Introduction and Ice Breaker
Take some time with others and identify your emotions as you head into this election week.
Themes to Consider
To live life in union with Jesus, is to come to live in the realized Kingdom of God, that means something profound for all areas of our life right now and for the Age to Come
A PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. —Philippians 3:7-11
Something had come into Paul’s life that made every other advantage (you might say privilege) he held by birth or accomplishment seem like garbage compared to Knowing Christ Jesus My Lord.
Our first love and first allegiance is to Christ
Neither political party in America perfectly lines up with the Kingdom of God.
A PLAN FOR LIVING
realign you heart each day with Christ
spend time enjoying the presence of Jesus
Ask Jesus to direct your outlook and engagement
Christ gives us a plan for living rooted in love.
A PROMSE FOR OUR FUTURE
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. —Philippians 3 v 18-21
Jesus is inviting us to live as people of the resurrection now while we wait and work for the renewal of the world
Discussion Questions
How do we live as followers of Jesus in these politically divided times?
How do we talk about issues that matter to us deeply but that people we love see differently?
How we do we process anxiety we may be feeling about the election or our world?
How do you recognize that your allegiance might be misplaced?
Guided Prayer
Spend some time re-declaring your primary allegiance to Jesus
Confess the moments of anxiety, fear, anger, frustration that might point to the fact that your trust is misplaced.
Ask God to walk with you, deepening your relationship through this contentious season in our world.
Pray for your enemies - or those who disagree with you in times like this. Don’t pray for them to see things your way but for the kingdom and authority of God to take root in both your lives.
Spend some time in gratitude that your life is in the hands of the Living God.
Supplemental Content
Jocelyn Kiley, associate director of research at the Pew Research Center, said political polarization is more intense now than at any point in modern history. Nearly 80% of Americans now have "just a few" or no friends at all across the aisle, according to Pew. And the animosity goes both ways.
Another recent poll by the Public Religion Research Institute shows that 8 in 10 Republicans believe the Democratic Party has been taken over by socialists, while 8 in 10 Democrats believe the Republican Party has been taken over by racists. The report is aptly named titled "Dueling Realities.”
People are so enmeshed that it’s hard to distinguish political figures from themselves. The domino effect of enmeshment looks like this.
To critique the President (or any political leader) it to critique the party I align with. To critique the party is to critique the values I hold dear. To critique the values I hold dear is to critique my vision of a flourishing world. To critique my vision of a world that flourishes is to critique my understanding of God. To critique my understanding of God is to critique me at my deepest center. Makes sense why people get defensive when their political leader is criticized.
So then, when the candidate you support is criticized, and you feel deep anger and defensiveness, the question we need to ask is: Why am I so defensive? Have I confused my core identity with the person/party I support?
The painful truth of this is, if a political leader is beyond genuine critique in your mind, the political leader has taken on a god-like status. And there’s a commandment or two that has something to say about that.
RICH VILLODAS
Your vote is not an unmediated expression of your identity, your vote is a choice between options you did not choose yourself. If you view your vote as an unmediated, pure expression of your will, it can be debilitating. Whether you are Christian or not, simply as a matter of the fact that we have consciences and convictions, and to view political choices in such a way threatens the integrity of the human person
Michael Wear
Our vote should be intended toward the greatest flourishing of our community. Our vote should be intended toward the good of our neighbors, as best as we can see it, in consultation with scripture, Christian tradition, fellow Christians and our neighbors themselves. We take our vote seriously, but we also recognize we are part of a body politic, and we recognize voting for what it is. And we understand that in all but the rarest of circumstances, and we should be hesitant to suggest what the exceptions are in an unequivocal manner, there is no single Christian way to vote. My principal concern is that Christians vote with faithfulness in mind, with prayer that intends to expose their heart to God and themselves rather than cover it up, and with a moral burden that is rightly-sized and rightly-situated. Seek to be faithful with what you have, in the circumstances you have been given.
Michael Wear
