Resources for navigating this political season
Engaging in political activity is an important way of loving our neighbors (Matthew 22:34-40) and participating in the kingdom (Luke 4:16-19). We also know that Jesus invites us to follow him with every single part of our lives (Luke 9:57-62). This means even the way we engage in politics submits to the way of Jesus. If we are serious about following Jesus, we will seek to think and live, not like Republicans or Democrats, but like Christians.
Political engagement is important, but how we participate in politics is far more important that who we support. In a season like this, it is important to be self-reflective and intentional about how we are being formed. We do not want to be formed in the image of any political party and bring that to bear on our faith. We want to be formed by Jesus to be like Jesus and bring that to bear on politics.
These resources are intended to help us be self-reflective and intentional. They are not party or issue specific. We hope they will help us discern how we can engage politics in this season. How is our desire to follow Jesus helping us interact with one another (even those with whome we disagree) in love? How are we growing in humility and gentleness in a culture of tribalism? How are we being formed in the way of love and service in a culture of fear and control?
We hope these resources will be helpful in this season. Some are information to recieve (books, podcasts, sermons, and sermon series). Others are spiritual practices that we hope will help us to be formed in the way of Jesus in this turbulent season.
Practices
In this short practice, we offer a prayer in preparation of voting. We would encourage you to pray this prayer before you vote, whether in the parking lot of your polling place or while you wait in line. As we hold various groups of people in the light of God’s loving presence, we respond together, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done.
In this guided practice we step back from our tribal instincts to pray for the presidential candidates. This practice is adapted from one Pastor Michael Rudzena led our community through in 2016. In it, we pause to hold the candidates (two bearers of God’s image) in the light and love of God’s presence.
Our Political Formation
In this practice, we consider how we have been shaped by our culture of politics. We start with some reflective questions, then have a conversation with God about what we noticed, and finally we listen for how God might be inviting us to respond.
As you engage the practice, we encourage you to be honest. When it comes to political engagement, the stakes can feel big. It can be scary or shameful to consider how we have been shaped in ways that are not aligned with the kingdom of God. Be kind and gracious with yourself but to also be willing to be honest. Remember that God loves you more deeply than you can imagine. At the very core, your identity is that you are a beloved bearer of God’s image.
Welcoming Prayer
As we seek to untangle ourselves from the partisan liturgies of our culture, we are engaging counter-formational practices. In response to our partisan culture which uses fear as a political tool, we offer a practice that can help us welcome the love and presence of Jesus into our fear so that we might be the kind of people whose political activity is marked by love.
Breath Prayer
This guided practice is a part of our series The Liturgy of Politics. As we seek to untangle ourselves from the partisan liturgies of our culture, we are engaging counter-formational practices. In this practice, we respond to the partisan liturgy of fear and anxiety with the practice of breath prayer.
“Your kingdom come. Your will be done.”
This simple, repeated prayer reminds us, in the words of Pastor Mike Lueken, even if the worst we can imagine becomes a reality in this election season, “Jesus is still king. The kingdom is still real, and all shall be well.” This breath prayer offers important perspective, and it reminds us that we are invited to join the Holy Spirit in its redemptive kingdom work.
An Examen for Political Seasons
In this practice of the Examen, we consider our political activity (the media we consume and our response, our conversations, the ways we serve our communities, and voting) and ask when our activity was centered on the partisan liturgies of our culture and when they were centered on the radical alternative of God’s kingdom.
A Kingdom Examen
The good news of Jesus is an invitation to live a life with him in the kingdom of God. How can we submit the areas of life we can control to the kingdom of God? How might we choose to live in God’s kingdom rather than the kingdoms of this world?
A Practice of Detatchment
In this practice, Father Michael Sparough guides us through a practice of detachment. Walking through three hand postures, we listen and pray. We let go of whatever we are clinging to other than Jesus, and open ourselves for God’s grace.
Books
The Spirit of Our Politics by Michael Wear
Wear applies the the teaching of Dallas Willard to how we engage politics.
The Liturgy of Politics by Kaitlyn Schiess
Kaitlyn invites us to consider how our engagement of politics has contributes to our formation and suggest counter-formational practices.
The Ballot and the Bible by Kaitlyn Schiess
Kaitlyn explores the passages of scripture that are often used (and misused) in American politics.
Compassion & Conviction by Justin Giboney, Michael Wear, and Chris Butler
The And Campaign seeks to help us “understand our civic engagement as a way to obey Christ’s call to love our neighbor, we see that it is possible to engage the political process with both love and truth―compassion and conviction.”
Jesus and the Powers by N.T. Wright and Michael Bird
Wright and Bird help us to consider how the reality that Jesus is king should guide our political engagement.
Love Over Fear by Dan White
In this book, White helps us consider how we love can help us overcome the influence of fear.
Other Resources
The Church Politics Podcast
This podcast from the And Campaign is an honest exploration of politics from a Christian worldview.
Renovating our Politics
This is the replay of a webinar from our friends at Renovaré with Michael Wear and Kaitlyn Schiess which explores the connections between personal formation and the public life.
The Pour Over
This regular email offers the news of the day in a politically neutral way and seeks to turn our attention toward Jesus.
Knight of Terror!
This video produced by Phil Vischer and the Holy Post invites us (in cartoon!) to consider how fear is used in politics.
Sermons and Sermon Series
Let the King Descend from Oak Hills Church
Oak Hills Church did a wonderful series about how we should be people who seek first the Kingdom of God, and navigating everything—including political chaos—in a way that is in sharp contrast to how it’s done everywhere else.
Introduction
Jesus and Politics
Idolatry and Politics
Discipleship and Politics
Incarnational Politics
The Church and Politics
Misfits from Journey Church
Mike Erre and Journey Church is exploring our political landscape through the lens of the Kingdom of God.
Misfits Series
Practice Teaching
Here is a collection of messages we have done in the last few years that can help us navigate this season.
The Liturgy of Politics (2024)
The Desert Mothers and Fathers
The Liturgy of Politics
The Liturgy of Politics: Community
The Liturgy of Politics: Scripture
The Kingdom of God or the Kingdoms of This World
Love and…
Love and Downward Mobility
Love and Admitting I Might be Wrong
Music
The Kingdom of Jesus by The Porter’s Gate (with Jon Guerra and Sandra McCracken)
The Lord Will Have His Way by The Porter’s Gate (with Dee Wilson and Emoni Wilkins)
See the Love by The Brilliance
Open Up by The Brilliance
Let Us Be Known By Our Love by Liturgical Folk