November 2024
Together In Mission
Monthly Reflections from BCC
The Election and The Soul: Dealing Faithfully with Our Political Anxiety
By Phil Rushton
Lead Pastor
The American Psychology Association conducts an annual “Stress in America Survey." This year, 7 out of 10 Americans across party lines said that politics was the leading cause of stress in their life. I suspect that many of you can relate! The anxiety about the current election season is hard to avoid. It is flooding our social media feeds and working its way into our daily conversations. One thing I think most of us seem to agree on is that we will be glad when the election is over!
I thought I’d share a few reflections about how we might work through our political anxiety. This article is not about debating the issues or evaluating the candidates. I think most of us have had ample opportunity to hash out and debate these issues by now. Instead, I want to suggest some spiritual practices that I think help us tend to our souls and protect our relationships during a divisive election season.
Centering Prayer
If anybody could advise us on how to deal with political anxiety it would be David. His life was marked by constant political instability. He dealt with civil wars, military coups, and betrayals from his own allies. Yet, David often directed this anxiety to God in prayer. Prayer enabled David to cultivate an awareness of God in the midst of difficult situations. In Psalm 46, for example, he speaks about how the nations are in an uproar and the kingdoms are tottering; however, as he recalls God’s power and faithfulness he is able to gain perspective. He concludes his prayer saying, “Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold.”
I don’t know what the outcome of the election will be this year, but I do know this - God will still be God on November 5! Jesus will still be on the throne! In the Lord’s Prayer, we are invited to rest in the hope that God’s kingdom, power, and glory will endure forever! This is not only a future hope. We can trace this promise through history. The church has survived and even thrived through political situations that are even more dire than what we face today.
What might happen if we replaced some of the time we spend reading news headlines or checking the latest polls, with resting in the presence of God and expressing our anxiety to Him? Perhaps, like David, I might be able to "be still and know that God is God."
Empathy
Most of us have strong opinions about the current political election. In the midst of this, we need to be careful that we do not take our cues from the toxic type of debate going on in our society.
In his book, What’s So Amazing About Grace, Philip Yancey writes, “Politics draws lines between people; in contrast, Jesus’ love cuts across those lines and dispenses grace. That does not mean, of course, that Christians should not involve themselves in politics. It simply means that as we do so we must not let the rules of power displace the command to love.”
As Christians, we need to make sure that we do not let a bitter root of dissension grow up within our communities. One helpful antidote to dissension is humility. The us-versus-them mentality of partisan politics can create a situation where we elevate our virtues and overstate our opponent’s vices. In response to this, we ought to humbly recognize our own shortcomings and biases. N.T. Wright reminds us, “The line between good and evil does not run between us and them. The line between good and evil runs right through every human heart.”
Another important virtue needed to counteract dissension is empathy. I have found a lot of guidance in Michael Wear’s book The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life. One practice he suggests is to find ways to affirm those you oppose and critique those you support. Try and understand the concerns and issues that are driving your political opponents. Be honest about the blindspots and limitations represented on your side of the debate.
Advocacy
At the same time, I think it is important for us as Christians to speak up and defend the values of the Kingdom of God. Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes, “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” The Bible is full of examples of prophets who speak out against injustice. We usually think of prophets as “future-tellers” but their main role in scripture is to be “truth-tellers.”
So there is a place to speak. Grace does not mean we cease to be discerning. When Jesus says, “Do not judge,” he is not saying, “Do not discern.” The intent of Jesus’ statement is that we do not pass final judgment. As Dale Bruner says, "We are called to be discerning, not damning.” Yes, we forgive, and yes, we don’t pass final judgment, but we still are called to hold leaders accountable and pursue truth. So there is a place to speak out against things we think are wrong and to advocate for what is right and good.
Yet, as Paul reminds us, we are called to, “speak the truth in love.” One of my professors once told me that there is an important difference between a prophet and a critic. A critic simply likes to cut people down whereas a prophet speaks the truth because he or she loves the people and desires their best.
Furthermore, the truth we speak is not to be guided by our political affiliation but by our understanding of the values and teachings of Jesus. Timothy Keller observes “The churches in America are often controlled by the surrounding political culture rather than by the spirit of Jesus and the prophets.” This, I believe, expands our notion of what is true and will likely cause us to speak out against issues on both sides of the aisle. This orientation also protects us from sacrificing the values of the gospel for the sake of our political alignment.
Lastly, it is important to remember that the prophetic voice in scripture is primarily aimed toward believers, not non-believers. In 1 Corinthians 5:12 Paul writes, "It isn't my responsibility to judge outsiders." As Christians, our first priority is to tend to our own spiritual formation and integrity, so that we might become a light in a dark world. As we engage those outside the church we need to be careful that we do not turn a mission field into a battlefield, or turn outsiders into enemies we must defeat rather than people we are called to reach.
Balancing Lament and Praise
During our Psalm series, we noticed that the psalmists regularly hold in balance lament and praise. The psalms leave adequate space for directing our anxiety, fear, and anger to God in prayer. Lament may be an important practice for us in the weeks to come.
Yet, while our anxiety and frustrations are valid, I believe there is still reason to be hopeful. As Christians, we believe that we have a hope that transcends our current circumstances. Fear is good for politics, and some of the rhetoric we are hearing these days suggests that our ultimate hope is on the ballot on November 5. To be sure, elections matter. There is a lot at stake when we go to the ballot. The character of our leaders and the content of their policies will affect people in significant ways. Yet, the scriptures remind us that our ultimate hope does not rest in human leaders. David prays in Psalm 146:
Do not put your trust in princes,
in human beings, who cannot save.When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;
on that very day, their plans come to nothing.Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord their God.
