Mid-Week Message - March 26
- revkatetworivers
- Mar 26
- 6 min read
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be always with you! With a federal election campaign underway, what is top of mind for me this week is politics (and Canadian politics, which is a refreshing change from the US politics which have felt overwhelming this winter). But not necessarily partisan politics - party politics have no place in the church for a number of reasons, including the potential to divide a congregation, and the risk of jeopardizing the church's charitable status. (CRA doesn't look kindly at churches or other charities dabbling in party politics.) Some of you may have noticed that I put up a disclaimer on both the Two Rivers Pastoral Charge Facebook Page and the Westfield United Church Facebook Group, saying that any posts or comments promoting or opposing a political party (any political party) would be deleted. We got some very helpful (and practical) advice from the United Church of Canada last week about navigating election campaigns as a church. But even though we, as a church, have to stay out of party politics, we are also called to be political. The English word "politics" comes to us from the Ancient Greek words meaning "city" and "citizens" and "population." To be political is to be concerned not only for your own welfare, but to be concerned for the welfare of the collective. And didn't Jesus have something to say to us about loving our neighbours? That commandment, at the heart of our faith, is a call to be political, a call to be not only concerned about but invested in the welfare of our neighbours. And if we we look at the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), a story that Jesus told to answer the question of "who is my neighbour, that I am supposed to love?" then we are to be especially concerned for the welfare of our most vulnerable neighbours, anyone who is in need. Jesus was political, even though he never engaged in party politics. (Though there were likely people pressuring him to join the Kick Out the Romans Party!) He was concerned for the welfare of everyone, of the whole land, of the whole world. Our faith calls us to be political, even as we are to be non-partisan. But engaging in the partisan political system can be one way of living out our faith. We have the opportunity to examine the different parties' political platforms and consider which one is most lined up with the message of Jesus. And then we have the opportunity to go out and mark an X on a ballot, and have a say in which vision for the world we want. You will never, ever hear me tell you or advise you who to vote for. (Even before I was a minister and this became forbidden to me, I never wanted to tell anyone who to vote for.) But you will probably hear me, more than once in the next 5 weeks, encourage you to get out there and vote! (One of my proudest accomplishments was persuading a colleague who, in her 30s had never voted, to go out and cast her first vote.) And maybe, for some people, you might be called to live your faith politically even further. Many politicians at every level of government and with every party have been motivated by their faith to serve in this way. There is even the occasional minister or priest serving in politics - a colleague from Toronto was recently elected in the Ontario provincial election, and one of the candidates this year for the Moderator of the United Church of Canada is a former Member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament. (And yes, there are lots of rules around how a minister can run and serve in government, including taking a leave of absence from the church during the campaign.) Election day is on April 28, which gives you just over a month to explore the platforms of the different candidates, and consider them through the lens of your faith. And as soon as you are concerned for the welfare of the population, you are being political! (And then, if you are political junkie like me, on the evening of April 28, you can pop a bowl of popcorn and sit back and watch the results come in. Election Day is the most exciting sporting event of the year in my world!) Moving on to Announcements this week:
Thank You Corner: This week's thank you goes out to Beth Quigly (outgoing TRPC treasurer) and Leanne Geurts (incoming TRPC Treasurer). Not long after finishing the 2024 financial report, the two of them spent a morning (and then some) working on the annual statistical report that is required by the United Church of Canada. A lot of the work of the church takes place behind the scenes - thank you to everyone who shares their gifts for the work of the church, with an extra thank you this week to Beth and Leanne! And for a closing thought this week, I came across a poem last week, at the time of the Equinox and the first day of spring (though the snow that we have had since the first day of spring may have us questioning whether it is here yet!). Jan Richardson is an Episcopal priest, artist, and poet - often the poem on the back of our Sunday bulletins comes from her. This one is Blessing the Seed, and it might be particularly touching if you feel as though you are in a time of dormancy, like nothing is flourishing in your life. You can read it by clicking here. Blessings to you and yours, today and always, Kate.
Rev. Kate Jones Two Rivers Pastoral Charge (506) 757-2201 (office) (506) 343-1307 (mobile) www.tworiverspastoralcharge.com
Pronouns: she/her/hers
"Teacher, what is the greatest commandment in the law?" Jesus replied, "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: "You must love your neighbour as you love yourself." (Matthew 22:36-39) |
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