St. Columba's overly political sermons...

[Anonymous]

At St. Columba's in Tenelytown, week in and week out the various members of the clergy ramble on about gay marriage, gay rights, (which I am in favor of) increased taxation of the wealthy, veiled attacks against the Republican party (I'm a Dem) I just don't want to have politics shoved down my throat at church. What has happened to our church? I've been a member for 10 years and I cannot believe how much politics has taken over a time during the week that should focus only on spirituality. It is so upsetting that I just wonder--am I alone in thinking that church is not the time for political speeches?

[Anonymous]

You could try letting the priest know your thoughts. Something non-confrontational is the rule for tough discussions like this, such as "I sometimes get uncomfortable when...."

Or, maybe it's time for a new church? I'm episcopalian too, but our gay priest pretty much stays away from politics, although I think I know what his are and they're the same as mine. There's enough material in the readings for the day to write a great sermon--and he delivers great sermons--without telling us how to vote.

[Anonymous]

Jesus wept.

[Anonymous]

You're Catholic right? We are too and in a different diocese, not Arlington. It's similar in that the line had blurred and I am not a fan. Speak to your pastor but I suspect the diocese is dictating some of this.

[Anonymous]

Completely, completely agree. I would be so turned off by this, no matter how I felt about the issues.

Christian churches are supposed to unify us on the thing/ issues we agree on, like salvation through Jesus Christ. This kind of talk is divisive and has no place in a church, especially coming from the pulpit.

Thanks for warning about St. Columba's. We've been church shopping in NW DC and will note this.

[Anonymous]

You don't have to stay and listen. Maybe getting up and walking out would send a message.

[Anonymous]

This has been an issue with some Episcopal churches for a long time. My dad got angry at an overly political sermon at Grace Cathedral in SF in the early 70s. Go talk with the priest. It sounds like the priest might be forgetting the first rule if public speaking...know thy audience!

[Anonymous]

OP here. Whatever, Jesus wept poster. Jesus was not a politician. We are Episcopalians. I don't want to send the message that I disagree with these political positions because I don't. I think getting up and walking out would be a hugely confrontational move--I don't want to put my kids through that. We sit near the front every Sunday, walking out would be really disruptive. I just can't understand what is going on at St. Columba's, really. The parish is and has always has been very liberal largely hetero families (in fact, I don't know ANY gay couple families that go there) But over the last 4 years or so gay men and women have slowly filled the ranks of the clergy (which is fine...) and now virtally every sermon begins with:"my partner and I...blah-blah-blah or a long winded tale of why gay marriage should be recognized right here and now--let's have a gay marriage ceremony RIGHT NOW just to show how ok we are with it or a story about how the US Congress should be resolving this or that issue in a more liberal or progressive way (which I generally agree with but just don't want to think about at all during church) I know ours is a parish of liberal policy wonks, I am one! But not on Sunday! There is a huge family/kid presence at St. Columba's. I just can't believe how the spirituality issues that I think most of the families there come for are being trampled by this "cabal" of gay activists on the pulpit. Any day now the new Bishop is going to be invested. It is a woman. I don't know for a fact but I'm guessing she is probably lesbian. I don't know of another local Episcopal church that has the same level of intimacy as St. Columba's. I don't want to go to the Cathedral or St. Alban's--it's too big. Besides, I feel like these people have hijacked the church from its own parish. I don't know what to do, but abandoning the church doesn't seem right. I feel cowed by the pastors and I wonder if enough people feel the same way, if we could oust them--or get them to just sthu about politics in the sermon?

