There are many events that take place in our lives; some are filled with joy, and some bring sorrow. All of these event’s shape who we are as people. This fall there have been many such events in my life – a wonderful family vacation in August, the engagement of our daughter, and the birth of a new grandchild. There have also been major car repairs, illness, the death of our daughter’s-in-law mother, and the announcement of our son and his family moving to Kentucky. Life is like this – a series of hills and valleys. We have no idea what each day may bring, much less a week, a month, or a year from now. There are no guarantees in life, we are not promised roses and sunshine because we’re followers of Jesus Christ. In fact, we’re promised that this life will bring trouble (John 16:33).
As I write this, there are many people going in and out of the building – it’s election day and Resurrection is one of many polling places in Hastings. This morning, during our staff meeting, we prayed for those working at the various voting sites as well as those voting. We prayed for the process, for people to treat each other with kindness and respect, for patience in the event of long lines, and so on. We prayed for that kindness and respect to continue in the coming days as the results of the elections becomes known.
The hope in all of this, regardless of the election results, is that we know one thing is certain – God is unchangeable. The author of Hebrews writes “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). We all need to pray for our newly elected officials, and I pray you will follow Paul’s instruction to “Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love” (Ephesians 4:2). There is hope and joy knowing God is in control and Jesus is the King of kings.
I’ll end with a prayer for these elections:
“Almighty God, you rule all the peoples of the earth. Inspire the minds of all women and men to whom you have committed the responsibility of government and leadership in the nations of the world. Give to them the vision of truth and justice, that by their counsel all nations and peoples may work together. Give to the people of our country zeal for justice and strength of forbearance, that we may use our liberty in accordance with your gracious will. Forgive our shortcomings as a nation; purify our hearts to see and love the truth. We pray all these things through Jesus Christ. Amen.” – United Methodist Book of Worship #442
Peace in Christ,
Pastor Julie