(C) Daily Kos
This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .



Called to be wise as serpents and gentle as doves|Building community one Empathy Circle at a time [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2025-01-27

This is an Open Thread / Coffee Hour and all topics of conversation are welcome. How are you doing? What is on your mind. If you are new to Street Prophets please introduce yourself below in a comment. Today's Coffee Hour is brought to you Matthew 10:16.

“Listen I am sending you out like sheep to a pack of wolves. You must be wise as serpents and as gentle as doves.” Matthew 10:16

This yesterday marks the third Sunday I attended a formal church service in over 35 years. Jump the fold for my thought on yesterday’s service and how it applies to my understanding of the intersection of faith, politics and survival. If you are new to Street Prophets please introduce yourself below in a comment.

This article is continued after the fold and community links

Back 35 years ago I was studying fundamentalist churches I enjoyed listening to the lead preacher in a local large church. Attendance was usually around 350 to 400 people. The preacher was older, at least in his 70s, and probably founded the church decades before the rise of organized Republican White Nationalism and megachurches.

One of the last services I attended was a shocker and put in motion a series of events that saddens me to this day. The preacher who I admired, from the pulpit, endorsed a Republican candidate for office. And, he mention of a handout placed in the lobby advising how to vote.

The following week he tearfully recanted his statement. And the next week he was absent, and the “youth pastor” held the service. And in the following week we learned he passed away. Yes, he was older but on the multiple times I watched him preach he was animated and had a spring in his step that led me to believe he was healthy.

What was remarkable was lack of “connecting the dots” in the new leadership and congregation. His death was spun as God calling him back for a higher purpose. Not the shock of losing his pulpit and voted out by a proto-MAGA board of directors. That was it. The only mention of death. One line.

Then the new lead pastor then made the announcement that instead of the 60 minute sermon that founding pastor traditionally gave he would be only giving a 30 minute sermon. And that the good news is there would be more time for the big music productions held at the church.

Flash forward 33 years and I was standing in line in grocery store and behind me was an individual with a tee shirt advertising the church and MAGA values couched in “loving” language. It was an older fellow and I asked him how long he had attended the church. He said for about 40 years. I asked him if he remembered the founding pastor. And he said he did.

I proceeded to remind him of circumstances of the founding pastor’s death. And my speculation on his death being related to outside pressure to politicize his church. He got very uncomfortable and defensive. So much so he abruptly cut off conversation and changed lines as far away as he could.

Yesterday’s service did not disappoint. Here is a link to the sermon : Northbrae Sunday Service 1/26 Born For Such a Time as This. In contrast to the above the service I attended was focused on supporting the theme of “Born For Such a Time as This. Called to be wise as serpents and gentle as doves.” The proto-MAGA service mentioned above was about the show and featured a full band and multiple singers of a professional caliber. And, typically the songs focused on praising God. But never once did I hear a call to follow in Jesus’s foot steps such as I heard yesterday.

At yesterdays service all the songs, readings, and audience participation supported the sermon’s theme of loving activism in face of adversity. The reading that I will share with you below was from last weeks National Prayer Service at the Washington National Cathedral held on January 21, 2025.

The first part of the sermon was about the strength of Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde in facing the Orange President with a message of love and compassion and referenced the reading below. The readings were given by a member of the congregation.

“In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who scared now. Some gay, lesbian and transgender Americans fear for their lives and a similar fear looms over hard-working immigrant families in communities across the country. They may not be citizens or have the roper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors. They are faithful members of our churches and mosques, synagogues, gurdwara and temples. - I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away, and that you help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands to find compassion and welcome here. Our God teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger, for we were all once strangers in this land.” - Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde

The two other readings was from the Bible. And anchored the sermon’s theme.

“For if you keep silence at such a time as this, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another quarter, but you and your father’s family will perish. Who Knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.” — Ester 4:14 - “Listen! I am sending you out like sheep to a pack of wolves. You must be wise as serpents and as gentle as doves.” — Matthew 10:16

This sermon resonates with the previous two sermons I attended and wrote about In previous Street Prophets Monday diaries. See: MLK National Day of Service | Reflections on the church service on MLK I attended | Empathy Circles and Drained by MAGA talks with family? Try reflective listening and structured dialogue. (with poll).

Lastly in Building a Culture of Empathy news. Today we are placing a deposit on the reserving the conference rooms at the church for a two day Empathy Circle facilitator training course scheduled up March 29 and 30th of this year.

And yesterday I found out that the church was hosting a workshop by Martin Wagner on Finding Hope in Difficult Times. Martin spent 15 years studying with engaged Buddhist Joanna Macy. He also had 35+ years experience as a human rights and environmental lawyer. I had to leave early but got a chance to talk to him about Empathy Circles and he found a resonance with his teaching practice.

So, today my friend that is conducting business with the church is going to ask if we can present a workshop on Empathy Circles after the service similar to the workshop Martin is presenting. It is a great comfort having a strong friend helping me. It is also a great comfort organizing locally having a supportive church to guide me toward the high road.

We are building beloved community* one Empathy Circle at a time!

I wish a had more time to write more, but I’m a full time caregiver and the demands of my work just do not allow me to write. One of my charges is in the hospital and I have to tend to getting him home.

Regards,

Jonathan (linkage)

(* The Beloved Community is a vision for a society where everyone is valued, respected, and free from prejudice. The term was popularized by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the civil rights movement. The topic of last weeks sermon. )

[END]
---
[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/1/27/2299474/-Called-to-be-wise-as-serpents-and-gentle-as-doves-Building-community-one-Empathy-Circle-at-a-time?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_community&pm_medium=web

Published and (C) by Daily Kos
Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified.

via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/