[Anonymous]

^^This is our neighborhood church, btw. Many of my friends from childhood, my kid's friends from Janney and all the families of the kids in our immediate neighborhood of Tenleytown/AU Park and N. Cleveland Park attend this church. I don't wan't to made to be angry at church. But boy, am I ever being made angry at church.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Whatever, Jesus wept poster. Jesus was not a politician. We are Episcopalians. I don't want to send the message that I disagree with these political positions because I don't. I think getting up and walking out would be a hugely confrontational move--I don't want to put my kids through that. We sit near the front every Sunday, walking out would be really disruptive. I just can't understand what is going on at St. Columba's, really. The parish is and has always has been very liberal largely hetero families (in fact, I don't know ANY gay couple families that go there) But over the last 4 years or so gay men and women have slowly filled the ranks of the clergy (which is fine...) and now virtally every sermon begins with:"my partner and I...blah-blah-blah or a long winded tale of why gay marriage should be recognized right here and now--let's have a gay marriage ceremony RIGHT NOW just to show how ok we are with it or a story about how the US Congress should be resolving this or that issue in a more liberal or progressive way (which I generally agree with but just don't want to think about at all during church) I know ours is a parish of liberal policy wonks, I am one! But not on Sunday! There is a huge family/kid presence at St. Columba's. I just can't believe how the spirituality issues that I think most of the families there come for are being trampled by this "cabal" of gay activists on the pulpit. Any day now the new Bishop is going to be invested. It is a woman. I don't know for a fact but I'm guessing she is probably lesbian. I don't know of another local Episcopal church that has the same level of intimacy as St. Columba's. I don't want to go to the Cathedral or St. Alban's--it's too big. Besides, I feel like these people have hijacked the church from its own parish. I don't know what to do, but abandoning the church doesn't seem right. I feel cowed by the pastors and I wonder if enough people feel the same way, if we could oust them--or get them to just sthu about politics in the sermon?

Excuse me...the new Bishop (A WOMAN) has been married to a man for 25 years now and they have two sons.

[Anonymous]

what did you want to hear? Everybody is ok, ignore the bible and don't talk about the horrid DC anti-christian liberal environment ? What is politics, it's morals based so YES it is the same. Nothing is worse than liberals believing that they are Christian when they choose to ignore 75% of the main issues.

[Anonymous]

A different viewpoint, OP: if we are really to live our faiths, we can't compartmentalize them to Sunday mornings (or whenever we worship). I don't think it is a bad thing that your priest is asking your to think about how the tenets of your faith inform important social issues. My family attends a conservative Catholic church in the diocese of Arlington, and we hear about political/social issues, too -- mostly abortion. I struggle with some of the positions our pastor says our faith compels (I have been in other Catholic parishes that have a different political bent), but I do think it is important to think about these things. I admire a pastor who is willing to confront the hard issues of the day in the light of the faith on which he (or she, if you're Episcopalian) is instructing you. Obviously there are other important lessons that should be delivered to help us all grow in our individual faiths, but I think the political is relevant, as well.

[Anonymous]

This would really bother me. It makes me angry that church leaders of any faith would use their position to further a political agenda. If you leave because your need for spiritual nourishment isn't being met, the only Person who matters (and who wouldn't be offended) is God.

[Anonymous]

I TOTALLY agree.

This is what I love about my church. During the 08 election, I had NO IDEA of where the pastor stood. I listened intently out of curiosity to see if there sermons were pushing in one direction or the other, but he was steady as a rock and kept on point. I still to this day, have no idea which way our pastor votes.

I'm sorry, I could not attend a church that has a political bent, no matter my history. I'm there to meditate and be reminded of my duties as a Christian, which revolve around service to my community. I can do my political research on my own and make up my own mind on those topics.

I strongly believe in separation of church and state and it goes BOTH ways. I don't want to hear about Government when with God and don't want to hear about God from my Government.

[Anonymous]

if we are really to live our faiths, we can't compartmentalize them to Sunday mornings (or whenever we worship). I don't think it is a bad thing that your priest is asking your to think about how the tenets of your faith inform important social issues

I agree. "Faith" is just a one hour commitment on Sunday morning. Religious leaders have an obligation to inform their "flock" of the issues of politics as it relates to positions of faith in the church.