Resources for Election Season: A Liturgy of Hope & Release
Election seasons are seasons of heightened anxiety, fear, and division. Following Jesus’ model of caring for the most vulnerable, we believe God calls us to stay attentive to the policies and leadership changes that impact our collective well-being. We believe God calls us to use our vote to work toward building God’s beloved community on earth. Therefore, we’ve crafted a simple liturgy to carve out space for reflection, listening, and connection—in the midst of staying active and engaged throughout election season and the weeks that follow.
Through music, visio divina, scripture, poetry, reflection prompts, and prayer, this liturgy invites us to practice release and hope. You’re welcome to share this liturgy with your community, or adapt it for your online or in-person worship. (If you’d like to print or view the visio divina image included in the liturgy, you can download it here.)
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR ELECTION SEASON AND THE WEEKS AFTER
We’re posting this just a week away from the 2020 US election, one that carries historic weight and importance. No matter what happens in the days and weeks to come, we know we will all need moments for sacred pause. Some of these additional resources may be meaningful to you and your community in the weeks ahead.
Written in May of 2020, these poems by Sarah Are speak to the turbulence of these times while also pointing us to God’s presence in the midst of it all. The collection includes 7 poems with the following themes:
-Unraveled by Joy and Surprise
-Unraveled by Uncertainty
-Unraveled by Grief (That Inspires Action)
-When Humans Unravel God’s Plans for Justice
-When Dreams Unravel (I Hope You Brought Your Raft)
-Seeking Understanding When Everything Has Fallen Apart
-Discovering a New Path // Zoom Calls
This short film, created shortly after the 2016 US election, blends visual and spoken poetry to offer a meditation on our communal and individual brokenness and how we can allow it to divide us, or we can harness it to deepen our empathy, connection, and compassion. We hope this film speaks to the deep divides wracking our nation and world while also inviting us all to look more carefully at ourselves and others.
Originally created for the season of Lent, this liturgy could be adapted for your community’s needs. The service is designed to provide worshipers with space to pray and reflect on the needs in their lives, whether they are seeking healing or wholeness for themselves, a loved one, our country, or the earth. Incorporating written reflection, prayer stations, and a visual meditation, the service flows through 3 major Movements:
1. MOVEMENT ONE | Letting Go of Anxiety and Busyness to Cultivate Calm
2. MOVEMENT TWO | Letting Go of Fear to Cultivate Confidence in God
3. MOVEMENT THREE | Letting Go of Doubt to Cultivate Hope
Rev. Lisle Gwynn Garrity
Founder, Creative Director
Lisle Gwynn Garrity (she/her) is a Pastorist (pastor + artist), retreat leader, and creative entrepreneur seeking to fill the church with more color, paint, mystery, and creativity. She founded A Sanctified Art with the conviction that, in order to thrive, the church needs more creative expression and art-filled freedom.