral sort of way. Occaisionally I'm puzzled by the choices we end up with on election day, but this seemed to work out just fine. Not all were in the same frame of mind, however. This ecumenical toasting did not sit well with my father, one of the three or four republicans at our church. It aggrieved him and he pronounced himself aggrieved, and became increasingly malcontented. Stating repeatedly: He didn't need this, and didn't need to come here and listen to this - tripe. Of course he is also of the opinion that there is no way democrats could ever win any public office outside of "the communist states" without massive (it's raining acorns) voting fraud. I pointed out that this is a somewhat hypocritical position as he was aware, of and had no problem with, the Pulpit Initiative from earlier this season
Ban on Political Endorsements by Pastors Targeted. This is when right wing preachers declared they were going to openly profess political advocacy and dare the IRS to come after their non-tax status
The Associated Press: Group asks IRS to investigate Ark. pastor's sermon. Even if you declare preference for what you desire to hear, it is an irreconcilable position to complain about it
CapeCodTimes.com - Clergy walk fine line preaching politics from pulpit. A principle of license does not include a guarantee clause of pleasing uniformity. But I understood how my father felt. It would be a hard thing to be confronted with and stuck with onerous and oppressive politics from one's church. To be told flatly that Jesus (for instance) was clearly and obviously the champion of one particular set of late model American political opinion. To have a partisan political leader talk glibly about knowing God's mind about things - and speaking unhesitatingly for God. To be told that voting for the other set of opinion puts you in league with unrepenant and uncontained evil. That would be a bitter pill.
Now this was not a state of affairs confined just to first church. It was nationwide, even in the reddest states we possess. I think after this - viewing it in a transformational and civil rights context most of all - this brief and understandable moment of spontaneous joyful celebration
Praise and Politics - washingtonpost.com. That going forward it is better to have partisan politics not present in worship services. To not trumpet advocacy for political person or cause. Leaving room, of course, for values speech which then even when forcefully expressed can be drawn through the distillation of individual conscience and conclusion. To be sure from the head of the UCC the post election was played with more even hand
Thomas authors letters to Obama and McCain following election. If you insist on making a point of your principles, make the first one for tolerance.
When it last came up President-elect Obama was a member of an UCC congregation in Chicago. This is the United Church of Christ the smallish New England-originating denomination to which I belong. I read a suggestion (in the Washington Post?) that Obama might want to consider attending the Cleveland Park UCC. I can't recommend that, not more than I would venture suggesting First Church downtown. Our history being the the first UCC church in DC, including as a founding member Oliver Otis Howard, civil, and indian war general as well as founder and namesake of Howard University. At that; though, we are at the moment a small (and potentially eccentric) congregation, and between permanent facilities.
It is important to have a church of ones own. I would recommend whole heartedly Peoples UCC up on Thirteenth street. This is the church our late paster Rev. John Mack attended after he retired and where his memorial service was held. It is a large and vibrant congregation. I was impressed with it at the time. I think that the President elect might feel comfortable there. I imagine they would happy to have him.
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