Human leaders are important, but they cannot save us in the ultimate sense of the word. To see a particular leader or political party as our main source of hope is to cross the line into idolatry.
As Christians, our ultimate hope is in the Lord our God. This is an enduring hope that can sustain us even though we may face hardship and trouble. Jesus says in John 14, “In this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world.” Paul says in Romans 8, “Nothing can separate us from the love of God.” Perhaps this current political anxiety is an opportunity for us to evaluate what we really trust in!
Addiction and Recovery for Everyone
By Adria Willett-Leonardo
Associate Pastor
“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do,” (Romans 7:15). Why do we keep doing what we hate, even when it is destructive to ourselves and others? This is the central question of addiction, explains Alan Muia, co-founder and director of New Earth Recovery.
We all have coping behaviors to deal with stress, pain, fear, or shame in our lives. But when these behaviors become destructive to us or to others, and we continue to turn to them, regardless of the consequences, then the behavior has become addiction.
Alan Muia, along with his wife, Pastor Amy Muia, who works as the associate pastor of congregational care at Bethany Covenant Church in Mt Vernon, led a workshop at BCC on Saturday, October 12. About 20 people—from BCC, other churches, and the community—gathered to learn about the roots of addiction and the road to recovery. It was a powerful time of learning, discovery, and connection.
The Muias gave an overview of addiction and how it is rooted in false beliefs that we have about ourselves, the world, and God. They explained how these beliefs trigger emotional reactions to people, situations, and so forth, which then trigger our survival instinct in our brains. Our survival brain then turns to coping behaviors to find relief or to address perceived threats to our safety. Once this part of our brain has been triggered, it’s almost impossible to make conscious, rational choices. This is why, they argued, recovery programs that focus on behavior or positive affirmations do not lead to deep change in people. We must experience a transformation of our core beliefs before we can begin the journey of recovery.
So how do we begin to change our false beliefs? We begin by rebuilding trust in others and in God. “The opposite of addiction is not sobriety, it is connection,” Alan told us. We need to develop meaningful connections with others in order to re-learn trust. Trusting, meaningful relationships can help us be vulnerable with others, sharing our struggles and doubts, and open us to receive support and encouragement. Relationships where we keep each other accountable will help us on the path toward healing and transformation. As we learn to trust others and experience love from others, we will open ourselves to trusting the goodness of God and accepting his grace. The reverse is also true; the more that we learn to accept God’s love, the more we are able to accept love from others and love them in return.
We all need to allow the truth of Christ to set us free from the lies that we have believed. We all need both the power of the Holy Spirit and the support of others to have the courage to face our stress, fear, shame, and pain. We also need the power of the Spirit to retrain our brains to care for ourselves in healthy ways when we face hard emotions and stress, rather than turning to destructive coping behaviors.
There are a lot of other steps in the recovery process, such as having a willingness to do what it takes to change. Usually, those who struggle with addiction do not get to this point until the pain of addiction (both inner and outer) becomes greater than the fear of change. The other keys to recovery include addressing physical and mental health, learning and building good habits and life skills, learning to work through conflict, and a sense of purpose, as well as structure and accountability.
As I looked around the room that Saturday, I saw light dawning on a lot of faces, and I sensed the movement of the Spirit in many hearts. We left with a different perspective on addiction and recovery and with tools to help our loved ones and/or ourselves begin the road to healing and transformation.
I want to extend my gratitude to Justin Mattix, who encouraged us to invite the Muias to lead the workshop and who helped plan the event from start to finish. I also want to thank Rachel and Katheryn Silves, Galen Johnson, Jeff Grosskopf, Jacob Henderson, and Diane Majors who helped with set up, clean up, and food. To God be the glory for the amazing things he does in and through his people!
BCC Faces: Kelly Snoek
Advent Giving Opportunities For You and Your Family
Kid Kits For Refugee Families
Visit Cafe Fika to find bags & lists, beginning November 24!
Are you looking for a fun and meaningful service project to do with your kids (or grandkids) this Christmas season? We suggest looking into building Kid Kits for Refugee families!
Families with children and youth from BCC are working together to create Kid Kits for Refugee Families this Advent Season! Kid Kits are gift bags that are filled with comfort items that will be given to refugee children and youth who are finding their new homes here in Whatcom County. We’re excited to partner with World Relief to help kids adjust to their new home in our country.
For more information, visit bellinghamcov.org/kidkits
All bags are due back to Cafe Fika by Christmas Eve (unwrapped)
Interfaith Holiday Joy Program:
We will be participating in the Interfaith Coalition Holiday Joy program again this Christmas season. This program allows parents to “shop” for gifts in a store-like setting. Many parents were in tears last year, as they were able to pick out gifts for their children. Ornament tags will be in the foyer beginning Sunday, November 24th. A list of toy ideas to purchase will be on the back of the tags. Interfaith is also hoping for $50.00 gift cards for teens to Fred Meyers, Walmart, and Target.
All donations need to be brought back to BCC unwrapped by Sunday, December 8th
Up Next:
CoWork Corner
Every Tuesday & Thursday
12:00 pm-3:00 pm in Cafe Fika
*This is a shared workspace for those who work or study from home
Vespers Evening Service
Sunday, November 3
6:30 pm in the Sanctuary
*Vespers is a contemplative evening worship service of scripture, singing, and prayer
Prime Timers Brunch
Wednesday, November 6, 12:30 pm in the Dining Room
*Prime Timers is a ministry for those who are 60(ish) and above
Holiday Bazaar
Saturday, November 9
9:00 am-4:00 pm
Kid Kit Lists Available
Sunday, November 24 in Cafe Fika
*Kid kits are gift bags given to refugee families who are moving to Whatcom County