Saturday, October 24, 2020
The Rev. Nathan Bourne
Practice
Prayer for an Election
Almighty God, to whom we must account for all our powers and privileges: Guide the people of the United States in the election of officials and representatives; that, by faithful administration and wise laws, the rights of all may be protected and our nation be enabled to fulfill your purposes; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. – BCP p.822
On November 3rd, those of us who are eligible to vote will have the opportunity to participate in democracy and cast votes that will shape the future of our community, state, and country. To be able to cast a vote is one of our highest civic duties and most precious rights. It’s also – I believe – a spiritual practice.
Faith in God shaped by the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, is not just about how we live our own lives, or how we carry ourselves in private. The model of Jesus’s ministry is one of faith lived out in the public sphere. The story of the Gospels is the story of Jesus clashing with the religious and secular authorities of his day, debating them in the public square, challenging the rules they followed, and questioning the way they led. As we seek to model the life of Jesus, our faith should have bearing on how we live our lives publicly. Seeking to follow Jesus is not something to turn off before stepping into the election booth or filling in a mail-in ballot. Those values that Jesus models and teaches – loving our neighbor, feeding the hungry, caring for prisoners and refugees – go with us as we step up to cast that ballot.
As Anne and Rob have quoted again and again (from a West African proverb), “When you pray, move your feet.” Jesus invites us to become beloved community, and to believe that our communities and nation can achieve that vision. The way we will achieve that vision is by practicing our faith, letting it form and shape our lives. We will have the opportunity on November 3rd.
There is a huge role for followers of Jesus to play in these days leading up to the election. One of the biggest is to hold one another in prayer. Pray for our St. John’s family. Pray for our country, our leaders, and our neighbors. Pray for those who will vote differently than you. Pray for candidates and their families. Pray for wisdom for all of us, that we may choose our leaders wisely. Pray for peace. Pray for me. And I will pray for you. While prayer may feel like an intensely private act, how we pray shapes how we practice our faith with others. And our country and world desperately need those prayers.
And know that we’re not praying alone. One of the great resources of the Episcopal Church, Forward Movement, is inviting Episcopalians all over the country to join them in the “Novena”– nine days of prayer leading up to the election. Sign up to receive their daily prayers.