January 24, 2025
Beloveds of Grace,
For my pastoral reflection this week, it is important to me to respond to the recent flurry of executive orders. Our new president began the first hours of his administration by signing orders that demonstrate his intent to unilaterally shift federal policies on topics like immigration, energy production, public health, climate change, reproductive rights, and gender inclusion. It is unclear the legal effect these orders will truly have, but one effect is immediately clear: these orders have sown real terror amongst marginalized populations that were already the most vulnerable in our land: immigrants, refugees, the LGBTQIA+ community, women, the earth. Some of us have felt this terror firsthand, while others of us have loved ones whose lives are directly implicated in the policy changes proposed in these orders.
As followers of Jesus, we know that these orders are not at all in keeping with the vision God has for the world. We know that we encounter Christ when we care for the hungry, the poor, the naked. We heed the call of mercy because we know a God who is merciful with us, every single day. We know the imperative to welcome the stranger because all of us were once strangers in a new land. We know that every human being is created in the image of God, called good; no, very good, by our Creator. We know that, in creating the world, God chose diversity and freedom, giving human beings the power to discern who we are and whom we love. We know that Jesus lived his ministry, destroying any black and white categories that kept the powerful comfortable, while limiting the flourishing of others.
I am so grateful for the words that Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde courageously shared with our president and with the world at Tuesday’s prayer service at the National Cathedral. Bishop Budde showed the world that there are very different Christianities at work in our country right now, and she gave powerful witness to a Christianity that calls for mercy, neighborliness, hospitality, and compassion. That is the Christianity I recognize, and the one I believe is most faithful to the way of Jesus. In an article that I read this week, I learned that Bishop Budde changed her sermon mere hours before she was set to deliver it, directly in response to the executive orders and the way President Trump threatened to wield his power. In reflecting on her words, Bishop Budde wrote that she wasn’t so much trying to call the president out, but rather to hold him accountable to the office to which he has been entrusted. That is faith powerfully at work, the Spirit offering words of courage and truth in the face of cruel rhetoric and dangerous power.
It's only been a week and I’m already feeling weary of it. But in my better moments, I am resolved to pour my energy into the community and culture that we have the power to create at Grace. In our life together, I know we will continue to uphold and proclaim the sacred values of Jesus, made known to us in the gospel, at the table, and in one another. Thank you for joining me in this vital and life-saving work! And know that, as we journey through these next four years, you have a community that loves you and pastors that are always available to talk. We need each other through this. Thank God we have each other.
In Christ,
Pastor Sarah
Every Friday, we send an email to the congregation and any others who would like to learn more about the Grace community. The last four Friday emails are posted below.