Beyond the Pulpit 11.10.24
Good Morning Crozet UMC,
Beyond the pulpit, it has been a significant week in the life of our nation. Following the election, we can be certain that there are people we know and love who feel differently about the outcome. We can also be certain that some are celebrating joyously and others are grieving deeply. And, we can be certain that our unchanging God holds us now, regardless of what the future holds.
Please know that as your Pastor, no matter how you voted or what you believe about the results, I will continue to love and welcome all people at Crozet UMC. I will work to provide a safe space for all to share their hurts and their joys, their questions and their struggles, their longings and their hope as followers of Jesus.
As a community of faith, there are several ways that we can be the Body of Christ in the world today, and I invite you to join me in these practices.
- Do no harm. John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, wrote these three simple rules in the 18th Century: “Do no harm, Do good, and Stay in love with God.” In these days especially, when people are especially sensitive, it is necessary that we first, do no harm.
- Be gentle with yourself. Last week in the sermon, we talked about Jesus’ Greatest Commandment to love God, Others, and Self (Luke 12:30-31), and I used the “airplane oxygen mask” analogy (“if you are traveling with someone who needs assistance, attach your mask first before assisting others”) to emphasize the importance of self-care. Regardless of where you stand politically, it is important that we each attend to our hurts and struggles – whatever they are – showing ourselves love, so that then we can more effectively love God and love others.
- In all things, charity. In one of our recent adult Grow Group sessions, we discussed how Jesus and the scribe (in Luke 12) rose above party strife and crossed the dividing line of hostility to confess a common faith. Despite differences, they were able to embrace another Wesleyan statement, “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.” May we strive to claim a common faith and love one another, despite our differences.
Please know that I am here for you and for our community, and I am grateful for the opportunity to serve alongside you at Crozet UMC. I look forward to seeing you soon.
Pastor Christy Haga Turner