A Liturgy for a Politically Divided Nation - Liturgy for the Moment

City Church Tulsa

LITURGY FOR THE MOMENT A liturgy for a politically divided nation 10.27.24 A liturgy for a politically divided nation Father, in the midst of this political season, we turn our eyes to you. Though hatred and discord seem to surround us, Help us to be instruments of your love and vessels of your grace. We declare our primary allegiance to you and your kingdom. and ask for your wisdom as we navigate these complex decisions. As we face agreement and disagreement with others, May we never cease to honor the image of God in every person.We are grateful for the privilege to vote and practice religious freedom, And yet we align ourselves with the countercultural way of Jesus. We renounce the intoxicating allure of power and its false promises. and choose the way of the cross and sacrificial love. Let your kingdom come and your will be done, On earth, and in our country, as it is in heaven. Matthew 5:1-12 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them. He said: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Why is the church struggling to navigate this cultural moment? 1) Politics and political leaders are discipling our nation how to think and how to treat people 2) Many Christians and churches are peddling a false gospel that attempts to conflate our political affiliation with our kingdom allegiance 3) Many Christians have disengaged from trusted voices of the church and are being easily misled and deceived 4) Many Christians have abandoned the ways of Jesus and the “way of the lamb” for the way of power and dominance 5) Many Christians have lost their missional calling to embody the gospel and have resorted to defending or legislating the kingdom of God Mark 12:13-17 13Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. 14They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You arenʼt swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not? 15Should we pay or shouldnʼt we?” But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.”16They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesarʼs,” they replied. 17Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesarʼs and to God what is Godʼs.” And they were amazed at him. We are to be involved in political matters but they are not our hope or identity because we are called to a great purpose. 1. I will pray for you and honor your position 2. I will support you where I can 3. I will defy you where I must The church is called to be a prophetic witness to the world regarding the ways of Jesus and the kingdom of God. The church must renew our commitment to our mission and calling: We must primarily identity as citizens of the kingdom of heaven We must fiercely hold to the life and teachings of Jesus We must stand above politics in order to be a prophetic voice of truth